Nearing Nutmeg Completion

Sewing it Down

I'm getting close!  In this picture, I am sewing the identification label onto the backing of what will be...  a completed art piece.  Yes, it has taken me much longer than I projected.  But I do have a (good?) excuse.  It's summer in Valley County.  Precious, fir-scented, and fleeting the full time residents here run at full tilt for several months trying to incur most of their annual income AND prepare for winter all at the same time.  Preparing for winter includes repairing last winter's damage and cutting firewood.  We continue cutting and hauling home the enormous red fir that is providing us with our first "one tree winter". 

Summer here is also filled with wonderful moments like visiting with friends who are here but once a year.  Recently, I spent a companionable afternoon in my studio with a fiber art friend and a pitcher of iced tea swapping stories and talking about our passions - fiber art being high on the list.  Check out Utah Surface Design...  these artists have it going on!

Green Cards at the Roseberry Concert Barn

There is more to do in our little mountain resort town all the time.  A few nights ago, we drove out to the historically preserved town of Roseberry to watch The Green Cards .  Excellent fiddle, mandolin, sweet singing and great stage presence.  Even I got up and danced - I think the band was having a good time too because they came out for three encores! 

In this busy summer week, we also worked in a beautiful hike through Clouchman Saddle and up Bear Pete Trail.  The trail winds it's way through acres and acres of forest burned over in 1994 and for that reason, my husband was not a fan of this trail. In my opinion, the burn area provided us with stellar views that went all the way over to the Seven Devils - a jagged mountain range to the west - and 24 miles to the south where we could see Payette Lake, the south shore of which our little town nestles against.  So I give this hike a big thumbs up - giant horseflies with painful bites aside.

Bear Pete Trail Looking West

I've written all this in an attempt to make excuses for my lack of productivity in the studio.  It is a constant struggle for artists in every medium.  How to balance the need for solitude in the studio in order to create with other needs of the soul; companionship, recreation, and reading.

Speaking of reading, I have a good summer read recommendation that I heard reviewed recently on NPR:  South of Superior by Ellen Airgood.  As a former Michigander, I could not wait to read this book and liked it so much that I am saving it for a second read sometime this winter.  Probably around my birthday as a special winter treat.  Check out Ellen's blog - it's a lot of fun!

Secret Beginnings

This is the beginning stage of "Secret Life of Nutmeg" as it looks laid flat on my work table.  The pieced fan shape is laid on top of the background fabric I've been preparing for a few days now.  The background base fabric is a navy blue Bali batik with star fields I created by sprinkling the surface with Bo-Nash adhesive powder following up with a heat application of a foiling product.  Voile'!!  The star field of my dreams.  I've been wondering how I was going to create the effect I could see in my head when I spotted something about this wondrous product in Jane Dunnewold's recent book, "Art Cloth" - a book I highly recommend to any fiber artist for its inspirational effects/techniques and clear instructions on how to achieve them. 

Progress is taking longer than I'd like - it's finally summer here which means it is time to repair the damage from the previous winter and get a grip on the yard and gardens which grow at a rapid rate of speed with any encouragement and long daylight hours.  Because of all the wet spring weather, I had a bumper crop of rhubarb this year.  It was so lush that I actually cut, sliced, and froze 7 zip-locks full that I know we'll appreciate during "the long dark", which is the phrase an Alaskan friend of mine uses for "winter".

Lovely Rhubarb

Warm Red Fir

To the right, is another reason for "slow art".  Around here, we say we are either living winter, or getting ready for winter.  That includes cutting firewood, which my wonderful and strong husband is shown doing here.  You can see at the top of this photo where the tree snapped off in a wind storm and thereby made itself available to us for harvest.  So far, we have hauled home around 3 cords from this one tree and there is quite a bit more.  This may be my first One Tree Winter - amazing and we are grateful.

Tyndall Creek/Vulcan Hot Springs

You say you want to hear more excuses for slow art?  Well, in addition to working around the homestead, it is important to take advantage of living in such a beautiful area.  I've made it a priority this year to hike with a group of girlfriends weekly.  I have lived here many years but there are many, many hikes I have not taken because of family commitments and employment.  With the kids grown and having been unemployed for a couple of years, I finally have the time to go hiking and I have to admit it has been a grand treat.  I feel guilty about my hikes sometimes, but then remind myself that summers here are short AND, I am taking an on-line Pharmacy Technician course to re-instate my license and hopefully find gainful employment upon completion.  It's likely I will not find a job here in McCall, but will need to look in Boise and come home on weekends.  It is not uncommon in my area for one spouse to work "away".  We'll just have to see how all that works out.

It was a beautiful 4th of July here.  My first year here was 1979 and it snowed at the BBQ I was invited to.  My Midwestern roots were properly shocked and I knew the folks back home would not believe it.  This year, we were fortunate enough to have a ring-side seat on a deck overlooking all the downtown fun.  I leave you with a couple of images from that beautiful summer night.

Fireworks!

Waiting for the Show to Begin

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