a crush or two

ok, the truth is i get crushes.

i have certain things i love very much

and they are important to me, even though i may never voice that interest to anyone.

i love maps and globes, i love the idea of mapping,

in fact sometimes i teach classes using mapping as a theme.

i do this at school, too.

well, today i found a whole new world

a globe maker in england.

this company makes beautiful work.

bellerby and company is a place i would love to visit.

can you imagine making globes, building the spheres, painting the lands and seas...

so, yes, these globes amaze me.

~~~

and here's another beautiful and important thing:

an herbarium made by abigail bainbridge.

while teaching at women's studio workshop i met chris petrone

who is friends with this maker.

the world of beautiful things is precious, indeed.

~~~

i thought this book

made by my student lynn keffer at wsw

might fit in as a nice segue to a couple of beautiful old things:

 this stationer's binding

 and this vovelle

my head is a whirl with bookish things today

after a few days

(finally) 

of quiet life again.

maybe now i can finish my edition.

WSW

 this place is legendary

and for good reason

it's a place of art making

right out of the70's

(the good 70's)

i love it here, 

love the studio space

 love, LOVE the funny painting in the guest teacher apartment

 the head shots in the hall

 this one is for hannah

 and the blue nosed friends, too.

 we haven't been blue yet, but india ink and black walnut

and osage orange and red ochre and indigo inks are here.

we're working on madder.

making marks on paper, big, small

fine and not so fine.

this is kozo dyed with lotus leaves that kate brought

from her stash.

 weaving lokta shifu on new stumps

 i have three lefties in my class and one 14 year old!

 a happy susan mills

 the whole class here
my mess front and center.

it goes wonderfully quiet
as they begin
focus, fold, cut, 
working on their first bit of shifu

HURRAH!

 the neighborhood is historic

 and interesting.

 our apartment

 the wall

 art farm

 art farm

 paper/brick

my housemate, nancy diessner

has some of the same

interests as do i.

she rocks!

bliss

i can safely say there is some bliss happening

each day i wake to the sound of birdsong

and some nights i go to sleep to the sounds of...

er...

coyotes singing in the background as

a startled deer snorts

then

a gray fox

yodeling away with some firmness

i think she's a mama doing her best for her brood

and then

a very very angry raccoon

snarling and scritching for some time

probably has something to do with the gray fox and my empty barn.

once the convicts were found

the most local color took over.

and then there are the wildflowers...

a rich wet and cool spring has brought them on

brilliantly

in a way i can't remember!

and there is news:

Grampians Texture

the site is alive and kicking and the brochure is out,

the classes will fill up with some urgency

if i remember right from last time.

go over and take a look!

~~~

we work and work,

caliban press and me,

towards completion.

the map-fold book is done,

but some need a little stitching,

as per plan,

and the envelopes aren't complete yet

but it's almost done.

~~~

saturday i leave for my class 

at Women's Studio Workshop

am i excited?

you bet!

fiber/summer

lovely!

ryukutextile.com

mari yamaguchi newell's work again.

mari included a few goodies in her package

and i am really looking forward to working with these

there were two tiny woven pieces that i bought

and she sent a small old book
for me to spin.
it's wonderful to receive such amazing items

fiber from japan
meets north country
basswood is linden
soon to blossom

must be a dead calf in there

 turkey vultures

there were thunderclouds and lightning flashing around to the north, 
along the big st lawrence river

i've never seen them here before

they seem so intent on being here
avoiding going home while roosting out the storms.

as i prepare for the next things,
my class at women's studio workshop,
i remember this piece made 
by yuko kimura
in last year's morgan class

it was fun to see this over on her website!
oh,
yes, by the way.
 one more day of students.
and a week or so to work after.