Western Mass

I admit it, this trip was before Maine. I’m a little late with the photos, yes.

The drive was beautiful:

We tried to catch the sunset and missed, but we did catch this lonely barn. We kept it company for a bit.

We went to the MassMOCA and used their Internet. They have a lot of bubbles.

Then, there was breakfast:

It came with a view:

Next up, a morning walk in the woods:

And the water:

I know I can reach that waterfall…

Ubiquitous yoga pose! (why so serious?)

Q practiced Tai Chi

We also pondered the goods of an antique shop while our car got rained in (hint: always close the sunroof). Good thing I never took that bag of clothes to goodwill- plenty of towels available.

Clean and dry we returned home.

Maine and back

Weekend trip to Maine included…

…1 delightful garden:

2 charming gentlemen:

3 happy friends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And many beautiful views:

 

This weekend brought to you by the even more beautiful bride and groom-

Congratulations Dan and Andy!

(thanks for the photo Jenka)

Brimfield

We finally made it to the fair. We didn’t buy much, but we saw some amazing things.

We wore big hats

Chased Masonic chairs

Spied on the neighbors

Met a dog in a basket

And some scary babydoll art

A whole army of doll art in fact

Some of the recruits were very little

So was this wee vanity

We even found

Then I came home and played with photo filters on my phone. I could get into this.

Living room inspiration

Last night in a burst of inspiration I turned two plastic benches into a temporary Moroccan lounge.  I have the cushions- the hard part is turning a coffee table into a stylish frame.

Here’s where I use my blog as a mood board.

Moroccan stencil ideas- colors, shapes, and layering patterns

Simple Moroccan style bench

Bolster ideas, and light upholstry

Classic sofa shape with angular arms and clean lines

Light upholstry, clean lines, no arms

Love the turned wood tops on the corners.

The original inspiration- in my head for nearly a year now since I first saw these beautiful designs

Beautiful colors and washed textures. Fab upholstry- simple clean lines

carved wood detail

inlay details, shape, carving

Metal decorative accents, square lines, carved wood

Ikea Klubbo table base used as couch base

Klubbo table remade

great resource for turned table/couch legs and hardware

Carved latice as decorative layer for sides

Woodworking on low rectangular sides

Rustic style

Low sides

Coffee table bench

another coffee table bench

The Eye Sees All

Prototype 2

First cut the metal:

Then repeat + wood:

Make them all the same size:

Drill a hole for garnet:

Rivet:

Ta Da:
(coming soon…)

DeCordova Museum

We went to the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park…

…Q met some pine cone men.

We sat in an amazing willow tree but didn’t take pictures. So here’s a flower:

I like to hide in sculpture. Even when it’s scary sculpture.

Some hiding places are better than others.

Eggs!

Love the Process

I’ve been working with layering found objects using cold connections. So far, I’ve made 2 prototypes testing my approach. This was so much simpler to make in my mind.

Prototype 1:

Step 1, sketch ideas on paper, then wake up in the middle of the night and sketch more on iPhone:

Step 1.5, agonize over which shapes to select from scrollwork on “silver platter” from goodwill.

Step 2, cut little shapes. This will be louder and more awkward than you ever imagined:

Step 2.5, agonize over what layers you want to use with this even though you thought you had already decided…

…Eventually bend prongs to fit glass you chose hours ago:

Steps 3-4: Repeat steps 1.5-2 with inner (circuit board) and back (plate) layers.

Steps 5-7, Drill matching holes through all 3 layers with a drill bit that is too small for your rivets. Cut, file, insert, and hammer rivets. Don’t forget to place glass lens and garnet chip before doing this. Cut around all the edges because the pieces didn’t line up. Use several rotary tools to smooth the edges. Agonize over where jump rings should go. Dill holes and mangle rings into place. Forget to document these steps.

Step 8, Try several chain ideas and invent extravagant beaded settings that take too long, then decide to wear it when rushing out the door and grab an old gold soldering practice chain and call it done (pictured with earlier chain option):

Prototype 2 coming soon…

View from the Bridge (and boat)

When the weather is nice, (unlike when it snows on April 1st, which is gross) I walk across the water on my way to work. The view never ceases to take my breath away. Ever changing as the light moves…

Last weekend I took a quick jaunt to NY for a mini Oberlin bellydancer reunion. We spent the entire time in the charming new Brooklyn abode of Rocklove proprietress Allison Hourcade, where, true to form, I managed to take a total of 0 photos. Here’s the one I didn’t miss- the view from the ferry leaving Manhattan:

Which brings us to today. And the snow. Here’s the view from the train across the Charles

The white goo on the ground may be soaking my boots but the moody city lost in the clouds makes it worth it. Thanks Boston.

Art

This weekend saw an inspiring trip to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Here are some of the highlights from the MFA:

These miniature portraits by Rembrandt Peale made me want to run home and immediately start painting with a tiny brush. Oil on copper. I already have the copper and the glass cabochons to go on top. The corkscrew trompe l’oeil displayed with them was reportedly painted on a doorpost during a party when the actual tool was lost. Oh those wild American Revolutionaries.

Frames! the art if framing…
Many artists collaborated with architects to create elaborate frames as integral parts of the completed work. I love the detailed woodwork and gilded basketweave in this one. It (somewhat subtly) demonstrates the pan-Asian influence found in much early twentieth century European and American art.

A less subtle image of this Asian influence, and another fabulous frame. Alas, I neglected to record the artists and titles for these two.

John Singer Sargent. Considered a sellout by many of his contemporaries, he painted intimate, convincing, yet flattering portraits of wealthy society patrons. I love his use of light and his moody, high contrast compositions. He seems to know his sitters well, although this could not have been true every time. How could he capture and reflect a personality so quickly? I also love the way he employs a variety of painting styles in any one piece. His faces are often painted with tiny, nearly invisible brush strokes, reminiscent of the realism of earlier Dutch masters. In his fabrics, however, the strokes get thicker, more “painterly.” From a distance, the images gleam with light and texture. overall Delicious. (painting is Mrs. Fiske Warren and Her Daughter Rachel)

Oh look, the vanity for my bedroom. How convenient, I’ve been searching for that.

More Deco Design

Ballerina box by Joseph Cornell

Taglioni’s Jewel Box. This one is not in the MFA. It is in DC, and is the first Cornell I remember seeing. I still adore it. How precious the “ice” seems. How intriguing the world he creates.

And finally, my own take on miniatures. A sketch of our new bedside lamp.

Martha Graham

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching…”

(-de Mille, Agnes (1991). Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham. NYC: Random House. pp. 264.)