What I did at work today...

We have been working on displays at work and for the third day in a row i got to work outside and make art.  It's been a nice change of pace this week from the general flow.  The moose and fox are part of the kids display. 

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Norman Rockwell image

Norman Rockwell image

Norman Rockwell image

*pretty stuffs*


pip-squeak chapeau


odette


j.crew

"One's art goes as far and as deep as one's love goes."

I could stare at Andrew Wyeth's work for hours and never grow tired.  He is hands down one of my favorite artists and one that I draw great inspiration from.  His understanding and use of color is mesmerizing to me.  I find that I can easily get lost when staring at one of his paintings.  I want to fall right into his world.  It was difficult for me to decide which images to show you here.  There are so many I *adore*.

His Helga series is enchanting.  Read more about his life and work here (and a zillion other places but this will get you started).  

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If you like the sounds of The Avett Brothers then there's a good chance you'll be a fan of the London based band, Mumford and Sons (found via The Blue Hour).  It's windy and threatening rain today and these guys are keeping me company as I make my way through the morning. 

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"Hell, there are no rules here -

we're trying to accomplish something."

- Thomas Edison

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J has been talking about making a light fixture like the one below.  I hope he does.  I think it would look pretty amazing hanging from our ceiling. 

image via apartment therapy


Growing up we used to visit the Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Lab Complex on school trips.  I think we did it almost every year from kindergarten to 4th grade.   At that age, it never really got old.

My Mom calls it "flower potting" because that's what my grandma and her sisters called it.   I read this article in the New York Times about Gail Albert Halaban's series of photos "Out My Window NYC" and wanted to share.  You can see more of her work here. 

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*All of these photos are best viewed large

First let me say that for the life of me that at 30 years old I still cannot spell the word "convenience".  I always have to look up or consult with someone else on how it's spelled.  With that I introduce you to one of my favorite bands who just released a new album.  I think it was in A Brokedown Melody where I first heard them.  They have been a favorite ever since.  And now...Kings of (that word that still can't spell)...





Kings of Convenience - Boat Behind from wzzk on Vimeo.

A few years ago, after our first stay in a yurt with friends in Maine, J and I toyed with the idea of building one.  Since we're not close to owning a home of our own yet we thought it would be pretty cool to buy a piece of desirable land and yurt-out for a bit.  Well that idea never materialized, but our fondness for these nomadic domes never disappeared.  When we moved I didn't waste time in looking up yurts in Northern California.  Treebones Resort in Big Sur topped the list and we got the chance to visit there a few weeks ago with friends.  Treebones was much fancier than what we were used to (it was a "resort" afterall), but we definitely weren't complaining.  There was a hot tub, pool, sushi bar, and epic views of the Pacific.  We woke up the morning after our stay and sipped some tea and fueled up while checking out the view before we headed out for a day long hike.

Treebones Resort > Big Sur, CA

Fall 2009

Frost Mountain Yurts > Maine

Fall 2007

New Year's 2007

We were hit with a snowstorm and it was so much fun!  We had to hike in and bring along all of our stuff.  That night we built a fire outside and built some sled runs through the trees.

 

More yurts and overnight ideas here and here.

I have just discovered the Japanese word for "rag".  It's "boro" and I'm obsessed.  I have been drooling over the computer screen for the last hour (or more I'm afraid) researching photos and the history of these reinvented textiles.  They remind me of the Quilts of Gee's Bend.  It's getting late and I'm having trouble finding the words to explain this loveliness so I've included some language and links (below the pretty pics) borrowed from others (all props were given, no taking what isn't mine). 

via orime


via sri threads


Language borrowed from AbsoluteArts.com (past exhibition).  I included most of the description about the exhibition since I thought it raised some interesting points about recycling and repair of textiles for reinvention.  Read on...
"The exhibition Ragged Beauty features a selection of traditional Japanese textiles, contemporary artwork, and folk art objects that collectively explore the themes of recycling and repair. In our throwaway age, this focus offers viewers an opportunity to reassess the meaning and value of mending and reuse. Questions arise that challenge visitors to consider the perspectives of all people related to the process: the creator of the object, the mender, the owner, the community member, the outsider. Why does a person spend time and energy repairing or recycling a worn-out item? Is it out of respect for the maker? A matter of culture? A lack of resources to acquire something new? A gesture of love toward the owner of the object? Respect for the beauty and value of the object itself? Attachment to an habitually used object? A number of these factors come into play. All of the pieces presented in Ragged Beauty will engage both the mind and the eye, encouraging thoughtful assessment as well as aesthetic appreciation.
The exhibition consists of three sections. In the first, visitors have a unique opportunity to view boro, Japanese bedding covers and other functional textiles created in the 19th and early 20th centuries from recycled indigo-dyed cotton rags and scrap fabric (boro is the Japanese word for "rag"). These humble objects embody the soul of old Japan, giving voice to rural folks_ respect for scarce materials and commitment to family. They are tangible remnants of stories lived by the common people: farmers, fishermen, and lumberjacks in rural areas _ primarily northeastern Honshu Island and along the Sea of Japan. The historical factors of social stratification, subsistence economies, and trading practices are reflected in the rough surfaces of the pieces, yet what has the greatest impact today is the obvious manifestation of creativity: the aesthetic transformation of ordinary rags by human hands, and the creation of beauty that was never meant to be put on display.
Most boro were patched together from scraps of cotton clothing and other fabric pieces that were brought north by kitamaesen, ships from the Osaka area (the commercial center of Japan) that transported fish meal and oil and collected "rice tax" from farmers. Although cotton cultivation was firmly established in the warmer regions of Japan by the eighteenth century, cotton was precious in regions with harsh climate and snow in which only bast fibers such as hemp, ramie, and mulberry were available. Such fibers are strong, but unlike cotton, are vulnerable to friction, not warm next to the body, and laborious to produce. For most rural people, the inexpensive cotton rags were a treasure, which spurred the development of regional folk textile traditions."