Finding a bit of peace

As I dressed to go to brunch with my family yesterday morning, I felt the need to carry good thoughts with me. Several years ago, I'd purchased a wonderful pouch necklace from Mary Jane Dodd. Hand stitched, painted, knotted, adorned with various talisman-like items, I've always thought of this as Mary Jane's peace necklace. It has graced one of my studio walls, just above a collection of art from other artist friends so that it could be viewed each time I entered the studio and so that the collective peace could be felt.

Yesterday the need to carry good thoughts with me was so strong that I took the necklace down and filled it with my own talisman - two small feathers found in our yard, a Yogi tea tag that says "Our thoughts are forming the world" and the words peace, hope and love which were a gift from Fiona and Barry. The simple, powerful words stamped on metal are Barry's exquisite work.

To know that I was carrying such literal symbols with me, helped to soothe my soul. To feel the friendship that these pieces carry is immeasurable. Thank you Mary Jane, Fiona and Barry.

Tis the season

To be jolly. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

I'm working on the jolly part - far too much to do in far too little time since my return to Connecticut. I am, however, very joyful and thankful for so having so many good things and good people in my life.

There's my new favorite word - benign. It's really being all jumbled up with an extra n thrown into the mix, but it's also the sweetest of words to hear...especially when said in regards to one's mother.

Then there are friends like Pam

who saves tea bags for me and sends them along - 

all nicely emptied even though I keep telling her to just stick them in a box.

And who included a good bit of indigo from her own stash with the tea bags.

photo by Barry Smith

Then there's Fiona. Part of my whirlwind week back home has included being able to visit with Fiona and Barry in New York on Sunday. It still boggles my mind that they choose to visit during our winter. Think about it...it's summer in Australia just now. They've traded sun and warmth for snow/rain/sleet + wind + cold temps.

I'm so glad we had the chance to get together again. This time around we took in some bad art at MOMA. Really, really bad art at MOMA. The kind that leaves you wondering how on earth this stuff got to be shown there. Really? Just what were we missing? The kind that also leaves one thinking that their 1st graders made better collages back in pre-school. Yep. That kind of bad.

Lunar Architecture by Fiona

The good art came via a little bag that Fiona handed me containing gifts from her and Barry, Noela and Susan.

I've felt a kinship with Fiona from the beginning of our exchanges via the inter-pixies. And our work shows it, don't you think?

Imagine Peace by Fiona

Some time last year, I rusted a piece of cotton that printed beautifully...except that it had measles. Seriously. There were little dots all over it that I just could not get past. Noela thought she could do something with a bit of it so, not being able to see beyond the measles, I sent the whole thing to her.

She sent part of it back in the form of the most wonderful book,

all wabi sabi style

and playing off the measley parts 

in ways that left me speechless with surprise and joy

Peace by Noela Mills

and feeling very peaceful. 

 Susan's textured prints have me wanting to hold them

 
and examine them,

 to learn their language,

to listen to their tales

and secrets...for surely they are maps to another world, another time...

when feathers were magical and the most precious of possessions.

Barry's gift is one of reflection, stillness and meditation.

Encouraging me to smile, dream, shine, have hope, be at peace, to love and have joy. 

Tis the season for hearts to swell with amazement and awe, in my case at having such wonderful and generous friends. Thank you doesn't seem quite enough, but thank you all so very much for the gifts, but especially for being in my life. 

Searching for Roy G Biv - White - updated

White.

 From frost on my windshield 

 to the froth on my cappuccino

 or the arrows found on a NYC building,

 white symbolizes light,

 purity and cleanliness.

 It reminds one of home and

 that magic exists.

White can be hard 

 or soft

and every now and then

just a bit mysterious.

What does white remind you of?

Liz Davidson has snowy whites on a blue day.

Mary Jane has a celestial body of white.

Fiona has the white of peace.

Julie, like me, has a variety of whites.

Ersi has a state of white.
Lisa has mise en place whites.
India has roving whites.
Barry has silvery healing whites.
Christine has playful salty whites.
Elizabeth has brilliant snowy whites.
Karen forecasts snowy whites.
Shipbuilding has wrapped whites.
Velma has snowy whites.

Do you have white?

A rare day

Yesterday was a bit of rare day for me. 

It involved a train ride,

 lots of walking and looking up at the windows of office buildings

while admiring unintentional art compositions on some.

This way?

 

Or this way?

Some art was on purpose.

Some was the kind that feeds your senses.

It sounds odd to admit, but the wallpaper blew me away

 as did my view at lunch.

In case you haven't guessed, Saturday was a day in New York City. Even midst the heat, it was fun to explore, see new art, visit Habu as well as the Museum of Art and Design and reminisce about my last trek to the Big Apple in February to meet Fiona and Barry.

More about the day and the art...especially the wallpaper...to come. Right now there's a party to get ready for. 

My little urchins graduated from preschool on Friday and a celebration is in order.

Oh! If you have a chance, pop over to Flags for Peace Project - 2012 to see what I did this week.

Cooking - studio style, part 2

Barry, he of the Rustnstuff blog - and Fiona's husband in case you didn't know - left a comment on yesterday's post that gave me quite a chuckle just now.

J-it is unbelievable what you paper and textile lot get up to

Oh Barry! You have no idea. Then again, yes you do. You're married to a member of the lot after all.

My mind immediately goes to my week at Pam's, knowing what the two of us got up to...and knowing that this whole studio cooking experiment came out of Pam's what if about the crock pot. Now, just imagine throwing Fiona into the mix...and Susan of Tracemarks. Ooooh! What delightful mischief we could get up to. 

Speaking of cooking in the studio, care to see a few photos of my favorites from yesterday's experiment?

The red is from eucalyptus rather than the roses and there's a lovely yellow in some that I've yet to figure out what caused it. The black from the rusty bits gives great contrast to the more muted colors.

I used 140 lb cold pressed and 300 lb hot pressed watercolor paper. Above is 300 lb. The thickness of it was perfect for creating [accidentally since I had no idea what I was doing] separate patterns on both sides. The photo above is the front, below is the back.

And then there are those little sections:

Not bad for a first try, huh? I want to play with eucalyptus, fresh roses and rusty bits on white paper as well as some that has green tea on it. Then again, there's a stained white t-shirt patiently waiting in the studio for a new life that may just find its way into the cauldron this week.

On a personal note - I owe several of you emails. Bear with me please. Life is exceedingly hectic at the moment with the little urchins graduating preschool, relatives visiting, birthday parties, the trip to London, etc. I will write back. Promise!