It has been awhile since I have checked in with everyone, and was wondering how all of you were and what creative projects you had going on now that summer is in full swing. My present creative adventures aside from my schoolwork have been having a new patio put in and working on a garden plan. It is quite an exciting project since this house was pretty much a blank canvas before I moved in. There weren't any flowers here as many of you know and I really have missed them. Since we have decided that we would stay here a little longer than we had planned I feel like I am nesting a bit and trying to make this house feel more like home. The tiny beds that I dug last year have expanded and I have started purchasing many of the flowers that I had a the cottage as well as some that I have always wanted but have had a hard time growing like hollyhocks. I now have tall pink spires that remind of fairytails. I also have my first garden friend in CT who gave me some daylilies, black eyed susans and a tall, red flower with tiny buds whose identity is presently unknown. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? Althouh it hasn't taken so well to being planted in the heat I will look forward to seeing it's vibrancy next season.
Since I am on a garden high I thought I would share my magical visit to the Garden's by the Sea tour in Stonington with my fabulous friend Sue and Succulent cousin Suzy. The Stonington garden club organizes the tour every three years and picks a diverse group of gardens to visit in the Stonington Borough. The Borough is a fabulous place to visit just to enjoy the quaitness of the shops, restaurants and historical houses along the seashore. The weather was a perfect blend of warm sunshine with a perfect sea breeze. Many of the women on the tour adorned fun, sassy hats and flowery dresses making the day feel extra special. We all gleamed ideas for our gardens. My favorite plant was a Japanese willow which adorned dainty pink flowers. I was looking for ideas for a natural screening for my new patio area and was quite inspired by how some of these gardens had been screened from surrounding houses with a mix of plants, trees and shrubs as opposed to the tall evergreens that I usually see. Suzy, Sue and I had a perfect end to our day with lots of laughs, lovely mojitos and a delicious late lunch. I couldn't ask for anything better!
I have attached some pictures from our day. What have you all been up to? How are your gardens growing, both literally and creatively? I would love to hear from all of you. You have been thought of and missed! Until then...Happy Summer adventures!
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Hi everyone~I just put up a new post if any of you wanted to check it out. Also, I have been thinking about the book and where it might be by now...kind of an exciting mystery! If anyone has any pictures for me to update the blog, send them my way and I will post them. Love to you all! xoLaura
Well I have been busy working on my studio space since Laura has helped me remove all the clutter. I will be ready to paint tomorrow a lovely yellow for inspiration and creativity. I am looking forward to getting back into the studio, I am still journaling every morning but other than that the room is not quite fuctional. I am looking forward to seeing the book. I hope everyone is well and happy summer and gardening!
Good Morning to all!
I just finished teaching a course at UNH called Music, Visual Arts and Literacy. Talk about a TON of great fun research and work! It was exhausting to develop something I have very little knowledge about, but absolutely fascinating as well. One of the things I discovered was the book, A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. It talks about how we need to get to and use the right side of the brain and how this translates into where we are headed as a culture. I used it as my class text because I think so many of his ideas have major implications on the state of education and what is happening in our classrooms across the nation. Check it out!
Soooo...that has led me to "play" with my own right side and try to teach myself how to draw! I am going to take August to really practice each day and see what happens. I would love to take a class, but really am craving the UNstructured pace of summer that I have yet to take advantage of.
Laura, I wish you would come and make me a garden! I just don't have the gardening gene in me! All of you Deerfield folks, I wish you could see one of the bushes that you all gave me. It has thrived more than the others and has bloomed into the most gorgeous bush with the scrumptious little red berries. I have no idea of the name of it but I do appreciate it and think of you all every day when I see it!
Enough said. The book is cool. Can't wait to see what else pops up. Happy creating to all of you.
Peace,
Tomasen
Hello you glorious beings~
Brigitte I have been thinking about your studio and I am anxious to hear how it turned out.
I have started my morning pages again, as I had gotten away from it for awhile. It feels good to reflect right now especially as I enter the beginning of writing my portfolio. For those of you who don't know what this is, it is the largest written document that I will most likely ever write. (Kind of like a thesis) I just got back from my last full residency at Goddard and I am anxious to start the process of deep reflection and sorting out all that I have learned as an artist and as a human on this planet. It is meant to be a snapshot of where I am and what I am thinking~in a sense I am introducing myself to the world as an artist (scary!). I will fill you in along the way if you are interested.
Tomasen~
The class you describes sounds wonderful! I will definately check out that book but most likely won't be reading it until I finish my portfolio. It was nice to hear how you stretched yourself to learn to teach something that you didn't know. I have been thinking a lot about this and how even though I though that I was pushing myself, in reality I could be much braver about walking into my fears. In the future I hope to "teach what I most need to learn" and do the work that is necessary. This is the only way we truly stretch and grow so it is very exciting to hear that you are teaching yourself how to draw. There is a wonderful book by Frederick Frank that I think you might like called, "Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing" that is about drawing things from nature or "life" as a meditation. It isn't "teachy". I would love to come and make you a garden! I am curious to know what the name of the bush is that we got you~
Martha do you remember?
At any rate I am glad that it is thriving as well as you are.
Hope that you are all doing well and please know that I will ALWAYS want to know what you are up to, creatively or otherwise. Caio! xoLaura
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