Day light savings has ended and I have more time to write….or rearrange furniture because what I’m feeling is “ants-in-my-pants” instead of creativity. I was furniture shopping on-line yesterday. I imagined how a white leather sofa could brighten things up. How would my eclectic taste for Danish and Japanese furnishings, accented by large-scale cat castles, do with a high-tech, low profile leather sofa injected into it? Then I glanced up at one of my favorite paintings and started thinking of my Mom. She was a master at mixing things up; artwork, interior design, colors…I’ve been meaning to write more artist features. Why not start by covering my own Mom? This feature is about her. Continue reading
Author: Tracey
Disrupting the Darkness
This is me, enjoying my sun-room and dreading the end of day light savings. Wearing my brightest colored outfit, in denial, and shifting through conflicting feelings. I love the fall and I hate the fall. I love the cooling temperatures and the approaching holiday season. I hate the “falling back an hour” and losing the early evening day light. Continue reading
Frame Job – Vintage Framing
Along with the love of art and photography comes my obsession with framing. Vintage framing. Growing up, I always had a large collection of frames in which placed photos of friends and family. I preferred antique or vintage frames, but any frame would do. In part, this was due to my military brat upbringing and the longing to hold on to memories of friends after multiple moves or family I rarely saw (and in some cases never knew.) But I also think I got this from my Mother, Artist Jacqueline Stubbs. She was the same way. Every time I moved, one of her contributions to my unpacking would be the creation of a family wall. Here is one of her with me as an infant, on my current family wall. In this case the frame and the photo are vintage!! Continue reading
Women Are Persons – Go Girls!
Today is International Day of the Girl. After so much political, partisan, media fueled conflict in recent days, I was happy to see positive things pop up in my news feeds this morning.
One year ago today, I visited Ottawa Parliament Hill. Les femmes sont des personnes! I posed for this “tongue in cheeky” photo. Pure Kismet that it popped up in my “Facebook memories” on the International Day of the Girl. I then started reading my news briefs and discovered the Obama Foundation had launched the Global Girls Alliance. Still feeling hopeful…….
The Politics of Hopefulness
This is me. Stepping out of my “political walk-in closet.” I need that much room for all my questions and concerns. I got so discouraged this week after seeing personal attacks on Facebook and NextDoor from people who are supposed to be friends and neighbors! I really didn’t want to write this blog. I write about art, travel and family. I’m writing it anyway because its out of my comfort zone – and all that. Continue reading
The Art of Trees – Orcas Island Madronas
I love trees and artful expression of trees. If I’ve had no recent revelations to blog about, I can always express myself through the art of trees. I was recently travelling with these arty folks again. We all love photography, painting and looking at art. Per chance, we rented a house on East Sound, right next door to Leo Lambiel’s home and art museum.
We arrived in time to experience our first sunset on the pines and madronas on our bluff. Even though my Mom’s family is from and still lives in Washington, I don’t recall noticing madronas on earlier visits. I wasn’t familiar with their curvy branches and stunningly red bark. They always look like the sun is setting on them. Here on Orcas Island, we were constantly reminded of their presence in natural settings as well as in the community’s artwork. Continue reading
Pottery on Orcas Island
I took one of these home.
I missed a prime whale photo op because I was looking at pottery. Berry bowls. I was taking pictures of berry bowls while Mark was watching a whale off Orcas Island, WA. When I planned my trip to Orcas Island, I dreamed of daily trail hikes to the beach and ocean kayaking amongst the whales. It was quite cool and windy = cold as heck, plus the whales aren’t too happy with humans right now. We decided to go look at pottery one day instead. Continue reading
Grieving is Unfinished Work
Water color portrait by Jacqueline Stubbs
Sometimes I have to write something for myself – about my Mom. I’ve been thinking a lot about her lately. Not that I don’t think about her throughout each day, because I do. I’m talking about the thoughts and questions that bring me to tears. The kind of boiling tears that make you walk around the house carrying tissues and not daring to put on mascara or go out because you’ll look like hell and start crying all over again when anyone asks how your day is going. Continue reading
Drop By Drop
1-1/2 inches of water and climbing
Leadership Coach and Writer Tania Carierre challenged me with an exercise to answer the question: ” I know my day is one of meaning if I have had moments of ….” Continue reading
Quote Me – The Art of Conversation
Conversing with Dad
I was nominated by Britchy to participate in this quote challenge on the art of conversation. She knows I need help with the technical aspects of WordPress and what better way than to challenge me in a way that will require links and tags!! Also, in a time when conversations (i.e. effective communication) are more crucial than ever, I’m going to throw in a recommendation along with my quotes. Continue reading
