Rough drafts and finished objects

Out at the preserve the other day before the ice and rain moved in, I found many Canada geese and other species crowded into an open area of water on the icy lake -- the deepest part probably doesn't freeze, where they are -- making a terrific racket. They are noisy neighbors, and alas are protected in this state where they thrive and multiply amazingly.

And I got a nice shot of the stone bench that has been put up at the end of the peninsula which you can walk to by getting halfway round the lake then up the strip of land, and where before there was nowhere to rest your elbows while you held your binoculars, or sit high enough up to see. And now there is.




I talked about seating years ago with the preserve ranger, when there was nothing other than the trails, and he said, well, I have some good ideas about that, using natural materials and local labor, and he put several benches around where you often want to sit and wait for birds, made from fallen trees on the preserve (probably assisted by an active beaver colony forever felling trees) plus this lovely stone thing, like a dolmen except it's a bench, which doesn't ruin the point of the land at all.

Back indoors driven by rain and sleet, I wandered around and remembered my little tablescape upstairs, miniature animals sitting on a cigar box, all handmade, as were the cigars that used to be in the box, Cuban finest.





The animals are: wood jaguars, maybe, carved and painted in Indonesia, then one bread dough cat with saucer, created by HS at the age of 7, the little cat carefully modeled to crouch on her own, not resting on the saucer, which you slip under her chin! and the little clay turtle, was created as a model for kids to refer to, by the writer of this blog, as part of a series I taught in the local summer program a few years ago, on the Indians that used to be native to this area, the Lenni Lenape, and we did various art and craft projects using natural local materials. The animals are explaining their handmade origin in the picture, as you see if you crick your neck.

Tablescapes are fun to do, but in a house with cats, you have to choose your location with care, otherwise they will become tablekittytoys in no time at all.

And the studio as always is full of rough drafts in all kinds of media, usually all going at once, one feeding another, so I thought you'd like a glimpse.





While I make art, I like to have something going in my ears to occupy the left brain a bit and let the right brain get on with its work, so this usually means discussion shows on public radio, sometimes on the subject of food and cooking, and I have a small quibble here. Well, it's a huge quibble, but we're in miniature mode at the moment....which is:

I left kindergarten years and years ago, and I DON'T say my food is "crispy" or "toasty" or "piping" hot or "yummy." There. End of quibble.

Which reminds me of nibble...time for a little something.