T-shirt Art

One of my goals during this week in Maine is to work on a few projects for Margie. I've really enjoyed helping her get settled and her apartment is really coming together nicely...but there are a few things to still tend to.

One of the things I like best about her new home is that it's filled with just the things she loves and that have meaning.  She did a great job of letting everything else go.....I admire that!

One of the things she brought with her was a t-shirt she got from her daughter Liz.  Margie has never been a t-shirt kind of gal...but this one couldn't have been more fitting (pardon the pun)....and she just couldn't part with it.  It was Margie's idea to turn it into a simple art piece....so that's what I did.

The center image of children is a tapestry with lots of texture. The Gandhi quote is "If we are to reach real peace in this world we shall have to begin with the children."

I've never been good with a staple gun...so I stretched the shirt around a canvas and used pieces of fused fabric to kind of tape/fuse it to the back.  It worked like a dream...and kept the back smooth and flat.  Staples would have been a nightmare.                                                                           

It's hanging by Margie's door along with another piece of mine that was left over from my show.  Which, by the way, was one of my favorite pieces and goes well with the reinvented t-shirt.

 

Made good progress on the puzzle...saving the rest for another day.  

The Life I Want

Quote by Brian Andreas   FlyingEdna.com

I'm not sure I've always believed the words in this quote to be true...but these days I sure do.  My life is so rich and full....I'm constantly reminded that I already have everything I need for the life I want.

I just started a full week in Maine.  I arrived yesterday (Friday) overlapping one day with Paul.  He's gone back for his work week and I get to stay and he'll join me again later next week.

And...there's no better way to start a stretch in Maine than a puzzle.

I got this northern lights one from Linda...who got it from someone else. The intention was for it to go to Margie who's still puzzling like crazy...but I decided to do it first.  I've already discovered that an edge piece is missing....but it's a fun one so I'm forging ahead. Hopefully the rest are there.

Looks inviting doesn't it!

I think this one is just going to fall together...but I'm going to stretch it out a few days.  I did all the dark first and am just now moving to the colors....kind of like eating your vegetables before dessert.  This one has nice thick quality pieces....just the way I like them.  

Lizards and Butterflies

This made me chuckle....in a just what I needed kind of way.

I think I'm going to pay more attention to things like lizards and butterflies for a while....way more fun than politics.

96 Collages

Today I had the privilege of helping my good friend Muffy with an all day collage workshop at her senior living facility.  I've taken a class from her before....and I shared a beautiful accordion book of sketches and artwork from a nature journal...all...such an inspiration. I jumped for joy at the chance to be her assistant.

Muffy wanted to offer a workshop for people who might not think they could ever make a piece of art.  Using techniques she learned from Ken Kewley participants worked with lines, simple shapes, and hand painted papers to made dozens of quick collages.

My job was to make copies at every stage...sometimes black and white...sometimes color, and attach all the phases of the process on the wall. In between my running around I got to try it myself.  I actually want to run through the process again when I can give it my full attention.

The sequence is interesting and only because I went through it do I even understand it. Each of us ended up making 96 small drawings or collages and in the end we all had a better understanding of concepts like, value, scale, and placement....just using basic shapes.

This is what the curved wall looked like when we were done....it was quite stunning in person.

Here's a quick rundown on the process if you're interested....I'd be curious if it makes any sense at all.

During the morning session we started with 12 small line drawings (bottom left) in grids that Muffy provided.  This got copied....and the original got hung. Each time we did a step...the page was copied and the original was put on the wall. We were always working on a copy.

Next we added circles (top left) and finally added one simple shape of color.  We could see how simple lines and finally color can change a composition.

 


We spent the rest of the morning painting collage papers in neutral and bold colors in preparation for the afternoon session. I could have done this all day!

To start the afternoon session we made small collages in new grids using our more neutral painted papers and simple shapes.

These were copied in black and white which turned our neutral colors to gray scale...which made for an interesting background. Next we added another layer of soft neutral colors to the copy. 

The next copy was in color...and then we added another layer of color...this time more bright and bold. Remember that the original of each step was put on the wall...and we worked on the copy.

Another color copy was made and this time we added touches of black...or white.  Black would give a punch...and white would neutralize.  I only added black.

Finally...we made one more black and white copy.  Taking the color out makes it easier to see the variety of values, scale, and placement.

It was really helpful so see the various stages up on the wall....and there was so much to be learned by studying our own and each others.  We all had a great time and learned a lot!  Muffy should be pleased. 

Dr. Shupe

There aren't too many things more joyful than the accomplishments of your kids.

Introducing Dr. Shupe! My son Sam successfully defended his dissertation today at Boston University completing the last step for his PhD.  It's been a long...sometimes bumpy road...but he hung in there and got it done.  We're so proud!


Sam's wearing his grandfather's tie....he's worn to all his important presentations.  Sam's Aunt Liz got it while traveling in Peru as a gift for her dad. It's made of alpaca wool...and if you zoom in you can see the image of an alpaca. Just the right amount of sentiment...and most certainly the right amount of "cool."

Sam's advisor and faculty committee....a tough...but supportive group.

Sam's dissertation, "Pedaling Vacationland," focused on the impact bicycling had 

on the development of tourism in Maine in the late 1800's.

Sam's girlfriend Marina was a huge support in this final stretch.

Marina is also a PhD student at BU.

Witch Hazel

I'm keeping my eyes open for any sign of spring...and this witch hazel caught my attention on a walk yesterday...such a pretty setting.

This is the pass through from the back of our church to the front...and what you see in the background is the Lexington Battle Green.  Patriot's Day is right around the corner....a big deal in Lexington. 

I'm not sure if this is a fresh bloom...or one that's going by.  It has a funky Dr. Seuss quality....kind of like a wabi-sabi firecracker. It makes me smile.

Purple Moon

"I like the kind of people that get excited about the stars at night." author unknown

I had a request for a birch moon piece using purples.  It was nice getting my hands on some fabric and doing something creative...it's been a while.

The dark blue fabric has tiny little sliver specks...it looks like a starry night.

Affirmation of Welcome

I am proud of our church, our interfaith community, and our town of Lexington for coming together today to affirm the welcome of our Muslim neighbors. Each beautiful prayer rug on the green represented a life that was lost during the mass shooting at the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

Baseball and Puzzles

Have I mentioned that my mother-in-law loves baseball? I spent the morning with Margie yesterday...visiting and catching up on a few things around her apartment. I have her all set up with MLB TV for the new Colorado Rockies season....just in time because opening day is just around the corner!

And...I retrieved this stack of puzzles she's done...some of them twice.  Just like me this past winter....puzzles have been an enjoyable and relaxing pass time.  I took her 4 or 5 more....I'm limited to ones that will fit on her foam core board...so the 2000 piece one wasn't in the new pile.

"Whatever is good for your soul...do that!"
author unknown

Proud Mom Kind of Feeling

I remember the feeling I used to get watching one of my boys in a school production...playing drums or trumpet in the band...or getting a hit during a baseball game.  They didn't have the lead or a solo....and I don't remember any game winning grand slam....but they were part of the whole helping make something delightfully wonderful to watch. I loved every minute of it.

I had a little window into that old feeling when I saw 5ftinf's Instagram post today.  Can you  "I SPY" a few of my tiny little acorns that made it into Philippa's orange/yellow arrangement?  They are just a tiny little part of this delightful sunny flat lay. (yes...that's what she calls it)

Philippa mentioned in this post how hard it is knowing when to throw flowers away.  I can totally relate because when you embrace the concept of wabi-sabi...all the stages of a daffodil's life are beautiful!

Another part of Instagram are "stories" that are only visible for 24 hours...unlike posts that stay on the site long term.  "Stories" are often a bit animated with captions and moving parts. Here a few screen shots from Philippa's morning "story" that made me smile. 

I love seeing the wide shot with the flat lay "ingredients" off to the side on her table.                                                                        

Yup....that proud mom kind of feeling. Instead of saying "that's my son playing the littlest bumble bee"....I'm saying "that's my little orange felted acorns on 5ftinf's table!" 💛

Spring...and Balls

Can winter last forever and fly by at the same time? Yesterday was the first day of spring...where has the time gone....and it's about time!

It was fun to see green fields and bulbs and shrubs blooming and in the UK...hopefully it's just around the corner for us.

Speaking of spring...it's almost baseball season...the favorite sport in the Shupe household. On our morning walk yesterday Janet and I came across some balls that have probably been hidden under the snow all winter. Playing ball was a big part of my growing up...softball, kickball, whiffle ball, and volleyball to name a few. I have fond memories of a game we played called "eevy ivy over" which involved throwing a ball over the garage...catching...running...and tagging.  I was trying to remember the rules and googled it...and it's ACTUALLY a game other people played....who knew!  A little different name...same rules. 

I love this wabi-sabi baseball....it's been well loved and/or lost for a long time.

Worth the Effort

I think this panoramic view of the beach houses in Brighton is fun....especially with the skyline in the background.  I think I mentioned it in my Steller Story...but Nancy and I estimated that there were about 150 along the boardwalk.

The first day we were in Brighton we walked a long way down the beach and didn't come across them....I thought I was going to just have to let it go because we didn't have that much time.  It seemed like such a silly thing but I couldn't get them out of my mind. The next morning I asked our breakfast waitress about them and learned they were just 10 minutes further down the beach than we were the day before. We had a delightful conversation with her about them....which just added the story for me. We had some time that morning before we met Philippa so rather than choosing other things we headed back to the beach and had a delightful time walking in the wind and taking in the colors.  Well worth the effort!

F-U-N!

My niece Holly's family goes on lots of adventures....right in their own neighborhood...and all over the world.  Any time they head out they tell the kids they only have one job....to have F-U-N! Good advise for all of us!

Does it get any cuter than Ayla getting ready for a F-U-N adventure?  I really want a hat like hers!

A Picture....

....is worth a 1000 words. 

I pulled this photo from a selfie video I took while Nancy and I were walking along Brighton Beach.  Although it's a goofy picture....it perfectly describes the weather we had a lot of the time in the UK. We just had to give in and roll with it. 

It also kind of describes how I felt this afternoon when Paul and I got home from the DMV after we renewed our drivers licenses.  We had to go back twice because we didn't have EVERYTHING we needed.  It's much more complicated these days.

Revisiting Day 11

I'm getting caught up on my trip photos and have one last Steller Story to share about our last day in London. Nancy and I decided to take a city tour on top of double decker bus allowing us to get a feel of London in the short time we had.

https://steller.co/s/9FyZN8u7Dz7

John, our tour guide reminded me of my son Sam who used to give tours of Boston on a pedi-cab. He was fun and knowledgable.





As I mentioned before...that last evening Nancy and I went to a talk in London that Philippa was gave on her book.


It was a small intimate group all seated around a beautiful table where we had delicious canapés and and macaroons all chosen to tap into all our senses.  Philippa shared several experiences that helped us tap into our own memories and stories.

It was an absolute delight!