Remembering George Paley

George and Nancy

George Paley died this week. What joy he brought to his friendships. Encouraging, always curious, he loved sharing his ideas and projects with others. You could join him in the journey or not. While exhibiting casualness and a wry sense of humor, he brought a vital energy and creativity to his endeavors. His efforts were full throttle forward. Many will miss George terribly, but will take a deep breath to shrink the lump in our throats, and be grateful for his love and his friendship.
This is a link to Joanna Hlavacek’s lovely tribute to George and Judy in our local paper.

Printmaker, Artist, Friend, Sally Piller

Miscellaneous

Sally Piller in the Flint Hills

Yesterday a friend updated a group on Sally’s health status, so I knew she was in hospice. But upon hearing of her passing, a somber cloud settled around me. Now her delightful presence and fun company will be only a memory. Described as a force, Sally was willing to jump headlong into whatever project captured her imagination. She was a skilled artist who produced superb work; strong, beautiful prints. One of the reasons I love and will always admire Sally, is the way she made me feel about myself and my work. She lifted my spirit with her attitude. I bet she’s pissed about dying before she was ready and, frankly, I’m a little pissed too. Sally’s work can be seen here.

An Eye for Beauty; a gift from our ancestors

Miscellaneous

An Eye for Beauty; a gift from our ancestors

Dennis Dutton, an arts philosopher, presents this Ted Talk on understanding beauty. His proposition is that beauty isn’t cultural or in the eye of the beholder, but a gift from our ancestors handed down through a million years. Beauty is an evolutionary gift that aids our survival.

Kitchen Countertop

Furniture, Miscellaneous, Woodworking

Mixed hardwoods; mahogany, walnut and maple. Inlays are maple and walnut.
Size 85.5″ x 13″
NFS

This is one of four wooden counter tops that I’m building with the guidance of Jay Hindley, the ever patient and knowledgeable instructor in my woodworking class. The wood is recycled hardwood semi-truck flooring and the maple was once a gym bench. A small amount of trim work is still to be done, but I’m so pleased with the results, I’m posting. Another post shows a dining room table using the same materials. That table began as a counter top, but after deciding not to use wood around the sink, it was redesigned and now sits in the Zimney dining room.

Dining Room Table w/ Serving Board

Furniture, Woodworking

Walnut, Mixed hardwood, Maple and Colored Glass
Table size approx. 70″ x 38″ x 29.5″
Serving Board size approx. 20″ x 16″
NFS

This dining room table follows the American folk tradition and is called a Sawbuck Table. The legs and rail are walnut while the braces are maple. The table top is re-purposed wood; the maple was once a gym bench in a high school locker room and the mixed hardwood, some Brazilian, was once the flooring of a semi-truck. The inlays are maple and walnut edged in colored ink. The rail pins are stained with the same color of ink.
The serving board which slides under the table top, is made of the same wood. The colored glass inlay has an orderly pattern that appears to tumble and the inlay changes to wood.

Spring Snow

Miscellaneous, Walking

Spring Snow

Leaving winter and entering spring in the Midwest makes for some back and forth weather while the new season settles in. We’re currently having a spring snow storm. Just as the storm was beginning I walked the river trail through the woods north of town. Riverbank Grapevine is a new plant to me. There may be one growing up one of my favorite cottonwood trees. Later this summer I’ll discover whether snuggling vine is the Riverbank Grapevine
or a very healthy poison ivy.

Illustrations for a story

Children, Drawing, Drawing Portrait, Flowers in Paintings, Gardens, Illustration, Insects in Paintings, Miscellaneous, Mixed Media, Na's class presentation, Pen and Ind, Portraits, Watercolor

Last year presented numerous opportunities for illustration. These are some of the drawings done for a writer of a children’s story about flowers and butterflies. Part of the story’s message is that all of us should take the time to appreciate the abundance and variety of exquisite life that surrounds us.