july. part 1.

 my apologies for the lengthy absence.

july was packed to the brim

with preparations

for baby evelyn's arrival.

and with plenty of art making

and shipping.

i'll catch you up with two posts

on what i've been up to.

 

first, a walk through

evie's new digs.

turns out the nesting instinct

is no joke.

lamb pelt from tibet code on etsy & refinished vintage dresser

art i created inspired by some wonderful etsy artists

lovely doll hand made by my good friend ramona

babies love contrast!

"born free" - nightlight i made inspired by a gap onesie design

shel silverstein collection + the book that inspired the room's theme

little red mobile i blatantly copied from one found at acorn toy shop

all washed and ready to be taken on great adventures

stay tuned for an update

of what i've been up to

in the studio

in the next post.

poetic therapy

'healing with words' mixed media on canvas 11"x14"

 tired? worn out? in pain?

lost? hopeless?

just a bit confused?

need a break?

 things that heal:

lighting a candle

listening to the music of the rain

the warmth of another

writing it down

a cup of tea (with honey and lemon for extra points)

morning sunshine

water (drink it in, immerse yourself in it,

jump in the puddles)

time with your lovely self - intentional

playing in the studio - no purpose, just fun

that juicy piece of fruit

a piano and cello playing together

getting your hands dirty

giving without expecting anything in return

a good stretch

walking barefoot in the grass

the smell of camp fire in your hair

a glass of red wine

kisses - lots of kisses

a good cry

a good laugh

time

words

 

 quite exhausted 

after an intense week of work on the house.

we made room for the baby,

organized and cleaned everything in sight,

and are now ready to open our home

for lots of visiting friends

for a whole week.

a reminder of the things that

refresh and restore

is in order.

amongst these,

developing a new daily art practice,

loads of stitching,

playing with small abstracts,

finding poetry.

have a wonderful weekend, friends!

'give up' -daily poetry

'little things' -daily poetry

'words to fall' -daily poetry

out of hibernation

 hello, world!

i'm alive and well once again. 

"everything is blooming most recklessly"

and i'm inhaling the miracle of it all

in big gulps.

loads of life are blowing up all around me,

deep within,

my days are overflowing with loads of life.

isn't spring simply wonderful?

in this season when so much needs to be done,

i've been reflecting

on how to make the non-art work

meaningful, artful, poetic...

how to infuze every living moment

and every bit of work

with joy, creativity, beauty.

"you are worried and upset about many things"

jesus says to martha

"but few things are needed -

and indeed only one.

your sister has chosen

what is better

and it will not be taken away from her."

in reaching for the one thing,

i breathe through my work.

i take out the trash gratefully,

i do the dishes lovingly,

i grocery shop creatively,

i hold on to the joy of the studio

 as i go about the million little errands

that make up life.

back at my workbench,

i let go of what i think should be,

and play with textures,

keeping it light.

here is a glimpse at details

of a new work in progress.

"but listen to me for one moment.

quit being sad.

hear blessings

dropping their blossoms

around you."

-rumi

 

how the light gets in

 "there is something in october

sets the gypsy blood astir,

we must rise and follow her

when from every hill of flame,

she calls

each vababond by name."

- william bliss carman

so it is that october beckons me.

i put on my boots

and an epic audio book,

grab the camera,

and venture out into the snappy,

musty, earth scented air.

no plan,

no expectations,

no thinking even.

just walking

and watching

where october takes me.

and what an alluring

companion she proves to be

under fragile arches

that trap the essence of the sun,

over gilded rustling carpets,

through forgotten alleys

teeming with the magic

of the derelict.

i am once again drawn

to the broken things,

to the cracked, the neglected, the forsaken.

 and once again i find inspiration

by the bucket loads.

 

 "forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in."

-leonard cohen

unfinished poem - details

 

snippets from the exhibit's audio tour:

i built this piece with hundreds of egg shells, 

broken down just so 

into thousands of pieces, 

painted delicately with layers of acrylic paint, 

fitted together like a giant puzzle 

for which i lacked the solution.

 

while i wonder about the big picture, 

somewhere in wonderland, 

the white queen reminds alice that 

it is indeed ‘ a poor sort of memory 

that only works backwards’.  

 the piece becomes a meditation on longing, 

remembrance, and becoming one’s true self. 

naturally, this process requires 

the slow savoring 

of countless pots of tea, 

which spill into the painting, 

adding the only color. 

as i explore the life and history 

contained in these discarded kitchen scraps, 

and other bits of found objects, 

i allow theirs stories to work 

on my own biases of brokenness and wholeness, 

of vulnerability, 

of being and becoming.   

my work is a relentless search for poetry 

in the debris, 

an affirmation of life and possibility. 

 many thanks to my dear friend albert of secondprint productions, for capturing these lovely shots.

art prize 2012 - my entry

'unfinished poem' mixed media on canvas 4ftx8ft

  

this time, a better reason

for having been m.i.a. 

'unfinished poem' is nearly finished.

as finished as it's going to be.

finally vertical

and ready to go, save for

a few subtle finishing touches.

building a crate

to transport it to the gallery on friday.

a strange feeling letting go of it

after being so intimately connected

12-14 hours every day for two months.

 

thrilled to discover

the wonderful curating at

calvin college's 106 gallery

where 'unfinished poem'

will be showing september 7 - october 7.

and ready for the epic ride

that will be art prize,

september 19 - october 7.

if you're anywhere near grand rapids

during that time,

don't miss it! 

 

 more detail shots coming soon.

in the meantime, i am ready

to start tackling the stacks and stacks

of blank canvas

and pretty frames

that have been collecting around the studio.

but first, a foray out into the world

of people and sunshine

via a 4-day trip to grand rapids.

have a lovely, artful, lifegiving,

and poetry-infused week, friends!

 

monday moodboard. poem about a beloved ghost.

 

  

 images via pieter estersohn, lidewij edelkoort, the gifts of life, besotted blog, molly fishskins