THis is my office that I call the cage..

I call it my cage, because it is exactly that...a cage..i'm hoping this helps to explain why I go crazy some days when I am in here for hours on end on my "B" days...

"and don't you know that God is Pooh bear?"

Hooping Rain , Shine or Snow!

Last Saturday, Feb. 13, we were all still pretty snowed in and a little stir crazy. My man, Spilly, was out in the snow, on one of the highest snow piles, introducing his new spring line of hula hoops. What's not to love about this spirit of dedication and revolutionary love! Every Saturday morning he is out there on his medium stoop selling his hoops and his message of building community through the idea of shared moments of fun ! The Baltimore Messenger caught him in action and capture this great photo of him. Join Spilly on Saturdays in front of the Waverly market or for family free hoop sessions at Studio thirty 4 at 623 W. 34th St. Suite 105 Baltimore, MD 21211, every Sunday from 10:30 AM to noon! Also look for his new spring line of speciality hoops in his new etsy shop here.

I made it onto a very tree-y treasury today!

What has happened to today's girl scout

I was looking over at the Good magazine blog and a Thursday series on girl scouts has begin. I'm too happy with the flakiness of this article that doesn't mention anything really about today's girl scout or about the design sense of today's teen girl between the ages of 13 and 15. I'll admit it. I was one of those girl scouts in my teen age years. Course that also where I learned cool girl habits like smoking cigarettes and that funny stuff too! Read the article here and see what you think. IN the mean time I went on to etsy to find some good girl scout paraphernalia to enjoy!

Michael Johansson.

Looking on the grain edit blog and found these amazing cool found object installations by Swedish artist Michael Johansson. I've been more and more thinking installation and sculpture than painting lately and these are beautiful in their structure and color schemes. These would put my first painting teacher ( love you Joyce Stillman Myers) to shame with her definition of sculpture being "something you back into while looking at a painting"

Reflections on Painting continues...2002-2004

mother may I?

jill

king pooh

Mural for Mulberry Street

jack

and then there was pooh

nose pickers

I had just came back from a week at SAIC in the summer of 2001, where I received a grant to participate in a teacher institute and paint the model . I was welcomed home by a huge piece of linen that was used in some movie set. My tool box was full of figure drawings and paintings as well as a full 12' by 8' wall covered with linen. My largest piece to date began in 2002 and was completed, or stopped being work on in 2003. IN this pivotal year, I created a mural for Mulberry street of abut the same size as well as King Pooh, which is 8' by 4'. I absolutely loved working this big. But the size becomes way too big when it has to be taken down and rolled up and stored away to hopefully one day be shown again. I tried to hang my Jill painting in my new house, but there isn't a wall large enough to hold it. The theme of jack and jill and fairly tales as well as pooh exclaimed greatly in my work during this period. This was also the last works of art created during my first marriage. The tales that gave me the insight to move on in life.

This morning's walk...another trip through the great divide

This photo documentary is my morning's walk around 9AM. from Oakenshawe to Northwood. It was windy but not as bad as the day progressed. I think I caught the calm before the storm. About 10 " new this morning. We've all been called into our homes for the rest of the day. Rest up tonight and pray that our power lines hang in there. Tomorrow begins yet another day of the big dig out!

Snow-a-cain 2010...finding the big divide

WOW, what a fun storm this has been! I decided to put down my shovel yesterday and go for a long adventuresome walk. I was told, and I truly believe this, that I live very close to the greatest divide in the U.S. today. The greatest contrast between wealth and poverty is here in Baltimore. The divide is Greenmount Ave. and the area of greatest divide is right up the street form me, where Pen Lucy and Guilford meet. So I ventured down Argonne Drive to where it turns into 39th. street with my camera in hand and Love Peace Project pumping through my head phones.I found that the people on my side (the poor east side of 39th.) were all out helping each other, being quite friendly, responding to my hellos. I had a full conversation with one guy as we walked up the street together. I noticed the side streets were no where close to being passable and 39th. was barely a one plowed ice cover lane. As I crossed Greenmount in to Guilford I noticed a big difference even on 39th. street. Two lanes, almost 4 lanes were plowed. The neighbors were out watching one guy with his snow blower clearing Juniper Street. They were all out laughing and gathering walking their dogs. Most of their sidewalks had already been cleared. I noticed a sign on one door exclaiming "No Shoveling". Heavens if anyone on this neighborhood would support anyone trying to make a buck here or there, especially in this economy! No responses to my hello's except the three guys coming through yelling "The Good Guys are here"! I'm sure they were from my side of the street. And I think the snow blower guy said hello too. But that was it. The rest gave me the paranoid stare. I ended up at my friend Spilly's house in Oakenshawe where we continued the day of adventure of hula hooping in the streets, sled riding down Wyman Park hills and a well deserve afternoon nap. My walk home was greeted by the sun set, more friendly hello's on the east side and welcoming of the crows that lined the trees of my street. Today, I guess I have to begin the dig out of my car. I really wished we would all just chill and go out for long walks and adventures and leave our cars under the snow for a while.

The Big Storm of 2010!

Its 3:04in the afternoon and two BGE trucks have been parked in front for the last hour. I guess I should be grateful that I have electricity and I guess a bit optimistic since doom is sorrily across the street. It started snowing around noon yesterday and hasn't stopped yet. Last night I heard thunder and woke up to more than 20" on the ground. I went out around 11 to shovel and most of what I shoveled is covered again but I can still see the path. It's a heavy beautiful snow. The trees are drooping and hanging low. There has been very little human sightings minus the work man in their neon green vests. Its very peaceful but I know stir crazy will step in soon. I'm keeping busy with the new spring line...but also thinking it may be time for an afternoon nap!

Trying to think spring in the middle of a snow storm!

Crazy snow storm...20+" and and its still going! Meaning I'm in my sweat shop making more spring totes! Here are two more...I sold the first water tower already!