I will have a table at the St. Louis Park Art Fair on Saturday, September 22nd! Please stop by table #11. I would love to see you.
Also, I will be updating my gallery next week with photos of some of my new pieces. Look for update.
Patio Time!
An outdoor room, a fortress, an oasis. We live in the city, have a small yard, but have created a space that transports me to a natural refuge. it sits next to the garden beds. Sometimes we eat our dinner there, entertain or just sit and do nothing but have a cold drink of choice and watch the birds, butterflies and bees eating the seeds and drinking the nectar. Loving summer!
Ahhhh Summer
Finally!
Soon we will see tulips!
Winter in Minnesota does not want to end. We are cold and the snow keeps falling. Just remember, spring will come. I keep trying to see the beauty in the snow. Forever an optimist. Here is some eye candy :) !
The Light That Became a Person :)
Just a little comic relief from the really cold temps that keep being really cold.
Hibernate, Just Do It!
When it gets so cold, and the temperature dips well below zero for several days in a row, I understand the animal instinct to hibernate. While I can't shut down my body temperature for an extended winter snooze, I can stay within my warm and cozy house for an extended time with my slippers on, surrounded by magazines, books and warm (or warming) drinks...could be tea, could be aquavit. I love winter and have all the outdoor apparel I need to stay warm, even in below zero weather. I love to snowshoe and I don't even mind shoveling snow. Even so, many days of frigid temperatures make me channel my inner bear :)
Been Gone So Long
Sometimes life takes unexpected twists and turns. The past 6 months has been such for me. I had not created art or had my hands in clay or kept my blog updated. Though it may sound boring, I took pleasure in the mundane aspects of everyday life. It's not that I was empty. I filled it up with different things. I took great pleasure in working on an herb farm (Red Clover Herb Farm) and realized I have some dormant passion that lies in plants and nature that needed some tending. My hands in the dirt felt good, like my hands in clay. I followed the twists and turns where they led making sure I chose only the things that felt good and made my heart sing.
Sometimes the creative spirit needs a little rest, some time out. There were times when I wondered where it went and if it was coming back...this part of myself that seemed to be burned along with my studio fire (see "Blip in Time post)...or at least dimmed. But you cannot force the muse. At least I can't. And I don't want to. Authenticity is really important to me. I am happy to say, my desire to make art is coming back to me. In a different way than when it left but I am excited to see what it brings. My hands are back in the clay!
Happy Mother's Day!
Vibe High!
Yayyyyyyyy!!!!! Beautiful weather. The grass is bright green. The buds on the trees are ready to burst. My garden is clean and full of fresh organic dirt, ready to plant. The birdsong is full of voices I have not heard all winter. Mostly, I am pretty sure we are done with the snow and freezing cold temps. I am ready for spring! Bring it!
Blip In Time by Fire
Please excuse the lack and lag of my blog. There was a fire in my studio space in mid December and it set me back a bit. After the shock and assessing the losses, I just took in the winter and did nothing in regards to my art. I don't want to sit and make excuses and wallow in self pity...that is not my point. Fire is said to be purifying. There is something to be said for that. I was so filled with gratitude that no one was hurt and our house and garage did not catch. My studio still stands and you would not even be able to tell from the outside because I caught it in time. Everything inside is blackened with smoke and mostly destroyed and I lost one of my favorite antique chairs that started on fire...it has been with me for sooooooo many years. But you realize a very big thing...It's just stuff...it's material. It brings to light what really matters and that is my family, the people and animals and friends and neighbors that fill my life with love and support. I did get angry and I did feel grief and that was part of my process as I sat back and took it all in. Anger and sadness give way to love and new beginnings. So it is with this that I have picked up the clay again and the other beautiful things I create with. It feels so good, so right. Next week I will add photos to my gallery. Thanks for visiting!
HappyThanksgiving!
There are so many things to be thankful for. Maybe it is to look to the simple pleasures where we find beauty, peace and comfort. I will be spending time indoors and outdoors, hiking and taking in the grand beauty of the North Shores of Lake Superior...all the while counting my many blessings...blissings! Wishing you all a blissed Thanksgiving.
Photo credit goes to my friend Rose who also created this beautiful montage.
Happy Halloween!
Have a great celebration whatever you do. This is a perfect Halloween Day. Cloudy and windy with beautiful fall colored leaves swirling and floating to the ground. Our lawn is a carpet of reds and golds despite having raked yesterday.
Also, it is my son, Riley's, birthday today. He was born on Halloween, 2 weeks early from my due date, so he was my trick and my treat! Happy Birthday Riley!
Autumn Blaze
This is our autumn blaze maple at it's peak! I love this season. Time to put cinnamon in my coffee, pull out the warm clothes and blankets, go for glorious walks in company with the most amazing colors. I love the way the leaves sound as they fall from the trees when the wind blows; the way they sound underfoot, and the way they smell as they carpet the ground, protecting the living earth from the deep winter frost that is sure to come. My gallery will be updated next week with new autumn art. Come back and visit. Stay cozy.
Summer's EndI
Usually the end of summer is bittersweet for me. The kids go back to school, there seems to be less freedom with everyone's schedules and the carefree summer vibe slowly recedes. Fortunately it is followed by autumn, a beautiful season here in Minnesota. I am ready for a wardrobe change as the weather starts to cool down and it feels good to put on a sweatshirt and a great pair of boots. In my garden, the harvest is bountiful. I have so many tomatoes and so much kale that I need to get creative with my cooking and preserving techniques. I even got a few delicata squash...a sure sign of autumn. I have been buying local, non GMO, organic corn and blanching it, cutting it off the cob and freezing it. It is a tedious task but is well worth it when we can have fresh corn in as a side, in chowder, or corn fritters, in the cold winter months.
I have updated my Gallery to accommodate the season! Check it out.
A Summer Storm
Personally, I love a good storm. I was fortunate to be holed up in a cozy cabin overlooking Lake Superior, windows wide open, wrapped in a blanket, to witness this one. The wind was strong, there was thunder in the sky and thunder on the earth from the waves crashing against the rocks. Sometimes I had my face in a good book but often i just sat and stared out the window while the wind blew all around me. That is the beauty of a summer storm.
Bee Balm
This is such a beautiful flower and oh so good for the bees. Also known as Monarda, Bee Balm is a perennial that flowers for a very long time in the summer months. Nectar for the bees and beauty for the eyes! It's all good.
Happy Summer!
Sending love out to a troubled world...
