Pleading....

 

Act I

 

tulips amid boredom

The basement smells like fresh paint and is dank and chilly so idle time on the computer generating tulips and getting bored with it all.

Today, working on ideas for several pieces for a show.

Feeling a surge at last.

A beginning at least....

Walking Port Clyde

 

 

Day trip to Vinalhaven

View from the ferry on the way to Vinalhaven taken in infrared...false color with channel swapping.

Gray day in Maine

Today

Lilacs in infrared/backyard

Annual Lilac blog

They are out! Blooming a little earlier this year and just starting here on the midcoast.
 These bunches are from our yard and a swiftly "borrowed" bunch  from an abandoned lot. The below photo was from last year along with JP's graduation invitation from U Chicago...designed by Melissa.

Island stroll

 

 

 

Reds on a Grey Rain

InfraBumble

 

                                                                         Working a dandelion/Bumblebee in St. George in infrared.

Arizona Cactus/April

A few cactus shots before heading back East.
Next post will be from Coast of Maine.
The desert bloom, especially the cactus this year, have been spectacular.
These are from a hike I took 2 days ago.

The Trichocereus further down on the page were from my neighbors stash.
They were quite spectacular ..blooms about 3 inches around!

Prickly Pear in bloom

Saguaro in full blossom

Prickly Pear bud

Cactus Bloom

Flying Saucer cactus

Chain Fruit Cholla

Staghorn Cholla

Celtic art and music

 

Wind and Dreams

I love wind and weather. The fiercer the better. The desert has had it's share of crazy windy days lately and I'm relishing it. Down drafts off the mountain have been intense and I'm grateful that the mesquite trees are now grown enough to provide a soft sweeping whisper out the bedroom window . Lulls one to sleep.
I'm always curious why so many people hate the wind. Is it a hair thing? Allergies?
I don't get it.
All I know is that it gets my creativity going...energizes and excites!

Abstracting wind

Mardi Gras friends

Art buddies having fun.
Joyce ,Vicky, Chuck.

Below... leaving the house with daffodils are Chuck, Joyce and Nancy. We had a fun day with caramel rolls for nutrition and then Suminagashi for the soul...or maybe it was the other way around.

Desert rose

The desert cacti are early to bloom this year. This Hedgehog cactus blooms in beautiful array of colors from clarets , yellows and fuchsias to every subtle variation in between.

Random

What makes a wonderful blog, for me , is maintaining a theme, digging deeper into one's subject and having a sense of humor and appreciation for the random absurd happenings in life.
Oh yeah, and lovely or thought provoking images.

The only thing that ties my blog together at this time seems to be it's randomness!
The same theme is reflected in everything I do. When I look around at the studio, there are about a dozens of active and diverse projects going as well as the computer buzzing with digital projects. I have several books and magazines started at various levels of interest and depth.
In the kitchen, I tend to throw things together with either a skeleton recipe or a taste memory to create something new or improved.


Sometimes it is chaos. Sometimes it comes together.
Sometimes something remarkable and enchanting emerges and it is all worth it.
I rather like randomness...

Down by the "Riv-ah"

I took a quick trip to the Salt River the other day to get a few IR shots with my new G6.
I love the tangle of these Mesquite trees by the shore.
I used to bird in this area quite frequently and thought since the housing has now crept up so close to the river that it would be teeming with families with pets and all... but not so much. I was alone and there were some questionable characters about so I didn't stay long.
There is so much more to explore.

Mexican Hot Sauce

I've been fine tuning the recipe for hot sauce since our Holiday competition and have finally come up with a very simple and delicious formula.

Mexican Hot Sauce

Boil a dozen dried guajillo chili peppers (add some arbol or other peppers if you like it hotter)

Boil until tender. Let cool
Reserve some of the water
Rip off the stems

In blender or cuisinart
Blend:
the peppers,
a half cup or more of the water
a couple of tbsp of oregano
3 or four cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste.

I have also put in just a bit of vinegar or a squeeze of lime

Make up your crisp corn tortillas and fill with chicken, avocado, sour cream , fresh cilantro, queso fresco and top with the hot sauce.

Pothos

This started as an Infrared photo of a Pothos plant on the patio.

I brought it in to Photoshp where it received several treatments.  I kind of like what is happening.

I love the tendrils...

 

Maria's Mountain

reworked logo for class

 

Rose sculpted

 

Bouganvillia in Rusty Water

Wild Rose/ Nouveau design

Fragments

Metal Collage

The background in the above piece is an ammonia patina on faux gold leaf finished with a wax which gives a soft glow.
The below pictures are from recent classes in San Diego and Austin.

Broom Brush

This is made with a hand made "broom" brush combining both soft fibre tipped plastic broom with a outer layer of straw. I love the little hard trails that the straw makes.
I'm easily entertained.

Zen Vine from Brush

Grapefruit with Eucalyptus

I recently returned from San Diego after teaching a workshop . Friend Yvonne surprised me with a bag of the famous Borrego Springs grapefruit which I later found in my workshop box . I usually need a dollop of honey to sweeten this treat but these beauties need nothing! They taste like they are already infused with honey in every bite! Thanks Yvonne for introducing me to these gems. There is a Grapefruit festival in Borrego Springs every year. I might have to find my way back to San Diego just for that!

Valentine

"Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it , and it darts away....."

Dorothy Parker

Desert winter

 

Abstract Morning

 

Photo manipulation of the day

Lilac wreath

Yet another one

fly away

New stuff

Sunset at Drift Inn

 

Old stuff

Photo color fields

Light and Shadows

The shadows and light after the recent rains have been spectacular

Superstition Mountain Museum .

The Museum houses memorabilia from the many films shot in this area.

Coyote Canyon

Our New Year was ushered in quite properly...just moments after the clock struck midnight ...by a large group howl from local coyotes. Below is a healthy looking chap checking out the action at the birdfeeder.

New Year visitor

Happy New Year

Magnificent Sky

This picture was taken at sunset just before the temperature dropped allowing these dramatic clouds to give a light dusting of snow on December 26th.
A lovely surprise in the desert of Arizona!

Hot Sauce Throwdown

Last year I initiated a hot sauce competition and was the sole participant. I made a particularly nasty version (shown above) and figured that would be it. The idea was resurrected this year with a bit more enthusiasm. The winning entry , varieties and judges are here .

Some of the ingredients are in the above picture . Ancho chilis, New Mexican chilis, Arbol chili peppers, garlic, lime and a variety of other secret ingredients known only to the artists.
Recipe (s) may appear at a later date.

Variation on a theme

The above is a variation of last years card . We had a similar storm move through yesterday with some wonderful dramatic clouds.

The family is gathering for the holidays. Our first order of business is a "Mexican Hot Sauce Throwdown" The second annual. I thought is was over last year but there has been renewed interest in the project.
I'll get back with further developements and possibly a winning recipe.

Dressed for the Holidays

The living room transformed.

Spirit of Christmas Card

An old design and lettering recycled. I like the feel of the painting. Reminds me of the enchantment of night skiing in Vermont when I lived there.

The music that is playing is from "The Snowman" (Howard Blake/composer)
If you have not seen this wonderful softly animated classic by Raymond Briggs you will be in for a treat. The flying scene is simply enchanting.

Chihuly at Desert Botanical Garden

Currently the Desert Botanical Garden has a fabulous Dale Chihuly installation. With glass sculptures scattered throughout the Garden mimicking plant formations and catching the desert light, it is a truly spectacular show. I can't wait to see Luminaria with this dazzling addition.

California dunes

Back in Arizona!

View from the front yard looking toward the Superstition Mountains. This morning there is a lovely soft breeze.

Gnossienne #1

Satie's music, particularly this gnossienne always transports me to the sea...either a foggy day like the one above or a crashing surf.
Background music that feeds the soul.

Rackliff Island at Dusk

November Twilight

A beautiful evening sunset on Rackliff Island in St. George.
This photo was taken by Marsha Stout. For some reason my camera has been letting me down and taking lousy pictures.
Something is out of sync.
Marsha's photos were spectacular, especially this magnificent cloud formation and color at sunset. Worthy of my membership in the Cloud Appreciation Society, had I taken it! Yes, there really is a CAS.

You even get a button.

Rust art with chain

Chain o' love

I've been having the best time with this rusty chain that I found near the lighthouse. It first adorned the pumpkins that decorated my Fall table. They next served as a rustic scarf for the carved pumpkins on Halloween.
Finally, I tossed it outside on the deck so the rusty crumbles wouldn't get on food...It landed on a piece of driftwood atop some stray berries left over from an earlier pruning. I liked the look but it needed that extra touch so I added the sculpted gold knot.

The chain is back in the house now and headed to the studio where I have an idea for a more permanent assemblage.

First Traces exhibit

I have a piece and notebook exhibited at CMCA or Center for Maine Contemporary Arts as part of a new exhibit (First Traces ) . It is a fascinating look at the first sketches or thoughts on creative process and how they relate to each artist's final pieces. Wonderful to look through those first doodles , sketches and ideas on the way to finished work.

The peice below is from one of my sketchbooks...a Mackintosh inspired drawing that I did with pen and then enhanced in Photoshop.

Below that is a piece similar to the one I have hanging in the exhibit.

There are several other shows also exhibited

Dennis Pinette's rich and emotional paintings are on display in the upstairs gallery never disappoint.

Mackintosh style design from Notebook

Sculpted silver assemblage

Dawn on the Cove

First Light November

I was struck by the beautiful morning light on this crisp November day.

Flocks of robins were passing through making my daily walk for the newspaper celebration.

Chattering ,,,cascading from the trees in pure delight of the new day,

Day after

Happy Halloween

Halloween/ Maine Style

I wanted to carve something different this year without resorting to professional tools. They  look much too polished for my taste. 

 So, here I showcase my minimal pumpkin carving skills.

I like them though.  They have already taken on personalities for me. ... I can't wait to light them up and haul them up to the top of the road.

I picked up the nice rusty chain down near Marshall Point Lighthouse the other day.

I've heard rumors of the lighthouse being haunted. 

 I believe it. I  have some eerie photos with an odd ball like light in front of the door.....

Happy Halloween!!

Song for November

Return to Stowe

In the mid 70's I spent a ski season in Stowe, Vermont working for the Mountain company . The big perk was the daily skiing.

I've always wanted to go back . I got the chance last week during (almost) peak foliage season.

What fun to see how much it has changed and curiously... how certain things haven't changed. The little chalet I lived in was still there as was the Mountain Company gift shop where I worked It looked remarkably the same.

Even "The Shed" was still there (well a newer, larger version) with the wonderful hamburgers on Thomas English Muffins topped with Cabot Cheese..

Perhaps someday I'll get to ski there again .

Foggy Day in Quechee, Vermont

Taken from the bridge near Simon Pearce studio and Restaurant.

Autumn Still Life IR

Bald Eagles on the St. George River

I witnessed an amazing drama while out kayaking this weekend.
We have had quite a few Bald eagle sightings lately and I went out with my little Canon A640 in hopes of capturing one atop a Spruce. I camped out in my favorite little cove and while I was waiting, I saw some commotion on the water. After slipping my kayak a little closer, I noticed what I thought to be a Bald eagle in distress in the middle of the Cove. He was remarkably using one of his wings as an oar ! This was quite a sight to see. One enormous, powerful wing paddling and struggling to get to shore.

When he got to shore it immediately became clear why he was struggling so hard. He had nabbed a Cormorant!

He took flight with the cormorant and landed on a small rock on the opposite side of the Cove. I was able to kayak over closer to the scene and captured some incredible photos with my little camera.
A young eagle flew in and tried to take the cormorant. After a brief but noisy scuffle, the adult eagle sat on a nearby rock and let the young eagle feed. That is where I got most of my photos.

I left to paddle on for a bit but swung back around long enough to find that the adult had taken over and got some of these last shots.

Bald Eagles

A few more eagle photos here

Gourds in infrared

Autumn in Maine

New nouveau,nouveau!

Infrared hotel

Yard sale chairs!

I'm still on a Flea Market high.
I found these great vinyl 70s style chairs for a good price at the dump sale yesterday.
Two green and two orange.
They are in the basement/ studio brightening things up considerably!
Almost everything in this slowly emerging studio was found either at auction, dump or yard sale.

Yard sale finds

Shiraz kind of day

Maine connection

Two years ago at the Lettering Conference in Virginia , I met a couple of fellow part time Mainers.
We talked about getting together for some art play during our Maine time. This year several members from the Austin calligraphy guild met at the beautiful homes of two of the members for a wonderful, creative gathering. I was very excited to join the group for a couple of days I shared some flower techniques, exchanged ideas and generally had a grand time.

The below photos are from the harbor and the cliffs off of Ocean Ave.

Click Here are a couple of people pics from the time in Kennebunk area.

Birthday card for Alex

Backyard buoys

A collection of buoys against the porch.
I often find strays washed up on our shoreline.

They made an interesting IR study with the pale foliage.

Blueberry Sunday

Blueberry season again! Last Sunday we started the day with a breakfast of blueberry pancakes...For lunch, fresh organic yoghurt with wild Maine blueberries and local honey drizzled over it all. After dinner blueberry pie!
Got my blue anti-oxidents that day.
Here for information on the health benefits and general information on wild blueberries.

New gilded assemblages

Combining the old and the new,  the precious and discarded, here are a few new pieces. 

Gilded  flourishes from caulking and gesso attached to old found boards from nearby Clark Island and Port Clyde.   I have mounted them on aluminum flashing with gesso enhanced papers.

Some old hardware purchased at auction are included. 

Too much fun playing with each of these precious pieces (both made and found).  What is here may not stay the same.  I can't stop fiddling with the elements.

Old Victorian Hardware

Went to an auction last night and bid on some very cool old hardware lots.   I got into a bit bidding war with a dealer and had to quit while I still had cash in the pocket.  I still got a nice array of hardware, decorative pulls, hinges and other sweet pieces which I plan on using as part of my assemblages and flourished gilding collage.  

It's always amazing to me how when I get  passionate about something new the  flow seems to be streaming in from other close friends .   

My friend and bead artist Kristen Orr is busy collecting interesting old doorknobs.  I'm on the hunt now for them as well.  

Easy to become obsessed....Keeps life interesting and exciting.

GRLT Garden Tour

Each summer The Georges River Land Trust puts on a garden show and tour of some of the most spectacular gardens along the St. George River here in midcoast Maine. Here are a few images from camera that intrigued me. I love the ragged beauty of the Sunflowers in the picture below.

Ragged beauty

First Peony

This is my first post using new Mac. The editing was first done in Lightroom and then sent to new Photoshop CS3.

I'm loving the new Warp tool in Transform! I warped the letters in Peony slightly.

The peonies were a surprise in my tangle of garden. Amongst the weeds and wildflowers this emerged! After 5 years.

This was the first bloom.

Heavenly scent throughout the house

Peonies

Creative Ennui

Most artists, for many reasons, often go through periods where there is little creative output or flow. I seem to be in one of those modes at the moment. Whether it is because it has already been such a busy season with a variety of activities or just in a slump....I have to feel that I'm "filling the well" so to speak and taking a lot in subconsciously and peripherally...and it will come out later in a rush of energy. It always does.

I think the biggest hindrance right now is the amount of energy I am putting in to the computer> The setting up of a new system and learning a whole new vocabulary and work flow is not only frustratingly tedious but that process accesses a different part of the brain that I don't visit as often as I probably should (organization)

When I was going through my latest photos I noticed that when one is in this zone...nothing seems to work right and I couldn't believe how many really uninspired photos from places which should have inspired something more.

I did find the above shot, from a trip to Acadia, which I kind of liked, and I noticed some IR shots that I'll later post.

Rambling...and I need to get to cleaning and sorting.

PInk Harbor

Variety

I've been busy with company for a bit but still have been playing with a variety of things. Below is a lovely cove ...kayak level in Infrared.

Below that are my beloved lilacs . This was the first year that I had two bushes of my own in bloom! I only had to help "prune" a few more branches from the local vacant lots.

Bottles and Sea lavender

Egrets

Golden textures

A "play" date yesterday with artists Hannah Nelsbach and Penny Gentle produced some lovely textures on metal. It is always fun and productive to bounce ideas off of other artists! New directions always emerge.

Silver wood

The wood leading to the Sea.
Just before this shot, I heard a Pileated woodpecker, making the walk all the more dreamlike and mystical.

Maine infrared

The latest infrared images from Maine.
That's what I've been up to artistically these days.
More infrared images here.
Below is a lovely cove near our house.

Brush lettering

Brush lettering on "belted" rock from the island.

Violets

I picked some small wild violets on a walk to the open ocean yesterday. I plucked some of these lovely little gems which were growing in profusion along the side of the road. They have no fragrance and that got me wondering what variety has the exquisite fragrance that I remember from when I was a kid.

Viola odorata, as the name implies, is the one with the soft, fleeting fragrance that we associate with the violet and often (unsuccessfully) try to capture in commercial scents.