episode II: the artist and the botanist strike back

You may recall this sort of shenanigans happening before. Last year, Erin and I embarked on a paper making adventure. I can happily report that the artist and the botanist are at it again. You may revisit our efforts here, here and here.

We planned out the expedition a bit better this year. We borrowed a friend's pick-'em-up truck for easier hauling, grabbed a saw and some good clippers and went to a location I'd been eye balling for several months. We also cut off all the leaves before transporting. It made the entire collection process easier not to mention, less itchy.

Venturing into the unknown in search of treasure.

Our booty.

A bundle.

Peeling is beyond satisfying.

The artist (left) and the botanist (right).

Tommy took pictures. Notice the shiny shoes.

The concoction is brewing... well, rotting in a 5 gallon bucket near Erin's compost. She has reported that its good and smelly. Which I approve of. We're trying to figure out how to properly do the paper making. We're currently in search of a large enough tub and debating on how large to make our screens/frames. I'm voting for a kiddie pool and hula hoops. We'll probably end up doing something smaller and more practical, not to mention a better shape for storage. But, come on. How awesome would a kiddie pool filled with Broussonetia papyrifera goodness be? I can answer that for you: Wicked cool.

weekend weaving

Over Halloween weekend, Erin and I signed up to take a Beginning Weaving workshop with the Gainesville Handweavers Guild.  It was a two day intensive class where we learned the basics of the loom, how to read patterns, and most importantly (and also the most difficult part) how to 'warp' or 'dress' the loom.  

The first day, I used a table loom which belonged to the GHG.  However, on the second day, Erin lent me one of her extra table looms so I could continue to work on my project at home after the class finished.  I'll post more pictures of my current project soon.  Until then, check out some shots from the workshop.

experiments of the delicious kind

Through Ravelry I stumbled across an AMAZING cooking blog called smitten kitchen.  I am absolutely in love with the photography and have been wanting to make a bunch of the things featured.  I don't really know what came over me, but I had this hankering for marsh mellows after seeing this.  So, after some encouragement from Ms. Erin, an experiment was conducted.  Below are the results:  

everyday is an adventure

Yesterday was subtly beautiful.  I started my day by sleeping late.  Yep.  I slept until eleven, and laid in bed with no sense of urgency or motivation to move until noon.  Probably the first night I've gotten more than 5 hours of sleep in quite a while.  I was tickled.  Birdface and sweety were irritated.  Apparently they are not into sleeping late.  Sigh.  They've taken to making very angry parakeet noises lately.  The kind I can only imagine them making if they were being tortured.  I've witnessed them while they make the horrid screeching.  They sit on their perch, look at me, and proceed to let it all come out.  Completely unprovoked.  I think they're mad at me for something.  The reason remains a mystery.  

Later that day I drove around the Duckpond in Gainesville.  I'd really like to live over there if I can.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.  I ended up stopping in to play with Erin.  Much needed.  I forgot how much fun we always have together.  I was so relaxed and happy.  She let me spin on her wheel, Mr. Spinny  (I think that's what Ruth calls it...).  So nice.  Once I make some money from the job thing I'm gonna get me a spinning wheel.  It was so lovely.  I stayed for dinner with the crew and finally met the infamous Tim.  I've met Ruth several times, and always thought she was pretty spiffy.  Tim is equally spiffy.  Both are highly talented artists, makers, and kite builders.  

I must admit, I've been reading Ruth and Tim's blogs for a while now.  I felt like a creepy internet stalker as I disclosed my admiration for their work... but whatever.  They seemed ok with the fact that I've done so.  That's why blogs/sites are there right?  Check out their site WindFire Designs, and blogs WindFire Designs: Studio blog, and Instances of Make.  I hope to get to know them both better in the coming months and maybe even get a closer look at more of their work.  Some day, I might even get a kite... 

house guest

About a week or so ago I was on my way out the door when I spotting this little friend on the stairs.  I thought she was dead and it made me a bit sad because she was so beautiful, but also a bit happy because I could give her to Erin.  I ran inside to grab something to scoop her up with.  During the scooping process she protested by fluttered in my face.  I, of course, screamed because she startled me.  I was under the impression she was dead.  I then spent the next 15 minutes chasing her around the stair well only to fail in my attempts at capture.  There was much giggling though.  I need a butterfly net.  I then decided that I didn't like the idea of killing her anyway.  We made a deal.  If she was dead and there when I got home, she would donate her body to science/art.  Fair enough.

Actias luna (Luna moth)

She wasn't there when I returned.  Somethings just aren't meant to be.  I do hope she comes to visit again soon.  Or at least sends some friends.

complete

Sculptress: Tangle no.427

Check out Erin's latest sculpture.  It's amazing, and I can't wait to go see it!

She's worked so hard on this piece and I'm so happy to see such a stunning finished product.

surprise from the past

When I returned from India, Erin filled me in on a book that was coming out by artist Keri Smith.  I've posted things by her before.  We were giddy back in July about her upcoming book How to be and Explorer of the World.  We decided that since it made connections between artists (Erin) and scientists (me) that really it was a book about our adventures together and overall curious friendship.  I pre-ordered the book on Amazon and promptly forgot about it until Friday when it materialized on my coffee table.  Thank you past Liz!  You made me remember all the things I have stopped thinking about lately due to overwork and overload of college life.

projects and tinkering

Below are photos of fun time playing with old jeans with Erin, camera practice, and my felted bowl project still on the needles.  Enjoy!

for Erin

I was procrastinating working on productive things because that is what I do... and decided to camp out in front of my living room bookshelf.  This was prompted by a very unacademic note in my journal from India saying "Who the fuck is Thomas Hobbes?  Why the hell should I care?"  It seems I was irritated about not know very much about T. Hobbes other than he was an old British dead guy.  After Wikipediaing the political philosopher, I decided he might have had some ok ideas, but was way uncool and Hobbes from Calvin and Hobbes was way cooler.  Maturity and logic never fail me.  So after an hour of reading Calvin and Hobbes on my living room floor, I came across the above and thought of Erin.  My adventure buddy, who I am missing terribly.  I suppose this is what it was like when I was gone.  Luckily she'll be home soon.  We have plans to go to a industrial junk yard (which will be WAY rad) when she gets back.  I'm excited.  I love treasure.  Maybe one day I'll be a pirate like the junk lady.

experiments: front yard finds

I  love natural fibers.  I find them fascinating and wondrous.  A shiny pebble in my world of mysteries!  

Yesterday as we were getting ready to go out, I stood in the front yard waiting... and thinking.  I was curious if the African Iris (Dietes iridioides) leaves would make good cordage.  

The plant from the Iridaceae (Iris family) and is also called fortnight lily, and morea iris.  It's native range is from Kenya to the southern tip of Africa along the eastern coast.  In efforts to figure out if it would make decent cordage I clipped some brown/dead leaves and placed them in a bucket of water for about 2 hours.  I was hoping the results would be similar to the daylily cordage I had made previously with Erin.  No such luck.  After much effort and several attempts, I was unable to make the cordage using the methods I know.  But I will not be defeated that easily.  I'm going to take some back to Gainesville with me for Erin.  Perhaps she'll succeed where I fell short.  She's also much more knowledgeable than I am on this sort of thing, not to mention she's much more creative than I.

Today wasn't completely wasted however.  I started on a project I've been plotting for some time.  Today I began making my army of dish towels.  Hooray for sustainable alternatives to wasteful paper towels!

experiments: physical and abstract

I've spent my previous two evenings with Erin, Tturtle, and Colin. We've been congregating in Erin and Tturle's kitchen to discuss, laugh and share our days' adventures. One of Erin's latest art endeavors has been spinning natural fibers into thread.  She's acquired several sheep fleeces from various sources, which she then cleans, brushes, and spins using a drop spindle.  She's mainly been working with wool, but has tried her hand at cotton and has bags of flax and silk to experiment with in the very near future.  I love exploring the wonders of the natural world with Erin.  She excitedly calls me to share her discoveries and results.  When I can, I hurry over and we drool over the creation and materials like dogs over a dropped piece of cake.    After creating some thread with Erin last week, I took the gem home and knitted a small swatch to experiment with some of the different properties.  Upon finishing I reported back to Erin, who was as delighted as I about the results.  We're going to felt with the swatch and experiment with that process and outcome of the particular fleece we used.  Not only does each individual medium have its own unique texture, each has it's own scent; the completely unprocessed fleeces smell like happiness, the cotton like a cool fall breeze, the flax like freshly cut wood.  The color palate is also something I'm particularly drawn to.  I feel strangely at home and soothed by the creams, browns, toffees, eggshells, moss green (of spanish moss we made cordage out of yesterday), and even the pure sterile white of the cotton.  I'm honored that Erin shares the knowledge and techniques she's learned with me.  I find it fascinating and thrilling to make something from the rawest of raw materials.  I can't get enough of it.  Learning the origins of processes we reap the benefits from every single day leaves me in absolute awe.  Even more so since I would never have had the courage to venture this direction on my own.  Erin encourages me to jump right in and not be afraid.  Strangely enough, things I find to be mistakes happen to be beautiful with a little more work.  

Jewish Adventures

This weekend was my first experience with a Passover Seder.  I  must say, I feel much much less culturally ignorant.  I went to Titusville, Florida with my dear friend LBG(TQ) (since this is open to any internet surfer, I'll consistently use abbreviations or nicknames for friends to protect their identities).  Titusville is an interesting place... sort of.  It's a sleepy little town with some very unique places, perfect for a afternoon adventure.  LBG(TQ)'s family was intense, but wonderfully warm and welcoming.  Dr. G (LBG(TQ)'s dad) was quirky and hilarious... I now know where LBG(TQ) gets it, and her mom made me feel like one of her own.  While there isn't too much to report since most Seders are quite standard, this one was note worthy because it was my first.  

Some things I learned/observed:  Traditional Jewish cuisine is quite gross, which is not a reflection on the family's cooking abilities (I know all too well that LBG(TQ) can cook like no other, and so can her mom), and Hebrew is a flemy sounding language.

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Sunday I went with Erin to the Friends of the Library (FOL) sale back in Gainesville.  This year was even more incredible than the previous.  I ended up getting a wide variety of educational and fun old books for $12.  I feel like each item ended up around $0.50 each.  Wicked cool.  The FOL sale happens twice a year and is held in this huge warehouse off of Main Street.  The proceeds go to the Alachua County Library system and the books are all either old, overflow, and/or donations.  Perusing the warehouse is like being on a treasure hunt.  Everyone is excitedly digging through shelves, stacks, and crates of treasures in search for something that strikes their fancy.  Erin is really good at the digging and discovery of beautiful old treasures and was kind enough to share some of her finds with me.  Perhaps with practice, I too will become a talented book pirate.