Things have been quiet, cold and very still. I was, very unfortunately, sick since the holidays. Last weekend was the first time I was able to walk outside and feel the winter sunshine on my face. Since then I I have been taking solitary icy cold (and very bundled up) walks to uplift my spirit. I think it’s working a bit. Once I started feeling better I was treasure hunting and sketching again, although at a much slower pace. I hope for a shift in energies soon. Everything is cold and grey and I am dreaming of sunshine and lushness….flowers and meadows and picnics and laying in the grass with bare toes.

I have a few favorite things that I acquired recently. I’m inspired.

I want to to wear embroidered gardens (or sail in a ship atop one)….

I am still inspired by ancestor-ship imagery (not all ships with masts are for pirates!). I was lucky to find this little scrimshaw-inspired sterling silver brooch in an antique shop last week, along with a pretty adorned clutch.

And a little corner of my studio where my favorite jacket (featured above) hangs. Sunny corners and pretty clothes are enough to brighten me on a winters day.

Thanks to all your comments on my post from the beginning of January. I hope to reply to everyone today! I am full of gratitude that each and every one of you come back to visit, despite my recent lack of postings. Happy February.

White-washed layers have been consuming my painting time.

Sketchbook pages, ideas, plannings. For the new year and now. I keep playing around with variations of a sketch of this one woman….

Bits.

I found the loveliest roll of 1940’s wallpaper along a driveway, discarded.

Last Saturday I went for a snowy walk oh so early in the morning. So cold but I got to see the sun rise over the silvery trees!

Another brooch from tinyhappy. So lovely…not only because of the teeny-tiny artistry that goes into each one, but because they are made with real wool felt and hand dyes threads. These little touches really make them so uttely amazing!

I am so excited for this new year! I have some exciting art news for you that I can’t wait to spill!
Happy Holidays Everyone!

and walking in the dreamy woods…

But first I would like to say that I just put a larger, ORIGINAL drawing (11″ by 14″) of “From Within” in my shop.

It’s a darker version, similar to this one, from a few post’s ago, with the birch trees at night. Yes, I sketched a third one! I wanted to try her without the ribbon around her neck. I am so happy to offer it in my shop (and it is so hard for me to let it go)

I’ve been thinking about wildflowers and all things green and lush (yes, very unfall-like of me). I pulled out one of my favorite found embroideries and hung it on my wall. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I received this package. I took photos of the queen annes lace embroidery and posted them here last year, but I just love it so much, so here’s more!
Beautiful detail.

And knowing that winter will soon be here I have been adorning my windwsill with this and that, summer memories and other things, found.

The sandy bottle was a wash up at the beach. It’s very old! The other, smaller bottle I found in the early spring during a walk through the woods. Did you know that the frost pushes old bottle and other discarded items up out of the ground in the spring?

I have been painting too. This is a piece in the earliest of stages…just the underpainting and I’m sure it will change and morph into something totally different. But the concept will stay the same for the most part. The raw umber scribbles you see in the right hand corner are actually a grove of willow trees with a piano in the middle. I imagined a procession of birds soaring out of it.

The leaves were in their glory over the weekend! They are now falling. To everyone in the northern hemisphere, enjoy the remainder of autumn bliss !

I just love the frame, which was a lucky discovery in a second hand shop. The gold just glows.

Yesterday I was going through some of my older work and I was inspired by the imagery and textures that I was using. I think I might revisit the idea of the white fox (oops I mean wolf). I just love the texture in this piece, I used imprints of antique lace in the paint. Phantom lace, if you will.

Beautiful color inspiration on a lazy Sunday.

I can’t believe these luscious colors exist, all on one berry bush (and apparently a big black snake thought so too, he was slithering up in the bramble). There was the brightest magenta paired with baby blues, in berry form, growing together simultaneously.

Does anyone know what type of berries these are? They were growing amongst rose hips, in a meadow besides a pond.

What is it about sitting in a sun-drenched wildflower field, late afternoon, in the fall? The filed was blooming with michaelmas daisies, goldenrod and milkweed pods about to burst.

We took a little trip down the Delaware River to New Hope, PA for the arts festival (and to explore the alleyways and gawk at the stone dwellings). Walked around and looked at the art stalls, went in the bookstore… it’s always been my favorite little river town rich in history with some of the earliest and most significant stone buildings in the United States.
Antique home by the back street canal, wrought iron gates and ivy.

Early 1700’s stone building, in town.

Then we drove up to Frenchtown, NJ for a bit. It was totally appropriate because I just finished reading “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert and she lives there!

Favorite Victorian in the wee town…

]]> http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/2009/09/30/wildflower-field/feed/ 14 http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/2009/09/26/yesterday-evening/ http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/2009/09/26/yesterday-evening/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:45:30 +0000 Sarah Blank http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/?p=682

Been pulling out my comfy fall-ish clothing. Yesterday was so windy and cool. The skirt above has been a favorite… I found it a few years ago in a vintage store in Salem, Massachusetts. Every time I put it on it reminds me of one of our many visits there.

and I love how crunchy the leaves have become!

Early yesterday evening I went out to a favorite sitting place, a great big pond in the middle of a pretty meadow. I like to relax there and watch the birds and things, quiet and solitary. The swans came right up to me and I was watching them preen. They make the strangest little sounds, almost like a muffled kazoos.

The pond, above, was so pretty last evening. It’s that strange time right before the leaves turn.

The past few weeks I have been in more of a walk-through-town mood. But I think I am going to start visiting my meadow daily again, to soak up all the autumn goodness, before it’s to chilly to sit on the ground.

I have another new drawing almost complete.

Today we are taking a little trip, following the Delaware down to Frenchtown, then to New Hope…spending time going in bookstores and shops and walking around the town and by the river. The area contains some of my favorite old homes, so I’m sure I’ll take plenty of photos.

Have wonderful weekends, all!

And planning on writing and taking more pictures for here, of everyday things that I oogle over, pass by and also my sketchbooks and clothes, maybe? so…

This is a lovely garden shed (and New Englandish Cape Cod style home in the background) that I purposely walk by almost daily, down the street from where I live. The estate dates back to 1730. Oh my 1730!

There is an underground tunnel from the shed to the house. George Washington was a frequent visitor to this home. He used to strategize against the British with General Lafayette in this house. There is a rock in the basement that he used to sit on. And that rock is still there (of course!).

And it’s for sale.

But I just love the little shed.

There will be more jewelry soonish. I am working on some more fox pendants.

And…

Louise from Art and Ghosts has a newish blog called Milk Tooth which is so nice to visit. Yesterday I was visiting there and she had a post about the Humpty Dumpty Circus, a toy that I had seen at the museum in Vermont. I managed to take a little snapshot of it, it really is quite the toy!

I do appreciate this old imagery in the museum setting. Folk art or toy, there is such painstaking craftsmanship in these pieces. I still had one more set of photos to share from the museum, which has such a crazy huge collection of circus items- folk art, toys, posters. Even a 1920’s carousel.

These carved elephants were in a circus procession which included over 4,000 pieces.

There were themed carts, this on one of 100’s in the procession.

A few other things, some curtained theater imagery which has been inspiring me as of late:

This model took 40 years to complete and has over 3,500 little pieces!

And speaking of theater imagery, the other evening was spent at the breathtaking Radio City Music Hall, which is the most magical place to see Tori.

She looked mad leaning over her piano. Such a passionate artist, an amazing show that had me swooning for days.
]]> http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/2009/08/17/some-things/feed/ 5 http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/2009/07/30/the-first-acorns/ http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/2009/07/30/the-first-acorns/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:22:43 +0000 Sarah Blank http://sarahblankstudios.com/blog/?p=580 They are big and so green!

Found under a huge, old (and very shady) oak tree during a walk yesterday.

And so appropriate that this 1920’s photograph folder has such a pretty acorn border on the front (a recent etsy purchase):

Is it rude to say I like the folder more than the photograph? There’s something about her that’s a bit too quirky.

And sketchings.

Yesterday I started a new painting, a pairing for my most recent “Honeybee Stories”. And I have an additional theater idea now too, which I might start tomorrow.

Also been playing with arrangements of favorite found things on my shelf, inspiring the paintings…

The feather was found last week. Do you know what kind of bird it is from?

Also, this nest is the most compact little thing to behold! I think it is lined with milkweed seeds. I found it on the ground in a meadow by a pond in February. It looked as though it was freshly made, and had fallen from the tree. I need to know who made it!

Yesterday I went to a lovely old mill (which has been converted into an antiques mall) with my mom and shopped for old things. I think this print emits the most pretty, etherial vibe. And the colors are so inspiring. Golden, earthy browns and blues.

And the reflection in the photo make it even more so.

The purchase of the day was this giant woven doctor bag-ish purse, the perfect summer bag which I have search and searched for.

A little side note…I am putting together a sweet giveaway which will be posted on Monday!