Photo: Iceberg #14 (Juneau, AK)
Another of the many iceberg photos I took while in Juneau, Alaska about ten years ago.
The Iceberg #14 photo was shot during a day boat cruise I took around Glacier Bay/Tracy Arm Fjord. It was a cloudy, rainy, and cold day in September. We saw dozens of icebergs and each one was unique.
In this shot, I particularly like how you can see the “ghost” image of all of the iceberg that lurks below the surface of the water.
Tags: photography
Charcoal Still Life: Head Sculpture
I drew this charcoal still life many years ago for my Drawing & Perspective class at the Art Institute.
The original artwork is about 24″ x 36″.
We were studying positive and negative space while sketching from real life objects.
It was one of my first attempts at drawing with charcoal…I found it to be a very interesting experience. Definitely easy to create shadow and definition but very messy and not easy to correct mistakes.
Tags: art
Loom Knit Pink Hat
My twisted knit stitch pink hat was my first loom knitting project. Last Spring, I hurt my wrist and could no longer knit or crochet so I did some research and found loom knitting.
Loom knitting is definitely easier on the wrists and hands than traditional knitting (or crochet for that matter). I had no trouble learning how to use the loom with the help of the book “Loom Knitting Primer” by Isela Phelps as well as tutorials from her loom knitting site.
This pink hat is made from pink boucle yarn using the Simple Hat pattern from the book. My niece fell in love with this hat and it’s now one of her favorites!
Tags: knitting
"Puppy" by artist Jeff Koons
I’ve always admired public art and American artist Jeff Koons’ “Puppy” is one of my favorites.
The “Puppy” topiary sculpture is a steel structure covered in beautiful flowers. Modeled after a West Highland White Terrier, the statue is 43 feet tall and includes an internal irrigation system.
After traveling the world (Germany, Australia and New York), the “Puppy” is now a popular tourist attraction in front of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, in Bilbao, Spain.
Jeff Koons has created hundreds of art pieces including giant brightly colored balloon animal sculptures. Here’s an interesting tidbit: the movie Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian included Koon’s “Balloon Dog (Red)” sculpture as one of the pieces that came to life.
Herb Garden - early February 2010
The indoor herb garden I planted in early December is growing quite well! The curly basil (left) and thyme (right) are thriving while the chives (back) are probably a lost cause.
The garden sits in front of one of my large living room windows (with an Eastern exposure) but it gets plenty of light from the built-in lamp that’s on 17 hours a day. There’s no soil; just bubbling water and organic nutrients in the well below the plants.
I’ve shared the basil with friends and have experimented with lots of new recipes. I can’t keep up with it, though… it grows so fast! One morning I awoke to see burnt leaves at the top of the plant from touching the bulb! Good thing the lamp arm raises up.
The 3-hole Aerogarden was one of my Christmas presents (I’ve always wanted to experiment with an Aerogarden… thought I’d start small).
When these herbs finally die, I may experiment with lettuce or cherry tomatoes. Or I may spring for a second Aerogarden and expand my indoor garden. It’s been fun… and delicious, of course!
Tags: house/garden
Valentine's Day cookies
I’ve recently started experimenting with cake decorating…inspired by my mom (who was an excellent decorator) and some books she left me.
I started small: a cookie kit from Wilton. My niece and I spent a few hours last Sunday decorating these Valentine’s Day cookies. We each decorated four (mine are pictured). I didn’t want to waste the one I accidentally broke…I figured sometimes broken hearts just need a little TLC to mend, right? The process went smoothly and was quite fun so I’ll graduate to cupcakes next, I think.
Tags: house/garden
Crochet Heart-Shaped Doily
A lovely heart-shaped doily in honor of St. Valentine’s Day.
My mother crocheted this doily for me several years ago. I can’t remember now if she used a pattern or made it up as she went along (she liked to do that).
The interior is a series of single crochet, double crochet, and chain stitch. The border is a ripple effect made with double and triple crochet stitches. She used 100% cotton crochet thread in white and red.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
Tags: crochet