Hale Māla Ōma'oma'o

Winter Wonderland (in case you weren't convinced)

2009-01-06T15:37:00.003-06:00

Although it was -38 degrees Celsius with the wind chill, Kya was not hindered. In fact, she loves winter!

(chewing and playing with her leash is her way of saying "hey. look at me - aren't I so much fun?")

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-06T14:49:00.007-06:00

It has been a real winter this year. We've had snow since November and it doesn't show signs of leaving any time soon.

I think Winter gets a bad rap.

Sure, it's cold, but it's also so pretty. If you actually stop to look at it - really look at it - it's gorgeous. The subtle colouring and sharp lights and darks. Everything is pared down to the essentials, like a Japanese print.

Kawase Hasui,
Snow at Kamibashi Bridge, Nikko,
1930

Kawase Hasui,
Hall of the golden hue, Hiraizumi,
1957

So, the next time you find yourself groaning about the snow and cold be sure to dress up nice and warm and go out and enjoy it instead.

Kawase Hasui,
Ikegami Honmonji Temple,
1931

Springtime studio progress

2008-04-16T19:49:00.019-06:00

I recently went on a gallery walk, and as it would happen the sum of all the galleries visited had an interesting affect on me. There were various landscape paintings; from the simple and elegant landscapes of Bob Sinclair at the Scott Gallery, to the sweet and chunky landscapes of Catherine McAvity at the Agnes Bugera Gallery, and finally the vibrant and bold water series of David Alexander at the Peter Robertson Gallery.

I took some ideas from what I had seen back with me to the studio. I wanted to try putting down free and brightly coloured shapes borrowed loosely from landscapes in watercolour and see where it went from there. I stretched what I thought was watercolour paper on to board. Once I got the paper wet I realized quickly that it was not watercolour paper at all. It started to pill, so I carefully finished stretching, trying not to use any more water and little handling of the paper. Once it dried it didn't seem so bad so I thought I'd at least use it as a test. I applied broad areas of watercolour, but once again as soon as the water touched the paper the surface started to fall apart. Frustrated I went home. On my return trip to the studio a few days later I discover the dried paper didn't seem as horrible as it had when I left it. Rather than attempt more watercolour I decided to work over top in pastel. Here's a little sampling of what happened-

I was pleased that it was successfully salvaged, especially considering I had thought of the piece only as a test that would most likely be thrown out. I wasn't especially happy with the path. It seemed problematic wedged in the corner and slightly cheesy. I had thought of reworking it but decided I didn't want to get too fussy, so instead I cropped the original image into two separate images.

One here -

And the second here (on the board on the easel)-

I'm still a little unsure of this second one, which is why the cropping paper is at the bottom. I'm still trying to decide....

Encouraged by this start and armed with actual watercolour paper I made my second attempt. I stretched the paper and did a loose and bright watercolour wash. Here's what it looked like -

I came back a day later and worked over top in pastel. I'm quite pleased with the results -

A detail -

Somehow with all this bright loosey goosey drawing has the studio feeling full of spring fever.

PS - click on the above pictures to see them nice and BIG.

Holiday Cheer

2007-12-20T23:11:00.001-06:00

My Christmas elves and I wish you all holiday cheer!

Quick Studio Update

2007-12-20T22:57:00.000-06:00

I've had a visiting studio friend a couple of times this month. It's quite nice to have someone to work with from time to time, and I think I didn't realize how much I miss having my old work mates around.

Some quick snaps -- Grace working away, isn't she cute?

I liked her set-up so much I needed to do a quick sketch. I could see it as a large painting with all those colourful stacked table tops.

Putting Dave Cantine's advice into practice and using the paint chips to tweak a painting.

Studio progress (studio visiting)

2007-10-30T21:19:00.001-06:00

Today was a nice day at the studio. It was spent mostly visiting, drinking coffee, and picking paint colours. I love the current (and I'm sure original from 1953) baby yellow and pink, but it's quite dirty and as one of my studio-mates pointed out --- the pink kind of reminds her of boiled hot dogs. Enough said. So we spent today trying to pick vintage inspired colours that would suit the style of the studio. We were especially inspired by the old metal office table we have in the main space - grey and green. Sturdy and utilitarian but still soft and pleasant. Added bonus- other colours look great with it. So I think we are going to try a dirty greenish grey for the wainscot, with shiny bright white for the trim, and slight off white for the walls. Now when are we going to find the time to do all that painting?

We also went on a quick tour of the architectural clearinghouse. I was looking for an old enamel kitchen sink to replace one of the existing bathroom sinks. Something a bit better for washing brushes and studio goo. We saw a few possibilities, but nothing I needed to take today. We did see these beautiful toilet tops and old radiators. I also got a fantastic black and white metal cart --- with casters! -- for $10! Woo hoo.

There was even a few hours of painting, which didn't feel like it amounted to much but I think actually did. I keep reminding myself to be patient, but starting painting after a break feels like learning all over again. I am impatient for results.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-29T22:39:00.001-06:00

Tonight was the annual Superfriends Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza. We were a smaller crew than in years past, but apparently no less messy.

My favorite is this view from inside the pumpkin......scary.

Happy Halloween.

Updates from the new studio

2007-10-23T21:18:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day I painted in the new studio.

Of course since August I've been cleaning, moving, drywalling, mudding, sanding, and painting ceilings, walls, and trim. It's been a long time coming, and I was even starting to think that I didn't really miss painting. But I did.

I went to the grocery store with my new studio-mate to get inspiration (and even some groceries) and then it was off to work for both of us. It felt a bit awkward at first, but I know it will all come back to me if I just keep at it. So for now it's one bit at a time with little expectation. How could I have forgotten how ugly paintings are at the start?

A letter from Kya to Jodie

2007-09-20T21:44:00.001-06:00

Today was a beautiful fall day. You know those days where it really smells like fall?

We went for a walk down by the river. The leaves are all turning colour and the light is really nice. The sun was bright, but a storm wasn't far off.

The rowing club was practicing, just beginners learning - "ease on starboard, ease".

The rowers made me want to go into the water even more than I already did. I'm sure I could swim out to them, to join them in their awkward glide - which side is port again?

Instead I had to settle for a wander and a climb.

Wish you were here. It doesn't smell the same without you.

Always lots of love,
Kya

Mailing presents

2007-09-17T21:22:00.000-06:00

I wrapped up the wedding gifts I made for my friends tonight. I'm so excited for them to be opened. I think they'll love them, or at least I sure hope they will.

I won't post pictures of the gifts yet, just in case they happen to read this post before the package arrives. That will have to wait until later.....

Last Suppers

2007-09-02T11:24:00.001-06:00

We have just said good-bye to our lovely house guest --- and she was lovely.

Her presence encouraged us to make nice meals and enjoy long conversations at the table.
She provided lovely vegetables and ancient grains, and her mother gave us beautiful squash and flowers from the garden.

We ate well, walked a little, talked a lot, and laughed.

I'm sad her visit passed so quickly and hope she will come again soon.

Good luck with your move Jodie Anne. Enjoy your new city.

Studio Moving

2007-08-13T20:16:00.001-06:00

I'm currently moving to a new studio, and yesterday my old studio mates came by to see.....

and to eat and drink and celebrate the new space with a picnic. There was poppyseed cake, chocolate chip & nut cookies, strawberries, cherries, and fantastic coffee.

Even though I have sad moments thinking about leaving my old studio (I have been there for 10 years!), I know that the new space is full possibility. Here's to new beginnings and old friends to help things along.

Landlive & Stillscapces - the opening

2007-07-16T23:05:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday was the opening reception of Landlives & Stillscapes. The weather outside was 34 degrees, but luckily the gallery was air conditioned. There was a great turn out, much lingering and visiting.

We set up still lives around the gallery to reflect our studio atmosphere.

There were also gifts of beautiful flowers.

Thanks to you all for coming out and contributing to the success of the show.

A thank-you to the Coole girls

2007-07-12T20:45:00.001-06:00

See that cute little chalkboard garden label? Well, it's one of many given to me as a Christmas present from the sweet Coole girls.

Thanks so much. They a a wonderful addition to the garden.

Garden Update

2007-07-11T17:55:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd do a quick post on how the garden's growing. This recent heat and all the rain has caused everything to shoot up and bloom. It looks fantastic!

The tarragon has now reached the six feet mark! What am I supposed to do with all of it? We were actually discussing growing it as a hedge around our fence, as it's a perennial, thick, and tall. To think that heaping mound started with a few seeds in a tidy row only about five years ago.

We've also been harvesting radishes and strawberries for the last couple of weeks. And this week my first snapdragon bloomed. Woo hoo. A bit different from the June post, hey?

Pie Therapy

2007-07-11T12:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was grouchy --- really grouchy.

I was feeling rushed, and tired, and too busy. I was finishing off things that had to get done, but somehow nothing was really working out and something I thought would be a quick job ended up taking several hours. You know when you have days like that?

Well, I finally just stopped. I was tired of myself (imagine how my wonderful helper felt). Instead I took some time to do something that I like to do. I ignored my email, didn't return calls, and stopped thinking about stuff I could put off until today --- and I made pies.

I made a wonderful Empanada Gallega (Galician Pork and Pepper Pie) from a recipe found online. It was dee-lish. I also made a true bumbleberry pie with Saskatoon berries collected earlier while taking the dog for a walk, and supplemented with strawberries and rhubarb from the garden.

Of course we enjoyed the left over pie this morning for breakfast!

Sneak Peek

2007-07-08T19:58:00.000-06:00

Well, today was the day that we installed the Landlives and Stillscapes show. It sort of felt as though we'd never get there, and here we are. It went up pretty quickly and we all agreed that it looked good.

So if any of you are in Edmonton this July please stop by for a visit and tell us what you think.

New things, Old Things

2007-07-08T08:19:00.000-06:00

There have been some interesting arrivals in our house lately.

Firstly, I finally used my Chapters gift card stock pile on a big book order. Check it out -

The John Singer Sargent - the Early Portraits book is one I have coveted for a long time and I am not disappointed. It has quite an interesting write up on each of the portraits, as well as his preparatory drawings and watercolour sketches (which I find very interesting as a way to understand his process).

Also in the mix is Bend-the-Rules Sewing by Amy Karol of crafty blog Angry Chicken. I mostly wanted to get this because I've been reading so much about it online. I ordered it sight unseen, which I rarely do. It's quite a beginner book, but still looks like it has stuff for more experienced sewers too.

Also, a re-release of To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. The re-release sports the original jacket design which is really, really beautiful.

Denyse Schmidt's Quilts book finally lives in my house - yippee! I look at this book every time I go to the book store, but never buy it knowing it's so much cheaper to order online, which somehow I hardly ever get around to doing.

Lastly, Michael Chabon's latest The Yiddish Policeman's Union. I love his novels, especially The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Also I heard a book review on CBC radio that had this new release on it's top 5 summer book list.

A recent trip to the Antique Mall brought home four fantastic Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs. How great is that, especially when they were very under priced at $32 a piece! Gotta love when that happens!

Happy Canada Day

2007-07-01T20:46:00.001-06:00

What a great way to spend the morning.

Visiting in beautiful gardens with perfect coffee, fresh strawberries, and peonies.

Great pancakes, triple cooked sausages, with champagne and orange juice.

Gorgeous weather, a great band, and wonderful friends.

Upcoming Show

2007-06-27T22:37:00.000-06:00

Well, all the work is off to the framer's and the invitations are being printed.

It's been an action packed last couple of months in the studio, but really, it's been wonderful. Maybe it's the pressure of a deadline. Maybe it's knowing that your studio mate will be moving soon and you want to work, and work, and work until she leaves so that when she does you'll somehow have so much left of her in there that you won't miss her as much. That's not likely though and it feels a little bit like the end of an era. A bit melodramatic? I suppose, but I have worked with Jodie-Anne since we were keen little undergrads back in 1993. I have always loved watching how she works, and in turn how it makes me work. I appreciate how she gets what I'm doing, and supports my ideas, and gives great suggestions. I love how we can listen to Joni Mitchel's Blue over and over -- because it's the studio album. I like that sometimes she shows up at the studio and it's like she's taken a giggle pill and she bubbling over with infectious laughter that makes the studio the best place in the world to be.

I'm so glad we are doing this show together Jodie Anne. Thanks for it all.

Progress in the way of Oma Oma O

2007-06-06T15:43:00.000-06:00

As I've been in the studio a lot lately, there hasn't been a super lot of time dedicated to the garden. Somehow it still manages on its own, for which I am extremely grateful.

I having been taking my breakfast and coffee out on the front step and enjoying how calm it makes me feel to literally watch the flowers grow. Yesterday before my very eyes I watched the first of my Siberian iris bloom.

Diebenkorn's Notes to Self

2007-06-03T13:45:00.000-06:00

I was perusing my The Art of Richard Diebenkorn book this morning and came across the following:

Notes to myself on beginning a painting

1. Attempt what is not certain. Certainty may or may not come later. It may then be a valuable delusion.

2. The pretty, initial position which falls short of completeness is not to be valued - except as a stimulus for further moves.

3. Do search. But in order to find other than what is searched for.

4. Use and respond to the initial fresh qualities but consider them absolutely expendable.

5. Don't "discover" a subject - of any kind.

6. Somehow don't be bored - but if you must, use it in action. Use its destructive potential.

7. Mistakes can't be erased but they move you from your present position.

8. Keep thinking about Polyanna.

9. Tolerate chaos.

10. Be careful only in a perverse way.

Sweet teeth and fish heads

2007-06-03T09:57:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I really was craving sweets -- to eat and to paint.

I made three pastry pie like things; an apple pie with sweet and beautiful organic pink lady apples, a mini blueberry pie, and some apricot tarts baked in my new-to-me cast iron pan (from the Jimmy Coole Hurray for Relay garage sale). Then I had a craving for those chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips. You know, the ones with a pound of butter and two cups of sugar!?!

If that weren't enough I decided (or Jodie Anne did actually) that there should be a chocolate cake painting, which of course would need a few pieces missing! So we took some time in our busy studio night to have a tea party with dessert and once we were sufficiently full we set up to work. Is there anything prettier than cakes?

Needless to say, I am now sweeted out.

Yesterday in the studio, as a way to negate the saccharine sweetness of late, I painted a disgustingly pretty frozen fish head. Look at this detail --- yummy yuck.

Jodie Anne is giving it her all too, and even though she seems to have moments where she feels she has nothing, the pictures tell another story.

She also came up with the name for our upcoming exhibit : Landlives and Stillscapes. Perfect.

So Sorry

2007-05-22T21:19:00.000-06:00

I'm so sorry I haven't been posting lately. Things have been a bit crazy the last month or so. I have accepted an invitation to show at the Nina Haggerty Centre, with the only draw back being that it is opening at the beginning of July. Thanks to Jodie Anne to agreeing to show with me.

So the studio is where I've been lately. And also the garden a little bit. And maybe some vacation planning. And possibly some garage sale-ing. And spring cleaning. And pie baking. I will post pictures soon.

Oh, and did I mention my marvelous free Internet finally disappeared? I guess nothing lasts forever.

She's baaaccck!

2007-04-21T10:44:00.000-06:00

Last year, three days after my 33rd birthday I adopted a three-legged dog. Three weeks later she surprised us all by giving birth to three boys and three girls.

Having never had a dog before I was launched into the thick of full dogdom and my life has never been the same since.

There was a puppy that I particularly loved, I mean I loved them all - they were so cute, but there was one that was really special. Leesa.

There was talk of adopting her, but in the end a tired and sick mother dog was our priority and Leesa went off to her new home. Over this past year I have wondered how she is doing, what she looks like, how big she is. Well.....

She's back.

Her previous owners very sadly and reluctantly surrendered her back to SCARS due to the development of allergies in both of their children. Now she is here visiting with her mom for awhile. And it's so nice to have her-- even though spring is a terrible time to have a dog, not to mention two huge and wild beasts (which they seem to become in each others presence!). She is still a puppy but her size is monstrous, which of course she is completely unaware. She constantly wants to climb on your lap for a cuddle as if she were 6 pounds instead of 65!

Thanks for coming back for a visit sweet little one.

Wedding Update (with pictures)

2007-04-20T12:14:00.000-06:00

Cindy found Hale Mala OmaOmO and emailed me about the wedding post.

She says they loved their purses and that she's claimed the bamboo handled one!

She also sent me this totally cute picture of her and Megan. Sweet!

Thanks Cindy.

Wedding(s) Update

2007-04-18T09:48:00.000-06:00

I never did let you all know how the wedding in Saskatoon was. Maybe that's because I thought it would be better to post about the wedding I went to last weekend as well.

The wedding in Saskatoon was great. It was over the top, just the way it should have been. The ceremony even had a slight feeling of the carnival- what with the (real)bunny, (human)pony, and (human)kitty! The reception continued the fun and madness with a pinata, karaoke, the cutting of the many beautifully decorated cakes, and finally dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

The brides made their own beautiful flower bouquets. Cindy's even had a secret zipper where she stashed tissues used during the ceremony! What a great idea. They had the most fantastic cakes - all made by friends - that were so wonderfully decorated that I took about 20 pictures of them! They tasted delicious too!

This past weekend was the wedding of some close and dear friends of mine. More traditional- the bride wore white, the groom looked handsome, there were champagne toasts, and (of course) dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

The weather co-operated, the sun was shining, and we all had a great time. Now the lovely couple and most of their guests are cruising the Mediterranean.

Maybe there is something in the air? Possibly Wedding Fever?

(Con)temporary Spaces

2007-04-14T08:43:00.000-06:00

Left: Ryan McCourt's flat artworks Right: Allen Ball's painting on far wall and on the side wall, Mitch Smith's

Last night was the first opening in the Alberta Gallery of Art's temporary space. Most exciting in this new space was the Flat show: an exhibition of nine Edmonton artists, and Unflat: David Cantine.

David Cantine's Unflat

The Flat show runs until May 27th, and the Unflat show runs until June 10th.

The gallery's new location is Enterprise Square, 100-10230 Jasper Ave. (Entrance on 102 street)

Wedding presents and WIP's

2007-04-02T22:06:00.000-06:00

Jodie Anne and I are travelling to Saskatoon this Easter long weekend to attend the wedding of an old BFA school-mate from our university days. I am excited to go away (!) to a wedding(!!) of a great old friend (!!!). The bridal couple, both being artists, requested hand-made gifts for wedding presents. So we decided to make coordinating hers and hers handbags. Here's how they're looking so far.

I've also been sewing a couple of things for spring. Inspired by NotaMermaid's recent post on Sew Retro, I am attempting a dirndl skirt in green plaid seersucker. I'm not sure yet how this is going to work out. Maybe it's the plaid or maybe it's the seersucker, but it somehow seems apron-y. I think I'll have to wait until it's finished to really decide. I've also started this vintage inspired Vogue jacket in grass green linen. The fabric is really beautiful and almost negates all the surprise snow we got today.

My work in the studio went really well on Saturday too, so I'll try to post pictures of my progress in there as well.

Finally Finished

2007-03-25T17:18:00.000-06:00

I finally finished the dress today. Overall I'm pretty happy with it.

Now on to the next project...

Almost finished

2007-03-19T19:37:00.000-06:00

Remember this pattern I picked a few weeks ago? Well, I've been working away on it and it's almost done. Although I have a whole collection of vintage patterns, this is the first one that I've completed (I've only the hem left to finish). It came together really quickly as there are only six pieces to the pattern, including the belt.

The hardest part was the inset collar. It just wasn't matching up to the dress and I ended up taking in the top arm seam so it would all fit properly. I also added to the difficulty of the collar with the addition of vintage mint green piping I bought at the Goodwill. It took quite a while to pin it all, but I'm really happy with the results. In fact I liked the piping so much that I added it at the cuffs as well. As I was worried that maybe you would see down the sleeve, I decided to finish it off nicely by encasing the piping edge with emerald green bias tape. The result is really crisp and pretty. It made me think of my mom's sewing advice - the inside should look as nice as the outside. Here's a detail (in which you can also see the elbow darts on the back of the sleeve) -

The floral fabric it quite heavy so when the dress is on it's not nearly as full as the dress on the pattern envelope. I was thinking of trying the dress in a crisper fabric to see if it would be fuller, but maybe they wore crinolines in 1954? I'll be sure to post pictures of the finished dress on.

My sweet mother sent in a parcel with my dad to work for me the other day. Look what was inside -

The Sewing Manual for Home Decorators (dated 1943 - cost 15 cents) was my grandmother's. It has fantastic illustrations of inexpensive ways to brighten up a drab and dull interiors. All of the illustrations are black and white, but the text goes into great detail about the colours. It's really quite cute. There were also some little craft and knitting booklets dating from 1947. Finally there was the Miriam Toews novel - Summer of My Amazing Luck. My mom had previously lent me A Complicated Kindness, which I loved, loved, loved. I am looking forward to getting started.

Thanks Mom.

Jodie Anne in all her glory

2007-03-17T23:21:00.000-06:00

Just because Jodie was missed in the last post, and only because she gave me permission (sort of, I think) I'll share here one of my favorite photos of Jodie.

Look at how happy, and bubbly, and just plain gorgeous she is. This picture was taken at a Halloween party I had years and years ago. I remember watching her park her station wagon and then go around to the passenger side of the car and do some fiddling around and entering the party as the most amazing housewife with that spectacular paper-mache beehive! (It was the beehive she was fiddling around with - it wouldn't fit on her head inside of the car!)

Somehow to me this is the perfect example of Jodie and her creative greatness.

Recent Studio Pics

2007-03-14T21:43:00.000-06:00

These pictures were taken in the studio a couple of weekends ago. It was a warm, sunny day and we all were in a painting mood. The warmth was nice for a change, as it can get pretty chilly in our studio. For instance, the pilot light went out in the furnace again (and I seem none to bright at getting it re-lit - thanks to my brother-in-law for his pilot lighting abilities) so tonight we were working with our down jackets on and drinking lots of hot tea. My feet are still cold. But back to the sunny day that these pictures were taken --nice light, warmth, great companionship with enlightening feedback and criticism.

This is the painting I started and I am excited to see where it goes. I think the patterned cloth will be really nice if I can manage to pull it off in a John Singer Sargent kind of way.

And look how adorable Grace is in her little elf hat - so adorable. Who wouldn't want to work in this studio?

You can sort of see Jodie on the right hand side. She didn't really want her picture taken, and the one that was taken she didn't want shown. But she was there too, and it wouldn't be the same with out her.

And who could forget our loyal mascot, Kya.

Thanks to all of my treasured studio-mates for so many great studio sessions.

My Sunday

2007-03-04T22:17:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning and wanted to accomplish something. Do you ever have days like these? Ones where you are wired from the moment you wake up.

I started by making buttermilk pancakes. They were only so-so and not really very good or satisfying. Then the dog got a bath. Now she smells like coconut and is all fluffy and white. I got soaked, the floor got washed (a fortunate byproduct of dog bathing), and every towel needed to be washed and dried. That still was not quite what I was looking for so I entered the sewing room.

This past Tuesday I started working on the Butterick 1954 dress pattern from the last post. The fabric is cut and pinned to the dress form, but I wanted something quicker. So I looked through my fabric and my patterns and decided to cut out a simple A-line skirt in a really pretty and super soft aqua corduroy that my mom gave me a few years ago. There was only a meter and I wasn't sure that the pieces would all fit, but lucky for me they did. I sewed away; putting in an invisible zipper, opting to replace the waist band with ribbon, and even using my blind hem presser foot (for the first time!) to figure out a blind hem. I'm not super happy with the hem, but as a first shot at a blind hem I think it's fine. It may get redone at a later date but it is definately wearable. All in all the skirt was easy and quick (I even managed to do all my laundry at the same time). I was impressed that the skirt was finished and worn out for a walk with Miss Kya at 3:30. Not bad, not bad at all.

Oh, what luck

2007-02-20T16:18:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Family Day. A day off work and therefore a day to hit the antique malls. And what a day it was.

I found some great vintage patterns -- with all of their pieces and in my size! The smock pattern (I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of my Grandma wearing one of these when she first got married) and the blouse pattern are both from 1948. The blouse pattern is even unmarked, which scares me a bit. I, until now, had only heard of unmarked patterns. How are you supposed to know what to do with them, let alone which one is which?!? The 1950's Butterick dress is so great, and I've already picked out the fabric for it. I have had some floral fabric in aquas and reds kicking around for a while, so I think I'll use it for this with a crisp white linen for the inset collar. It seems like a pretty simple pattern -- with kimono sleeves! How fun!

I also got this- the Better Homes and Gardens Sewing Book. I started reading last night and it is actually really good. It has valuable sections, like the one shown, Making the basic muslin. Now making a muslin has been something I have been thinking about doing for a while, I just wasn't sure I'd know how to adjust it properly, but this section of the Sewing Book is quite extensive so maybe I'll jump right in. I've noticed a lot of the vintage patterns I have don't quite have as detailed instructions as current patterns, so this book should be helpful. I guess everyone sewed back then so they knew what they were doing! I found some nice buttons too. Black iridescent plastic ones in two sizes and some really pretty sky blue plastic ones that have a nice way of sparkling in the light. Also purchased was a complete set of floral iron transfers. These are hard things to find, and I have been looking specifically for florals for a while. I have an idea in my head for an embroidered tea cozy.

I also found these two little cookbooks; one a Magic Baking Powder issue and the other a Monarch Flour. I loved Monarch's clever slogan of "Happy Bakeday to You!" and it contains recipes like Graham Molasses Nut Bread and Sour Milk Gingerbread. Yum. I had to get this specific Magic Baking Powder cookbook (there were a couple), because of the penciled note on the front- Mrs. Hasp, June 1935, Camrose - Be careful of it (the cook book I presume) as there are some of my favorite recipes in it. I wonder if it was returned to her.

And last but not least, the mugs. First found was the pretty milk glass mug with aqua polka-dots. Perfect. Then..... the Medalta bull mug. Now, all I can say is wow. I have another bull mug that I got at the Goodwill years and years ago with a brown band across the top and a different bull and it has long been a favorite. So to find a partner for it is really quite exciting! Coffee anyone?

Since I've been home....

2007-02-18T22:18:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been such a long time since I last posted. I've been enjoying being at home. There's the novelty of snow and the pretty kind of light it reflects. It's so crisp and bright and makes colours so beautiful.

Miss Kya is also happy to be home. I noticed rapid movement out in the yard the other day and when I went to the window to investigate she was playing catch with herself. She was throwing the ball across the yard and then making dramatic dives through the snow to recover the ball. It was very entertaining, although she seemed embarrassed when she noticed me watching her. Yesterday she visited with one of her pups, Arlo. Now that Arlo is bigger than her, she's having a harder time showing (or maintaining for that matter) her dominance!

I've been painting. Not in the studio yet, but in the house. I was lucky to find some lovely mistints at the hardware store the other day and couldn't resist the yummy chocolate and rich putty for the front entry.

I've also been making some curtains for the upstairs bathroom. I was really wanting to be sewing while I was away, so as soon as I got home I got to work. I've had this fabric, which I bought a few years ago, slated for this project forever so I'm glad to be hurrying them along. The feel of this fabric is really nice; nubbley and heavy. I'm really happy with the way they are turning out.

This first week back at work was tiring as I was starting work when my body thought it was still 5 in the morning holiday time! So this weekend I have been enjoying long and leisurely breakfasts. I love breakfast when I have the time to enjoy it. This morning there was fruit salad and toast with lemon curd - yum.

After Vermeer, Too - (and so on, and so on)

2007-02-02T14:01:00.000-06:00

Devorah Sperber, After Vermeer 1, 2003-2004
4,669 spools of thread, clear vinyl tubing, aluminum hanging apparatus, 4” clear acrylic sphere, steel stand
90 3/8” h x 96 1/4” w

I was looking around on some crafty blogs yesterday and came across a link to the artist Devorah Sperber and her "Thread Spool Works". They are works made up of thousands of spools of thread (partial funding by Coats & Clark), each spool acting as a pixel, that only when view from afar do the spools 'disappear' and join to transform into a whole image. The spool image assembled upside down, with a looking glass placed in front that flips the image to show it right side up. She recreates numerous works by many artists - from Picasso and Rembrandt, to Chuck Close and Jackson Pollock - but in the end it starts to seem a bit gimmicky. I would like to see her work with her own images. She obviously has a good eye, and is more than capable of a good idea, which I think would be better if they were her own.

Maybe I am interested in Sperber's work because I too have a painting entitled After Vermeer (as seen above). Since January 2006 I have set a project for myself where every (or almost every) painting/drawing has a two dimensional, usually upside-down, reproduction of a work by a famous artist. I also try to pick a specific painting to use as inspiration for the work; quoting colour, composition, or mark making. They don't have to be the same artist for both inspiration and inclusion, but sometimes they are.

For example, I used the Degas painting Portrait of Diego Martinelli, 1879 (left) as an inspirational image. I like the haphazardness of the items on the table, and appreciate that this feeling is accomplished with very little information or detail, just loosey-goosey mark-making. As always, I love Degas' off kilter composition, too. Then, as the image included in my painting I used Singer in Green, 1884-5 (right).

Here's how I've interpreted and incorporated them. This picture was taken when the paint was still a bit wet, hence the shine. As I'm miles away from it at the moment (so I can't post a better picture) we'll have to make do with this one.

In turn, the envelope and postcard from my still-life inspired Jodie Anne to make the following collage.

Hence the so on, and so on in the title -- one thing inspires another, and in turn another and so on and so on...

Painting Progress and Book Reviews

2007-01-31T13:22:00.000-06:00

I worked a little bit more on the bowl of fruit painting last night. Maybe it doesn't seem like much progress, but I'm trying to be patient and let the layers dry before applying the next. Watercolour is new to me and I get excited by the colour and keep adding more and before you know it, it has turned into mud.

Then I stopped and finished reading this-
I have to say that I really did not like it. Now I am not normally the kind of person who will just dismiss a book. I can almost always find some aspect that I find intriguing or worthy. I think that in the case of The Time In Between I just didn't like or believe the characters, except for maybe the dad. They seemed self-indulgent and foolish, making decisions that seemed dangerous without regard for themselves or one another. Has anyone else read this? What did you think? I am surprised that this was a Giller Prize winner. I usually like Giller Prize winners. For example I really liked Clara Callan, Mercy Among the Children, and A Fine Balance; as well as finalists such as A Complicated Kindness, A Recipe for Bees, and The Island Walkers.

Now I can move on to this-
Light on Life- The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom by B.K.S. Iyengar.
I read the Introduction:Freedom Awaits the other day and it was as though Mr. Iyengar was speaking with me; his words were so personable, simple, and true. I think that I am really going to enjoy this and that it will inspire a more dedicated practice. I will keep you posted.

Life is just a bowl of....mangos?

2007-01-30T18:52:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning with the regrets of excess. This trip has been wonderful, don't get me wrong, but there is only so much luxury one can handle before they start feeling, well, like a lump on a log.

So today I vowed to attempt a bit of studioing. Although it is only the very beginnings of a painting, I at least feel I'm more in the looking mind frame. Enough so that I can justify a jump in the pool!

Red, red, everywhere

2007-01-27T15:27:00.000-06:00

Nothing is really quite so great in the lush green of the tropics than the colour red. The perfect compliment, it's no wonder that many of the flowers here are red. I love seeing poinsettias in their full glory-- not just temporary Christmas decorations slated for a quick and spindly death in wintery Edmonton-- but real shrubbery filling yards. Look at this house I snapped this picture of the other day -- gorgeous. These people obviously love red. Even their house is red!

Signs, signs (for jodie anne)

2007-01-27T10:20:00.000-06:00

So I have a bit of a signage thing, a whole collection in fact. I don't really know when it started, but I am fascinated by signs--especially hand painted signs. Maybe this fascination is growing because now in a wonderful world of computer graphics anybody can have a "perfect" sign. Now what fun is that?

Jodie Anne's dad is a sign painter, which I have always thought would be a great job. Although I think I would only like to hand paint signs. It really is a fading art. And if I'm being honest, the novelty would probably fade pretty quickly after a few figure skating club banners.

I really liked this unsubtle stairway plea to come and spend your money. Maybe they thought if they hid their message within pretty tiles and nice words like beautiful and good friends, that their request to buy would be less noticeable?

Well, there is a little sampling so far. Now I have to put on some sunscreen and get to the pool -- so I can work in my sketck book as promised. It is studio day after all.

Going to the Chapel(s)

2007-01-26T23:55:00.000-06:00

Visited a street in Waimea today that had several places of worship. This photo is from this street. Isn't the custardy yellow church pretty with the aqua sky? Such a strange composition, but I like it.

And then there was this one-

Man, do they know how to do colour here!

Incredibly unfair

2007-01-25T12:58:00.000-06:00

Ms. Lauryn Hill will be performing the evening that I will be boarding a plane to leave paradise. How sad. When I first saw the gig posters I was ecstatic....then I saw the date, tried to justify extending my stay by a day or the possibility of watching her perform and then miraculously getting to the airport on time. But the Voice of Reason kindly but firmly said it just wasn't going to happen this time. Ah, shucks.

Dirve with Caution

2007-01-24T12:47:00.000-06:00

I promise to dirve with caution-- only because that African Tulip tree matches so well.

Ao hemolele (perfect day)

2007-01-23T21:30:00.000-06:00

So today was the much anticipated trip to Hawi (anticipated anyway for Christine and I).
Hawi, in and of itself, is beautiful and sweet with it's colourful store fronts and overall quaintness-- but it is also home to the most beautiful little store, Persimmon. We discovered it on our travels last year and have been anxious to return. So anxious that we were waiting outside for the store to open. The poor shop woman didn't even have a moment to quietly start her day before we broke down the door! She was very friendly and helpful, commenting on our accents and mentioning the unseasonably cool weather (as I wiped the sweat from my brow!-cute.).

Then we popped over to Pololu Valley Lookout. Such big landscape and such a perfect place for a portrait -- how grand!

We're too blessed

2007-01-22T19:50:00.000-06:00

So we are here, blissfully overcoming jet-lag.

It's warm and the air is soft and everyone is relaxed and filled with the spirit of aloha.
The colours are amazing,
shown true by both flora and fauna.
It makes me dream of moving here and building a little house and a little studio so I could paint and watch the sea and grow a beautiful garden. Wouldn't that be so lovely?
We saw this sign on a little reconnoiter today -- it makes me happy to know that they know that it is perfect here too.

Only a few more days.....

2007-01-15T20:10:00.000-06:00

This upcoming Saturday morning I will be heading off to the big island of Hawaii for a three week visit. Lucky me. My job has been hectic and ridiculous lately and I am quite tempted not to come back at all, especially after the day I just had.

Okay, I would miss walking Kya in the snow. She just thinks the snow is the greatest, which is great 'cause so do I. She reminds me that it can be fun -- not just cold. Also snow related--Joelley asked me to take her out for a little cross country ski lesson yesterday. We had so much fun. She was such a good sport and quick learner (which can be quite a challenge the first time out). She commented at one point while we were out in the middle of a field with long blue shadows and pines perfectly covered with snow, that she half expected bunnies to come hopping across our path because it was just so picture perfect -- like a Christmas card. Lovely.

I would also miss my studio-mates -- which really I already do. We haven't quite gotten back into the swing of things out there, what with the holidays and all. We worked this past Saturday but I was distracted and had to leave early for an eye appointment. Sorry girls. Luckily they are understanding. They will also be working in the studio while I'm away and they'll email me their progress, and I'll email them mine. We did this last year when I was away and it was really great -- it almost felt like I was there in that I was inspired by their work and wanted to work too. Digital cameras and email -- how did we ever live without them?

It will be wonderful to wake up and do sun salutation in the beautifully warm climate, and then drink a nice Kona coffee. Perhaps that will be followed with some reading and relaxing? Maybe some snorkeling or swimming? Watercolours poolside? How about exploring a volcano? So very much to do I'm sure I'll be busy -- in a good way. One thing that is for sure - Hale Mala will be Oma'Oma'O, relaxed, and loving it for the next three weeks. I'll be sure to post our adventures.

Aloha and Mahalo.

Garden of Love

2007-01-08T21:34:00.000-06:00

Over at Studiosavant (I'm sorry I cannot for the life of me get the link to work - click on the Studiosavant link on the side bar, the name of the post is Flat Pack) today mc posted an edited version of his Flat submission to the AGA.

My particular favourite, and one not seen on the studiosavant post, is Jardin D'Amour. I love the squished trigger on the upper right hand side. There is something so simple and comical in its exclamation. These objects are so successful in showing the unexpected delight to be found in the discarded. I just love that.

I am hoping that Jardin will find a home at Hale Mala Oma'Oma'O. It does seem obvious, doesn't it? What with all the amour between the two of us it would be like sealing it all with a kiss.

The Sweetest Pea

2007-01-07T23:09:00.000-06:00

Kya is my wonderfully sweet pupsy-lou. And did I mention she is a great studio dog? Well, she really is. It may have a little bit to do with the fact that she is sort of obsessed with my studio-mate, Jodie. Maybe it's because it's cooler than the house. Could it possibly be that she likes my loud off key singing that is common-place in there? I guess I'll never really know, but I do know that she makes it nice to be in there. She also provides a valid reason for needed mental breaks. Often these breaks (also known as long walks) give me time to think over what I've been working on, removing myself far enough to make decisions. In turn, these walks also have the added bonus of offering inspiring sights of the river valley.

Thanks Ky.

Dreaming of colours to come

2007-01-03T22:32:00.000-06:00

I was talking to my mother this afternoon. We were discussing how January is the start of garden dreaming -- planning what to plant and new things to try. There is something satisfying in the smell of dirt and the planting of minuscule seeds that turn into beauties like the Zinnias in this photo (grown in the garden last summer). Zinnias are my favorite with their inspiring colour. Last year I planted about 5 or 6 different varieties. Giants, cactus, pom poms, and a dreamland lime green variety. It's so fun to head off to Apache Seeds to see what new varieties they have this year and to talk to the other gardeners about what they've tried and what are their favourites. Any suggestions?

Welcome to the House of the Green Garden

2007-01-01T19:57:00.000-06:00

So, it's 2007: the start of a new year and of this blog.

The intent of this blog for me is to document the things in my life that I find beautiful and inspiring. My work in the studio is very much reliant on seeing everyday items and scenes, and having them whisper to me of their importance, their form, their colour. For example, this picture of my breakfast table -- it is just begging to be put on paper. I know I won't be able to resist the remembered smell of fresh baked ginger scones with ginger marmalade (thanks again Santa), or of fresh coffee with home-made Irish Cream, or the bright light from the sun reflecting off the snow outside. Numerous moments throughout the day, such as this table, remind me that I'm alive and that life is beautiful and that I just need to take the time to see it.

A Happy New Year to you all. Here's to a year full of health and happiness, comfort and joy, colours that sing, views that inspire, and friendships that strengthen.