above

above

it's a sky

changing changing

 over at the new place

the lovely green roof 

(yes, i see that it looks silver, but it's not)

two chimneys

a care package came from aimee

i needed to 

connect with some paper

some fiber

something gifted was perfect

those greens are from the milkweed i harvested 

in cleveland in july.

she always understands this. 

above

it's happening right here at home

in fact,

it began two weeks ago

but i played 

silence

but next week

school begins

and i will become a teacher

again.

monday editions on thursday

hanging out in another's studio was fun

 especially since i was there 

to lead four artists 

into the depths of contact printing on paper

and a bit of cloth as well

 merike's work is rich 

and i had so much fun 

looking around her workspace

when i wasn't working

 we enjoyed the riches of plants and papers

 and worked in the maine woods

right next door was new hampshire

you could straddle the line

if you were so inclined.

 at night i had fun slippers to wear

with my nightie

 and sometimes there is 

a funny mystery in a world of mystery

 while i travelled,

susan gaylord mentioned 

her next 

spirit book

 will have my papers in it!

susan had a table at
the book arts bazaar in april
in portland maine
and we finally met,
and she bought some botanical paper.
 i love when this happens.

 then i went to acadia and mt desert island...

here is sand beach

 where i looked at the beach up close

 and in another direction...

i loved the seaweed this trip,
 the layers of ocean 
leavings

 at the northeast harbor library

i looked at some woolies

 and skateboard art

 then hannah took me to

thuya garden

a grand door

 garden gate

and a big pot

 flowers

 and woods,

carefully nurtured and 

featuring the great north woods.

 even the trailing stuff was intentional.

 details of the lodge 

and 

the summer house

 there was a pool here.

 tiny details almost overstepped

 and these!

 this zinc sink 
made me happy

 as did the ruffed grouse

and these two family hooligans

were hamming for the camera.

it was a whirlwind trip,

and i have still

to catch up.

here in pixie space,

 susan johnson

wrote a lovely piece

about our fun collaboration,

a measure, a book,

imagination...

before

 before my trip

 to maine and a tiny group

 of fantastic artists

inviting me for a wee class

 on a lakeside retreat,

there was a tiny, beautiful walk

complete with light show to the west

and ground mist to the east.

workshop news in a little bit.

winding down the week

chinese box taught by steve

the exemplar that steve pittelkow

made in his box class

that ran while i was teaching contact printing

at the morgan conservatory. 

it came home with me,

a gift.

lucky me!

as did kozo that

took on some coloring

natural, but not intentional.

(sigh)

i'm building a big book

after asking cecile for advice--

good, expert advice.

and i warped up the good wood loom

for a book cover in weft faced shifu

and would like to find another of these looms.

i've been looking-they closed shop.

if you know of one for sale, please contact me.

lokta on lokta

it's been fall-like this past week, 

rain and cool moved in and has taken some of the starch 

out of summer.

the new place

that is finally looking like a home.
no porches yet.

i photographed this

right before i completed the black walnut rectangle

that sits

near one edge.

one of the coolest projects i've 

given another

(with permission) 

was to make me a measuring device 

so, 
this tape

woven by the amazing susan johnson

traditional in many ways

measures some things:

 grace notes of birds,

whiskers.

a promise,

a thought,

or such-like.

some twills

linen and cotton and hemp

a useful thing for imagery

for framing thoughts

for fiber artists.

by susan at avalanche looms.

wednesday i leave for a two day workshop 

with some very good book artists.

and, this morning's news:

i caught a nice, big

TOAD 

in the have-a-heart-trap.

surprised us both!
in my haste to let her go i forgot a photo.

 she's back in the garden now.

tending her patch.
locally two amish girls were abducted and subsequently 
released.
this news has me heartbroken.
our culture is very sick
it seems that art makes the briefest of inroads
into the souls of people.
but i will keep making and teaching and doing what little i see
is right and good.
and if that is making a book to love
out of paper that was once a wild-grown flower
that's what i will do.