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I managed to lock into printmaking well yesterday, which felt really good. I'm not quite to the point of having a proof yet, but I made good progress. So I took a late afternoon walk to the forest and saw this dogwood on the way with the moon rising over it. Dogwoods are one of my favorite things about spring in Memphis.
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As I approached my fiftieth birthday, a lovely minister friend of mine reminded me that Biblically every 50 years, fields lie fallow, debts are forgiven, and there are parties all year. I loved that. I had already set a goal for myself at age 49 to get my family house in the shape I would like to live with for the next 25 years of my living here, and not wait till I was ready to move out to do nice things. It was helpful to have time to think ahead, and I did do a good amount of cleaning up, repainting, fixing things, and buying a few new things (stained glass lamps, a comfy loveseat, etc.). I had planned to have the house ready for a Jubilee on my birthday, a party with music and dancing and all my favorite people. But the world had other plans.
My birthday was right as the ground shifted underneath everyone (except for Washington State, who had already gotten the preview). So no party. But I could not have done better work to make my home, if not magazine ready, a place I am very happy to be in. I think of myself as someone who does appreciate the small beauties of daily life. My show last year was Daily Pleasures, a still life show of tea things and farmers market bounty. But I also know that I have a tendency to be rushing out of town on a regular and frequent basis. It seems that this year I am getting a master class in the Jubilee of daily life.
Instead of the dance weekends, adventures, and new places I had planned, I am walking every day in the forest. I am home to see the bulbs give way to the wildflowers and the wildflowers give way to the blooming trees. I am sitting nightly with my dog. I am chatting with neighbors (from a good distance away), tracking the sunbeams' journey through my house, reveling in my newly blue-green bedroom, knitting, reading books, and drinking tea. I know there will be hard times to come, but there is great beauty to be found in the every day. So instead of thinking of my jubilee as being postponed, I am thinking of it as unexpected but still beautiful.
My birthday was right as the ground shifted underneath everyone (except for Washington State, who had already gotten the preview). So no party. But I could not have done better work to make my home, if not magazine ready, a place I am very happy to be in. I think of myself as someone who does appreciate the small beauties of daily life. My show last year was Daily Pleasures, a still life show of tea things and farmers market bounty. But I also know that I have a tendency to be rushing out of town on a regular and frequent basis. It seems that this year I am getting a master class in the Jubilee of daily life.
Instead of the dance weekends, adventures, and new places I had planned, I am walking every day in the forest. I am home to see the bulbs give way to the wildflowers and the wildflowers give way to the blooming trees. I am sitting nightly with my dog. I am chatting with neighbors (from a good distance away), tracking the sunbeams' journey through my house, reveling in my newly blue-green bedroom, knitting, reading books, and drinking tea. I know there will be hard times to come, but there is great beauty to be found in the every day. So instead of thinking of my jubilee as being postponed, I am thinking of it as unexpected but still beautiful.
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I've been able to do more of my regular, intricate work the last few days (see the last blog post for the print currently underway). That's felt good, and it's also had me sitting at my work table more. This is my view when I'm working. I've got small treasures gathered from around in the window sill and (outside the frame) hung around the window. Jars of various glues and pastes perch below the table level on the window sill behind. I've made a mobile of the bits and pieces I pick up, based on a wreath of ivy I pulled out of the Old Forest (sometimes I take advantage of wet soil to do a little invasives pulling on my walk) and a graceful stick (at top) from the forest I walk in in Washington. It's nice to anchor everything else from those two places. Feathers, a robin's eggshell, a heart shaped rock, a piece of bark with a heart shaped hole, and those maple (sweet gum?) flying pinwheels that I love. Plus two handmade beads from a friend, years ago.
The tea set is by my friend Melissa Bridgman, and I've got art and cards from friends, plus a statue based on the Cross of Moone from my sister - the same cross that inspired the quilt I'm working on. It's a happy space.
The tea set is by my friend Melissa Bridgman, and I've got art and cards from friends, plus a statue based on the Cross of Moone from my sister - the same cross that inspired the quilt I'm working on. It's a happy space.
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It's amazing how weather dependent my mood is these days. That's always a little true, but so much more so now. Yesterday was cloudy and cold, and it was a hard day for me. Today the sun came out, and a long walk really cheered me up.
Yesterday's tall vertical was tricky on the full Quarantine Journal page, and it occurred to me that a second vertical to pair it with would be great if the right thing presented itself. Then Mr. Darcy lay down in his favorite sunbeam. Bingo.
I've also been enjoying that stained glass panel on my landing. I did a bunch of work on the house just before all this hit. A brilliant stroke of timing that is highly unusual for me, but very welcome this time. I've discovered that stained glass makes me happy. I'm deeply grateful to have a safe and also more-welcoming-than-it-used-to-be (if never, ever magazine photo shoot ready) home.
Yesterday's tall vertical was tricky on the full Quarantine Journal page, and it occurred to me that a second vertical to pair it with would be great if the right thing presented itself. Then Mr. Darcy lay down in his favorite sunbeam. Bingo.
I've also been enjoying that stained glass panel on my landing. I did a bunch of work on the house just before all this hit. A brilliant stroke of timing that is highly unusual for me, but very welcome this time. I've discovered that stained glass makes me happy. I'm deeply grateful to have a safe and also more-welcoming-than-it-used-to-be (if never, ever magazine photo shoot ready) home.
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I've really locked back into my main print work in a satisfying way this weekend, and I've also spent some nice time outside, since it's been flat out gorgeous. But it was also good to get back to the QJ after taking yesterday off from it. I have a friend who uses the hashtag #dailyish, which I love. It has an intention of frequency, but with enough grace and flexibility built in for a little breathing space without guilt. That's what I aspire to for any project.
Below is the new print I'm working on for my WAMA show in 2022. It's a gorgeous place called Barnaby Slough (it could maybe use a slightly more poetic name) outside of Concrete, WA. I find that when I work on prints from places I love, I end up mentally still in that space while I'm working. So it's nice to take a mental trip at the moment while we're all sticking so close to home.
Below is the new print I'm working on for my WAMA show in 2022. It's a gorgeous place called Barnaby Slough (it could maybe use a slightly more poetic name) outside of Concrete, WA. I find that when I work on prints from places I love, I end up mentally still in that space while I'm working. So it's nice to take a mental trip at the moment while we're all sticking so close to home.
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I was more organized last night and had my journal and watercolors on the coffee table before settling in with the baseball game. (KMOX had the inspired idea to replay the last seven weeks of the Cardinals 2011 season, game by game, night by night. I'm grateful for the familiar company and Mike Shannon's infectious laughter.) Mr. Darcy was so cute I couldn't resist, so here's the updated Day 7.
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The weather was flat out perfect today. I'm trying to lock back in on my show, but with more rain coming, I decided to head to the forest first. I found a safe spot well off the path to sketch, away from both other people passing by and the now sprouting poison ivy. It was delightful to sit on a fallen log and draw wildflowers.
Then I took my bike out to enjoy the day further. My favorite bookstore, Burke's, in business for a whopping 142 years here in Memphis, has their building closed to the public but will do delivery, mail orders, or curbside pickup. So I picked up on my bike and did a lovely large loop through the neighborhood before starting carving on my new print block for the second half of the afternoon. A lovely day overall. I also took a little video of Mr. Darcy and the gorgeous wildflowers in the forest. Just for fun, and for anyone who isn't able right now to ge out and walk.
Then I took my bike out to enjoy the day further. My favorite bookstore, Burke's, in business for a whopping 142 years here in Memphis, has their building closed to the public but will do delivery, mail orders, or curbside pickup. So I picked up on my bike and did a lovely large loop through the neighborhood before starting carving on my new print block for the second half of the afternoon. A lovely day overall. I also took a little video of Mr. Darcy and the gorgeous wildflowers in the forest. Just for fun, and for anyone who isn't able right now to ge out and walk.
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I was late doing a journal entry last night because I'd dived back into a new print, and that felt great. I had two really happy days in a row and then made the mistake of reading the NYT over dinner which brought down a bit. So I got out the sketchbook and sat by the fire, and all of that was good. I'm grateful for this cheerful project, and I'm grateful for my cosy space. That stained glass lamp is one I found last year at a local antique mall, and I had a sudden realization of how happy stained glass makes me. I've been buying lamps and one panel for my landing window ever since. I'm looking forward to getting out again someday and seeing if I can find any more pieces of stained glass happiness. It's a fun treasure hunt.
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I'm finally beginning to feel more locked back into work this week, and since it's the calling of my life, that feels great. I'm enjoying the sketch journal (here was yesterday's entry), but I'm also really grateful to be starting a new big block (12x24") for the WAMA show. I'm still leaving the murmuration one to the side for a bit. Sometimes a little time away focuses me on what needs to happen next. So I'm starting this vertical piece of Barnaby Slough, near Concrete, WA. It's nice to revisit lovely places in my mind and work. Doing a print lets you sit in that space mentally, so it's fun to do something a little different than my daily place at the moment. A mental vacation while I work.
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I had an honestly, really good day yesterday. I just finished the other half of that avocado, and I'll miss them for a while, but lots of happy things are happening. I'm feeling more locked in for my work. I got to take part in a Zoom Bible study class with my favorite teacher who had moved away years ago. Purely due to everyone being trapped at home, he's teaching a class online that I can access now. AND baseball! Sort of. KMOX in St. Louis (I'm a total Cardinals fan) had the brilliant idea of replaying the last 7 weeks of the 2011 season, day by day, game by game. An occasional highlight rerun is one thing, but having the announcers for company each evening is going to make my world a lot more familiar and comforting. Plus Mike Shannon has the most infectious laugh I know. I'm so grateful for them doing that. I'm also grateful to be cosied up in my quiet house with work I love, enough food, and a snuggly dog. I'm ridiculously lucky.
