Butterflies

Meet Emma! She is 2 1/2 and ADORABLE! Emma's mother is even more ADORABLE. Emma came to visit with her mom and baby brother this weekend. On a rainy and cold Sunday afternoon, we headed to my art classroom at school to make butterflies from coffee filters and clothespins. Emma ran around the room "flying" with her butterfly. Emma was oblivious to the dreary weather; but I am wondering, "Where is spring?"

Pat-a-Cake

"Pat-a-cake. Pat-a-cake. Baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can!" My knee has been painful for nearly 4 weeks now and although the previous diagnosis was "tendonitis," following an ex-ray and an MRI last week, it has been changed to "Baker's Cyst." I have learned that baking has nothing to do with the cyst (not a surprise since the chance of me incurring injury while baking is miniscule because I seldom bake), but is named for the physician who discovered the annoying condition, Dr. Baker. Nevertheless, I am REALLY cranky because I CAN'T exercise without experiencing GREAT pain. I am also CRANKY because "Baker's Cysts are COMMON in the elderly. I am NOT THAT OLD! I protest!!

Lemons

Stonewall Jackson

Renee launches a lemon towards Jackson's monument

The lemon lands safely next to the monument. Note the elaborate pen and ink decoration on the lemon!

Jackson thought of a lemon as a "rare treat ... enjoyed greatly whenever it could obtained from the enemy's camp." Renee and I learned this fascinating bit of trivia on our recent spring break trip to Lexington. We left lemons for Jackson and also learned of similar gifts of fruit left at the headstone of "Traveler," General Lee's beloved horse, buried outside of the Lee Chapel at W & L. Note to self: next trip, bring an apple for Traveler! I so thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Lexington three weeks ago to see college friends/roomates that I decided to return with my daughter who has a love for American history. Loved it once again...

"Writers' Strike"

No, I am not a television writer. But much like the reruns of our favorite shows (Grey's Anatomy) that we have watched the past few months, here are some of my favorite images from previous art exhibitions for you to view while I wonder about which direction my art will take me next.

Sunday in the Park with George

"Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte"

George Seurat

Why is it that every event that tugs at me this spring break is ocurring in New York City and I can't get to NYC this week? My latest obsession is a new Broadway play: Sunday in the Park with George. A close friend is in the city this week...I am living vicariously through her.

The Color Revolution

ZOBOP!

vinyl tape floor installation

2006 Jim Lambie

Color Chart: Reinventing Color, 1950 to Today

Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

March 2-May 12, 2008

In an article titled, "Paint by Numbers" in the New York Times Style Magazine yesterday, Li Edelkoort surveys the contemporary color pallette with regard to the current MoMa exhibition. Edelkoort writes,"In a way, the color chart of the 21st century very much resembles the Book of Genesis, with its beginning of light, the water and earth dividing, the arrival of green--strangely enough, before the arrival of the moon, stars and sun--the colors of fish and birds (the best brights yet to be studied), the endless neutral shades of animal fur and, last but not least, the color of man, our skins their own fashion spectrum."

Baby steps...

It's a start. At least I am making art...or something?

Blossom

I love this image by Ana Juan!

Block

Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus -
Main Entry: block
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: obstruct

Synonyms:
arrest, bar, barricade, block out, blockade, brake, bung up, catch, charge, check, choke, clog, close, close off, close out, congest, cut off, dam, deter, fill, halt, hang up*, hinder, hold up, impede, intercept, interfere, occlude, plug, prevent, shut off*, shut out, stall, stonewall, stop, stop up*, stopper, stymie, tackle, thwart

I got nothin! I can't paint or draw or create these days! It is not the first time, which should be of some comfort; however, creative blocks are really UNcomfortABLE.

Lovely Lexington

"Despite what our children say, we are foxes," claims Ginger, the best "preserved" of the bunch!
I bought these really cute flats in Lexington. Check out Laura Brandon.

As we have done for the last nine years, 5 Duke women meet for 45 hours of conversation and friendship in North Carolina or Virginia. Our time in Lexington, VA this weekend was especially rich. As we said goodbye this morning, making prelimary plans for the next year, I wondered why we waited 20 years to start this tradition.