Happy Easter

Paper Cranes

Once upon a time, I learned how to fold origami paper cranes.

We found ourselves in a hotel at Christmas in Bahrain. We had packed a medium sized artificial tree into a big trunk along with toys and took the whole lot with our luggage (in those days when you COULD take luggage) on the trip from the East Coast, through Spain and to Bahrain.

Every time we had to go through customs, I had to take the kids far enough away that they couldn't see what was in the trunk. The contents amused and puzzled lots of customs agents along the way.

We couldn't squeeze in ornaments too, so I took sheets and sheets of colored paper and, instructions in hand, we all folded paper cranes in the hotel until we were cross-eyed. It was a beautiful tree, though. The hit with all the hotel staff.

None of those cranes survived to return with us two years later......but cranes have been associated with Christmas in a small way ever since.

One year, with the help of a wonderful old Mac program called Super Paint, I designed a way to include features on the cranes before the paper got folded. I made lots of those cranes and gave them away. I still have a few left, but alas, I can't use Super Paint again. (I loved that program.)

They look like little Concordes.

Paper Christmas Stars

It's time to start unloading the box of Christmas ornaments and think about decorating the house for the holidays.

I ran across boxes brimming with folded paper stars.

A few years ago, I got the Martha Stewart kit for folding Moravian stars and went totally mad making basic forms and then inventing variations.

I made them in three different sizes and three colors.

A video with instructions and examples of stars and star May baskets (which I had never seen before) is available on: http://www.highhopes.com/3dstar.html

Wonder if you could make them out of gift ribbon?

Happy Thanksgiving

These are blueberry leaves.

For a brief time, they turn this glorious color; each leaf a variation of red/yellow/green depending on where it is on the branch, how much sun it gets and where the shadow of other leaves fall across it.

There is just no match with Nature.

Every year it's a wonder. Sometimes I pick them and put them into an old bookbinding press between sheets of blank newsprint. They keep most of their color.

This year, though, I just picked and handful of the prettiest ones and laid them out on the kitchen table.

Think I'll use this in our Christmas letter.

Season's Greetings

We've escaped the ice and snow.

And just in the neck of time, it seems.






















Glass for ice; paper stars for snow. I like the trade-off.


Last year, we bought an artificial tree.

I miss the real kind, but it seems more responsible to have the other.

,,,,,,,,,Bought plastic--resulting in encouragement for the manufacture of more plastic.

.........Effect on reduction of live trees cut each year? Probably none, excess trees are cut each year. Would take years to make impact, if at all.

.........So possible reduction of one live tree into landfill for each year of plastic one used ? Iffy.

.........But since we didn't buy a live tree, possible excess of 6/8 live trees added to mulch or organic recycle?


.........Results in a chance of a plus to the environment BUT excess trees must be mulched using machine that either runs on electricity or fuel.

.........Landfill: Addition of one plastic tree in about 6/8 years.)

.........Balance of impact on affecting environment: ??


Message to brain: STOP THINKING!................

We hung a real evergreen wreath on the wall though, just to have the smell in the house.


.........Are we even on the environment thing?

.........Message to brain: SHUT UP!




Anyway, Best Wishes for the Holidays and Good Cheer for the New Year!

New Year's UN-Resolutions or How to Feel Miserable as an Artist

This list has been floating on my computer desktop for several months. I can't remember where I first saw it, but it's a good reminder (with a tad of editing) about not letting negative thoughts invade the creative flow:


HOW TO FEEL MISERABLE AS AN ARTIST

1. Constantly compare yourself to other artists.

2. Base the success of your entire career on one project.

3. Stick to what you know.

4. Undervalue your expertise.

5. Let money dictate what you do.

6. Bow to societal pressures.

7. Only do work your family would love.

8. Do whatever the client/customer/gallery owner/patron/investor asks.

9. Set unachievable/overwhelming goals to be accomplished by tomorrow.

10. Expect to become famous/rich/understood.


Now I don't like negative thinking. It sucks the life out of things, kills incentive, undermines your attitude, and blocks progress. So I find the above list a bit of a downer. I like to think of art as a continual process.

It's my observation that art is always moving, changing, progressing. I want to explore and constantly change my work. New thoughts, new ways of doing things, new discoveries--that's the exciting thing about art. An artist makes new discoveries all the time. It's part of the doing of it.

Sometimes it takes the form of a big loop. Sometimes I make something and go on to the next step in developing a surface treatment or shape or technique. But sometimes I go back to where I started and try the same idea again, only going in another direction or using another technique. The possibilities are truly endless.

So here's to 2008! May it be a wonderful year filled with work and discovery.

A Merry Christmas to All

These little cactus wrens are scolding us at the back patio.