An Illustrious Life

   On Thursday of last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a lecture at Bowdoin College,
Travels with Hattie and Eleanor; Researching Biography With Barbara Cooney. The talk was given by Cooney's niece, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, the current Anthony and Lulu C. Wang Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Frelinghuysen gave a personal account of her aunt's use of her own history and her meticulous rendering of objects used in real life throughout her work.
   My own first introduction to Cooney's work was with the purchase of Oxcart Man for my own children, illustrated by Cooney, and written by Poet Laureate Donald Hall. Her paintings for this book depicted a type of life from long ago that I was particularly interested in.

https://youtu.be/2LhHUlIympk

The long list of books that she illustrated can be seen here:

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1GGGE___US509US518&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=book+list+by+Barbara+Cooney

Her attention to detail was noted by her niece, who after all, is well versed in American decorative arts, and was often asked about certain items, such as the blue and white striped ticking fabric used in the pillow illustration for this pillow fight.

                   The kitchen of her family's house in Maine was used as inspiration as well.

Miss Rumphius is a story that will capture the heart of any feminist, a Spinster portrayed as having not a sad, lonely life, but one full of exciting travel and experiences.

"You must do something to make the world more beautiful" is advice she gives that empowers.
Read the book and dream of lupines! https://youtu.be/DrjPzbuxLJU

                        Barbara Cooney was 65 when she created this book.
          A collection of her illustrations will be at the Bowdoin Museum of Art until September 30.
                                I can't recommend seeing the originals enough!
                  http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/events/archives/006306.shtml

Dangerous Curves

I am blessed to know many people who make art. Today was spent with my old friend (said tongue in cheek- we are a couple of old broads now!) Marni Lawson, who has made and taught watercolors for as long as I have known her, and before that too.

We both served on the board of Upcountry Artists in the late 80s. When I was President, she was Program Director, at a time when the group had vibrant programs at each monthly meeting.When we both lived in the Farmington area, it was usual for us to get together often for lunch, and today these old dogs proved that the old tricks still worked just fine!

I have always appreciated Marni's creativity, and dry wit, and friendship. Though we have both seen our share of health challenges, the Creative Life continues.

To read more about her work and her life:
 http://marnilawsonwatercolors.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=2839&Akey=FGWAF5RY

As I was driving over this morning, WCLZ played this:
https://youtu.be/Xn7rIarpQBk

Appropriate to my day. "God is in the details." - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe 

It's All Personal

Trust me, I am very much aware of how ridiculous it is for a 62 year old woman to get upset about a celebrity dying. I'm not one of those National Enquirer aficionados who knows what stars are wearing and what they eat for breakfast. I am aware, however,  of what certain artists are doing and their contributions to the popular culture. The artist formerly known as Prince crashed into the 80s as I was starting my design career, proof to me that one did not have to be ordinary to excel, and that doing it was enough of a reason to do it. His music videos were strange and wonderful, and I will never, ever see the color purple without thinking Purple Rain.

https://youtu.be/F8BMm6Jn6oU

What does such a radical artist have to do with anyone in Maine? Aside from the media availability, there were rumors quite a few years ago that Prince's wardrobe mistress was living in Starks. Maybe she attended a show at Harry Brown's Farm? Don't know if that's true, or how she got there if the rumor's true, but the idea always pleased me that someone who dressed the maestro roamed around in my sometimes neighborhood.

Rest in Peace, sweet Prince. You will be remembered fondly......

Winter Water

Saturday is Dump Day in Phippsburg, a gathering place for locals and tourists alike. The road home is pretty straightforward, but there's a way to go down Sam Hill Rd that will lead to Parker Head Rd, and then to the beach.It's different there this time of year!

Snow fencing this time of year is meant for snow, not sand, and the dunes, though still off limits, are less inviting with a cover of snow.

The waves come crashing in, whatever the season

Tide was high, so Seguin and the rocks that are accessible during low tide seemed very far out there.

Even though it's Winter, there were people there, like myself, taking advantage of a clear day by the sea, and leaving tracks behind in the sand.

Attempting to do Everything

The problem with being a creative person is that I can see things done. Done, not the way they are in reality, but DONE. Without outlets showing and bin container lids offering  to intrude upon the space......
 Taking photos of Sue Solakian's Golden Doubloons Shawl draped over a chair was perfect in my mind. The first attempt was severely thwarted by forgetting to put the memory card in the camera.
Groan!

Like frogging a piece of crochet that has a mistake, in photography there is cropping, and even retouching for removing the dust bunny that strayed into the photo.

Don't get me wrong-I love what I do. It's just that sometimes, it would be nice to live in a parallel universe simultaneously with this one- one in which I could take a nap while things still got done.This time of year is even worse than usual, because there are memories, both good and bad, associated with this time of year that add expectation and disappointment and angst to the already bubbly cauldron of emotion and work.

Oh well, it is what it is- 24 hour days and the old broad moves as fast as she's going to move and that's that. This pattern will get done when it gets done......

Golden Doubloons Shawl by Sue Solakian in Lion Brand's Heartland, both the solid and the tweed Shenadoah. As soon as I get er done!

I screwed up!

I started MsMaks.blogspot.com in October 2010. I started it because I was reeling from the results of my MS diagnosis, which led to my losing my job, and being in a really bad place.

Today, I'm starting another blog because.....do the drum roll.....because I dropped my g.mail account, not having a clue how to separate everything private(me, Michele Maks)  and business (mainly crochet). Unfortunately, I didn't realize that by deleting that account, I'd also be deleting 5 years of blog posts and several blog addresses.

My bad!

So, the blog formerly known as MsMaks.blogspot.com is now theblogformerlyknownasMsMaks.blogspot.com

There is a sort of sick poetry to that, don't ya think?

I'm in kind of a strange place right now, it's the anniversary of being robbed a year ago- guess what happened when I went to look at last year''s blog? oops......

But it was a good day. Wednesday is Dump Day here in Phippsburg, and the recycling shed had a present waiting just for me....

I've named her Martha, and I love her. Somewhat frowzy and definitely cheap, she seems like someone I can get along with. She made me write down my new g.mail password in my password notebook, so hopefully we'll be friends for another 5 years. Looking forward to writing some new stories!