Traveling Chariot

Driftwood Centerpiece

2011-12-19T11:09:00.001-06:00

Village Mug: New on my Etsy

2011-11-27T21:33:00.003-06:00

In her mind she walked a village built of all the places she had visited and some she had not. Old and worn were the medieval streets and forgotten alleys and alcoves. The cathedrals belted their bells across the town and the chimneys bellowed smoke above the rooftops.

This is a new, classic white cup handpainted in silver. 12 detailed buildings make up this little village, evoking the wonder of the cities of Europe and the way they so charmingly combine the old with the new. Many buildings are inspired by actual places in England, France, and Ireland. This cup would be a great gift for a traveler, artist, history buff, or any friend faithful to the morning cuppa joe.

The World Outside Your Windows

2011-11-14T13:57:00.004-06:00

Madness

2011-11-14T13:56:00.002-06:00

Golden Welcome

2011-11-09T08:51:00.005-06:00

Colorado's Quaking Aspens: During our autumn roadtrip, we stopped at this Aspen grove and let ourselves in.

Hard to Sell This One

2011-09-16T15:35:00.003-05:00

Up for sale today in my Etsy Shop is this upcycled vintage edition of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, circa 1950. I've even stitched in some pages from the book between the lush ivory paper of the blank journal.

Necropolis

2011-09-01T08:45:00.004-05:00

Check out these spooky photos and more on my Etsy Shop

The Old Forest

2011-09-01T08:41:00.002-05:00

New in my Etsy Shop is this handstamped vintage book page from Fellowship of the Ring. The stamp of arching forest trees and a warm campfire is handcarved.

Back in the Groove

2011-09-01T08:32:00.006-05:00

I've been trying to channel a bit more time and energy into bookmaking. So far, so good. Currently in my Etsy Shop are the following journals, whipped up especially for autumn.

Witching Hour - hand stitched, leather journal

My Heart's In the Highlands - handstitched, leather journal

Buy Me!

2011-08-23T20:23:00.003-05:00

Hello Friends. Our old house is now for sale. Just in case it might help, I thought I'd feature it here as well. There is an ad on craigslist at http://springfield.craigslist.org/reo/2544183666.html and many photos and info at http://www.18698lawrence2185.blogspot.com/ If you know anyone interested pass this along. Thanks

Thank You for Treasuring

2011-08-08T16:05:00.003-05:00

If you are not familiar with www.Etsy.com by now, please go, now. If you are, hopefully you have discovered the insanely addictive activity of browsing or curating an Etsy Treasury. If you have not, please go, now. Treasuries are great way to promote other vendors and create lovely little worlds of your own. Several of my items have been used in treasuries and it is always a pleasure to see what others have come up with using an item of mine. So, in thanks to those who have thought my items worthy of being treasured, please browse their treasuries and check out their shops, or buy yourself a treat.

On Those Forgotten Roads

2011-08-08T15:30:00.003-05:00

Cruising tiny, obscure, forgotten back roads is one of my favorite pastimes. It's greatest when the air is cool and one can drive with the windows down as your car stirs up the fallen leaves on the road. This leisurely drive was on a hot, hot summer day but I was delighted to find this old bridge (which was still drivable) over a creek in our area. A lovely little discovery.

Working at the Dog Wash

2011-08-08T15:20:00.007-05:00

My recently finished mural for Aurora Pet Salon (678-2660):

I'm Not the Only One Dreaming of Autumn

2011-08-07T08:15:00.003-05:00

Here are some nice and cool Etsy Treasury lists (most fun thing to browse by the way) featuring one of my foggy photographs. Check them out. You can almost feel summer slipping by.

Amethyst and Gray

A Lot of Gray Area

Can We at Least Dream of Cooler Temps?

The Petite Envelope Journal on Etsy

2011-08-02T21:47:00.005-05:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79018311/the-petite-envelope-journal-hand-bound

Post It!

2011-07-29T20:53:00.001-05:00

A recent piece of postcard art sent to a friend:

New on My Etsy

2011-06-21T09:19:00.002-05:00

http://www.travelingchariot.etsy.com/

Seasons of Change

2011-05-27T16:57:00.006-05:00

Nearly four seasons have passed and soon I'll want the coolness of Autumn once more. In a year, I've become the resident of forty acres and a forest. I belong now to this ancient mountain, weathered to a hill. I've left a small town; this wild land is now my home. I'm part farm hand, part artist, part writer, part mountain woman. Right now it suits me well. It has been a busy year of changes, great and small. But now I'm quite settled, hoping the land will be my muse and wring wonderful things from my able hands.

Decay/Decadence

2010-07-26T10:05:00.003-05:00

This is a plea for you, Autumn, to take the overnight train to Missouri and grace us with your cool presence. You always exude such calmness despite your colorful, eccentric costumes. Your stay always seems so short-lived. I'm begging, Autumn, please come early this year. There is always room for you at my home.

New on Etsy: Parisian Paper Village

2010-05-16T22:48:00.007-05:00

Available in either color, a vintage page of Balzac's Pere Goriot stamped with a village image from a handcarved stamp of my crafting.

Rolling Greens

2010-05-16T22:27:00.006-05:00

The Irish sure know how to foster their history. I love how they retain so much of it. A golf course near Ballycastle has been built around 15th century abbey ruins. The third hole is even named after it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T12:02:00.004-05:00

Frequent Visitors

2010-02-20T08:17:00.002-06:00

That Wise Friend

2009-12-20T13:59:00.004-06:00

A commissioned journal for the owl enthusiast. The journal is covered in genuine leather and embellished with vintage buttons. The cover image is a vintage Ex Libris Bookplate. Throughout the journal the image has been duplicated randomly using a xylene image transfer technique.

My Back Pages

2009-12-20T13:38:00.006-06:00

A commissioned journal for a fellow Bob Dylan fan. This journal combines Dylan's lyrics, iconic images, blank pages, and staff paper for the musician. The style of this journal is influenced by Dylan's style circa 1965-66. Genuine leather, vintage button closure.

Fresh Fruits

2009-12-20T13:11:00.010-06:00

Bon Appétit

2009-12-09T13:54:00.002-06:00

Shrine of Dylan 10-25-09

2009-11-12T10:24:00.023-06:00

Photo from bobdylan.com

Wet pavement, like oil slicks, holds a mirror up to the night’s city lights. They flash green, red, green, and Bob Dylan on the marquee. We enter the Shrine Mosque without any line. Soon we are seated, waiting for the show to begin. This is my third Dylan show, and hopefully not the last. I’ve seen him in Kansas City and Dublin, Ireland, but this time he is only an hour from home. By now, I know what to expect from his shows - about a 17-song set including a two-song encore, unpredictable sound quality, fabulously loud raucous music that often muffles the hallowed lyrics (see sound quality), and a grab bag of sharp, resculpted gems from Dylan’s past, present, and future.

And this is just how I like him. I love his unabashed refusal to play or sound like he did in his 20’s, even though everyone, myself included, would enjoy hearing that. I love how he sounds different every time I see him and he plays a constant guessing game of songs on his ever-changing set lists. I love that he is 68 and still doing any of this.

There is a ten year old girl sitting in front of us with her parents getting what I believe is the birthday gift of a lifetime - Dylan live. I didn’t really discover the vast and brilliant landscape of Dylan until I was out of college. I’m still aghast at this fact. If only I’d stumbled upon him in an old cardboard box at a garage sale in my youth, danced to the jiving homesick blues, chuckled at “On the Road Again,” or fumbled through his lyrics as if they were a secret code. I hope the girl in front of me has done all of these things. I can tell is that she is as excited as I am.

Soon the incense on stage is lit and the lights are thrown on stage. Dylan is introduced. Dressed in high fashion, all in black, most members in hats, Bob Dylan and His Band take the stage. They blast into “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat.” They pound out the music and sound good. The audio seems wrong. The loud band’s music always seems to cloud Dylan’s voice. I listen hard as they play hard. Dylan is having fun. He’s moving a lot with the music, something I saw in Dublin, as well. He is jiving like the rest of us. One recent reviewer, Maxwell Webster, said, “He plays like a man possessed.” I love this idea and presume he’s possessed with what he calls on Together Through Life “the blood of the land in my voice.”

This brings us to his voice. I won’t say it’s for everyone. But it is as powerful as ever when the sound guys get it right. It is weathered and eroded. Not like a smooth beach pebble. Like a canyon, carved to sharp and steep crags and cliffs by a river. The river of a life lived in his case. The result is staggering, breath taking, sublime when you peer out at its vista, awesome when you teeter on its edge. That is Dylan’s voice. Listen at your own risk. But if you do, it’s unforgettable.

At about the fourth song we get up to move to the floor hoping to see a little better, as the enormous speakers are concealing half of Bob and much of the stage. Standing on the floor at the back of the crowd I am able to see most of the stage and band and Bob, which is something considering my height handicap. And to our surprise and luck, the sound quality is much, much better. The vocals are much clearer. They still aren’t crystal (but when are they)? And we stay here for the remainder of the mercurial magic. Dylan picks up his guitar for two songs; this is always a rare treat. He holds his guitar almost completely vertically and strums madly to “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” and “My Wife’s Hometown.” He plays a fabulous mix of old and new. Charlie Sexton, a guitarist who has recently rejoined Dylan's tour, gives a wild and wonderful performance. Sexton and Dylan banter back and forth with fierce solos of brilliance. The highlights are a rollicking “Highway 61” and a haunting “Ballad of a Thin Man.” I recognize “Thin Man” immediately by a faint guitar riff with the lights still black. Bob steps center stage in his black ensemble, “You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand.” He sneers the lyrics and waves and raises his arms demanding, “Something is happening here, but you don’t know what it is, do you? Mr. Jones?” There is a spotlight on him casting a huge stark shadow of another Dylan on the wall behind him. This ghost of Dylan past conducts a brilliant symphony of words and sound and some beautifully screeching harmonica solos. This moment alone is worth my fifty bucks.

But then a killer encore of three songs, “Like a Rolling Stone” circa 1965, “Jolene” circa 2009. We get a rare “Thank you friends (or fans)” before Bob introduces his rock solid band. And just when we think it’s over, “All Along the Watchtower.” A stellar end to a stellar concert. This being the third Dylan concert I’ve been fortunate enough to catch, I have already seen him perform many of these songs. But Dylan will be Dylan, and that means they are never the same. I leave, walking into the rainy night delighted, with a great smile on my face, impressed with Dylan’s fresh fruits, artfully forged from a dusty old vine.

Setlist
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
My Wife's Home Town
Rollin' And Tumblin'
Beyond The Horizon
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Tryin' To Get To Heaven
Cold Irons Bound
Not Dark Yet
Highway 61 Revisited
Nettie Moore
Thunder On The Mountain
Ballad Of A Thin Man
Like A Rolling Stone
Jolene
All Along The Watchtower

Heart of Stone

2009-11-07T12:14:00.004-06:00

My photo “Sacred Heart” has recently been featured on a fellow Etsian’s blog. Check it out here at http://idreamedisaw.blogspot.com/2009/11/oh-my-bleeding-heart.html A special thanks to I Dreamed I Saw for the promotion. Every little blog helps.

Halloween Improv

2009-11-07T11:54:00.006-06:00

Last minute Halloween decor took the form of painting macabre details on the glass of framed prints. Lovely dancing couple becomes Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd. Martini & Rossi Vermouth Poster advertises something darker for your cocktail.

Paper Hills of Middle Earth

2009-10-25T13:48:00.004-05:00

This collage was crafted with vintage pages from Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien, stained with watercolor and torn to create a landscape of imagination. For sale in my Etsy shop at http://www.travelingchariot.etsy.com/

New Etsy Items and Specials

2009-10-04T20:38:00.007-05:00

Traveling Chariot's OCTOBER Etsy Special:

Any Two Photographs for $30.00

with discounted shipping

I've listed new photos in my Etsy shop and new journals and address books are coming soon! If you have never visited Etsy.com I encourage you to do so. Etsy is a website where artisans from around the world sell only handmade & vintage goods. It is really alive this time of year with the harvest and Halloween frezy as well as the beginning of the holidays and gift giving. It is the perfect place to purchase something unique for your friends and family while supporting artists. But beware: It is highly addictive!

Etsy Home Page: http://www.etsy.com/

My Etsy Shop: http://www.travelingchariot.etsy.com/

To Die For

2009-10-03T12:51:00.007-05:00

In an attempt to challenge myself and to provide Twilight fans the killer accessory to wear to the New Moon premier, I have created this set of Twilight nails inspired by the cover art. Special thanks to Laura, the eager client and model in the photos.

Book Covers from Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

If you live in my area (southwest Missouri) and want in on this indulgence, call A-Nu-U Salon at 678-4300.

A Courtly Romance

2009-09-10T11:36:00.003-05:00

“Adornment,” my photograph of Château de Fontainebleau in France has been featured on a fellow artist’s blog. Check it out at http://etsylounge.blogspot.com/2009/09/romance-part-i-idealization-on-etsy.html , a little nod to romantic elements in art. Thanks to Etsylounge for the promotion!

Travel Writing Ireland

2009-09-02T13:15:00.012-05:00

Long ago, during my first year in college I attended a luncheon titled “Travel Writing Ireland.” Two of my future professors were speaking of a study abroad trip. They took a group of students to study in Ireland; they all kept a record of their journeys in a handmade journal of their own crafting. This luncheon ended up having a great influence on me. I would go on to study literature with both of these great professors and learn bookmaking from one. I would also go on to study bookmaking as an art and artifact, in the Middle Ages and in medieval French monasteries. I would actually venture into medieval ways of papermaking, ink making, and illuminating. But, also, I would continue to make books as an art form. And I would, one day, journal my own way across Ireland, recording the serendipitous ramblings of this traveling soul. This is what you are seeing: the handmade journal that accompanied me on my travels across Ireland in May 2009. In here, are things that 1000 photographs couldn’t quite capture and ephemera that just can’t be thrown away or stuffed in a box (receipts, brochures, flyers, maps, a business card, etc.). This is a raw journal now, as time passes I will add to it, embellish it with journal entries or artwork. Ephemera is mostly just leafed in between pages now but will someday be incorporated into the journal. The journal is covered in green leather and the end leaves are a green marbled paper (not of my own making, I wish). Hand laid ivory paper and watercolor paper is interspersed throughout. Each time I open it, to work on it or just to leaf through, Ireland beckons me back. Back to delve deeper into its mysteries to explore the lands of green and mist and myths.

Detail of cover window - Irish postage stamps and map of Ireland.

Hand painted map of Ireland's counties in watercolor done pre-trip.

Map of Western Ireland from the Road Altas we used and a postcard I sent to myself.

Tickets from Bob Dylan in Dublin, the journal entry entered before the concert, and xylene art added post-trip.

Marbled end leaves and ephemera torn from a flyer.

A Room of One's Own Revisited

2009-09-02T12:33:00.007-05:00

There are no locks and there are frequent visitors (birds, squirrels, etc.). But this is my newest creative haven. A veritable "room of one's own," which I share quite often. It is a peaceful and, most importantly, a creative atmosphere. A private outdoor nook to read or to write, to paint or to book make.

Vintage Vernacular

2009-09-01T12:19:00.009-05:00

These are some of my newly acquired vintage treasures seemingly straight from an old library (although the typewriter is certainly too loud for a library). The chair seat is retro green tweed and the spring back is covered in a tawny leather worn to a shiny finish. It is comfortable but is in need of new wheels. The dinosaur of a typewriter is a Smith Corona. It is electric & types well, but I’m unsure of its year. And the bookplates I’ve picked up here and there. It looks like the beginning of a collection.

Enjoy Your Ride

2009-08-22T15:48:00.007-05:00

This is my most recent mural. This scene includes most forms of transportation (maybe even a little time travel): a train, a semi truck, an airplane, and a tractor. But my favorite part may be tiny little town in the distance. This wall has two bends in it, which made the composition a bit challenging but I think it worked out well. It took me 23 hours to complete.

On the Prowl

2009-08-14T19:16:00.006-05:00

Finished today. Handpainted mural about 9' x 8' done in acrylic paint. It took me 18 hours to complete.

Moss to Make You Merry

2009-07-03T12:50:00.003-05:00

Soon you will know more

2009-06-02T11:58:00.001-05:00

Green & Gracious

2009-05-28T08:04:00.001-05:00

Don't Bug Me, I'm Painting

2009-03-03T12:04:00.004-06:00

These bugs were the perfect embellishments for a little girl's room, coordinating with her bedding.

All Aboard

2009-03-03T11:42:00.008-06:00

This mural is painted at about at child's eye level. A steam engine train travels 'round the room along with railroad crossing signs and crossing arms. A train enters and leaves a brick railway tunnel on opposite ends of a window. And two lonely train cars sit on an abandoned track.

Green on the Horizon

2009-02-27T15:05:00.003-06:00

Green is beginning to bud everywhere, even in my mind. I am planning a trip to Ireland and the landscapes fill my daydreams. We are going at the beginning of May. We will spend a few days in Dublin doing fabulous things (including a Bob Dylan concert). Then we are renting a car, visiting the remote sites of Ireland’s countryside. The airfare’s been bought but not all destinations have been decided yet. If you have been to Ireland, please leave me a comment of advice, tips, places I must see and things I must do (or things I must not do). It is hard to choose where to go in a country of such diverse landscapes and interests. I will do my best!

Soon

2009-02-20T12:25:00.004-06:00

"Soon," they whispered, "you will be cloaked in green. The sun will dance across your closed eyelids. Once more, your eyes will open. The light will be shocking, beautiful. Cloaked in green."

shades of my day

2009-01-14T09:06:00.004-06:00

2009-01-01T19:27:00.010-06:00

Flea Market Finds

2008-12-12T15:41:00.009-06:00

A Wednesday morning stroll through a small town flea market proved fruitful last week. My purchases: Two early 20th century swivel picture frames. I had never seen these before but they are fantastic. I had planned to frame some collage work in them to sell on Etsy but I may have to keep them for myself. A blue and white tin made in England by Daher company. Seller claimed that it was 19th century, I've yet to confirm that but it is lovely nevertheless. And added to my total at a quarter each are some tourist brochure/pamphlets from the 1970's from England. I do plan to dismember these for reincarnations.

Some Fruits of Cold Winter Days

2008-12-11T11:12:00.014-06:00

Winter's Night

2008-11-23T18:24:00.005-06:00

The Lonesome Hour

2008-11-02T09:40:00.003-06:00

Postcard Art

The Long & Winding Way

2008-10-20T12:32:00.005-05:00

Counterbalance

I make capricious
u-turns in the middle of dirt
lanes; a wake of dust trails behind
as I wander back roads
of back woods with
windows rolled
down.

Bending toward
the sun, blades of gold sway
in fields to my left, to my right
roadside weeds flap a
weeping rhythm
against the
door.

The Wind showcases
her fury - fragments of
tin choke trees, cutting into
their dying flesh as she
blows her soft side
through my
hair.

Sulky limbs of trees
hang low over roads like
barren cages of ribs; skeletal
remains on the blacktop
disappear with every
day, every
wheel.

Clouds blow by
shaped like bones of a
fish, some like sails of a ship
as I roam these roads of
decay, yet, from them
I inhale their
life.

Gothic Reverie

2008-10-09T16:44:00.018-05:00

Autumn, she beckons my attention. And like the Muse, she lights my imagination with fiery colors. But with Autumn’s colors come a darkness. Shade, shadows, and an early setting sun. Mist and fog fumble with my vision. My eyes play tricks on me. I’ve grown accustomed to the sunlight and I find myself more interested in that mysterious world behind the shadows, in the dark forest, along the cold corridor. Whether real or imagined, a different realm creeps slowly near. Does the cool, howling wind blow thinner the veil between your reality and the realm of shadows?

It does mine.

And in honor of the darkness, a darker manicure. Happy Hauntings!

pumpkin orange acrylic - text from Shakespeare's Macbeth

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

black cat & witch's hat handpainted

mesh technique using lace, pumpkin orange acrylic, & black acrylic

bats & coffins handpainted

A special thanks to Barbara & Laura for letting me experiment (and then take many photos).

For those of you who love Autumn, check out a terrific little treatise on Autumn by my friend Jess at http://www.basalil.blogspot.com/

The Muse & the Manicure

2008-09-26T15:43:00.004-05:00

As a licensed manicurist and reader/writer, I've managed to literally fuse these two interests into some fabulous nails. I can put whatever text desired into the acrylic nails (but I'm going to keep my trade secret). For those of you who are familiar with acrylic nails, the text will not come off with polish-remover. So, better than polish. This is only my first set (and they are on my own fingers). I anticipate my next set to be better and I believe there will be more innovations to come. [And yes, those are snippets of Dylan lyrics]

Down the Highway

2008-09-18T15:17:00.015-05:00

On August 28, I attended my first Bob Dylan concert. The short version: it was sublime, mythical waves of words & melody pounding my ears. If you want the long version, continue reading.

Dylan Live '66 (http://www.bobdylan.com/)

We head north on Highway 71. I’m drunk on my favorite concoction, anticipation & the road. And my husband isn’t expecting anything. He likes to experience things with a blank slate, so to speak. No expectations, no disappointment. I think he’s missing out; anticipation is a heady high. We near our destination, Kansas City. While scanning the radio stations I stop on a KC jazz station issuing a haunting harmonica solo. I haven’t heard it before, but I know it. A strange incantation of “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” rings from the radio with a slanting tune & altered lyrics. I wouldn’t expect any less from Bob Dylan, the Master of Reinvention.

I am on a pilgrimage, albeit a short one, to see Dylan in the flesh, to hear him with my ears, to marvel at the legend. The jazz station offers a good soundtrack as we near our destination. Dylan songs are sung by various artists, some funky jazz tunes follow. Momentarily, a freight train (one of Dylan's favorite images) travels along side the highway. Clouds roll in, dark & low, though the sun still shines through & around them. The train cars pull away.

We arrive at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City two hours early. Anticipation is slowly dissolving into culmination. We walk down three blocks to join the end of the line; excitement is palpable. I see fourteen year olds, sixty-four year olds, a wide spectrum of young indie rockers, suits straight from work, peasant shirts, hippie skirts, & cowboy boots. Dylan is everywhere, looking as iconic as ever on a plethora of fans’ t-shirts. I am donning a gray felt newsboy hat in homage to Dylan & boots I will regret. I have a habit of staring at my fingernails (I am a licensed manicurist); I examine a job well done, or poorly done. Tonight this habit is amplified as I have fashioned the lyrics of “Visions of Johanna” on a few of my nails, the others are a deep inky purple. On them I read, “We see this empty cage now corrode where her cape of the stage once had flowed. The fiddler, he now steps to the road.”

I peer up at second story windows. Would Dylan be curious enough to peek out? Is he drinking a cup of coffee now, preparing his harmonica? I don’t see him, but if he peeked down, I think he’d be impressed. Like any great carnival, this convergence of civilization hosts a street performer, a sideshow (although not at all grotesque). A girl dressed in early Dylan (jeans, boots, a work shirt, corduroy beret) strums the guitar hung over her shoulder & plays a harmonica on a rack. She sings “Talkin’ World War III Blues”. She delights us as the line shrinks. Sporadic drops of rain turn my grey shirt black, one spot at a time. We make it inside just as a hard rain begins to fall.

It is difficult, but I walk past the tables vending t-shirts & trinkets. The commercialism seems anti-Dylan (although they are selling his wares). I don’t buy anything (but secretly wish I had). I vow to buy John Wesley Harding instead of an overpriced t-shirt. We make our way into the theater. The tickets are general admission, so we can sit or stand anywhere not already taken. I am enticed by how close we can get to the stage if we stand, so I choose a spot in the center about 30 feet from the stage. It is still an hour before show time. Meant to recreate a “vibrant Venetian courtyard,” the theater is intimate, with a capacity of 2500. It glows with colors - blues & corals, golds & greens. Goddesses are sculpted high in arched alcoves. Columns flank arches & ornate sculptured woodwork climbs the walls and ceiling. Dylan has played here several times. I can see why he likes the theater. It is soaked in myth like his music. And with him playing, this will definitely be a mythic experience for me.

An hour of waiting passes quickly. Someone lights incense on stage. The smoke spirals slowly up. A voice I cannot see announces, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Bob Dylan.” Applause swells within & around me. Drums crack, guitars wail, and Dylan begins, “Well, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat. Yes, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat. Well you must tell be baby how your head feels under somethin’ like that, under your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat.” A marvelous opener and a favorite, “Leopard-skin Pill-Box Hat” stuns with Dylan on keyboard and harmonica, a version unlike any other. What other magic will ensue?

I’m impressed by Dylan’s voice (Internet reviews have not been kind). No, it’s not his 1963 folk crooning or his ’66 electric sneer, & I didn’t expect as much. He’s somewhere between Robin Hood, the Wild West, & heartache, plus a couple (thousand) packs of smokes. His intonation & diction are still all crooked and cracked. It’s wonderful, and it's a good thing he sounds great because I can’t see much. At five foot nothing (plus a few inches of boot heels), I’ve never been so acutely aware of my height. I shift left and right, countering the fans in front of me, crane my neck, & will myself to grow taller (Oh, where are my Elton John platform shoes?). Still, I only catch views here and there. There are six men on stage - three playing guitar, one on steel guitar, one on drums, and Dylan on keyboard. The band is dressed to the nines in black suits and everyone is wearing a hat - a derby, fedoras, a backward beret. Bob is no exception. He’s wearing a black suit with silver buttons down the front. His shirt is a dusty rose color. His dark gray hat is wide brimmed and flat with a black band.

I peer intently through cracks in the crowd trying to see his hands hammering out sounds on the keyboard. Of this, I can see very little. I find myself distracted by trying to see and often I just close my eyes and listen to the music, the rhythm, the ragged voice of a generation and occasionally a brilliant harmonica solo. Early Dylan anthems are mixed with his more recent music, somewhere between country, rock, folk, and blues. A fiddle and bass accompany a few songs. Dylan has continually reinvented himself, refusing any labels, especially “genius”. In that same tradition, which I believe is the heart of his art form, he has molded his older songs into new incarnations. They have a different voice and sound, maybe a few strands of original music. Even the newer songs morph into amped up versions with quicker beats. I listen to him sculpt quicksand on stage and he does it masterfully. I welcome the songs with awe and bliss. The set is stellar, one pleasant surprise after another, especially “Watchtower” to close with.

http://www.bobdylan.com/

I’m still trying to take it all in as the crowd shuffles outside into the muggy aftermath of a Midwest thunderstorm. My husband (who was both pleased and impressed by the show) has to work tomorrow so we are driving back home tonight. He’ll fall asleep while I drive, which is just fine because he's probably had enough Dylan & I’ve already slid Blonde on Blonde into the CD player as we make our way up Broadway then back to 71. I’m filing freeze frames and sound bytes into my memory. I’m trying to weave a tapestry of Dylan - early, recent, & that magic I just heard - crisscrossed by train tracks, carnival routes, and my road home.

Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Rollin' and Tumblin'
Girl from the North Country
High Water (for Charlie Patton)
Chimes of Freedom
Til I Fell In Love with You
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Honest With Me
Just Like A Woman
It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
Beyond The Horizon
Highway 61 Revisited
Ain't Talkin'
Thunder on the Mountain
Like A Rolling Stone (encore)
All Along the Watchtower (encore)

www.bobdylan.com

www.uptowntheater.com

The birds were like black letters

2008-08-17T15:55:00.022-05:00

The owl is an image transfer from an antique ex libris bookplate. The tree and boot are also image transfers. There is some embellishment with black ink. Typewritten text.

Chair image is an image transfer embellished with black and blue ink. Typewritten text.

From Urgent 2nd Class by Nick Bantock:

In 1869, the Austrians issued the first postcards, and a year later the British followed suit. However, the earliest picture postcards didn't emerge till the Germans quietly started what was to become a universal trend. Without realizing it, they were setting free a torrent of images on the unsuspecting universe....In analytical terms the postcard could almost have been designed as a model for the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious. The text deals with the day-to-day practicalities and the image represents the dreamer's world. When you look at old cards, it's curious how often the front and back express conflicting or ambiguous messages. A bold, risque photo or illustration can be glossed over with a simple greeting: "Mildred. Sunshine wonderful. Paddling everyday. Yours, George."

Here are two pieces of postcard art. They actually got stamped, addressed, & sent to friends. Part of the charm of mail art is that it actually makes the postal journey, gets postmarked, crosses time & land. Even if I have to send one to myself to make it legitimate. These two were inspired by a couple of my favorite quotes. One from Orlando by Virginia Woolf & the other from Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

Whimsy, Windows, & Watercolor

2008-08-17T15:30:00.014-05:00

The Merry Wives of Windsor and Gothic Window By Elizabeth Schuch

As you may have seen on my sidebar, I do adore the art of Elizabeth Schuch. I first saw her art in the little shop at Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London, England. I bought of few pieces (reproductions because of a student's budget) and they appropriately adorn the wall above my favorite bookshelf. Much of her work is inspired by the great Bard but her other pieces are marvelous as well (like the Gothic arched window above). So, I was very pleased to stumble upon her blog http://www.immortallongingsart.blogspot.com/ where I browsed with delight, especially the how-to's. It is definitely worth your time to browse her sites. View her non-Shakespeare art at http://www.eschuchdesign.com/ . View and purchase Immortal Longings art at http://www.immortallongings.com/ .

I got a letter on a lonesome day

2008-08-07T17:17:00.036-05:00

A letter is a living soul, it is so faithful an echo of the voice which speaks in it that sensitive spirits count it among love's richest treasures. Old Goriot -Balzac

***

Image Transfers made with Xylol/Xylene, available at hardware stores. I love the way this technique distorts the images. I feel like I'm trying to peek through a window or a hole in a wall or decades of dusty time. These images were used in a letter I sent to a friend, on the envelope and a package for a CD. Does anyone know if there is a copyright issue with transferring an image that is not yours? There probably is but I did lose a ton of detail in the transfer.

A Trunk of Treasures

2008-08-07T17:05:00.009-05:00

Acrylic & Latex paint on Cedar to match previous mural

Café Des Amis

2008-07-04T12:32:00.017-05:00

Can’t have coffee with a friend? A letter will have to do. This address book is inspired by the colors and textures of coffee. The stamps are handmade and stamped with two shades of brown ink. The address pages, as well as the dividing tabs, are handmade and then hand stitched. The cover is genuine leather in red, distressed brown, and another red in a faux croc print stamped with ink. I added a pocket on the back cover for the owner to keep stamps or letters. It is made from an envelope embellished with a rubber stamp of script and international postal stamps in red and brown.

Feather So Lightly

2008-05-12T15:40:00.008-05:00

This address book was constructed for a bird lover, complete with some Dickinson verses, brightly colored dividing pages and handmade stamps: a bird on a branch and two different feathers. The cover is a thick textured wallpaper, fabric, and green leather stamped with black ink. The stamps were great to make; I see much stamp making in my future.

Addressing Mothers & Mother Earth

2008-05-05T13:31:00.012-05:00

This address book was made to give as a Mother's Day gift. It is inspired by nature with botanic cutouts from textured paper on each dividing page - flowers, leaves, and other plants, a rogue robin, and a water puddle. It is covered in a brown cloth napkin and the leaf shaped windows display another fabric and an initial for the recipient.

Spring Blooms

2008-04-08T17:52:00.011-05:00

I am always ambivalent about plucking the flowers in my yard, especially when only one has bloomed, but it was cold today and the wind was fierce. I feared this beauty would lose her petals or that her stem would snap, so she got plucked and will finish out her life inside, brightening my table, my spirits. The least I could do was photograph her, chisel her sunset epitaph, write with colors her obituary.

May the Love Song Never End...

2008-04-07T09:55:00.010-05:00

Where to put all those movie tickets, if your the sentimental type? Concert tickets? Photos? Love Letters? In a box, of course. But not just any box. A box designed for you. This box was designed for a couple of friends of mine, keeping their personalities and interests in mind. They both love music - hence the "love song" and Zeppelin lyrics. I used the blacks and whites to give it a bit of a masculine edge while using feminine patterns (so that the guy isn't afraid of the box). The box is a wooden cigar box about 7" x 11". On the inside cover I've put small pieces of flat metal behind the paper and the buttons are attached to small magnets to hold photos or other ephemera. Three blank journals were made to fit inside - to paste movie tickets in or keep a journal or some photos, important dates, whatever. Since it's love we're talking about, I used playing cards, the king and queen of hearts, on the books, and the ace just seemed right for the third. Everything is craft paper, images from magazines, or wallpaper with text from typewriter and ink embellishing.

Le Printemps: Une Renaissance de Couleur

2008-03-08T09:45:00.025-06:00

The Dandelion's Pallid Tube

Astonishes the Grass -

And Winter instantly becomes

An infinite Alas -

The Tube uplifts a signal Bud

And then a shouting Flower -

The Proclamation of the Suns

The supultre is o'er

Emily Dickinson

Circles of Motherhood

2008-02-26T17:33:00.013-06:00

THIS JUST IN: THE BABY WITH THE SECRET NAME WAS BORN ON MARCH 17, ST. PATRICK'S DAY. HER BEAUTIFUL NAME, ANNOUNCED ONLY UPON HER BIRTH, IS BROOKLYN LARK. WHAT A LUCKY LITTLE FAMILY.

To my mothering friends, to Roland, to the baby with the secret name, & to Lilian/Hunter:

Now That I Am Forever With Child by Audre Lorde

How the days went
while you were blooming within me
I remember each upon each -
the swelling changed the planes of my body
and how you first fluttered, then jumped
and I thought it was my heart

How the days wound down
and the turning of winter
I recall, with you growing heavy
against the wind. I thought
now her hands
are formed, and her hair
has started to curl
now her teeth are done
now she sneezes.
Then the seed opened
I bore you one morning just before spring
My head rang like a fiery piston
my legs were towers between which
A new world was passing.

Since then
I can only distinguish
one thread within running hours
You, flowing through selves
toward You.

I painted this motif of circles for a friend and the baby with the secret name. With it, I hope to give the child the gift of color.

Primavera Approaching

2008-02-19T20:13:00.007-06:00

If it had no pencil,
Would it try mine -
Worn - now - and dull - sweet,
Writing much to thee.

If it had no word -
Would it make the Daisy,
Most as big as I was -
When it plucked me?

Emily Dickinson

This address book was inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Her verses are throughout on each dividing page along with hand painted letters in alternating colors of pink and green. The colors echo a spring garden, a most loyal companion of Miss Dickinson. This hardcover address book is hand stitched and bound, covered with a cloth napkin with a bamboo pattern, green leather, ribbon, and buttons. The end papers are a light green hand-laid paper (not by me, however).

Around the World in a Cigar Box

2008-02-17T11:40:00.007-06:00

This box makes use of maps & travel ephemera. It includes a leather bound journal, pencils, sharpener, glue, various international postage stamps, & various other travel ephemera & craft paper for the owner to use in the journal. Maps, wallpaper, tissue paper, buttons, lace, & rubber stamping/embossing. Metal clasp closure added.

A Natural Affinity

2008-02-17T11:21:00.006-06:00

This box was commissioned for a lover of nature who spends a lot of time photographing the splendor around her. Some of her photos were provided for me to use: the deer photo on the cover & the landscape as the interior background. Also, a verse of one of her favorite poems was used: two deer came walking down the hill and when they saw me they said to each other, okay, this one is okay - Mary Oliver. I used these elements & natural textures & colors to create a pleasing & functional box. The contents include a leather bound journal & pen, a magnifying glass, a glue stick, a glass tube for found objects, & a small sliding drawer [a matchbox] for found objects - feathers, stones, or iridescent insect wings. Leather, brown rice paper, distressing with ink, gold ink, wooden cigar box.

Juicy Green Fruit of my Labor

2008-02-17T11:01:00.005-06:00

The very first book I made completely. After tearing and folding the paper (laid paper and watercolor paper) I stitched the signatures together. I bound and covered the book in a deep green leather. The diamond-shaped window displays a pattern from Italian writing paper. Ribbon and metal hardware create the closure. I've yet to write in this one lest it should lose some of its majesty.

Ode the the Gothic Arch

2008-02-17T00:41:00.005-06:00

This was the first book that I vandalized, ripped apart, and put back together. I would come to love this destruction and rebirth. In fact, I loved it right away. From this book, I learned the construction of a book. In its past life, this was a plain journal. I used a light blue/gray leather to recover it. The window displays an old map of Paris, ink embellishments, a wax seal, photocopy of seal from the Sorbonne, and the words in French: Love, yesterday, today, tomorrow. Quite appropriately, the first "window" I made in a book was Gothic arched. I love them. No squares for me.

That Which I Believe & a Miscellany of Self

2007-12-19T22:03:00.001-06:00

This was for English Senior Seminar. The class that was based on gambling/chance in literature and life but somewhat more about "What do you really know about life?" A class about truth, what is truth, what is true, chance in believing my truths over your truths over his truths. This book (enshrined in its own box ) was a response to the questions above - a book of my truths.

Artist Trading Cards

2007-12-18T19:53:00.003-06:00

These cards (one for each letter of the alphabet) were inspired by my affinity for travel. Two nearly exact sets were made - one I kept, the other was traded for cards of others in my Image/Text class. Each card has a map background, a handwritten letter and a travel related word typed onto wire-laid paper all glued to a set of playing cards. This project was entirely fun to do and one of my favorite things that I have done.

Ships Sail Away

2007-12-18T00:45:00.004-06:00

This journal was made for a close friend and was used as a travel journal. It is leather bound, hand stitched with ribbon tie. The inlay image is a ship from an old map and an ink and gold leaf pen doodle.

Tea Time

2007-12-17T23:26:00.007-06:00

Earl Grey is brewing quickly like the words on my tongue
when it drips dreamily through my veins
it sustains me like our warm and easy conversation

This limited edition accordion fold, butterfly book (May '06) was inspired by my love of the small luxury of tea. I made eight of them for Mother's Day for special women in my family. Included in the book: a brewing tea how-to, tea facts, the poem above and an additional poem. All photos are ones I took of my mother's tea pots and cups. Also included is a pull-out sheet of "tea" in six different languages and in the back another pocket containing a tea bag. The cover is solid wood blocks covered in fabric with a ribbon closure.

A side note: I drank some glorious tea one winter afternoon in Bath, England. It just so happens that the tea is available through their website for those interested. My favorite - winter blend. http://www.gillards.co.uk/

My Imagination Come to Life...

2007-10-23T22:52:00.002-05:00

This mural is my most recent artistic endeavor. I was hired to paint a mural for a girl’s bedroom, something enchanted. The end result is a mélange of the stories and visions of my childhood, quaint forests of my journeys abroad, and of course that green tree-lined avenue of my mind. You might meet glowing faeries or perhaps a unicorn on your way down the shaded pathway to the castle. The mural is done in acrylic paint and is approximately 14 x 8 feet. The windows in the tree are about the size of a half dollar and the castle is smaller than a quarter.

Envelope Journals

2007-10-07T22:02:00.002-05:00

I loved making these journals - they are inspired by my passion for letter writing and the excitement of receiving a thick, meaty envelope.

Post Voyage Box

2007-10-07T20:54:00.001-05:00

After we traveled to London together, I made this box for a good friend. I used some elements from the trip including some photos taken by her as well as a British map, a tube map, a poem by Wordsworth from a vintage book, some coins, stamps, and inspiration from the voyage like the gothic arch frame on the front. The journal she used on the trip fits nicely in the box. Ephemera from the trip can feel at home in this cigar box turned shrine.

Travel Journal in a Box

2007-10-07T18:19:00.002-05:00

This box is designed to be a travel companion. Record memories, mental snapshots, or sketches in the journal. Glue in ticket stubs, maps, or other ephemera in the journal or on the box. Or, use the box to keep ephemera. Take it with you where ever you go. Complete with journal, pencils, sharpener, and glue.

Box cover images from 1926 Illustrated Guide to Bath and vintage map of Paris. Journal is hand bound and covered using images from a map of Bath, England from a 1926 Illustrated Guide to Bath. 50 pages

A Room of One's Own

2007-08-19T15:23:00.003-05:00

Virginia Woolf expressed that "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." Money for the "the power to contemplate." A room with a lock on the door to "think for oneself" and to utterly be oneself. She wrote: "By hook or by crook, I hope that you will possess yourselves of money enough to travel and to idle, to contemplate the future or the past of the world, to dream over books and loiter at street corners and let the line of thought dip deep into the stream." Woolf's ideas transcend many creative realms - fiction, poetry, melodies, art. This is my room (on a very clean day). I paint in this room. I read and write. I forge books and stitch their spines. And on occasion I turn off all the lights save an amber one and I develop film and photos. This is my room...

Sprucing up Snapshots

2007-08-16T20:27:00.001-05:00

Recovered Photo Albums - fill with journeys and destinations; inspire wanderlust.

Folios for a Friend

2007-08-16T19:58:00.001-05:00

This is a travel journal I made for a friend for her semester abroad in France: handmade with a distressed green/black leather and toile fabric.

Addressing a Passion: Handmade Address Books

2007-08-16T19:13:00.003-05:00

If you love the art of writing letters, you should have an address book as brilliant as the greetings you send. I hand forged these address books combining my passions of bookmaking and correspondence. The covers are genuine leather. All letter dividers are hand painted or hand written. The books are hand constructed down to the binding.

Pulp to Paper

2007-05-03T01:14:00.002-05:00

The smaller frame is called a deckle and holds the pulp to a size and shape. After water drains from screen, the deckle is removed and then the paper is transferred onto a damp, absorbent felt and put in a press.

Watermarks

2007-05-03T00:36:00.001-05:00

Watermarks are made using 28-32 gauge wire shaped into desired design and attached to wire frame or screen with string. Fibers settle around shape and design is imprinted onto paper. After paper has been pressed, the watermark leaves no indentation but it visible when held up to light. Traditionally, watermarks were used to distinguish paper types as well as paper makers.

Linen to Pulp

2007-05-02T23:40:00.002-05:00

This is the linen after sitting in bleach, not yet blended into pulp.

Crafting Paper

2007-05-02T22:54:00.003-05:00

Paper originated in China [c. 2nd century] but did not reach Europe until the mid 14th century, the late Middle Ages. Prior to paper, medieval scribes [often monks] used parchment or vellum - stretched and smoothed skins of goats and calves. Medieval paper was made of linen rags, which I used. I let linens soak in bleach to break down fibers. Traditionally this was done by soaking for a longer period of time without bleach. After the linen disintegrates it is beaten [for this I used a blender]; this mixed with water makes linen pulp. A frame of wires is then dipped in a vat of pulp, the frame picks up fibers while the water drips through. I used a pre-made screen rather than wires on my frame. The fibers interlock creating paper and from the frame the paper is transferred onto an absorbent felt then pressed [I used the book press that I made].

The Alchemy of Inkmaking

2007-05-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

In the Middle Ages, black ink was either make of lampblack [carbon soot from a flame] or from oak galls of oak trees. Carbon ink is easier to make than the gall ink, but also inferior to gall ink. Carbon ink is grittier and not as permanent as gall ink. Getting soot to use for carbon ink can be done by placing a flat metal surface directly over a flame and leaving for around 10 minutes [do sit the metal on something to hold it, rather than using hands]. Soot should build up on surface and can be scraped off with a blade. The soot should become powdery and should be mixed with gum arabic [dried sap from the acacia tree]. Gum arabic can be found at a local craft store. If the ink is too thick, one might add water, but do this after adding the gum arabic. The soot does not mix well with water alone.

Making a Bookpress

2007-04-02T19:59:00.001-05:00

Bookpress - A bookmakers must have.

Press stitched and glued books, handmade paper, etc.

Two sheets of 3/4 inch plywood cut to preferred size

Four equally cut strips of a hardwood

4 screws

4 washers

4 wing nuts

The hardwood strips and plywood are connected with

wood glue and nails using a nail gun.

Pages from the Middle Ages

2007-04-02T18:34:00.000-05:00

By melding research, craft, and an interest in the medieval era I am attempting to recreate the art of medieval books and the joy of the craftsman (or craftswoman). As I wander through medieval pages, I am exploring the arts of papermaking, illumination, calligraphy, bookbinding, ink production, and quill cutting. My processes and progresses will follow.