A Ramble...........

Last weekend..........we rambled from Albuquerque, New Mexico.....to Scottsdale, Arizona........

And as a 'ramble' goes........we did not take a direct route..........

first stopping for breakfast (honest!) at The Grove Cafe in Albuquerque.....where we picked up some amazing English Muffins and Jam

and then headed on south and west......

past the.....

otherworldly appearing VLA.......or

Very Large Array 

and then on to

for

In Pietown.......no kidding.......

and we had the MOST delicious blackberry pie ever at The Pietown Cafe

and arrived at our destination at sunset.......weaving through the most amazing landscape of Saguaro Cactus.....

and we hiked......

and we experienced......

Beautiful and Peaceful Architecture......

and visited......

James Turrell's eliptical sky space

Knight Rise

at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art......

and we ate, and shopped and ate some more, and saw more architecture and art......

 and soaked up the warm Arizona sun...

and headed back home......

down Old Route 66.....

through.....

a mighty fine sight to see......

this amazing mural by John Pugh....

and now I'm HOME....

for a minute or two.....and I'm dashing off again.....

trying not to feel pulled in too many directions........

but a request to visit Florida did not seem out of the question....

since it's still blowing and cool here in the high desert....

and I can....

Toodles.....

Favorite Tools.........

I had the good fortune to attend what amounted to a few years of workshops at the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild.......CBBAG.....or fondly 'Cabbage'.........and as we know there is always one morsel of information that is 'worth the price of admission'...........and this was my favorite morsel..........

The Bookbinder's Tool Kit..........

Some of the items, from left to right, 

a knife for slitting folded paper

a basic good 12" metal ruler without a cork back (cork collects carbon from pencils and smudges paper)

Carpet Scissors - angled for odd cuts against a book or box structure

a self made sand paper board made from book board and sandpaper.....for sanding paper and board

various bone folders, both natural and synthetic.....natural bone can be formed to suit task

scalpel.......#3 holder, #11 blade (from medical supply store)......facilitates exact control, stick the blade into a cork to store safely

awls for punching holes and marking measurements

micro spatula for spreading glue in tight spaces

Dividers......better to use than a ruler!

metal angle for accurate squaring

utility knife

white eraser

HB & 3H drafting pencils....for marking and signing work

I made my roll from artist canvas and bias tape, but notice they are now available at Lee Valley Tools

note:  this is the US link, there is another for Canada

Love........

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thinking about Art........

Monday had me pondering my early influences........

I googled Antoni Tàpies and discovered that he had died that day.  As synchronicities abound in my life I took a deep breath.....and realized I was on the right track of 'thinking'........for that moment.

I continue..... and how this all began..... was seeing a photograph in Judy Martin's Journal of the work of Magdalena Abakanowicz.......who had great impact on me.......her ABAKANS to be specific.....

while I was an art student in the early 80's in Detroit........

The curitorial work of Mary Jane Jacob was a gift to all of us craving the combination of 

texture and spirit........

Along with she..........I was also privledged to be present at that time for an amazing exhibit of the work of

 Peter and Ritzi Jacobi

 at the Detroit Institute of Art

The scale and texture of this work was monumental........and seeing it again prompts my earliest memory of being so moved as a child......in learning of those tall stones in England.......

Remembembering and recalling this experience of over 30 years ago still touches my soul.

Antoni Tàpies..............

13 December 1923 – 6 February 2012 

and 

Forever.

A Dream............

Just before I moved to New Mexico last summer.....

 I had a dream..........

I dreamt I was forced to take part in an interior design competition.....

And in my dream my creation was this......

almost in defiance.......

a bedroom.......

very simple.....monastic and white......a simple bed with a simple covering.....

 all white........

walls and floor.....

and the result.......

to my surprise.......

I won.

I did more than blink when I discovered this photo today.....

See more of Barbara Hill's designs and her house in Marfa, Texas 

here.........

Day Girl/Night Girl......in pursuit of Clarity

I was recently introduced to the books of Penney Peirce........

and while perusing her website.......this concept popped up.........

Present Moment Practice

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I serve my future self.

Let your "morning self" do something thoughtful for your "evening self" and let your "evening self" do something beneficial for tomorrow's "morning self."

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I saw comedian Jerry Seinfeld on the David Letterman show late one night and he was giving a hilarious rundown about how he sabotages himself. He said that "Night Guy" likes to stay up late, party, drink a bit too much, and eat pizza. Then "Morning Guy" has to get up early to be at work and is exhausted, clogged up, and rushing around making lists and getting organized. Night Guy thinks Morning Guy is a wimp and Morning Guy thinks Night Guy is a jerk!

After Jerry's all-too-true description of our schizophrenic lives, I started to think of myself as Morning Girl and Night Girl, or Now Girl and Future Girl. Morning Girl often forgets to exercise and take the vitamins that Night Girl needs, and Night Girl sometimes forgets to brush her teeth or put her clothes in the hamper, which leaves Morning Girl feeling churlish. So I started pretending that Morning Girl was doing favors for Night Girl; she'd change the bedsheets or take a brisk walk. Night Girl would in turn wash the dishes and leave the sink clean. Morning Girl would make the phone calls and Night Girl would organize the piles by the phone. Now Girl helps Future Girl by always putting the car keys in the outside pocket of my purse or closing drawers after she opens them. When your day and night selves, your present and future selves, work for each other's good, eventually you'll know the real self, or soul, that underlies and fuels both.

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Excerpted from The Present Moment: A Daybook of Clarity and Intuition by Penney Peirce