Eating and Relaxing

I made these really delicious cranberry upside-down cakes from a recipe over here at Roost blog. I like this woman's approach to healthy, good food. The little cakes are made with almond flour, and they have the perfect balance of spicy, citrusy goodness that I like this time of year. And in my family it is a tradition to bake Sally Lunn bread for Christmas morning. You can find a great recipe in the old Fanny Farmer cookbook. This morning we have been playing with our Christmas presents, which mostly means reading, and enjoying the bright sunshine. I'll post about books soon!

Merry Happy!

Whatever you are celebrating at this time of year I wish you all a wonderful season of warmth and cheer dear friends! Thank you for everything you add to my life by being a part of this community we share.

My Year

I do love to take pictures!

108 Bowls: A Water Mala

I know I could use a little sweet peace right about now. This video is beautiful and calming, and shows a special project done by White Forest Pottery. It is good on so many levels. Raising awareness about the preciousness of water; showing what happens when we love and respect ourselves and what we do in the world; the joy and beauty of craftsmanship. And one of these little forest bells would make a nice gift, too! Maybe for celebrating the new year.

I found White Forest Pottery through 3191 Miles Apart, a great blog everyone already knows about, but gives me an opportunity for one more toot on the Maine Pride horn, as MAV is a fellow Mainer!

Just in case the bells don't tempt you...there is all this and more!

New Work

I've been working on these panels and the large canvas on the bottom recently. I'm still having trouble photographing them well. It's always been hard to photograph my work anyway because it has so much white in it, and many layers of surface detail. When I put washes into the work it becomes even more difficult to photograph without glare, or the feeling of overexposure. I don't think I know how to focus my *!@!#!***!* camera yet either! Learning is something that requires faith and persistence, right? Do you ever feel kind of pissed at all the things we artists have to learn how to do to get our work seen, when all we really want to do is just make the art? At least that's all I really want to do. Then I remember how grateful I am to spend part of every day creating! 

More Maine Pride

These photos are via Design Sponge, and are from a  sneak peek of the summer home of Annie Coggan and Caleb Crawfords. It's in Belfast, Maine. Both inhabitants are designers, as is pretty obvious. I think many people come to maine because of the freedom to pursue anything they feel drawn to explore. There is a small population here, and it feels like most of those are artists and farmers! I can't adequately describe the fresh light and sense of possibility that symbolizes Maine for me. I only know that I love it more with each year that passes. It's been 9 years since we moved here from a loft in downtown Chicago. Those first few years I wanted to turn tail and run "home" because the change was so abrupt. But that was not an option, and it made me realize that home is where you live, and that's what I was doing, one day at a time. 

Maine Pride

Sarah Szwajkos is a photographer who lives in midcoast Maine. She creates commissioned portraits of interior spaces for her Personal Spaces Project. Her website is Damn Rabbitt Studios. These are all photos she has taken which are on her website. I like the way she composes in such a natural way. And what a cool idea to take a portrait of a home. I want to know the people who live in these spaces. 

Odette New York

I think I could wear Odette Jewelry every day. I have my eye on that gold bangle...and the pendant...and the rings too...and then I took a look at her Etsy shop and...well you know what I mean. I found her through The Makers Project. Take a look at the Odette New York site here. And go over to her blog from there. The Etsy shop is here. All images here are by Jennifer Causey from The Makers Project blog.

100 Artists

Here's a thing. My New York Times-loving husband found this in tomorrow's Sunday Magazine online (you can read the article here). Artist Shea Hembrey made up his own Biennial, including 100 artists. Each artist has a body of work, a history, and an artist's statement. Hembrey created this whole work of art in two years! His patron is author Elizabeth Gilbert. You just have to invest the time to read the article and go over here and look at his TED talk (it gets better after the squirrel brains and the BB gun). I can't decide whether or not it's pure comedy or genius...probably both. One thing is for sure, it's about someone with a lot of energy and imagination.

The Makers Project

Morris Kitchen

Mast Brothers Chocolate

Robicelli's

It was time to revisit The Makers Project, Jennifer Causey's beautiful photo project to document people who make things in Brooklyn, NY. I think her photographs are the best. I love her casual, natural approach and her composing eye. I've chosen food related photos here because, well, 'tis the season. But check out all the makers!

Jennifer Causey

Cardboard!

Nina Lindgren

Andre da Loba

Andre da Loba

Andre da Loba

Andre da Loba

Andre da Loba

Andre da Loba

Andre da Loba

I love cardboard! Here are a couple of artists I found who are using it beautifully. Nina Lindgren made the vertical village (top image).  You can see more of her work here. All the rest of the images are the work of Andre da Loba, found through Beautiful Decay. His website is here. The whimsy, the humor, the color, the inventiveness! I'll never give up another cardboard box again.

TateShots NYC: Terry Winters

Lately

Here is what I have going in the studio lately. I've never been into blue, but it's cropping up. I think it's all the Swedish movies I've been watching! I've been playing around with painted cardboard collages. I really like the color play, and to re-use all those cardboard boxes that things have been arriving in through the mail feels virtuous.