Enchanted

We love New Mexico. So it's not surprising that Don was inspired to make a memory montage of our last journey ...

A bit of rusted license plate served as a (partial) title ..

while the Zia sun symbol found a home in the first nook of this one-time screen door frame ...

A bit of scrap wood and some wood burning recall the petroglyphs we saw in Santa Fe ...

While this bit of broken pottery from a recent kitchen misadventure morphed into an imagined sherd ...

Don's been playing with acrylic painting, this being his rendition of the New Mexican tradition of ordering both red and green chile sauces by requesting "Christmas" ...

We were both gobsmacked by the work of Robert Rivera displayed at the Torres Gallery, which inspired this gourd and turkey feather homage  ...

And while we didn't spend any time under a full moon, Don's imagining feels true ...

I did get to contribute a bit more than broken pottery as Don contrived a cunning 2" x 3" loom upon which I wove ...

And in the final nook, a tiny canvas purchased at Taos Pueblo ...

A bit of iron hinge on one end ...

and a rusted bit of we-know-not-what on the other ...

completed and hung over a door in the dining room ...

Perfect!

Standing up

Today's post is rather random.

There's Don's latest, which made good use of the stash from this post:
http://imgoingtotexas.blogspot.com/2018/05/slow-down.html ...

And while it has been called both shaman and totem during its becoming, to me it is the Keeper ...

Guardian of the grasses ...

And then there's Jace, building ...

Wonder where he gets it from.

And we attended a Families Belong Together rally today, here caught in the background of a local Facebook video.  ...

I know it's better to use fewer words on posters, but I couldn't resist the Declaration of Independence ...

I saw a better sign later, as I scanned for news of other rallies ... wish I had snapped a screenshot. It said something like, "I couldn't tell my grandson that I did nothing."

Anyway, about 150 folks showed up in Kerrville. One of the advantages of a small town rally was parking one block from City Hall and being able to stand under a tree (hmmm ... guess that's two advantages). 

As we stood by the roadside, signs in hand, Don leaned over and said, "I just hope no one gets ticked off enough to decide to drive up over the curb."

"It already crossed my mind," I replied. "I'm standing where I can dive behind that wall."

Paranoia aside, more folks drove by with thumbs up than thumbs down. And if most of the ralliers were rightly characterized as aging hippies, I was heartened by the young family who stood beside us. 

Hoping for a better day ... working together as best we can ...

Maybe not so random after all.

So much to love

Deb Lacativa's latest shipment of thread magic

http://morewgalo.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-weekend.html

arrived just in time ...

to become a part of Moon Myth ...

Four bases are well underway and Deb's threads will play a major role in their embellishment.

Meanwhile, here are a few looks in the rearview mirror at Parker's first birthday presents. A bib made from her infant sleep sack ... 

a sensory table made by Don (aka PopPop), which holds a tea set from Aunt Liss and is also the perfect height for practicing standing up ...

and her rag doll, which reportedly receives many juicy kisses ...

and then gets unceremoniously tossed on the floor ...

Good thing I went with stitched-on hair!

Slow down ...

How has it already been a week since I posted? And I have so many pictures, so many thoughts to share, some from last month! So maybe this: several shorter posts, starting with this one. 

We wandered through one of our junking haunts, Broadway Paul's in Wimberley ...

but it was closed. One week later, it was still closed, so I texted this picture to the phone number on the sign ...

How much? And the deal was done by sliding some cash under the door.

It has been morphing since then ...

Don getting his milk paint on ...

ideas ebbing and flowing ...

Meantime, as I was looking through the accumulated pantry of rust, I noticed a clock work that had sprung its spring ...

I mean, I just love this ...

escapement.

Seeing the light

This will be part of Don's latest project ...

which isn't surprising given the jaunt we took last Friday to see Ellsworth Kelly's masterwork titled Austin

https://blantonmuseum.org/ellsworth-kellys-austin/

at the Blanton Museum of Art ...

Fortunately, I read up on Kelly before we went, having checked out the current edition of Ellsworth Kelly by Tricia Paik from the library (the new edition to be published in June will be on my birthday wish list for sure) ...

We decided to see the Blanton's temporary exhibit of Kelly's work before going in to experience Austin. Even though I had done my homework, the sheer scale of these canvases rocked me back on my heels ...   

Fortunately, some of his studies ...

and smaller works allowed me to catch my breath ...

And not surprisingly, I was particularly drawn to those that read as nine-patches to my eye ...

All in preparation for seeing Ellsworth Kelly's last work, his only building ...

Pictures don't do it justice ...

although the video in this New York Times article comes close.

And there's no doubt the visions that were planted in my brain will find their way onto cloth someday. I hope I can do them justice.

Figuring

You've heard this before: I'm not good at following directions. That said, I could use some advice as I'm making my first ever doll ...

for soon-to-be one year old Parker ...

and would appreciate suggestions on what to use for stuffing (no pellets please).

In getting started I kinda liked the look of this doll on Pinterest ...

except for the hair, the clothing, and the face. Which I changed, along with the length of the arms and the size of the feet. In any case, I couldn't follow the directions since the tutorial was in Italian ... so, suffice it to say your input would be appreciated.

Meantime, Don was cruising around Pinterest, too ...

For inspiration that led to this ...

A few close-ups ...

And now I'm thinking he's got that junk store cigar mold in his sights ...

We do have fun ...