fall beginning

Like many people, fall is my favorite season. I'll miss summer but I'm dearly looking forward to snow and heavy knit fishermen sweaters, scented candles and hot coffees. Goodbye warmth, hello stillness, hello quiet.

year 3

Happy Anniversary, dear heart.

this summer, last summer

 

 

Last summer my paws were stained red from fingertip to near elbow. I stank of tumeric and was taught to sew by a Nepali man. I had my hair short, as it had been the last 7 years. My clothing was constantly spattered with plaster and felt as we worked and worked and worked, listened to NPR and ate croissants. 

This summer I'm slowly learning how to care for a house. Raising rabbits in the backyard and cursing trying to paint a textured ceiling while we live for months without a fridge. Now my hair is unrecognizably long, I feel like I'm in high school again just with better eyebrows. My husband taught me how to use a sewing machine and I'm mesmerized by the indigo and prussian blues of my cyanotypes. Last summer I didn't much like wood cutting, this summer it is my true love and boon companion.

Sweet husboy, Jonett. Next month is our 3 year anniversary!

August august augussssxzzzzt, or W(h)ine & Wood

 

The fridge repair man just left. Still kaput but one step closer- he's ordered a part and asked us to call him when it arrives at our home. Ugh, for realz, being a homeowner is great but the last 2 months dicking around with our insurance has been fucking ridiculous. It was sorta fun for a week or so to not have a fridge, like an extended camping trip, but not so much anymore. 

I've been working my south-paw to the bone on a new series of woodcuts focusing on fauna of Wisconsin. Here are some sneak peeks before I start printing tomorrow.

 fox, fern, arrow, & moon. rabbit, snow berry, thistle, & star.

 badger, laurel, & candle flame.

and one of my favorite Wisconsin animals, Pai.

Not having a fridge blows as resident cook Jonett has kept busy working on a few new batches of wine which I am eying with great anticipation....

 bubble, bubble, my little friend.

rabbits and wood in the blue

 Summer is in full swing here in Minnesota. Sticky air, heavy with mosquitoes and the multitudes of lily tigers as their blooms grow heavier and heavier. 

We still have no working fridge (wtf, insurance?!). So we are still eating Flintstone-esque portions of meat and fresh veg from our garden.

We've begun a bit of redecorating, painting the living room walls a nice cyan blue. 

Trim isn't finished yet, we're thinking maybe gold (??).

I finally got around to painting/sealing our rabbit hutch too. I think the bunnies (Whiskey, Rye, & Bourbon) are digging it. Next, we're going to build a nice big A-Frame run for them to enjoy on the grass.

 Whiskey

Well, I gotta get back to work!

Magic

With these

I can make these

and this.

Today is an incredibly hot rainy day in Minnesota. A day to sit out on my porch with a cup of chilled coffee and work on some wood carvings. I've sketched out some new designs that I need to start carving. These will be for an upcoming show in Wisconsin in October that I'm super pumped about, its at one of my favorite local venues.

 More magic?

 With these

we made this!

Fresh radishes from our garden. Jonett cleaned and sliced them extra thin with his godly steady hand. Then he just marinated them in a small bowl of rice wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Extra tasty and simple meal- because, whomp whomp, we still have no working fridge!! Blarrgh!