desert living rooms

If you walk out in the mornings on the country roads I walked on in Joshua Tree, you might find these life sized cabinets of curiosities.

I have no explanation for these mysterious spaces - although the last photo is a more familiar sight to all of us - but in this context it was oddly surreal.

Noah Purifoy, Artist and Human

"Born in Snow Hill, Alabama in 1917, assemblage artist Noah Purifoy lived and worked most of his life in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, California. His earliest body of sculpture was constructed out of charred debris from the 1965 Watts rebellion. 

"From 1989 until his death in 2004, Noah filled ten acres of his high desert studio in Joshua Tree with assemblage sculptures and installations that synthesized the concerns of his life."

- www.noahpurifoy.com

I had the unique pleasure of visiting this amazing installation earlier this month. Here are some of the things I saw there ...

(White: drinking fountain    Colored: toilet)

(The White House: this is the oval office)

live a still life

flowers on my desk

...i am  sitting still ...

flowers on my desk

... i am moving ...

bee labor

happy labor day from my garden 

and all of the over worked, underpaid, ever humble 

precious bees

overexposed photo, but still nice, IMO

run of the mill exposure, but still nice, IMO

just plain air

They call it "plein air"

The more sophisticated art folk

But not feeling very sophisticated art wise these days, where it's all I can do to drag out my paper and paint after having toted them down to the beach in hopes of 

... in hopes of some mojo ...

After 6 weeks of summer, I have 4 little plain paintings. Plus a bit of a tan and many sweet memories with my girls who tagged along.

It is enough.

It is just plain air.

processing

art journaling is great for processing

I usually have no idea what will come out

it's storytelling without talking

One thing is certain:

I ALWAYS feel better after journaling.

morning

It being the first morning in many days 

wherein I do not need to BE SOMEWHERE

I take time to see and play with color

What a reviving activity it is for me

daily

I'm using my new inchies as daily affirmations in preparation for my work days.

These represent Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday of this week.

It's amazing how it has helped me when my confidence gets shaken.

So today, I will remember that I am talented - even if I goof something up :)

ta-da!

Inchies are here!

I loved seeing everyone's interpretation of this project ...

... the results exceeded my expectations! 

*

And look at this from Christie!

A neat little storage packet and a lovely little book:

Many many thanks to everyone!

They are all so amazingly beautiful and unique!

Also, thank you for getting them in on time 

- I will mail them out today - 

I want to do this again!!!

fundamentals

An art journal page worth sharing.

We could, all of us, benefit from reflection.

Inchies have all arrived - minus one.

So, Monday looks like the day to post pictures on the blog and mail them out to everyone.

*

I hope you're having a lovely last 2 days of April

rhubarb can be weird

My rhubarb is about 10 years old

I guess it blooms if you've had it that long

It's hard to tell just how big this is,

 but the "flower bud" is about the size of a fist.

The stalk is about as thick as the bottom part of a baseball bat.

Below all this pompous show of plant reproduction, 

I have some lovely new spring stalks

... hence the pie ...

The only thing I created today - ha!

arial view

Art journaling is a way for me to tether some high flying thoughts and haul them down to earth where I can understand them better

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