
15.7.09
options_preferences

11.7.09
inspiration/confirmation


the video (below) that architectural record features on the project contains some great still-shots of the rolling hills in the context of the natural rolling hills and is essentially a video version of the article that is printed. this video by The New York Times is a nice bit about maya herself. there is much that i admire about her and her work, but perhaps the thing i relate to most is that she works in different scales and scopes - within one project/thought process as well as between the larger worlds of architecture and art. and i love that she says it is hard to exist between the two. "making architecture is like writing a novel. making a work of art is like writing a poem."
30.6.09
(horo) SCOPE

19.6.09
ADequate
a collection of ... things


this morning i met kelly (and her husband) for a quick hand-off of produce bags. wow - way more than i had expected which means i'm stocked-up on ribbon for a good long while. they were such a cute couple and so lovely for collecting them for me. THANK YOU!


my son has been home most of this week, meaning a lot of juggling for me, but he seems to be going through a change of some sort. isn't that what it means when they become 'fussy' -- even at three and a half? not sure if it is that his finnish-'brother' has returned home, or if he is growing, or if he is simply wanting to be home in his OWN space. but i kind of cave-in when he cries and states he wants to stay home with me instead of going to his grandparents' house. (is that mother's guilt?) he is becoming more independent and is really into making things right now. his drawing abilities have blossomed, revealing his creativity in entirely new ways. this is the mask we made yesterday. he drew it and i helped with the wear- ability-factor.
10.6.09
growing a green ... thumb

so, we started by building a frame and then digging/rolling-up the grass in the planting beds and using it to fill the walk-ways. we then covered the walkways with landscaping-clothe (to keep the grass from growing back) and then filled them in with gravel. we ordered a truck full of 4-5 yards of black dirt with manure and other 'organic' things.
by the 29th of april we had the main bed done and ready for planting. we also worked to make a third gravel walkway between the new bed and a narrow ground bed from the previous year. on the 3rd of may we planted numerous seeds (radish, carrots, beets, golden beets, kale, spinach & brussel-sprouts) and a few starter plants (broccoli, peppers, celery, tomato and dill plants) as well as transplanted lettuce, arugula, basil, green onion & tomato starters that souliyahn had started from seeds back in march/april.
you can see (click on image to view larger) how much the garden has transformed in the first month. from empty beds of earth to food that is ready to be eaten already! we had our first meal from the garden on june 2nd: tuna salad on a bed of baby greens & cilantro with radishes. so fresh, tasty and ...... gratifying! 2.6.09
deeper ideas & on going investigations

i tend to be creative in one of two ways. i have spurts of inspiration that result in a breadth of ideas and designs -or- i find inspiration by exploring deeper into one design or line of thinking. these THIN bracelets are derived from the TOPO bracelets - three individual bracelets forming one collective piece that creates space & volume that changes based on the way they fall around one's wrist. but thinner for comfort when working at a computer or writing a letter ;)

also inspired by the TOPO bracelet/s are some new wood versions that incorporate layering and more extensive hand finishing. this 3 layer bracelet is solid basswood.

these 5 layer bracelets accentuate the layer/ply effect and are made of solid basswood, walnut and purple heart. i've removed the dark-burned laser-cut edge by sanding them smooth which gives them an entirely different look and feel (to the touch)

the round 5-layer version is the most exciting derivation, where the topographical effect is found inside the bracelet like a secret gem not noticed by everyone. i'm currently exploring these methods and ideas even further...

i've also been considering and exploring the idea of VOLUME within a flat structure/frame. these sketches are from mid-january as i began brainstorming for the voltage show. while many of my original ideas from that time were scrapped in order to better compliment arwyn birch's collection, the sketch below made it into the show in the form of prototypes.

even with this simple concept, there are a myriad of decisions and options to consider. for this prototype piece, i used a thicker satin-y fabric as the volumetric portion. i hand stitched the fabric into a tube and then hand stitched it on each end to the acrylic frames. i added 2 additional layers of acrylic on each end to balance the proportions and to conceal some of the stitching so that it wasn't the first visual impression, without entirely covering it up.

the earrings that i paired with the bracelet were different than i originally conceived, but turned out to be quite powerful on the runway - looking almost like lanterns. ----
27.5.09
new earrings
these are the new earrings that i 'debuted' at the Walker sale. -- they come in 2 sizes...
...in black, red, orange, yellow & ivory...

and in a variety of woods including a new species: purpleheart that i am trying for the first time (upper left)
always concerned with the delicacy of cut-material and brittle-ness of certain woods - i've also tried layering 2 woods.19.5.09
walker:display

13.5.09
recent press discoveries
we have received a smattering of exciting press mentions in the last couple weeks. an image of my HIVE brooch was included in vita.mn's mention of the Walker Jewelry Mart as well as in a beautiful print-piece from the Walker that my sister-in-law (in duluth) discovered in her New York Times 2 saturdays ago!
my HIVE necklace was included on designmilk.com as part of her guest-curator role on etsy.com! she was asked to pick 15 things to feature that she felt were "inspiring, different, and brave" {i like her even more because she used a comma after different! -- something that i do but others have debated me on...}

i was also pictured with karin jacobson and adrienne grahn in the "face time" section of the start tribune on may3rd for the voltage show. i've always wondered who those people are and now i can say i was one of them!
and i finally got my hands on a bona-fide hard copy of Nordic Reach magazine - expecting to see the same picture from their web-version of my article .... and to my utter surprise, there i was - a full page of me, frizzy-haired, holding my marimekko umbrella in front of the Spoon and (old) Cherry! the article Finnish by Osmosis, is probably my favorite to date. it really touches on my roots both culturally and in terms of the roots my parents gave me.... as a mother, i now recognize how easily a child can be influenced and how hard it can be do a good a job of it.
on the architectural/interior design side of things, we've also been included in Metro magazine as one of 3 firms to watch for (nice!) and my son Silo's room is featured in the Roomology section of Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine. both of these are in the current, MAY, issues of each respective magazine.







