Imagine the troubadours of old as they walked the back roads of … some quiet place, with mandolins or banjos in-hand, a song on their lips and through those songs telling stories. Not of fantasy or fiction. They sang stories of lives simply lived. That is the imagery conveyed by a conversation with Clay Rice about how music influences his visual art. You see, Mr. Rice is famed for his silhouettes of children, nature and life along the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
He carries on a family tradition, first made notable by his grandfather, Carew Rice. Most of the biographies I found about the Rices emphasized their artistry with paper, but during our brief chat, Mr. Rice made it clear that music has always been a part of his family’s life, and that songs have always been woven into his work, especially his children’s books. Read more of our conversation here. Enjoy!
Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Music | Tagged art, beauty, Clay Rice, culture, family, interview, music, paper cutting, storytelling | 4 Comments »
In sorting through photos for various projects, I came across a cache of purple. Now I have the urge to buy some purple marbles at the toy store, an eggplant and some grapes from the farmer’s market, and maybe pick up some purple paint chips from the hardware store. Who knows what purples may appear in the near future. Maybe I’ll even photograph a purple crayon. 😉
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes | Tagged beauty, flowers, Inspiration, nature, Photography, purple, tulips | 10 Comments »
“Sometimes we do not know what we know until it comes through the soles of our feet, the embrace of a tender lover, or the kindness of a stranger. Touching the truth with our minds alone is not enough. We are made to touch it with our bodies.” — Barbara Brown Taylor in An Altar in the World
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged books, Inspiration, quotes, spirituality, words | Leave a Comment »
When I looked outside my ktichen window this morning I saw a blanket of clouds covering the sky. Every color was muted. People moved by at a meandering pace with umbrellas tucked beneath their arms. No one seemed particularly sad or depressed by the weather, just lost in thought, as if walking in a waking dream. Dreams … that’s what I thought of as I snapped these photos of raspberries from this morning’s breakfast.
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations | Tagged beauty, colors, food, fruit, Inspiration, musings, Photography, red | 1 Comment »
Learn more about World’s End here.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road | Tagged beauty, colors, Hingham, landscape, Massachusetts, nature, Photography, travel, World's End | 2 Comments »
So on Sunday I was walking down the street carrying dirt and clay pots and various seeds. The sun was beating down. I was hot and tired and hoping I didn’t trip and break the pots before I reached home which seemed to be a million miles away. I came to a fork in the road and for whatever reason I took the left fork — a path different than the one I had taken before. Along the route I passed a table set up on a small front yard, and on the table were those most magic of items — used books.
They were not in great shape to say the least, but there was a lovely antique-ness about the mound on the table and the ones just visible in boxes across the yard. Most had dark non-descript covers. A young man kept trying to put books in my hands, flipping to the colorful lithographs inside. A lot of science scenes.
But it was the German children’s book that caught my eyes with its fading colorful cover. When I cracked its bent frame, crispy yellowed pages slid into my hands, but all the pages appeared to be within. I tucked them back and flipped through as gently as I could, enchanted by the imagery inside.
German I do not read and so I will have to find a translator to help me make out the title and cover page information. An 1880’s creation for sure, combining short story and myths, and even a play at the end. Some images are clearly signed like this one by C. W. Allers …
… but most are not.
More research to be done on the contents, and to learn how to conserve such a literary treasure. I’ll be sure to share what I find. 😉
Posted in Books I Love, Inspiration, On the Road | Tagged animals, art, children's books, illustration, Inspiration, literature, lithography | 2 Comments »
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