I need a pedicure

pcc_feet Click to see this photo's flickr page

Yes. I have some serious blog-catching up do to. I've had lots of adventures, photos, thoughts of bloggy words, but no great motivation to type them. Meh. I've been pretty good about keeping up with posting photos on Flickr, though, and you can see the photos here.

Tonight, my students are on my mind. They have so much enthusiasm, idealism, hope, energy and goodness. They have so many daunting real-life, gutsy challenges ahead of them. Can I offer advice? The best I can do is gently remind them that they have to make their own decisions and be at peace and secure with the choices they make. It's the best any of us can do, really. I have been sitting at my computer, thinking of them and just wishing them strength and faith.

... I have them working on "help people do something basic, better" / mobility / medical device projects. It is going slow because there is really meaningful information they are gathering, interviews and interactions that they are initiating. I hope to help them create designs as meaningful as the intent they have brought to this particular project. I'm truly humbled by the very sincere topics they've chosen.

So, we find ourselves drawing lots of hands, figures and feet. I had to share (we do a lot of sharing) my uneven toes on my left foot with them; I've wondered to what extent this affects my balance on my left foot versus my right. Does this affect the mechanics of my running? Just look at the toes on my left foot! The next class period, the butcher paper with my feet was still on the table, and at the end of a very busy class, two of my students told me they had given me a pedicure. "Go see!" It is more playful (and more orange) than I would ever go for, myself, but I like this idea. I'm not keen on the happy/unhappy face tattoos, though. My feet are, after all, happy feet.

When I can see that there is a playful creativity that we share, when we can share silly anecdotes about our lives, when we can all sit and enjoy the communal act of brainstorming and drawing together, with so much enthusiasm at the end of what I know are really busy, busy days, I know that I am very, very fortunate to do what I do.

More indulgences

20080502_moreinktense Click to see this photo's flickr page

So, yes, I went and bought more Inktense watercolor pencils. I tested the new colors and posted the little scribbles on Flickr. Get this: I got more views for that one image than anything else I've ever posted. I mean, by an order of magnitude. I thought, "Weird".

And then I picked up more colors (what? You're getting ready to waggle your finger at me. It's not like I'm buying illegal drugs or anything) a few days later and posted those colors samples (above), and, that image got even MORE views.

I'm not sure what is so much more intriguing about the little squiggley color samples, compared to all photos of the lovely places I've been visiting, or even my sketches (sigh), but there you have it. The numbers don't lie.


20080429_new_inktense Click to see this photo's flickr page. Go ahead. Everyone else did. ;)

PB&Js travel in style

20080422_lunchbag Click to see this photo's flickr page

More from "Draw something everyday". I love my Built NY neoprene lunch bag. A nice design-y indulgence in my life. And notice it's that mint-y green that I seem to have such a preference for. Oh, I haven't mentioned that yet? I'll have to document it and share all the mint-green bags and things that I seem to have collected over the last year or two.

Draw something, everyday

20080429_waterbottle Click to see this photo's flickr page

It's a new assignment I'm trying out - to have my students draw something from life, something new (or even, the same), every day. Where have we heard this before? Hmmmm. I was going to follow along with them, since it's a good habit, this 'draw everyday' concept, but I find I'm a bit behind.

Seems like the only time I have to draw is when I'm sitting down to eat; and then I draw bits of food that I haven't scarfed down yet...

Open Stock

Retail Therapy Click to see this photo's flickr page

It was a rough day and I still had to teach class late at night, then finish packing, then get up to be at the airport by 4am the next morning. Make that: It was a rough day, and at 4pm, it was just getting started.

I decided to see if Blicks had put out the new shades of Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils, and yes, they did! I bought all the colors that I'd been wanting to enhance my basic set of 12. I left with about 25 more, each carefully chosen, but it was certainly a fraction of the cost of buying the mongo set of 72, which they didn't have anyway.

I decided to bring the new pencils on the trip, to test out the colors in my sketchbook while I was away, winding down from days at a design conference. The days have been filled with lots of great thoughts and presentations and lots of designers; lots and lots of kindred spirits. It's 2am of day two, and it's been so full that I haven't been able to sift properly through my photos, check up on blogs (which I do so obsessively), keep up with the professional group blog to post events going on early next week, do magazine research, do writing homework. Even though the conference ends tomorrow, we have plenty planned for the day and the day afterwards.

Everyone is happy, energized, reconnected and I know that all our mini notebooks are filled with scribbles of notes of ideas and inspiration. It'll be interesting to see how this shared inspiration will manifest itself down the line. It is strangely satisfying to say that, no, I haven't even had time to test the new pencils.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I hear it's been toasty in LA, but we've had two really great sunny days in Portland. Did I just jinx it for the rest of the stay? Ehh, it'll just make the great expresso taste even better with a hint of drizzle, I suppose. Be back soon. xox, -w

Maloof Discovery Gardens

The Wonderful Maloof Gardens Click to see this photo's flickr page

While reading one of Sunset magazine's blogs, Fresh Dirt, I discovered that a wonderful garden was nearby. How 'nearby'? You know, like 10 miles nearby. "Cool", I thought, making a mental note that I'd have to visit it soon.

After doing more research, I discovered that the garden is designed around the Maloof Historic Residence museum. "Who's that?" I thought. Imagine my glee when I discovered that Sam Maloof is a master woodworker, a veritable national treasure, who handcrafts furniture, designed and built (?) the historic Maloof residence and the new one, as well.

When I saw photos of his work, I blinked in disbelief. Did I mention that beyond gardens, that I'm a sucker for garden details, landscape architecture, and Arts and Crafts anything? OMG. And you're telling me this is all 10 miles away from home? Could life get any better? Really, people.

So after a long week full of taxes, design details and professional events, I finally went to the gardens today.

The Maloof Discovery Garden is designed to be water-wise, low-maintenance, AND is a Certified Wildlife Habitat. I turned the corner of the walkway entering into the garden, and stood there, stunned, with my jaw gaping. There are lots of the California native and Mediterranean plants that I love, fantastically in bloom, right now. There's an Arts and Crafts feel to the entire property, of course, with lots of joyful sculptures inhabiting the garden, lots of textures both natural and crafted to please the senses (you know I can't resist petting things like this).

Didn't have time to do a tour of the historic residence today, but, gee, I'm certainly not going to wait long.

The garden and residence are open Saturday and Thursday afternoons (as the Maloofs, after all, still live and work there ...). The foundation welcomes plein air artists to work in the garden every 2nd Thursday and Saturday, 12 Noon-4:00 pm (and a few extra dates). Hello? "Plein air painting in the garden"? Are you thinking what I'm thinking? We should go!

Click here to see the whole Flickr set from today's meanderings. :)