Some Pretties

Last Saturday (the day before Easter), my friend Jan and I went to my favorite sort-of farm market, Horrock's for a pre-Easter shopping extravaganza.

Horrock's isn't a pure farm market in the everything-is-local sense (although I do see the trucks come in from regional growers). But you'll also find the fruits and veggies from out of town (sometimes out of country), products they make there (fabulous salsa), basil with the roots still on, typical grocery products (including many interesting imported or ethnic foods), wonderful, inexpensive meat and a good wine selection.

They also have a huge outdoor nursery we will revisit in another three weeks or so and lovely gifts.

I can't walk in without buying fresh cut flowers or plants.

And while I generally do resist the gifty-things, I really am challenged! I could have easily walked out of there with any of the lovelies here!

Going to Horrock's is like celebrating spring!

On another note, when I recently linked to Jane Rosemont's photo blog, she was in Bali and not posting. Well, she's back -- and if you are interested in some splendid photos and portraits from this country, visit her PhotoBlog anytime!

Jane will be teaching a photo workshop in Bali in 2010, with an enrollment of six. In an email to those requesting info she wrote: "Ithink limiting the workshop to six people is wise; it will give me a

chance to work one-on-one with you, and give everyone a chance to share their photos, thoughts and questions."

Stop by for links on the workshop and to check out her photos! (Don't forget to scroll down a few posts to catch them all!)

Finally, I have just posted my thoughts on two terrific Kate Atkinson mysteries. Check them out on Chopsticks and String.

A New Kind of Shriner, Part One

The week before my surgery, I had a wonderful evening with two art friends, Jane Rosemont and my pal Kate.

Our task: to plan the shrines we would create when Jane returned from Bali and I had two arms!

Jane is delightfully eclectic -- her photography is amazing -- eloquent and filled with soul. Her portraits of people being people (doing what they do, being as they are, not studio portraits) are fabulous, with great depth and she is adept at catching every kind of image from graceful architecture to a moving scene. (Actually, her studio portraits are pretty cool, too!)

Jane came from a strong Roman Catholic background and has the best nun collection of anyone I know. Her travels and life experiences have expanded her scope and her deep sense of soul and spirit, life and whimsy, courage and grace -- and yes, color! -- always makes me smile and feel grateful I came to know her.

Her work (as seen on her website and blog) covers all sorts of media -- photography, mixed media, painting and assemblage. I had taken one shrine class from her before, and made this wee Stimpy from a mint tin.

Above, you see the front and one side -- the tin "sun" at the top is a tuna can, the beads are cat-oriented and the side has some of his beloved shrimp shells. The fibers are from one of the fiber-snakes he liked to play with, made from my leftover yarn. Because Stimpy lived for his Fancy Feast, a label and a photo of his bowl are mounted. The cat at the top is an repurposed button cover.

On the opposite side, his name is in wooden letters. The tin was "rusted" using an acrylic paint and dabbing technique.

But I digress. I was ready for more.

So, Jane was our leader. Kate and I came armed with our ideas and some supplies to play with.


You won't see finished work here -- that'll have to wait for another month or so.

But Jane talked about containers -- which run the gamut from mint tins to boxes to nichos to old Barbie doll cases to anything with sides that works.

And she has a good collection of things to put in these containers!

Like this sweet faced Madonna -- a doll head and body.

I have a nicho (I think that's right -- a tin shrine thing, for sure) and my theme is my dad.

I picked background papers and some of the bits for the "holes" (spaces) on the front -- a photo of dad, a bit from an old postcard my mom wrote, a stamp from India, some of his ham radio licenses, some army medals, that sort of thing.

I may use this India map as part of the background.

Kate decided to make a shrine to color.

Her structure is a small black box with compartments. She then began cutting up the pantone book in the teeniest squares. Some of these will hang, like mobile pieces.

Keep watching for our shrine adventures, part two!