perfect summer day

Today Deezel and I walked to the end of New Road and home. It's a total of 4 miles. When I got home I finished prepping the last closet to paint tomorrow. Then I took time to relax; I did my nails -toes and fingers. Had to do something, I'm going to an opening at ARTSOURCE in Rochester this evening with my friend, Ila, and sister, Anne and my nails looked pretty bad.

Finally,I did a couple pencil drawings in ART JOURNAL: July- Dec. One is of my passing sunflowers (from Barker's Farm Stand) and another the tiger lilies from my garden.

Yesterday, I used a tag shaped punch. I made 36 tags of light green card stock to do work on each day in August. It inspired the solution for what to put in the pockets of "Scroll #2".

I'm making tags of buckram. I'll stitch two layers of fabric together and position the tails of thread to be handles and be able to take out each tag. I'm planning to write catchy, meaningful words or phrases on each tag.





DAILY HAIKU 2009

I had to replace several plants in pots. They had rotted away. A trip to Wentworth Greenhouses inspired this landscape. I used an expired coupon for the hills, and gold backed, brown paper with a scrap of white stamped with the barcode, now grass, stamp. The frame is a simple, seam-like line of dots made with a marker. I wrote the text along the horizon line with a purple gel pen. This is a time for my crooked writing talent to shine.

new healthy plants to
replace those ravaged by rains,
their little roots rot

leaving time and energy for creating

July certainly is like what one expects of July today - intense sun, warm even in the shade, hair dries quickly after a swim, mosquitoes are voracious, and watering plants takes a toll. The swallows were floating around catching bugs. The spider in the vegetable garden (today it[the garden] needed 4 watering cans and two five gallon buckets) looks very plump. A cicada occasionally whines its call.
On the walk through the woods we saw a flock of wild turkeys - two adults and several smallish chicks. There was no distracting the dog and no way to avoid them. He gave chase and they disbanded. It's amazing to see those birds take off. Saturday we'll say goodbye to what has been a hot, dry uneventful month.

I finished my chores as early as possible. It's been frustrating that by the time I finish, I'm too tired to muster up enough energy to make something creative. Usually, I work in the studio first thing in the morning, but in the summer, I have to do outside work and walk before it gets too hot. When I finally do come in to work, it takes extra long to get into the creative flow and past the tiredness. I try to leave something ready for the next step, so I don't have too much thinking to do, just get right to the work.

Late yesterday afternoon I added detail on "Scroll #2". I did a blanket stitch, by machine, along the top and bottom. I'm happy with the way it looks, and rolls. I still haven't determined what will go in the pockets. Nor have I resolved what, if any, writing will be on whatever is in the pockets. I'm sure a solution will present itself -probably when I'm working on something else.

After I finish here, I am dedicating time to ART JOURNAL -July - Dec. And I think I'll make 31 small, cardstock tags for art work this coming month. Then I'll make an accordion book or glue them into my ART JOURNAL. Of course, I'll be in school on the 26th so will most likely be there getting ready several days ahead of that.

DAILY HAIKU 2009

I'm sure last year's work for a Haiku a day fit into my other work...
walking, weeding and
stitching new curtains, another
non-eventful day
By this deep into the daily exercise, I had accumulated a large collection of mini scraps as well as tricks to get to the work without needing tons of time or energy. The flip-flop and sun stamps in addition to the dog paw tissue were hurdles already jumped. Sometimes it was the text I had to search and work the hardest to capture. I created "bamboo" on the right hand side using my "bar code " stamp and some drawn leaves. The curtain I made for the bathroom had bamboo on it.

great and small beauties

Deezel and I went to Adam's Point this morning for a change of pace. He got nervous the first time we went there- too new, I guess. This time he was okay for the most part. He walked along the rocky shore with me, sniffed a dead horseshoe crab, and trotted every where he went sniffing.

The path near the water follows the shape of the point. We start and end at the same place, but make the whole trip around the point. A lovely Great Blue Heron posed for me along the water's edge.

On the return path there was an abandoned box near the path. Deezel balked. He wouldn't go past it. He did bark at it. I kept walking and left him behind. At one point, I looked back, he had a sad, a pathetically sad face. I continued on and repeatedly called him. Finally, he worked up his courage and came running up the path.

I gathered some marvelous stones. It still amazes me that the stones along the coast could be so geometric, so angular. Of course, the beach here doesn't have the wave action of an exposed beach. It's on Great Bay near Jackson Estuarine Lab in Durham NH.

I have two more nature shots to share. Yesterday afternoon we had a dragonfly floating in the pool. Roger brought it in and I photographed it. It's about 5" long and has beautiful blue highlights.They are incredible creatures and they eat mosquitoes !! I'm sorry he died, but I do have a lovely specimen to share with my students since our theme is "Our Big Backyard".

The other photo is of a sphinx moth on the bee balm. They look like tiny hummingbirds. One today looked about the same size as a bumblebee.

DAILY HAIKU 2009

July 28

This entry records a trip to Lowell to the Quilt Museum with Jacque. I went to see friends and the exhibit.

For this image, I tore a section of a leftover card I had made with "Trip Around The World" quilt pattern. I had used the pattern in my quilt "Cobblestones and Cornerstones" about Lowell. The sun stamp shows that we at least had an occasional summer-like day.

I still get a fond feeling when I make that trip south on Rte. 495 through Massachusetts and drive through Tewksbury into Lowell with its attractive architecture.

often traveled path

brings memories, sights and sounds

sweetly patched in time

missed posts 7/24, 25, 26 and 27

We have had some lovely weather the past few days. I guess that's why I'm behind again. I sat down yesterday to catch up and we had no power. It was back about an hour later, but by then Roger was home and we were lounging on the back deck. We were joined by our neighbor Lorraine.

Today is another lovely day, warm sunny and breezy. The breezes are not as strong as yesterday's. I watered the shade garden this morning as well as the vegetable garden. We have several little cucumbers, beans and a grand colorful spider, still enjoying the abundance of bugs. I am very careful to always know where she is before I put my hands into the garden.

Last night was cool, near 60 degrees. Maybe fall will be two weeks early like everything else this summer. I have photos of a sphinx moth and "Scroll 2" to post later this week.

DAILY HAIKU 2009

This is a nice grouping of days for their text, imagery and memories of the summer of rain, '09.

The collages of the the 26 & 27 have a simplicity with strips of paper, and some basic free hand drawings. I particularly like the gold paper that is brown on the other side - nice torn edges. July had a variety of happenings from thunderstorms to ghost pipes, parties and rain.

July 27

sun followed the rain

steamy heat followed by those

noisy thunderstorms

July 26

chlorophyll free plants

pure white pushes up brown leaves

ghost pipes appear

July 25
family party
food swimming and memories
together again

July 26
steady rain, muffled
by closed windows beats on all -
leaves, stems, roots and earth

Deezel and I walked 4 miles today, I thought it wasn't as hot as it had been so we could make up for yesterday. He was totally panting and I was totally sweating by the time we got home. Totally panting means his tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth nearly its whole length.

We stopped at the roadside pond so he could get a drink. By drink I mean go out to his ankles in mud and stick his face several times into the mud/water and bring up stuff, brown stuff. As this happens frogs of all sizes make funny squeaking noises and hop at great speed to escape the monster. This, of course, totally distracts Deezel from his thirst. He pulls hard to go after them. I'm laughing, swatting bugs and holding on although I prefer to not go in the pond/swamp myself.

Oh joy... here's a recent picture. Picture that face and those paws with muck on them. By the way, dog ankles are just above the paws

I got fresh summer squash and cucumbers from a neighbor. We tromped through the deep grass to get there. Luckily I had applied bug repellant. I had collected other treasures, but left the bag of interesting wood scraps and some rusty metal by the road to collect when I'm driving by.
We both did nothing for quite a while after returning except drink water and lounge. My swim was particularly refreshing.

ART JOURNAL: JULY - DEC

I'm working differently on this journal. I'm going through the pages and preparing them for later art work. I've glued some together, attached plain paper to a couple. This morning I cut three different size frames. I'm going to edge them with ink before I glue them together.

DAILY HAIKU 2009

July 22

A simple vine around the edge shows the cucumber vines. I used a LePlume pen for the green.

My flip flop stamp shows that I walked with Deezel that morning.

everyday trivia

Well, we're having another day in the mid 80's and humid. I did some errands, stopped at school to fax papers, and touched base with several friends there who are teaching summer school programs. I guess I'm getting ready to think about school again. I was nice to see the kids. They were all having a pretty good time.

On the way home I got delicious gazpacho at the Loaf 'N Ladle in Exeter ---yummy with their homemade bread --- for lunch. And a loaf of sesame wheat bread for breakfasts.

Then I stopped at Barker's in Stratham for fresh, local vegetables. I was tempted by the lily stems, but chose a small bunch of mini sunflowers to adorn the studio and be a subject for some art work. I've never had any luck with any kind of sunflowers.

I did leave my phone number as being interested in a kitten. Roger mentioned a while ago that a new kitten would be fun. We enjoy Buck Wheat so much with his antics and great personality. He loves Deezel. At least, I assume all the attention he gives to Deezel implies that he loves him.

Since it's fairly cool inside, I'm dedicating the afternoon to "Scroll #2". First I'll write my "story" on the buckram. I posted a picture a couple days ago of my mockup. (It's about my love of fabrics and why I need to create another scroll.) Then I'll attach the narrow piece of buckram to the wide piece. The stitching pattern will create pockets. I'm going to have to stitch the buckram to the fabric exterior and stitches will show. I'll use a variegated rayon in the bobbin and the top.

photos tomorrow...

As I post work from DAILY HAIKU, I realize how different this summer is than last summer was; this is something like day 25 of 80 and above temperatures....

DAILY HAIKU 2009

This entry has three layers of transparent papers. The top has the Haiku on it, printed on computer. Under that is an irregularly shaped piece of tracing paper. Under that is a piece of printed parchment with the text printed several times. The red is ink using a dauber. I wrote additional text around th edge to frame the imagery/text. I used the number of Haiku and the date as part of the text. They look like they are "related", but there is not any numerical relationship. I think I'll use the same set of numbers in my ART JOURNAL. Somehow they'll go with the sunflowers....

rhubrum lilies, mani/pedi and mosquitoes

After our walk (3 miles), I took a dip to cool off and gave myself a manicure and pedicure. I'm thinking of trying French tips on my toes ! It's not easy doing one's own toenails.

I took some pictures of my rhubrum lilies. They're pretty nice. I couldn't get clear closeups - I was being attacked by mosquitoes. I think the very nice Arbonne scrub I used was attracting them. I had to dash back to the deck and into the house. I'm hoping the sun, if it comes through the clouds, will drive them back to wherever they hide.

Art work began early this morning and I'm returning to it shortly. I put finishing touches on my ART JOURNAL: JAN -JULY with a Table of Contents at the beginning and numbering the right hand pages. The balanced variety of techniques is particularly successful. As is the repetition of selected strategies and imagery. I'm writing reflections at the end- what worked, favorite pages, what to do differently, etc. Part of the writing will include my thoughts about "Scroll 2" - why, why fabric... and the very last page will have photos of "Scroll #1" on vellum creating a pocket with odds and ends of ephemera behind the photo. ART JOURNAL : JULY - DEC is beginning with rhubrum photos and "Scroll#2" connections.

DAILY HAIKU 2009

A year ago today, Paula, Dawn, and I got togther to do art. I had materials to make paper bag books. We had such a great time; we met two more times during the summer and met for "art shares" on a regularly schedule through the school year.