Despite the persistent grayishness, I somehow managed to get fairly clear photos of this custom trio today. They're all going to a single home, to greet guests in the foyer, above the prettiest deep-red chest of drawers you ever saw. (I sometimes get photos of a client's home before I make a piece for it--I love this. It appeals to my perfectionism...and my voyeurism.)
I have to dash. Whoever had the idea to put buzzers on washing machines was a real pal. Ahem.
Yup--I spend a lot of my time cutting circles from felt. It's fairly meditative. I listen to Radio Lab while I go, learning about the multiple universes or the properties of sperm, all the while my pile of circles growing--larger and more colorful.
--birds. Again. And painting on felt. Again. Were you expecting something novel or shocking?
The long weekend was lovely--we insisted on grilling tofu and veg on the back deck (and, you know, steak for our carnivore friends), despite the sudden snow. Us Mainers are plucky. Jen had a quilt she needed to start, so I made my first log cabin square. Can you believe I've never made one before? I can see how quilting becomes addicting--I've always been a little squeamish about the scope of such a project, so large, so involved, so many steps and materials and skills. But maybe I've caught a bit of the bug...we'll see.
...that I'm going out of town for a few days--up north, to see my mom and my dad and my bff (I know--sorry--I couldn't help but get a little Tiger Beat on you there) and walk around in the middle of nowhere and eat grilled potatoes and play Rock Band and laugh a lot.
And I whipped up some more brooches in Easter-ish colors
Boy, did I enjoy making this one. I kind of want to keep it because these two make me feel so good, so hopeful and safe.
It occurs to me that an art/craft blog is like a big refrigerator you get to keep taping your drawings to, even when you're a grown up--only it's not full of food, which is, you know, a down side. A brag and a snack together--now that would be sweet. ;-)
I have the very pleasant task of making a portrait of a client's parents from a photograph taken of them in a leafy birch forest. I enjoy custom projects in general, but occasionally, a subject matter confers upon me a sense of peace or joy or excitement. This couple, beautiful in their late-middle age, clearly in love, has converged with the springish weather we're getting in P-town, to make me quite cheerful today.
Just wanted to pop in on this sunny Sunday morning to share a photo (not mine) from the opening of the Wintergreen Arts Center in my hometown of Presque Isle, Maine. It shows two little girls playing happily (I think!) with my giant felt board. Hooray!
It was a lovely walk--they allow Sophie at the art supply store, and she gets lots of attention from the cute little hipsters who work there. Leash-in-hand, I perused the dyes and selected Procion MX, a cold water dye for natural fibers, in "Bubble Gum Pink" and "Olive Green," two of the most essential essentials in the LPH color palette.
Because I was testing such teensy amounts, and the directions called for, like, pounds of fabric, I fudged. A lot. But it worked! The colors look more mottled here than in real life--truly they are as rich and even as I could have hoped. The process makes the bamboo felt a bit wrinkly, but I'm gonna work on that.
Fun!
I started out playing with craft felt--that rough, shiny, acrylic stuff everybody knows from back in the day, the stuff we're drawn to because it's bright and cheap and doesn't fray.
As I became more skilled, I wanted to work with materials that reflected my commitment to making things that would stick around a while, things that would be soft and sturdy and lovely. I wasn't making money making things, though, so I was still pretty budget conscious. That's when I started buying wool-blend felt--more expensive than acrylic, a kind of middle-of-the-road for a girl with a toe dipped into the starting-my-own-business pool. Then, of course, came the 100% wool period (also known as now). Wool felt became an essential part of my brand, and I kind of evangelized it. I mean, the stuff is good.
But here's the thing: did anybody ever think it was a bit strange that a vegan was so into an animal product? The incongruity isn't lost on me, that's for sure. I just sort of pushed it to the back of my mind, but if you know me at all, you know that doesn't work for very long, and lo and behold--existential crisis. ;-) 
while Annabelle worked on this (food for her Bingles--waiting to be painted):
And then I read this aloud (what's passing for Women's History this week):
while Miss A. crocheted scarves for her stuffies:
There was also writing revision (for her Portfolio) and piano practice, but in all honesty, the schedule has become... loose. We've managed to shift the work load around, which has--finally, wonderfully--meant having Dad around some weekdays, and said Dad has been a bit of a wrench in the works--a handsome, helpful, beloved wrench. A wrench who teaches math on his days off, but we never know when those days will be. It's a home-school-organizational-type challenge, yes, but it's also reminded me that we keep Annabelle home for a reason, and that reason is not to reenact the rigidity of a school day at home. 
Posts
All Comments
