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Hi there,

Recently some of you have been emailing me, asking to be added to my mailing list. Since I haven't ventured into the realm of sending email newsletters in the past, I decided to set up an account with Mail Chimp. Now I can keep you informed with goings on and events in my Studio News newsletters. They will be delivered to your inbox with info about my book, exhibitions and/or shop updates. So please SIGN UP here if you would like to be the first to get the news!

And just a note, I have not already automatically added anyone, friends or past customers, because I want to make sure you want to receive these letters. And of course, any information you provide is strictly confidential. Also I've added a button in the sidebar here at my blog and a link on the main page of my website enabling you to access the sign up form at any time.

The first newsletter will be going out very soon, so don't miss it!

Thanks!

H

A sense of urgency

The month of August fills me with a sense of urgency. 

An urgency to stop, to resist the starting of things like new school years (futile, I know), but to savor the long, languid hours of daylight that end with flaring bright pink evening skies, to relish the open time in the studio and in the garden, to appreciate grilling our fresh vegetables and taking evening bike rides. To hear the screaming cicadas and watch grasshoppers blaze about, jumping wildly from the grape plants to the okra, with no particular intention, and yet to also look forward to what else summer still has in store: like our first edamame and okra harvest of the season, which will be any day now. So I tell myself I need to hurry up and hold it all the best I can because it is trying to get away.

Saturday I was standing in the kitchen drying a mixing bowl and looking out the window when a monarch dipped down and then a hummingbird, both to the zinnia blooms. Then a pair of house sparrows rested on the edge of our new makeshift birdbath (a fresh galvanized oil pan with a few rocks in it) and then a rabbit hopped by, munching on the grass. I recalled how as a child I loved the scene in Snow White (or was it Sleeping Beauty? Those Disney movies all blur into the same story) when all the animals and birds gathered and a bird rested on her finger. That's how that little moment outside my window seemed. 

And I say urgency because my teaching days begin around the corner and that signifies that soon it will be autumn and then winter and it will be a long time until spring and summer reach us again.
So I've got this summer by the tail, with a firm, white-knuckled grip and am trying not to let any of it's goodness slip by unnoticed.

Walking around town with my camera

Good morning,

Before I left for my week away I walked about town with my husband's Pentax trying desperately to see this place and this town with fresh eyes. I kept telling myself to look at things anew, as if I were a tourist here and it was all exciting, all picture worthy, as if looking at it through the viewfinder would make it magical. And was telling myself that the buildings and trees and landmarks were interesting, uncommon, unusual even, and that I hadn't walked past them already a gazillion times. Yet as much as I tried to convince myself, it just wasn't happening. I was feeling hemmed in and dare I say bored by the place? But I think after a little time away, setting my eyes on different surroundings, staring at the ocean, it helped me feel more awake to this place, perhaps. Like this is an interesting town, full of fun quirks. But I do have to say, I am so anxious for the time when M. and I can take a trip to someplace new that we haven't seen. We haven't been able to do that in eight years, since our honeymoon.
So these are a few film shots of my town, my neighborhood, my fresh old surroundings. Reading back over this I sound like I'm still convincing myself. :) Oh, I also want to note that I am really happy with the top image, it feels like summer to me, with all it's hot haze and overgrowth.

Now I just need to finish the roll of film that has all the ocean views!

Have a great weekend,

H

From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens and Artful Blogging

Hi!

I want to share with you a couple publications of which I am excited to be part. The first is From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens: Art and rememberings celebrating sustainable agriculture and good food, a book curated, compiled and edited by Kerstin Svendsen. The book "features writing from 11 authors, and photos and illustrations from 21 artists". And what an amazing line up of artists and writers it is! I know Kerstin put her heart and soul into this project and I, for one, can't wait to see it in person! It is available for pre-order and Kerstin is even donating proceeds to the Seed Savers Exchange and to the American Farmland Trust. Learn more about her project, see a preview of a few images and the list of contributors plus order your copy HERE!

Also I'm happy to be among even more great company with an article I wrote for the Autumn 2010 issue of Artful Blogging. Other authors and contributors are Jeska Hearne, Rachel Awes, Alisa Burke, and Julianna Swaney, just to name a few. Check it out!

Hi!

Hi there. Thanks for visiting while I was away! I'm home now and am making the transition back after an overly long day of traveling yesterday. (Anymore it seems with flying you have to pretty much count on not being on time, you know? Like a six hour day turns into a twelve hour day. But it doesn't really matter now since I'm home safely.)

Hopefully tomorrow when I get my head back down out of the sky, I'll be able to share with you a few good things that came about while I was gone. Today I need to clean, unpack, do laundry and figure out what to do with all the tomatoes that are piling up!

Till then,

H