VISITING NEW YORK

Trash cans in Brooklyn. So....do you think they look better "decorated", or not? I found them to be a welcome change. They made me smile :-)


A face on the wall of a bathroom in Bistro Moutarde in Brooklyn.


From the always fabulous windows of Bergdorf Goodmans. "Fall preview"!!! if you can believe it...so soon.


The product of a wonderful day shopping at New York Central Art Supply. They have the best paper, brush, paint and just about everything else collection/selection I have ever seen crammed into an incredibly small space.


We went to see the Broadway show "Jersey Boys" and went out to dinner for Emilys birthday. I had not been a HUGE 4 Seasons fan (any of you "youngsters" remember them?)....but this show featuring their story and music was fabulous.



Last but certainly NOT least, on the way up to NYC, Em and I had "Dunch"( what we are calling a meal between lunch and dinner) with my friend Constance. I've mentioned her in another post and how fabulous her handbags are. You can see her blog by clicking on her name to the right......anyway, she brought some samples of her new work and this one just grabbed me. I only wish you could see all of the fine detail work inside as well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY

"When I approach a child,
she inspires me in two sentiments:
Tenderness for what she is,
and respect for what she may become."

-Louis Pasteur

My lovely, talented daughter, Emily turned 25 yesterday. This is my way of sending everything wonderful her way. Happy Birthday, Em!

PHILADELPHIA MURALS

First, I would like to send many thanks to everyone that offered such kind words from my last post. I've spent the last few days in New York City with my wonderful daughter, keeping her company while she is starting grad school and have not had computer access (sometimes a blessing!!).

With all of the "away time" I have had lately, I have not had ANY time for creating. I do find it mind expanding however, coming up with creative things to post. Since I was in the "big city" the last few days and usually tend to see "rural beauty" on many blogs, I decided that I would share something incredibly wonderful about my city, Philadelphia.

In 1984, a woman named Jane Golden, started what was supposed to be a short lived mural program, to combat the worsening graffiti problem we were having (I was particularly struck by the incredible amount of graffiti I saw in Portugal, which I was told was a recent problem.....just thought I'd mention that). To make a long story short.....yeah...right!......Philadelphia now has the most murals of any city in the world (over 2700)! There are wonderful tours. There is a website (www.muralarts.org). They are truely transforming. These are just a few examples. Enjoy.

FOR PAULA AND CHIC

Last Sunday as I was preparing to send an altered book for an altered book exchange/round robin, I decided for a number of reasons, that I would dedicate this book to my dear departed friend and artistic mentor, Paula Schaefer. The image that you see above is a portion of one of her many beautiful ceramic pieces. My husband and I discussed the fact that it had been far too long since we had seen Chic. her husband, and we were going to call him and make it a point to get together. Bob and Paula had initially worked together at a mental health program (she was the art therapist). We were married in their beautiful back yard. They were like second parents.

I was called yesterday morning, by another dear old friend, only to be told that Chic had passed away last Sunday (the very same day we discussed calling him and I was dedicating my book). Needless to say, we were very sad. Sad for the loss and sad for the fact that we hadn't called sooner. I will miss them both now.


-Chic with my son Daniel-



-Paula in a clay workshop we did together-




The above was the wedding cake that Paula helped me make for my wedding party. We made each letter a different flavor in a rectangular pan. After it was baked we cut out the letters and then iced it (we had a little help with that part). It was beautiful....

FROZEN IN TIME-Betye Saar

Last year, the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, had a retrospective of Betye Saar. I wanted to share her work with those of you that are not familiar with her. Anytime I see anything that has the key words "assemblage", "found objects", "mysticism" and "inspirational" I am immediately interested. This exhibit called "Frozen in Time" , was dedicated to her work with photographs, specifically.

The fact that she was born in 1926 and has been creating these works since the "60's is amazing to me. I find her use of color and materials to be extraordinary. Her inspiration stems from both social and political movements, popular culture and personal memories.

FOUND IN PORTUGAL

It has taken me awhile to discover that old postcards are the best thing to bring home from my travels. Not only are they beautiful to look at, weigh next to nothing, fit almost anywhere.....but, the hunt.....that's the best part. Searching out those old musty places that sell.......OLD STUFF. In Portugal, apparently it's called "brik a brac". Everytime I found a place that looked enticing, I'd point and ask "how do you say that in Portugese?" and that is the answer I got.

These colorful beauties are from a little old book shop in Porto on the Rue Das Flores called Chamine da Mota. One is postmarked 1907. I have no clue what I will do with them........yet. I like looking at the colors and the expressions on the faces.

I ran into this quote today that I found amusing.

"When I was a child, my mother said to me 'if you become a soldier, you will become a general'.' If you become a monk, then you will end up as Pope'. Instead, I became a painter.......and wound up as Picasso". -Pablo Picasso

PORTUGAL-DISCOVERED

I spent the last week visiting Portugal. My husband and I have been lucky enough to be offered trips like this through our business. I must admit, it was not on my list of "1000 places to visit before I die".....but when opportunity knocks....

Impressions- A language that would take me a lifetime to learn....nothing like I've ever heard, most likely a mixture of the many places that Portugal conquered centuries ago. ........great seafood, duh, it's on the ocean....speaking of which, I can't tell you how many people (smart ones, at that) that were confused as to where Portugal is actually located. I told our great guide, Margarida, that they need a major promotional department..........GREAT PASTRIES........an incredible mixture of styles and cultures.......art and architecture that I would like to see restored, PLEASE........good road system....beautiful wine country outside of Porto, where they grow grapes to make......TA DA...Port wine....yes, that's where it comes from....lot's of blue tile mosaics and majolica.....
.



One of our favorite places was outside of Lisbon called Sintra and the castle there called Palacio de Pena. Your fairy tale castle comes to life. Built in the 19th century over an old 15th century monastery...which in turn was built over another religious site....incredible "karma".




Oh....and I found Prince Charming.


....who then wisked me off to Cabo de Roca, the western most point of continental Europe.




The wine country of the Douro River Valley.....




Life is just a bowl of...fresh picked roadside cherries.

EXPERIENCE AND MEDITATION

"The human mind cannot create anything. It produces nothing until after having been fertilized by experience and meditation; it's acquisitions are the gems of it's production," de Buffon


This week will be time for me to experience and meditate. ....ooommmmmm

OOPS!

There is something going on with blogger. There was only supposed to be one goup photo in the last post and now I can't post any.....oh well.

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY

Ok, so my original plan was to post what is happening in my garden. It's spring here in the northeastern US and everything is alive!!!.....but, I went to visit my friend Judys' blog, Red Velvet, and I saw her reference to last year at this time. ITALY!!!! What a wonderful experience that was.


My dear friend Jerri and I traveled to Venice for 3 days and then took the train to Cortona for a week long workshop with Michael demeng (that's me on the right, slightly windblown but ecstatic and Jerri on the left.......also windblown and ecstatic). The workshop was full of great people.....many interesting stories.....to many to tell, I assure you.



Top row from left to right, Karla, Judy, Michael, Jerri....bottom left to right, Joy, yours truely and Kathryn. There were others as well.

Our first creative project was to drink alot of wine.......and then.....tada!!!! MAKE A WINE BOTTLE SHRINE. I don't remember which was more fun.

That's me working on mine, absolutely at one with the universe. Check out the Tuscan hills out the window. Every once in awhile I would say "reality check" and everyone would look out the window, just to see that "we weren't in Kansas anymore Toto".



That is the finished wine shrine after it had been shipped home...in one piece, I might add.
We ended our trip by visiting Rome for 3 days.
These memories will never fade and the friendships that developed are priceless.

Blogger was not letting me preview so I apologize if this doesn't make sense. CIAO!!!

EXAUSTED, BUT HAPPY

I returned from Art and Soul yesterday evening. It's amazing how "high" you are when you are there and creating and discussing and meeting people and ........on and on. Now I need a good week at a spa to recover....meditate, eat healthfully...relax......but, it's back to work!!

My first workshop was with Stephanie Lee. The most useful info that I came away with was mold making. I'm not sure how much I will use some of the other plaster techniques in my work , but I loved playing with it . I manipulated some plaster onto the boards that she provided and created textures and then attached some pieces that I made out of plaster with her mold making techniques.




The next two days were spent with Keith Lo Bue. The first day was mind bending. We were told to go on a quick found object expedition. Next we had to pick any three things we had for a sharing table and then these items were given out by number. Our assignment was to take one object from our outdoor walk, one from the share table and one of any item that we brought with us and put them together (without glue) into a "wearable object. What a thought provoking assignment that was. Unfortunately, I lost the use of my camera and had to use my friend Jerris. She has the photos, so I will post them at a later time.

The second day was spent learning various tool and attachment techniques. It was not much of a "product" oriented class but I learned alot.

Sunday and Monday were purely "deMengian".( Yes, Judy....soon you'll have your turn!)! Even though I did the Cortona workshop, I find working in a Michael demeng workshop to be so inspirational that I doubt you can take too many. Not only do you learn so much from him, but I find that most of the people in the workshops have so much to offer as well.

SODA POP ICONS..............





VOODOO DODAD DOLLS........






See if you can find some of the objects in my previous post in these pieces. I was very happy to transform the brushes into voodoo dolls. Constance, no one would let me transform the brush you gave me. They thought it was too special.