From the Bookshelf

I found this fascinating book on my recent trip to the San Francisco MOMA, in their wonderful gift shop. Amazing and hard to put down.  Not everyone's type of eye candy but I love it.  Here's what Amazon has to say:

Skulls, butterflies, hunting trophies, ancient Egyptian artifacts, the alleged skeletons of mythological creatures, and many other mysterious oddities fill cabinets of wonder. A centuries-old tradition developed in Europe during the Renaissance, cabinets of wonder (also known as curiosity cabinets) are once again in fashion. Shops, restaurants, and private residences echo these cabinets in their interior design, by making use of the eclectic vintage objects commonly featured in such collections. Cabinets of Wonder showcases exceptional collections in homes and museums, with more than 180 photographs, while also explaining the history behind the tradition, the best-known collections, and the types of objects typically displayed. Offering both a historical overview and a look into contemporary interior design, this extravagantly illustrated book celebrates the wonderfully odd world of cabinets of wonder.

Theatre of Dreams 2012

We took our annual trip to
Wendy Addison's Theatre of Dreams

 in Port Costa the day after Thanksgiving.

Lots of glitter, lots of colour, lots of magic!

Vintage beauty everywhere you look.

 New Christmas pennants, with a "circus-y stripe".

 We purchased a few presents for special friends,

pick up some letterpress discs and 

a new Christmas ornament.

And what trip to The Theatre of Dreams would be
complete without seeing the shadow dancer!

Open Fridays and Saturdays 10-4

through December 21.

Jasper Johns @ MOMA

 A wonderful stop at the San Francisco MOMA on our recent Thanksgiving trip to see the Jasper Johns exhibit that just opened and is running through February.

A nice selection of Johns' work - many of the number series, flags,targets and his "Seasons".  Also a fairly recent piece called "Bush Baby" that is being exhibited for the first time.

This 0-9, my personal favourite was not there, 

but there was plenty of artwork to see and absorb.

After finishing the Johns' exhibit I went to the 2nd floor permanent collection to visit this Robert Rauschenberg peice Collections.  I could stand and gaze at this piece for hours (and I have several times)and still find something new. For all of us who are mixed media artists I feel this piece is seminal to our art form. What we do is all here.  It's one of those pieces that must be seen in person to appreciate.  The textures, the layers, the colours.  Simply brilliant.

Suitcase Saturday

The Young Naturalist

This wonderfully vintage case belonged to Margot's father.  I used it to create a glimpse into a world of nature and science.  Full of test tubes, specimen cases, bottles and bags,
a vintage 1930's toy microscope, and dozens of examples of flora and fauna.

I even made a small altered book (upper left hand corner) detailing our intrepid young naturalist's adventures and experiences.  These assemblages in suitcases are quite fun to create and I especially enjoyed working on this one.
 

Happy Thanksgiving

A day to reflect on all the blessings we have -

 big and small; past, present and to come.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

4 Art Girlz - Etsy!

Our monthly marketing group, Art Girlz,
has opened an Etsy shop! 

  Featuring Margot & Destiny's Two of a Kind pendants, and

Debra's gorgeous jewelry creations (coming soon).

 My paper and 3D ephemera paks.  

Lots more to come as we get further listings put up.  

Life on the Coast

Weekend sunset with Rock and heron - Morro Bay Harbor.

From the Bookshelf

I first saw this book on Nick Bantock's coffee table when I was there for a weekend workshop several years ago. I found it fascinating and purchased my own copy.  Nick is well-known for his "altered" postcards and many of the ones in the book are similar to those he's used in his art.  "The Lure of Distant Lands" is an apt subtitle for this collection of turn of the (last) century photographs from Africa, the Middle and Far East.
They still seem exotic now over 100 years later, their impact on the Europeans and Americans of the day must have been stunning.  This makes a wonderful reference volume, and provides a tantalizing glimpse to a lost era.

Complicated Paper a la Anne Bagby

 Spent a bit of time this past weekend making complicated paper,

all of these done on Linco tissue paper,

 a very thin, strong tissue used in book making.

 I raided my stash of paper scraps that I keep in 

several drawers surrounding my art table.

I'm looking forward to amassing quite a stack of these and 

then having them available to use in my future projects.

The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

98  years have passed since this "war to end all wars"began.  And 94 since the first Armistice Day.  Now celebrated as Veterans' Day in America and Remembrance Day or Poppy Day (for the poppies of Flanders Field) in the UK.  Heartfelt thanks to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe.