A leave of absence

In the last two months I have fallen considerable behind on many levels, this includes responding to those who have commented and especially my visiting your blogs with any regularity.

Many of you also know of my medical challenges that have been a major distraction, particularly the previous month learning after an angiogram that the reason for always feeling tired and short of breath was due to a collapsed graft from the open heart surgery three years earlier.

Since some of the lateral veins to the artery have tried to take over, the current method of dealing with this is through medication and a three-day a week’s cardiac rehabilitation program that will last for three months,

Because this program occupies a large portion of my day, I would only fall further behind and so I have no option other than to take a leave of absence while I am in cardio rehabilitation.

This does not mean I will not be looking in now and then on your blogs, just that I shall not be posting. The decision was not taken lightly as I have worked hard these passed months building my blogs.

Typography of the forgotten - series

As the medical center is in Berkeley, I will have the opportunity to continue a series on telephone poles that I have been observing and photographing these passed four years. Their abstract appearance has intrigued me, even influenced some of my paintings, and now I have a chance to capture with greater frequency and regularity their continued temporary change and evolution.

I look forward to my return in August, sharing with you stories and images I have been working on.

Thank you for your visit

Egmont

A tea convention

When ever possible, I have been gathering information and links on the subject of tea for a blog currently under development, of which my good friend Monica, of twenty-nine years is aware of. So if Monica comes across something interesting, she has passed it along to me for consideration. This time, she learns from a friend about an artist who paints with tea and that he is displaying his work at a tea convention in Las Vegas. Obviously both peaked my interests, especially the tea convention. So I would like to pass along to all those who participate or follow in Kimmie’s ‘Tea on Tuesday’, or just enjoy tea trivia, what I have learned.

This coming June 11 through the 13th, World Tea Expo invites top vendors, potential buyers and others related to tea industry to the annual Tea Expo held in Las Vegas. The main objective of the event is to gather tea professionals, R&D executives, merchandisers, scientists, and entrepreneurs into a single arena. This year the even is being held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, but in 2011 it will be the Sands Convention Center. During my web research, I also discovered that in December 2010 the Macau Tea Expo will be held at the Guanggzhou, China.

As I now drink exclusively tea, I have discovered that sales of tea products since 2008 are expected to increase by $3 billion at the end of 2010 in the United States alone and that about half of all American households have ready-made tea products in their home. All of this is good news, especially for those who drink green, white, or herbal tea for their health.

— — —

Though most of this month has passed, did you know that it is National Poetry Month? Back in 1996 the American Academy of Poets established the concept in the hope to increase the visibility and availability of poetry in popular culture. With the success of Black History Month (February) and Women's History Month (March), the Academy in conjunction with poets, booksellers, librarians, and teachers, chose April as the best time to turn our attention to poetry. Finally

in two days from now it is the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day

and though change has begun, we are far from the end.

Today we are still facing global warming, pollution,

species endangered of extinction and more; it is

therefore imperative that we make further

change in our habits and our life style.

More over our government needs

to take charge, setting an

example for other

nations to

follow.

I thank you for your visit

Egmont

A Nation Mourns

And in their death they were not divided;

they were swifter than eagles,

they were stronger than lions . . .

2 Samuel 1:24-25

How often are we to die before we go right off this stage?

In every friend we lose a part of ourselves, and the best part.

Alexander Pope 1688-1744

This month’s sidebar worth mentioning

One of the reasons I have selected Ingrid Dijkers as this month’s featured artist of the month is that her work appeals to me on several levels. Her exceptional artistic qualities, craftsmanship, stylization consistency, and the work is mostly gender neutral, as well as not stuck in a Victorian time-warp as so much of other artists journaling imagery is.

Ingrid Dijkers

One of the reasons I have selected Ingrid Dijkers as this month’s featured artist of the month is that her work appeals to me on several levels. Her exceptional artistic qualities, craftsmanship,  and stylization consistency, the work is mostly gender neutral, as well as not stuck in a Victorian time-warp as so much of other artists journaling imagery is.

Ingrid’s first Coptic book “A Small Town”

Made from many “parts” of reclaimed books

Her work encompasses complexity and simplicity, a delicate balancing act in which the two dance in a visual performance of colour, composition and visual creativity to delight the eye. The artwork is filled with a richness of imagination, luring the viewer with her magic, telling a tale to delight the child, as well as the adult. Stories that will ignite into dreams of their own, to all those who let their mind wonder down the rabbit hole.

“Glass House”

Constructed of collage elements and mounted between glass

Ingrid’s artistic repertoire is not limited to just art journaling, rather it is rather extensive, ranging from ATC, collage, altered books, wearable art known as ‘SteamPunk’ jewlery, and contemporary dolls, a true mixed media artists who is also very accomplished in her photographic skills.

Various pages from altered books

It should therefore come to no surprise to anyone, but Ingrid’s art and creations have been widely published in magazines like ATC Quarterly; Belle Armoire Jewelry; Cloth, Paper, Scissors; Art Journaling; Somerset Studios and most recently in the premiere issue of Jewelry Affaire. Her blog is also listed as one of the top ten by The Art Journal Caravan Navigation Guide.

Prototypes for “The Bug Collection”

“Flight to the Garden”

Clay and cloth construction figure riding a paper maché Pterodactyl.

Though here blog is chuck full of beautiful imagery of her art, I do recommend a visit to her official website for a greater in-depth view, as there her years of work is excellently catalogued, making it easy to navigate about.  So pour yourself some hot tea or coffee and be prepared to be lost in a magical world of Ingrid’s art.

“When I saw you”

Wearable collage made from kiln fired clay, glass, solder

and various small charms contained within.

Full quote reads

"When I saw you I fell in love and you smiled because you knew”

— — —

Christen Købke

Danish Master of Light

March 17 thru June 13, 2010

This is the first exhibition outside Denmark to focus on the paintings of Christen Købke (1810–1848). Emphasizing his exquisite originality and experimental outlook, the exhibition focuses on the most innovative aspects of his work – including outdoor sketching, his fascination with painterly immediacy, and treatment of light and atmosphere.

The exhibition features around 40 of Købke’s most celebrated works, spanning a variety of genres. Works include landscapes, portraits of many of his family and closest friends, and depictions of Danish national monuments using his charming and unusual sense of perspective.

Christen Købke, 'Self Portrait', about 1833

Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen

Købke was born in Copenhagen, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts from 1822 to 32. From 1825-8 he was a pupil of the portrait painter C.A. Lorentzen, then studied under C.W. Eckersberg until about 1834.

In 1838 he travelled to Italy via Germany where he visited the painter J.C. Dahl in Dresden. He stayed in Rome, Pompeii and Naples, but spent much of his time sketching outdoors on the island of Capri.



The Northern Drawbridge to the Citadel in Copenhagen, 1837

Købke was a pre-eminent painter in his country and arguably one of the greatest talents of Denmark’s Golden Age. With the exception of one journey to Italy, he spent almost his entire life in and around the Citadel in Copenhagen, where he found the principal themes of his art.

Købke’s work demonstrates his ability to endow ordinary people and places and simple motifs with a universal significance, creating a world in microcosm for the viewer.

Exhibit catalogue

Christen Købke died at the early age of 37 with a career that barely spanned 20 years, nothing in his formative years as a painter were exceptional to that of his contemporaries which highlights his talent as all the more remarkable. His modest and unassuming nature make him an instantly likeable character. Although his working life was tragically short, he was inventive and extremely productive and this catalogue gives an overview of his entire career.

The exhibition is organized with the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh,

where it will follow from 4 July–3 October 2010.

Supported by The A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation, Copenhagen

— — —

The previous week we experienced spring but as of Monday it was a throw back to winter with cold temperatures and snow falling around 2000 foot elevation. Our cherry tree just outside of the kitchen has passed its prime and with the return of the rain, the fragile petals have fallen like tears and lay scattered about the ground like a dusting of fresh show.

I wish to express my sincerest gratitude for your many inquiries and support regarding my health. In brief, I am doing a little better since one of the medications was dropped and shortly I will be entering into a three-month cardiovascular rehabilitation, which should help improve the current situation. There still remain unanswered questions regarding the future and this is still unsettling as it is distraction. So I continue to accept each day with its gifts as well as its faults, not thinking about tomorrow, as the moment is more precious than an unknown future.

I thank you for your visit

Egmont

My spirit soared all week

It has been a wonderful week on many levels, allowing my spirits to soar as in years before, shedding winters bleakness to embrace the light of spring, I began to be creative once more. Capturing many floral images, including a number of tabletop product photographs for today’s post. For a time being, the weeks of distraction seemed to disappear even though my visit to the cardiologist resolved little, if anything, while things that needed to get done, including this post were set aside to be addressed many days later.

The previous Saturday a package arrived from England, it was my winnings from Jeanne’s give-away at Collage of Life. The package, to no fault of Jeanne’s husband who mailed all five for her, appears to have taken the long way via the Panama Canal, whereas Donna’s traveled over the North Pole, for hers arrived one week before mine and we are practically neighbors. Later I learned from Jeanne that one of the remaining three packages arrived in Australia while the other two to Germany and France were also delayed, making it seem they were being hand delivered by row boat over the English Channel. So trying to figure out the postal delivery system is best left to the bureaucracy who really never know what is going on anyway. All in all, you see the package arrived safely and with no damage.

It would take several more days before I finally managed to get around and start setting up a display with the canvas book bag that Jeanne had sent and one that I would share with my wife, who in the last year and a half has become an avid reader. We both thank you for your kindness and generosity.

A few days later our mail delivery person came to the door with a package from Elizabeth (her new blog is knittnkitten’s blog) with whom I was partnered in a tea swap held by Patty over at Artfully Ooglebloops. This was my first swap or Internet participation of any kind and I had been looking forward to it. So when I was handed an overly large package with some considerable weight to it, I was very curious and headed for the kitchen, grabbed a knife and started opening it without thinking that I would want to take a picture of the package first.

Apart from several tea samples, Elizabeth also included a jar of homemade lime marmalade, which at first I thought was lemon, hence the lemon in the picture. She had taken a former pastilles tin and added plenty of loose leaf Earl Grey tea with lavender from a Berkeley teashop. The other three packages are all from Primula teas are of a green tea infused with the scent of jasmine, then rolled up into a flower that will unfurl as hot water is added. Each package contains a different kind of a flower and I will look forward to seeing them open up in my glass teapot. She also included a container of an Alpine berry herbal tea from Two Leaves and a Bud tea company that I will try this Sunday afternoon with a couple of slices of toast and your lime marmalade.

An hour after receiving Elizabeth’s package, the UPS driver came by to hand over a square package, one from my friend Anna in Houston. She recently had posted at one of her blogs, My Ephemera, drawings she had made of a cluster of red Japanese maple seeds. Her seed samples were considerable larger than those from my red Japanese maple tree, so I asked if she would be so kind as to send me a cluster since I raise trees from seeds. Having had success with seeds from my green Japanese maple but not the red, I am hoping that Anna’s seeds will make a difference and germinate.

Though I only requested the seeds from her maple tree, Anna decided to add a little something extra to surprise me. The package rested on a black and with bandana and was beautifully wrapped in a sheet of handmade paper and tied with raffia to which she added a card of one of her images and attached a heart. Upon opening the package, I discovered a set of oversized cards with envelopes printed on watercolour stock; the image Anna used was of one of my irises. Here thoughtfulness and loving care for our friendship was evident in each element of the package and the gifts treasured there within.

When I looked at the remaining seed clusters still in the box, the light from the kitchen widow moved over them in such a way, I could not resist the urge to take several close ups studies, especially since the once deep burgundy colour has shifted towards a purplish tone.

It certainly was a little more than a week of excitement, most of which was euphoric there was one other surprise that came via an email. Jeanne had bestowed an award to my blog, a Happy 101 award to say thank you. In many respects this award I cannot claim just by myself, as I feel it needs to be shared with my readership, who are responsible, visit regularly and support me through their comments.

I bring to a close this post the same way as it was started, with a photograph of a blooming tree. May it delight you as it has brought me pleasure in capturing its fleeting beauty.

Thank you for your visit

Egmont

First day of spring

Winters solitude

comes to an end while a harsh

brittle cold lingers

in the morning when dew clings

to a blade of uncut grass

The once abundant

clusters of silver clouds now

transformed into an

abundance of grey shadows

dance to a gentle breeze and

meander through my

geological garden

of antiquity

There erupting into a

moment of euphoria

a wind chimes random

orchestration crescendos

then descends softly

into a harmonious

utter motionless stillness

On this capricious

day when the sun has reached the

vernal equinox

she will announce to us all

spring has finally arrived

Photo: Dutch Iris, my garden March 19, 2010

Spring is close by

In eleven days we mark the first day of spring and while many places still feel like winter, I though I would share a few surprises from yesterdays trip home after dropping my daughter off in Santa Cruz. By all accounts it was a beautiful day with rain showers and periodic breaks of sunshine, with pockets of warmth, followed by strong winds and even a down pouring of hail. And I loved every minute of it.

Just north of Santa Cruz but before Davenport I came upon a field of blue flowers bathing in the sun. Cars were speeding by as I made my way down an embankment and then up the hill. For the next half hour or so, I stood, photographing the flowers, which after many years simply spread unabated into a visual spectacle.

I was on my way to the cove where upon my last visit during a heavy storm I discovered the two heart-shaped stones. Since then I had a strong yearning to visit this location as I felt it had been calling me all these weeks.

The opening to the coastal access is nested between eucalyptus trees and easily missed. The wind was blowing hard and I felt under-dressed even with a heavy jacket. On my way to the shoreline, a rain shower erupted, but I remained undaunted and continued on. As I reached the edge of the cliff, the rain stopped and I began witnessing nature’s impressive display of light, clouds, and a rainbow.

Tansy-leaved Evening Primrose

On the way down to the cove, I noticed between the grasses a yellow flower beaming with joy. It seemed to be shouting for attention as strong gusts of wind had it swinging back and forth, shaking any drops of water from its yellow petals. There were a few more individual clusters of evening primrose a little further on, however a number of their flowers had been battered by previous heavy rainfall, that the petals were damaged.

After gathering a few large pebbles for the garden and finding another heart shaped rock, I continued to drive north towards Pigeon Point Light House. Just before the official entrance to the lighthouse, I pulled over on to a dirt road the field hands use to gain access, so that I could photograph the ocean and the dramatic cloud formation that was unfolding.

The ground was soft and soaking wet as I made my way towards the ridge. Sheltered in a thicket of shrubs I noticed something bright and after a quick glance I proceeded onward towards my objective, knowing I would return to the where nature held a surprise.

Tough-leaved Iris

Though I already knew a future post about this trip would be forthcoming, I decided that I could not keep to myself natures treasure of a single blue iris emerging from the surrounding darkness and shinning in the rays of a late afternoon sun. I needed to share, bringing some cheer to those still suffering winters hold, even though we to are still in our midst of a northern California winter. I still had one more place to visit before heading home. The hour was getting late, my appearance a mess and though very tired, my spirit held firm. Next stop, Bean Hollow.

By now the winds had increased, the heights of waves multiplied from earlier in the day, and their ferocity had also become more pronounced. I headed on down the steps onto a beach of tiny pebbles, watching a group of small birds chasing a retreating wave, while collecting shells the ocean had surrendered. Without warning, I was standing in the middle of a brief hailstorm. Once it passed, I took a few more photographs of the setting sun and then returned home.

This day would not have been possible if I did not take my daughter back to school. I would have not experienced the beauty and drama of nature as I did and the adventure does not end there. For back home there waited another surprise, a letter from a concerned friend, who knew of my medical procedure of last week.

Eva Macie — A Creative Life

Eva Macie from A Creative Life, sent me a beautiful hand made card that she had crafted with loving care. A collage of different papers, speckled with a little bit of fiber and dashes of gold leaf, a few lines and an outline of a heart. All I can say is that it was the crowning of my day, making it a most memorable one indeed.

Anna Mavromatis — my Ephemera . . .

As I bring this post to a conclusion, I wish to publicly express an earlier joy that arrived without any expectations in the mail a couple of weeks ago. It came from Anna Mavromatis, my Ephemera . . ., in response to receiving full resolution files of two irises that appeared on my other blog. She had sent me a print of each, along with a Thank you card that she too had made herself. Anna’s technique employed the use of a computer to assemble a botanical scan and that of a bee with a photograph of a woman, then printed on her mono printed-paper she had made earlier.

I thank you both, Anna and Eva for your beautiful

and thoughtful gift that I shall treasure dearly.

Egmont