Keep up with my travels

I am on sabbatical. 

That is something I have always wanted to say. It is a precious opportunity to step away from my daily life and instead have adventures and unusual experiences. Eat different foods and feel different emotions. Challenge myself and learn. For my sabbatical I am (mostly) living in Europe and traveling. Riding trains and trams. Shopping in street markets and sitting in cafes. Studying French. Frequenting museums. Meeting friends for coffee and conversation.

While on sabbatical, I am mostly not 'in studio'. Which simply means that I am not actually "making", but I am always designing. I plan to travel back and forth a number of times a year. Hopefully the inspiration that I gain in Europe can make my time 'in studio' uber-productive so that I can maintain a show schedule. But for the meantime, my online store is closed.

If you want to keep up with my travels and inspirations, feel free to check out my photography blog. I post the images from my days that inspire me, interest me and make me happy. I hope they do the same for you.

the view from my window

Reflections :: The Canadian Rockies

Just back from a photographer's dream trip - the Canadian Rockies. Oh my! The vistas were breathtaking. I'll admit that some of the 'breathtaking' was from hiking at these altitudes. We spent six days in the Banff National Park and then a few days in Vancouver. I had two cameras and was a really annoying hiking partner for my husband as I kept having to stop and shoot photos. I am sure that on more than one occasion he turned around to say something to me and I was way back on the trail (this also could have had a little bit to do with the fact that he is a FAST hiker and I am a SLOW hiker!). 

I shot hundreds and hundreds of pictures so I am going to share selections incrementally and here is the first installment. One day we hiked in the area around Jasper. All these photos are from that day. While I have cropped some they are otherwise unedited. These colors are for real! The light that day was exquisite and this lake was so still that it produced these amazing cloud reflections.

[You can view these photos in a much larger format by clicking on them]

Road Trip :: Atlanta

Just spent a few days in Atlanta. Included one night at a downtown hotel (46th floor views from the room) and then a couple days with my youngest daughter who lives there. Ate some really good meals, walked through a beautiful urban trail/park and got in a bit of shopping. A great few days. Here are some iPhone pics for you...

 Downtown Atlanta, 46 floors up

At the very cool Radial Cafe

Boardwalk through the woods on the Peachtree Creek Trail

 The Peachtree Creek Trail crosses a bridge over the railroad tracks

Rain on the drive home

Juried Shows

I have spent some time over the last month applying to juried shows for next year. This involves artists statements and uploading photographs, usually four or five per application, with detailed descriptions of materials and construction processes. It can be an exacting process. Juries for these shows are usually composed of other artists, sometimes exhibitors, or gallery owners who judge your entire body of work based on four or five images and short descriptions flashed up on a screen. So the quality and impact of your photography can be as important as the work itself.


I thought I would share some of the images that I have used for these applications. It will be many months before I know the results but in the meantime, here is some of my portfolio. What do you think?

Uber-Creative Women

Once a month I get together with a handful of wonderfully creative women entrepreneurs. Most of us are solo-entrepreneurs, all in creative businesses, and we join together to have a comfortable place to bounce around business ideas, to commiserate and celebrate, and feel connected to like spirits. Our evenings usually involve a few bottles of wine, some delicious food and good times.

Tammy Milani

Last night we met at the home of the wonderfully talented Tammy Milani of Milani Home. Warm and delicious hospitality is what Tammy is all about. She is about family, friends, love and food.  This passion for the shared experience around the table is what drives her tableware designs. Each piece of her hand-thrown and hand-painted porcelain is created with the intention to bring harmony and beauty to the rituals of everyday life.

Her table had a warm, inviting glow from lovely candles

Tammy is from a large restaurant-owning family that originates from Lebanon. She describes her memories of abundant and loving family meals:

“There were times, even as a young girl, that I was struck by how beautiful those moments were, from the light in the room, to the glorious smell, and of course the love.  I remember sitting back and looking at the picture of the long table filled with food and family and thinking that everything is so perfect and beautiful, it’s a shame the plates and platters don’t seem to reflect the love and artistry that went into their contents.  They should be as beautiful as this moment and one day when I grow up I’ll design my own.”

And that she did. And on them she serves her expertly prepared Middle Eastern foods (she also did a series of cooking demonstrations on TV from her own beautiful kitchen - next Food Network Star???).

Tammy's trio of hummus - recipes are on her blog

And now, she has launched a food blog (uh oh, I think I buried the lead here)! You can get in on the ground floor and subscribe to Who Made the Hummus and not miss a single one of her delicious and authentic Middle Eastern recipes (authentic like olive oil ON the hummus, not IN it...). You’ll find it right HERE... Make one of these hummus recipes and then Bil-hana wa ash-shifa - may you have your meal with gladness and health!

(Okay, I admit that little bit of Arabic is from a translation website - hope I got it right!)

One of a Kind Show Chicago

I am so excited about exhibiting at the One of a Kind Show in Chicago this coming December. It is a very competitive juried show and I am honored to be included. Especially when I see the other exhibitors - all amazingly talented artists. I know it seems far away now, but shows like this require a lot of planning so it is already on my mind. If you are in Chicago for these dates, be sure to stop by (and let me know because as it gets closer I will have passes for free admission available - just sign up on my mailing list or email me with your info).

Click on the image below to get to their website...

It's that time again...highpointMARKET