Studiology

Travel - the Show

Just finished and delivered my pieces for a show titled "Travel". Without hesitation (once the show title was announced), I knew that I wanted to make shoe art. A total of 3 are complete, and each has its own unique twist on travel. 

As I was building or placing items, the lion head (formerly a door knocker) was a questionable choice, only in that I wasn't certain what I would name it. Letting it sit for a few days, I was certain that it was a good choice, the placement seemed too ideal, the overall shape was well balanced. Once it was finished, the perfect name came to me "Top of the Food Chain", a title that I loved since it was a human's shoe and a lions head. 

Next came the Lady of Grace or the Virgin Mary, she stands inside of a shoe that was very unique but ultimately a real challenge to paint. An artist often works their way into a corner, so to speak, and this one proved challenging in many ways. In the end it was my favorite, mostly because I feel that I conquered it.

The largest one is probably at least a size 10 man's shoe, so there was a lot of room to work with. I had recently taken an online class with Michael deMeng and he used this fantastic map idea, so of course that works perfectly with my traveling shoe. The title is "The Rambling Sole".

All are available at the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottsville, VA where they will be on display for the month of June. The first Friday reception is June the second and I will most definitely be there to see the other travel art.

May and Memorial Day

The busiest time of year for the gardener may be May! And so it went here with marathon plantings and the beginnings of my first harvest in a new garden. Seeds sown on March 2nd were of various cool crops, now almost 3 months to the day, the harvest is tremendous. Only 2 are still growing and may or may not work; cabbage and broccoli aren't ready yet, and so goes my experiment with what might need a low tunnel and earlier sowing next year. 

Salads rule the day and I especially like the nasturtium petals in the mix with just a little bite, but not as strong as the foliage with its strong and spicy mustard taste. The sweet peas rarely make it into the house, note to self - sow more. Collard greens are also something I want to add to my garden for next year, after making collard greens and loving them. 

The meadow planting is filled with about 250 plugs of native plants, the last were planted this past week. All seem to be taking a hold well and there will be plenty of photographs. The bed is on the moist side, so some of my choices were filipendula (Queen of the Prairie), veronicastrum (Culver's Root), monarda (Bee Balm), asclepias (Butterfly Weed), Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), and eutochrium (Joe Pye Weed). 

Other small beds are full of perennials that were moved from Aldie, plus a few new ones that will function as pollinator gardens with a mix for cut flowers. I was quick to add Scabiosa 'Fama' for cutting, maybe the most beautiful flower in the world! Even the buds are gorgeous!

Here's just a smattering of others, a real mix of ornament, vegetable, and wildflower;

This was also the month for my granddaughters 6th birthday. As one of her grandmothers, also known as "light haired grandma", it is such a joy to see her more often, we live only an hour away now. My brilliant daughter held another perfect party, I was just lazy with the photographs. To record the day I offer this single photograph as she blew out her candles, and you can see that she is growing into a beautiful little girl with lots of poise (although some days we say "spunk").

Lastly I held another "Sista's Weekend" which was a blast! The house is perfect for these gatherings as I now have enough bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone to have their own. Of course we stayed up late and laughed like crazy. The husband spent the nights in the cabin, the perfect man cave, so all went very well. The youngest sister took the photograph, so she isn't in it, but indeed she was here. 

So May was the month of family, gardens, and fun. There was still time for some art and that will be covered very soon since I have to deliver the new pieces shortly. 

Lastly, I want to remember those that have died, loved ones we knew this Memorial Day Weekend in serving the country. I lost a cousin in Vietnam and my son just found out that another Marine who served with him just committed suicide (the second that he served with). Embrace your family, enjoy your weekend, but take a moment to remember those we have lost.

Green Thumbing

Now that spring is in full swing, it was time to get around, visit some gardens, meet some gardeners. As luck would have it, there are friends and acquaintances that also live in the Charlottsville area, and some magnificent gardens! A private tour at the University of Virginia was led by Jim Murphy, the former supervisor of the grounds, husband of Margo Reed, and daylily hybridizer at Woodhenge. I was first introduced to Margo at least 35 years ago when I offered her some land to plant seedling daylilies. That relationship lasted for many years and the extra daylilies were sold at the plant farm ($2.50 per clump), we called them Cabbage Patch daylilies. 

With Jim in the lead we learned a lot about the management of the gorgeous mature trees. Smaller gardens are scattered all over campus, all of which also need managed around the occasional weekend party. Oh the tales Jim could tell.  The architectural components were incredible, large column tops were installed here and there, and one of the first roof top gardens is also at UVA. 

An invitation to see Cole Burrell Gardens - Bird Hill was happily accepted, I have heard about this garden for many, many years. Cole's incredible space is filled with large drifts of native wildflowers and specialty perennials.  To use a popular word, I was gobsmacked!

The Historic Garden Tour for Charlottsville was held in an area very close to home, so it was also necessary to attend. The houses were incredible, primarily old estates with lots of land. The flower arrangements in and out of the homes were fabulous, the day was gorgeous!

Between and after these day trips, I have been busily planting at home: plugs in the mini meadow, a shade garden that is shaping up nicely, and the beginnings of a sun plot. The rain today was a welcome sight, it's been way too dry! Yesterday I found a clump of Iris cristata growing wild among the Pinxter azaleas along the periphery, life is good! 

Happy Earth Day

 

 

 

 

Rhymes and Collage

Some deadlines have arrived for new art. These recently finished pieces are part of these 2 shows, all at the McGuffey Art Center in Charlottsville, VA. They will hang for the month of April and I can't wait to see everyone's art hanging together. I found the Rhymes theme a bit challenging, but decided to go for it and was happy I did. Once again I was challenged to go outside of my comfort zone. With each one I have included the rhyme or collage direction. 

This first piece is basically cardboard and paper mache. I loved the poem/rhyme and spent a lot of time on the build.

"The Little Elf"

I met a little Elf-man, once,

Down where the lilies blow.

I asked him why he was so small,

And why he didn’t grow.

He slightly frowned, and with his eye

He looked me through and through.

I’m just as big for me, “said he,

As you are big for you”.

The lilies or lilium come from Lilium tigrinum or tiger lilies (also known as Lilium lancifolium), which have spots on the inside of the petals. The lily parts; pistil and anthers are blowing sideways, as are the leaves he is sitting on. The idea was to infer movement. 

The collage pieces were fun, especially as components were combined, text in the background, elements in the foreground. This one was designed around the small pin at the top which is a Western Safety Award pin. The man with the double stacked eyepieces became a senior safety inspector and the title is "The Senior Safety Inspector Had Seen it All". The propeller spins, loose wires are twisted on the sides, and the text in the background is about how to help someone who is bleeding. I was looking for an industrial feel with the paint, and left parts of the propeller looking very worn. When it's spun the lines become a circle.

In the pre-build on this piece, she was completely different, there were many, many changes. In the end her title became "Her Dark Cloud Hat matched her Raindrop Brooch". The cloud is embossed metal on a piece of wood cut like a cloud (from my scroll saw), the side pieces are from an antique clock and looked like rain channels, her brooch was a last-minute decision and there was a lot of drilling and sanding to get it in. 

Each month has a theme, some on the complex side, at least for this artist that builds 3D pieces from available materials. I've also found myself in a blue period, so there will be an effort to do something not blue. We shall see how that goes.

 

Spring Anticipation

On March the second I sowed row after row of cool season vegetable seeds. Cabbage, lettuce, carrots, kohlrabi, turnips, lettuce, parsley and beets went directly in the ground, with sugar snap peas and nasturtium inside. There were nights that dipped into the mid-20's, so I fretted. I made it a habit of checking 3 times a day, a number that I felt wasn't too watchful, like the expression "a watched pot never boils". I managed to drift that way more often as seeds began to emerge, 5 became my limit (and that's far from the truth). It took a full 3 weeks for the carrots to sprout, lettuce was up in 3 days, the parsley is still nowhere to be seen, but aside from that tiny green rows are evident from close proximity. The sweet peas have joined them with nasturtiums going in next week. My seed inventory is pretty large, some also very old, but I shuffle through them to remember what I have. It's amazing how much can be grown from seed at such little expense. 

If only that could also be said for the plant orders that have started to trickle in. I've gone mad! Even tho I dug and moved things from my old garden before last year's move, I was worried about moving the dreaded mulberry weed with me. A very keen eye is on the lookout for that nasty weed, which won't be tolerated. The beginnings of a shade garden are underway, and scattered, perimeter spots are dedicated to naturalizing bulbs. Eight fruit trees and shrubs are in the ground with some more fruiting trees on their way. The meadow is waiting for the perennial plugs to arrive, and the sunny flower garden (for cutting and pollinators) hasn't been sited yet, decisions, decisions! Plans are to bring in a 12 x 12 greenhouse, and everything hinges on that.

 

A trip to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens with my daughter and grandchildren was for the daffodil show. We had fun picking favorites and the most fragrant varieties. Since there is nary a daffodil to be had on this property, and I literally had thousands that had naturalized on the farm at home, I am missing them. My favorite was a variety named "Tom Terrific', and I'm still a big fan of orange perianths. 

Some others of note follow:

The grandchildren know the gardens well, and it's always fun to join them there, especially since I am so much closer now.

I prattle on and on about the plants, and hopefully some of it is sinking in. I want them to be gardeners. 

I have also inherited the hand collection, it's a third-generation hand me down (ha, ha!) Eighteen boxes of hands are here to unpack. Some are exquisite! This small vase was pulled out and filled with small, early flowers:

Aside from the spring anticipation is also the art shows and themes that accompany that. Updates are coming, all for the month of April. Between plant shipments, and planting, April will be a marathon!

 

Fat Tuesday

On the eve of Fat Tuesday, I share the last days of my trip to New Orleans. Our arrival is several weeks before Fat Tuesday, but does mark the Mardi Gras season and parades. In past years the Krewe du Vieux was always the first parade, but that's not the case now and there were several during our week in New Orleans. Regardless, once the first parade occurs, the word on the street is "Happy Mardi Gras". 

The French Quarter is the center of most events, Bourbon Street, the most famous of New Orleans streets, runs through the center. Parades have a tendency to avoid the congestion and insanity of Bourbon and travel through on neighboring streets. We (the workshop attendees) have learned that the more you are dressed up, the more likely you are to come home with parade trinkets that are thrown your way. Given the times and Covid concerns I only attended one parade, The Krewe du Vieux, which was smaller than usual, and only slightly less congested. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun.

I have photographed this individual 3 times over the years and was actually looking for him. Always on a bike with a great big smile. The following are years 2019 and 2020.

The weather was fantastic and many of the decorated businesses and homes still had hanging baskets out as well as lots of decorations:

For a second time we went to the Broad Theater to catch our own movie with dinner and drinks in the lobby. The movie was "Extra Ordinary" and Rotten Tomatoes had this to say about it: "Extra Ordinary" is an extraordinarily funny tale about ghostbusting, lonely hearts and moving on. It'll possess you. And I couldn't agree more, it was a blast!

The class began on a Sunday and wrapped up on the following Saturday. Our goal was to create a journal style piece of art with the theme of "Dante's Infernal Journal". And I will add that this was one of the harder themes, at least for me. Before the real journal work began, we had a class with Andrea Matus deMeng, Michaels wife. Lighthearted and really fun, we altered cabinet cards by changing the faces to pets. 

In working on the real theme and doing some homework, it boils down to 9 layers to hell, each layer is named, examples include treachery, gluttony, lust, greed, etc... The devil himself lies in the River Styx, where the dammed souls are swept away on their way to the lower level of hell. There were many remarkable pieces of art that came from this study of Dante's Inferno and so many interpretations. Some managed to complete the project - I was not one of them. Here is a sampling from the group:

I have since finished what I was working on, here is Dante's Infernal Journal, complete with the devil in his hellish dormer:

the counter is for the souls as they pass through

the treatment for the inside cover is much like the plastered stickers that are everywhere in New Orleans

Our teacher held a critique on the final day, which is worth the price of admission. Dressed in his workshop finest, it used to be white.

Happy Mardi Gras!

 

Back to New Orleans

After a 3 year wait, the art retreat to New Orleans was up and running. The theme, originally scheduled for 2021, was Dante's Inferno, or more accurately Dante's Infernal Journal. To that end we were asked to create a journal style piece of art, something that opened like a book, creating a cover and an inside. 

Extracurricular activities fill many days and nights, so a week in New Orleans is fun and unlike any other place I know. During one of our first breakfast outings, the chef asked us where we were from and why we were there. After learning about our teacher and art medium, he was very interested and mentioned that New Orleans is like a giant assemblage, with the streets, buildings, and people very layered in their style and art. And so began our week and my attention to the layers of this crazy city. 

Street art is everywhere, even the downspouts are plastered with stickers and grafitti.

the card holder for this shop is a mousetrap

angels on a hearse

Preservation Hall is always a stop and the band was also playing at Tipitinas, a two story bar and music hall. The Spotted Cat is another required stop, we were dropped off at the finish of our carriage ride - of course.

Our group gathered together with costumes, to walk in our own Second Line Parade. We always gather in the hotel lobby, to admire and take photographs.

Dante's Inferno is a journey through hell, with 9 layers, one of which is gluttony. Here we have some glutinous pigs. All very friendly.

and my costume

One of our tours was the St. Louis Cemetery no. 1, where Marie Laveau is buried, the renowned VooDoo Queen. 

In my next post I will share some of the art work and the crazy Krewe du Vieux parade photographs. The return home to my little country house seems so far flung from the crazy life of the French Quarter. As a tourist for this event that numbers 10 years, I have lots of fond memories and truly wonderful friends from many different locations.

 

 

Reunions and New

This weekend I leave for New Orleans, the art workshop that has been cancelled for 3 years is finally going to happen again. There will be sweet reunions of fellow artists, flying in from all over the country and Canada, to spend a week creating a themed piece of art. Activities have been restricted to some degree as Covid is still alive and well. But there are still costumes to create, and a sense of the theatrical, something I hope to embrace. 

My first garden has been created, already planted with snowdrops, winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), native azaleas, and Speirantha gardenii or false lily of the valley. The winter aconite was already flowering by January 15th, so I was able to move a few, in a last minute grab before my move. Seed was collected last spring, and they have been dispersed for flowers in 2 or 3 years. First flowers generally appear in February, so it was an exceptionally early bloom this year, and the same could be said for some snowdrops, which I also grabbed in big handfuls to transplant. The cold and rain make for a muddy mess, but we were able to get a tandem dump truck to bring us a gigantic load of compost, so creating beds will be much easier. 

I have discovered Monty Don on my limited access to TV. I tried a few other garden programs, only to be hugely disappointed. Monty or Mr. Don is someone I could watch all day and night. He and his associates use the botanical name for each plant, dig in the dirt together, and truly have a broad knowledge of horticulture. The scope of gardens they cover, everything from estates that have been maintained for a hundred years or more, down to small backyard gardens, all speak to me. If there is anything to be said on the downside, this is a British show, you need a decoder ring to sort out the differences in climate and culture. 

The art reception at the new gallery was very successful and lots of fun. Those that bought my work all took the time to introduce themselves, and I love meeting my buyers, which sadly doesn't happen that often. If I learned anything from seeing my pieces hung in such a grand place, it's to work bigger. In the new studio, it has taken time to find things, although I thought I organized it well. But once the easel gets its own place, I will begin the "big" process. In the meantime, I have been reworking older pieces and creating new ones that are not large, but still multidimensional. These are 2, the first is a reworked piece, the second is something that is not quite finished, but very close.

The second piece was prompted by the purchase of some perfect German, porcelain doll heads. These have the open mouth with the little row of white teeth behind and a cross between cherub and small child expressions. Other parts are antique finials, a drawer pull, the bottom of an eyeglass holder (the bottom part of her body), and some old thermometer/barometer parts. The painting is done, the finished piece will have fabric bits, which have taken a few days to resolve what and where, plus I still have to come up with a name - some come fast and easy, others not. 

Lastly I will add a few photographs from the big reception. Dancers would enter the building at timed intervals to dance alongside the art. There was no choreography, just spontaneous and fun. 

This was just one wall, I had another space and a piece on the upper level. My plans are to share a show with some of the other artists, whose work is amazing. If you come to Charlottsville, you must stop in at the McGuffey Art Center.  

Stay awhile, go to the downtown mall, drink some wine, call me. 

 

 

My New Haunt

The show of new artists at the McGuffy Center was hung today and will be on display until January 29th. Friday evening (the 6th of January) is the reception for the six that made the cut, but there will be so much more. Dancers, open studios, and music will happen from 5:30 to 7:30. 

Here is a link to the class of 2021 and 2022 as well as links to Instagram and websites. The center was originally an elementary school but has been operating as an art center since 1975. Typical of big brick buildings, built in 1915, the hallways are very large which gives a grandiose air to the art that hangs on the walls. In my many years of operating in various art galleries, I have never been so enamored with how my art looks in this space. 

Two floors will hold the new members art work, so if you come to the center, be sure to check upstairs too. I did finish one smaller piece for this show, which is titled "A.I. Portal", which is one of eight total on display.

What few people know when it came to moving and finding a new place to live, this art center was my first visit to Charlottsville and a big part of the reason we picked this location to settle down. Next to the open mall, with lots of quaint shops, it's a great place to visit. I live 20 minutes from the center, in what can only be described as the boonies, where rush hour is laughable.

I'll post an update after the show with more photographs, so stay tuned. 

 

Ever Hopeful

While driving today, in this new location, I felt a sense of exhilaration. After living in the same house for almost 50 years, the thought gave me pause. As a much younger person, moving was an event that happened regularly, or at least every 2 to 4 years. The same exhilaration came from that, new faces, new roads, and a different home.  December was very difficult and there are more boxes to unpack, but in the end - I did it! Damn it, I did it! 

On more positive notes, we were without electric for about 20 hours during the severe dip in temperatures (5 degrees here). The house has a "full house" generator which also includes the cabin, so for a crazy cold period everything was fine. 

We have signed up for a CSA share of vegetables from an organic farm, which is a first. This farm is only a couple miles down the road and we tested their products this past fall. With them and the giant garden I plan on growing, we will be veggied up!

I am one of the new members of the McGuffy Art Center. Only 7 were juried in for 2022, and January is the month that we get to show off. There will be a reception on their first Friday, January 6th. Starting over at an art gallery is a very humbling experience, but I am game. 

For my other gardens, I ordered native perennial plant plugs today. Since I have been able to study the spot since spring, I'm pretty certain my plant choices are good and this mini meadow will thrive. 

Only 2 weeks ago, as fall bulbs were reduced by most suppliers, I ordered over 3,000 minor bulbs and got them in before the freeze. My mix is a combination of Crocus tommasinianus (2 colors), galanthus, ipheons, and muscari. In a perfect world, they will naturalize in the lawn.

Lastly I booked a flight to New Orleans for the art workshop that has been cancelled for 3 years. My first class flight cost me $11.00 because I used my miles, which have piled up since Covid. So this serves as a warning, you will get sick and tired of my (too many) photographs and Yee Ha!

Happy New Year!