India Inks

Searching for Bandhini skirts on the internet. I came across the photo from a factory in India. The dyes are incredible. I could almost eat them. I want to ingest them - play with them, run my fingers through them. It is like sand art for grown ups.

I found these incredible ghanra choli - it makes me want to have a party to go to! I think Saris and tradtitional Indian clothing are so feminine. The colors are breathtaking. Wouldn't it be fun to dress like that every day.

Shrines & Retablos

I have been obsessing all day about shrines and retablos. Not in the sense of an altar to the Bunny Goddess Charlotte- but more of a memorial to her - a Dios dos Meurtos kind of things with elements that celebrate her. I have found some incredible peruvian ones on line. The Jiminez family does incredible ones. I would love to save up for one - a reward for a job well done? Which job? I was rewarded already for the Dotson project with my Ebay Oilily sweater. Maybe after I finish helping out Diane in Cambridge with her guestroom and dressing room.

I found this website/blog from a woman that does the most amazing altered books (altAred books?) - again - like Retablos, but with different found objects. maybe I'll do something like that.

Then, someday, I would like to make one for the real focus of prayer. Maybe a garden grotto too. Not Mary on the half shell or Francis with the bird seed. I wil have to think about how to do that one. I learned so much about diferent shrines when researching on the internet - the difference between Zen, Budhist, Tibetan shrines and altars. It is comforting to think of some sort of Altar where you can focus and meditate.

For now I will make a Charlotte retablo and work on an altar later!

BURSTING!

I am bursting with ideas today! Actually, have been for a couple weeks- but it has reached a crescendo of sleepless nights dreaming in primary colors a la Gabriele Munter and Matisse. I started taking a painting class with Valerie McCaffery http://www.valeriemccaffrey.com/ at her "Garage SChool of Art" in Beverly Farms. The serendipity connection to Valerie is subject to an entirely different post which I will write about another day when there isn't so much to say. Anyway - I can hardly contain myself. Truly feel like hyperventilating with so many ideas bursting in my brain. I want to do them ALL at once and am writing them down, sketching them, googling them and dreaming of them as fast as I can! where to begin?

I finished the Dotson main painting prject which has taken up the first 6 weeks of this year. A fabulous job- I will sorely miss them - I wish I ha dgotten to know them more before they were moving ACROSS the country. The freedom I was given to create was incredible. I finished the table Suday night. Shellaced Monday and Tuesday and they took it away today. Here is a picture of it - I will put multiple detailed pictures of it on my www.dancingrabbit.blogspot.com page. Anyway - My studio is relatively empty now - a far cry from two siz foot cabinets and an 8 foot table. I spent the day yesterday re-organizing my studio - putting everything in a semblance of order .I feel that I am taking ownership of it now. It is legitimate so I can truly make it work swimmingly. It is amazing how creative you feel when all your materials are tucked neatly away where you KNOW where tey all are and therefore they are not goingto be hard to find. It unleashes the juices!

Peacable Kingdom

The bunnies seem to be doing pretty well since Charlotte went to heaven. Gentle Rufus with Henry - he loves the rabbits so much. We are giving them more treats and attention than ever before and it is keeping their spiris up! Josephine will come hopping over if I shake a bag with treats and they love their special daily salads of basil, dill, lettuce, carrots and kale or brocoli.