M A R F A. texas

M A R F A      our home away from home. a home to many an artist,  rancher, local doctor, mechanic, restauranteur, librarian...and  many many others..some who have lived here their whole lives and some who have just landed or those that just come here for chunks of time, like us. ( we have spent parts of 4 winters living here) a magical, "diamond in the rough" refuge in west texas.
     recently, a texan dinner guest chuckled and said this about marfa:   "over hyped and overly expensive" but on a marfa website i read this and smiled:  "MARFA: tough to get to . tough to explain. but once you get here, you get it." this blog also was quite funny & wry and seemed to get marfas appeal & peculiarity.
     personally, i have never been so inspired by a landscape. perhaps its the fact that is so unfamiliar, so unlike my east  coastal life & upbringing.  the quality of light, the wide open spaces, the dusty, dry cactus & grass filled open landscape.
     a few years ago, our first winter here, i began a photo shadow series. it just happened one evening in the backyard of our adobe rental. the sun was setting and created hard, beautiful outlines of our bodies. we turned it into a project and began involving props ( cowboy hats & bikes & skateboards)  & friends over for a visit. timing was everything.
     now, i venture out in the early morning & late afternoon whent he light is mysterious and seems to transform even the most mundane.  a bikeride  or drive ( or motorcycle) down pinto canyon road can be a spiritual experience if you time it right.  around town, tumbleweeds, cactus, gas tanks ( dixon ranch), buildings, signs , peacocks, the presidio county courthouse lit up with incredible christmas lights ( paid for by the citizens of marfa!) ..its all beautiful to me. a remakable, hard to explain kind of place. if you can get there - go - and i hope "you get it"

winter white. blanc. witte

   winter white.
white has always been a favorite color of mine, both for personal fashion ( fav. jcrew white tissue tees of which i have many) and for the home. my house is decorated and painted in many shades of white and i am known for wearing white head to toe in the spring/summer/fall.
    the other day i stumbled upon the yoko ono WISH TREE at the jim kemner gallery . i had exited the high line and was heading north for an appt.   the light was pouring down and thru all the small paper tags that make up her thoughtful, ingenious but simple sculpture - it was luminescent & quite magical and invited participation. i, of course, wrote out a wish and hung it on the tree.
   before that serendipitous find, while charging thru the  masses at the   chelsea market - i was struck by the beauty of the holiday lighting in the central hall and the way the lights surrounded the clock. i was not alone, lots of iphones were out and i'm sure instagram is innundated with similiar images!)
   the geometric shaped, lit from behind sculpture is jason rogenes   it is comprised of reclaimed styrofoam pieces assembled together forming a wall and can be seen at portland museam of art. it is intriguing and gorgeous and made from discarded packing pieces. he also has a family room that invites children & families to build & assemble cast pieces.
winter has certainly arrived in the northeast - its time to embrace the beauty of this white dominant season. happy holidays.

R O C K . P A P E R . S C I S S O R S.

Rock, Paper, Scissors  - almost says it all.
Erica Soule's brainchild is this most inspiring shop in downtown Wiscassett. Its a quasi Housewares - Stationery - Gift Shop but with a quirky, sophisticated, curated feel. She carries exquisite jewelry, letterpressed EVERYthing ( cards, books, ect..) artwork, pillows & blankets, glassware,  ribbons, decorative tapes & papers, childrens toys & unusual gifts. Stopping at this shop en route north - i always get excited and leave with a little something special. Not to sound snotty but this is not your typical Maine shop.....
a few of our favorites & standouts:
washi tape - i first discovered it in the shop years ago  & use it all of the time
Coral & Tusks embroidered pieces; cards, pillows, wall art....
Jen Burrall - a local maine jeweler
Nightingale Projects  & Ladyfingers Letterpress  stationery ( among many others!)
Fog Linens beautiful japanese textiles
    If you can, stop by, located right on rt. 1 in historic Wiscassett. If you can't, call her up and she will ship to you. There is talk of a limited online shop/ website coming soon.
For more photos & info