"Smooth ice is paradise for those who dance with expertise" Friedrich Nietzsche
A few pictures to share with you from Boxing Day, 2009. We all managed to get through the day without falling on our backsides or being hit by falling branches. That is a very good thing.
We were so happy that the cyclist remembered to cover their bike seat:)
It was a beautiful cold morning with the perfect fresh snow as you can see on my car window. If you have no idea what I am referring to you can search under the category , art installation in a secret location, and get the low down. My art installation is completely covered in snow now.
No sign of the lace pieces and the covered stone but there were signs of some visitors very nearby.
I did manage to find some sporophytes looking quite perky.
And I gathered a few things to make use on some ephemeral ice pieces.
The gifts are finished and wrapped, the cakes and cookies baked and we are ordering sushi for dinner. Tomorrow we will be hitting the road to spend Christmas with my mom.
Won't you join me?
A clear mind allows me to focus on work for the upcoming show in january. Here is a little glimpse of what I have been working on this week.
I am so blessed to have received a large box of stones from the my amazing friend Nanou. These stones are from the south of france and they are perfect raw materials for my art. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you for your kind words and support.
my body containing its own
warmth, divided from all
by the cold; and to go
separate and sure
among the trees cleanly
divided, thinking of you
perfect too in your solitude,
your life withdrawn into
your own keeping
--to be clear, poised
in perfect self-suspension
toward you, as though frozen.
And having known fully the
goodness of that, it will be
good also to melt.
Poetry by Wendell Berry
Photographs by me
Magic by nature
Hope everyone is warm and cosy this weekend
but not too warm ( for all my warm climate friends)
a photographic tribute to lichen, rain and the last days of November
The week is just about wrapped up , as is the month. I promise more colorful things in the next few posts. I also hope to get that list of last minute handmade gift tutorials up for you before the month is over.
Happy thanksgiving to all my American friends. I am thankful for all the little moments that make up a day and also for being able to share so many of them here with all of you. I left the house today at 7:30 am and returned 12 hours later. These are some of the little snapshots of my day.
The picture of the embroidered button snail and stones is part of a project organized by Kathreen Ricketson and the very soft elongated alpaca pompom is the first prototype for an idea for making shaped pompoms. This one is pine cone shaped. It was a gloomy grey all day long and then the sun came out ever so briefly just before it disappeared into the horizon.
Have a wonderful day filled with special moments.
Last installment I was pondering whether or not I would leave the display up for the winter. Well winter came by surprise last week and thus the decision was made for me. These are pictures taken the morning of the first snow and you might need to enlarge the photographs to catch a glimpse of the crocheted lace now covered in layers of dry leaves and a soft blanket of snow.
Can you see the little window of lace in that last photograph.
The snow has now melted and we have been having bright blue skies and temperatures in the teens everyday but cool evenings. That means every morning Jack Frost has been leaving his very own ephemeral art display.
In my creative work this week I have been alternating from working with cold hard stones and soft fuzzy warm wool felt to warm my fingers. I had almost forgotten how much I love to embroider on felt. I am making little things for the shop, to send to Paris for this fantastic event Mathyld has organized and then there is my very big "still secret" project. I might be able to reveal that as soon as the announcements have been prepared.
This little snow flake wants to take you on a very brief walk in the forest.
There we are back in my office. Here is a sneak peak of some of the new stones I have been crocheting in the evenings. Enjoy your day.
The large hand-felted stone covered in lace was inspired by the snow of the moss last friday :)
On the last post I hinted about a first snow inspired little hand sewing project. I was thinking about how the first snow really rekindles my dwindling inspiration reserves. At the end of autumn , especially when the calendar turns to November, the time changes and the number of daylight hours I am exposed to significantly diminishes, I find myself a little listless. I often feel like curling up with the kitties and taking naps. When I experience the first snow it revives me, unfurls me and gives me the much needed energy to create.
This is how I turned this experience into a small hand sewn felt medallion. It is a resurrection fern snow globe. On one side you see the fern ( me ) curled up with the snow lying on the ground. Then you only need hold it in your hand and shake it and like magic with the snow floating everywhere the fern ( me ) unfurls and awakens.
The snow melted the next day and we experienced almost summer temperatures on the weekend. The snow may be gone but the inspiration isn't. I already completed my next snow inspired pendant. I love the white snow against the dark brown earth. This will be a simple little tutorial for young and old to sew up some small gifts for special friends. The first snow always means the beginning of christmas gift making in my house. I hope to update my list of tutorials soon for easy access.
Have a great start to your week. Remember if you are longing for snow all you need are a needle and some snow white thread and then you will be ready to sew along.
