Good Bye 2010

You were a pretty good one! And for that I am thankful :)

1. Lola's cover, 2. Pocket Planner Giveaway, 3. Wrapped, 4. New Flock, 5. Friends...finished!, 6. Window decals, 7. "Home is where the heart is", 8. Wall bird done!, 9. Autumn, 10. Plumeria, 11. Bird with potted flower, 12. Butterfly stone, 13. At dusk..., 14. Friends, 15. Desk with view, 16. Studio sneak peek, 17. Seaweed Prints, 18. Dogwood finished, 19. Iron-on Elephant, 20. 20 cent Bird, 21. New pages for June, 22. Corals, 23. Around the World, 24. Blue, 25. June page, 26. Un-pinked :), 27. Elephant, 28. Jubal's Kin CD design, 29. Vermillion Flycatcher, 30. Stamped Doily, 31. Embroidered Tea Towel, 32. Faux Specimen Display, 33. Jared Treasures, 34. The best mail day!, 35. Birdies on my mind & on my shelf., 36. New Journal for 2010

Happy New Year!

Big hug to each and every one of you!

Earlier Today

Music: "Cycling Trivialities" by José González

Meet Lola!

Lola is my beautiful new Singer sewing machine I got from Santa this Christmas!
I named her Lola because it's what I would've named a daughter if I had one ;)
My other machine died (R.I.P.) from a fall a few months ago.
She's the one on my blog banner.
The machine cover I had made for it didn't fit Lola so I'm making her a new one :)
I dyed a yard or so of natural canvas into a military green color that I love
mixing olive green, black & a little bit of brown store bought fabric dye.
I cut patchwork birds out of 100% wool felt and attached them by hand
using blanket stitch and a few french knots
with my favorite stash of vintage crewel wool I bought a few years ago
from my dear friend Carlene's Etsy Shop.
I might turn the old cover into a new pillow. I'm so happy to be sewing again :)

EYES, OLD AND NEW

It is a fine thing to view the world with the fresh eyes of a child.


Frankenthaler

The colors are brighter and motives are purer.


Olitski

No wonder Goethe's Faust was ready to trade his soul to recover his lost innocence:

Give me back youth's golden prime
When my own spirit too was growing
When from my heart unbidden rhymes
Gushed forth, a fount forever flowing;
The world was shrouded in a haze
The bud still promised wondrous powers
And I would cull a thousand flowers
With which all valleys were ablaze
Nothing I had, and yet profusion
The lust for truth, the pleasure in illusion.
Give back the passions unabated,
That deepest joy, alive with pain,
Love's power and the strength of hatred,
Give back my youth to me again.

But it is also a fine thing to view the world through the eyes of experience.


Raphael, the School of Athens

Experience enables us to get past the inanities of youth and start addressing the complexities of life. The world often loses charm in the process, but as James Gould Cozzens warned, it is foolish to try to hide in childish delusions too long:

Refusal to face the verities, though not without immediate satisfactions, carries penalties. There's a fool killer personifying the ancient principle, "Whom the gods would destroy..." in this world, and he has a list. And that's a good way to put yourself on it. Then the question is just one of time, of how soon he'll get around to you.

In the coming year we will receive many invitations to put aside wisdom so we can experience art through innocent eyes. This will always be a risky proposition as long as the fool killer walks, but sometimes surrendering our defenses is the only way to open ourselves to potentially worthwhile experiences.

Looking with new eyes as we travel familiar paths, we sometimes discover exits that our good taste previously prevented us from noticing. These exits may lead directly to the fool killer's prize flower garden, but they may also lead to discoveries of real value. Our challenge for 2011 will be to see with eyes both old and new.

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Feliz Navidad!

Luke 2:10-14 King James Version
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

We went for a tiny live tree this year :)
Merry Christmas from Manolo, Israel, Daniel, Turbo and me!
Thank you so much for your continued support of my work and this blog.
You guys make blogging a real joy for me!

Whoooo?

Whoooo got so excited to see the spectacular lunar eclipse
that she forgot to take out the camera & snap some cool pics at 1:45 am?
um... that would be me. Sorry!
Watercolor and acrylic in on Fabriano paper. 6" x 8"

La Luna

Will you be watching the lunar eclipse tonight?
La Luna was quite a show this afternoon when the sun was setting.
It promises to be a spectacular event. Wouldn't miss it for anything!

ONE LOVELY DRAWING, part 34

The National Gallery of Art reports that "For several months in the winter of 1816-1817, Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld vied with his friends, brothers Ferdinand and Friedrich Olivier, in making precise drawings of dried leaves."

Julius created this tiny pen and ink drawing as part of their competition:



What a blissful way to remain warm: rubbing your impressions of nature up against each other.





There were plenty of dried leaves in 1816, which was known as "the year without a summer." Julius and his friends, isolated from the world and immersed in their game, had no way of knowing that on the other side of the planet, the most deadly explosion in recorded history had taken place: the volcanic eruption of Mt. Tambora in Indonesia. This "super-colossal explosion" was heard over 2,000 kilometers away. It belched massive quantities of volcanic ash into the sky, blocking the sun and creating volcanic winter as far away as Europe where Julius sat peacefully drawing. Leaves died and crops failed, causing the worst famine of the 19th century.

Meanwhile, different types of explosions were taking place in the political realm. The great Napoleon Bonaparte who had shaken governments to their knees and cast Europe into turmoil had recently met his downfall in the Battle of Waterloo. In 1816, Napoleon's entire family was banished from France forever.



The epic events taking place outside while Julius and his friends focused on dry leaves were so huge and momentous, they make us stop to ponder the grand sweep of things.



Yet, if you are seeking a finite expression of the infinite you are more likely to find it in this gentle little drawing by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld.

Sunset at La Casa Azul

Taken earlier this afternoon after a nice walk with Manolo and Turbo.

Melting ears (on Cory Arcangel's two works)

The one I liked was this:


while the one that goes further is this:


Both are fragments of works by Cory Arcangel.
The difference between them is significant. The first one is a joke - it is a repetition, a trick played on the idea of reproduction or universality.
The other one too. But the other one moves towards something else. It provides us with the doubt as to what it should be like. I don't know Schoenberg's op. 11, 3. I might have heard it, but I'm not sure how it sounds. Yet it certainly doesn't sound like these cats. Or does it? What is it about Schoenberg that makes him sound like Schoenberg? And why do we need him to sound like Schoenberg? (Why do we call artists people who interpret in the most faithful way? And no, this is not a rhetorical question. What is it about repetition that still makes it move us aesthetically? And no, any form of the answer "the difference within the repetition" will not satisfy me as long as I keep putting the same piece on my mp3 player and enjoy it beause it is the same, and still appreciate its freshness, not its "difference".) The thing, here, is not just about the cats, it isn't the old elephant-making-oil-paintings trick. It is rather about other possibilities of listening, of paying attention, of defining what you hear. Can we hear the Schoenberg in the original cat videos? Can we hear Bach in the original music versions? The Bach composition, in that sense, says too much - it states a clear correspondence between the original YouTube videos and Bach's work. The second says less: it says "it is out there, but it's hard to say where exactly, and why exactly we would stop there". (And does it while being damn funny). And that's when our ears melt and reconsolidate, they become other ears, and other, and other. We are forced to listen to what might be there, and not what we think is there.
So why do I like the first video more? Maybe because I still enjoy what is there a lot.
Or because I'm not a fan of Schoeberg.

Pocket Planner Giveaway Winners!!!

From over 1000 participants!!! Congratulations!!!
Dorothy from North Carolina at O My Soap!
Fimo & Arames from Portugal.
Christine from France at Anecdotes
Thank you so much for playing along & for all the nice comments!
Each one of them was like an early Christmas gift for me :)

The cozy chipmunk was made for this special occasion
with watercolors & acrylic ink on paper.

Giveaway & 5th Bloggiversary!

♥ Thank you so much for all your lovely comments about this new project ♥
An hour after I had posted about the new planner my own copies arrived at my door! So I'm happy to tell you we'll have a giveaway today!!!
They're really beautiful in person! I'm over the moon happy :)

I inquired more information about international shipping and here's the deal:

- You can order the "Avian Friends Pocket Planner" (that's what it's called officially) directly from Galison by email at: sales@galison.com

- It will NOT be available through Amazon.com because the barcode is not featured on the outside...bummer! But the range of gift cards, magnetic pad, and thank you notes will be available through Amazon.com soon.

- I will have signed copies available at my shop when I re-open in 2011...yay!!!

But now let's move on to the giveaway!
***Please leave a comment in this post with your contact info.
I will choose a random name tomorrow night
and will announce the winner Saturday morning!
Have fun!

Oh! and I almost forgot! One of my most loyal readers and friend Pablo Acosta reminded me that it's my blog's 5th birthday today!!!
Gracias por recordármelo Pablo!
+++++Whoa!!! 1018 comments!!!+++++
Thank you SO much for all your lovely greetings :)
I will be giving away three Pocket Planners tomorrow instead of just one!
Comments are now closed. I will announce the winners tomorrow at noon.
You guys are the best!

The Inner World of The Shell

South Carolina x-ray tech William A. Conklin became a pioneer when he decided to x-ray seashells, exposing their inner world. Although his pioneering days happened some time ago, we continue to pay homage to those who contributed so much to the world of conchological art.

The video below is a fantastic older interview from Carolina's WBTV with Mr. Conklin, who gives us a rare look into the inner world of the shell. Many thanks to YouTube's CarolinaCamara for posting this great clip.

In 1995, Mr. Conklin authored a wonderful book titled "Inner Dimensions: The Radiographic World of William Conklin" featuring his highly acclaimed radiological art work. This book is available on Amazon.com (direct links listed below).

Inner Dimensions: The Radiographic World of William Conklin, 1985

Other books by William Conklin: Nature's Art: Inner and Outer Dimensions of the Shell, 1989

To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Conklin does not sell prints of his highly acclaimed work. However, if you are in the market for such items, visit George Green's site: Green Things X-Ray Shell Prints or visit his ebay store for some very beautiful radiological art prints of seashells and other marine life:

Photo Copryright Greens Things

Ebay Shop: Snail Shots / Tro Tro Trading

Pretty Pocket Planner!

New Pocket Planner from Galison!
With my birdies and my own handwritting :)
This is the project I've been dying to tell you about for the past year...
It's a brand new project collaboration with Galison that I'm really thrilled about!
It will be available from Amazon soon for everyone outside the US!
This planner is fresh off the presses, as soon as I receive my own copies
I will have a giveaway for a chance to win one signed by me :)
Stay tuned!

From the Galison website:
Cute little birds illustrated by Geninne D. Zlatkis will keep you organized all year long--from winters in the south through summers in the tundra and all along the migration back!

Galison's Avian Friends pocket planner's interior pages have collage-like illustrations of birds combined with butterflies, vintage post cards, and ticket stubs on the interior pages. Quotations about birds are interspersed, and the message the birds are tweeting--in the old-fashioned way--is "write everyday".

Here's a great gift: a charming organizer that doesn't require an Internet connection or a battery! A Galison pocket planner is handy at the desk, on the go, or even in your laptop bag.

● Monthly and weekly layout pages
● Undated: fill in dates as you use it
● 192 pages including checklists, contacts, notes, etc.
● Measures 4-1/2 x 5-3/4" with pink elastic closure
● Gusseted pocket for cards and miscellany
● ISBN 9780735330726

Maz and Joe

Chiswick, London

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

The Dutch book is now available to order from Amazon, here.

Bird Ornament Tutorial

1- You can use oven baking polymer clay or DAS air drying clay to make the birdie. I used a little bit of FIMO clay I had left over from another project.

2-Knead the clay until it's soft and malleable.

3-Shape the clay into a round ball.

4-Turn the ball into a drop shape.

5- With the tips of your fingers pinch the chunky part of the drop
until you form the head of the bird.

6-Pinch the head of the birdie to form a beak
and flatten the pointy tip to make the tail.

7- Poke a hole through the back of the bird straight down until you see the tip of the toothpick in the bottom. This is where you'll thread the bird to hang as an ornament.

8- Poke the hole from the bottom with the toothpick to make a clean orifice.

9-Bake according to directions in the package or air dry if you used DAS.

10- The birdie is now ready to be painted! Use the toothpick to hold the bird while you paint it with acrylics.

11-Decorate the wings of the bird with snowflakes if you want a winter theme.
I used a piece of foam board to hold the bird in place and make it easier to paint.

12-Finish off all the details like the beak and the eyes and thread it with the string of your choice. I added a little wood felted bead I had laying around, but you can also use buttons or any kind of beads.

Now go and hang that cute birdie on your tree! :)

Fun Wall

A little collection of curiosities in the studio wall.

RICHARD THOMPSON

Richard Thompson's drawings make me happy, not just because he is so darn funny but because his work is a daily reminder that a beautiful line and a lively intellect are still enough to succeed in this wicked world. No software, Dolby sound or corporate financing necessary; just pure observations about human nature scratched onto bristol with a dip pen nib.



Thompson is an illustrator / cartoonist / writer in the tradition of James Thurber. If Ronald Searle and Bill Watterson got married and had a baby which was raised by Crockett Johnson, that would be Thompson.

His illustrations have appeared in the New Yorker, The National Geographic, the Atlantic Monthly and other publications. I love this smart, witty series of drawings about superstition that appeared in the Washington Post:







Look at the marvelous way he handles the horizon line in this next image:



Thompson's syndicated comic strip, cul de sac, is regularly the most delightful space on the newspaper comic page. With the demise of Calvin & Hobbes, I feared that every possible comic strip idea had been exhausted, and that we were now doomed to an endless loop of formulaic gags of the type found in Garfield, Cathy and Family Circus. (The world's leading recycling industry is not Waste Management Inc. but newspaper comic syndicates.) But cul de sac views the world with a child-like freshness and offers a new, recognizably true insight every day. This is really hard work; it requires high standards and a hyper-active conscience. But Thompson understands the importance of making the end result appear effortless, and cul de sac floats lighter than air.

In the immortal words of Jessica Rabbit, "He makes me laugh."

Quiet Sunday

It's such a nice & quiet Sunday here at home.
We have two new birdies living with us, aren't they adorable!
They're vintage spun cotton & real feathers.
Got them from Kim's beautiful shop Trampoline.

I recently changed the books on the shelf above the couch. Turbo approves :)

This cute Kingbird came to visit just outside our kitchen window this morning
with a very important message for everyone:
"Before you buy any gifts for Christmas this year I beg you to read this, this and this"