Alder Trees in Summer

 

All 21 Collages in one place. Complete!

Well I did it! I don't think I've ever done a self imposed series before. 21 collages using black and white only. Much of the time I felt silly doing this but every time  by the end of the piece, I felt meaning and purpose.  Each one tells a psychic story. Thank to my muses who are always there to help me along the way. I know my life would suck without all those words of encouragement and love. 

 

Black and White Collage #19, #20, #21

 

#19 was a delight. Plants are little miracles and so it doesn't take too much effort to create an homage.

#20 This one took a long time to do. I love the jumble and could look at it for a good long while.

#21 is the last one. My grandson loves time and clocks. I have a feeling he will also enjoy learning about the history of our last century.

"Get it," Black and White Collage series #14 out of 21

As I head out to hike this weekend in Montana I am reminded by the Moroccan Proverb

"The moon and the stars are not above us, the earth is on the other side of our feet."

Black and White Collage in series #8 - #11

 

#8 Understand

This one is about the difficulty of trying to understand someone with whom we are completely out of sync. Instead of being able to read their mind, I feel completely alienated. Of courses  the reining wisdom here is to  take a deep breath and really listen. Often, then  I am surprised to finally understand. 

#9 Called Don't 

 Don't try to help me read with the bounding ball. The words still don't make sense.  

#10 Don't sell yourself short

The rabbit wants to run but finds the ground inhospitable. 

#11  Zero Hour

This one  is about geologic time and its relationship to the present moment. How if we look at today’s slice of the rocks we can start to untangle the mess and figure out what pieces were broken down, which ones were pulverized, melted or washed away to the sea to become the tiny’s grains of sand. Some are sharp and some rounded.

"Swirl," Black and White Collage in Series #7 out of 21

in memory of Alicia Moreano who breaks my heart open

"Be." Black and White Collage in Series #6 out of 21

 

"Like two heaving ships" Black and White Collage in Series #5 out of 21

 Like two heaving ships

on two different. seas, the great nave

or Eternity nestled between, these buttocks

roll and sway, rise and fall beneath gold-flowered skirts over embroidered petticoats 

in the white sure of day

"Listen as your heart drops. Black and White Collage in Series #4 out of 21

 

 

"Be a Kid" Black and White Collage in Series #1 out of 21

 I am in mourning of many endings these days. 

-The end of living next door to my grandkids who moved to NYC.

-The passing of my 90 year old mother-in-law who spent the last 18 months sequestered away due to virus fear while also living with severe dementia.

-Life before COVID. 

-My aging cat who need more and more care by the day. 

-Not Normal destructive weather.   

-Loss of my extraordinary art studio in Tacoma and the life that came with it. 

The prescription is to tone down the news. And to rest in my new less glorious studio where I can allow all feelings to return to me. For now  black and white intuitive collage is the medium. I know it isn't great art, but it is a real, daily invitation for my internal muse to return to my daily life.

Day one: found word of the day "be a kid."  Reflects a desire to see the world with fresh eyes.

Day two:  found word of the day "THE STAR"   This one is all about my queenly ego.  I have many egos that all vive for attention. My first memory of this one was around 8 years old when I felt like an undiscovered movie star. 

Day three: Called "Interior" is about grief. These are seed shaped rocks that have taken up residence in my belly in hopes that I digest each one. Quite a task and a bit impossible at that. But I will stop and look and be content with the fact that I don't have to digest everything. After all, we do have both an in and an out part of our digestive track, non?

Crayon bien taillés

 I just got off the plane from my visit to Erica’s for 4 days during which time while sleeping in Erica’s office I came across several unsharpened pencils. Which is some thing you would never see in my office. I love to sharpen pencils as a way to procrastinate. SO before I set out to sharpen Erica’s with her ancient sharpener, the darling yellows sticks beckoned to me. Surely there were not always so dull and worn. They must all have history as one even came from China!

 

These pencils were not even in Erica’s closet, they sat on her desk waiting to be set to good use. Of course she will probably mostly work on her computer. But I do hope for their sake that they get some use. 

 

Before I set to sharpening they spoke.

Strawberries

 With Colette and Eamon now on the east coast, I am finding some time on my hands. So I've challenged myself to drawing what's in my backyard for a month.

Today I found some strawberries

Le Iris et une abris

After much preparation my iris and abris have begun to grow and bloom. 

Unfortunately there is little time left over for art and play. I am falling exhausted into my bed each night dreaming of studs and screw lengths. How I wish I were dreaming of stamps and time travel. Three times I have told Alex that I quit but then I get sucked back into the project because (to be honest) two heads are better than one.  We did find an old door made of alder from an antique place which is much like the place that Vero and Michelle took us to in 2012. The door is only 90 years old but it’s a beauty.  For now I will poor my creative energies into this abris. Just like art, this project is all about solving problems.  

Après une longue préparation, mes iris et mes abris ont commencé à pousser et à fleurir. 

Malheureusement, il reste peu de temps pour l'art et le jeu. Chaque soir, je tombe épuisé dans mon lit en rêvant de goujons et de longueurs de vis. Comme j'aimerais rêver de timbres et de voyages dans le temps. J'ai dit trois fois à Alex que j'arrêtais, mais je me laisse à nouveau entraîner dans le projet parce que (pour être honnête) deux têtes valent mieux qu'une.  Nous avons trouvé une vieille porte en aulne dans un magasin d'antiquités qui ressemble beaucoup à l'endroit où Vero et Michelle nous avaient emmenés en 2012. La porte n'a que 90 ans mais c'est une beauté.  Pour l'instant, je vais concentrer mes énergies créatives sur cet abris. Tout comme l'art, ce projet consiste à résoudre des problèmes.

Le plus beau, c'est que cela me rappelle mon père et tout ce qu'il nous a appris, à Alex et moi, sur la construction. Il était vraiment capable de suivre le courant.

Je ne parviendrai peut-être pas à m'éloigner de la forme carrée. Mais j'espère ajouter quelques surprises en cours de route. 

The best part about it is that I am reminded of my dad and how much he taught Alex and I about construction. He as really able to just go with the flow.

I might not be able to break from the square shape. But I am hoping to add a few surprises along the way. 

And of course Henri is sending me good luck from long ago and far away. 

Et bien sûr, Henri m'envoie de la bonne chance d'il y a longtemps et très loin. 

Miyoo

En Franćais

La plupart des après-midi, Deb, ma consciencieuse professeure particulière de langues, est assise devant son écran d’ordinateur, m’écoutant d’une oreille et d’un œil attentif alors que j’essaye d’articuler quelques mots de français. Son chat sommeille non loin de là, profitant du soleil de la fin d’après-midi par la fenêtre. Au coucher du soleil, les derniers rayons de lumière viennent caresser le visage et les lunettes de Deb et se réfléchissent sur le mur. Ses montures dorées agissent comme un prisme, créant un véritable laser arc-en-ciel. Le chat se réveille soudainement, comme si son horloge interne lui rappelait qu’il était l’heure de sa chasse de fin de journée. Et c’est là que commence la poursuite ! L’agitation soudaine distrait et amuse Deb. Pendant quelques instants, elle est incapable de maintenir son air concentré, celui qui ne trahit jamais d’impatience à m’entendre massacrer la conjugaison d’un verbe irrégulier pour la centième fois. En fait, elle se demande tout à coup nerveusement si je ne vais pas prendre son bref manque d’attention personnellement, et décide alors de me faire savoir que son chat est à l’origine du grabuge. Cela nous fait bien rire, et je rencontre officiellement l’adorable chat tigré roux et blanc, nommé Miyoo.

In English

  Most afternoons, Deb, my conscientious language tutor, sits in front of the computer screen listening with an eager face as I try to utter something intelligible in French. Her cat dozes nearby,enjoying the late sun as it streams into the window. Around dusk,  the last rays of light reflect on the wall and cascade onto Deb’s bespectacled face.  Her plexiglass eyeglass frame acts momentarily as a prism, creating a laser rainbow. The cat is suddenly awake, as if her body clock reminded her it is time for her late day hunt. And so the chase begins!

 

The sudden commotion both distracts and amuses Deb. For a moment, she is unable to maintain her look of concentration, the one that betrays no impatience at hearing me mangle the conjugation of an irregular verb for the hundredth time. In fact, she is suddenly afraid that I will take her brief discombobulation personally, so just decides to acknowledge that her cat has disrupted the classroom yet again. We have a good laugh, and I officially meets the adorable orange and white tabby named

The sudden commotion both distracts and amuses Deb. For a moment, she is unable to maintain her look of concentration, the one that betrays no impatience at hearing me mangle the conjugation of an irregular verb for the hundredth time. In fact, she is suddenly afraid that I will take her brief discombobulation personally, so just decides to acknowledge that her cat has disrupted the classroom yet again. We have a good laugh, and I officially meets the adorable orange and white tabby named Miyoo

 

written via collaboration with Sandra, Mark and Debra

All for a small dish of pasta!

This is a response from an email of Lucy's

I am no less crazy than any of you... When I talk to my hens, I respectfully call them "Mesdames les poulets" ("Ladies Chickens" ?). Today, Bertille flew vertically, like a helicopter, at least 2 meters high (for a small dish of pasta). What energy! 

 

Pays Chabal

The land of Chabal pays tribute this month to Bertille, Ficelle and Guenievre with these commemorative stamps. The pride of Chabalians is to wear the original costumes of their ancestors from the time of William Shakesperica.

Le pays de Chabal rend hommage ce mois-ci à Bertille, Ficelle et Guenievre avec ces timbres commémoratifs. La fierté des Chabaliens est de porter les costumes originaux de leurs ancêtres de l'époque de William Shakesperica.

But our hearts are half sunny (half-funny)

 The creative process + 

Joy of collaboration = moments of bliss. Even for ones who have just bowed out (Mark, lol) for they cannot help themselves.

Yes, here comes the recognition that the effort involved +

The desire to sleep in a warm bed +

The need to keep food in the fridge = 

work cluck cluck work.

And, in addition the necessity of earning a living, while perhaps  accepting a pair of tired old hips, might remind you of many a long lost ship

that crashethed in the rocks

just when it thought its journey might finally amount to something.

Oh dear,

Oh dear.

Where shall we be go from here?

E.C.

( by Erica Charlesworth)

( by Erica Charlesworth) ( Mark says it looks like they are dancing on eggs)

Pour "plusieurs types créatifs", "types" ne marche pas en français dans ce sens là. On pourrait peut-être mettre "esprits créatifs" ? Ou simplement "plusieurs créatifs" (à combustion lente). Ou autre chose.
So funny and beautiful !

Yes, on the sunny egg of Sundra.

‌The weather report said it would rain, but it doesn't

So maybe I'll go to Vieux Lyon with my guitar and my pavement chalks I bought few days ago

(...and of course, immediatly as I'm out, it will rain!

It's time of melancholy....
But our hearts are half- sunny (half-funny)

Response par Henri 

And finally this morning, Raphael made the news with his beautiful cabins in the trees.

Je suis Francophone

Je suis devenu obsédé par l'apprentissage du français. Et donc je me plonge dans la langue française. Je regarde les médias français, je lis des histoires françaises et maintenant je vais commencer à bloguer en français et en anglais. La nuit, je rêve même en français. 

Pour commencer, je partage le poème de Mark avec la traduction d'Henri. 

Fire Escape Chatter

 

Relax

 She wasn't sure they were listening, but in any case, the goddess of relax wasn't going to give up.

Justs in Case

Just in Case

During the process of moving I noticed something. I have a lot of stuff that I don’t really need.  Some are keepsakes, some are occasionally useful and some are just plain beautiful. But most are “just in case.”

Just in case we have a party, a holiday gathering, a new baby, a headache, or broken limb. Just in case I get around to polishing the silver or my shoes. Just in case I can’t leave my house for six weeks and don’t want to run out of tin foil. Just in case that canned octopus starts looking appealing.

Just in case we have to put 10 people up for the night during a horrible snow storm and the heat is off. Just in case I have to go to a wedding and WANT to wear the same thing I did 10 years ago. Just in case I lose 20 pounds. Just in case a grandchild is interested in my old dolls. Just in case I want write a memoire.

Just in case I die, and my kids want to finally find use in all of these things.

I will change someday after I stop planning for the just in case.

Moving the studio today.

Zoey and Tucker are moving today

Channeling the Ancestors Today