Morning Mystery

What is the meaning of this? I haven't a clue.


I found this heart with it's mysterious equation in a folder of old work notes this morning. Most likely the explanation is something arbitrary that has lost any meaning over time - some things are just much more fun when they are unknown.

There's Nothing Like a Little Light Plumbing in the Evening...

Funny the things that get a person to write. For instance, this evening as I was fishing about with a clothes hanger in our disgusting basement utility sink, searching for the ancient drain - or more specifically, whatever nasty bit of muck was keeping laundry water from draining through said drain - as I was doing this, I was inspired to jot down some recent happenings here. I really can't say where that connection formed, but here I am (C went for the drain cleaner).

I have been living the glamorous Arts Festival life for the past two weeks - early mornings, cold fingers, running noses, lots of coffee and disgruntled artists... and then the ones that are so happy to be there, the ones that actually enjoy what they do and have beautiful work that they are inspired to share with the world!


And then there are the customers; they grumble about the weather and make the same jokes over and over and over and over and over (you get the picture?) and they ask the same questions and complain mainly the same complaints (there is always someone who comes out with a new way to complain, that can be counted upon) but then they go through the show and they have a glass of wine and taste the chocolate and fruit crepes, they walk through the tents and talk to the artists, and maybe have a nibble of chocolate or taste the maple candy, and when they come out they are exclaiming what a fabulous day it was, how they should plan their Vermont holiday around this festival next year and maybe the year after that, they take me aside to compliment the management on the gorgeous bathrooms, and, my personal favorite, they comment to no one in particular - perhaps even just to themselves - how very much fun they had. And they don't want to leave (the wives, that is. The husbands, weighed down with purchases, have no problem getting themselves through the exit).


So, over all, its not a bad way to spend a few weeks. Tomorrow we head out to another, our last of the fall season and what looks like it might be the chilliest yet. I can't say I am particularly looking forward to spending the weekend in a cold and most likely wet fairgrounds in central New Jersey, but at the same time I really do enjoy knowing that what we do makes possible what a lot of other people do, and what they love to do, and gives so many other people the opportunity to become inspired by this handcrafted creativity in such a real way.


And those are my evening plumbing thoughts. I will be back for another installment when the sink clogs up or the toilet overflows... or hopefully not.

What I Did This Weekend

Discovered that the sticky stuff that has been on our stairs was actually (you are not going to believe this) glue! wow. And it was water soluble

Except that there was a lot of it, so I moved on

Painted stairs

Tore apart our bedroom (can you say that if you actually just moved piles from one location to another?)

Painted bedroom

Put things back together... ahhh

Relaxed

Refused to leave new room

Demanded food be brought to me, along with white wine and mystery novels

Fell into a deep funk at the prospect of monday

(I'm recovering slowly, hopefully lots of rest in my new bedroom will have me ready to go for the Hildene Fall Arts Festival this coming weekend in Manchester)

(That's Manchester Vermont, for those who might be in the vicinity - you should come!)

International Day of Peace

Today is an International Day of Peace.


It is also the last day of Summer.

Oh Summer!

I hope you have been enjoying summer as much as I have! Its been a busy month here, what with arts festivals to work and babies to visit! In between I am trying to keep up with my tiny little garden and do a few projects too.


Today a large package containing my new food processor arrived. I have big plans involving pesto and salsa, but for a trial run I sliced a dehydrator full of carrots and had so much fun. C and his friend were not nearly as impressed at the speed and power with which the carrots were chopped, but even that did not damper my enthusiasm. Too bad the dehydrator has only four levels, I could have chopped for hours!


The other night we saw Julie and Julia and now I have a very strong desire to de-bone a goose. Is this a normal reaction? I am also curious as to what kind of knife one should use if stainless steel is no good. I am guessing regular steel.

If you have not visited Tongue In Cheek", you really should. I recommend starting back a few posts to read Corey' and her husband's motorcycle trip through Europe. So beautiful and completely inspiring.

That's all the randomness I have for now. Good night friends!

Drowning in Lethargy

For some very odd reason of which I am not consciously aware, that phrase has been stuck in my mind since I was about 12 or 13. I don't know if I read it somewhere, or if it just came to me on its own, but its my little dramatic catchphrase that pops into my head on those days when I just can't move or think, when everything seems too hard or the effort just too much.

The last few days have been like that, with soaring temperatures and heavy air that makes breathing a constant effort and sends good spirits packing. I have ben waking up in the morning feeling like I'm stuck in a cloud, and that feeling doesn't go away with a cup of strong coffee or a splash of cold water to the face.


This evening everything came to a head with tremendous rushing clouds, splintering lightning bolts, and thunder crashes that brought me to my feet. The rain poured down by the bucketful and the wind sent leaves and sticks and dust flying wildly. Then it calmed and that amazing golden after-storm light filled the sky, the kind of light that makes colors turn three dimensional and turns dull streets into magical pathways.


I showered and settled down with a bowlful of cherries, breathing freely and thinking clearly, with that familiar phrase lingering in my mind.

In search of small metal objects

Or ones made of wood. For the very heavy new toy, um I mean tool, that is still unfortunately residing in the trunk of my car. The suspense is killing me.

Today the sun came out after a sudden and brief downpour, and I think I began to thaw out along with the inches-deep ice that still covers much of my neighborhood. Hooray for Spring!

Good Reads

I just finished reading Freakonomics, an incredibly interesting look at the data that make up our lives. For instance, trends in naming children and the implications of those names, or the economic hierarchy of urban drug dealers. Interesting, if fairly random, things.

Perhaps the real point of the book is to encourage the asking of questions - why is such and such the way it is? How does it compare to something radically different and what can we learn from the similarities and differences between the two?


I have always enjoyed watching people - not in a creepy way, at least I don't think so! I am just curious about how people are, how we interact. This is most likely one of the reasons I am so interested in making dolls. The author of this book has a similar curiousity, although at a much more complex and advanced level. As a curious person, I am fascinated at the conclusions an extensively inquisitive mind can deduce, it is very reassuring and quite inspiring.


I say this all as something of a disclaimer: if you catch me studying you over my boyfriends shoulder at the coffee shop, don't think I'm some sort of floozy trying to pull one over on him. I am just wondering what the pin on your jacket says, and if it has anything to do with the paper at which you are so furiously scribbling...



Seriously though, read the book.

Time's a-wastin'

I have had quite a lot of home computer work to get done recently, which means that my procrastination time has been spent in obsessively re-checking favorite blogs for new posts, equally obsessively surfing around Etsy in hopes of new favorites, and creating useless things in Illustrator. And perhaps some not so useless, such as this colorful logo for my (procrastination-hobbled) freelance work:



Logos are fun, although quite a challenge. I realized exactly what a challenge they really are when a client once deferred to my professional knowledge, according me a highly trained expert's knowledge of what makes a logo really work, when in fact I am pretty much entirely self-trained in this respect and basically go with my gut instinct + a bit of common sense. I have a lot of respect for the highly trained professionals who understand the philosophy and the psychology behind a good logo. But I also like to make them myself and see what happens.

Since I probably should make an effort to accomplish the work for which I sat down here, I will leave you now. Happy Tuesday to all!

(p.s. There is a new doll just about ready to face the world. I just wasn't quite ready to have her in such close proximity to those darn Lenci treasures!)

The Facts and the Habits

I was tagged a couple days ago by Sherry of Sage and Thyme to share 6 habits or facts about myself... here goes...

THE RULES

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

THE FACTS AND THE HABITS

1. I am left-handed. I feel that this is a very defining part of my life and sometimes I wonder how I would be different if my right hand were dominant. I also like to tell people that I am lefthanded when I discover that they are too, and then we can talk about how we, unlike the majority of the world, are in our "right minds"! I also feel uncomfortable in Indian restaurants, although this does not stop me from visiting them regularly.

2. I find four leaf clovers. This has been a habit of mine since childhood, and now is somewhat compulsive - when I see a patch of clover I have to at least glance over it to check!

3. I also pick up pennies. I blame this on my mother because she does it too. All of my coat pockets are filled with lucky pennies that are probably incredibly disgusting from the street. The combination of the clovers and the pennies make me feel like I really fit into my wierd neighborhood. (I am just not sure if I am exceptionally lucky, but so far I have no complaints!)

4. When I am nervous I twist my earrings. Because of this, I kept losing earring backs, so now I pretty much only wear the ones I got my piercings with, the ones with the backs that lock on tight. Now I can twist to my nervous little heart's delight!

5. I hate shopping for toilet paper. Not quite sure why, but the toilet paper aisle really stresses me out.

6. I blush very easily. My father used to enjoy demonstrating this to strangers.

There we go. That was actually harder than I thought it would be! Where have all my habits gone? hmm, maybe the transitory college lifestyle was better for me than I realized!

Moving on... I tag Becca and eb and anyone else who wants to play along! Leave me a message so I know where to go to learn all about you!

Autumn colors

My yard is somewhat overrun with squirrels, horrible little beasts! They managed to erase the entire bed of beans I planted, as well as the carrots, and tried their best with the cucumbers and tomatos, although the scarcity of the former, and my vigilance on the latter, thwarted the thieves a bit.


Being something of a color addict, I enjoy looking at tomatos. The red of a fresh, homegrown tomato seems to emanate summer light. They glow.


The apples aren't my own, but once I start photographing food I usually get a little carried away.

Inspiration

This is my grandmother. I just re-discovered these pictures, compiled onto a cd by a thoughtful uncle a few years back and nealy lost due to disc deterioration. There are pictures of all the family members, uncles, aunts, cousins, great aunts and uncles and grandparents - it is really wonderful. But my favorite by far, and the reason I am so glad that I managed to salvage the images before they were gone for good, are the pictures of my mother's mother.


Gwen, I called her Nini, was a farm girl from Wisconsin who grew up to be an artist, a mother, and a real lady. She was fashionable in her own special way - often ahead of her time. She was a painter and a silversmith - her jewelry designs are bold and modern and would probably be sought after if she had ever sold any. As it is, the women in her family treasure her pieces. I receieved one for my graduation gift from my mother and it is one of the most cherished items I own.


Nini died right before I graduated from high school. Since then, there have been so many times I wished she could know what I am doing. I think that she would appreciate the work I am doing, and be proud of her influence on my artistic life. Looking at these pictures, especially the later ones, I wish that I could have known her as a person, instead of only as my grandmother. I wish I could know her thoughts on subjects with which I am now grappling - I feel that we would have had a similar outlook, except that she would have the wisdom and experience of many years beyond me.

A beautiful painter

I just received my copy of ArtNews in the mail, and learned that the painter Elizabeth Murray has died. Now, I didn't actually know who Elizabeth Murray was - my recognition of the names of modern artists is embarrassingly limited, I mean, there are just so many of them! But after reading the page about her in the magazine, I went looking online, and I am just so enthralled with her work!

In reading a bit more about Murray, I came across this quote: ..."deep down, most artists are on the edge of feeling that what they do is absolutely meaningless - and that's the fun of it" (original article here). It is so reassuring to hear that, coming from a professional artist who has gained worldwide recognition for her work. Reassuring in that my own periodic sense of this meaninglessness is validated, and encouraging in that Murray found it to be a source of joy.

I think that this takes a different way of perceiving reality than do most other aspects of life - a desire for fulfillment on another level and an ability to let go of, perhaps unconscious, restrictions and limitations. It inspires me to think in this way.

Pen and Ink

"Cam in front of the American Flag" ink on paper, 2007

I like this drawing because it is ironic - to me that is. Our flag has complicated significance to me, representing all the incredible things that are the United States of America, as well as the horrors we have committed and endured. The drawing say this to me, while I imagine that to anyone else it is simply a sketch. I guess the simplest things can have extended meanings in the right circumstances.

Autumn leaves

I think that Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love Spring as well, but who doesn't like Spring who lives in a cold climate? Spring is a celebration of making it through the long Winter, Autumn has the edge of excitement and danger of knowing that Winter is just around the corner. Desperation, one could say, except that the days are just too perfect to complain about.



Part of having a puppy is getting up early and going for walks. Its a bit difficult for a chronic late-sleeper like myself to roust at the early hours, but since it is completely necessary I do it, and once I am up and out it is actually really enjoyable. This morning was perfect, a warm wind coming off the Lake and an empty park with scattered leaves blowing and dancing.



The walk was especially nice today because I could go home and back to sleep. Yay for weekends!

Rainy Day

Some favorite finds on this rainy day...



(spell it with flickr application lets you spell things with flickr)

Maggie Sherman spotlighted on the cover ofArt Map Burlington this month. Maggie is just amazing, so inspiring and I was excited to see her spotlight!

Painter's Keys - a website with info and advice for artists. I didn't actually just find this one today, but I hadn't posted about it before and I think it is neat.

Now I intend to make some things of my own. Results will follow...

Happy Sunday!

Dinner, with new eyes

I took the shucks off an ear of corn, and suddenly saw it with new eyes. The pearly rows of kernels, nearly bursting (this corn was possibly somewhat overripe), so shiny and smooth and almost irridescent. So of course I took a whole bunch of pictures. Maybe a painting? when I get inspired to paint again. And when I replenish my supply of yellow.





Happy Labor Day!

An awesome find

I possibly got a little too excited with this dust imprint on the porch windowsill. But isn't it unusually awesome?

French Fashion

I brought this plaque home from my visit to Toronto - "Paris Fashions from 1500-1900." A gift from someone several years ago, it is one of my favorite little pieces even though in reality it is just a magazine page someone attached to a plank of wood.


I love costumes, especially dresses. A few years ago I went through a phase of making Renaissance costumes (whatever do I do with them now?) and for a production of Moliere's "The School for Husbands" I took a stab at 16th century dress making - including the corset and bum roll! One of my (many) dream jobs is a theatre or film costume designer.


The costumes on this piece remind me of Alexander Dumas - the Count of Monte Cristo, or the Three Musketeers (I am speaking of the books, not the films. Read them if you have not. So good).


Lately, I have been trying to make normal, everyday clothing instead of Renaissance gowns. Not nearly as much fun, and, to be honest, much more frustrating. I just don't think I am quite ready to make puffed sleeve chemises and lace up overdresses my daily attire. Its really too bad.

Its brilliant!

My new favorite word these days seems to be "brilliant". It actually came into my vocabulary in a sneaky sort of way - popping up unexpectedly and somewhat incongruously in the middle of a conversation. I blamed it on my concurrent engrossment in research writing and critical theory reading, and figured it was only a one time thing. But brilliant just didn't leave! And other superlatives (I feel like brilliant is a superlative, but honestly the technical meaning of the term escapes me) have also begun to insert themselves in my everyday language.



When I was little, I used to consciousely add words to my repertoire. In particular I remember, at around the age of twelve, deciding my speech reflected my "goody-goody" personality a bit too much, and so to harden my reputation, I decided to add the word "darn" to my speech patterns, feeling very tough and daring in the process, and totally proving the very thing I was trying to change.

I guess I still feel somewhat that words reflect on personality. I enjoy using interesting words, finding the exact way to convey a particular thought. I'm not sure what "brilliant" says about me these days, but I think I kind of like it.