Wind...

Less than half an hour to midnight.  I'm listening to the wind rushing and whooshing against the trees and house outside.  Something exciting about a powerful wind raging on a dark, chilly night.  Was inspired by this quote by e.e. cummings as autumn is on the verge of leaving us, and thankfully so.  Cannot bask in spring until winter has come and gone.

A wind has blown the rain away and blown the sky away and all the leaves away, and the trees stand. I think, I too, have known autumn too long.
e.e. cummings





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Vegan MoFo Recipe: Mushroom and Rice Miso Soup

Been really into making combinations of mushroom and miso soups lately.  In the past, I've made mushroom and onion miso soup, mushroom and tofu miso soup with spring onions, and spicy pepper and mushroom miso soup.  Usually these are soups for one.  Really easy to make, warming, and healthy.
This week I had some leftover rice, which was the inspiration for this.  

I always saute the veggies/tofu first in about tsp. of olive oil or sesame oil.  This time I used 5 porcini mushrooms, a few slices of banana pepper, and 1/2 cup of leftover brown rice.  Cook until mushrooms are soft.

Heat 1 cup of water in tea kettle.  Right before boiling pour it into your bowl and add about 1 1/2 tsp. miso.  I used yellow miso.  Stir until miso is dissolved and add veggies.









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DIY Gifting: Part 3, Knitting Hits and Misses with Dorothy Wisnewski

Not sure how everyone else's gift making for the holiday season is coming along, but so far I have yet to make ornaments- although I have bought some of the materials.  I have made quite a few cards.  Baking does not commence until December.  Right now my biggest obstacles are keeping the cat off of my dining room table (a.k.a. crafting table) and not losing momentum.
It is November, however, and whether you celebrate Christmas, Solstice, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, if you are making your own gifts, then it's time to get going!
Just to get you started, here is some inspiration from crafty lady Dorothy Wisnewski .  Dorothy has created many knitted gifts in the past for friends and family and dishes the dirt to BBAC on past gifting hits and misses:

"Now, past gifts. I have given some stuffed animals that I knitted and were received well.  A few years back there was a monkey I made for a little girl, who named it Daffodil Moons. 






More recently I've done two little lambs (not from my original pattern, though), which also were a hit. It helps that I figured out how to embroider the faces properly! And I made Audrey a bat, which she quite liked, and also is loved by Lucian.

But there have definitely been some comical misses. The first sweater I made for Jeremy (Dorothy's husband) was not quite the right fit or size, so he wore it a few times and then stopped. But he never told me why. Finally, he insisted that we keep it around anyway, because it was the first full-size sweater I had made, which is kind of momentous in the career of a knitter. I, on the other hand, had intended to knit a useful thing, and did not appreciate this monstrosity sitting in my house mocking my inadequacies as a designer and tailor. So I ripped out every stitch, balled up all the yarn again, and have begun knitting it into a different sweater for him. There's still a chance this one won't work either, becuase of different design choices on my part, in which case it will become a vest and I will wash my hands of it.

The other funny failure that comes to mind also happens to be a sweater. (They're so conducive to imperfection!) When I was pregnant with Lucian, I wanted to make something special for Audrey, so that her baby brother wouldn't be the only one benefitting from people's generosity. So I made her a big sister hoodie, out of a lovely soft cotton blend, very comfy, with pretty cables all over. Since it was to be a surprise, I couldn't have her try it on as I knitted, but I knew that I didn't want her to outgrow such a labor-intensive sweater right away, so I sized it generously. Well, that was a year and a half ago, and we think she probably has another year or two before she can wear it. Oops."






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Sunday Trainspotting

Sunday Trainspotting

Trains capture our romantic imagination, like all modes of transportation, because we associate them with freedom and travel.  They also are a culturally significant relic that still exists, while being deemed an outdated technology.  Fountain pens or tobacco pipes are iconic of the past in the same respect.  They exist along more modern technologies like Bic pens and cigarettes, yet have retained their functionality.  

Nearly a year ago my family and I moved to the East End of Oneonta.  Our house overlooks the train tracks and when the leaves fall from the trees we can clearly see the trains go by.  This Sunday, the train stopped for a little while so I ran outside to take some photos.  My neighbors probably thought me a bit strange, but I'm still in love with hearing the whistles of the train and watching the different kinds of train cars travel by.

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The Poetry of Fall

Days are ending sooner and already I'm finding comfort in sweaters and steaming cups of tea.  Less time is spent outdoors enjoying the sun's warm rays, now I'm resting earlier in the evening.  My dog is more often found sleeping on the edge of my bed.  Poetry moves my soul and the loud music of summer becomes more subdued.  
The leaves are in the midst of changing and suddenly I'm nostalgic like Jacques Prevert when he wrote Barbara.  His poetry wistfully creating vignettes of the sadness inherent in war and love, ruminating on the past.  There's a sweet sorrow one participates in as candles are lit and shadows lengthen.  We consider longer, nurture our moodiness, become quiet.
Whereas I recite the early poetry of Yeats in the summer, the poems of his later years are relished.  Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven and Annabel Lee are annual autumnal favorites around the world and Robert Frost finds new followers.  Dickinson's sunnier poems are disregarded, seeming garish compared to her thoughtful ruminations on mortality.  And Li Po must not be forgotten- his musings on youth and the changing seasons are enjoyed with a glass of deep red wine.
Yes, fall is here.  A loneliness pervades the air, but I am not alone as I have poetry to warm my soul.

In Honor of Halloween...

 

Just posted Joe's 8 Bit Skeleton card in Blackbird and Peacock.  In the transition of moving all cards and journals from BBAC to the new shop.  Also have listed some skull journals, zombies and postcards.  Enjoying creating with the skull stamp- very inspiring.  My son likes that one.  Will be posting some Halloween cards, journals and postcards over the next couple of weeks.  Oh yeah!

Welcome to Big Bad Art Collective!

Today we officially got the Etsy store up and running.  Our first two items were by different artists- Alyssa Jackson and Joseph Von Stengel.
Alyssa is a talented painter living in the Oneonta, NY area who has been recently been inspired by crafting with recycled objects.  We listed a pair of her stunning earrings today.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39953628
Joseph Von Stengel is a digital artist also living in Oneonta, NY.  Joseph's work is mainly influenced by pop culture and politics.  Check out his website: www.culturerecycling.com for a peek of his art.
Take a look at this rad necklace!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=39949876