Spring "Vistas"

This has been the most extraordinary spring in my memory. It has shifted my thinking about place and change. I thought I needed a change and a "vista." But, in spite of a late snowfall and slow-to-arrive spring, I have been very happy. Why? 

An April 18th snowfall had birds digging for food.

Four weeks of travel in late March and early April meant that I was ready to be home. When on the road it's hard for me to do art. Upon arriving home, I began a painting project that had been brewing for some time. I wanted to provide a background for the hummingbird alebrijes that I purchased from Jacobo and Maria's workshop in Oaxaca. I had the background image in my mind. On my 2016 trip to Oaxaca I stayed in a lovely home with a balcony that looked out on an orange-flowering tree (African Tulip Tree or Flame of the Forest). The distant mountains, the valley, and the gigantic yellow edged blossoms were all a background for lively hummingbirds every day. My photo was OK, but had too many distractions. I decided I could paint the background I needed, so I started an adventure learning to apply acrylic paint to masonite. Whenever I got stuck I either asked an artist friend or went to YouTube. What a treasure of information! I'm pretty pleased with the results. I still like working with pastels better, but in a kitchen, I need a scrub-able surface. 

   
Meanwhile, birds were arriving. And they stayed. I've never seen so many beautiful spring birds for so long a time. I was in awe. We literally would shout out what window had what birds at the feeders: "Scarlet tanagers at the suet by the bedroom!" "Indigo bunting on the thistle feeder out in back!" Most years I feel lucky if I see one or two colorful spring birds.

This is what we typically see in the spring. A slight movement in the bushes.
A yellow-rumped spring warbler. Nice, but not outstanding.

The indigo buntings shared the thistle feeder.

Scarlet tanagers at the suet feeder.
At one point there were 7 on the bush behind the feeder.

Lots of orioles. They liked both the oranges and the grape jelly.

We never found the nest, but this watchful mom had three babies screaming for food.
(It's a barred owl.)

Not a view from our yard, but in the Arboretum, a rookery of Great Blue Herons.
We had never seen it here before.

In addition to painting and bird watching, another project was happening. Jim was installing a window. I do my concrete work in a small, smelly shed with two tiny windows. We had saved two big windows from the Chiripa remodeling that sat in the shed for more than ten years. I had been whining that they either had to go or had to be installed. One is now installed and it will create a new feeling in my little space. Thank you, Jim. I can't wait to get working on my next concrete project.

 My new shed window. Notice the credit card signs on the left.
I think I'll keep them to remind me of where this came from.

And so, I now have a new appreciation for "vista."
1) I recreated a stunning vista from Oaxaca that I will see every day.
2) The spring birds created a vista out of every window in my house.
3) My shed has a new window giving light and air into a space that will evolve. 

I'm happy. Lots of work to do.

Coloring 2017

I am a fan of Amy Rice, a Minneapolis artist who I met through greeting cards published by Artists to Watch. Amy put out a coloring calendar for 2017 and I decided to make it my incentive to take time to create art. Could I give myself permission to go to my basement room and feel free to create something each month?

Mind you, I am disdainful of the current coloring fad. As a child I always colored inside the lines. I was neat, but not creative. I never considered coloring to be art. In order to keep myself going on a twelve month project I needed to make it my own. I would make each month's drawing a collage that reflected something about me and I would add text to each piece. 

To begin I used watercolor and markers on the front piece to test the stock. It's hardy, but will curl when wet. Most months I taped and clipped the edges to hold things flat. It seldom was enough.

January

Quote: Wake me up when it's all over. -Avicii

Media: Fabric, watercolor, colored pencil, and marker.

 

It was a season of sadness and despondence. Donald Trump would become president and a good friend would be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. All I wanted was to crawl back under the covers and make it all go away.

February

Quote: Oh to dance in the air and float on the breeze. -Terri Guillmets

Media: Paper (maps), lace, watercolor, colored pencil, and marker.

The month I was to go off to Mexico to see the Monarch Migration in Michoacan, Mexico, Amy presented me with a drawing of butterflies. Perfect. I added a collage of Wisconsin maps indicating that the monarch butterflies migrate from Wisconsin to Mexico. 

March

Quote: If we had no winter the spring would not be so pleasant. -Anne Bradstreet

Media: Lace, fabric, watercolor, colored pencil, and marker.

 I was in Mexico for most of March and thus avoided much of this usually depressing month. I chose the quote as a form of wishful thinking. I really don't need winter anymore.

April 

Quote: If a child is to keep alive her inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, she needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with her the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.
-Rachel Carson (gender adjusted for girl in drawing)

Media: Rice paper, ink jet, paper, watercolor, colored pencil, and marker.

I love Rachel Carson and thought the quote fit the image. (I did cover up hollyhocks to give space to the quote.)

May

Quote: All things seem possible in May. -Edwin Way Teale

Media: Fabric, watercolor, colored pencil, and marker.

May is my birthday month and it does always seem like a very optimistic time. I enjoyed playing with this chicken-loving girl.

June

Quote: It never gets easier, you just go faster. -Greg LeMond

Media: Paper, tissue paper, glitter, watercolor, colored pencil, and marker.

I had fun with this one. Every June we ride our bikes with the Pancremaniacs in the Tour de Cure in Minneapolis. (That's a pancreas logo on the shirt designed by Treden Wagoner of Minneapolis.) You can join us to fight diabetes or make a contribution at The Pancremaniacs home page. Note the leaf patterns in the sky: I had just completed nature journaling and a watercolor class with Cynthia Quinn.

July

Quote: Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter.

Try again. Fail again. Fail better.  

-tattoo on Stan Wawrinka's arm by Samuel Beckett.

Media: Postage stamps, fabric, magazine paper, masking tape, watercolor, and marker.

This was my favorite month to adapt Amy's image into a relevant piece for me. It was just an accident that the US Postal Service put out sports balls as one of their commemorative stamp sets. And that one of the balls was a tennis ball. (I will be using the others for many months!) I watched a lot of Wimbledon while I was working and I cut out tennis enhancements from USTA's Tennis magazine. Flower stems became the arms of stars tossing the ball for serves. And the quote was so perfect. Even the carrots work for me. What's your carrot? 

August

Quote: Time collapses and expands like an erratic accordion  -Bel Kaufman.

Media: Fabric, paper, glitter, pencil, watercolor, and marker.

I knew I had to include Walter (the singing dog) in this accordion themed drawing. Walter sings when Julia (my great niece) practices her instrument. I got a photo of Walter and found out Julia's favorite song, The Happy Wanderer, and added other sheet mustic for the background. 

For the most part, I think another time I would not add my monthly activities. But this page reminds me that I was probably distracting myself because my friend with pancreatic cancer died on the 11th of August.

September

Quote: People leave strange little memories of themselves when they die. -unknown

Media: Acetate, ink, pan pastel, colored pencil, watercolor, and marker.

And September is the really sad month when three years ago both of my parents died in just over a week's time. I have returned to pastels and decided to coat everything with a soft grey pan pastel. But, flowers would stay bright. And the quote is so true. Little things will trigger unexpected memories. (I didn't know if the pastel would wear off, so I put the acetate over it only to see now that the ink is chipping off the acetate. Oh well, a year of experiments. . .)

October

Quote: You are stronger than you believe. You have greater powers than you know. -Antilope

Media: Metalic paper, colored pencil, watercolor, and marker.

The tenth month was the hardest and actually the last to be completed. I was busy. And I'm not really a Halloween person; more Day of the Dead, but that's not until November. But as costumes go, this one appealed to me the most. I found various Wonder Woman images online and did a composite of what I thought this girl would wear. (And l loved the movie!)

November

 

Quote: Seaons happen and things get colder and harder. -Charlotte Ericksson

Media: Turkey feathers, colored pencil, and marker.

 

We have lots of turkeys in our yard, so this seamed a natural. And my dread of the coming cold and dreary season  is apparent.

December

Quote: . . . it's reason for being was nothing more than prettiness. -Mary Oliver

Media: Glitter, colored pencil, acrylic paint, pastel, and marker.

I love snow globes so I transformed a rectangle into a globe. You can still see the original vertical line right behind the dog's tail. We all need a little glitter in our lives.

I'm anxious to see what the new year brings.

New Directions in 2018

My blog is my personal journal and it no longer feels relevant. I seldom get around to recording my thoughts, and it is a task master for trips. I don't need that extra stress. Facebook keeps track of travels and events if I choose to make them public. I had thought about "quitting" this, but as a look at my aging process, I may want to revive it. 

What I would like to do is record some of the art that I am creating. A look back will be the first of those posts. 

New York Lights

I saw an ad in the New York Times promoting special exhibits at the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City). I thought to myself, "I'd like to see that." And I asked myself, "Why not?" A check of our calendar found the first weekend of December open and a bonus: we could be in New York for Jim's birthday. With not a little research and decision-making we booked flights and a room November 29th until December 3. I picked a play and a dance performance ahead, but left most decisions to chance. Here's a brief look at what we did.

Not a great photo but documents us at this point in our lives.

We flew out of O'Hare mid-day. Perfect! Good weather, no lines at the airport, plenty of time to spare. Note to self: schedule flights mid-weekday. On the other end things were not so quick. We took a cab to Midtown Manhattan and arrived just as thousands of people were converging on Rockefeller Center for the tree lighting. I knew about the lighting, but I wasn't aware that it's also a big performance with bands and celebrities, etc. Short story: stuck in traffic; nice cab driver let us out a couple blocks from the hotel. We stayed at The Hotel at Times Square. Great location; walked everywhere! The hotel is not cheap; the room was fine (not deluxe) and included continental breakfast. I worked hard not to think about the cost.

 

We're at the theater just a couple hours after arrival. Whew!

The first night we avoided the crowds and checked out the TKTS booth. We got second row seats for John Leguisamo's one-man show Latin History for Morons. It was very funny although the content is tragic. Before the show we had a quick bite at Iguana NYC a restaurant and dance club next to the theater on 54th St. It was perfect!

After the show we walked down to Bryant Park to see skaters and Christmas shops. Too tired to appreciate much.

Christmas dinos welcome us to AMNH

The next day, Thursday, November 30th was Jim's birthday. The weather was mild. A trip to the American Museum of Natural History was his choice. We took a long walk through Central Park and past the John Lennon "Imagine" memorial. The museum had a special sensory exhibit, but it felt too "kid-proof" and we needed to weave our way around too many school children. Once we got into the other parts of the museum it was great. Information overload for me. The dinosaurs are spectacular. The birds need to be updated.

Chez Napolean was Jim's choice for dinner. John Leide took us there many, many years ago. We enjoyed a very proper French dinner and shared a bottle of wine. 

Crowds prevent most good shots at Rockefeller Center.

We strolled over to see the tree and skaters at Rockefeller Center. It will always be special because of the year I took Heather to New York to visit our friend Kathleen (Jim was in Antarctica). It must have been around 1977. It was my first time seeing the tree live and I swooned. Heather was completely indifferent. I think she was too young to appreciate the enormity of the tree and its iconic place in New York holiday lights.

Friday was Art Day starting with a long walk to the Guggenheim to see a special exhibit of Josef Albers in Mexico. His squares and patterns are based on some of the Mexican ruins and architecture of some of our favorite places in Mexico. It was fun to see his photos of traveling there in the 40s and 50s.  His car was parked right next to the ruins at Monte Alban!

 

Michelangelo's pillows. Looks like a good exercise to me!

Then to the MET. What a treat! The Michelangelo exhibit was huge and absolutely amazing. Sometimes it was hard to see the art through the people, but I was patient because for some of the drawings you have to be very close to see the detail. What a master! A second special show was Rodin. 

I of course searched out Camille Claudel his "assistant." What a tragedy that so much of her work was lost. And the final special exhibit was Hockney. OK, but I think a John Leide exhibit from the same period would be much more interesting. And then I cruised through my favorite impressionists seeking out the pastels.

The evening's event was the Alvin Ailey dance performance. It, too, was a nod to that early trip with Heather. Her love of dance started with an Alvin Ailey performance. This night three pieces were performed. The first was haunting, the second irritating, and the third Revelations, their classic piece. It started beautifully, but the end felt like a Broadway Musical that got people excited. So, I guess that's a mixed review from me.

The door to MOMATH!

Jim rides the square-wheeled tricycle at MOMATH.

Jim picked out MOMATH (the National Museum of Mathmatics). I was afraid it would be like the sensory exhibit at Natural History. But to my delight it was wonderful! First, we were there relatively early on a weekend, so not too many kids. We tried out as many experiments as we could. It was fun and challenging. From there we walked through Little Italy to Chinatown. I was surprised at how "shoppy" it is everywhere and CROWDED. 

We walked from Chinatown to the 9/ll Memorial. I felt very sad and somber and shocked at the party-like attitude of many visitors. "Say Cheese!" No, please don't.

We headed back to Midtown and dinner was at Chimichurri Grill an Argentinian restaurant. Very nice. They gave us a table without a reservation. I was desperate to sit down and eat before the theater.

Our final night's event was 20th Century Blues a play about 4 women who met in the 70s and meet annually and sit for a photo by the one who is a photographer. I loved the play, but it reminded me of Nancy (a close friend who died this fall) and her friends from college; some of whom have stayed friends all these years. At the end of the play when one woman doesn't come on the stage I burst into tears. As we talked later about the premise of the play it seems there are so many groups that could have those same interactions. They're not all best friends, but they support each other. It's book group. It's Yippy Skippy tennis pals. It's Spanish class that's morphed into friends. It's women talking about issues in our lives. I thought the play was very well done. See it if you get a chance.  

Check out those cats on Tiffany's walls!

Sunday was our final day with lunch at La Bonne Soupe; French again and a favorite. I always have the onion soup with wine and bread and salad and chocolate mousse for dessert. A walk in Central Park with a final look at the tree before a very easy trip home.

Overheard while checking out windows:"They're nailing it with the mannequins this year."

Had to visit the lions at the NY Public Library.
Merry Christmas!

Another Year

I turned 67 on May 2nd. It started as a cold, wet, and windy day. I try to be positive on my birthday; I'm not sure why. Life is OK. I still don't feel like I'm contributing enough, but I'm busy and can't imagine adding more to the schedule without resenting it. By the time I left my Yippy, Skippy tennis match (indoors) the sun was out and my spirits lifted.

The bellwort were prolific this year.
The Brewers are starting out good and Trump is our president :(

I feel the need for a change. We've lived in this house over 20 years. I still have the energy to make a new house our home and I think we have enough good years to do that. But, the place would need to be special. I say it needs a "Vista" but that really means it needs a "Wow!" factor that is either in the building itself or the space around it. Minneapolis? A lake? Remodel this one? In the meantime, I'm working to improve this space. New blinds in the living/dining rooms. New wall color in the living room. Out with the old shelves. Major project opening up the door of the oven to clean the glass. What a crazy design. Next will be some outside projects.

Facebook BD greetings have replaced Hallmark. I'm pretty hooked, but still like cards

"Be bold," I continue to tell myself.

Book Group Spring 2017

Book: Homegoing
Author: Ya'a Gyasi
Meeting: Wednesday, April 19 at Crystel's
Dessert: blueberry pound cake and custard

The history of slavery from it's beginning on the Gold Coast of Africa through the generations of tribes in Africa and those same generations of African Americans in the US to the present. This was a hard read for me. It's one of those books that you know you aught to read but also know the people and images will haunt you. They do.

Book: The Star Side of Bird Hill
Author: Naomi Jackson
Meeting: Wednesday, May 17th at Jane's

Phaedra and Dionne, two sisters living in Brooklyn in the 1980's, are sent by their mother to spend the summer with their grandmother in Barbados. There's a lot of tragedy and a good dose of coming of age that made it feel like a young adult novel. Good story and good discussion, but not a must read.