edith mae

1920s boot ring designed in memory of my great-grandmother; [the boot is meant to sit atop one's finger, the laces wrapping around and tying at the bottom]

in flander's fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

time

source

time has always been such a strange idea to me.  we worry about not having enough time to finish tasks and we complain about its vast measures when we're faced with brick walls of boredom.  time was created to be simple; to be a system for determining the sequential relationship between two events.  and yet I so often struggle with understanding its simplicity... most of the time its staring me right in the face. 

these past few months have taught me a lot about the importance of investing time in others.  perhaps not always in a form that requires great lengths of physical time, but might just entail initiating short but honest conversation, expressing a genuine smile to the daily stranger I pass every day, or offering a listening ear when I have piles of homework on my mind.  and I can not fail to mention the ways in which others have shown such great kindness...  like a friend who prepares me a brie/pear rye sandwich for no apparent reason, a sick friend who goes out of her way to offer me a listening ear,  and as noted below - the genuine words of a talented housemate...

these hearts of ours were made to love, strung with live wires of compassion and mercy, and yet this flesh and this will is so unwilling to yield. - m.hers

honestly, I need to be broken
honestly, I need to fall down
go ahead and shake my foundation ...

edith mae

in memory of my dear great grandmother Edith Mae Mckellar {May 5, 1924 - October 23, 2012}

herrick street and euclid avenue

old century homes in toronto

autumn

I lay my whole heart into your heart, put your spirit down on me - unknown

my sister's a ham

...and she's also a beauty

like the noonday sun...

a place to follow my thesis inspirations

Getting Dirty

I'm only four days into thesis, but hey, I actually don't feel too stressed out yet.. as a matter of fact, I am really liking this whole material exploration thing.  I've had the opportunity to really get my hands dirty and experience the wonders of varying tactile materials.  Today, I joined the Throwing Club at our school.  The people in the ceramic studio are wonderful.  They were laid back, patient and shared a love for yummy home baked goods. I think I am going to like spending time there.

 Throwing clay is such a meditative process.  I think I might just go back tomorrow.

crisp

porcelain jewellery by Golden Ink Collaborative

thee beginning of all things thesis

I have not been posting all too regularly these past few weeks but I'd like to get in the habit of doing so, especially as I begin to further develop my thesis into something tangible.  At the university, one's thesis work can embody a variation of thoughts, ideas, mediums - regardless of the program one is enrolled - as long as the process and finished components seek to provide an answer to a question/ problem posed at the beginning of the term.  The subjects I am most interested in exploring are accessibility, communication, language, inclusive and universal design.  Through the translation of these interests into object form, I'd like the work I create to evoke themes of dignity, fragility, and vulnerability while remaining sensitive to the ideas I am addressing.

In its most simple form, communication is most often referred to as the interchange of information through the form of language, speech, writing or signs.  Our cultures and communities thrive on human interaction and communication; our senses playing an integral role in informing the ways in which we interact and formulate discussions with one another.   Communication depends on rhythm; both in terms of the ordered arrangement in which we convey our thoughts, to the actual reoccurring intervals with which we communicate.    I have become seemingly interested in how we communicate with one another as humans and people of various cultures and abilities. I am curious (and excited) to see where these thoughts might progress over the next few days/ weeks/ and months. 

fifteen ross street

like the noonday sun

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun - psalm 37:6

"But when we keep listening attentively to the voice calling us the beloved, it becomes possible to live our brokenness, not as a confirmation of our fear that we are worthless, but as an opportunity to purify and deepen the blessing that rests upon us...What seemed rejection becomes a deeper way to deeper communion."
- Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved

vegetable patterns

 

Our entire culture is surrounded by rhythm and repetitive patterns that coexist in various forms - from your breathing, to your heartbeat, to recurring architectural elements, to sleeping and waking, to the rotation of the earth, to the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem - each of these elements are composed of organized movement.  I am most inspired by pattern as movement, pattern as change, pattern as something active, something free, something that has the capacity to communicate universally. 

hollow

a gentle reminder

ten

this little munchkin turns ten today. happy birthday to my sweet littlest sister.

east coast

five years later... and I am still feeling incredibly blessed by my friends from the beautiful lands of the east coast.  Moving across towns, provinces and countries alike has always been tough.  But like anything, these experiences have become an integral part of who I am.  One of the most disheartening parts of moving has been the idea that everything is temporary, leaving it difficult to find reason for investing in relationships and activities.  But in opposition to these thoughts, a conversation with an old friend reminded me that even though we have not seen each other in a couple years, maybe even talked in a few months, our conversations will always pick up right where they left off.

and these thoughts just made my morning a whole lot brighter.

broadleaf

experimentation with organic casting

naive

Because shadows stretch behind the truth,
Where stained glass offers broken clues
And fear ties knots and pulls them tight.
It leaves us paralyzed.

But in the end such tired words will rest.
The truth will reroute the narrow things they've said.
The marionette strings will lower and untie
And out of the ashes, love will be realized.

- Sleeping at Last

these people that I love

she whispered

my grandmother's eclectic home. c 1992

twenty five years

rooftops

about a month ago I had the privilege of moving into a home full of wonderful people.  I do not think I have ever experienced such fullness.  I feel full of joy and unexpected laughter.  I feel full of spontaneity. I feel full of the kindness and compassion showed to me by loved ones.  I am experiencing fullness in conversation. and I am full from this wholesome meal shared with some friends on the rooftop.

crochet rugs

Mega Doily by Ladies & Gentlemen

a part of me would love to have one of these rugs in my home; such clean details

wooden textiles

Miss Maple, pendant lamp, 85 x 85 x 35 cm
material: wooden textile, steel

 A few days ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Elisa Strozyk, an innovative textile artist from Berlin that seeks to convey a new tactile experience through the constructed exploration of "Wooden Textiles."  She is creative. and She is inspiring. 

"Wooden Textiles" is a material that is half wood-half textile, between hard and soft, challenging what can be expected from a material or category. It looks and smells familiar but feels strange, as it is able to move and form in unexpected ways. The processes to transform wood into a flexible wooden surface is its deconstruction into pieces, which are then attached to a textile base. Depending on the geometry and size of the tiles each design shows a different behavior regarding flexibility and mobility. There are various possible applications, for example as floorings, curtains, drapes, plaids, upholstery or parts of furniture. - Elisa Strozyk

all photographs from www.elisastrozyk.de

apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins

oh sweet summer

echoes and traces

Heirloom, Clare Twomey, cast porcelain objects

these details are inspiring

all photos from www.claretwomey.com