Quince and Quire

Blue, green, blue

I wandered a bit further than my neighborhood during the past few weeks . . . . We made a trip to the Pacific Northwest, and along the way visited mountains, desert, valleys and cities. Oh, I miss my native region, with its tall ranks of evergreens, its lush vegetation, its brisk air and clear light. Looking at some of our photos, I realized in retrospect that I missed the water there too. Given that we currently live in a region of lakes on the east coast, perhaps that is odd. But I miss certain bodies of water, much as I miss certain people.

And so: water: in many shapes, sizes and colors.

Colors of August

The flying book

Those of you who are lucky enough to live near your extended family probably don't have a flying book. But in my far-flung family, the flying book is a necessity.

What is a flying book? Ours is a sketchbook of plain construction and modest size that is mailed from one coast to another every few weeks. Inside it, my father, my daughter and I doodle and draw, according to our whims, our temperaments and our abilities. It's a way to talk across the miles, to send love cross country, to share thoughts and ideas when we can't be in each other's presence. 

One of my father's pages.

One of the pages that my daughter and I collaborated on.

One of my pages. Sometimes I get uptight about my drawing skills and do tiny little uptight drawings. Sometimes I just write rambling passages. It doesn't matter. The point is to have a conversation on the page.

This little notebook has given me another theme for the week: flight. I'll have some interesting variations in the coming days. Thanks for all the nice comments about the farmers' market cards last week. 

From the archives: basket weaving

My husband took this photo when he was living in Gabon, about 15 years ago. I know it's a little dark and a little blurry, but I love it. The motion of the man's hands, the lush greenery outside, the dark coolness inside, and the pattern of that basket beginning to emerge from the hands of a master weaver all come together in an evocative image.

Paper cuttings from China

My friend Michelle recently traveled to China with her husband to adopt their long-awaited baby girl. While they were there, Michelle kindly chose a few treasures for us, including these wonderful paper cuttings. 

Paper cutting is one of many traditional art forms at which the Chinese excel. The tradition began in the fifth century, matured as an art form in the eighth through tenth centuries, and reached its peak by the 19th century. Apparently, paper cuttings began as offerings to the gods and then evolved into decorations for important events, like the New Year. Several of the cuttings that I received depict the different animals of each year.

Most of the "folk" practitioners of this art have been women; indeed, in the past, skillful paper cutting was a necessary talent for brides-to-be! Most of the professional, paid paper cutters have been men. Interesting, isn't it? Familiar, isn't it?

At any rate, I love the strong lines and bright color; I love the way the delicate, thin sheets of paper seem to tell stories of sturdy people and whimsical animals. These tiny cut outs are lively and full of energy.