rachael amen art

good news!!!

2012-01-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

so excited to announce that i'm pregnant and we are expecting late july :) couldn't be happier!

downton abbey season 2

2012-01-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

i just watched the first episode of downton abbey's 2nd season. i love this show. i love masterpiece theatre. i cannot recommend it highly enough...if you haven't seen it yet you should!

happy new year

2012-01-01T10:36:00.001-05:00

some bits from 2011. i'm looking forward to 2012! my resolution (already in progress) is to take 0% negativity from anyone. i think it's going to be a great year.

2011-11-22T18:56:00.000-05:00

use the code TURKEYLURKEY to get 20% off your purchase at my vintage shop!! offer is good until 11/30.

also, stop by and "like" my shop's facebook page...from now on, this is the only place i will announce sales and list coupon codes. i also post some interesting vintage-related items from time to time.

2011-11-21T18:01:00.002-05:00

just a quick sketch...the beginnings of plans for a painting.

illuminations

2011-11-18T17:41:00.000-05:00

another new print. these mums remind me of fireworks against a dusk sky. i'm so pleased with this last batch! now available in the shop.

hagoromo

2011-11-16T10:51:00.001-05:00

a beautiful chrysanthemum (chrysanthemum x morifolium "hagoromo"). i love the gradation of color from soft, soft lavender to a vibrant chartreuse.

available here!

autumn

2011-11-16T05:32:00.001-05:00

last sunday we went for a pretty short hike at our local state park. we haven't been lately because they allow hunting every day but sunday. even so, we still heard gunfire.

we saw deer hair everywhere. i guess from hunters dragging them back to their cars.

we also saw this poor mouse. i think he had just been killed by a cyclist. the cyclists can be fairly annoying in this park since the trails are shared.

an osage orange (maclura pomifera)...related to the mulberry and they were once food for a now extinct giant ground sloth. neat, huh? most people just think they're ugly, annoying things.

marsh creek lake.

and of course we didn't keep out :)

kishin

2011-11-15T17:32:00.001-05:00

believe it or not, this is actually one chrysanthemum plant with many different hybrid flower heads grafted onto it. it reminds me of a goddess or a god with many faces.

another new print!

2011-11-15T06:14:00.001-05:00

i posted some new videos to youtube...

on halloween we drove around some back roads that are supposedly haunted...we drove right past a portal to hell even! but, all we stumbled upon was a little rabbit wanting to cross the road.

i took these two on a hike yesterday...i'll post those pictures soon.

and i watched 'the countess'...it was pretty good. i've always been intrigued by erzsébet báthory and it was nice to see her portrayed by julie delpy, who also wrote and directed the film. the costumes, jewelry and sets were so good.

and the trailer:

and some stills.

camellia

2011-11-14T15:05:00.001-05:00

A beautiful camellia even though it's withered before it has even opened. A token of wrought, but not forgotten devotion.

another new print! you can find it here.

and some music:

She Bows Her Head To The Sun

2011-11-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

She bows her head to the sun...a lovely, deep red, hibiscus variation in repose.

"She bows her head and composes her face,
Her teeth are pressed on her red lips:
She bows and kneels countless times."
-Woman by Fu Xuan

new print! the first of a few more...now available in the shop.

chrysanthemum festival con't.

2011-11-12T16:20:00.001-05:00

we very bravely ventured into this little children's garden. it was really charming and very short.

there was an herb garden...the rosemary was so vibrant!

in the outside gardens, i found a container with horsetail and some sort of carnivorous plant. a type of pitcher plant, maybe?

the geese were really boisterous. this is my favorite time of year for walks and general outdoors activities. hopefully this fall weather will stick around for a bit.

chrysanthemum festival

2011-11-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

the 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the double 9th festival, or chongyang, or chrysanthemum festival as we refer to it. the number 9 is meant to be masculine...makes sense, no? apparently, 'chong' means double. all around, it adds up to some cosmic auspicious stuff!

this is a camellia hybrid on it's last legs...still beautiful. sometimes flowers on the verge of wasting are the most beautiful, i think.

the highlight of longwood garden's chrysanthemum festival is this beautiful 1,000 chrysanthemum flower. those are all part of 1 well-trained plant. the largest in north america!

this was one plant with many different grafted hybrid flowers and their names. a wonder!! (i always want to pronounce wonder "wundah" like they do in manchester.)

a living wall.

spider mums. they were really curly!

these japanese umbrellas were so impressive in person. really lovely.

a smaller, let's say 200 flower, chrysanthemum.

this is called a shrimp plant. see the resemblance?

bird of paradise.

chenille plant.

i'll post a few more tomorrow. of course there will be prints.

also, i put this mix together today. music good to clean/paint/celebrate to...

zola jesus & austra

2011-10-27T12:29:00.002-04:00

last thursday we went to see zola jesus. psychic teens (loved) and xanopticon (eh) opened. the show was great, she even jumped into the crowd and ran around a bit. which was fun. she's miniature, so you could never tell if she was right next to you or not.

last night i saw austra. her dress was amazing. she also had these really wonderful hand slave chain ring things which i was coveting. grimes opened. both were pretty exceptional! i think this may be my favorite show of the year so far.

both shows were at philly's iconic first unitarian church.

new prints!

2011-10-05T02:57:00.005-04:00

2 more new prints...now available in the shop.

i've also have a shop at hex folk market. hex is a great magazine, and in addition, they've started a folk market geared towards "the modern heathen household." it's pretty wonderful, and i hope to do well there!

these 2 prints are available in my poppyswap shop as well.

random

2011-10-04T12:34:00.001-04:00

hagar looking stank

thalla

marsh creek lake in the late spring

nanahotep

byron

a fan i got at a vintage shop

hagar in my face

how i print prints

a scene from 'let's scare jessica to death'

our new sofa

some random photos from my phone. and 2 new little videos:

new prints!

2011-09-29T13:41:00.001-04:00

i've got a few new prints available in my shop! they came out really wonderfully...the colors are incredibly vivid. i'm very pleased.

also, i recently opened up a shop on poppyswap. if you're not familiar with poppyswap, it's a marketplace geared towards herbalists. they do have a space for artwork, so some of my botanical giclee photo prints are for sale there as well. you can find them here.

zinnias

2011-09-28T17:05:00.000-04:00

some zinnias from my garden.

longwood gardens (con't. con't.)

2011-09-21T15:21:00.000-04:00

i love water lilies...in bloom, or not. they remind me of my father's old house which had a huge koi pond with a 2nd floor patio overlooking. i miss sitting there sometimes.

these lily pads were humangous.

that's all folks. we'll be back though, for sure. i'm already printing proofs and choosing some of these as prints. i'll post which ones i decide upon.

longwood gardens (con't.)

2011-09-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

despite being crowded, longwood garden's conservatory is really wonderful (and gigantic). there was a lovely diffuse light that really made the colors of the flowers pop.

a bird of paradise...this will a print as well, i think.

fuchsia...there were lovely hanging baskets of heaps of fuchsia in bloom. this will be a print.

some sort of succulent. i need to photograph the little markers from now on. i love the imprints of the other leaves from when the plant was closed.

wormwood...artemisia absinthium. this is what makes absinthe. i have a story about homemade absinthe i'll save for another time.

cissus sicyoides. those are roots. i actually did photograph that marker!

lovely happy and sometimes fluorescent hibiscus! in color variations i've never seen before...a few of these will be prints, including the above photo.

giant maidenhair fern...

and a propagation room...off the beaten track. more tomorrow!!

longwood gardens

2011-09-19T12:56:00.000-04:00

saturday, brad and i went to longwood gardens. it wasn't the best day...it was grey and drizzly; and the crowds were really thick. we did end up enjoying ourselves, however.

these roses smelled heavenly. it was an otherworldly strong scent that i can imagine every time i see this photo.

this section reminded me of stephen king's the shining (the book, not the movie).

i hadn't visited since i was a child. all i could remember is that there was a fountain. there was a little show with chiming and such. not too thrilling, but interesting just the same.

it started raining, so we headed into the conservatory. i'll post those pictures tomorrow.

questions & answers

2011-09-15T11:32:00.001-04:00

i never do these things, but i'm procrastinating:

something i feel strongly about...
gmo crops and how they are evil

a book i love...
smilla's sense of snow by peter høeg & dracula by bram stoker...because if you know me, you know i cannot pick just one

put your music player on shuffle and list first 10 songs...actually a good representation of what i've been listening to these days
bronski beat - smalltown boy
austra - the choke
beirut - the rip tide
hateful abandon - the way it ends
rome - to die among strangers
tasseomancy - heavy sleep (maya postepski remix)
the sex pistols - submission
interpol - specialist
joanna newsom - easy
we are augustines - chapel song

what i wore today...
a slip, i haven't gotten dressed yet :/

my zodiac and if i think it fits my personality...
gemini and yes, i do

something that i'm proud of...
rescuing a lady mallard that had been run over by a car!

5 items i lust after...
there are a lot more than 5 and they're all on my large amazon wishlist

your fears...
uh, heights for one. and i don't want to die a violent or painful death.

a quote i try to live by...so true too...
"before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes." ~william gibson

somewhere you'd like to move or visit...
copenhagen, hands down.

5 weird things that i like...
i think most things i like are weird.

september

2011-09-07T17:18:00.001-04:00

found this crazy miniature hat perfect for cats to wear! doesn't lina look like a leprechaun?

also found a geode!! there's quartz and wulfenite in there.

finally got around to taking some photos of things i've had piled up like some beautiful sea urchin shells.

i've been reading a ton...just finished the tiger's wife by tea obreht, affinity by sarah waters and quite a few more too! now reading oryx and crake by margaret atwood and next up is bride of pendorric by victoria holt.

and some music:

and some cats (hagar and byron) chewing on fresh catnip:

the goldenrod is blooming

2011-08-07T12:28:00.000-04:00

you know you've been gone a while when you get an email from a concerned, thoughtful person asking if you're okay....yes, i'm ok! i've just been enjoying this summer. very much. life has been both busy and languid, just like summers usually are. i've been keeping up my little container garden...harvesting boneset, calendula flowers, chamomile, tomatoes and jalapeño peppers.

i keep on finding these mushrooms growing in my yarrow.

my mother visited from italy for a month or so...we took a ride to "upstate" new york to visit some family. twice.

went to the borgata in atlantic city to see interpol and school of seven bells...i won $300 at a 2 cent slot machine, which was an added bonus.

we had really good seats, and it was so nice to see one of, if not my favorite band.

oh, and a stuffed cat at the gun range brad goes to. guns aren't my thing, i just go to people watch.

i've also made 2 different kind of jams (mixed berry and plum / lemon balm) and canned them properly. a first for me. also, i tried to make yogurt, but it was a failure. yesterday, i started some mead! 2 kinds...cherry vanilla and peach / lavender / lemon balm. we see how they turn out in a year. i hate waiting. oh and reading! lots and lots of reading. i can't believe the goldenrod is blooming already.

bitch, please!

2011-07-02T18:44:00.000-04:00

haha...showing off my expert photochop skills. feel free to disperse about the interwebs (with due credit of course).

brewing

2011-06-30T14:36:00.000-04:00

some of the herbal remedies that i've currently got brewing (and probably decanted today)...burdock root (arctium lappa) in apple cider vinegar, dandelion leaf (taraxacum officinale) tincture, honeysuckle (lonicera spp.) in almond oil, mullein leaf and root (verbascum thapsus) tinctures, lemon balm (melissa officinalis) tincture, bee balm (monarda didyma) elixir, honeysuckle (lonicera spp.) elixir, borage flower (borago officinalis) tincture and bloodroot (sanguinaria canadensis) tincture.

garden progress

2011-06-29T13:44:00.000-04:00

i'm proud of my little garden.

moving along

2011-06-21T16:38:00.000-04:00

the tumbled rocks after phase 1 and before phase 2...ugh, it's a long process. i'm not a patient person.

2011-06-18T11:02:00.000-04:00

this is where we stayed...extreme victoriana!! it was actually a lovely b&b 2 blocks from the promenade.

cape may birthday

2011-06-15T17:52:00.000-04:00

i mentioned before that we went to cape may, nj for my birthday...i turned 40 and wanted to do something better than just run-of-the-mill...it was between the beach and a cabin, and the beach obviously won out...

at the beach we saw a school of dolphins! apparently, a common occurrence at cape may beaches...

i also saw these rosa rugosa growing on the dunes with gigantic rosehips...about ping pong ball sized...

an oyster catcher...someone described them as looking like they were smoking a carrot...fitting and funny.

on a walk we came across this little bunny (i named him 'noodle')...he was determined to finish his meal and wasn't afraid of us at all...

some seaweed that reminded me of bubble wrap...

we saw 2 muskrat...this one was pretty close and mostly out of the water...

a fish crow and i had a moment...

great white heron...

and a snowy owl at the zoo...he was walking around like this and grunting.

a dragonfly landed on me and wouldn't move. my freckles be poppin'! wish i could go back.

2011-06-13T14:59:00.001-04:00

i collected a bunch of pretty rocks from sunset beach in cape may, nj. sunset beach is known for its "cape may diamonds"...pure crystal quartz that travels all the way from the upper delaware river. once they are polished and cut they look really nice in jewelry. i like them just as i find them, but i am currently tumbling this lot to polish them up. this is before phase 1 of a hard grit for a week in the tumbler. fun stuff. right up my dork alley.

cape may birthday

2011-06-11T20:20:00.000-04:00

i spent my birthday, which was june 2nd, in cape may, new jersey. i had a wonderful time, and wish i could've stayed longer...we were only there for 4 days but crammed so much in...i even got to spend some time with an old friend i haven't seen since high school. here are some short videos that i shot...photos to come. i named the baby bunny "noodle" :)

2011-05-30T08:24:00.001-04:00

i've been taking little 30 second or so long videos (on my phone) during our hikes...here are a few:

hagar listens to owl sounds

2011-05-28T11:21:00.000-04:00

a fruitful 3 hour tour

2011-05-27T13:05:00.000-04:00

saw a frog or a toad...whichever he was...

false solomon's seal...

mushrooms...

bug eggs...very fibonacci.

day moon...

daisies...

red clover blossoms (i picked a whole bunch)...

some sort of buttercup...

an interesting moth...

pink philadelphia fleabane...

don't know this flower yet...maybe bladder campion?

we ran into 3 deer...the one in the middle saw us, but because we were standing still wasn't too sure what was going on...

these nature photos are probably boring to most, but this is what my life has been lately...outside as much as possible...and it's been great. once the heat goes up i'll be talking about shoes again :)

more new trails

2011-05-24T14:30:00.001-04:00

when we go hiking, i'm mainly interested in looking for plants to make medicine with...brad is more interested in the creatures...like this cardinal, which was particularly vibrant...

haven't determined what this bird is yet...

we saw this bumble bee sleeping...

and i actually was the one who spotted this little guy...super cute! he's a red spotted newt in the sub-adult stage (totally just googled that shit)...

brandywine creek...

the many species of raspberry around chester county is just staggering...i can't wait for them to fruit...

the first of the wild rose blooms...

this jack-in-the-pulpit was about 3 ft. tall...gigantic and probably really old, which speaks well for the ecosystem there...

the gypsy moths will be bad this year, unfortunately...already seeing nests everywhere.

new trails

2011-05-23T17:22:00.000-04:00

we found the chipmunk sodom and gomorrah...

the ruins of an old springhouse...

the philadelphia fleabane was blooming...

also the wild geranium...i was dying to harvest some, but there weren't enough plants for me to sustainably do that...maybe i'll find some more...

we saw many eastern kingbirds...

this is a live monarch (on the right) mourning a dead monarch...i moved the dead one to the side, as this was in the middle of a parking lot...the live monarch flitted around watching me the whole time. it was really a touching scene.

and some hydrangea, i think. every once in a while we stumble across a hybrid, ornamental plant in the middle of the native woods. i always imagine someone planted it there in honor of a loved one...maybe that's where they spread their ashes. guess we'll never know.

grow grow grow

2011-05-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

red clover (trifolium pratense) seedlings

cherry tomato

jalapeño peppers

heirloom tomato "mortgage lifter"

borage (borago officinalis) and catnip (nepeta cataria)

bee balm (monarda didyma)

southernwood (artemisia abrotanum)

boneset (eupatorium spp.)

not to toot my own horn or anything, but i'm pretty good at growing stuff. haha. well not really. not pictured are 4 or 5 planters that i've got seeds starting in (late, i know) because they didn't survive the first attempt. i've only ever started from seed by just putting them in the ground and crossing my fingers. i really hope they make it. also, the iris are blooming.

2 new prints!

2011-05-16T13:27:00.000-04:00

i've added 2 more new prints to the shop...some beautiful early spring hepatica, and a moment betwixt a robin and myself through some branches. i love robins, they seem as though they would rather walk than fly and they crack me up running all over the place.

also, some music:

gift

2011-05-15T14:02:00.000-04:00

i have a new print available in my shop! this deer skull was a gift from my brother who found it in the woods. i love the little horn antlers. i have to keep it up high because the cats love to rub their heads on it. i'm thinking of dying it...but for now it just stays like this.

1981

2011-05-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

i really could've cared less about the recent royal wedding...i do understand why the brits were afire with anticipation though. also, extravagant weddings are gross. i was excited, however, that my father dug up his press materials from charles and diana's wedding in 1981. he is a press correspondent for abc news and was there filming everything for his affiliate. this is just a sampling of some of the materials included:

*i posted this yesterday, but blogger had a hiccup and it disappeared. hopefully it sticks this time.

may day

2011-05-04T11:24:00.001-04:00

may day is my father's birthday...we took him out for brunch and then headed to the woods...

a bunny we saw spying on us...

a bird (atop a stang)...

spring beauties...

virginia strawberries...

the morel mushrooms were everywhere...neither of us are big mushroom fans, so we left them for someone else or creatures to munch on...

we disturbed a great blue heron...he flew across the lake to peek at us...magnificent creature!

and some guts...whether it was from a kill, or some fisherman or something, i don't know...

and a jack-in-the pulpit...love this plant. they have leaves (you can see surrounding) that mimic poison ivy to keep them safe from hands wanting to pick them. they're endangered, so don't do that anyways.

i love any time spent in the woods. also, brad took these photos...i'm afraid he's commandeered my camera. i told him it's time for me to upgrade and i'll give him this one :)

2011-04-28T12:47:00.000-04:00

we just had a short but glorious thunderstorm! i love a good thunderstorm. also, it's been a while since i've posted some music, so here goes:

hagar thinks metal > reggae

2011-04-22T13:49:00.000-04:00

i love this cat.

welkinweir estate

2011-04-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

went to welkinweir estate the other day. it's an arboretum that's largely grown over and somewhat returned to the wild.

there were lots of birds to see...downy woodpeckers...

eastern goldfinch (which i just learned is new jersey's state bird...~~fist pump~~!)

the cherry blossom were in bloom...

this is a springhouse...i'd love a hut farm with a spring house to hide things in...

the estate itself...

we were being followed by this goose...brad is on the avian/water fowl network so he was closely watched. turned out his mate's nest was nearby, once he realized we meant no harm he left us alone...

and most exciting of all (yes, i'm a tree hugger)...was a beaver afoot! i saw tons of evidence, but alas, no beaver. i found out later that beavers can weigh up to 50 lbs.! it's probably best we didn't find it because i was expecting something groundhog sized (and if you can get through reading this without a smirk, you're way more mature than i am).

...beaver saliva!!!

we also saw two redwing blackbirds chasing a sparrow...they were stalwartly holding court over this cattail patch! it's my goal to spend as much time outdoors as possible before it gets to be ungodly hot out. so far, so good.

apiaceae

2011-04-13T13:20:00.000-04:00

water hemlock ~ cicuta spp.

poison hemlock ~ conium maculatum

i'm learning about apiaceae or the parsley family...two members of which are the most poisonous plants in north america...water hemlock and poison hemlock. poison hemlock is known for killing socrates.

these were some of the first plants i learned to identify and i see them everywhere where i live. good to know these plants so you don't pick them! they will kill you if you ingest them, they will most likely kill you if you pick their leaves, roots, etc...and will fuck you up regardless.

most people use plants from this family on a regular basis...like carrots, parsley, celery, dill, fennel, parsnip, cilantro and many more. also queen anne's lace (daucus carota) is included in this family and looks very similar to poison hemlock. just a note of caution.

here are some ways to identify both of these hemlocks: red or purple spotted stems, toothed leaves, 2 celled ovary (see the seed in photos above), and the umbels (floral clusters) have 5 petals, 5 sepals and 5 stamen on a flower cluster which looks like the spokes of an umbrella.

once you learn these plants you will spot them everywhere...i see them mostly lining the roadsides as i drive along and water hemlock more commonly along water waste areas and streams.

jenkin's arboretum

2011-04-11T12:45:00.000-04:00

double bloodroot

bloodroot

paw paw buds

double bloodroot

hepatica

willow, maybe.

fiddleheads

turtles!!

robin

trout lily

yesterday we visited jenkin's arboretum in devon. it's a smaller arboretum, but they have clearly marked specimen and quite a few interesting specimen as well. there was bloodroot everywhere...such a beautiful plant. also, turtles!!

2011-04-09T12:28:00.001-04:00

i've got tons of new vintage clothing ready for the shop, i just have to photograph it all. included are 4 gorgeous wedding dresses that i'm excited about.

we pulled down some lovely but fucked up wallpaper from our kitchen. rather than re-wallpaper we painted a chalkboard wall. which is super fun if you have a 12 year old's sense of humor like i do. i like how it turned out.

also a shelf!

spring!!

2011-04-08T12:25:00.001-04:00

spring has been slow coming, but i do believe it's finally here. this day was cold but sunny and perfect for a romp in the woods. we met a pretty dog named daisy...she had curls on her head! there were woodpeckers, black capped chickadees, robins and tufted titmouse everywhere. we even saw a bluebird! i'll be back soon to hunt for some ramps.

2011-03-22T16:54:00.000-04:00

i was recently reminded of this set of photos taken when i was in high school. i believe i'm holding a beer there...haha. my friend jessica took these. great memories.

solaris

2011-03-21T19:03:00.000-04:00

have you seen solaris (i'm talking about the original 1972 version directed by andrei tarkovsky, not the george clooney version)? such a good (if long) movie...visual and emotional study, really. it's based on a book, i must read it! i've been meaning to for years.

you can see a few more screen caps on my flickr stream.

print

2011-03-17T21:36:00.000-04:00

another new print...now available here!! the teal is so deep and lovely on the print itself. i'm very happy with this one.

new print!

2011-03-14T17:04:00.000-04:00

i've got a new print available in my shop!

friday

2011-03-14T12:43:00.001-04:00

friday brad and i went to penn museum to see their current "secrets of the silk road" exhibit...we were pretty much mostly interested in the mummies. photos weren't allowed in the silk road exhibit, but i thought it was well done...if crowded. also, people can't listen to the audio thingy and walk or think at the same time apparently (doesn't say much for humanity). there were 2 mummies, an infant and a woman. both were exceptional.

afterwards we walked through the tibetan/buddhist section...

to the upper egyptian corridor...were there is this lovely statue of sekhmet.

and the funniest thing i've seen in a looong time...a laughing mummy. har har har.

in the lower egyptian corridor there is the 3rd largest sphinx in the world...

afterward we went to distrito and had a nice lunch...all in all a great day. i really like the over-the-top use of glitter in the restaurant (our table was gold glitter), and the lights were fantastic.

2011-03-11T16:50:00.000-05:00

my heart and prayers go out to the people of japan...i have friends and customers there that i'm hoping are safe and well.

google has a person finder here!

2011-03-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

i'm on pinterest (as if i needed another time suck)...if you'd like an invite, just let me know :)

2011-03-01T21:29:00.001-05:00

i got some new glasses!

schneewittchen

2011-02-24T16:03:00.001-05:00

i recently completed this painting (ink and opaque watercolor on watercolor paper)...she's kind of snow white-ish, but also reptilian. like the evil queen. what a strange tale...dwarves, poison apples, and talking mirrors. sounds like ~~bad~~ (wow, i can really get down with the strikethrough) good porno.

also, started a new shop at hex folk market. it's new and interesting. i'll be offering a limited supply of prints and such there. also, some unique vintage (eventually).

2011-02-22T13:02:00.002-05:00

a collection of deer antlers my brother found for me. he also recently gave me another bird's talon, but i think lina got her teeth on it as it's currently missing.

top photo is available as a print in my shop!

double plus good

2011-02-21T14:14:00.001-05:00

life has been busy, so i'm catching up on some listening...

back in the day...back seats of cars, sticky lips and sharp things.

look at this fool

2011-02-20T21:04:00.001-05:00

this is byron, again. just look at this fool...he's got the spring fever, bad. he's recently taken up humping. like full on doggy hump humping...everything (he's fixed). i'm going to call the vet. seriously thinking about locking him out of our bedroom so he isn't all up on our feet like woah. cat sexuality, ugh.

happy valentine's day

2011-02-14T13:15:00.001-05:00

2011-02-10T09:18:00.000-05:00

my grandfather wore a glass eye in his left eye. he lost his eye during a fight (he was stabbed) while he was stationed in trinidad during world war 1. he was scrappy. i actually brought it to school for show and tell in the 1st grade. weird from day one.

see the full story about the world's last glass eye maker in britain here.

2011-02-09T16:41:00.002-05:00

i made a corn husk doll. it kind of sucked. they aren't easy to make and end up looking a bit more feral than i'd like. i used turmeric and onion skins to dye the husks yellow and some wool for hair. i think the trick is to use green husks, not dried...which is what i used.

i also finished the painting i posted here before. i like how it turned out and i'm working on something new too. hopefully i'll continue to be inspired and new works will be steady coming. haven't titled this one yet.

this is byron. his two white eyebrow whiskers crack me up. a real dandy!

i'm thinking about renting a cabin for my birthday in june. this could be risky with my friends and family. we may get arrested and/or accidentally on purpose set the forest ablaze.

i unlocked my twitter feed...so now you can ~~stalk~~ follow me without requesting.

ceremony

2011-01-31T17:55:00.000-05:00

i still haven't completed the other painting i'm working on...i did complete this in the meantime though. ink on watercolor paper. i'm hoping it will be a print someday soon. i've got a new scanner that ~~i have a mental block against~~ i'm adjusting to.

elsa

2011-01-30T19:17:00.000-05:00

printing proofs...listening to max richter...also, i love rupaul's drag race; i love boys who love pretty...and also downton abbey...infusing herbs (yarrow, oat tops, linden)...painting my nails electric blue.

this is a new print...available in my shop!

almost done

2011-01-25T12:34:00.000-05:00

glad to have made some progress. i've actually been enjoying the winter weather, but i'm really tempted to spend a month in italy. my mother lives there and it would be nice to visit. however, it might be one of those things that seems like a better idea in theory rather than in practice. so i'm thinking about it.

twin tunnels creek & a portal to hell?

2011-01-24T12:31:00.000-05:00

yesterday brad, missy and i went in search of a portal to hell. first, we stopped at some supposedly haunted tunnels where a man hung himself and a woman's body was found. she was allegedly murdered by a local motorcycle gang. the tunnels were rather creepy. we couldn't find a suitable place to park to explore on foot. perhaps this spring.
then we went in search of a portal to hell. if you're local and curious, it's somewhere around the crossroads of saw mill & old shadyshide roads (also in downingtown)...we weren't able to find anything specific since the gates that used to be the landmark have been torn down.
all in all not a fruitless effort since we had a good time.

tran nguyen

2011-01-20T19:11:00.001-05:00

these illustrations by tran nguyen are really moody and wonderful. don't you think?

also...it's going to snow tonight...i'm looking forward to shoveling, really. i think if i can figure out how to charge my video recorder (what the fuck is this thing really called?) i'll make a little snow movie.

all images are © tran nguyen.

and some gratuitous music:

in progress...

2011-01-17T20:03:00.000-05:00

i drew something...now i'm painting it. that's ink there...per the usual. one of those faces ended up looking a bit like tyra banks, and one has a sort of hitler stash...oh wells. i'll show you again when it's finished.

down with LBP

2011-01-16T13:32:00.001-05:00

little big planet 2 comes out ~~today~~ oops, tuesday...i love this game!

stephen webster

2011-01-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

i love these pieces by stephen webster! have you seen his advertisements with christina aguilera? oh, which reminds me...i did see burlesque and it wasn't bad...entertaining.

all images are © stephen webster.

2011-01-12T13:36:00.000-05:00

i dreamed i was in a world of white and there was a man standing near me...hiding behind a birch tree. i reached down into deep snow and pulled up old bones. i arranged them to decipher their meaning. then i woke up.

2011-01-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

the snow this past weekend was so pretty.

0% of full

2011-01-03T17:12:00.003-05:00

today is the new moon. i've been suffering from a protracted bout of artist's block. it's been very frustrating. thank god for my camera. so i've been taking photos, ironing vintage clothing (yes that means a shop update - eventually), reading dracula for the 100th time (on my new nook color, thank you santa!), listening to a winter mix that i put together (depending on how industrious i'm feeling i may upload this to 8tracks) and trying to draw something.

always forward never back (except today)

2010-12-31T10:41:00.001-05:00

some images from 2010...it was a hard year...2011 will be better. happy new year!

oh! i've started a new twitter account, follow me (you'll have to request to follow because my posts are currently private)! i've also started a new tumblr (yes, another)...this one is funny (really funny, i think).
...and some music <3

dance your ass off.

2010-12-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

have a very merry christmas !!!

nighttime fly by

2010-12-23T11:05:00.000-05:00

this time of year i like to hop in the car and peek at and photograph all the christmas lights around here...it's an awful lot of fun if you're a dork like me.

solstice

2010-12-21T17:48:00.001-05:00

the moon before and during the lunar eclipse aka selenelion...and it happened on the winter solstice (and during mercury in retrograde - although let's try to ignore that last fact) apparently, it's only the 2nd in history! i woke up around 3 a.m. to snap the during photos...it was really impressive and luckily the sky was really clear. if it was warmer i would've camped out on our back deck with some hot tea and my camera.

2010-12-20T12:32:00.002-05:00

i try not to mind winter too much...sometimes it's hard. my studio feels like 10 below and it sucks. time for a space heater i suppose. this picture makes me feel a touch warmer.
i'm dying to see black swan and also blue valentine, which i'm not sure is in theaters yet.
and some music!

new orleans ~ mississippi ~ new orleans

2010-12-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

a short trip in reverse...had an allergic reaction to the air at muriel's. it's almost impossible to find a restaurant in new orleans that doesn't have 90% of its menu devoted to shellfish of varying types. but on a high note...just walking there in the french quarter, i spotted: 4 robot men, 2 transvestites (with unfortunate wigs), 4 or 5 trannies (2 of which were also possibly hookers), and a fellow with a handlebar mustache.

we spent an hour waiting in line at cafe du monde for cafe au lait and some beignet. it was a powdered sugar apocalypse in there!

my mother received her phd (at 64)! here she is in her regalia right before she left for ceremonial preparations. she was also awarded for having the best dissertation out of the many phd candidates this semester. she has reminded me at least 3 times now (so far) that she is now titled dr.

the car ride to mississippi (where my mother's university is) was rather hectic...but i did snap a photo of an abandoned amusement park somewhere along the way.

we got lost in the depths of new orleans prior and got to see how the devastation from katrina is still present...many houses were abandoned, boarded up and whole neighborhoods just appeared to be decimated...still. pretty disturbing. not to mention the shadiest of bridges that we had to ride over where you could literally feel the bridge bouncing up and down under the car. but i made it out alive and it's good to be home.

even douchebags do good work...

2010-12-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

a compendium of annoying action actors that had at least 1 great performance (in a sea of muck movies)...

sylvester stallone had 2...rocky (he was nominated for an oscar) and cop land.

samuel l. jackson is hit and miss...of course he was great in pulp fiction, but i think he gave a better performance as 'gator' in spike lee's jungle fever (he was the best thing about the movie, really).

nicholas cage was fantastic in leaving las vegas...he won the oscar for best actor...but, he also gave great performances in peggy sue got married, david lynch's wild at heart (one of my favorite films)..and vampire's kiss (another favorite).

john travolta also did a great job in pulp fiction... and his performance in saturday night fever was also wonderful. "can you dit it? i knew that you could!"

tom cruise's best work (in my opinion, of course) was in magnolia...i do think he also gave a good performance in a few good men. he was brilliant as les grossman though, no?

"i felt you so much today"

2010-12-06T16:01:00.004-05:00

another grey day...so i'm processing photos, listening to interpol, dreaming of a cabin in the woods, trying to get the holiday spirit, preparing for a short trip to new orleans, and waiting for an order of burdock root.

music (and a ninja) for rainy days...

2010-12-01T09:39:00.002-05:00

via music is the art.

is it strange that i pretty regularly search "accidental ninja" on youtube? this is an old one, but the best one.

loves me some hoochie shoes !!!

2010-11-30T12:22:00.006-05:00

yes i do loves me some hoochie shoes...minna parikka makes the best! the gloves are fantastic, as well.

thursday, friday, saturday...

2010-11-27T19:44:00.003-05:00

i went on a walk with brad and my sister-in-law yesterday. we visited marsh creek state park...we forgot it is hunting season. none of us were wearing anything fluorescent (or particularly bright for that matter)...but we forged on, on a more populated trail.

i recently found out that a town near us has not zero, but 7 portals to hell...maybe this is one of them.

there were hunters hiding behind this hay stack...the geese there are actually decoys and they were blowing whistles which mimic their calls.

and another portal to hell...

we actually saw about 7 or 8 hunters there...and we headed home.

these geese got away!

random

2010-11-23T11:41:00.005-05:00

made a silly .gif of this squirrel who visits us! click for full size.

vampyros lesbos

2010-11-23T09:01:00.002-05:00

i grew up listening to the soundtrack of this movie...i remember this record very well. but, i'd never seen the movie until recently. i found the costuming and the soundtrack to be the best things about this movie! quite boring actually...which is why there are so few screen caps :) listen to the soundtrack though!

monday

2010-11-22T06:51:00.002-05:00

the japanese maple in our yard turned the prettiest shade of red recently!
also...i had a dream last night that i grew a unibrow...and promptly freaked out. in the dream. however, when i woke up i did feel my face to be sure :)
and some music...

they held us there...

2010-11-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

and another new print...now in the shop :)

alucarda

2010-11-18T07:20:00.008-05:00

took some pictures of alucarda the other day...love this movie (despite the unfortunate portrayal of gypsies). it's supposed to be loosely based on j. sheridan lefanu's novella carmilla. which is a must read, i say. so...must watch, must read or vice versa!

fuck yes wish list!

2010-11-16T15:12:00.003-05:00

there's so much at topshop this season that i WANT :)

turn it up to 11

2010-11-15T14:23:00.003-05:00

i got an email from someone directing me to this flickr group...and they also wanted to know, what is in my bag? so, this is it. not very exciting...i forgot my keys and purposefully left out my embarrassing pink hooptie cell phone.
i make my own lip balm...this batch is calendula / clove...and my favorite earrings.
the epi-pens are because i'm extremely allergic to shellfish...even the steam can cause a reaction. so i must be prepared. oh...the gum flavor is 'maui melon mint' :)

also, last night we watched get him to the greek...it was really funny...but not as funny as nigel is.

monarch

2010-11-15T11:53:00.001-05:00

another new print...now available in the shop!

weekend

2010-11-14T15:52:00.004-05:00

this weekend...

my brother gave me a deer's skull...

i went to 8static to see my good friend don (no carrier)...and we agreed, anywhere there's a furry playing a gameboy is a place we don't mind being...i snuck a picture :)

tonight i'll be watching tv and resting my toes because my new shoes last night did them in...and of course there was lots of music listened to (oh, and a possessed cat - not mine):

(funny youtube comment: "I regrettably saw this movie at an IMax theater and was forever scarred for life when I saw a 6 foot long GIANT blue penis. I shall be haunted forever.")

also...

2010-11-11T19:21:00.004-05:00

i've been printing photo proofs all day...this is the first that i've decided to print...this is an open edition printed using archival pigment inks on archival luster paper. beautiful queen anne's lace or wild carrot from the summer. now in the shop.

reminiscing

2010-11-11T12:45:00.006-05:00

my friend and i were looking through some old family photos that i have...

i'm not sure how i'm related to these people, but i love the art deco frame and the outfits were insane...

i love this portrait of my grandfather...he was a boxer for a little while.

my favorite picture of my father...

my mother on her wedding day...she was (and still is) beautiful...

my parents...my father carrying his cherished bolex...

me with my grandmother's dachsund 'puppyuppy'...i loved that dog...

if you know me at all, you know that i'm a little bit speed junkie...

and my brother and i...he lived in the purple coat year round forever. he's still pretty strange :)

lina is...

2010-11-08T16:07:00.002-05:00

totally convinced that our cat lina is klaus kinski incarnate (re-incarnate ?)...she's prone to narcissistic outbursts just like he was...see the resemblance ?!

*as an aside...i love how herzog narrates like klaus is some rare specimen...which, no doubt he was!

talon

2010-11-02T14:21:00.002-04:00

another pine cone...this one from my walk today. paired with a hawk's talon that my brother gave me. i love that he brings me bits of dead things.