Dragons in the air

Two days ago the dragonflies of Miami must have all matured into adults. as there were swarms partying all over campus and from my balcony at home, I can see them perched and drinking the dew on every palm tree spire. The dragons at the park this morning are distinctly different from those hatched at school. Looking on line, I found out that there are 5000 species of dragonflies (!) and that they date back to 300 million years ago. Much older than any of us can claim. Let's show a little respect here.
It is a myth that these dragons of the air only live for a few days, but it is true that the adults live for the shortest time of their cycle of life. Maybe they will live for a few months, if a predator doesn't snag them sooner. Think: Nighthawk!

The majority of the dragon's lifespan is spent under water... which, when I mentioned it to a beleaguered colleague, she said, "just like us". And that made me laugh. We do spend an awful lot of life seemingly underwater- holding our breath and only focusing on the small area around us. I like to believe that with maturity we too will earn "wings"and gain a wider perspective.
Now flying through the air, these dragons have powerful vision and snap-ready control of their flight patterns. We like to imagine they are filling their short days with mating and eventual laying of eggs, and that they live for the moment, sensing the fleeting nature of life. I am not sure I want to be like a dragon fly- but I do know that I want to stop a moment and reflect on this evidence of a life transformation. It is like poetry in the air.

The fine art of grilled cheese

A teacher's job is never done.

Today, in the spirit of educating the seniors as to how to cook for themselves, I demonstrated how to make a grilled cheese sandwich in four minutes using an iron. I also cooked an egg, (it took about 10 minutes), on an iron propped to lay with the hot side flat up. With the promise of a sandwich that will win them friends and possibly sustain them early mornings on the way to class, I added Canadian bacon and presented a "bacon, egg and cheese sandwich" to much applause. These tips can also serve well for time spent traveling through motels.

I am afraid Michael was in the crowd. He took the pictures. I hope he doesn't think I am ready to start making meals at home!

Egg play

I've been dyeing to decorate some eggs. Last night, after attending an amazing Operatic Sacred Cantata, "The Seven Last Words of Christ", at St Thomas Episcopal Parish, Michael and I felt  a bit somber and downcast. We were debating the constancy of Sin through Time. Casting about for a ray of hope, (that should come when we celebrate Easter on Sunday), we were compelled to meditate on the spring egg. There is such promise in an egg. It is a perfectly packaged seedling. Armed with crayons, glue, sharpies, dyes, plant scraps, pots, pans, and a dozen Jumbo eggs, we played side by side until past midnight ignoring all other reasoning.

Here is what we found in the morning... a colorful tray of eggs and giant blossoms on the porch!

Life is amazing. It keeps on going in spite of our dramas. And I'm so lucky to have a friend like Michael. He is a lot of fun and willing to try new things and go new places or just stay home.

In praise of the ingredients of my offering

I have been making my offering to the gathering, a cranberry kuchen from my German grandmother's recipe. The process of putting the ingredients together is like a poem of gratitude and honor.

First of all: cranberries! If I were a locavore They would be out of reach, an exotic delicacy...which they really are. They only grow in acidic bogs in the northern hemisphere of the world. These come from Oregon...about as far away on the continent from Florida as you can get. I have to thank the truckers for bringing the harvest to market.

I then had to cream the butter with the Florida raw sugar. The butter made me think of my sweet baby sister who used to milk her cow (Martha) every morning, holiday or not! I think she made butter a few times, though I remember her cheese experiments better. As I soften the rectangles of butter back to a paste, I think of my sister and all the dairy maids working with the cows this morning.
Another ingredient like the sugar that is local and in season, is the orange! It is with pleasure I squeeze the juice out of the oranges. I make myself a glass of juice to drink while cooking.

Two of my most prized possessions, on my list of things I would grab if I needed to migrate quickly with only what I could carry, are Papa Frank's copper pot and Nick's wooden spoon. The pot was a wedding gift and has been the vessel for sustaining no-fail delicious meals for over half my life. It has all of my ex-father-in-law's love in it. The wooden spoon was a gift from an 8 year old boy fifteen years ago, an acknowledgement of a friendship I treasure. Whenever I use the spoon, I believe anything is possible.

The eggs are from the Country Hen and I love the story, the Farm News, that is included in every carton. It is a glimpse into the life of a farmer and his dreams for a healthy sustainable occupation. I remember my own chickens and the joy in finding their eggs. Each hen laid a different color and size. I loved the variation and someday I will have chickens again... But are these not beautiful????

As I worked in the flour and the baking powder I thought of the farmers all across the country. Seriously, if you are eating today you should thank a farmer!
I added a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon of baking powder, oops.

While the kuchen cooked, I put some Baume des Pyrenees on my burn. It was, as my French grandmother told me, the perfect thing for burns. In fact it should heal quickly... Because the product is so good, the American medical establishment has lobbied for it not to be available in this country... as my grandmother said, "it would put them out of business".
Today we give thanks as a collective in the United States, taking a pause to reflect and acknowledge our blessings. There is power in gathering and, with your group, highlighting the positives. Some are gathering at football games or in dens to watch parades on TV, and others are gathering around a table of food.

Here is the cranberry kuchen, ready to travel!!! Love to everyone I can think of, and to all those I fail to be aware of. May your bellies be full.

Eyes wide open, heart full of love

On most days, I approach this second half of my life as if I am blooming. It is unfortunate I had to make so many mistakes to get this wise. Another egg tempera and acrylic painting on canvas. 5 x 4 inches. Blooming, expanding, spilling over and taking notes. #31 in the series... (collection of Mme. Alas Luquetas)

Making paint while the eggs are fresh

 Decorating letters with home made egg tempera paint.

 Students contemplate the labor intensive process of the masters

 and come to appreciate the color range of our modern paint supplies.

Fruit and Fiber

A peak into my refrigerator and the details of our lives. It's like a confession!
Flax is one of the oldest fiber crops in the world, and Rosemary swears by it. It just might help me age gracefully.
The star fruit was eaten after this painting. It came from Krisse's backyard tree just down the road. I love mixing it with slices of kiwi and mango.
The beer was brewed in and exported from China, and picked up at the convenience store up the road.
Looking further back- literally and figuratively, I've fallen from the traditional Italian influenced decades, and so, yes, that is a jar of store bought sauce in the back. And was I ever part of a chicken farmer's family?
One egg, a can broth, and a head of garlic too. Simplicity to ward off the flu.
6 x 6 inch acrylic on panel

Visual bird nest poetry

This one just kind of made itself.
Come see the whole batch of valentine sculptures at the Bakehouse tomorrow night. Downtown Miami, 7-9pm.

Love you in 9U!

Prices: $50 and up

Inspired by trip to Fairchild Botanical gardens

Look how well our hearts sit in nature!
Yesterday's trip to Fairchild was a peek at Miami's lushness. Every plant and plot seemed filled with touches of creative whimsy and genius. Even though our hearts pale next to the brilliance of the real thing, (and I am talking GOD, not Chihuly!), we were inspired to add pieces from the park to our heart collaboration.
Our hearts are about appetite "Bite", "Surrender" with climbing vines, and "Flesh and Bone" with seeds...



These are made to hang on a wall or sit on a shelf.

One of a kind
$50 each

A roof over my head

makes me luckier than a huge percentage of the world's population.
I don't know how I was born so lucky... here in beautiful hilly New York, with family, friends and lots of personal space. I could have been born in Palestine, or Libya, or even Alabama.
My daily list never gets tackled and stress can bring me down. I have to constantly remind myself to take moments and count my blessings. I am so thankful to be where I am today!
My chickens have a roof over their heads too!

I am not in my right mind

when using my left hand. Posing my right hand with the egg was a silly choice that unveiled a shocking deficiency in control of my left hand. This started as a study in white... (read my previous post), but didn't stay there. Two weaknesses are my uncomfortableness in white, and the practical motor use of my left hand. So that will be a new goal for the short term. Everyday for a month I will draw with my left hand. I will not shirk away from the light of white! Painting, for me and a lot of other artists and non professionals, is the place to explore weaknesses and strengths, color, change, choice, beginnings and endings.

Just another nest with wings

Flying about the galaxy... with everything including the kitchen window! There is a map of New York for grounding... are you on the move? Sometimes, you just got to pick up and go.
paper with mixed media, 6 x 10 inches.

Easter greetings

It's a time for new beginings... out with the old and make space for the new! I've taken a leap of faith, and hope my bad habits, memories, and lessons have served their purpose. It's time for promises to come true... for hard work to pay off, for taking a slight risk, for reaching higher, and for acting on dreams. (So many people believe in me, I should be a lot less timid than I feel.)


4.75 X 6.25 IN. Collage and paint on wood panel

Deeply devoted

This Chicken on the bed image is painted on a paper wrapped wood block, measuring 4 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches. I painted it because I enjoyed the existing diamond pattern on the found paper... and then when the random headline was added I felt it just made so many different associations in my brain. I had fun with this!

Phoenix rising

Yesterday I held my first mixed media class of this season @ Mill Street Loft. The kids were very hard working as we transitioned from pulling on our imaginations to copying reference materials to drawing from life. We worked in pen and watercolors to warm up. Then, acknowledging the oldest media known to man, we used ash from the fireplace, charcoal and beeswax. The subject matter was the mythological, fabulous, phoenix. Each child had a different perspective on the gifts of the bird and the significance of the fable.
My little 14 x 5 inch example piece has tissue flames and oil pastel added to the surface collage in wax. The phoenix rises from my head as well as from the nest...it's like a dream.