Rothko

Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1969, John and Mary Pappajohn, Des Moines, Iowa



So after an amusing interaction with my son, my self and my painting, I decided to show the boy some Rothko paintings. Now I just can't stop staring at it. I get drawn right in.

It makes my mind go off in flight.

More, here

Tiny City

From Sparklerama on etsy. How cute is this? I found it via Melissa Loves on a post about things she would love to give to a child. But I have to say, I would want it for myself.

I have loved miniatures since I was a child. I used to make my own little clay dolls out of plasticene. When I was a teenager, I graduated to Sculpey.

I also love boxes. Little boxes, little assemblages. I love squares and grids, something that I have decided comes from growing up in the city, walking around with streets and apartment buildings. I imagine all those little rooms in those big buildings. All those little lives in that big city.

I imagine walking around a big city, with a little tiny city in my pocket.

Oh yes. That pleases me.

Instant Gratification

Folded Magazine Trees, from this morning's Crafty Crow.

Saw it on my googlereader this morning. Grabbed an old magazine, and a few minutes later, the kids had their own Christmas tree for their playroom. They decorated with appropriate, and sometimes not so appropriate, toys.

I should make a star to go on top.

I really do love making things with paper. Even more so when it's recycled paper from things I have around the house.

Fun With Play Clay

Ho Ho Ho.

This looks like a photo from the 70's but I took it this morning, underexposed, and then played with contrast and brightness and turned it black and white. I kind of like the grainy look. Those are the play-clay snow men we made, and the Christmas tree, too. And behind them is a photo of my Grandmother. She died when I was born. I like the picture, though.

Okay, the kids didn't make the snowmen, I did. Because I didn't know if the solid balls of clay would ever dry, or dry without cracking, or even stick together if they did dry. So these snowmen are hollow. I made a hollow tube around my finger and just pinched and squooshed the tube into snowman shape. The tree is also hollow. I made the cone and then squooshed and stretched it into a kind of seussical shape. We'll see if they dry correctly. Maybe we'll paint them. Or maybe not.

Play Clay Recipe
1 cup Flour
1/2 cup salt
1 TB oil
1 TB cream of tartar
1 Cup water

Stir over medium heat until of good consistency. Add dough and food coloring to zip top sandwich bags. Mash and mix in the bags. Store in bags in refrigerator.


As an added plus, the kids thought it tasted awful, so none of that pesky eating the play clay nonsense. Yay for home made!

No No No No

No. I mean, really, just too stunning for words. Fiona Watson created these beautiful still life books called an Unwritten Book. Via dear ada

Elephants are lovely

Oh how I adore maya*made. And this elephant. and this bucket. Adoration abounds.

There's a giveaway on crafty crow, too. Another site full of joyous projects for small hands, made from the heart.

I really want to focus on doing more of this.

The Hunt for Stuff, the Hunt for Meaning

Estate Sale Camera and Vintage Hat, or Thrifting Adventure with My Mom

I have been taking pictures daily for the last year and a half. It has been quite the adventure.

Usually the pictures are of my children, although sometimes a landscape, cityscape or self portrait will sneak in there. They serves not only to document my early years taking care of my children, but also helped me develop my photography skills, even with my dinky point and shoot... which I love, by the way. I lost it once and upgraded to a later model, which was cheaper, by going refurbished. Sometimes, new is not more sensible, especially since I treat my camera pretty roughly.

Simple Beliefs, by sfgirlbybay


But I was looking through my googlereader subscriptions and came across this entry by sfgirlbybay. I just found her blog and really love it. Sometimes we find what we need when we need it. Like, for instance, a set of lovely diptych photos documenting things in her life/apartment that represented larger concepts in her life.

I think I'd like to do that more. I would enjoy playing with "stuff" more, especially since I spent the last two years purging, and doing with out. I'd like to build up my collections again, and that means it's time to start getting out in the world more and looking for soulful things on all my journeys.

I love the hunt for the wild repurposed item. Or the challenge of searching for just the right dress in a wilderness of dusty salvation army castoffs.

But aside from finding things to love, I also want to pay attention to the things that I have and the value I find in them... whether or not they actually cost a lot of money.

For instance, the hat and camera above? Well, they represent that hunt for vintage soul, sure they do, but the hat also reminds me of the style I used to have and how much I loved coming up with new looks. And the camera? Well, that reminds me to be adventurous with my art. To take photos that maybe aren't so straight forward, but play with a worn look or change the way I am looking at the ordinary. And it was two dollars!

I think this would be a fun exercise. And I think this is a good place for me to document the small and heartful world that I live in.