Weird Art Exhibits

There are some truly bizarre art exhibits out there. Take this one in Liverpool, England where a giant spider wakes up and travels about the city or this one in London (what is with these Brits anyway?????) where a working loo (toilet to us Americans) with one way mirrors allows you to do your business while watching passersby.

Personally, giant walking spiders and peeing while watching folks walk about the city has absolutely no appeal. But maybe that's just me.

The End Is Near

I'm sorry, but I find this hysterical, especially the photos. People have been getting worked up about the end of the world for centuries and it hasn't happened yet, so why worry? Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gets you nowhere.

If you believe the end is near why waste time parading around town with a sign around your neck? Wouldn't you rather be out doing something you always wanted to do, like hang gliding, riding in a hot air balloon or walking on a tropical beach? I know I would. Seriously, if you only have a limited amount of time here make something of it. Live life to its fullest and stop spending all your time telling the rest of us that the end is near and we're going to hell in a hand basket for not believing it. Seems like a waste of energy and time to me.

5 Things I Did With Kelly Kilmer

August 22 & 23 I took 4 classes with Kelly Kilmer. I'd taken classes with Kelly in December 2007 and really enjoyed them so had to go for some more when she came back to town! There are very few artisits I'm willing to pay money to take classes with, but Kelly is definitely in the top 2. Actually, there are only 2 so that's saying something!

Here are 5 things I did while in class with Kelly:


1. Made this journal:

2. Made These Postcards

3. Made this journal:

4. Made these faux monoprint books:

5. Had my picture taken with Kelly:

(and had a whole lot of fun, but that goes without saying.)

Six Altered Book Spreads

These six altered book spreads are from two different books I'm currently working in. Each spread has been recently completed. Sometimes I find myself redoing pages previously completed and a few of these fall into that category.

5 A Day the Easy Way...

As you've probably noticed I'm not much of a blogger. The fact is it's summertime and I'm outdoors 99.9% of the time. Our season here is so short that every day is precious, not to be wasted on indoor pursuits. That's what winter in New England is for (those of you who think winter in New England is for skiing, snowboarding or other such body numbing experiences are dead wrong!) When the winds our howling and the temperature plummets that's the time to be inside snuggled beneath a warm blanket with a cat curled up next to you for company. The time for reflection and sharing. For blogging!

However, I realize that posting only a few times a month or less is pretty lame. So, I vow to 5 minutes a day from now on. After all, what's 5 minutes in the grand scheme of things? Less time than it takes to make a cup of finely brewed tea. Less time than it takes me to walk to the bus stop or jump in the pool for one last swim before firing up the grill. If I can do those things in 5 minutes or less than I can do this in 5 or less too. At least I think I can. Time will tell. As long as the good weather holds out it will be tough to stay indoors for even 5 minutes, but I'll try.

Boston In the Rain

A rainy Monday typically isn't what you want for the first day of vacation. But, that's what we got anyway. After moping about the house for the better part of the day I finally threw some clothes into a backpack and told everyone to get their shoes on because we were heading into Boston for the night.

In all the years I've lived in Massachusetts (my entire life, in fact) not once have I spent the night in a hotel in Boston. Sure, we've gone into the city plenty of times and often stayed until the wee hours of the morning, but we've never checked into a hotel to do it.

After an uneventful ride on the T we disembarked in the North End and walked the few blocks to the Bulfinch Hotel

From there it was just a hop, skip and a jump through the drizzle to Faneuil Hall, a great place to grab a bite while wandering around people watching or kiosk shopping while listening to street musicians or watching an impromptu magic show.


Along the way to and from Faneuil Hall we walked through the Holocast Memorial. It is profoundly moving and serves as a reminder of what was and what could be again if we are not careful.


Being in the city is always an adventure and every time we go there it makes me wonder why we don't do it more often. The street musicians, the old buildings, the North End pastry, the steaming hot clam chowder and even the T are all things that get me jazzed (to be totally honest, it's mostly the pastry and the clam chowder). And, being able to spend the night in a fancy hotel just made the experience even better.

Taking our son to the New England Aquarium for the first time was definitely the crowning moment. Where else can you see a 3-D shark movie on a 65 ft. screen, watch penquins take a shower or pet sting rays and sharks?

Boston in the rain isn't a bad way to start a vacation. In fact, it was a great way to start one. Especially since it was spur of the moment but fell together as if we'd planned to do it all along.

The Spiritual Side

I'm not a religious person, but I have a deeply spiritual side. I believe that religion and spirituality are two separate things and that one can be a spiritual person without being a religious one and vice versa. I know not everyone thinks the way I do, but my beliefs are just that: my beliefs. What others believe is entirely up to them. It's not for me to judge, just as I expect to not be judged by others. Granted, this isn't always the case because people DO judge. I've found that deeply spiritual people tend to be less judgmental than some of the others and the ones who can't be wouldn't care for what anyone else has to say anyways so why give them any thought?

I have several areas in my home and yard devoted to my spiritual side. Little altars created from things that I find sacred and meaningful. Not dictated by any one belief system, but by what I have come to believe in. The newest of these spiritual areas was created by my son and me. We choose the location together, assembled it together and enjoy it together. What better way to celebrate spirituality than to share the beauty of nature with someone you love?

I find doing that a great blessing. A gift of love. From me to my son, my son to me and from both of us to the Goddess Above.

Found Object Art

I love making art out of found objects. In fact, I have no need to "Go Green" (the catch-phrase of the decade!) because I've been green all my life. Since I was a child I've liked nothing better than creating something new out of a treasure I've picked up. My adult life as an artist is no different.

I recently created a wind sculpture for the yard out of articles salvaged from the dump and ones I had on hand. An old bicycle wheel with the rubber tire removed, the metal blades from a huge, old fan that came with our house, the ornamental bits from some metal fencing and a few cans of spray paint provided all I needed to turn an old bird house pole into a cool, new work of art.

I love looking out my windows and seeing the tire frame and fan blades spin in the wind. Every time I see it I get a thrill from knowing that I created it and figured out how to assemble it so it would work.

Next time you're at the local dump, salvage yard or simply out for a stroll see what treasures you can find to convert into a work of art. There's nothing like salvaging the old in order to create something new.

A Love of Stones...

I love wandering around old cemeteries. Not only are they peaceful, but the stones themselves have wonderful artwork on them. Some people may find it morbid, but I can spend hours walking about looking at the stones, photographing the art work and reading the colorful epitaphs. Discovering a "new" cemetery to explore is right up there with discovering a new species as far as I'm concerned.

I come by my love of old graveyards honestly. My mother loves wandering about in them too. It's not unusual to hear us exclaim, "That's a great cemetery!" while driving around a new town or sitting at home having one of our graveyard conversations.

In New England we have more than our fair share of old graveyards to check out. Some of the oldest in the country in fact. We also have a number of historical cemeteries, including Sleepy Hollow (Not the one of Headless Horseman fame. That one is in New York.) This Sleepy Hollow is best known for Author's Ridge, final resting place of the Alcott's, Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne. Seeing these graves is interesting, mostly due to the ever changing array of offerings left on them, it is the lesser known stones that have the most allure for me. The art work is amazing, very detailed and varied. The epitaphs are short biographies. They really give you insight into a person's life. Unlike today's stones that really tell us nothing about the people who've passed on.

A few days ago I spent the afternoon wandering Sleepy Hollow. While there I was once again struck by the beauty of the various monuments found high atop ridges and low in hollows. As always I was moved deeply to see the various, expressive offerings left for those Great Authors on the ridge. At Emerson's grave a ballet slipper with a scroll tucked inside. At Thoreau's a bouquet of roses, pine boughs, a foreign coin and some pebbles. At Louisa May Alcott's some coins, a flower or two and a missive weighted down with a stone.

While looking at these things I was struck by the small stature of Thoreau's and the Alcott's graves compared to the sheer enormity of Emerson's. Why I wonder are theirs so small, almost small enough to overlook, while his is so large? These things, and more, I pondered on my walk-about as I continued stopping here and there to delight in a detailed stone carving or read a particularly expressive epitaph. And while I wandered peace descended. Supreme balance of mind/body/soul was restored, something that always happens to me an old cemetery. Some feel that a cemetery is a mournful place, but I am not one of them. To me, they represent life well lived, a shared history and the blessing of peace and tranquility. Is it any wonder I like to hang out among the graves when they bestow upon me such perks?

The Reluctant Blogger

It's been over two months since I've made a post here. I've realized in that time that I am a rather reluctant blogger. It's not that I don't have anything to say, or share, or show because I certainly have plenty of those things I could be posting here. But rather it's a deep sense of privacy that keeps me from posting daily. A lot of what happens in my life, or what I create is deeply personal and not meant for public consumption.

I will never be one of those people who posts every little thing, every deep, personal experience or every single emotional or physical struggle, for the world to see. As for my art, the majority of it is meant for me and me only. It's a part of me, a small piece of who I am, what I think and feel and I don't care to expose it to the world.

So, if anyone is paying attention (which I doubt) let it be known that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I just don't care to expose my soul to the world. I don't want to put it out there for others to delve into. I believe doing so gives away my power, my essence. It disperses it too far and weakens my Spirit overall.

I'm still here and I plan to share many things. But not all things. Doing so is just not who I am.