Gentle Readers,

After another week of sickness (argh!), 52 Fridays is again being published on a not-Friday.  As well, since I had less time to work on this collection, I sourced everything from Etsy.  Usually, I work from a variety of resources.

Regardless of my “off week”, I found myself really responding to each of the artists I’m sharing with you.  This isn’t always the case with Etsy, in my growing state-by-state experience.  So yay for Maine Etsy artists!  You’ve got some fine bodies of work. Thanks!…

Yellow House by Jennifer Judd-McGee - Northeast Harbor

Marsh Road by Mary Ann Cary - Cape Elizabeth

Little Sea Swimmer from Tuizui collection by Ann Jenkins - Bar Harbor

Custom Little City Kid Portrait by Melissa Crowe - Portland

Hobbit Hole Garden House by Wooden Wonders - Thorndike

Raku Red Crowned Crane and Moon by Rocky Mann - Bar Harbor

Customized Dog Clay Sculpture by Indigo Twin - small town

Hand Printed Wallpaper, Bird Design by Modern Bohemian - Portland

Seagull by Kathryn Robertson - Machias

Moon and Trees Batik by Suzanne Drown - South Portland

Today I’m going to acquaint you with my latest love, the Uzbek Suzani.  These are traditional embroidered textiles from Uzbekistan, which are used functionally in the home as well as for special celebrations.  The stylized designs often refer to literal objects, such as legumes, vines, and tea pots.

I love them for their vibrancy, forms and graphic nature.  If you like them, you’ve GOT to check out Tribal Chase.  As a matter of fact, if you like textiles at all you should check them out.

Uzbek Suzani Patterns

(sourcing: calico corners, tribal chase, uzbek textile)

Because I’ve not been able to stop thinking about these lovely fabrics, I felt I had to try to sketch and paint some approximations.  I did these babies last week.  They were really fun.  It was nice to get lost in paint for a while…

sketches

Bluzani

Bluzani ii

Bluzani (detail)

Bluzani ii (side)

The design possibilities for suzani inspired art are just about endless.  Really a fun project, and if you can draw a circle (or even if you can’t – mine are wobbly!)  then you can work out a pattern.

I may have exorcised my Suzani obsession for the time being… but I’m thinking that Kilims would be great inspirations for a new project…

Lots of birds and color this week…  it must be Spring!

Broken Wing by Donny Gallagher - Youngsville

Through the Streets by Terrance Osborne - New Orleans

Gunshot Landscape by Margaret Evangeline - New York (via Louisiana!)

Lories by Hunt Slonem - somewhere north of Baton Route/ St. Mary Parish/ Kingston, NY

Wildflower Road by Karen Mathison Schmidt - farm country, Northern Louisiana

Key to Your Heart by Kiki Huston - New Orleans

Vessel by Rashida Ferdinand - New Orleans

This You Must Know by Brad Benischek with Berman Black - New Orleans

Fox Mug by Barbara Donovan - Baton Rouge

You are Beautiful by Julia Eves - New Orleans

 Enjoy.

Guide by Carolyn Young Hisel - Lexington

Red Barn #3 by William Renzulli - Paducah

House 1-16 (on left) and House 1 (on right) by Marcia Alscher - Covington

Willow Bark Basket by Jennifer Heller Zurick - Berea

Horizon Watch by Angie Reed Garner - Lexington

Give Peace a Chance, Recycled Soda Can Earrings by Jennifer Stephenson McLamb - Lexington

Grouping of Small Paintings by Bill Santen - Lexington

Buzzard's Roost - Guy Mendes

Miyo, Miyo (on left) and Nuestra Señora de la Merced (on right) by Dobree Adams - north of Frankfort

Reduction Cooled Wood Fired Vase by Patrick Rademaker - Louisville

Every other Friday night, I have a quiet night at home with Miles and baby D while the older kids are out and about with Dad at their church youth groups.  While they have Bible study, scavenger hunts and Karaoke, we relax in our peaceful home.

This week, Miles and I decided to start a painting club.  We have a very involved secret handshake.  And we both work on painting projects.  We decided that sometimes, we’ll invite other people over to paint with us.

Here is what Miles made:

I made some stuff too.  Here’s what I noticed.

I had a vision of what I would make.  Miles just made.  My work turned out a bit stilted and contrived.  His flowed.

I worked on my painting until it was over worked.  Miles knew when to put his painting aside and start a new one.

I am not usually so uptight about art, but I think I’m out of practice and was a little anxious. Yes, I was anxious about Friday Night Art Club with Miles.

When I was in school, I had a wonderful drawing teacher – Crossan Hays Curry – who shocked us all in 1st year drawing.  We drew the model, each of working SO hard to demonstrate our lofty 18 year old “skillzz”.  After 30 minutes or so, he asked us to tear off our drawing, wad it up, and throw it in the trash.  We did this every day, every drawing for a month.

by Crossan Hays Curry

When we were through, we knew that we were students.  We were learners, experimenters, free to make mistakes or make beauty – either way, there would always be another chance tomorrow.

I guess it takes “practice” for grown ups (including 18 year olds) to unlearn our ways and loosen up enough to really be creative.  I treasure the lessons learned that year, and am reminded of them this year in the Miles and Mom Painting Club.

This late night edition of 52 Fridays is dedicate to my dad, who from his sickbed today asked me “weren’t you supposed to post two 52 Fridays today”?  Yes, Dad.  Here it is!  I wish I could send you some chicken noodle soup along with it.

Sand River I by Lisa Grossman - Lawrence

Daisy Necklace by Julie Branstrom - Lawrence

Circles of Color Series 1 (old house paint lids) by Joelle Ford - Lawrence

Grocery Art Blocks by Suzanna Scott - Manhattan

Red Hot Cherry by Alan Chow - Prairie Village

Girl with Black Masquerade Mask by Katherine Labbe - Burrton

Navy Blue and White Pendant by Nancy Bjorge - Lawrence

From "The Earth Takes Us In It's Embrace" by Jane Voorhees - Kansas City

Bigger Poppies by Sharon M.W. Bass - Lawrence

Remember, click on the images to see MORE of each artists work!

I once lived next door to Iowa, in Nebraska.  We would travel to Council Bluffs to visit friends.  My memories of this place are the flat, flat, fields, the surprising cliffs rising out of them and the flat, wide, rivers running in them.  I think there’s bound to be a lot of creativity when there’s a lot of sky….

Travelers by Kindra Noel - Des Moines

Stone Rabbit Pitcher by Elisabeth Maurland - Decorah

Cold by Rachel Arnold- Elkader

Midcentury Cabinet by Dan Neubauer - Ames

Sound Booth (pencil drawing!) by Laassa Kabel - Des Moines

Hand bound book by Gena Ollendieck - Cresco

Shiny Things by Lori Biwir - Osage

Street Art by Brent Houzenga - Des Moines

Empress Necklace by Cindy (CTThings) - Ames

True Blue by Hilde De Bruyne - Des Moines

It’s been a while since I’ve shared fun facts about a state in 52 Fridays.  As I’m from Ohio, and it seems that people often confuse it with Iowa and Idaho, it seems appropriate to differentiate this fine state.

• Elk Horn is the home of the largest Danish community in the United States (yay!  I’m Danish!)
• The most crooked street in the world is in Burlington.  (According to Ripley’s Believe it or Not).
• Quaker Oats – the largest cereal company in the world – is located in Cedar Rapids.

At some point in our older home’s history, an extra room was added on to the first floor.  Since we’ve lived here it has alternately been “the studio”, “the office”, “the shove everything in there” room, and again “the office”.

In it’s latest transformation back to the land of the functional, I uncovered something of interest.  A shelf jammed with this and that: wool slippers, cork kilim coasters, DIY nursery decor, an old clock in need of refinishing.  What do all these have in common, you ask?   They all have found a home on the shelf where projects go to die.  Each just shy of completion: almost done but for one supply that I’ve run out of, or one tricky hurdle I don’t want to jump, or one disappointing outcome that I hadn’t expected.

As I reordered and organized my space, (now the “studio-office hybrid”) I had an epiphany.  I created a small niche on half of one shelf, and piled up a few of these unfinished projects.  These projects would be completed.  They have to be completed before I am allowed to start any new projects. (And oh, how I do want to start some new projects!)

So this means that when I stop by JoAnn’s to pick up silver foil for the clock, I won’t stop by the clearance shelves for some perfect project-y deals.  And when I drop off our clutter at the thrift store, I won’t also buy that amazing, unique mid-century side table at 30% off.

Wait, as I’m writing this, I realize that may have been a mistake.  The table thing…. It was really cool, and only $7!  Should I go back…?

Anyhow, as we’ve discussed before, I am a starter.  Not so much a finisher.  I’m hoping that by bribing myself with more, better, amazing projects to come, that I’ll finish up what I’ve begun.  When the shelf is empty, I’ll add a few more from the pile, and get to work on those too.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

A non-sequitur to end with…  I started and finished this cake yesterday.  And by “finished it” I do not mean that I ate it all in one day!  It was good, but not great, and makes me want to perfect my “from scratch” techniques.

I’ll let you know how that goes, too!  I have a 1 year old birthday and a 42 year old birthday to bake for soon…

Hope you all have great days!  See you soon.

Oh, friends, February has been challenging for us here at the Muller household.  It’s not been without fun and spark and joy, but I think someone has been sick on any given day since the month began.  So this is not a mommy blog, but frankly, all that I’ve been doing this month is being a mommy.  I’ve needed to do that, and wanted to as well.

I think we turned a corner this weekend, and I set about to blog again, to catch up on 52 Fridays, Iowa edition (which was a l m o s t complete!!), when I lost the whole thing.  Maybe in my previous sick haze, I forgot to save or something.  Argh!!

Anyhow, I wanted to touch base, although I have no art or making or musing to share.  I thought I’d just share a bit of the fun that’s been interspersed in our days this month.

Also, this Friday, I plan to share not one but two 52 Fridays editions – Iowa and Kansas.  A double dose!!  And can I just say, I’m so glad I memorized “The Fifty Nifty United States” as a child.  I never knew how often it would come in handy!

Miles was SO happy to lose his tooth! (His brother transcribed the note...)

Finally!

Baby of the family = our mascot!

Happy to be well!

I really enjoyed my tour of Indiana this week.  It seems like there is a lot of art going on there, lots of young artists, and lots of support for the arts.  I have a theory that I’m cooking up about arts in the Midwest.  When it’s fully baked, I’ll share it with you.  Until then, enjoy Indiana, friends!  (Don’t forget that you can click on the images and visit the artists’ websites – it’s nice to see their entire body of work).

Abstract by Marianne Glick - Indianapolis

Bull in a China Shop by Lesley Baker - Indianapolis

Circle Center by Ryan Petrow -

Kitchen Kitch by Nancy Keating - Carmel

Decaying Consciousness by Joseph Crone - Indianapolis (pencil on acetate)

Etched Grasslands Necklace by Lisa Hopkins - West Lafayette

Blue Raku Jar, Steve Vachon and Sue Davis - Fort Wayne

Deco Panel by Lucia Bennett, Moda Industria - Bloomington

Boy with Headphones by Flatland Kitchen (Erik and Rebekah Nolan) - Indianapolis

Creed by Kyle Ragsdale - Indianapolis

Favorites, anyone?