mapping the unmappable
Here’s the dragonfly I embroidered inspired by the real one I have preserved in my freezer. Although this isn’t the greatest scan of it, I am pleased with how it turned out. It is subtle on it’s black background (I plan to wear this scarf and don’t like to be too awfully gaudy with my ...
Breathe Deep, Seek Peace
The other day I offered these words to a friend of mine who is going through a tumultuous time of change and difficulty. I actually read this quote years ago in a book my son and I were reading together about the island of Dinotopia, a magical world where dinosaurs and people live a near ...
What’s bugging me
This dang cold weather, that’s what! But even though it has been in the single digits, my fibery friend (and fellow Irish Musician Diva) Jeni Westerkamp and I managed to venture out for a trip to St. Theresa’s Textile Trove. St. Theresa’s is one of the many things that make Cincinnati a great place to ...
pictures speak louder
I’ve been in a quiet, hibernative mode the past few days where pictures seem more interesting than words. Although I haven’t written much, I have been drawing. Above is a daily dog. I have been trying to capture Iris’s wise and worried look she has in her eyes. I have yet to be successful. Over ...
teachers
There are many different kinds of teachers. At the Riley School of Irish Music, my first teacher was Simone, who at the time was only 14. Although I have now outgrown her class and have moved up a level, I still look to her for musical tidbits, suggestions and nuances to make my own playing ...
reconnecting
Recently I have felt the familiar feeling of being in a bit of a rut. It is winter time with dark, cold weather, so maybe this is to be expected. But I try not to wallow in it for long. These ruts usually accompany a time when I am busy in all aspects of my ...
Survival skill
I love lists. They are what get me through a hectic week with too much on my plate and not enough time or brain space to fit it all in. Lately the lists have been overly long, and the things that wind up not getting done on these lists tend to be the art related ...
Puppets and such
Today was the monthly Family Saturday program at the Carnegie Center for Visual and Performing Arts. As usual, kids and their accompanying grown-ups had a blast creating one-of-a-kind works of art surrounding the loose theme of puppetry. We made felt monsters, sock and paper bag hand puppets, shadow puppets and some simple marionettes based on ...
sabotaging boundaries
There is a nasty habit of mine where I find myself in a position of having taken on too much, in too many arenas, and then feel crushed by my self-imposed deadlines and responsibilities. This is a cyclical thing that I am coming to realize is a form of self-sabotage. Every now and then, I ...