After confirming that the flowers were edible, Ricky of Ricky’s Market asked me to tell him how they tasted. Well, they don’t taste like much to me, but what wonderful brightness they add to a salad. Like sunlight.
I have to return to Ricky’s soon and I am contemplating picking up some white flowers. If I place their petals upon the dark green leaves of spinach and kale will I be reminded of the moon this time? We shall see. 🙂
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes | Tagged art, beauty, colors, edible flowers, flowers, food, gardening, healthy eating, imagination, Inspiration, Photography, salads, violas | 1 Comment »
illustration by zoe langosy
Pencil has met paper. Lines have been drawn. Soon images will be cut and painstakingly applied to a sensuous form. An original concept has evolved with the core idea the same — figures clothed by nature. My photography as the “fabric” in the hands of fashion illustrator Zoe Langosy. Here’s a sneak peek at her current work in progress, a rendering of a Valentino dress to be collaged with three of my photos.
creative swatch by zoe langosy
In her own words: What has surprised me about the evolution of this work is that the initial drawing was classical in its rendering in part because Valentino is so classical, his fashion prim and romantic.
illustration by zoe langosy
But after the initial drawing which echoed that romantic sentiment, I lost interest and began a new drawing, one more dynamic and sensual. The wonderful challenge for me is to use the Valentino dress in a different way, to take this beautiful classical garment by a master designer, and render it with a darker edge that’s more inline with my own artistic style.
photo courtesy of zoe langosy
The artist is at work, ladies and gentlemen. Stay tuned for future updates. New to this story of a unique collaboration? Read more here: a new year and new collaborations and here fashion plus nature equals
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes | Tagged art, beauty, collaboration, collage, colors, creativity, drawing, fashion, fashion illustration, illustration, Inspiration, nature, Photography, sensuality, Valentino, Zoe Langosy | 1 Comment »
Off to Open Studios. Have a good day, folks. 🙂
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes | Tagged beauty, colors, flowers, gardening, Inspiration, nature, Photography | Leave a Comment »
painter’s box of carol moses
Visit the Riverside Gallery at the Cambridge Community Center from noon to 6pm today. See artists at work. View their paintings, sculpture, photography and more. Pieces are available for purchase including small totems by Cedric Harper (read more about this amazing artist here and here)
beautiful paintings by Adriana Prat (read more about her artistic expression here) …
vibrant works by Jenny L. Grassl blending words, letters and the visual
bold inks and watercolors by Carol Moses
and new work by artist Maki Takano
and I’ll be there!
Riverside Gallery 5 Callender Street, Cambridge
Posted in Inspiration | Tagged abstract, art, artists, beauty, Cambridge Open Studios 2016, contemporary art, creativity, Inspiration, painting, Photography, Riverside Gallery, sculpture | Leave a Comment »
Not with my one pea pod. In the right light I can see the tiny peas. One for sure. Two maybe. I’m hoping for three. The whole pod is about three-quarters of an inch. The largest pea is the size of the smallest seed bead and the smallest pea like a period. Why does such a tiny thing bring me joy? Even in the midst of pain, physical or otherwise, I look at that pod and it makes me smile. And I wish I could box up that feeling, in tiny boxes of course, and mail it out to the friends and family who need some joy in their lives. Or at least a momentary smile.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations | Tagged gardening, indoor gardening, Inspiration, musings, peas, Photography, plants | 1 Comment »
one of the two windows depicting, “pentacost,” by daniel maher stained glass
These windows at St. James’s Episcopal Church by local artisans Daniel Maher and Lyn Lovey express a creativity and diversity that is very modern. It is almost startling to look up and see them in the clerestory after viewing older works by Tiffany, Clayton & Bell, Goodhue and others in other parts of the building. In part that’s because of my own ignorance around stained glass making today and how churches continue to commission their design and installation. Working with glass remains a popular and contemporary art. And in places like St. James, the past and present harmonize quite nicely.
one of a pair of windows designed by lyn hovey stained glass
I’ve lived in Boston for almost twenty years and I can’t even imagine how many times I’ve walked along Massachusetts Ave past this church. When I’ve been tired I’ve stepped into its adjacent garden and sat on the church steps. I’ve always wondered, what was behind the red stone? I’m grateful to the rector, sexton and other staff for allowing me to appease my curiosity and glimpse the beauty inside. Until you can make your visit, below are a few images for you to enjoy. And there’s also a link to a very interesting overview of the windows available online.
Detail from chancel windows …
Detail from one of the choir angel windows …
Detail from the Resurrection window…
Detail from David with Harp …
Detail from Dorcas window …
Detail from Saint Dorothea window …
Detail from the Greenleaf window …
Detail from the Nativity window …
Additional Reading and Links
Overview of St. James Stained Glass Windows
Posted in Inspiration | Tagged architecture, art, beauty, churches, colors, design, diversity, faith, Inspiration, Photography, religion, stained glass, stained glass windows | 2 Comments »
detail from rice memorial window “christ the light of the world”
As you travel along Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, just outside of Porter Square, you will find St. James’s Episcopal Church, a beautiful stone structure designed by Henry Martyn Congdon in a Richardsonian Romanesque style. While the church was founded in 1864, the cornerstone of the particular building in which I peered today was laid in 1888. Inside is quite a variety of stained and painted glass (and a bell re-cast by Paul Revere!).
While I visited at the wrong time of day and time of year for the best effect, the opalescent windows along the west wall still caught my attention. I visited in early morning in spring but for the windows to be seen as their designers — John La Farge and possibly Tiffany — intended, I will need to visit again in winter in the late afternoon just before sunset.
detail from “jesus the good shepherd” by john la farge
I’ve already marked my calendar. 🙂
detail from the batchelder-dexter window, “the mission of the seventy”
I’m still sorting through pictures and their stories. More to come from my delightful visit. Meanwhile you can learn more about the church, its people and the history of the building here: http://www.stjames-cambridge.org/
Posted in Inspiration | Tagged architecture, art, beauty, Cambridge, faith, Inspiration, John La Farge, religion, St. James Episcopal Church, stained glass, stained glass windows, Tiffany | 2 Comments »
In short, from front to back, each page of The Flower Workshop is a treat. Am I biased? Perhaps. This is the kind of book that I can imagine on the table in front of me as I sip sweet tea, just flipping through the pages. Strangely enough, it was my younger brother who recently reminded me that that is exactly what I used to do as a child with my mom’s gardening books. Just sit and peruse them over and over again. Well-written and beautifully photographed, the book provides step-by-step instruction for producing 45 floral arrangements. But beyond those specific projects, the reader is truly educated in how to “branch out” and experiment with how to work with flowers, foliage, fruit and more to create what I consider to be ephemeral works of art.
Will I be producing a flowering dogwood display anytime soon? No but I do have a greater appreciation for the skill as well as imagination behind such displays that I had perhaps taken for granted in churches, hotels and even the homes of friends. And I also take away a deeper understanding of everything from the rule of three to the subtle use of color to establish mood. There’s a nice index and seasonal flower guide. Simply a lovely resource.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this honest review. Please check out the following links for more information.
Details about the book: The Flower Workshop
Posted in Books I Love, Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes | Tagged ariella chezar, beauty, book review, books, creativity, floral arrangement, flowers, Inspiration, Photography, the flower workshop | Leave a Comment »
Despite the fact I know very little about growing orchids, I seem to have success with this plant. As I’ve written before, I think it’s because I leave it alone to bloom as it likes. And what a wealth of blooms so far.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration | Tagged beauty, colors, flowers, gardening, indoor gardening, Inspiration, orchids, Photography | 3 Comments »
At the window my one pea blossom continues to bloom reminding me of a garnet drop.
The radish seeds with which I had such early, painful adventures have leafed out. I harvested some to form this base of a salad.
The flowers, plucked from a small pot in the hallway, didn’t have much flavor. Too subtle for my palate. But for my painting palette, they were just perfect. 🙂
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes | Tagged colors, flowers, gardening, healthy eating, indoor gardening, Inspiration, peas, Photography, radishes, salads | 1 Comment »
Words + Images 