Joy's antiques

Joy's has to be one of my favorite places to look for odds and ends for my sculptures. They have such an assortment of interesting things, and best of all, good prices! The last time I was there, I bought marbles, toy truck tires, a top, some wooden thread spools, and a rocker. I've gotten old rulers, frames, pie tins, keys and keyholes, door hardware, tins, shoe forms, casters, crystal chandelier prisms, and many other bits and pieces, some of which have made it into my work, others still waiting to be included. Sometimes I go with an idea of what I want, but other times I just wander around, open to finding something unique and interesting. I am looking at form, not function. The possibilities of what something could be, not what it is or once was. Looking at everything in a new way, without preconceived notions. It's fun.

meadow tea

Now you know when I saw this sign, I just had to stop. If you haven't tasted meadow tea, you're missing something. Cold, slightly sweet and very refreshing, it's one of my favorite summertime drinks. And home made root beer isn't much like the mass produced stuff you can buy. Both these beverages bring back memories of childhood summers that seemed to stretch on forever. Now that I've been reminded of it again, I'm going to try to find some meadow tea to plant for myself (after all, I do have a meadow). It's different than the mint teas you can find in garden shops and I've never seen it for sale in any of the local nurseries. I'll have to ask around. And yes, I bought a half gallon jug of each.

Soaring Heart

The dove is soaring from a heart which has been nurtured and has grown rich and full. Its key is attached to the trunk of the tree by a chain and so can never be lost. The base is a box that contains a tiny drawer and perhaps could hold the secret to the key...

This sculpture is about hope, joy, possibilities, and living life with a full heart freely shared.

bees

I have a love/hate relationship with bees. As a kid, I was phobic about them - running and screaming if one came near me. As an adult I've learned to coexist. Where's the love? The honey. Raw honey has considerably more and better flavor than after it's been cooked and processed. So serious thought is being given to keeping a hive of honeybees. Tomorrow night there is a meeting of the local beekeepers group and I plan to be there to learn if beekeeping is really an option for me.

Here's something I made earlier this year (it is at Diddywopps & Keeffers Gallery in Monkton, MD). A small side table, the bottom is enclosed with glass, and the top is decorated with a poem which was the inspiration for the piece*. The table itself is crafted of tulip poplar wood and finished with black milk paint and a hand rubbed wax. The hive is paper mache covered with strips and bits of old dictionary pages, then coated with beeswax. The bees are made from paperclay with resined paper wings and hang from fine black wire. The "honey" oozing out of the hive is tinted resin.

* "Again, let us dream where the land lies sunny,

And live, like the bees, on our hearts old honey,

And from the world that slaves for money --

Come journey the way with me."

Madison Cawein

I love this poem. It speaks to my soul.

starting out slowly

As I've said, I like trying new things. Exploring, learning, growing. Writing the "amber waves of grain" post started me thinking about how I am when starting something new. Generally, I'll research it, then dip my toe in. See if the water's fine. If it's enjoyable and is a fit, I'll either keep it as is or expand upon it. And if it's not pleasant, getting out is easy since not a lot has been invested (either financially or emotionally). This applies to pretty much everything I do. Knowing this about me might explain a lot to the people who question why I initially do things on such a small scale (such as a tiny patch of field corn that only yielded 1 bushel or taking my time before approaching a new gallery). 

Some examples of this would be:

Art - I am trying ceramics as an additional medium for my sculptures. I'm pretty excited about what it adds to the mix and will pursue it further. 

Farming - Animals I have tried and not enjoyed were ducks, turkeys, and now pigs. Ones that I liked enough to expand upon are chickens and sheep. While I love the geese, one pair is enough. Non-typical garden crops would be the forage turnips, field corn and now, wheat. I'll be continuing the turnips, expanding the corn, we'll see how the wheat goes. 

What new things are on the horizon? I want to add metal-working (bronze, maybe welding, etc.) to my sculpture repertoire. Future farming ventures may include expanding the garden, adding an orchard, and maybe, just maybe, bees.

Sometimes when trying and incorporating the new, you have to let go of something old, perhaps dear, in order to make room. At times this letting go can be wrenching because it's been a part of your life for so long. Mostly it feels good, almost a relief. When the time for something has come and gone, rather than hanging on with all your strength, it can be quite freeing to let it go and move forward. It unclenches the chest and makes breathing a little easier. And it truly does free you up to be able to see and be open to even more new possibilities.

amber waves of grain?

Well not quite, it will be more like a ripple, really. Today was spent preparing a new garden bed and planting it with hard red winter wheat. By late next summer if all goes according to plan, it should be ready to harvest. Nearly a year of waiting. The build-up of expectation should be pretty intense. Hopefully the harvest will go smoothly and threshing it will be as easy as I've read about. I'll get back to you next July or August about that.

Someone asked me, "Why wheat?" My response was "Because I can". And while that's part of it, the reasons go a lot deeper than that flippant answer. Deeper than combining the enjoyment of making bread and growing things. The real answer? I love trying something new, exploring options, experimenting, and constantly learning. And what a sense of satisfaction that comes from creating - even something as simple as a wholesome and rustic loaf of bread from your own wheat. If approached from a place of quiet appreciation the things we create have the ability to nourish a small part of the soul. And add beauty to our lives.

pondering life

Just 12" tall from tip of wing to tip of toe, this little lady is a part of my more recent explorations into adding ceramics to my mixed media arsenal. Rather than being mounted on a base, she is "free-sitting" for placement on a shelf or mantel. Supported by a tiny wire, the bird illustrates her fleeting thoughts as she ponders the single egg in the nest on her lap. 

After she was bisque fired, I applied a wash of black iron oxide and then wiped most of it off, with the iron staying in the nooks and crannies. She was then fired a final time, with the result being a very matte, organic feel, rather than smooth and glossy. While made of stoneware, her hair is wire, her legs swing freely, and she is subtly tinted with oil paint. 

Micro-Eco Farming

I just finished reading this book. While somewhat lightweight, it is also interesting and inspiring. It explores the emergence of "micro-farms" - farmers that are operating on tiny acreages and achieving high yields using organic and sustainable practices.

It is inspiring me to think about what and how I could, and perhaps should be growing things.

What: Heirloom fruits and vegetables that might have fallen out of favor due to their inability to be shipped or held for long distances and times, but which could be perfect for local consumption.

How: Restoring the health and balance of the soil, thereby increasing the health and nutrition of what we eat. Specifically, I'd like to try adding organic amendments to the soil. I found and purchased greensand, but would also like to source rock dusts and kelp. They contain micro-nutrients that can be lost due to poor farming methods and which chemical fertilizers can't replace. I plan to add the chicken litter this fall as well as allow the pigs a week or two in the spent garden to play cleanup. They can eat the vegetable remnants while spreading their own manure. After they are done, I'll broadcast turnips which the sheep can eat in November and December - while also spreading their own manure.

It will be a challenge to see just how much of a difference can be made in the health and productivity of the garden.

I'm pretty excited. But then it doesn't take much.

open studio tour preparations

Preparations are underway for the second annual "Southern Lancaster County Artists Open Studio Tour", scheduled for November 1-2. Last year we had seven artists in six locations participating, with everything from oil and watercolor painting, to pottery, sculpture, photography and textile art. The turn-out was wonderful and I don't think any of us had more than a few moments each day when we didn't have guests! The feedback from the tour goers was wonderful, with everyone having fun going from studio to studio. I hope to add a few more artists this year and have an even greater turn-out. You can stay up-to-date on tour preparations at http://tourthestudios.blogspot.com

bacon anyone?

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."  Winston Churchill

No, I am not a vegetarian. I like meat. I do not, however like the idea of eating meat that came from a "factory" farm or confinement operation. I believe an animal should be treated with compassion, dignity, and respect even if it is destined for the table. And so this year I decided to raise a couple of pigs on pasture. I thought that if I enjoyed their presence here, I'd do it every year. One for me and one to sell. Unfortunately, although I like pork, I don't think I care much for raising pigs. No bucolic, peaceful scene for them. Pigs are demanding creatures with lusty appetites. I have never met an animal that enjoys its food quite the way a pig does. They are no-holds-barred, all or nothing eaters, and God help anyone or anything that gets in their way! I know now where the saying "eats like a pig" comes from. Wow. 

Although they are being raised primarily on pasture, I supplement with a small amount of grain as well as table scraps, and garden waste. Below you can see them enjoying some spent sweet corn stalks that I cut from the garden for them.

I think I have a cat

Considering that right now there are 2 pigs, 3 dogs, 4 sheep, 5 chickens, and 6 geese living here, the last thing I need is another pet. However, sometimes what you think you need and what needs you are two different things. Normally, you could probably say that this is a "no cat zone" as defined by my three highly prey-driven dogs. Strays are hardly ever seen and never stay. But apparently one little cat has decided that living here might be worth the risk. He arrived two nights ago, nothing but skin and bones, hungry for food and affection, just a kitten, really. Sigh.... how could I resist helping him out? So I put him in the garage with bowls of tuna, milk, and water, provided a soft bed, a box of sawdust in case he wanted indoor plumbing, and propped open the door in case he preferred the big outdoors. It looks like he might stay. So far he has managed to fly under the dog's radar by keeping out of their fenced yard. I think they have their suspicions, though.

the Long's Park Fine Art and Craft Festival

The Long's Park Art and Craft Festival is held on Labor Day weekend every year.It is considered the #4 fine art and craft show in America. I went yesterday with a couple of friends and as usual, it was a wonderful experience. In addition to the art show, there is also a large area where local restaurants serve up their specialties all day long with live music to enjoy under a nearby tent. Overall the festival is a feast for the senses, with art, food, and music set amidst a backdrop of grass, trees, and water. I encourage you to go.

The 200+ artists set up their tents all around the pond in the shade of the trees. With such a wide variety of mediums and styles, the art was truly inspiring. To the right in the photo below, you can see a portion of one of the massive kinetic sculptures that were on display. When lightly touched, that giant ring would sway gently back and forth. Seeing the environmentally-sized sculptures reminded me once again that I want to learn to work with metal. Big pieces. Ones that would look at home displayed in my pasture or my woods. This is one of my goals.

signs in southern lancaster county

It's not everywhere you'll see a sign like this one, but what a kind gesture on the part of the farm owner! They weren't selling anything else, merely offering water for their fellow amishman's hot and thirsty horses on a hot day. Sort of made me wish I were driving a buggy so I could take advantage of this small kindness. 

"When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one and a flower with the other... for the loaf feeds the body, but the flower feeds the soul." Chinese proverb

While many farm stands offer food for the body, here was one offering food for the soul. There is something so special about having fresh cut flowers in the house. A small beauty that brings so much pleasure. While I did have peonies and irises this spring, I didn't plant any cutting flowers for the summer. I think I will next year - maybe some zinnias and small sunflowers.

a woody sort of day

Free Mulch!

This heaping pile of mulch was delivered this morning courtesy of the power company. They were cutting back the trees under the power line in front of my house yesterday and kindly agreed to let me have it. After a bit of aging, it will be perfect for garden paths, around the base of trees, and in flower beds. So while I wasn't excited about the trees being pruned so heavily, at least some good came of it, and this mulch can go to work enriching the soil.

My winter's heat also arrived today - four truck loads of firewood. Since this will be my first full winter using the wood stove, I'm hoping I estimated correctly and won't need to use the oil furnace. 

I feel good about today's deliveries. The mulch will be adding to the health of next year's garden and the arrival of the fire wood is the first of my winter preparations. As a matter of fact, I almost don't dread winter, knowing the house will be toasty and warm.

stilts

This is a new little blackbird sculpture that I recently finished. Purely whimsical, with no greater meaning, it's a humerus little piece because you have to ask yourself, "Why would a bird need stilts when he can fly?"

Many of my pieces have small drawers. Some obvious as in this piece, but others less so. Opening the drawers often reveals a little surprise - a swirl of brightly colored paint, items embedded in resin, snippets of paper, or an unusual color combination. And the tiny little drawers make you want to find something special to put in them. Perhaps a trinket from your childhood, a beloved piece of jewelry, or even a tiny piece of paper onto which you've written a dream. Like learning to walk on stilts.

fresh eggs

Here at Tulip Tree Hill, there are three hens and two roosters who are on a seemingly constant search for insect delicacies. The hens provide me with an average of two eggs a day, more than enough for myself and for sharing. Fresh eggs from free-roaming, pasture raised hens are hard to beat. The yolks are orange rather than the sickly yellow of your typical grocery store eggs, and the flavor is more intense. And the roosters are great - waking up to the sound of a rooster crowing is far preferable to the mechanized sound of an alarm clock. 

They also take good care of their ladies. If they find a particularly tastey morsel, they will call to the hens and let them have first chance at it. If there is a threat to the flock such as a nearby hawk, they'll sound an alarm so the girls can hide while they stay out in the open. I'm not sure if their plan is to take on the hawk or to sacrifice themselves. Thankfully it hasn't come to that. Yet.

the garden

While the peppers and tomatoes are still going strong, the rest of the garden is winding down. I just picked the last of the beets for the year. Not enough to can, but enough to pickle and use for red beet eggs. Or, pink beet eggs. These are chioggia beets, a very pretty mix of pink, peach, and white. Perhaps they aren't as productive as some of the more popular varieties, but they sure are pretty on the plate!

Soon all that will be left is the field corn. Yes, field corn. Why plant field corn, you ask? Well why not? I have animals, they like corn, and I have the space. Actually the inspiration was from a couple of books I read by Gene Logsdon, whose work I highly recommend. I started wondering why pay good money for corn when it could be grown on my own land quite easily. And so I planted "Reid's Yellow Dent". It is an heirloom corn, open pollinated (which means I can save seed for next year), and not genetically modified by some scientists who think that just because you can do something, you should (but don't get me started!). I'll be saving some ears from the strongest stalks that produced two large ears each. This will be my seed for next year. By saving the strongest and most productive, I hope to maintain, if not improve my crop.

My plan is to steal a few ears for myself and try my hand at making cornmeal. (Think fresh cornbread with a bowl of chili on a cold winter's evening.) I only planted a small patch this year. Next year I'll plant more. Maybe I'll even plant some kidney beans for that chili.

Stay at Home

"In my view, art is not what we see, but a way to focus our vision to make others see what we feel." 

Aristotle

I completed this sculpture in time to enter it in the Lancaster Museum of Art's open show at the end of May. And while it didn't win any awards, I did get some nice feedback on it. A mixed media piece, it is crafted of wood, wire, paper, calligraphy, ceramic, resin, found objects, and acrylic paint. 

Earlier this year, I came across a poem by Longfellow which brings to mind the mixed feelings of being torn between the safety of the known and the exploration of new horizons. This sculpture is my attempt to illustrate overcoming the struggle, breaking free of the fear and soaring into the unknown.

Song

Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;

Home-keeping hearts are happiest,

For those that wander they know not where

Are full of trouble and full of care;

To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,

They wander east, they wander west,

And are baffled and beaten and blown about

By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;

To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;

The bird is safest in its nest;

O'er all that flutter their wings and fly

A hawk is hovering in the sky;

To stay at home is best.  Longfellow

farm stands

One of the things I love about where I live is the abundance of locally grown fresh food. There is something special about preparing and eating produce that was just picked that morning at the peak of ripeness. There is a rhythm to the seasons that can be enhanced by the appreciation of seasonal foods, if you'll let yourself feel it. And since I can't grow everything myself (nor do I really want to), I enjoy supporting the local farmers. This morning I stopped at a stand not far from my house for the best Red Haven peaches. Later, I'll make peach pie and home-made ice cream (from that fresh milk I bought). Maybe that's what I'll have for dinner. Yum.

Fresh Peach Pie

4 Cups peeled and sliced peaches

3 Tablespoons Clear Jell (or instant tapioca)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1.5 Tablespoons butter

Mix everything except the butter in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the crust and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use your favorite crust recipe*. Fill the crust with the fruit mixture, dot with the butter, add a top crust, pinch the edges, cut some steam vents, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 50 minutes. 

*I have to say that the Pillsbury rolled up pie crust in the grocery store's refrigerated section is really quite good, so for any of you who don't make pies because making a crust is a hassle, you no longer have any excuses!

Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup sugar or honey (I like honey best)

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1.5 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups half and half or light cream

6 large egg yolks

Combine cream and half&half in saucepan and bring to a simmer.

In the meantime, combine egg yolks and sugar/honey in a bowl and whisk together.

Whisk 1/2 of the hot cream into the egg mixture a little at a time.

Pour egg mixture into pan with remaining cream.

Stir constantly over low heat just until slightly thickened, remove immediately from heat.

Pour through strainer into clean bowl and add vanilla.

Chill until cold or overnight.

Freeze in an ice cream maker and serve immediately as soft serve or store in freezer for up to a week.

dogs

I love dogs. If I were ever forced to choose just one animal to share my life with, it would be a dog, no questions. Asking nothing more than to be at our side, a willing participant in anything as long as we can do it together, dogs are our partners. There is nothing like the feeling of "knowing", the wordless communication, the simple and quiet pleasure in each other's company. 

I love being in the company of a good dog.