Nutmeg Secrets

Working Drawing

Ahhhhh.....  the Secret Life of Nutmeg.  Bouncy, whimsical, warm and mysterious - all this and more goes on in the inner workings of a simple nutmeg.  Ever notice the interior of a nutmeg?  I have been saving the scraps from my nutmeg grinder for years so I can study the insides of the intriguing, warm climate nutmeg.  Scraped to a hard oval disk by the grinder, the surface is cafe Au latte colored with toasty brown elegant squiggles.  I have these disks hanging around in my kitchen and in my studio to remind me of the lighter side of life.  This drawing was inspired by my nutmeg ruminations.  I started the process of fabric selection yesterday and will soon have a partial construct on my design wall to post.  It is my intention to follow the creation of this piece through to completion so I can share the process; sometimes light and simple, sometimes agonizing, always a lesson in trust and faith and my soul interest in life. 

Happy  Feet

Pursuing the lighter side of life inspired me to purchase these beautiful, incredibly uncomfortable, silver leather mules with rhinestone circlets from our local McPaws Thrift.  Sales proceeds go to supporting McPaws Animal Shelter for Valley County critters that need a home.  Doggie Ethyl heartily approves both my new shoes and my ongoing support of the shelter.  I intend to wear these shoes as much as I can this brief and beautiful summer!         
                                                                              There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty  of    being happy. - Robert Lewis Stevenson and quoted on the fly-leaf of Gretchen Rubin's book, "The Happiness Project".  I started reading this book and am taking to heart many of the author's thoughts and suggestions.  As someone for whom sudden and deep spells of "the blues" are regular and routine, I was struck by Stevenson's charge and understand what he is saying.  It's another way of saying, "lead by example".  Life is difficult for everyone, regardless of status.  My crabapple blossoms are 6 weeks behind in showing up?  Well, at least they did and I'm sharing them with you today. 

Comments on life and art are always welcome!

Crabapple Blossoms

Coming and Going Thoughts

It has been a busy month since my last post with many entrances, exits, and another art piece completed.  In my last post, I was just about to quilt the piece pictured and entitled, "Desert Mosaic" (29" long x 35" wide).  There are so many pieces in this work and so much going on, that I chose to do the quilting with a clear monofiliment thread on most of the top using long, continuous lines of stitch to keep the eye traveling smoothly over the surface.  The whitecaps on the river called for cream colored thread, and the sky has blue thread.

In this close-up shot, you can see more detail and the color shading in this photograph is more true to the actual art work.  It is quite vibrant and I am pleased with the way these complex colors and forms come together.  The very first piece I put up on the design wall was the striated silk in the upper right hand corner with the three shaded, pointed layers of organza reaching for the top of the composition.  This was a bold fabric choice to make because of the strong lines and decisive colors and I had a few anxious moments building around and out from my original choice not yet sure that it was going to "work".  It took awhile for the vision I held to match up on the design wall.  I am very happy with the end result.  Each completed piece encourages me to move on in my artistic boldness which, in turn, encourages me to make bold moves in my life outside the studio as well.


It's been a busy month, a week of which was spent looking for jobs and resettlement in Williston, North Dakota, a modern day Boom Town based on the oil and gas industry.  My husband and I thought we had done our homework well before embarking, but found we were not quite prepared for the reality.  To begin with, we went prepared to tent camp and drove in to cyclonic weather (which is why I have no picture to post!); wind driven rain and a rising Missouri River made us decide to find a hotel room.  The closest we could get to Williston was Glendive, MT a full 100 miles away as most rooms closer in are booked out as far as two years in advance.  Our hotel in Glendive was filled with oilfield workers making that commute to Williston daily.  Undaunted, Scott had the one interview we had lined up beforehand for 4:00 p.m.  It was clear in a short amount of time that he would not be getting that particular job.  Disappointed, we headed back to our hotel room all the while making our plans for a fresh try the next day.  By the time we arrived in Glendive, we had decided to head back for home instead and make more careful plans for a future attempt, if at all.  You need to go to Williston knowing that you will not be hired unless you have a North Dakota address in the area.  You also need to know that there is no housing available.  The solution?  Take your own camper and park it in one of the myriad RV and mobile home parks springing up like mushrooms all around Williston.  If you do that, you will get a job.  Also go knowing that getting a job is not an overnight thing - we talked to several young men who had already been there two weeks with no success.    As we swung onto the ON ramp to interstate 94 outside Glendive heading West, we saw a young man standing next to the OFF ramp with a cardboard sign in his hand that read, "WILLISTON".  The whole scene reminded me of Steinbeck's, "The Grapes of Wrath", which I have read several times.  People are coming in from across the nation in an effort to find work and camping wherever they can - we saw plenty of people pitching tents in nooks and crannies around town.  Williston is a nice town made up of tidy two-story brick buildings with a lovely public library and hospital (two places I always check out).  I wish everyone the best; both in their efforts to find employment and enjoy a good life, and in Williston's efforts to maintain a nice little town in Boom time conditions.

Might Ethyl Frog Eater

Today:  dig spotted knapweed out of our field accompanied by doggie Ethyl who is recovering from her frog eating adventure.  She nearly died from ingesting not one, but many little frogs from a nearby pond.  Who knew?  When we tire of digging noxious weeds, we shall repair to the studio to start my new piece:   The Secret Life of Nutmeg.  Fun and whimsical, this art piece represents what I wish for everyone - a bit of fun and whimsy in each day!