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4-22-07

This parrot was part of an exhibition by a local group called Green and Clean. It is a group of volunteers who work to bring awareness of the landscape and the physical environment of our neighborhood. They take common areas in the business district and plant flowers, trees and bushes that beautify the area. They offer workshops in all aspects of gardening.

This group compliments the efforts of other community volunteers who work tirelessly to control litter within the business community. Litter is an ugly urban problem that severely effects the quality of life. I live on a main street and everyday I have to pick up litter that has somehow made its way in and around my bushes. It frustrates me to have to pick up after others.

4-21-07

This is not a photograph but an image that I created and added a quote. I chose it today to reflect the immediate environment. We have just gone through a long and gloomy weather pattern and today the sun is predicted to return. We celebrate!

Here is an interesting fact about the sun: According to Wikipedia, "The Sun's current age is thought to be about 4.57 billion years. The Sun is about halfway through its main-sequence evolution, during which nuclear fusion reactions in its core fuse hydrogen into helium. Each second, more than 4 million tonnes of matter are converted into energy within the Sun's core, producing neutrinos and solar radiation; at this rate, the sun will have so far converted around 100 earth-masses of matter into energy. The Sun will spend a total of approximately 10 billion years as a main sequence star."

There are multiple web sites with information about the sun (including live pictures from observatories around the world) but a good sight for learning about the sun is The Stanford Solar Center - http://solar-center.stanford.edu/about/ - LINK

4-20-07

This is a photo of my grandson opening a present on his 2nd birthday. As I approach my 57th birthday this coming Sunday April 22, I reflect on the exuberance of youth so apparent in this photo. The dictionery defines exuberant as " joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic". I have always been a person who approaches life with exuberance, yet I still seek a balance that always seems elusive.

According to astrology-numerology.com and using my birth day of the 22nd, my character is defined as- "While sometimes employing unorthodox approaches, you are capable of handling large scale undertakings, assuming great responsibility, and working long and hard towards their completion. Often, especially in the early part of life, there is rigidity or stubbornness, and a tendency to repress feelings. Idealistic, you work for the greater good with a good deal of inner strength and charisma. An extremely capable organizer, but likely to paint with broad strokes rather than detail. You are very aware and intuitive. You are subject to a good deal of nervous tension."

I am surprised at how accurate this desciption tells my life story.

4-19-07

This is a photograph of an afghan made as a gift for me from my mother in law. It is truly a beautiful piece of art work. It is made up of individual rows of different colored cotton yarn. It is crocheted and it took her many hours to make.

While I know how to knit and crochet, I am continually frustrated at my lack of ability to become adept at using patterns. I have made a few plain afghans and many winter scarfs, but the idea of making something like a sweater is very daunting. I continue to yearn though to create something wearable from the amazing array of gorgeous yarns available. And of course I have baskets full of yarn that I have purchased with good intentions.

Enthusiasts in New England can get their fill of knit and crochet at the "Chain Link" show July 12-15, 2007 in Manchester, NH. The Show is the Crochet Guild of America's Annual Chain Link Conference and The Knitting Guild Association's Regional Conference. Info about the show is avaialable at http://www.knitandcrochetshow.com/summershow.asp - LINK

4-18-07

This is a photo of a small wall quilt I made around 1997. The piece consists of images that depict the musician life of my husband. It was one of the first pieces of wall art that I have done. It was quite involved and has hung as part of an exhibit at Boston City Hall with the Hyde Park Art Association.

I scanned pictures of him playing his music and scanned covers of his albums. I then printed these images onto fabric and added music themed fabric and other embellishments. I gave it to my husband as a gift. Today it hangs on the wall in the staircase in my house.

My piece while very special to me pales in comparison artistically to some of the work being created by artists in fabric medium today. To see art quilts visit SAQA - Studio Art Quilt Associates - web site. According to the site, "SAQA defines an art quilt as a contemporary artwork exploring and expressing aesthetic concerns common to the whole range of visual arts: painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, assemblage and sculpture, which retains, through materials or technique, a clear relationship to the folk art quilt from which it descends." Check it out, you will be amazed.

4-17-07

This photo was taken at Jamaica Pond one day when I took my grandson to feed the ducks. Jamaica Pond is part of Boston's famed "Emerald Necklace" - consisting of an 1,100-acre chain of six parks linked by parkways and waterways created by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1892. This beautiful park chain includes: Back Bay Fens, Riverway, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Park, Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park

Researching info about the importance of parks and waterways, I came across an organization called The Nature Conservancy. "The Nature Conservancy's mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive." This is a monumental task in light of the increasing threat of global warming. The web site tells about conservation efforts around the world.

Because humans and nature exist side by side, it is inherent that each human be educated and given the task of preserving those assets of nature that in turn give us life. In Massachusetts some web sites worth exploring about conservation are: MA Department of Conservation and Recreation - LINK and Mass Audubon - LINK

Mass Audubon has a nature conservatory right in my own area called Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary at Mattapan.

4-16-07

This is a photo of me standing in front of the Revovling Museum in Lowell, MA. I really like the mission statement of the museum, "The Revolving Museum is an evolving laboratory of creative expression for people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities who seek to experience the transformative power of art. Through public art, exhibitions, and educational programs we promote artistic exploration and appreciation; encourage community participation and growth; and provide opportunities for empowerment and social change."

I see my own involvement in art as an evolving laboratory. Each piece of art work is an experiment that builds from a knowledge base I absorbed from the previous piece. Each piece of art work challenges me to try yet another method or medium. My art work is like a world tour of wondrous discoveries.

More importantly I have found my art to be truly transformative both personally and socially. Art helps me to express my inner soul and the sharing of my art has encouraged others to either begin their art journey or to validate their journey.

4-15-07

This is a photo taken inside a small boutique. The owner had a way with not only finding out of the ordinary merchandise but displaying it in a very creative way. It was always a visual treat to visit this boutique.

I am a person who lives for visual treats. I crave color like some people crave the sun or chocolate. My art work is always ablaze with multiple, bright colors. Most people can readily tell you what is their favorite color. I am hard pressed to say what is my favorite color. I tend to use a lot of greens (green symbolizes harmony, creativity, health, abundance and nature) in my art work. I tend to wear a lot of different shades of red and pink in my clothing (red symbolizes life, vitality, strength and the physical nature of man.).

You can find thousands of pages of research done on the psychology of color. By simply typing color meaning in your search browser you will find endless sites that discuss color and its impact. My favorite site is "Color in Motion" because not only does it educate but it entertains. Check it out http://www.mariaclaudiacortes.com/colors/Colors.html - LINK

4-14-97

April 27 is National Arbor Day, a day to plant trees. Trees have always been a favorite subject of mine both to photograph and create in my art work. Trees are truly vital companions to people as they remove toxic CO2 from the air we breathe and they produce life sustaining oxygen. They are especially important in urban settings where large groups of people compete with ever increasing levels of pollutants (unfortunately created by people).

I am lucky to live in an area that is populated with a great many trees. Less than a mile from my house is the Arnold Arboretum. The Arnold Arboretum occupies over 257 acres of land and displays 4,448 different kinds of plants (excluding nursery holdings). A walk through the Arnold Arboretum is both visually entertaining and healthy. Visit the Arnold Arboretum web site.

I was happy to discover that "In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension."—Dr. Roger S. Ulrich Texas A&M University.

4-13-07

This photo was taken through the window of the Boston Cheese Cellar in Roslindale. Cheese is one of my favorite foods. I eat cheese almost daily and always like to try new cheeses. My all time favorite is Blue cheese but my house regular is usually a cheddar. And my favorite blue cheese is Berkshire Blue, a raw Jersey milk Blue cheese aged for 60 days from South Mountain Products made right here in Lenox Massachusetts (you can buy at the Boston Cheese Cellar).

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, over 18 million metric tons of cheese were produced worldwide in 2004. This is more than the yearly production of coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans and tobacco combined. The largest producer of cheese is the United States, accounting for 30 percent of world production, followed by Germany and France.

Unfortunately I do worry about the health consequences of eating too much cheese. While great for providing ample amounts of protein and calcium, the Center for Science in the Public Interest describes cheese as America's number one source of saturated fat and as we have all been told, this leads to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Nevertheless, add fruit and you increase the nutritional value. Try a poached pear with some crumbled Blue cheese on it - delicious!

4-12-07

It is April in Boston and there is little precious color outdoors as our winter came late and is lingering. I found these fledgling pansies in the windowbox of a local shop in my neighborhood. According to Wikipedia "The pansy gets its name from the French word pensée meaning "thought". It was so named because the flower resembles a human face and in August it nods forward as if deep in thought."

At this time of year, my deep thoughts turn to my garden. My head is full of grand ideas for turning my yard into a flowering paradise. I visualize neat groups of colorful flowers that will greet me each day as I journey in and out of the house. I wait impatiently for the magic of the spring sun to warm the earth. Some years I have started seedlings inside and marvelled at the growing process. Most years I spend hundreds of dollars at the local garden shop purchasing flats of flowers.

Gardening to me is both a pleasure and a curse. It is a lot of work and I get easily frustrated when I don't have time for the chores (weeding mostly) and my grand design most times is a hodge podge rather than a symphony. The frustration though pales next to my desire to have the color show of flowers in my garden. "Just living is not enough, said the butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower". ~Hans Christian Andersen

If you are a gardener in Boston there is a great web site that is specific to the region - http://www.bostongardens.com - LINK

4-11-07 - Reaching

Here is my grandson Devon at the age of 1-1/2 reaching up to the kitchen counter to get a ball. Devon is a constant source of entertainment and sheer joy. Like a sponge, he spends every moment soaking up new experiences and assimilating them to himself and the world around him.

As for myself at the age of 56, I yearn for more hours in the day to experience new things. Each day though moves quickly through a haze of work and mundane daily tasks like laundry and bill paying. I find myself vacillating between wanting more time to do nothing and wanting to do a thousand new things.

I am not alone in this mid life crisis. At an interesting web site www.eons.com people share their needs and dreams of life after 50. There is a section on the site called Life Dreams. The top ten Life Dreams for people over fifty are: Lose Weight; Stay Healthy; Exercise More; Write a Book; Become Debt Free; Take a Cruise; Go to Hawaii, Retire; Travel to Europe and Pay Off My Mortgage.

Here are my top ten Life Dreams: Find More Time to Do Art; Spend More Time with Devon; Focus on a Writing Career; Stop Smoking; Spend as Much Time with My Mom as Possible; Say No More Often; Organize my House to Remove the Stuff; Visit Museums; Find Time to Read More; and last but not least Plan for Retirement.

I hope you are thinking about your Life Dreams and how to achieve them.

4-10-07 - Forsythia

This is a photo (manipulated in Photoshop) of a plant in my dining room. The forsythia is fake, raucously placed in the peace lily plant for lack of a better place to put them. The forsythia at one time adorned my seasonal welcome sign on my front door. The peace plant has been with me for a long time.

My entire house is a compilation of things out of order and raucously placed. This scene mirrors my creative mind I tell myself. Occasionally when the compilation becomes even too much for my overactive mind to handle, I try to distill the “stuff” and toss or give away mountains of “art” supplies. Soon though I find myself at A.C. Moore or Joanne Fabrics and more stuff creates a new compilation and a new art project.

This is truly addictive behavior on my part. According to Heather Hatfield on WebMD, "Individuals will get some kind of high from an addictive behavior like shopping," says Engs. "Meaning that endorphins and dopamine, naturally occurring opiate receptor sites in the brain, get switched on, and the person feels good, and if it feels good they are more likely to do it -- it's reinforced."

I remember having a strong fantasy as a young girl. I always wished for a closet full of art supplies. During my youth I have no recollection of living in a household where art supplies were readily available. I also did not have a huge desire to do art as a child. My art inclination (and compiling) didn’t begin until well into my adulthood.

Here are some of the things in my compilation: hundreds of bottles of acrylic paints of every possible hue; hundreds of paint brushes of every shape and size, boxes and bags of decorative paper (whole and in tiny pieces); glue and tape; beads; excessive bags of fabric; clay; stamps; blank cards and envelopes; ribbons; markers; stencils; blank canvas; magazines and scissors.