Suddenly my life feels manageable. It is an amazing feeling, one that I haven’t felt in a very long stretch of time. As in years. And years.
Last week my second eldest daughter–twenty-years-old and five months pregnant–moved out when an apartment opportunity that could not be missed opened up for her. There was the great chaotic [...]
I spent most of yesterday afternoon on the deck of my studio. Ah, the spring air! The new green leaves! Here is the view I soaked in:
And here is how my piece progressed:
Today is another gorgeous spring day! Who knows what treasures it will hold?
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I got up to the studio yesterday and have this to show for it. I plan on spending hours and hours in that wonderful place this week, so stay tuned for developments on this piece and others!
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October Hawthorns
I’ve been slammed with a lot of work lately–tax prep (whew, that’s done!), hosting a baby shower for my oldest daughter (yes, you read that right!), and getting pieces framed and ready for the OOAK Gallery in Micaville, NC. I also have work now in the TRAC Galleries in both Burnsville and Spruce Pine, [...]
I dreamt awhile back of Radiograph pens. I’d never used them before, and when I woke up all I remembered was that I had purchased a few in my dream life. It took me several weeks, but I finally purchased one (and later a set) in waking life. I’ve been having so much [...]
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Ah, December has arrived–a chaos of cloud and bright cold, wind and dark, dark, dark. After the flurry of Thanksgiving activities it has been delightful to fall back into an easy routine.
And easy it is! I’ve been spending my mornings journaling, meditating, and reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to the [...]
In the last light of dusk, as a soft rain considered its possibilities, I walked up the hill to my studio with McKinley. Jay, our niece Emily, our intern Andy, and our neighbor L, were already up there, and had been working for most of the day installing the custom, handmade woodstove named Hot Mama into my studio. Inside everyone stood around the corner where the woodstove stood, a black pipe rising up and disappearing neatly into the wall. Emily had gathered a pile of twigs and sticks in the belly of the stove, and McKinley, reading my mind, announced that I should light the first fire.
And so I did. The sharp strike of a match brought forth the burst of flame that licked hungrily at the wood. There was no second match. The fire grew and its warmth radiated to our skin as we stood around it, admiring its beauty. Denali turned off the lamps, and the apple-shaped window of mica glowed red in the darkness.
There is no small significance to this fire. So many people have stood around me and supported my creative life. Carl Davidt made this stove for me, so inexpensively as to be considered a gift. He is a metal sculptor who has been a good friend for many years, and I can feel the love that went into this stove. Emily, Andy, and neighbor L, have put in many hours helping out around Berrytown. But my husband’s support has been unwavering and his encouragement consistent. Watching that apple glow, feeling the warmth from the fire, my own creative fire was rekindled. So many times assorted frustrations have given me an excuse to back away from my creative life. Now, with all the support and love warming up my studio, I don’t think I can do that anymore. The space swirled with possibilities and mingled with the smoke that had escaped from the door of the stove. I breathed it all in.
