I waded into a quagmire today – and spent six hours in it. It’s been five weeks since the plumbing went to hell, and the pile of wet carpet and water-damaged stuff on the lower deck is starting to stink. Gypsum dust coats everything in the basement and a lot of the main floor, from the drywall cutting for the … read more Scrap heaps
Tag: art
Overcooked
What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing, according to lots of people who saw it on the Facebook page of Robert Elzey. They called this and similar photos that he shot in a local garden “gorgeous” and “beautiful” and “vivid.” I’d call it overcooked. This was apparent even to a non-photographer, who said, “I don’t like the color … read more Overcooked
Art for sale
“Only $25!” Beth exclaimed. “That is TOO low.” Beth used to own a gallery, so I’m inclined to take her pronouncement about pricing my fused glass as something more than mere flattery from a fellow artist. I had already been through this discussion with two other artists while I was setting up the display of … read more Art for sale
The valve is open
My art table is covered with plastic sheets and a layer of gypsum dust from all the holes in the drywall. My glass art supplies are in boxes and bags in the living room. I cart my supplies downstairs, and dust and vacuum to make a small table space, and unearth a stool to sit … read more The valve is open
My clutter, my self
I had written “toilet paper” on my list a couple days ago. Today I was clearing some shelves in the basement, and discovered a package of 20 rolls. Must have put it there in some misguided attempt to reduce clutter under the sink in the main floor bathroom, where we usually keep the toilet paper. Clutter … read more My clutter, my self
Like velvet
Kelly handed me a pair of safety glasses. “Your eyes are at just the right height,” she said. I was digging through a box of scrap glass, and snipping pieces apart with a mosaic cutter. Shards tend to fly when you use those. Kelly was right, my eyes were in the danger zone – and … read more Like velvet
The urge to create
“Teach your kids to code,” suggests Eutopia, offering resources for parents to help their kids learn coding. I’m not sure that learning to code would have made my childhood better. Especially if it took time away from my true calling: making miniature villages. The girl in the photo above, in Laos, probably didn’t think she was “working” or “learning.” She just … read more The urge to create
Dying beauty
When I got up this morning, all four of them were nearly dead. I was thrilled. Death has never been a taboo subject for me. In photography, I love shooting dead and dying things – old buildings, insects, cemeteries, birds, racoons. Last week I got this beautiful amaryllis as a gift. It was in full bloom. … read more Dying beauty
A weekend of tapas
It was all laid out before us: shrimp Diablo, buffalo sausage, Moroccan crepe, lobster bisque, marinated Greek white beans, winter hummus, artisanal cheese, European olives … That was just the first meal. Then there was the shrimp with grits and andouille, filet mignon on eggs Benedict, bourbon-glazed salmon, garlic-roasted potatoes, Key Lime cheesecake, chocolate truffle … read more A weekend of tapas
Other gifts, too
About a month into my recovery, a friend who is an herbalist and practices traditional Chinese medicine told me: “Your shen had a fright and has yet to fully return. Taking baby steps to make things nice and cozy ‘in Lisa’ will entice your shen’s full return.” She recommended herbs, meditation, looking at green things, being … read more Other gifts, too