I planted two varieties of hops this spring, fugle and cascade. Yesterday I had the immense pleasure (first time ever) of harvesting hops. They twined way up into my neighbor’s plum tree so I was up on a ladder plucking these fragrant little rustling green beauties for an hour or so. Their bright skunky scent made me heady and hopeful. The little rustling skirts sound each one made as I plucked it from the vine conjured images of groups of girls in fancy dresses. The little golden pollen filled pockets I discovered tucked beneath each petal felt like intimate and precious treasure. By the time I climbed woozily back down my ladder I was in full day dream; dancing at a fabulous and extravagant wedding celebration. How fitting it felt then, when in search of breathable fabric to rig some sort of hop drier, I found my sister’s wedding veil!
Rorschach in rock
My husband and I did some deep Rorschach therapy at this campsite in august. We sat at lake’s edge and watched the slow dance of rock, water and light for several hours one afternoon. For me, the reflection manifest a massive alien buddha figure lying on its side (notice the dark bird image on its chest). I’m not certain what Hermann Rorschach would glean from my interpretation but I feel comfortable with it.
a useful kitchen tip...
Try adding googly eyes, odd limbs, and drawn on mouths to the sprouting wrinkled potatoes in your root bin. They make great pets, dining guests, or unresponsive listeners! Warning: do not eat.
I am alive!!
This is the affirmation I find myself telling my private/quiet/solo artist self this time of year. I am still getting opportunities to create but the circumstances are vastly different. For instance, I am still reeling from my recent adventures with repairing, costuming for, and running in Peachi the dragon at the Oregon Country Fair. I get a brief glimpse into the world of the circus performer, a vibrant, unpredictable, rapid fire reality. These technicolor moments leak into the dark quiet winter days to come, and feed me little tasty morsels of inspiration!
switching gears
Starting monday I will trade the purr of my sewing machine in this quite studio of mine for the chatter of fifty young voices and the colorful chaos of a costume and sets manufacturing facility. I will be called upon to cut rough tunics, tails, and ears, that will be hand stitched by little sweaty fingers into oddly shaped costumes. I will be pinning straps that break during enthusiastic dance routines, washing endless paint brushes, threading countless needles, discussing with 10 year olds ways to create lobster/robot or unicorn/vampire costumes that won’t injure other actors. I will be asked to conjure horses, ghost towns, and saguaro cacti out of cardboard and tempera paint. I will be frazzled and filthy when I get home from work each day, and I am looking forward to all of it.
Dig It!
Starting in July, my printed art cards will be for sale at Down To Earth (both Eugene locations). Find me on the card racks next time you shop there!
art therapy
Were you to plug me in and chart my vitals this week you’d find my stress levels well into the red zone. I am stressed for many of the typical reasons: visit from mom, end of year school demands, party planning, broken appliances... This morning, while dusting this quilt I found at a yard sale some years ago, I was briefly caught in a trance of sorts. I saw the thousands of tiny stitches, the countless little efforts of cutting, tucking, and holding the cloth in place. The quilt was briefly transformed into a time scape of someone’s patient and careful effort toward beauty. As I stood there holding my duster and witnessing the intention and skill of some other artist I felt the band of stress across my abdomen release, I felt my tightened shoulders relax. Art therapy, and second hand at that!