Entry to my place…
Walk over to the gym. It is getting very green.
I did not like the crisp whiteness of the Lethe Book, so gave it some aging with stitch and coffee stains. Then put in some drawings. Seems more inviting now and there is so much latitude granted with murky pages. The feel is better too. Each page after having the coffee mostly washed out, has its own identity and direction it wants to bend in. I like that I have to force it closed to get it to calm down.
And I added another Philosophical Consideration to the book.
I worked on writing this past week…finished a short story…the one about the reclusive librarian. Another piece of poetry while having my Manhattan and pizza. That bit of solitude at the bar may have to stop until cold weather returns. Too many people out wandering about the area now that the town is filled with flowering trees, pleasant weather and a desire to come out and be sociable. I will retreat to my studio at that time with a single malt and pretzels.
Yesterday a friend took me to see the senior art show at the local college. I loved seeing the use of earth pigments in some of the work, visiting with students and some faculty. An old member of my art group just happened in at the same time and told me she just purchased another of my Earth Pigments books for a class she will be teaching soon. I told her if she was taking students on a hunt to gather, not to overlook the soot gathered in blacksmith vents. Some rich blacks there. Funny how I really don’t miss the processes I went through to get the colors of place. I am so glad that all that equipment from my studio went to a young artist/teacher to be properly used with my gathered grounds from far and near. All things have a season and I have such lovely colors and memories all turned into watercolors easily accessed. I am using a bit from the France and Italy collection in the Philosophical Considerations book. These pans of color will last forever with the small scale illustrations I use them for.
Hot sun is heating up the back side of the house. So I was thinking of adding an attached awning. Then I did not like how that would look after I received the builder’s images. Not right for my place. The good thing was that the man my builder called to get ideas from turned out to be the fellow who put on the lovely porch we had at our last place. He and I even went on a hike together. Anyway it was very nice to have a chat with him on the phone and getting ideas. It has been a few years and good to know he is still in business and does the porches for my builder.
Here is what I am thinking instead. It will fit across the three living room windows and extend out ten feet. I like the look of it for my aesthetic here behind the house.
I like that it has an electric outlet attachment. It will require footings and labor in the assembly. I have asked my yardman if he could possibly do this. We will have the discussion next week when he returns to do work in the neighborhood and check on my yard.
I am trying very hard not to go to a nursery and buy ferns and potting soil. Not sure how long my resistance will hold out. Everyone warns of the possibility of another frost coming…..but still….
Not much more news…I might start putting the fairy book in order to see how many poems are needed to fill the blank pages to keep double paged images together.
Til later….