Counting the days...

One more week until the kids go back to school. Don't get me wrong, we love our kids. We love summer vacation.

Personally, I am craving the routine that school brings. The rhythm of the school year is somehow comforting. There is something nice about being in a quiet house, no quibbling, no TV, no stopping to make kid lunches. Doing housework by myself. Getting back to my own creative work, too.

I love the coming of autumn. Cool mornings and crisp air are a refreshing change after the heat of the summer. The colors of fall are warm and comforting, the foods of fall are yummy...it's just around the corner.

...It's not like we are counting the days.

Around Town

What I like about Lafayette is that there continues to be new things to like about Lafayette. The city seems to be constantly changing and and adapting and adding, for the better. With various construction projects around town, it's hard to know what will pop up next. Many of the projects are city improvements, you know the ones that make our underground pipes better but make us groan at the torn up roads. Other projects this summer have been for the betterment of the community.


The windmill that popped up at the library is a perfect example. What a surprise to see a windmill installed on the front lawn of the public library. You can see the library in the background with the Lafayette Miner's Mural on the side, one of our 9 public art installations.



The city is making a big effort to go green. This is just one example of how they're doing it. And, according to the Lafayette Library's facebook page, solar panels are next. I'll keep you posted.

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And to keep you posted with what's going on at the studio... While it's been a relatively quiet summer, in the little blue studio, life has been anything but quiet for Kerry and Rachel! Wow! I wouldn't know where to begin...

Now, we're ready to rev up for the fall. Our plans include a fall launch party, our 4th annual artist sale at the studio, and a new line of jewelry.

We got together to work with new materials, new designs, and a new process yesterday. We are so excited with the outcome!!! We'll share photos soon.

We've even found a "green" way to patina silver! The process uses a plastic bag and a hot hard boiled egg! I'll bet you can't wait to hear how that turned out...but for now I'll leave you guessing.

Fresh

from the garden.

Art on the Street

Today's Art on the Street sculpture comes from Lafayette Artist, J. Lucas Loeffler. Sky Dance is one of four installed at Festival Plaza in the heart of Old Town Lafayette.

Sky Dance measures 30" x 32" x 12", and weighs 40 pounds. This bronze piece is captivating. Loeffler says, "Years ago I was privileged enough to witness what is referred to as a Ghost Dance - a Native American Ceremony which exhibits many dancers in various forms. The dancer that most fascinated me was the Eagle Dancer. To anyone not present, it would be hard to believe what happened next. The Eagle Dancer seemed to become one with the flame, take flight and vanish into the night sky. This image was a driving inspiration to create this body of work."

J. Lucas Loeffler was born in 1972 on the east coast and moved to Boulder in 1976. At an early age, Lucas showed interest in many disciplines; however, sculpture was the one that suited him most. He began with clay and pottery at age five. He was a quick study and soon began to teach pottery and other classes through his junior and high school years. After high school, Lucas started his own company while simultaneously pursuing his sculpting career. He cast his first Bronze pieces at the age of 26. That same year he was accepted into a wonderful gallery in Santa Fe, who would sell his first sculpture to a museum in Germany. Since then, he has been in many ongoing exhibits, both private and public. Lucas has established the drive and creativity needed to pursue his dreams and still runs the company he started many years ago while consistently sculpting new pieces.

For more information about Art on the Street, to vote on your favorite, or inquire about purchasing one of the sculptures, visit the city website.

Cherry Pie

Last week the girls and I went to my mother-in-law's house to pick cherries. (unfortunately I forgot my camera.) We had fun picking the cherries, and then....

We pitted the cherries.We baked the pie. We ate the pie.

Summer Fruit Pie

2 pie crust (I used frozen, just a bit easier than making your own.)

4 cups pitted fresh sour cherries

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 peaches, sliced

zest and juice from 1 lime

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons tapioca

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix the cherries and blueberries with the sugar, tapioca, zest, juice and extract. Let sit for 15 minutes.Line the bottom of a deep 9 inch pie plate with first crust. Pour in berry mixture. Top with sliced peaches. Top with second crust, pinch edges together. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 4 slits in the top crust.

Place the pie on a foil lined cookie sheet, there will be drips. Bake at 375 degrees for 55 - 65 minutes. After 20 minutes you may need to cover the outer edges of the crust with foil to prevent the crust from browning too much.

Art on the Street

To continue the tour of Art on the Street, I though I would give you a little more information about the program. Modeled after other similar outdoor art programs, the city of Lafayette essentially leases these sculptures from the artists for a small stipend. In addition to the stipend, the artist receives a fair amount of publicity and has their work on display and for sale for the period of one year.

At the end of the year long period, unsold art will be returned to the artist and new sculpture will be chosen. The goal that the Public Art Committee has set is to expand the number of sculpture by four more each year for several years. This year we have 8, we hope to install 12 next summer.

Today's sculpture is Banned, by Jim Small. This piece is made of stainless steel and aluminum and measures 13.5' x 6' x 4.5', and weighs 150 lbs.

Banned is a whimsical, over-sized interpretation of the once popular game lawn darts or jarts. The dart at one time was one of the most enjoyed backyard lawn games but was banned from production in the 80’s due to injuries of the players. Banned is part of a larger than life series of objects from our past. The fins of Banned spin in windy conditions.

Banned is place on the west side of Festival Plaza, at the intersection of Chester Street and Public Road. It's bright color and enormous size draws attention. It is a fun piece for all ages.

For more information about Art on the Street, to vote on your favorite, or inquire about purchasing one of the sculptures, visit the city website.

Art on Vacation

Earlier this summer Jeremy and I took the girls on a trip to Sayulita, Mexico, with his parents and brother's family to celebrate my in-law's 40th anniversary. It was a wonderful trip filled with lots of fun experiences. As we explored this beautiful, small town, with cobblestone streets, I was struck by the art I found everywhere! From shop signs, to painted menus, mosaics at the fish shop, to murals on the walls, we were surrounded by art!

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

-Pablo Picasso

The work of the artist is to lift up people's hearts and help them endure.

-William Faulkner

Art is the signature of civilizations.

-Beverly Sills

Art on the Street

One of Lafayette's largest Public Art Committee endeavours is the Art on the Street installation. This rotating public sculpture gallery on Public Road in Old Town Lafayette has been in the works for the better part of two years. With a lot of hard work, fundraising and several grants, PAC saw their dream realized with the reception for the unveiling of Art on the Street on June 19. The event was fun, food from Hanna's Catering, music from a bassoon quartet, lots of people, and wonderful sculptures!

I will take several entries to give you a look at each of the sculpture that are part of Art on the Street. For a closer look, come to Old Town Lafayette, and take a stroll up and down Public Road. Three of the eight sculptures have been installed at Festival Plaza, at the intersection of Chester Street and Public Road. The remaining five were on display at the reception, and will be installed later this month.

The first piece I will share with you is the Beanstalk Giant, by Boulder artist Bruce Campbell. This beautiful piece is installed at Festival Plaza, at the intersection of Chester Street and Public Road. It's whimsical nature attracts children and adults to its mystery. He seems to have a calm, wise presence on the lawn of the Plaza.
The Beanstalk Giant was created through a combination of painting, welding and engraving on a grain storage tank salvaged from an old farm. He is a wonderful example of "green" art, which repurposes other materials for a new and creative use. It measures 80" x 64" and weighs 300 pounds.

Through various combinations of welding, painting, carving, and engraving, Bruce Campbell combines painting and sculpture to impart an archetypal, ancient quality and a mystic energy to salvaged iron, steel, wood and stone. The unique shapes and surface patinas, sculpted by time and weather, become an integral part of his imagery, which seemingly emerges from the intricately weathered surfaces. The recycled materials speak to the past through their old world craftsmanship and timeworn surfaces, and speak to the future by sending the message that all can share the planet sustainably while continuing to build, create, and foster cultural expression.

For more information about Art on the Street, to vote on your favorite, or inquire about purchasing one of the sculptures, visit the city website.

Stay tuned for more here, I have 7 more sculpture to share with you!

Key Rings for a Cause

Although business is slow in the summertime, we got an email for a big order a few weeks ago- 100 custom key chains. A company called, 4women, that sells the BeauBeau, a head scarf for women impacted by hair loss due to chemotherapy or alopecia, asked us to make a special key ring to be used in one of their upcoming products. We were thrilled.

After several emails and a phone call with Kristin, we designed a special key ring, incorporating bright colors and patterns and the special significance of Milagros.

These key rings, along with some other useful items, will be part of the Beaubag, a special tote bag for chemo patients. Susan, the 4women founder, has selected each item to be useful for women going through that difficult medical treatment. She has created a way for women and girls, who have lost their hair, to maintain their style and dignity through what is a difficulty time. We are happy to be part of this meaningful product.

We are fortunate enough to be blessed with our health, and we hope you and your loved ones are healthy, too. But, if you know someone who is experiencing medical hair loss, visit Susan at 4women. She has some wonderful products, and a great blog.

Blink

Don't look now, but it's July 14. Maybe next time you blink it will be September or December. I can't believe I haven't sat down to write since May. May?! Really?! Have I been that remiss?It's not that I have nothing to say. Everyone who knows me, knows I have plenty to say. Is it that I have no time? No energy? Too many other priorities? I am not sure.

But, I am here, now. So, I will write. Perhaps you, dear reader, will forgive my transgression, will read.

Recap-

Since the last time you heard from me, Kerry and I, and our respective families (separately or together) have been busy. We held a big sale at the studio, went to Art Night Out, took one trip to Mexico, and one to Hawaii, worked on one basement finish, built and planted two garden beds, celebrated 4th of July, took a mountain trip, went to the Renaissance Festival, hiking, Cave of the Winds, swimming, roller skating, two book club meetings, took the kids to the library, took an altered book class for us, library activities for the kids, is dog sitting, working on never-ending yard work, had a visit from the in-laws and numerous dinners with friends. Exhausted, yet?

We hope you're having a good summer, too.

More photos from the sale...

Headbands and pouches...

Littlest Miracles Collection, for the younger set.

Fun, summer drawstring backpacks...

Easy going tote bags.

Beautiful shoulder bags, too.

.........and much, much more!

Join us for our Private Sale

Our two day sale starts today. We have been busy getting ready. The studio is filled with new, summery items.
Our summer specials and one of a kind items are all ready for the two day sale. In the background you can see our fun tote bags and purses on display, too.

Fun, summer bracelets. What a bargain!

Join us Thursday, May 21, 6:30pm – 9:00pm, for some light dessert and beverage; or on Friday, May 22, 9:00am – 1:00pm, for coffee and a treat. Bring a friend along with you.

Trivial minutia

Happy Odd Day!

Strangely, having only odd numbers in the date is a rarity. It will only happen six times in a century. 5/7/09 - Do something odd today to celebrate! If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can even enter an odd contest. What will you do?

Irish Wit and Wisdom

An elderly couple were driving through County Kerry, Ireland. Irene was driving when she got pulled over by the Gardai, who asks her, 'Ma'am did you know that you were speeding?'

Irene turns to her husband, Mick and enquires, 'What did he say?'

Mick yells out, 'He says you were speeding!'
The Garda said, 'May I see your license, please ma'am?'

Irene, once again, turns to Mick and says, 'What did he say?'

Once more, Mick, shouts out, 'He wants to see your license!'

Irene gives the policeman her driving license.

The Garda retorts, 'I see you are from Kerry. I spent some time there once and had the worst date I have ever had.'

For the final time, Irene turns to Mick and asks, 'What did he say?'

Mick yells very loudly, 'He thinks he knows you!'

Hummingbird Mode

Spring is here. We are in extreme hummingbird mode. This means that we are flapping our wings at 12 - 90 beats per second. Per second, folks, we are not kidding around here!

We are in full swing with end of the year activities at school, how many field trips can they cram in at the last minute, book reports, poetry readings, concerts, musicals, field days, and 5th grade graduation. Oh, wait, did I mention that the dandelions and weeds are out of control, and we've had 5 weekends in a row or rain or snow! What about planting a garden? And those vegetable beds we've been meaning to put in, they're half-way done. Don't forget book club and volunteer meetings. The public art committee is gearing up for their summertime events, and oh yeah, Rachel just agreed to be their secretary. We are also coordinating, planning and working on our own home and garden renovation projects. We may even be planning a family vacation, if we're lucky. Then, there is still laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, children, husbands, and friends. Is anyone else feeling this way? It makes my head spin, just to think about it all!

And in the midst of it all, we are preparing for our Spring Sale. Just a little last fling, before we batten down the hatches for the summer. We are excited to be offering a line of less expensive, fun summer jewelry, as well as a wide variety of fabric accessories including tote bags, headbands, wristlet pouches, and bags like these.

So, we know you all are busy too. We hope this spring finds you happy and healthy in the midst of your own personal hummingbird action. Hang in there, summer is just around the corner!

Boat House and Festival Plaza

Ok, so this post is just a bit of unsolicited, free advertising for the City of Lafayette. I just wanted to keep you up to date about the happenings around town. If you are a local you can come to some of these events.
I have written several times about our boathouse and the fire that destroyed it; now, I want to let you know that the new one is ready to go!

Come to the Waneka Lake Boathouse Celebration

May 9
2:00pm – 4:00pm
Waneka Lake Park and Boathouse, 1600 Caria Drive / Lafayette

There will be activities for kids, refreshments, paddle boat rides and more!

Another new addition to Lafayette will be opened on May 9. Festival Plaza is a new area on Public Road, to be used for community events, local farmers markets, and as a fun public gathering spot. Later this spring several sculptures will be installed as part of Art on the Street, Lafayette's new sculpture walk.

Festival Plaza dedication

May 9

Activities and refreshments from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Corner of S. Public Road and Chester Street

A lot is happening around town! It's exciting to be part of such a great community! Maybe we will see you at one of these fun events.

Wash your hands! PSA

Just in case you forgot what your mother told you:

Just a friendly reminder...and if you want to read more, I had a lot to say about it last year, too.

Spring Art & Craft Sale

Thursday, May 21; 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Friday, May 22; 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

• Affordable Jewelry
• Summer bags and totes
• Fun gifts for adults and kids
• One-of-a-kind accessories
• Mixed media art and collage
• Unbelievable bargains!

We are located at 600 E. Simpson St. in Old Town Lafayette. The studio entrance is on Finch Street. Enter through the west gate and come on in to the back building. Feel free to bring a friend. Food and beverage will be served.

Don't pass up life's small pleasures.

Public Art at School

The city of Lafayette, with the support of City Council, local businesses, and community members, has made a concerted effort to bring art into our daily lives. We have several different committees and commissions that focus on art and public art. There are art nights on Public Road. There are public art installations all around town. While the art movement in Lafayette is relatively new, I think the whole town of Lafayette is getting into the spirit of public art. Last week as we were walking up to the elementary school, we saw this lovely sculpture garden in front of the building.

I talked with one of the wonderful art teachers later in the week. She explained that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade classes had participated in creating this permanent sculpture garden in front of the school. The pieces were installed before the school's "Learning Fair," but are a permanent installation to enhance the school. Each piece is mounted to a steel pipe which is cemented into the ground. I asked how long the pieces would be there, and she said she has similar sculpture in her garden that are ten or fifteen years old. I hope these last at least that long. The project was made possible with the help of a grant from the Lafayette Cultural Arts Commission.

I think that using children's art as permanent public art is wonderful, especially at an elementary school. It is a lovely way to beautify our spaces, which students, teachers, parents and community memebers can enjoy. But it also serves as an historic marker, of sorts. Just think about the students who will pass by or return to their old school and can say, "I made that," in five, ten or fifteen years. What a gift that teacher has given those students, the school and our community.

Thank you.

Weekend Getaway

Kerry and I took four crazy girls to Grand Lake for a weekend get away.

After dinner we sent them outside to play hide and seek.
This is what they found.

Mini - collage

I guess it's because we have a bit if crafters-ADD. We are always trying new things. Here's one of the latest - mini-collage. This one is a pendant, combining words and reproduction vintage images behind glass. (measures approximately 1" x 2") This one of a kind travel pendant will be available at our sale next month.

PSA

Quote of the Day-

In the broad earth of ours,
Amid the measureless grossness and the slag,
Enclosed and safe within its central heart,
Nestles the seed perfection.
-Walt Whitman

(freebie image from Dover Publishing)

more collage

Another collage for the collection, using canvas, paint, paper, reproduction photo and text, rub-ons, flash card and metal handle.

Happy Earth Day

Walk the kids to school, walk home. (go about my daily business) Walk to the grocery store with my reuseable tote bag. Walk to school, pick up the kids. Walk home. No driving today. Too bad life isn't always so simple.

Sweet Pea and Sunflower plants from my daughter's 4th grade class.

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. "

-Rachel Carson

Save the date...

You've been asking, so we've done it....

We've finally picked a date for our Spring Sale.

Thursday, May 21; 6:30pm - 9:00pm

Friday, May 22; 9:00am - 1:00pm



Tell your friends! Mark your calendar! We hope you can make it!

Boat House Update

Do you remember when I told you about the Lafayette Boathouse that was destroyed by arson. It was a big loss for our community. The boathouse at Waneka Lake was a nice little gem in our town. Children and adults enjoyed what it had to offer, and in 2007, it was senselessly burned to the ground.

I wanted to give you an update. What was diminished to ashes has been rebuilt.

I have been meaning to take my camera with me on our walks, today I remembered it, just as I was walking out the door. I am so glad I did. As we were coming around the west end of the lake, we saw a trailer filled with bright paddle boats, ready for delivery.

The boathouse will be finished soon. The fleet will be back in the water this summer. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening next month - details to follow.