Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Wednesday is when I recover from Tuesday.

Beautiful walk this morning, a bit bitey because all the insects decided to keep me company.

Home again, here's a view down the street

And look who showed up in the wandering dude.  A wandering morning glory.

And tributes to Ukraine. Here's the patio version

Wildflowers (?) in blue and yellow.

Then the new bracelet, which has two sides 


In other gripping news, I read recently that goldfinches nest very late in the year and use thistledown in their nests. My thistle has dozens of flowers maturing to down now, and yesterday I saw a goldfinch in brilliant yellow mating plumage. So I  guess it's true. I hope they'll find the thistledown. They do fly around the deck now and then.

Also I had a hummingbird sighting this week, so I guess it's all life in the fast lane right now.

I was reminded by Textiles and Tea about community art projects and a couple I ran back in the day. 

One was the Great Birds Nest, which I organized at the annual Township Founders Day. On the field where events took place, I had the Works Department drop a truckload of brush and branches.

I also volunteered other artists to attend with clippers, and the general public happily helped build a giant nest, big enough for humans to climb in (and take pictures!). 

We decorated with ribbons and various colorful items, and all ages plunged in, little kids wildly excited to be in a giant nest. 

It was about 10 feet across and I kept the sides low enough for people to climb in and out. Everyone wove branches and tied brush and generally created the artwork. No pictures, it predated digital cameras.

Another was the Great Tin Quilt Caper,at the library gallery, which I spent months preparing. I cut, hammered, pierced and embossed dozens of pet food cans which I cut into 6O° angled diamond  shapes, to create a tumbling blocks design.  Inside tin cans there's a beautiful range of colors, it's marvelous art material.

Then I built a backing of foam core and plywood and gessoed it black. 

All the pet care clients whose cans I'd used were invited to the opening/workshop. I had created the tumbling blocks center then everyone who wanted could attach the many  extra readymade pieces I brought, to the outer sections. I provided hammers and panel tacks, and it was a great party. The library gallery was heaving! 

We ended with a wall mounted quilt about five feet square, and displayed it for a month, with a lot of people admiring their own work (!) and their pets' contributions.

On the catalog (flyer) I acknowledged the name of every contributing pet and I was hysterical at how seriously everyone scrutinized it to make sure their Fluffy and Barnaby and Boots were included!

I've done other group events, but these were the biggest ones, open to the public.

Such larks!

Happy day everyone, just do it! You'll be glad you did.




31 comments:

  1. Those Ukraine bracelets are so nice. Good job! Gosh, you have had a lot of great projects! Well done!

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    1. I've been at it a long time -- it adds up.

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  2. One bracelet doing the work of two! Yes, I've had a ton of fun.

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  3. Two acts of entertaining the pubic in most unusual ways. Nice.

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    1. People love to take part in art, and sometimes it's a new experience. I think you remember it for a long time.

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  4. Those community art projects sound like a lot of fun (and a lot of work for you!).

    You're really whipping out those bracelets now. Very nice, and love the Ukraine colors.

    Chris from Boise

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    1. Yes, there's a lot of prep for any art related activity, classes, installation, participation. Many decisions involving concepts, accessibility, safety, as well as the art of it.

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  5. You definitely did a massive amount of work for your community project.
    I wonder do you have a picture to remember it all by.
    I do like your blue and yellow bracelets. So very clever

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    1. It's always a lot of prep, never had time for pictures. The experience was the point, so memory served instead.

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  6. Long ago on our bike rides we’d pass an area where the goldfinches were always flying about. They kind of flew in a wave pattern, dipping lower then higher.

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  7. Your quilt sounds amazing! I can see how excited everyone must have been to see it!

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    1. It puzzled some people who thought a quilt had to be fabric!

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  8. The giant birds nest sounds like a fun project. Do you have insect repellant you can apply before going out?

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    1. It was fun, yes. I never use insect spray, too dangerous for your lungs and skin, since I used a well known one and my face was paralyzed for several hours. Never again.

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  9. Your community art projects sound amazing. I was admiring someone's vase at the pottery studio the other day. I can copy someone's idea but don't usually have any new or novel ideas of my own sadly.
    My husband saw a hummingbird this summer in our back yard. A first for us.

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    1. Maybe as you let yourself get more into making, you'll start finding your own voice. That's more likely to happen if you work alone, I believe.

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  10. Wish you had photos of those projects they sound fascinating.
    I'm now going to look if your Goldfinches are any thing like our Goldfinches.
    Answer - No - completely different - good to know these things!

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    1. The projects were done for the experience, so I never did pictures. I think the American gold finch was probably named by European immigrants rather than ornithologists, like the American robin, nothing like the European robin, but some vague resemblance.

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  11. What wonderful events. How lucky for everyone to be able to participate.

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    1. I was happy at how people just joined in eagerly, really making it work.

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  12. Wow! those projects sound amazing. When I see big pieces I don't appreciate the work beforehand that goes into them.

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    1. There's a ton of work behind a spontaneous event!

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  13. Those community art projects you organized sound wonderful, and so much fun! I especially like the idea of an installation made with the cooperation of pets, hahaha! And an acknowledgment of every pet whose empty food tins had been used, so great!

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    1. The pet names were what packed the opening! Everyone wanted to attend the art their little Boots had been involved in! It was such fun. My art and business working in collaboration.

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  14. I do believe the community art you created and told us about here is my favorite thing you've told us about all of your various art endeavors. Just amazing!

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  15. What fun! It's rewarding to see people enjoying your efforts. Which were a lot.

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    1. It was a lot of fun, and not everyone approved of people having fun.

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  16. Now I'm curious to know what happened to both of those community projects. I can *see* some bigwigs somewhere having their knickers in a twist over the remote possibility that someone might trip and fall into or out of the nest and oh dear -the liability of it all.

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