Bastille Day Greetings

Passage to the parade of Bastille Day entrees: melons, tomatoes, practically in utero baby carrots, beets, grilled salmon, sardines, shrimp and sautéed with garden vegetables, just-picked herbs, fresh homemade bread, all with AIOLI MONSTRE. Washed down with Champagne, Lillet (Blanc e Rouge) Rose, and various Tessanes with Lemon Verbena syrup. Before even thinking of cleaning up, relaxation in the candle-lit court with Courvoisier and Absinthe was ordered by the celebratory citizens.

Dell'Arte International School

The last few weeks at Dell'arte International School has transformed my talented, master sword wielding, choreographing, jam canning, singing, dancing sister Lee Ann into WHAT??   NOT quite the witch in Snow White, Into the Woods, Sleeping Beauty or BRAVE, the idea that she made it herself out of paper mache (paper macho?) and assumed the character COMPLETELY is amazing...

At HAYSTACK SCHOOL the ordinary is transformed

These were an ordinary pile of paper clips when I arrived. I see that one is still holding out.I don' give it long...in such an environment NOTHING is safe from new ideas, experimentation and being seen in a new way.

Found objects

Make a container out of 100 things. Easy you say? Sandra Hobson noted that for most of us, our aesthetic sensibilities far exceeded our technical skills. I this first project of hers is remarkable. Suddenly everyone is seeing paper clips, drinking straws, lichen as shape shifters.

Breakfast as sculpture

An artist going a little crazy with the concepts carried over from the Basketry class. Tied up bananas? Sewn orange peel? Only if you can find a needle at Haystack...

These are my peeps

The beach is down at the bottom of the 100 step staircase. Lots of folk go there for rest, drawing practice or to talk to the stones. There is NO gossip amongst any of the people here. OF maybe I'm just oblivious.

Artists' Books - Evolving Books

Two weeks x 12 students x one huge studio open 24 hours a day + Charles Hobson and Alice Shaw = an enormous body of work and satisfaction. I made 30+ books and - TA-DAHHH!!! - Here is my first limited edition: six Japanese Stab Binding artist's books on how to create a book. This is an official launch. What's next?? Looking forward, laying some new track and, using the wisdom of the Four Rivers, remembering where I was inspired, challenged, surprised and touched.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

Elizabeth Tova Bailey wrote this book and conducted writing classes everyday at Haystack. I decided to make a version that included a structure of a snail to highlight a part of the text. When you pick up the hill that the snail is ascending, the book cascades down in a three foot spiral.  I learned more about snails than I ever imagined. We actually heard wild snails eating. And carpenter ants gossiping. Haystack was definitely an intense (in tents? No, actually we stayed in cabins) experience!

Midnight at Haystack

The studio lights are on all night. We put in 15 hour days easily. Ideas....ideas...ideas. Who can sleep?

Lainy's leaves

Metal and prisma colors???

Burka Books

The Seven Veils Series spotlighting burkas, chadors, and various veils worn by beggars, nuns, widows and brides. Seclusion, protection, honor, shame, obedience, submission and marital bliss -not necessarily in any particular order.

The fire that made Lainy's Bowl

Lainy's Bowl

Imagine that just a few days ago this was a flat piece of metal. Hammer, hammer, heat, heat...

A new crop of Artist's Book makers

Here's our class of Artist Book makers - to the far right is Charles Hobson and to the far left, his assistant, Alice Shaw. There were artists from the East Coast, Korea and Germany and we worked constantly 24/7. We made AT LEAST a book a day, often more. I have now 30 handmade books. The other sessions included glass blowing, mixed media, handcrafted containers, metal and ceramics - what a beehive of activity. The open studios on the last night rival ANY open studios I have ever attended. So much quality work in so little time.

Good-by to MDI

Just leaving this glorious setting. On our way back to THE ranch. Should get there just in time for supper.
Have moved ahead on three new books...thanks to Rick's computer, Lainy's hospitality, croaking frogs and colored pencils.

First day's books

Lunch

Can't figure out how to get this image on the blog. Or the seafood smell.
We're just across the border
Kitterey, ME

Before we go to Maine we stop in France

This is Giverny in the Bronx. The New York Botanical Gardens have recreated Monet's Gardens. Imagine how many people can experience his art (of gardening) without trudging to France?

Re: HAYSTACK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL for CRAFTS

OMG!!! That is sooo fantastic MOM!!!

xoxox

Lauren

Lauren Selman | (510) 604-2617 

On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 6:28 PM, Tina <thittenberger@me.com> wrote:

24 hour access to studies, nature, artists and creativity. Could this be heaven???





















Sent from my iPhone

HAYSTACK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL of CRAFTSS

24 hour access to studies, nature, artists and creativity. Could this be heaven???

FLYING BY NIGHT

So flying while dreaming of flying books. Holding back nightmares about Fahrenheit 451 and otherwise destroyed volumes (Alexandria Library being the ancient wonder) as modern violence, dust, must, book worms and neglect take their prisoners. 

Clutching them, without protest, into the grips of oblivion...

Somewhere there are optimists, sentimentalists or conservators. I want to believe that the books below have been set out to dry among myrtle trees (from which comes sacred myrhh) and vases of fragrant flowers to infuse the pages with honor and perfume. At least reconstruct some semblance of order.

Northern Lights

I've been told that we MAY see some Northern Lights - we'll be on Deer Isle right around the summer Equinox. 

Aurora Bora 

Ora pro nobis.

Off to Haystack

RED EYE on Friday to NYC then a glorious drive with LAINY LUCKADOO to Deer Isle, Maine to enroll  in BOOKS ARTS with Charles Hobson http://www.charleshobson.com/ Haystack International School of Arts and Crafts http://www.haystack-mtn.org/. I am sooooooooooooo excited.

Writing desk in the Amazon

From those wonderful folks at Paxton Gate...and Clarke and Lauren's great, great grandfather. Camping ala Amazonia 1912 anyone???

Amazonian Aperitifs

Don and Kay,
On Saturday, after class, let's all rendezvous at our house for a mosquito-free civilized gathering in the spirit of the early 20th Century explorers. The four if us will probably never go to the Amazon in real life, so let's do it now. We have LOTS of fruits, nuts, snakes and champagne.
Don, can you bring our case of Copeland Creek?

In the spirit of a Happy-Hour-and-a-Half, I'll have to make it brief since I've been invited (conscripted) to attend my honorary goddaughter's play at McNear at 7:00. You all can stay calm and carry on. Or eat, prey and leave.
Tina