Andre' Malraux Museum Without Walls/Museum In A Box?



I think of this book while I look
for things I put
into the spot
created


What is in your box?

 .

Background

This piece is more sculptural
I think I will do more
that breaks from the background.
I am in a contemplation mode.
I hope you have a nice weekend!
I am working with Goldenrod and Elderberry in the crockpot for dye!

Nic Marks: The Happy Planet Index | Video on TED.com

Nic Marks: The Happy Planet Index Video on TED.com

Eco Colour Trouble/Play

India Flint's Book, Eco Colour, finally came in the mail last

week, the cover, which I just scanned into my computer is

above.

My friend SaraMuse has been working with this book for a while.

Tantalizing images and words from her have been on my mind while

I have been so involved with the new school year and my classes,

painting the inside of my house, and working on interesting techniques

for my thread paintings.



Elderberry is mentioned in the book as a good source of color and this is

an image I snapped of an old old bush on the side of my very narrow road

which is a one way road with two way traffic high upon our mountain.

This shot  makes me think of a Monet painting.



This is a bit closer view. The problem is that this bush is on the edge of a very

steep incline and very high from where I can stand on the road.

I asked my husband if he might clip a clump of these elderberries so that I can

use them to dye some silk, which he readily agreed to do. He promptly left me

at home and took my beloved red pick-up truck with the ladder and some gloves

and a tree limb clipping tool. I expected him back, right away.

I waited, and waited, while I was preparing dinner for the three of us, and I

waited some more.

I was ready to drive the Jeep to where I knew he was to see if something bad

had happened.

About that time. . .







He backed down our driveway with all of this!







I said, "A clump," he heard, "All of it??"

We then stripped the clumps off of these limbs and put them into four kitchen

trash bags and then put them into our freezer because that is what

India said to do in her book. Now I am anxiously waiting for a day to use these

berries to dye some silk so that I can participate in the Found Stitched and Dyed

international sewing circle that India started on her blog.

I will follow SaraMuzes lead and visit some thrift stores for silk to reinvent,

re-use, and invigorate.







Next, I am after goldenrod and Black Walnuts!

How Can One Say. . .

Turned inside out
Is how I feel. . .sometimes

In this age of the internet
but. . .a real jewel
in the form
of a real live friend
who lives and breaths and shares and inspires. . .

Who is always there. . .for real
through years and years and years

with similar life experiences
one who truly understands
because they have walked the path
chosen
who can expose you to new trouble
like Eco Color
How can one say. . .
How much you are treasured
How nice to have you as my friend.

Listen While You Work

Almost

A

Place

For Sock Yarn

And needles!

Oh. . .and. . .

Mindsight!

And Then. . .

We will party!

Falling

Falling into reverie

Between the spaces

To be. . .

Realization

Realization
Comes
with. .  .
Contemplation

Composure

The Case of the Case

O.K. I have looped a new case which is entirely different from the first case.

See Below Post. To see a closer view of this photo, just click on it.

This case is smaller and does not open up.
I have it to the point of finishing the outside edges with Batik Etc. fabric, now
I have to decide what the inside will be. . .
Shall I use shibori fabric I have been dyeing this summmer. . .
or shall I use Michael James Stripes. . .?
Hmm. . .maybe I could use some embroidery? No. Thickness. . .
I will let you know which I choose. . .
SOON.

Not Even Close

Even though it is a knitting needle holder. . .

I just had to accept that it would not do. . .
What do I do now?
Make another with a different design which allows for
the thickness and just a better way to do it, overall.

Next. . .

Simply Not Acceptable

The stitiching is not what I wanted it to be because of the thickness of the
layers.

Even though it was work to get this as far as I did, I simply couldn't fix it or
send it out.
so. . .

A Little Pattern/A Little Stripes

Photo of tiny shoes on painting of tiny stripes

Tinker Town

Saturday morning, very early, we drove to Hillsville, Virginia.

This town transforms itself into a Tinker Town every year on

Labor Day Weekend when 500 thousand people from all over

the east coast converge to buy and sell their goods in the Blue

Ridge Mountain highland.

This hill and every other hill for about 2 miles is completely covered with cars

by the time we leave to go home at the end of the day.

The crowd was small when we first arrived.

A great rooster I wanted to buy but did not want to carry!

This sign says it all!

This is some really good stuff!

The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold.
We ate pepper sandwiches
and an onion blossom.
We walked miles and saw it all.

This is what I bought:

Tiny leather shoes from Eastern Europe embellished with beautiful woven fibers,
an old  paintbox of watercolor,
a box of antique buttons from France,
 and an old apothecary box for Alum.
Small items that I could carry in my bag.

A Slow Luncheon by the Riverside

Thursday I attended a luncheon with some friends in the town where I live on the edge; the edge of a different century and way of life. I find that I tip my toe into the flowing river which runs next to it and down below my kings X every now and then to feel the temperature of it all. Sometimes, the water is warm and sometimes it is not. Sometimes the river is rushing along filled with lost debris from somewhere else up the mountains or very shallow and almost dry.
I find it all surreal in the sense that it is magnified and larger than life or hyper-real from my point of view because it does not happen very often. I consider whether or not it is a good thing or is it a bad thing.
The beauty of it comes when you walk into a Victorian house into the dining room where the table scape takes your breath away. Where every detail is beyond. The flowers catch your attention, first of all, because they are so perfectly placed and the adornment so appropriate for the occasion. Then you notice the place settings are beautiful, in themselves, with Burgundy Red chargers beneath the magnificent pineapple bird with a half of a banana as its' tail feather lifted toward the crystal chandelier and the ceiling of the room. This bird is on each and every plate in the room filled with summer fruit and a dish of chicken salad which we promptly eat with pleasant conversation as we pass the lovely crackers that we spread with a bit of  the salad. We drink "sweet tea" which is such a southern tradition. All of this is followed with a treat of cheese cake full of chocolate and pralines, a chocolate covered strawberry, and two tiny truffles, along with freshly brewed coffee.
Presents from the hostess, come from California and Hawaii where she recently traveled, they include a lei and Sees' candy, and a tiny silk bag filled with chocolate from the Hershey's Museum, these were given to each of the group.
The contrast of this day with every other day, is significant, but it is much enjoyed. My life is so filled with current, electricity and otherwise, as I hold it to the slowness of a Victorian day shared. This river is flowing just right, this day, not too warm, not too full of debris, just a little lazy and slow.
I forgot to take my camera so you will have to see the picture through my words, this time.

A Little loopy using Batiks Etc. scrap bag Part 1

THIS is going to be a fold up knitting needle case for a Sock Knitter
Who has many sizes of needles
Who makes many sizes of socks.
It is a great thing to live close to a great quilt store  where I made a
visit yesterday with my mom.
Mom makes great baskets and bracelets using these grab bags
I do loopy things with it too.
What I love about this is that it is scrap material that is beautiful and
it is practical and it is colorful and I love batik because it is colored
through and through, no need to worry about a wrong side showing
because there is none and the best part is that it is cut, already, which
saves my hands and my limited time.
I have no affiliation with the quilt store but I want you to know that they
spend a lot of time working with my mom who is getting up in her years
and has physical limitations which do not slow her down as long as she
can sit or have something to hold on to. I listened to her all the way home
talking about how much she loves the people in the store and how nice they
are to her.
In this world it is very nice to have human contact that is pleasant.
Part 2 of this I will show the finished lined, Velcro-ed, be-ribboned, case, and
a couple of mom bracelets she makes.
Stay tuned!

Painting Everything White

1990 Valentine for the Earth
Porcelain Mono Print
&
Colored Pencil Drawing
From Finger Painted Desert Series

While I had this off of the wall while we are painting the inside of the house
WHITE
I snapped a few photo's
without moving this piece from its frame
(the heart is colored porcelain pulled mono print)

Bat Proof

Truly the shadow of the bat
after the raising for the day
the umbrella
is it's home
just before he/she flew away

Lemon & Lavender Cookies for Carolyn

I make this recipe from March/April 2008 Victoria Magazine

Make Lemonade and cookies
If you are ever having
one of those kind of days