Out of Darkness

He was greeted by neon t-shirts, bright smiles, and afternoon sun rays.  After 2 weeks tucked into cozy darkness, it must have been a shock for Erd's eyes!  

And that's when it hit me.

If you've ever seen "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean," you'll know what Teddy would probably advise I give Erd for Christmas.

Erd

It all began around midnight, with a cup of weak tea sweetened with a mere drop of honey.  In my weariness, the notion to sew Seth a present with these cloth scraps crossed my mind.  No family members were awake to scold or question me, so I began.  Seth's birthday was coming in a week, and he deserved nothing but the best.  

I sketched some vague idea of a badger-seahorse-thing on a scrap of cloth and immediately began snipping and stitching.  I'm not aware of which techniques I employed, or even if I used technique at all.  All I know is, thread was going through needles and needles were poking holes and the badger-seahorse-chameleon was coming alive. 

There was a lovely storm the other day...

Oh, you want to see Erd?  Well, so does Seth.  But I've wrapped him (Erd) comfortably in a purple cloth and put him to sleep in this blue gift bag, not to awaken until Seth's birthday next week.  So you must wait.

Note: Although I made Seth's present (and typed this story) an entire week early, I've managed to "publish" this post a week late, for this reason: It so happened that Erd, in his blue bag, was left behind at home while my family traveled out of town to run soccer camps.  Seth's birthday is nearly past, and I had nothing to give him.  I considered deleting this post altogether, when a fortunate circumstance occurred.  Thanks to a willing friend, the blue bag has been retrieved. Seth will receive his gift tomorrow.

Josie the Brave

I met a girl.  A young artist.  Her name is Josie.

I inquired of her favorite color.  "I like blue, and I like red, and I like yellow, and I like purple, and I like green, and I like white," was her pensive reply.  She had no complex method or meaning, but simply laid the paint down.

"Tuck tuck a wennin don't fall down," she sang.

Josie works in many mediums, including chalk, marker, bubbles, and maple syrup.  Above, she patiently constructs a site-specific piece.  Afterwards, she endeavors to master depicting grass on the Doodle Pro.                                                                                                                                                                     

Why do you make art? I asked.  "I just like to."

On her breaks, Josie enjoys writing songs, tending her garden, and drinking juice.  She has a dog named Moose.

The Old Nunnery

Inspecting things with Seth is the best way.

In this pretty room, a starling rested in pieces peace.

Seth and his sketchbook.

 

He paused on our way out to sketch a few more details of the pleasant old convent.  We found an old bird's nest tucked in the lantern above his head.

I met an interesting person, a fellow artist, in this very New Hampshire neighborhood.  I will introduce her to you in the next post.