Child at Art

mimi's garden

2011-07-28T21:18:00.002-04:00

From the time I was born until I was almost five I lived in a house on my grandparents farm. It was the house my mother was born in and right next door to my great grandmother Mimi. Her tiny house was filled with well-tended house plants that seemed to thrive on the ice cubes she casually dropped in after finishing her sweet tea. A giant asparagus patch and bright heat tolerant annuals were just outside her door. South Georgia heat waves cloud my barely tangible memories. But I do know that every day I ran across the yard to spend time with my quiet, garden-loving great grandmother. It seems a fitting tribute to name these bright, sun-loving prints after her. I have a few more designs to complete for this collection, but at least I know what to call them.

pretty in pink

2011-06-02T22:04:00.005-04:00

A complete color way of my Butterflies and Blossoms collection is taking shape. Pink and green, just in time for spring's big show in my garden, which happens to be dominated by pink and green as well. I've also put together shades of golden yellow, lavender and clear sky blue. I think these prints will make a very lovely quilt for a little girl's room. Perhaps the little girl we have on the way right now will have a butterflies and Blossoms quilt someday. I hope she likes pink. Part of me never thought I'd say that, being only luke warm to all things girly most of my life. But these days I'm not afraid to embrace the pink. Bring on the tutus and tiaras, I'm ready. With that said, I can't help but hope she'll also like a little dirt under her nails from time to time like her mother.

color love

2011-05-13T13:15:00.000-04:00

I'm very happy with how my hummingbird collection is coming together, especially the color.
Hummingbirds like vibrant colors right? More to come.

santa monica walk

2011-01-21T09:28:00.015-05:00

Last morning in LA before returning home. Possibly the best week at work, ever. I even managed to fit in dinner with the California family. They took me to this great little hole in the wall place, the oldest restaurant in Santa Monica, The Galley (great mussels). Jason's family has LA roots. Hopefully we can get back out there soon for a longer visit. I love Santa Monica.

a very good day

2011-01-21T09:19:00.008-05:00

Absolutely one of the best days at work, ever. Amazing photo shoot up the PCH with Robb Aaron Gordon and his great crew. Fall was crazy busy and alot of personal stuff fell by the wayside but I would be remiss not to make a mental note of this great day. Oh and iphone camera, you rock.

antique love

2010-09-16T09:54:00.002-04:00

From a recent lazy afternoon in Frederick Maryland at Emporium Antiques.

my favorite window

2010-09-11T07:40:00.016-04:00

I drive by this window every morning on my way to work. A while back I decided it was my favorite window. Colorful and quilt-like, it stands out like a beacon in a sea of sameness. I finally stopped to take a picture. Stopping to take a picture is my way of saying: Yes, it's a commute, back and forth, back and forth, filled with all the boredom and frustration typical of a daily slog to work. And many days, I'd rather be anywhere but here, driving to the same job I've held for the last ten years. But if I don't stop to take this picture, I'm just resigning myself to a life without spontaneity.

It's a small but important step toward what might be. It's also a way of acknowledging the beauty right in front of me. And perhaps if I take enough pictures, a pattern will start to emerge, and then this commute will become not just the back and forth, but the promise of a future in the place I really want to be. The short answer: I won't be driving this road forever, might as well enjoy it. St. Paul Street, Baltimore

run, jump and spin

2010-09-08T13:33:00.008-04:00

Winterthur continued. The children's garden is wonderful here. We spent the whole afternoon running around. Sometimes in circles.

koi

2010-09-08T13:29:00.018-04:00

three views of a fountain

2010-09-08T13:15:00.016-04:00

The Gardens at Winterthur.

I could actually do this...

2010-08-24T11:03:00.018-04:00

It isn't completely beyond the pale to think one day I could make my own mosaic beast. Of course I probably ought to start small, tackle a few more trivets. But it is encouraging to know I have instructions on how to do it in one of my favorite books, Outdoor Mosaics by Emma Biggs and Tessa Hunkin. (from the looks of the link, it may be out of print.) The beast above is from the book. How I would I love have a field and a beast to sit by it some day.

I love this bird

2010-08-24T10:08:00.013-04:00

Quite a while back I decided to take pictures of cool stuff that I see within the rigid confines of my daily commute then I fell completely off the blogging wagon. This one's a no-brainer: the Visionary Art Museum bird just around the corner from my office. Making a giant mosaic animal of some sort is actually on my list of things to do in this life time. Poor little blog, hopefully I'm going regain some momentum now. Since I don't do google analytics and I don't post daily, the only real reason for blogging is me. So why not give me a little love and start posting.

My parents live out in the country. Suburbia is closing in fast, but for the time being, they have few neighbors and have to deal with pesky things like baby ticks on your ankles every time you walk outside and a finicky well that doesn't take kindly to being treated like a bottomless municipal water supply. Their grass has turned brown and it's not likely to turn back to that safe, suburban green because they need water for more important things, like drinking. Last time I saw my mom she told me a well story and upon hearing it, my metaphor detector started dinging like crazy. They got a little water-happy last month and drew the well down hard and fast during a serious dry spell. Then all of the sudden, mud started pouring out of the tap. They depleted the well so much the walls had caved in. It took several days of well TLC and patience for the water to clear up and life to resume the normal rhythems of laundry and cooking.

For me the metaphor is this, I've had a serious muddy period in my creative life, every creative impulse is thick and clouded over as mud and I can't see through it to actually get shit done. This period has had a direct correlation with me stopping the blog posts, and I didn't really see it until now. As silly is it seems, I think I let my well run dry. Apparently I need to keep looking and dreaming to be able to keep doing. So here's to waiting for the water to clear-up and not taking the simple things for granted. I need to respect my well.

what better way to revive the blog

2010-04-21T10:08:00.012-04:00

It's time for my semi-annual flare up of interest in mosaics. Some people get allergies. I pick up the grout. I have my talented friend Jane to thank for inviting me and my boys to help her complete a outdoor mosaic for a child's memorial garden. She's doing amazing work with a local organization called Art with a Heart. It was just the jump start I needed to get my own mosaic interests going again. Not to mention the great thrill that comes with getting involved with a great project for a great organization. Spring is a great time to get involved with worthwhile causes of all stripes. I am hoping to put in some time with a public garden that is going to be donating it's produce to a local food pantry this spring as well. I will have to revisit this thread to post photos of the final installation. It's going to be quite beautiful.

little mittens

2009-12-20T11:40:00.010-05:00

Still playing with wrapping paper ideas. I think this year I've put way more thought into the wrapping than the presents themselves. We've been snowed in for a couple days so I do have that excuse. I think we're going to brave the snow now and head out shopping. So no more pattern play today.

another take on flight

2009-12-20T11:39:00.009-05:00

This one and the one prior have the makings of some little boy linens I believe. Or maybe I'll make some little cinch sacks for carrying around match box cars and airplanes. I've noticed I'm totally in a periwinkle blue phase right now, which might not be the best choice for little boy linens. I am getting so close to pulling the trigger and printing something. Once we get past Christmas it will definitely be time.

new pattern

2009-12-16T13:18:00.011-05:00

I should probably apologize to anyone whose looked at the blog in the last 24 hours. I've been tweaking with the masthead. But I think I'm done being tweaky now. I think I've got the whole paper airplanes thing out of my system.

a new direction

2009-12-09T22:45:00.007-05:00

my aquarium boys

2009-10-15T14:24:00.004-04:00

Our hero the sting ray flying overhead. Another great facet to the San Fran trip. Watching sting rays is still my son's all time favorite thing to do for 2 years running.

the exploratorium

2009-10-10T09:43:00.005-04:00

It takes a pretty great museum to revive a nap deprived three year old late in the afternoon after a day full of enough sites and sounds to fill a week in normal life mode. The Exploratorium is that kind of museum. Hands-on doesn't begin to describe the extent to which children and adults alike can immerse themselves in science. Some of the exhibits were so simple yet so absorbing. Like this beach ball/safety cone/air blower contraption. The museum was absolutely a highpoint on our San Francisco trip chock full of high points.

walking in san francisco

2009-10-10T09:34:00.009-04:00

I have only just begun to mine the riches from our recent trip. These are from just one morning walk. So much color, texture and wonderful sunlight. With sweet little front porches and potted gardens seemingly around every corner.

views of yosemite

2009-10-02T21:07:00.011-04:00

Three days in Yosemite provides enough natural beauty to just about make your eyes glaze over from over-stimulation. With a three almost four year old, it's not about the strenuous hikes or roughing it on the Muir Trail, but maybe it's the beginning of all that... maybe we're a future family of committed outdoor enthusiasts. It feels like we're forging that path.

Highpoint: watching the debut of Ken Burns, The National Parks outdoors on the floor of Yosemite Valley with the projector's light illuminating the high granite wall behind the screen... faint as mist. Sitting with a hushed crowd of park visitors of all stripes, it felt monumental.

work in progress, mess in progress

2009-09-23T09:10:00.014-04:00

Only two days until San Francisco, the mess and the work will have to wait.

tree in need of a cool swing

2009-09-16T09:21:00.009-04:00

I have a great giant tree in our back yard that just screams for a cool swing. These are going on the short list: from shiver me splinters. The top one is covered in vintage fabric. The bottom is covered in fabric from Joel Dewberry's Deer Valley collection. Very lovely stuff. Now if only the back yard were not so soggy and mosquito infested.

Found via aesthetic outburst

a sketch of an etch a sketch...

2009-09-14T12:48:00.007-04:00

why?
this is a mental note post to myself and to those who may like the following sentiment I recently heard on the radio on the way to work.

what?
to paraphrase:"Our minds are like etch-A-sketches, sometimes we get shook"

who?
said by Regina Spektor in an interview on NPR about that pesky phenomenon of having a great idea that you loose before you set pen to paper.

Frankly it happens to me all the time, mostly when I drive or right before I fall asleep. It's a big part of the reason I started this blog: Idea Loss Prevention.

But then it got me thinking about etch-a-sketches and long drives and childhood and the intersection of all three. Our minds need to wander. Our hands need to doodle. I can still remember some of those monumental drives across country. Treading that delicate balance between car sickness and boredom armed only with your imagination... it builds character.

Our little family is about to embark on a big trip. It entails a long flight and lots of hours in a rental car seeing as much of the Pacific northwest we can cram into a week. I bought an etch-a-sketch. My son is currently mastering stair stepping lines and lop-sided squares. Even so, I can't deny the ease of popping a DVD into the laptop on a cross country flight. Frankly leaving the DVD player at home is not a risk I'm willing to take. But I do hope we can bring the etch-a-sketch along and minimize the hours spent in total catatonic tune-out. What can I say I'm nostalgic.

who needs sock puppets...

2009-08-22T10:37:00.006-04:00

How cute are these cool monster hand tattoos.
Also available in non-monster animal flavors here.