rosieposie

cozy tales

spring sings... at last

It's always feels wonderful when that first lilt of spring bird song meets the ear.  Here in New England I heard for the first time this year that special voice the crows use when warm weather is on its way.  It's a sound that I have looked forward to every spring since I was a wee  little girl. And every year I hear it anew it still makes me feel such a special connectedness to nature, spirit, earth...  Even the ducks seemed especially happy today and splashed merrily in the pond much expanded by last nights rain.  The water must have been cold but they didn't seem to mind.  With the temperature reaching into the 50's the air seemed positively balmy!

It was the kind of weather that made it much easier to envision the dream house at Lauren's alice*lands. What a wonderful vision!  With an fairytale exterior plan like that  I can hardly wait to see what Lauren does with the interior.  One thing's for sure; it will be a work of art.  This seems like the perfect nest for an artist who creates things of such spirit and soulfulness.

Everyone has helped me so much in getting back into the studio.  You're probably tired of  hearing me say this by now but I am just so astounded by all the kind words you've sent.  I feel much better about my work right now but, of course,  still lurking in the back of my mind is a nagging fear that at any moment every viable thought in my head will vanish.   Do you know that feeling?

My youngest niece spent the afternoon with me and we livened up the kitchen by baking some wonderful Lemon Butter Cookies from a recipe that lovely Mrs.Staggs  generously shared.  What a find - thank you!  They were delicate and sweet... and they're all gone!  Mmmmm!  [No, I did not eat them all myself.]  I'm hoping that she has more scrumptious things in her cookbook!  We're thinking about trying some for breakfast using rosewater rather than the lemon.  There is one good thing about being a grown-up - you can have cookies anytime you want them.

new friends on a rainy day

Look who dropped by for biscuits, cocoa and cream! Odd-elia and Odd-ette!

On their way up the walk there was a nasty accident with a furry little dog and a huge muddy puddle. Now their frocks have been hung up to dry.

It's a lucky thing the sewing room is toasty warm for the girls are going to help with some stitching while the biscuits bake and their pretty dresses dry. Perhaps someone should find them some robes!

Today brought many new friends to my virtual door and the encouragement and kind words have been appreciated ever so much. It has been a renewing experience to discover there are genuinely good, sincere and kind people left in the world. The truth is I rarely have visitors at my real door, partially because, for me, producing art requires solitude but also because I find it so difficult to connect with the "more, faster, that's good enough" culture of twenty-first century life. Discovering each of you who bring such unique beauty and grace into existence has given me new hope. [I was really consider just surrendering to it all and becoming a drive-thru window girl at a greasy fast food place. Really.]

So while Oddelia, Oddette and I enjoy the cocoa we will be wishing all our new friends could be right here with us beside the fire on this rainy day. Bless you all.

Hmmm, I think the sun may be peeking out...

things to come

Lately I have felt very much like the baby in my illustration - afloat with no land in sight. My art has been going nowhere and I have been ready to close up shop then... I serendipitously wandered into some inspirational blogs. Until now I had no idea that I wasn't alone! All of you have my unending thanks - I only wish I could send heaps and heaps of chocolate chip cookies and hugs!

So, now that I have taken a big breath and have waded back into the waters (only up to my ankles at this point - but no life preserver!!!)I'd like to share a little of what I am hoping for in the next few months.

My original plan for Dear Rosie Posie was that it be a serial picturebook featuring the characters Rosie Posie and Mary Ruth, two mouse sisters with very different personalities! That is still the target but I'm fighting the "my work is not good enough, it's not just right yet" blues so please bear with me as I gain courage.

I still intend to include my animal fabric sculpture (bears and others ;-), like Dolly Lolly, so please keep an eye out for those. Maybe a link to another site for them when the picturebook gets going but we'll see... Thanks to dear Lauren link for that idea and words on encouragement!

Until I get a bit more organized I thought I might share with you illustrations from some past projects. This little watercolour is Noah Afloat. I hope you enjoy it.

required reading

Since reading dear Alicia Paulson’s last post at Posie Gets Cozy link I’ve been walking around with a feeling of otherworldliness - or maybe it’s just enlightenment. If you haven’t read it, go there now; it’s breathtakingly beautiful.

When I finally slipped into bed last night, actually very early this morning, I could not help but smile as I realized a particular irony revealed most completely in Alicia’s recent words.

Not long ago Alicia reported how excited she was about an upcoming reading by an author whose work had admired, Marilynne Robinson. She wanted to quite simply and eloquently thank the writer for “making it possible for her to be something other than a writer”. When she finally found herself face to face with this long almost-revered figure her intentioned words of thanks came tumbling forth in an orderliness Alicia likened to a “borderline medical emergency”.

How sweetly odd it seems now… little did Ms. Robinson realize it was she who should have been agasp for standing before her was a storyteller of far, far greater gifts.

So, thank you, Alicia, for bringing so much into all your readers’ lives, for making us think and for urging us to feel beyond easiness. And, thank you, Andy, for you are most certainly a great source of strength for Alicia, who gives us so much. You have both been greatly blessed with extraordinary spirit and are such welcome reminders to me that there is still so much good in the world. Sometimes it’s just waiting to be found.