Thoughts for the New Year & How We Like to Party at Passionflower

The palm reader said I have the mark of Mars on my left hand....wielding a weapon.....which kind of reminded me of this collage I was playing around with  ( above).  I fully intend to claim and reframe this imagery as though I am carrying a growing staff fighting for truth and beauty in the world.......

    

 We had our annual holiday party last night, the one we always have in January, where we visited he of the neon palm reading sign fame, across from the tattoo parlor on 7th & Lincoln......His name is Charles David and he was great, great, great!!!  His card features a red hand with a blue flame in the center of the palm and his house is crazy, cool with a little kind of creepy/spooky but not too creepy, New Orleans, slightly swampy energy.  He'sbig picture and high on symbolism and imagery.  Plus he laughs a lot.  I cannot say enough good things...Call him at 541-343-5297 should you like to look at your hands with him....In the meantime, I will tell you he told us we are a mostly creative and very independent bunch of folk here at Passionflower......though we each seem to have our own  particular shape and movement :).

The Amanita Mushroom Makes a Magical Wreath

Ha!  I'd never seen this one before -a holiday wreath made from the red and white amanita muscaria mushroom via Studio 391 Gallery in Mendocino.....Apparently , some are claiming Christmas traditions as harking back to Siberian shamans, high on amanita  flying through the woods with their reindeer spirits.  Or something like that....you can read about it here..   Or go here and scroll to the end where you will find this theory completely refuted.  Whatever the truth, there is something magical about coming upon these fungus in the woods (it's only happened to me a few times while out picking chanterelles up in the Mt Hood National Forest) and I love how they are celebrated here in this wreath.  (P.S.  They look fun in a wreath but don't ever try to eat them)......

A Good Cause

                                                             

                                             

                                                     

                The Eugene Symphony Guild asked us to "decorate" a dining room for their annual Holiday Tour of Homes....and since we think there are few things as wonderful as live music, and that Eugene is lucky to have  a symphony of this caliber, and to tell the truth, we absolutely adore the person who asked us to do it, we decided to help them out.  No matter that it coincided with our busiest weekend of the entire year, that it meant moving a bunch of our inventory off the floor for many days, and longer hours for yours truly and my amazing manager.  We went for it and had a great time doing it (except for those slightly panicky moments the day before when I couldn't quite figure how I was going to be able to get it all done).  But now it's fait accompli and on to the next ....Click here should you like to find out more about what the Eugene Symphony has in store for the upcoming season.

 

Join Me on A Mexican Art Making Adventure

I am so pleased and excited to let you know about this trip I'm putting together with Jill Cardinal....You may remember Jill is a mixed media collage artist who has been offering classes at Oregon Art Supply......A few months ago Jill came to me and proposed that we offer a journal making  trip to Mexico and after much dreaming and visioning,  I am happy to tell you , our plan is finally hatching.  Now we just need fellow adventurers like you to join us.  The thought of making art for eight days in Mexico with a group of like minded folks sounds a little bit like heaven to me.  If it does to you, click here to find out more details.....And any help you might give us in spreading the word would be greatly appreciated.  P.S.  Not only will we make great art, eat fantastic food , and see amazing sites , I also promise to share with you two of my favorite shopping places in Oaxaca!!

Back from Mexico....

 

Having landed back from a great trip to Oaxaca, I still don't feel like I  have both my feet on the ground..... like part of me is still there......and part of me all gearing up for fall and the holidays at the store....

The photos are of some of my favorite masks from the wall outside my room where I stayed at the most highly recommended, dear reader if you ever were to find yourself in Oaxaca, Casa Colonial 

 So I'm transitioning from the sunny skies of Mexico to the damp Northwest autumnal cloud.....

And thinking about how much I would like to go to Oaxaca sometime for Dios de los Muertos.....

A Procession Like Few Others.....

I have been to New York, Paris, Cairo and some places in between but few have had the cultural depth and complexity of Oaxaca.

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Here's a procession in Teotitlan de Valle, a prosperous weaving village a short drive from Oaxaca City.  The unmarried young women parade through the town.  They're preceeded and followed by surprisingly excellent marching bands, and then there are men in beautiful dance costumes, a clown or two, large balloons, and lots of noise and firecrackers.  You can see they are each wearing beautiful cochineal dyed, handwoven skirts.

 And they were each carrying a beautifully decorated santos figure on their heads.  This was in no way a show for the tourists......except for a tall, white haired, gringo with a very long camera lens, we saw no other tourists....this was a community celebration that harks back to traditions that have existed since before people can remember      - something that I'm not really sure why, but watching an event like this always instill in me a feeling of deep peace and hope for the world........

P.S.  I realize these recent posts from Mexico are a little off base from the world of Passionflower but all work and no play makes us all dull people and besides I thought it might be fun for you to see the kinds of things that I feel inspired by.

A Letter from Frida Kahlo

I'm down in Mexico and was happily surpised to stumble upon a series of letter from Frida Kahlo to her doctor (first photo above). I was surprised how tidy her handwriting is - plus Frida rarely crossed out a word and she didn't doodle much on her letters either.  Of the 15 letters I read, only one had a little doodle of an airplane on the outside where it said par avion.Plus, she always signed her letter in a most charming fashion..

Got me to thinking how much the written letter really means and how special it is to get a handwritten letter. And so I've included a cryptic piece of calligraphy to inspire you (and me) to make our handwriting more beautiful...plus Margaret Shepherd's great book which is a staple at the story is always there to nudge you along should you feel you need a little help.....this is all by way of saying I hope I am able to find the time to write a few handwritten notes down here in Mexico.....

click here, should you want to see some lovely handwritten notes that have made me happy.....

middle photo courtesy russian calligrapher marina marjina - i was unable to link to her site but here is a link to her flickr album....it's worth a look if you like calligraphy....

Kind Creepy, Kinda Beautiful

Reliquary to Santa Lucia, patron saint of the blind at Santo Domingo Convent in Oaxaca.......what shall I leave her?

Handspun, Handwoven Vintage Cotton Textile from Mexico

I have finally taken the plunge, and decided if I didn't just set a time and buy a ticket I would never make it back to Mexico.  I probably haven't divulged this but I have this secret fantasy of organizing tours to Mexico (plant tours, bird tours, art tours, food tours,colonial church tours etc...the list is endless)....first step on actually turning fantasy into reality is learn Spanish so here I am back in Mexico - theoretically learning spanish.....and letting my mind wander where it may.  I am in Oaxaca which is a huge craft center and there is a long, long (as in over a thousand years) tradition of weaving and an amazing textile museum which honors the craft.  Check out an album of photos I made here which will give you just the tiniest taste of this very special museum.     And of course all of this would not be possible were it not for the amazing staff holding down the fort at Passionflower  Thanks you guys.

What I Brought Back from New York International Gift Fair

Here's some cards I picked up on my little jaunt through the aisles of Javitz Center.  Clockwise from top left:  1) Look for some great pillows from coral and tusk ( plus what might be my favorite heart  card ever) coming soon to Passionflower.  2)  Brooklyn clothing designer pipsqueak-chapeau -  unfortunately
we don't carry her line, I just always bring back one of her cards for Becky.  3) And finally Rhode Island based glassmaker, LBK Studio whose work we are expecting in October.
Her work was my favorite thing I saw at the show.  And no I didn't buy the wasps nests embedded with glass but to get a little sneak peek of what I did get click  here . 

A Trip to the Woods

One of our customers Julie, from Mountain Rose Herbs, is throwing this fabulous plant lovers party out in the woods near Salem Oregon over fall equinox.  If I weren't going to be in Mexico, I 'd surely go.  Great music, food, and some of my favorite herbal teachers ever are going to be there.  Check out the video above and find out more about Rootstalk by clicking here.

For Those who Love to Shop

I always try to get out and see the retail sights when I am in Manhattan attending the New York International Gift Fair.  If you like to shop (and I definitely fall into that category), ABC Carpet & Home is a must see.  I mean there's just not too many stores in the world that have crystal shrines next to their elevators and where you see women shopping in mocassins carrying Louis Vuitton handbags.  Ethnic, industrial, romantic, modern & handmade all happily co-exist here.  The aesthetic mixes delicate with strong and density with space.  I love it.  Here's a couple of pics from their front windows this August. 

And while you're there, I highly  recommend lunch at their newly opened restaurant in the basement.  You'll probably have to wait,  but no worries, you'll  have the whole store to shop in while you do.

Change is in the Air at Passionflower

 Longtime store goddess, Tara, she of the most amazing smile, married her longtime companion Brian last month.

 Which was a great reason for us to indulge in some festivities.....we hung white festones....

 Alison brought the tablecloth with the special wedding juju...

 Liberal amounts of rose petals and alchohol......

 and a whole lotta love.....

It was a small, private ceremony on the Oregon Coast......the bride was barefoot and carried a bouquet  made from tillandsia and succulents ....she wore a sage green dress....the gods smiled upon them and the rain cleared just in time for the momentous occasion. 

Making Natural Pigments with Tilke Elkins

I finally had a chance to make it over to the Voyeur Gallery in Whiteaker and chanced upon one of the most interesting , quirky, charming, wierdly compelling things I have come upon, dare I say, ever. Artist Tilke Elkins has been experimenting with natural pigments and making her own paints. The show features many of her nature fantasy paintings all done with paints she made. Kind of like the artist's version of grow your own . Below is one of her sample palettes. Pretty cool huh? All of these colors come from plants or minerals that she gathers herself.

But then Ms. Elkins has gone a step further and created these little watercolor sets.

She's using shells to hold the paint and then shells to be the box....

Look, six paint colors in your highly portable mussel shell.

It's like some kind art/food hybrid. I knew it was for painting but I wanted to taste it.

Click here to check out more about Ms. Elkins.

Why I Go To Gift Shows

Buying for the shop is a lot of fun ....some of the shows are fantastic. Manufacturer's who are truly trendsetters are out in all their glory. There's a lot of inspiration to be had and there's a zillion things I see that I totally fall for and still don't buy for one reason or another.

Like these stuffed ducklings.....just a little too creepy, even for me. And it did leave me wondering about who exactly the customer would be that would spend $60 for a stuffed duck. I don't really think that's my customer.

Thought you might want to see some booths that really make my little heart go pitter patter.

I'm not sure Eugene is quite ready for it, but these distressed canvas bags were great. Didn't buy em.....(although I'm still on the fence). And it was a great display.

Then there's always great flowers. I love arrangements on day 4 when they start to take on a hi style, wilted, decadent kind of feeling.

Rustic, earthy, organic, these staghorns growing on graperoot burls (?) were spectacular paired with ladyslipper orchids and live spanish moss

Click here if you'd like to see more and read what the blog Habitually Chic had to say about the most recent gift show in New York. I think she nailed it and did a really good job covering the show....

Betsy Wolfston Shows at Passionflower

Here's a pic of fellow Eugenean, ceramic artist Betsy Wolfston in her studio. You may not know Betsy but if you live here, you've probably seen some of her public art's projects which grace Kesey Square and the Amtrak station.......They have made our town a more magical and inspired place to live. I would show you some photos here of them but there is nothing out there that does them justice...

I have been loving Betsy's work for a long time. Below a piece of hers I bought several years ago at Karin Clarke Gallery.....it's from a series she did inspired by William Blake's Proverbs......This one is #26 - Excess of sorrow laughs / Excess of joy weeps. I call him Bunny Boy.

I think Betsy likes to work in series (dang how do you spell the plural of series? serieses?). Her work also has a dual nature....it is both approachable and enigmatic - She takes us to a mysterious place by clearly showing us the way.



She mostly shows her work at Opus VII Gallery but last year (and coming up this year too!!!) she did a three person Valentine's show with Rogene Manas and Bev Soasey upstairs at the store. They call it Objects of Desire. Betsy made a series of 64 pieces based on the pentagrams of the I Ching.

And this year she gave me just a sneak peek at what she's working on.

She calls them "floaters" and was almost apologetic about their dark nature.....you know, not what people really expect from her, maybe less "saleable" than other work etc...etc.... I say it's pretty exciting to watch an artist push up against difficult personal questions into uncharted territory.

Really I'm very excited to see what Betsy has been dreaming up for the "Objects of Desire" show which opens first Friday Feb 4 at Passionflower.

Another Special Place

A Happy Birthday to my pal Ted Watson, proprietor of my all time favorite store ever Watson Kennedy. Well actually Ted has two stores and if you're up in Seattle it's worth a visit to both of these shops which are downtown within walking distance of each other.

You will not be disappointed.

A Real Live Octopus

I have never seen anything move quite the way the octopus slithered across his (or her) tank at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. It was a beautiful dance.

Everything undulating and shifting size and shape all the time.

And Mr. Octopus could look at you

looking at him.

They say they're as smart as cats

And their eyesight is good.

Plus, they're really, really strong..

It is such an amazing world out there.

But what if he's pleading with me, "Get me out of here", and I'm just happily snapping away photos with my camera?