Monday, December 30, 2013

A light from the shadows shall spring

It is not often that we are provided with an opportunity to "see" the world in which we live from a different perspective.  But just such an opportunity was recently provided to the inhabitants of my hometown - Lansing - when the electrical power, on which we so humbly depend, was removed from our lives.  Some took it in stride. Others, like myself, did not.  You see, my art which is my therapy and passion, requires electricity.  Unable to finish the projects I had recently started - I donned my headlamp and turned instead to reading aloud - another one of my passions - from a wonderful book on Great Stories of Shipwrecks and Survival in the Great Lakes.  With the power restored after 108 hours - I returned to my basement studio and put the finishing touches on my latest commission.


A comfortable place!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Dangerous Business

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
 
 
 
 
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell,
nor yet a dry, bare sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat:
it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
 
 
Ahhhh, comfort. 
Hard to find when the temperatures barely register on the thermometer even during the peak of the day. But as the Holidays approach we are warmed by the memories of what was and the anticipation of what will be.  How I long for the sound of the backdoor at my childhood home on Stockman Court.  To hear once again the stomping of neighbors and family as they clomp about in the doorway to remove a layer of snow from their hefty boots.  Calling out welcomes as they shake off the cold and enter the kitchen where the smells of the morning's Christmas feast still linger mixed with the fragrance of the delicious meal yet to come. Gifts piled high about the pine, stocking gifts scattered about, traditional songs on the stereo...smiles and stories and sharing and...
love.
 
It is a time to remember. A time to dream. A time to enjoy.
A time to give.
Dream awhile with me and imagine giving THAT gift. 
That unique, one-of-a-kind, custom made gift.
I can help you be the "Gift Whisperer" this Holiday
or anytime!!

Monday, December 9, 2013

To Your Pride Be True!

The Winter Solstice may still be a few days off, but the Holly Way backyard is already dressed for the Holiday Season.  The temperatures are frigid but the beautiful cardinals, frisky little red squirrels, playful fox and grey squirrels, charming little birdies and the majestic and fearsome red-tailed hawk, provide us, and our house-bound cats - Kadashan and Chester, with much to enjoy. 


The castle wall provided a nice perch from which to hunt this afternoon for the hawk and the Temple of Kurgok, in its blanket of white, makes us dream of other worlds.  The new coat-of-arms crest is in place above the drawbridge paying homage to the late Olaf Skullcrusher, Jackson's tree (aka cat scratching post), and our ever-present kitties.  The words below the crest - written in Gaelic - are "To Your Pride Be True".  Since it's too cold to play outside - I've been down in my studio creating some new pieces.  Check them out in the gallery and think about how you could be a Gift Whisperer!!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

MOTHER NATURE vs. THE FOAMGINEER

This time...Mother Nature lost.  She sent some pretty powerful wind gusts through the area which bent over the old pine tree in the neighbors yard and relocated some trash bins, but the Foam Castle survived.  Thanks to my Foamgineer - all is well!!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Think - Out of the House

Yes!  FoamFriends love to be out-of-doors and because they are made of a material that will still be here when the cockroaches inherit the Earth - they are very resilient. The colors do not fade and because they are so lightweight they can be easily attached to most surfaces with foam adhesive (the kind in the tube from places like Home Depot).  The Kennedy homestead is full of foam art (surprise!!) and on the outside there are several pieces displayed year-round.  My favorite is the piece entitled, Styroglyphics, which depicts our family and pets as if they were painted on the wall of an Egyptian palace. This has hung on the back patio of our house for over 4 years and still looks as good as it did the day we hung it there.
 
Two of the other pieces are the Kennedy crest and the Tree of Life.
 
The last piece is free-standing (with a gallon of water as an inside weight) and serves as the Castle Keep for the Kennedy front door. 
Don't just Think Out of the Box -
Think Out of the House!!!
 

Monday, November 11, 2013

The Kennedy Keep

My muse, my mentor...my co-designer and the foam engineer, Jeffrey, and I have been working the last few weeks on a 24' long - over 4' high castle wall for the backyard.  It's been so much fun just talking about it, then planning it, then creating it and now just looking at it and planning what more we can do!  The castle will eventually have a drawbridge and perhaps a little village with an outer wall - just like the real thing!!  The cats are confused and Chester, the hunter, is a bit frustrated as he can no longer stalk the mole, mouse and red squirrel "highway" that exists behind the newly installed wall.  How nice it will be to watch the seasons unfold around our Kennedy Keep.

I am a Woman in the Arts!!

I am pleased to announce that the 28th Annual Women in the Arts Festival was a great success!  This marks my third year as a member of both the Planning Committee and the Artist Market and my second year as the official MC for the Friday Night and Saturday Day Stage.  I am always inspired by the other women artists, musicians and poets and this year was no exception.  One of my favorite things about showing my work in the Artist Market is how surprised people are to find out that my creations are made from everyday pink Styrofoam!!  When someone is "fooled" by my faux surfaces - it is always a treat!  Here's a link to the WITA Festival site so you can see what you missed and I will be sure to keep you informed about next year's festival. http://witafestival.com/