The garden path….

It seems time for me to redesign the garden a bit this Autumn. I find myself longing for more garden paths that rather meander through overgrown herbs and flowers. Time for more height and color, me thinks.

Most of my garden planning inspiration comes from a favorite garden in England. I lived near Hidcote garden in Glostershire, spending many hours meandering. There’s that word again! There is such perfect harmony there. It was the life’s passion of one man, self-taught gardener Lawrence Johnston who created his ‘garden of rooms’. Each one has a slightly different flavour. He began his masterpiece in 1907 and it took about 47 years to complete this amazing sanctuary.My own little garden path will be, of course, much less grand. One can, however, dream. I hope you find time this Autumn to dream about your own Spring garden…Joni

Oops… its Spring!

“Hello there”, said the little bear as she poked her sleepy head through the overgrown ferns.

Lily of the Valley

Christmas has come and gone and the daffodils are surprising me every day. Oh well

It has been a busy time in the rabbit hole lately. I have worked on silhouette images. There is something about the space between things that define their shape. It is utterly exciting to see the world this way.

Blue Bird Circle

Blue and White Bird Circle

Birds and flowers …. the little blessings of Spring…

Brown Bird Circle

Brown and White Bird Circle...

The Little Bird - Pink

The Little Bird - Green and Pink

I hope you have all had some cheery days lately. I have thought so much about all the news in Australia, New Zealand and Japan of course. The sadness is overwhelming and it feels like all I can do is send love. I always believed that love is so very powerful and yet the need is so overwhelming when people are faced with survival tragedies. So.. Love I send to all.

Bunny Tea Party - Blue and White

Live in Wonder - Pink

Scatter Joy - Green and White

So, this is a little peek at what I’ve drawn lately. It feels good to work in pastel colors with lots of white and free space. I was so happy to finish up illustrating a children’s book last autumn and now… it’s on to full on Spring..

Wishing you well… and much love,

Joni

Autumn …

dream cottage ...

Summer has slipped away and Autumn has swept in with a flurry of leaves to be raked…or not. Actually, they look lovely all scattered about, and so I will make biscuits today instead of raking leaves. Good excuse..eh?

Autumn here in Oregon is so very special. The ferns in the woods are still green and the dreaded poison oak vines that wind up the trees are scarlet. The moss is puffy and green or silver, depending upon the variety. Deer love the moss and I see them nibbling away from my cozy spot in the warm house.

Autumn is always a dreamy time for me.. as for many. It has the most wonderful feeling of transition. The sun is low in the sky. The shafts of late afternoon light seem to just “golden” up the garden.

My body is entirely off ice cream and longing for squash soup and pumpkin muffins. What fun!

One of my favorite parts of Autumn is that one has to pay attention. The leaves are changing quickly and tumbling off their branches with the first winds. One has to “be” there to catch the ever changing colors. Of course, the pumpkins are wonderful and just last week I used a real pumpkin to make pumpkin soup. Usually I just use squash, but this time, it felt perfect to make soup of that bright orange creature! Here’s a little tip given to me by a new friend from Holland. She made this soup and it was divine. She steamed up the pumpkin pieces. Then, magically, she braised a lovely onion, added half a jar of Tai green pepper sauce, poured in a tin of coconut milk and blended this all together with the pumpkin. Wow.. so good on a cold evening!

pumpkin soup

yummy breads...

hot chocolate with red pepper

Hot chocolate is, I believe, the preferred drink of the Angels. I found the best brand ever. Equal Exchange organic hot chocolate comes in a spicy version. Oh My Heavens! There is both cinnamon and chili peppers in this warming delight.

I have added their link to the supplies list – right hand column. For an Irish lass, I’ve really gotten into that spicy taste this Autumn. Perhaps I should experiment with paprika and the like, but I do have a bit of fear when it comes to adding chili pepper myself. Might be the Irish heritage. Salt and pepper feel safe. Chili’s rather terrify me.

 

 

 

 

Something “triggers” in my dna during early Autumn. It says, “Start thinking about making things!” “Enough already”, I reply.

There are projects everywhere. I’m getting ready to stencil a line of French themed pillow covers. That should be great fun and my friend Kathy and I will even try to sell them. Heavens! What a good idea.

Then there are the ostrich eggs. Yes, real ostrich eggs waiting to be painted. I am thinking of painting the patterns of blue and white china on the eggs. Logically, this seems like one of the most impractical items one could produce. But hey, somewhere in the world there just might be one person who is wishing for a painted ostrich egg. Let us pray.

Quite a lot of the summer was spent at my drawing table. Great friends commissioned a children’s book and the illustrations are almost complete. This has been a most heartfelt project. I am finding that there is such satisfaction in these more personal projects. I love illustrating and will post pitures when the book is published.

my midnight snack..hehe

perfection...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so it goes…. Season to season.

Have a beautiful Autumn time!!!

Joni

Up the Lane…

Somerset Lane

Some days it is time to simply daydream for a bit. The wind is blowing, coffee is made, and my thoughts are drifting back to beloved England. I do miss England so. Living in the cottages and on the farm was a timeless and forever precious chapter of life. I used to walk up this lane picking flowers. Pip, the puppy would bounce ahead and all was right with the world. Bird songs there seem to be much more in the air than here in Oregon. Waking to the dawn chorus felt like waking up in heaven sometimes.

Buttercup Fields...

The fields around the farmhouse were filled with buttercups. Buttercups means butterflies. This is very much like living in a magical land where the flowers take wing. There is nothing quite like laying on a cozy blanket in a field of buttercups and doing a bit of cloud watching. I think we all need to watch clouds more.

Stourhead Meadows - Somerset

Village near Longleat

Living in the countryside somehow offers the gift of really paying attention. There are few distractions and so perhaps the imprint of these times is especially deep. The English light helps. The late afternoon glow that inspired Turner and other painters is very real. They were not overly enhancing what was right before them and all around.

My Room...

And so it goes. Daydreams and thoughts of summer sunlight flooding my writing room. The coffee is cooling and it is time to come back to the work of the day. Sometimes an hour of daydreaming is like a little trip to the spa of the imagination.

May your day be filled with buttercups and sunlight,

Joni

Paper Shoes

Hand Painted Paper Shoe

All is well in the world when one is creating something of a new idea. A bee flew into my bonnet and I have been hand painting little paper shoes for many days. The bits of ribbons from the old collection are flying about and I am having great fun.

Love You Blue Paper Shoe

This harks back to the paper doll making that I have loved so over the years. Actually, paper in general gives me a thrill. I am designing papers for my shoes and wondering why it took so long to get to this project that has lingered in my imagination for a very long time.

Hand Painted Green Damask Shoe

Now the question is… What to do with the two dozen and counting little shoes? This is, I suppose, where Etsy comes in. It feels glorious to have a place/studio shop to place one of a kind ideas on a virtual shelf somewhere.

A Little Strawberry Shoe

I think I will make a series for children to fill with candies for a party and some filled with the delicious new rose potpourri that is brewing away in the cupboard.

Damask Paper Shoe

Hand Painted Squirrel Shoe

My paper flower wreaths are coming along too. Wreaths of hand painted paper flowers, wreaths of old music paper leaves… wreaths and paper everywhere! Sometimes my mind stops to ask why. Then, luckily, my heart steps in and says that creating is joyful and that is the end in itself. I think I will go with the heart message.

Hand Painted Pink Rose Shoe

Hand Painted Floral Wreath

Wishing everyone well!!!

Joni

Handmade Soap

Parma Violet Soap

Parma violet plants are rather challenging to find these days. Once popular in the garden, they have become scarce. The plant was first in culture records during the 16th century in Italy. Parma violets have been much prized for their amazingly sweet fragrance in the making of fine perfumes. It is one of my all time favorites. Having grown them in my California garden, I can attest to their scent filling the evening air after a warm day. Divine really! I am still searching for a good plant source. One of the growers I found has since closed their doors so the search continues.

A perfect Parma Violet flower

It is easy to see from this image why this shy little violet is such a dear plant. I don’t think there is any scent that comes up to it. Lily of the Valley has an equal sweetness and grow together the garden is quite close to paradise.

I truly adore making soap by hand. It seems to be a combination of all the elements I have loved my entire life. Fragrance, color and texture can be combined in endless ways. It rather feels like alchemy!

Rose Soap Heart on my Peony...

It would be lovely to transmit the scent along with this blog entry. If so, you would be able to close you eyes and breath in the heady fragrance of an old fashioned English rose.

Friends and neighbors have been soap testers for the past few months. Their enthusiasm has moved my happy little endeavor into a little business.

Red Roses glycerine soap hearts..yum

I have had a shop on Etsy for quite some time. This has been for custom graphic design and illustration. Designing for the Etsy crowd has been lovely. I have met clients from Singapore to Montana! I did feel, however, that selling a product on Etsy felt a bit overwhelming to me. Then a friend recommend the new craft site called Craft is Art. My shop is called ” The Little Shop”.

I love this new site. It has only been going for six months and seems to be growing at the right pace. It feels great to be part of this community early on. Do get in touch with me if you want to see about their site. I will be happy to correspond with you.

Lime soap with seaweed...

I have started up my little shop and love it. Amazingly there was a first sale within an hour. A dear friend, darling Nancy Javier, received my announcement email and bought a bar of soap. How can I ever thank her for the spark it gave me. Thanks Nancy!!!

Lily of the Valley Soap

So now it is to just keep at it. The house is filled with scent and soaps that look like little pastries on cake stands. It does make me think about cupcakes quite often. I confess that I think about cupcakes whether I am making soaps or not. Oh well.

Hope you are happy and well and doing something that makes you very happy!

Joni

Moving to the Doll House..

English doll houses...

March has indeed marched on, thank heavens, and it is time to do a happy dance for the coming of April.

I am feeling that it would be lovely to shrink myself and simply move into a lovely doll house where I could lounge on tiny upholstered chairs and gaze out little windows.

Country cottage doll house and peddler doll...

It would be lovely to leave the dusting and hoovering behind for a bit. Eating pretend food and sleeping in a little bed on the second floor sounds really delightful today. Perhaps it is a good thing to have an imaginary “plan B”. Albert Einstein once said, ” Imagination is more important than knowledge”. I must say, I agree entirely. Where would we be without the ability to “imagine” ourselves in new situations, with new promise and hope?

Moving to the Doll House...

After all, with just a few scraps of taffeta, bits of ribbons and the smallest amount of red silk, one can create a ball gown, if one is a doll.

Sweet doll friends...

Country cottage doll house and peddler doll...

Lovely little doll bed

I wonder, sometimes, if there will ever be enough time to make the doll house of my dreams. Of course there will! The trick is to begin. I suppose I can find a carpenter to make a copy of one of those amazing English doll houses from the turn of the century. My scraps of romantic ribbons and French fabrics would be put to good use for curtains and bed dressings. Yes, I think I can do this!

The red shoes doll...

The rain is falling steadily today. Perhaps this is, in part, responsible for my mental escape into the world of little houses and the dollies who live in them. Perhaps it is just that the little girl in me who always dreamed of these things is still alive and very well indeed.

Dolls from 1930 by Engwood...

Perhaps it is just time for a cozy nap in the little bed on my second floor.

Antique Owlie

Wishing all good things for you…and for all to have more imagination every single day!

Joni

I say…”It’s time for color”!

The bunnies discuss color...

Okay, Spring is here! No matter if we end up with snow in May. The daffodils are blooming and pink,puffy, tall cushions of the plum tree blossoms are framed against the cloudless, cerulean blue sky. I figure that if I am yearning for color, then perhaps others are as well..hmmm.

Here is a wonderful photo of where paint comes from…pure, lovely pigment. Bliss, really!

pigments

I have always loved paint, chalk, ink and crayons in their pure state. Open paint tins, jars of pastel colored sidewalk chalk and inks all lined up on the windowsill in the sunlight have the quality of potential. They have a joyful look, as if something very magical is about to happen.

sidewalk chalk

Lovely buckets of paint...

Sometimes I just want to revel in the potential. Sip coffee and simply look into the paint buckets for a bit. There is something about the surface of smooth color, as if there is where the unlimited possibilities lie.

Blue bird house

I just found out today that there is a new stencil paint out and am so happy to hear this. DecoArt, a great and very consistent paint company for those of us who craft and paint, has seen the trend of stenciling popularity. Fantastic, I say! It will be a delight to use a more creamy paint that is designed for stenciling.

Blue willow box

Blue and white floral box

I love the idea and technique of stenciling. Pattern is such a satisfying design element. It is wonderful to design stencils and then be able to create pieces with this kind of image regularity. Lately, I have begun with stencils and then adding hand painted details. Of course, being a slightly inconsistent Pisces, I am going on and on about color while painting in blue and white (again).

Boxes are lovely to paint. They become a gift in themselves and even more special with a treasure inside. I am thinking that the blue and white boxes would be great for gifting blue and white tea cups.

And then there are floor cloths, but that is another story. Actually, I have a work table with many floor cloths stacked upon it. The hours of time it takes to create a hand painted floor cloth does not seem to figure in the price most folks are wishing to pay. Oh well.

Blue willow floor cloth

And so we paint for the love of painting. This is the way of the creative river in which an artist swims. It is a truly lovely river.

Happy Spring to you and yours,

Joni

Thoughts of Pink

Sambourne costume dress - 1960

The fog is in and melting the moss and ferns into a lovely Impressionist painting. Perhaps, however, I simply need to put on my glasses. Primrose are blooming beneath the soon to be raked leaves and my thoughts turn to the color pink.

While I have always thought of myself as a blue and white person, pink is creeping into my consciousness in quite a new way. Maybe it is a result of the variety and quantity of pink being shown in home decorating and fashion presently. Maybe, it is just time for pink!

The pink door...

Pink "Grootendorst" rose...

Ahh, pink roses and doors painted pink lift the spirits on a chilly February day. At least, I do feel more cheerful wallowing in such a loving and happy color. This is one of the amazing qualities that colors have. Simply look at yellow or pink or even a pale robin’s egg blue and travel a bit into heaven!

Pink gown...

I used to think it took a very courageous designer to work in pink. Over time I have come to see that one might pretend they are simply working with cherry icing and proceed to design lovely confections.

It seems a good idea to mix up some rose madder paint with white and see what happens. Rose madder is my favorite rosy red. It has a blush of brown that warms it entirely and keeps the coldness sometimes found in reds away.

Spring will come soon. The roses are leafing and two spindly daffodils are in bud. This is a good sign.

Pink Indian Pipe flowers in the spring...

In the mean time..

It just feels a little  warmer to think of pink…

Wishing you well,

Joni

Animal inspirations…

Here is a picture of the male wild turkeys who visit my garden… this one is for Kathie in Australia. The color change in their faces when they display is astonishing. From pale gray  to intense turquoise in just  a moment. Now that is animal magic! The hens are beautiful, but much plainer. The other day, I counted 24 in the newly formed winter flock. People say turkeys are very unintelligent. I, however, have observed a great sense of family and unbelievable communication skills among them. There is no time gap when the males call out. They simply know and all call out at exactly the same time. It astonishes me.

Last September, one of the females somehow got left behind and was very stressed. Her tone of calls were truly anxious. I talked to her from the porch and fed her a bit of grain. Soon her family appeared up the hill and I could observe… and feel from her.. a great relief and sense of happiness. And so, I still believe, there is much to learn about the oneness that we all share in our true natures. It would be marvelous to mix those exact colors of paint that flow on their feathers. The pale browns that move subtly to deeper browns and shimmer in the sun with blue and green iridescence… but if I could paint them exactly, no one would believe me. Such is life.

One summer it was my great good fortune to spend months in silence, rambling the fields  of Somerset. The stone farmhouse was simple and also divine! It was surrounded on three sides by a small cow pasture with seven truly dear cows. This cow, Sweetheart, would peer into my bedroom window first thing in the morning and by the time I dressed and made it to the kitchen, all seven were peering into the window there. The daily routine was to make coffee, step out doors and talk with the cows. There was great interest in the stories and we became good friends.This picture was taken while sitting and telling stories. If I could have flown them all back to the states…

Twins born in the spring of 09

And then, there are the deer, my daily inspiration. They inspire me to be more gentle, more present and to live more lightly on the earth. Their eyes trust, they rest when they are tired and they take very good care of each other. I do aspire to this.

May your day be gentle and may you know so truly in your heart that it is all one thing.

Joni

For the Love of Spaniels….

I once had the great gift of living in an English cottage next door to Miss Joan Sullivan and her wonderful dog, Toby. I can still her calling him over the garden wall. She had amazing stories and we drank many cups of tea, with myself in a most enthralled state. Toby was a King Charles Cavalier spaniel. He was full of life and just a tad naughty. They were a marvelous personality combination. Since those days, these small and very dear spaniels have had a place in my heart.

The staffordshire pottery representations of these little dogs are likewise special to me. Such history this little breed has! They have been depicted in the paintings of a very young King Charles and have been a best friend to so many.

English pottery spaniel...

I love creating stencils. There is something about the shapes and the negative spaces that have always given me a bit of a thrill. I have no idea if this will every be popular, or be an image that others will find appealing. I suppose that is not the reason I design. It is the work that comes from our hearts that is the important work to do. Whatever the results… there is joy in the process.

My dog sachet..

Presently, being a lover of black and white, I’m working on a floor cloth of spaniels. I think it will be lovely in the front hall to welcome friends with images of these special dogs.

Of course,having the gift and burden of a creative mind, it is a challenge to slow down the idea stream a bit. Cups of tea help. I thought it might be fun to stencil white cotton with my spaniel stencil and stitch a lavender sachet. It worked well, given my inability to sew. There are a few lumpy seams, but the end result felt pleasing. Kind of like life sometimes….

The nice thing about stencils is that one can make the design facing opposite directions and the design still matches perfectly. Impossible to do by hand, at least for me. I think I will make a second dog sachet and use them facing one another on the mantle. They are not a true match for the fabulous pottery dogs I long for, but for now it works!

If you have any interest in stencils or need to figure out some stencil tricks, just let me know. I am always happy to share!

Meanwhile, I am wishing you great love in your life. My humble words for the day are to just hold those dear to you in love and tell them. Tell them all the time.. how much you love them. Forgive everything and just love…

With all good wishes,

Joni

Ode to Blue…

Beautiful Blue...

The rain is falling, the Christmas tree is drooping slightly and dreams of spring lilacs are already drifting around in my mind. It feels time to take down the reds and greens in the house and arrange the blue and white collections. They are always uplifting to me.

Blue bead work on cream satin...

Whenever I need a bit of inspiration, I find myself perusing the Victoria and Albert museum’s collection of divine pieces of history. This beaded textile piece is so perfect!

I remember the Sunday walks to the museum when the fates found me living blissfully in Chelsea for so many years. It was straight upstairs to their amazing textile collections! Drawers upon drawers filled with fabrics made surely in heaven were there, always waiting. It would be hours before I realized the museum was closing. Lost in time, lost in creativity… this is the best way to spend a day.

from the Victoria and Albert collection

If you are visiting London, I know you will find delight in a visit to the  V &  A.

I love this quote about creativity. It sparks me to looking at my intentions and feelings when the pen is placed in my hand…

” Creativity is the quality that you bring to the activity that you are doing. It is an attitude, an inner approach – how you look at things . . . Whatsoever you do, if you do it joyfully, if you do it lovingly, if your act of doing is not purely economical, then it is creative.” –  Osho

Today, blue birds and butterflies, tomorrow…perhaps golden yellow.

May your new year be filled with all the colors that inspire and uplift you.

Joni