Workin' Girl

I am in love with Spring. I know it will be fickle, but the last few days have given me fever like none other. Even the kitty boys are soaking it up, taking in all the fresh air and sunny spots they can find.



After a lovely, lazy morning perusing the vendors at the Fremont market, I finally settled in and got back to work on my newest obsession: a line of handcrafted pillows I am selling in my little shop! Which means (drums roll in the distance), the shop o' etsy wonders is open for business! Hooray! Very Excite!



So check it out, tell your friends, and then go pour yourself a big glass of sunshine for me.

Time for warm, cool, and a cuppa

Lately I have found myself in a place that is simple with words but rich with imagery. My thoughts have been filled with old trees, new growth, the color turquise, woven texture, the shape of crows, and light on water. It is a time of introspective thought, so I can only leave you with the images they spark.

A very merry December to you too

December has arrived and it came bearing gifts. Not the jingle-jangly, bells and whistles, shiny sequins way that I have come to expect, but softly, with a hush and blanket of snow. Fat snowflakes fell like stardust and covered my city in a pristine cloak of white. They piled up on my cherry blossom tree, giving prophetic new meaning to the December print for my calendar. They formed fluffy shoulder pads on my coat and topped my hat like a crown.



It felt like a new holiday, the true beginning of advent. The city seemed to stop and people came out to see it, laughing (what?), smiling at strangers (seriously?), and celebrating life divine (believe it!).
Even my busy life was put on hold for glittering walks, frosty Manhattans, and communion with friends.



Thank you, December, you are truly the icing on my year.

I know, I know, more studio pictures and silk screen talk. Sorry, but it has consumed my mind of late, as well as my time (oh, and sorry to all those emails I've left unreturned - I'll be back soon I promise). This is just a little tidbit to tide you over until my Holiday Shop is open, until then, the wheels of industry must keep turning!

The rain has been falling, the darkness comes earlier each day, and the realization that winter is a'coming has set in. This weekend I was blessed to spend a great many hours in my studio. Printing "2008" has taken over a large portion of my mind and time, but I am giving it up willingly. Midway through a printing run (a sweet little white tule elk who is resting on the green of March - just wait - you'll see it) I realized how perfect this time and this place is.
Let me set the scene for you: Late afternoon, and the skylights in my studio have turned purple-blue-grey, the last dregs of light slipping westward. The bright lights inside are softened by candles, and the scents of jasmine and bamboo have overpowered the acidic smell of ink. The rain falls with force, ringing a twinkly tune on the windows above. Joss Stone soulful voice accompanies the rain, crooning a sad tale of love lost. Calendar pages lay flat on every surface, the old crow eyes the tule elk, who looks innocently back at me.
This life is good. Simple words because my pleasure is found in simple things.

New Obsessions!

So I began this week with a renewed sense of purpose and a refreshed creative mind. I thought it was time to share a peek at my newest project,"What I hope to see again in 2008," or, for those who prefer a simple name, "my new calendar." My effort is to finish the entire edition by Dec. 1st, when it will be available for purchase on my Etsy site (which is as barren as the desert right now, hhmm, maybe because I have been walking through one... oh, more thoughts there than I have time to share here!).

Fall-Candy

There is something about autumn that speaks to my soul. The colors, so vibrant, signify life and death in the same light. There is a snap in the air that is fresher than any breath I have taken in months. I welcome the earthy-sweet scent of sap and detritus blending and breathe deep the smell of damp soil. This could be the time of year were I find myself overcome with the melancholy beauty of it all.