solstice

The following is a repost from 2011.  I feel the same way today.  Enjoy the winter solstice:

  

Whether we watch the moon change shape, notice the length of a shadow, look at a numbered grid or remove clothespins from a line (a countdown to Christmas I remember from childhood), each of us observes the movement of time.

Winter solstice is a “hump day” for me.  Even though the coldest weather is yet to come, long winter nights begin to shorten as daylight arrives a minute or so earlier. 

Another hump day comes at the end of January when the tips of crocus leaves break through the ground.  (Years ago I planted the super early variety by the front door.)  Last year I missed it.  By the time the unusually deep snow disappeared, the crocus leaves were two inches tall! 

Happy Solstice.  Wishing you a joyous celebration of the season.

residents and visitors

Impressions left by objects pressed into the surface of a wet sheet of paper thrill me.  My artwork has evolved to display these recordings and the highly textured surfaces are the hallmark of my sculptural forms.

  

The first snowfall was light.  The 20' between my back door and the studio recorded impressions left by visits of those who share my space.  Opossum prints were easy to identify, especially with the tell tale tail track.  I briefly misread the rabbit's front paw prints as deer but, taking a wider view, saw the pattern and gate.

On the front porch, the visitor was feline, probably the young tabby from across the street.  She is bold and often follows me to the door, expecting an invitation in.  Sol keeps careful watch from his favorite sunny pillow.

toasty toes

As the temperature dropped, I began moving indoor plants from atop the wood stove to their "winter" places.  This involved some creative placements (even some stair step arrangements) to take advantage of daylight during shorter days.  At last, the wood stove was freed, emptied, wiped down and loaded.  The first fire on the season is glowing in time for the single digit temperature predicted for tonight.  I'll be toasty as I sort through the other items displaced today and find appropriate cubbies and niches for their long winter sleep.  Perhaps a few items will find places in someone else's home:-))

winter is coming

Where has the summer gone?  And for that matter, the Fall?  My previous post was vacation pics from May and the forecasters are predicting snow and really, really cold temps tonight!  Brrr.

Needless to say, my commitment to blogging has slipped.  Oops.  Refocus.

installation of folded books by Carol Zeman
and Leandra Spangler
THAT'S PAPER!?!, St. Louis Artists Guild, 2013

I became intrigued with folded books after finding Rhymes With Magic on Etsy.  Following directions is always a challenge for me, but Heather Eddy's tutorials are wonderful.  

After exploring the tutorials, I discovered my preferences and began creating designs for patterning in the round.  After all, I am a sculptor working with paper:-)) 

Paperbacks cut into six or eight pieces are my favorites for ornaments.  But, I couldn't resist the hymnals I'd been saving for altered books.  The musical notations are festive for this season.