can you believe your eyes? yes, yes you can. an incredible still-life photo created by arthur s. mole using 18,000 soldiers and a open iowa field by camp dodge on a hot day in 1918...read the full story here. the details will amaze you.

many thanks to bunny with an art blog for the link!

dare i say it? 1st thursday was close to awful. oh dear, not quite the report i was hoping to give you this morning! booths had been rearranged, so instead of a lovely old brick building as backdrop, behind my booth you saw the messy back of another vendor's booth.

the crowds were massive, it's true. the swell due to a holiday weekend was not a boon, sad to say. it seemed the bulk of folks were speeding by, round and round, seeking entertainment. a real "mall mentality" was felt. not so pleasant for hardworking artisans and their carefully crafted wares. our regular crowd of folks that appreciate art and come to see interesting things, meet the makers and perhaps buy a new treasure were there, to be sure. however their lovely voices were drowned out by a startling number who saw fit to haggle prices and talk on their cell phones while coolly perusing my booth. sigh. to top it off, a band of truly unskilled roving drummers took up residence on the street corner near me and played so loudly that we could hardly hear ourselves think, let alone converse with customers.

ah, well. i knew i didn't love street fairs, i should not be surprised in the least. further proof as why i am a maker, not a retailer.

yet as dusk fell, nature gave her gifts and the sky grew ever more beautiful.

the construction cranes that i love so much stood watch...and breathtaking ripples spread across the clouds.

how about tonight? let's say 6pm in the pearl district? yes, it is 1st thursday art stroll tonight! i will be set up with my fabulous street boutique from 5-10 pm on nw 13th, between irving & johnson streets, almost to the corner of johnson and 13th, i believe. i would love to see some familiar faces and meet some new friends. if you are local and have been lurking, reading this blog and secretly wishing you could just try on some of the jewelry...this is a perfect opportunity. please do introduce yourself.

i have been busy as a bee, making many earrings this week (along with rings and other pretties) including the pair pictured above. perhaps you live far away from portland and want to snatch this pair up before anyone tonight gets a chance? right here, baby.

months and months ago some kind person left me a comment with a nudge to go check this out. finally i've stumbled upon the link in my bookmarks! doesn't tuesday just call out for some whimsy? and what better use could there be for old rotary phones than these clever sculptures? i love the feet in particular. if you've ever spent much time around sheep, as i have (oh to be nineteen and roaming the highlands of scotland again.) you'll appreciate how eerily life like those phone-feet really are! and where oh where did i find this? i'll add the link when i figure that out (comments, please if you know the original artist)

can you believe that today begins the month of july? it seems we've just finally slipped into consistent summer weather here in the pacific northwest. it's lovely. any readers that are local to the portland area, just a little reminder, 1st thursday in the pearl, the monthly art stroll is this week. i'll be on the street with my portable boutique and most of my jewelry for you to come try on, chat with me and maybe even go home with a new treasure. so please come one, come all. it's always a fun event with great people watching... 

Enclosure

check out installation fiber artist janet morton. quirky, surprising and obviously not afraid to think big, she is my kind of artist! i love that she uses surfaces we readily associate with grandmothers and applies them to objects large and small to shift our awareness. she has a massive and interesting portfolio right here. it's really fun to pour over, so please do.