I had just come out of the grocery store. My mind was filled with eggs and celery and pork cutlets. Then I turned around and saw this. I was transfixed, and so was everyone else in the parking lot. We stopped and stared. And then turned and nodded to each other, aware that what had…
Old historic buildings in Sedona were often constructed of red sandstone. And skilled craftsmen paid attention to the type red sandstone that they used, for the sandstone was formed by inland seas that rose and retreated. And each time the seas receded, a different type of sandstone was built. One sediment layer was formed in thin brittle…
In the back room of a dressmakers shop lived a row of paper patterns. Some had yellowed with age, but the fingers of the seamstress unerringly drew the pattern she wanted from the collection. She knew them all by heart. They were familiar friends. We all have our own row of familiar patterns. I know…
Some people collect agate marbles or Japanese netsuke. Martha Stewart collects everything! My goals are more modest. I collect textures. So when I found this abstract image of a pipe and electric wire on an old stucco wall, I was delighted. It wasn’t a Mondrian or a Rothko, but in my book, it was pretty…
The Encyclopedia of Greeting Card Tools Techniques by Susan Pickering Rothamel My rating: 5 of 5 stars The cool thing about creativity is that it generalizes and spreads like wet grass in a thunderstorm. It is more a mindset than it is a specific “I am talented in this one area” phenomenon. And that brings…
What delights me about this old stove, in addition to the antique vacuum beside it, are the curves and swirls and decorations on the metal panels. After all these years, long after the designer of the appliance has passed away, these remain. They remind me of the gargoyles placed high upon the cathedral roofs in…
I found this old bucket in a Gold King Mine back lot. For those of you who haven’t been to Jerome, the Gold King Mine is a three-acre graveyard for all things mechanical: old ice cream wagons, belt-driven band saws, trucks and cars and tractors that are slowly melting back into the environment, one rust…
I caught these three at play on a windy day in the Thompson Boyce Arboretum in central Arizona east of Apache Junction. It seemed as though the huge agave plant had invited the eucalyptus tree to dance a tango while the palms waved in chorus. The scene reminded me of the Pixar movie, Toy Story, in…
Chihuly: 365 Days by Dale Chihuly My rating: 5 of 5 stars Dale Chihuly’s career as a master glass artist, now spanning four decades, is illustrated in this amazing book of 365 full color photographs featuring some of his most famous pieces. Included, also, is a running commentary of his views on creativity, productivity (he…