Another new piece. This is an illustration I collaborated on with a company called Lunar Strategies out of Indianapolis. They were doing a campaign for breast cancer awareness and came up with the concept of the princess and the pea (i.e. being aware of even a pea-sized lump in the booble region.) This was the cover for their brochure. It’s a little bright in this web setting, but it dulled perfectly in print.
I’m really excited to share this new piece with you. It was done for my friend Tiffany Meyers, who interviewed me for Communication Arts in 2010. She is a ridiculously talented writer and was starting a new website to house her extensive copywriting and journalism portfolio work. When she knocked on my door asking me to do the main illustration, I was floored! (The girl has interviewed and knows a lot of great artists!) The idea behind her site is Flowers + Fireworks, a tribute to Ray Bradbury who wrote Fahrenheit 451. To quote Tiffany: “As a concept, Flowers + Fireworks represents texture. And range. It represents the white-knuckled thrill of life. The catastrophe, the party. The biology and chemistry.”
So my illustration, humbly, tried to capture that idea. Visit her newly launched site to see how it’s a simple flat image, and when you roll over it, you can see further detail and depth. A crawling beetle, barbed wire, the sparks of fireworks. Together we named the illustration “Pores”. Her writing gets close. It looks at the larger view and then digs all the way down to the pores.
Here are some close ups of the final piece:
I forgot about the pollen in the south. It coats everything like snow. Or maybe yellow fairy dust. I’ve learned the hard way (every surface in my house needed to be cleaned!) to keep the windows closed until it’s over. Hoping for a good rain.
the garden pre-fence.
dogwood confetti on the sidewalk
The Teacup Chronicles is one of the blogs I read regularly. Danielle’s wonderful writing, yummy recipes and insights make me feel calm and leave me seeing the world as a more magical place (we all could use more of that, yeah?). One of her regular features is called “Ah, is this not happiness” where she is documenting 33 moments in her life when she felt truly happy. Her inspiration comes from 16th century Chinese scholar and playwright named Chin Shengt’an. Read about his practice here.
I love this idea. I did something similar a while back with the My Sacred Life posts. But then I had a baby and forgot all about them. (Along with lots of other stuff, I’m sure. mom-brain is a wicked, wicked thing.)
But I feel called to do this, so I’m starting today with “Ah, is this not happiness? #1″:
I drove up to the garden alone. There was physical labor to be done, and that is easier if three-year-olds are otherwise cared for. When I arrived I greeted Steve, the man who owns the land, and my garden-mate, Marta, and we said we were glad the morning was a bit overcast and cool. A few minutes later it started to rain, but we had a fence to build. So we plodded down to the garden and dug some post holes. Tamped the wet dirt. Filled cement on the corner posts so they wouldn’t pull in. Hammering the fencing into place with the tacks was my job and it felt good to do it. Pounding. Out. Frustrations. Rhythms. Echoes. My shoes sank down into the mud each time I braced for the blows, and I was soaked. I smiled looking out over the lake feeling the heat from labor and the cool from rain. It was perfect.
Ah, is this not happiness?
This is an opener and 2 little spots I did for a magazine article called “To Mormons with Love”. The story was about a family who moved into a predominantly Mormon community where they felt like outsiders. But getting to know their neighbors and the Mormon customs, they realized they loved it there and fit in just fine.
To make the spots make sense: The first one is about the quick pacing of some mormon social gatherings. The author called it “the Power Party”. In her words:
“Mormon Power Parties are executed with precision, accuracy, and attention to time. Specifically, the “Wrap it up!” time. People work together to set up tables, serve food, break tables down, remove garbage, clean dishes, put them away, and vacuum, all while engaging in light conversation. Before you know it, you’ve eaten a meal, had dessert, visited with “what’s her bucket” and “what’s his face” and are home wondering if the night was all a dream. A good dream, but did it really happen?”
The second spot references the peculiar holiday gifts the neighbors in her community gave. Things like extension cords with cute notes about “extending merry wishes”, etc.
The article was really fun and I hope I captured that in my illustrations. The sheep were super fun to draw. :)
I’ve been away too long! I really didn’t mean to be, but that’s how it goes sometimes I suppose. Veda and I took a 10 day trip up to Indiana to visit family. (Can you tell I’m still extremely homesick? …sigh. North Carolina is awesome in every way, but I still miss our loved ones and the familiar landscape of Indiana.) And for the first time ever, I feel like I got scammed out of a proper winter. Today it’s 82 and sunny here. Feels like summer. I don’t feel like I had much of a chance to hibernate and rest … and all the beautiful things that go along with that. Strange. I was not expecting to feel that way — ever. But it’s true.
I’m also taking this Whole Food Kitchen workshop by Heather Bruggeman, and it’s rocking my world in the best possible way. I feel like I’ve been a pretty healthy eater since I started being aware of how I felt in 2006. But this workshop is taking me to a new level. I’ve also been doing a lot of reading in support of this. And slowly I’ve been eliminating ALL packaged and processed foods and have been making everything from scratch. It’s been a really fun — and steep! — learning curve. Took me a while to figure out bread. And beans. And how to get around Veda’s favorite snacks. But you know what’s interesting? In a pinch the other day I gave Veda a packaged cereal bar for a snack as we ran errands, and she said afterward (with no prompting whatsoever from me): “My tummy hurts. I don’t want any more of those.” So the rest sit in their box in the cabinet and we grab fresh fruit or popcorn now before running out the door.
Another quick observation about these changes in how I prepare food: It’s a whole lot prettier. Instead of opening the pantry and seeing garishly designed, colorful packaging buzzing to grab your attention, I see beautiful glass with whole, natural food inside, with labels I lovingly created (from old cards and postcards!). It’s a really different kitchen experience.
Oh, and I’ve been preparing for the garden. In truth, I’ve been mostly overwhelmed and freaked about it. (ha!) But I had a conversation with Elizabeth the other day where I admitted my overwhelm. I told her about my tendency to man-handle and railroad things… and that’s how I’ve been approaching this garden. And she gently reminded me that I should not self-deprecate in this way… that it’s not me being harsh and controling… it’s me being extremely passionate and doing something about it! (What a great way to re-frame something I dislike about myself!). And while it was a private conversation, I feel like Elizabeth would be ok with me sharing a part of it she wrote that brought me to tears:
…the garden is there for you to NURTURE you, and you will nurture it back, but think of slow, soft all the time in the world (infinite time, actually) and when you are there, no agendas, no to dos . . you are getting to know each other– the garden came to you– it wants to be in your life– sometimes you can simply sit with it and flow dirt through your hands over and over– that is honestly perfect— use all your yoga training to be present and loose and empty in the garden . .. if you feel the “work” vibe “gottarungottadogottamake” vibe come up– witness it and let it go–
How great is that? How would life be different if we took that approach with everything?
And lastly: art. There’s been a lot of that lately, too, of course!! I’ll share some new projects soon. But first: seeds need to be planted. I’m waiting for little miss thing to wake up so she can help me. :)
Hope you’ve all been well. Are you still around?
xoxo
Feb 28 I wrote that last post. Later that day I received an email from a message board I’m on asking if anyone is interested in helping with a 2000 sq ft garden space, tucked in next to a lake, about a half hour away from my home. I respond immediately. Me me! I don’t know what I’m doing with gardening, but I’m a willing worker, a fast learner, and gung-ho! I am asked to wait because others are also interested. Feb 29 I get an email saying that I and another mom have been chosen to split the garden this summer. 1000 sq ft of growing space each. I’ve been chosen. The garden found me.
I’m beside myself blissed out feeling blessed, amazed, stunned and so so fortunate.
Is this real? Maybe I’m dreaming… When I actually visit the place in person I’ll know it’s real. Until then I’m posting it here to make it feel real.
(I hope the other mom has kids Veda’s age! Wouldn’t that be icing?!)
Wheeee!
This post won’t matter to anyone but me, but I feel compelled to write it anyway. Sunday Colin took Veda and I to the NC Prairie Ridge Ecostation. See? Lost you already. But for me… oh bliss. They have a little building there (you can see it in the background of the 1st photo) where they do classes/workshops. And it’s just beautiful. Simple. Wood. Spacious with no walls. Would make a killer yoga studio as is. But the whole time I was in it I was picturing it being my house. As you walk back there is a big garden with an 8 foot fence all around. Walk through the little gate and around the paths to see the raised beds, bog garden, water garden, rain barrels and compost bin. There’s a shaded bench to sit on on a little stand alone porch. It doesn’t look like much, I guess. And my pictures kind of stink… but the spaciousness of this place. The wildness. The feel of having everything in an enclosed, safe garden. It all made me grin ear to ear. Same feeling I got when I first visited my friend’s rural home/studio. And Jenny’s house. And Christine’s. And read about other homesteaders and DIYers, etc. It’s my direction. And I just wanted to say that here (again! Yes, I know!). I want to put it out into the universe that this is what I’m looking for. Come find me because I’m already looking for you.
New editorial work for Dance Magazine. The story was about dancers with day jobs. Kind of fun thinking of concepts for this one. The diner holds immediate recognition though, so the art director went with that one.
