baaaaaaaaaa

i can't even begin to tell you how much i love these! they are sheep made from recycled telephones and handset cords by artist jean luc cornec. they were on display at the museum fur kommunikation, in germany.

i can't help but wonder what my guys would think if i put one in my pasture.
hmmmmmmmmmm...............

what the...............

this guy says it best..................

coffee fairy

tina wright had an article called "fairies in glass houses" in the summer 2008 somerset studio gallery. i was smitten! here is my first attempt...my coffee fairy.

i know, the photography leaves a lot to be desired but when you have a day job you've gotta work with the evening light .....sorry!

go to tina's blog and check out more of her artwork.

re jin lee

want! want! want! i just love these cups done by artist re jin lee. love the simplicity and nature theme.
check out her etsy shop here. my birthday's coming up...and christmas...and give jody a re jin lee cup day...

meet mr. stumpyman

i'd like to introduce you to mr. stumpyman. i made him to be keeper of the flower/weed bed in front of my house. he likes to get decked out in holiday finery. this is a picture of him this past july 4th. he was pretty taken with himself and insisted we address him as "uncle stumpyman". mr. stumpyman was a little upset when i relieved him of his holiday vestment so i had to scout up a new do. meet drag queen stumpyman.....
he cuts a dashing figure...don't ya think?

johan hagaman is another mixed media artist featured in the july/august 2008 issue of cloth.paper.scissors magazine. she uses concrete, wire, and found objects in her sculptures. this one is called "home and sanctity". here's another, titled "maybe sparrows".
in her artist statement johan says, "poetry informs and defines what i do, especially emily dickinson and naomi nye, both of whom make us look so closely at the little things in our lives that we see our reflection".

view her gallery here.

happy happy

today is my favorite niece's birthday. ok...she's my only niece...not counting the furry ones, but she's still my favorite...don't tell the cats! happy birthday to the bender of young minds!

a good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. - unk

dust if you must

dust if you must...

but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter,
bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed,
ponder the difference between want and need!
dust if you must... but there's not much time.....

with wine to drink, rivers to swim, and mountains to climb,
music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish
and life to lead.

dust...if you must...

but the world's out there with sun in your eyes,
the wind in your hair,
a flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
this day will not come around again.

dust if you must,
but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind.

and when you go....and go you must...you, yourself, will make
more dust!

it's not what you gather but what you scatter that tells what kind of
life you have lived. - unk

the mint museum

helen williams drutt's collection of contemporary studio jewelry will be displayed at the mint museum of craft & design, in charlotte, nc, from august 16, 2008 until january 4, 2009. her collection includes over 720 pieces made by more than 175 artists between 1963 and 2001. it includes necklaces, brooches, earrings, and rings. i am so there!

this is a featured necklace by laurie j. hall, entitled no. 2 please, made of bronze, #2 pencils, colorcore, and bass wood. bernhard schobinger is another featured artist. his necklace, entitled scherben vom moritzplatz berlin, is made of antique crystal beads and shards from coca-cola bottles.
the art of affluence: haute couture and luxury fashions 1947-2007 exhibit is currently open featuring garments and accessories from designers like chanel, dior, and versace.

this gown by philip hulitar will be among the garments.
can we say....road trip!

beam me up scotty

i'm fascinated every time i drive by this tree. is it a portal to another world? "beam me up, scotty".

a study of doors

in oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself. - jiddu krishnamurti

hummingbird moth

i don't know who enjoys the butterfly bush in front of my kitchen window more, all the little critters or me. to be truthful, it's probably all the little critters that bring me the most joy. there's also a bird feeder that the bush has managed to engulf which brings in other birds besides the hummingbirds. i have praying mantis, all sorts of bees, butterflies (of course), and these little fellows. they're called snowberry clearwing moths but around here we just call them hummingbird moths.
the first time one zipped by my head i thought it was a hummingbird.
i can't say that i've ever looked forward to washing dishes but being able to watch all these little guys enjoy their meal sure helps.

geoffrey gorman

i love that more artist are using found objects in their work. geoffrey gorman makes mixed media sculptures from tree branches, rusty wire, old clothes, and other found materials.
he was quoted in cloth.paper.scissors magazine saying, "i like to use things that have a history". no wonder i like this guy!

want to see more of his work? check him out here.

down typewriter memory lane

who doesn't love antique typewriters? if i had money to burn there would definitely be a nice collection of them somewhere in my home. i remember taking typing classes in the late 60's with the old manual typewriters. it took some doing to build up a little speed on those babies! when i took my second semester in typing we switched back and forth between electric and manual typewriters because there weren't enough of the new electric ones to go around. after four weeks pounding out lessons on the manual your first week on the electric looked like tttttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssssssss. then, when you finally got used to a lighter touch, you rotated back to the manual. cheez. it's a wonder we ever learned to type.
check out typewriter memory lane. if you're knee-deep in your fifties (like me) you may even remember some of these.

e.j. taylor

e.j. taylor is a figurative artist. his dolls have been used in display windows at tiffany's and saks fifth avenue.i think his works are amazingly lifelike. check out his site here. be sure to click on the gallery and then each picture for a larger view. awesome!

chester county transportation museum

our little town has a new addition. it's the chester county transportation museum, located at 157 wylie street, beside the water district building. folks, it's worth your trip just to see inside the old train depot building. a lot of hard work went into spiffying the old girl up and she's gotta be grinning from ear to ear over her new do!

some of our local historians give the tours through the museum, pointing out items of interest and adding a little local flavor as most of them are kinfolk or friends of the contributors to the museum. here's a counter from a local store filled with artifacts.
this case has train related memorabilia.
one wall is covered with vehicle tags dating back through the years.
can't you just see all the little childrens' faces in the windows of this old wooden school bus?

the bus driver would have been careful to obey the speed limit with these highway patrol officers making their rounds.
if you live here, or may be passing through sometime, stop in and get an up close and personal look at our history. there's much more to see than i've shown here. the museum is open tuesday - saturday from 10 - 4, sundays from 1 - 4. and you can't beat the price! adults: $3.00, seniors and students: $2.00, children under 12 and school groups are free!

if you need directions give them a call at 803-385-2330.

flutterbys

beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. and everyone deserves a little sunshine - jeffery glassberg

a little sunshine for those of you who've had a stressful day. keep in mind, stressed spelled backwards is desserts. hmmmmmm, and coffee.........

jennifer maestre's pencils

i am truly magazine poor. i subscribe to more magazines than i'll admit to. although i get several gardening, country decorating, and southern frou frou publications, my all time favorites are the art magazines. i am in awe of the creative folks featured in these posts. in the june/july 2008 m.e. home companion jennifer maestre talks about her lifelong love of pencils. she makes the most amazing sea urchins from pencils stitched together with heavy beading thread. check out her site for more pictures. jennifer also sells pendants, earrings, and such, made from pencils on etsy. for anyone wishing to purchase one of her graphite gems go to jenmaestre's shop here.