The Lamp Guy

July 14, 2011-Wow.

2011-07-14T09:49:00.002-05:00

Just a very cool photo. It seems beyond imagination. m

February 10, 2011 – It's real

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Swedish photographer Jocke Bergland took the shot while flying over Sweden documenting damage in the wake of Hurricane Gudrun in January 2005.

Read more at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-411346/The-tree-forest.html#ixzz1DXqjvZgm

February 5, 2011 - I could live here

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September 19, 2010 - Fall Apples

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Love the fall. Love apples. Here's one of my favorite recipes. Last year I made this apple cake while on Washington Island with my friend Carol. Brings back good memories and I promised to get her the recipe. So why not post it and let everyone enjoy it. This is from the Silver Palate cookbook. Maybe next week I'll post a great apple pie recipe.

Chunky Apple Walnut Cake

This makes a very large rich cake so you might want to make a half recipe in a smaller pan if you don't have lots of people to share it with. The glaze is amazing but the cake is excellent without it. But try the glaze the first time out.

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted

1/8 teaspoon of cloves

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat flour, sifted

1 1/4 cups shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

3 1/4 cups coarse chunks of peeled and cored Rome Beauty apples (or your choice)

3 tablespoons of Calvados or applejack

Apple Cider Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil and sugar until thick and opaque. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift together all-purpose flour, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking soda, and salt, then stir in whole-wheat flour. Add to oil and egg mixture and mix until well blended.

4. Add walnuts, apple chunks and Calvados all at once and stir batter until pieces are evenly distributed.

5. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch round cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Let cake rest for 10 minutes, then unmold and pour glaze over warm cake, or cut cake and pour glaze over slices.

10 - 12 portions

Apple Cider Glaze

4 tablespoons of sweet butter

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

6 tablespoons of granulated sugar

3 tablespoons of Calvados or applejack

4 tablespoons of sweet cider

2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons of heavy cream

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in both sugars.

2. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 4 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour while still warm over warm cake.

Makes 1 1/2 cups of glaze

Enjoy in front of a fire on a brisk fall evening. Cheers. m

July 29, 2010 - Inspirations (been awhile)

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National Grand Theater of China, Beijing

Architect Paul Andreu

Last image via jordiA+'s photostream

May 6, 2010 - Spring

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It's been too long I know. First of all Happy Birthday to my niece. The big 30. Have a great day.

Today I mowed the lawn for the first time. It's been an amazing spring. Don't remember one quite like it. It started a month early. Usually I'm not mowing until late in May. The leaves are all out, the flowers have bloomed, and the temps have been very mild. Usually we jump from cold to hot in a week but not this year. Is this global warming? Not bad. Of course we seem to be some of the lucky ones. I don't envy many others who are dealing with tornadoes and flooding.

Today I started to play with some fantasy lamp ideas. Taking photos and figuring how to merge a lamp into them. It's simple but maybe I can come up with some surprises as the project goes on. Right now I'm trying to use images I have on hand. But as I explore I may try to take new photos with a specific concept in mind. Ultimately I may be able to translate these into a real lamp idea. We'll see how it goes. Have a great week. m

March 29, 2010 - The measure of a life

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I am 19,358 days old today. Or 464,592 hours. Or 27,875,520 minutes. Or 1,672, 531,200 seconds or thereabouts. Just thought you'd like to know. This calculation is based on the Gregorian Calendar created in 1582 and later adopted in 1752 by Britain and the eastern part of what is now the United States. In case you were wondering. Have a great day but don't get too caught up in the numbers. There are better things to do with your time. m

March 21, 2009 - Snow and a lamp

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Early Saturday, first day of Spring—snow. Very appropriate, in Wisconsin that it. But it's the kind of snow I like, only on the grass, gone fast. I'll take it.

I'm kind of fascinated by the trend toward creating functional items out of wood. Combined with new technologies it seems wood might be able to do some new and amazing things. And of course it's renewable. It's interesting, now that we have global warming and dwindling wood resources staring us in the face that we're suddenly figuring so many more ways to use this renewable resource that's been around for millions of years. The radio I posted a few weeks ago is a great example.

I got the following photos from a e-newsletter called designboom which featured a new series of lamps from Asaf Weinbroom. The lamp designs focus on unifying concepts, mechanism, joinery and new technologies using wood as the main material. The lamps have a mass produced aesthetic and the one-of-a-kind warmth that comes from a handmade product. The shades are created using a unique lamination technology producing a very strong cone made from thin layers of veneer. I'm sure there's more great designs to come. Have a great week and bon voyage Katie and Dave. Hope you have a great trip. m

March 8, 2010 - What do yo think?

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Here's a new lamp idea. Let me know what you think. I created this image based on old bowling post cards and then put it through a Photoshop filter. I think it looks pretty good. m

March 7, 2010 - Cool wood radio

2010-03-07T09:08:00.004-06:00

I wandered into one of my favorite stores in Madison, Century House—one that has actually displayed my lamps from time to time—and saw this amazing little radio made of wood. When do you see that? At first I thought it was some kind of cool toy, the details were so simple, the wood so smooth and rounded. But it's an actual radio with the most current mp3 playing compatible electronics. The design is very simple but every detail is a treat to the eyes and you can't help but want to touch and feel the smooth beautiful wood. A smooth rounded wood peg through a metal loop holds the back panel on. I don't know why but this may be one of my favorite details. It's obviously manufactured but at the same time hand made. There are even small wooden ends on the connector cables. As a designer and fan of industrial design I was smitten. Of course having no money in this lovely era of frugality means smitten is what I will remain.

So I did some searching on the net and was surprised to see that it's all over the place including stores like Anthropologie. Here's the scoop; there are 3 radios in the product line; small, medium and large. They range in price from $200-$300. Designed by Singgih Kartono for Magno. Each tree used to create these radios had one replanted in its place, as Antropologie touts "making each song played sound just a bit sweeter." Don't you love marketing? The wood is not coated with anything but oil and needs maintaining. Yes, a product you actually have to care for. Not an easy proposition for most of us.

The product was also made as an attempt to improve the Indonesian economy, creating jobs for local woodworkers making wooden commodities needing relatively low skills. This falls into a new category called "New Craft." New Craft attempts to utilize existing systems and technology with the most important factor being to use well managed human resources. To learn more about the designers vision for producing this sustainable product check the Magno Website.

I also want to send out a big Happy Birthday to my mom and my good friend JoAnn who had a great art opening last night at the Commonweath gallery space as well as a fab party afterwards. Loved it. Have a good week. m

February 28, 2010 - Something new

2010-02-28T10:35:00.003-06:00

Howdy. It's been too long I know. What can I say but it's winter and everything in me goes a bit slower. The temps are very slowly rising and although I have sympathy for those out east getting more white stuff they can handle I'm not missing it here in Wisconsin. But then I'm not a huge winter sports participant. There are many here who love to get on the slopes and the ice rink. Judging from the piles still out there I think they're pretty happy. With only one big storm in December it's been pretty normal here. The temps do seem to be lower than the average but next week there's hope of reaching almost 40. I hear birds singing and steady drip of melting snow. Music to the ears.

I've been making lamps for 5 years now. Didn't know a thing when I started. I know a little more now. I've pretty much kept to the same materials of wood and paper. This year I'm in the need for some new inspiration and ideas so it's a year of exploration. I'm not planning on doing any art fairs in 2010, sorry, unless of course something comes up out of the blue. I'm just not good at the outdoor art fair thing. It's hard to display lit lamps in bright sunlight and the weather is a never ending source of anxiety for me. My lamps are basically box kites when a big wind hits. Except their tendency is to crash rather than fly. So this year I'm in learning mode and the first is glass. It's taken me way to long to start exploring this very flexible medium.

I'm starting simple. The photo above is my first stained glass project against a rather stark winter background. It's pretty good for my first time. There's a few rough edges. I'm taking a class at The Vinery here in Madison and hope to take a few more. Fusing is next on the list. I have to say it went better than expected. But then I didn't push myself too hard with the first project in terms of difficulty. I just wanted to learn the basics. My next step is to start thinking about how glass might be used in some of my current lamp styles, the first and most simple being the Iotta box lamp. But down the road I'm hoping to find new and imaginative ways to integrate wood, paper, glass and any number of materials to create something unique. I'm definitely getting inspired.

My biggest challenges were: 1) Choosing the glass. There's a lot to choose from and I'm used to just flipping through paper swatches to find what I want. 2) Cutting the pieces to fit. I did pretty good but this is where practice and experience are really going to help. I was surprised at how little pressure is needed to score the glass. 3) Soldering is definitely a challenge. Getting a smooth rounded bead is not simple. But the good news is that you don't have to get it right the first time. You can re-melt the solder and strive for something better. Overall I'm pretty proud of my first project. I'll keep you abreast of my next project, in fact I'll be working on a pattern today.

Talk to you soon. Next posting will be about some cool products that use wood in some unconventional ways. m

February 19, 2010 - Well, it's unique

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I like to bring you the latest in lamp design. Here's one that seems to be getting some attention. It's called the Less Lamp. It's designed by Jordi Canudas and when you bring it home it's a sealed egg of a lampshade. Only a little light escapes through a hole in the top. Your job is to use the specially designed pick hammer and chip away until you're happy with the result. You can poke a pattern into the shell or chop off a chunk. A truly interactive lamp design. Only $875. You better get it right the first time. m

February 14, 2010 - Happy Valentine's Day

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February 2, 2010 - I love Retro Futurism

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All images are reblogged from Dark Roasted Blend.

January 17, 2010 - Inspirations 1

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Beautiful collages by Mark Wouters, an artist from the Netherlands. m

Januray 16, 2010 - Transitions

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sometimes we stare too long

at the door that is closing,

that we don't see the one

that is opening.

What little of 2010 has passed has given me the feeling that this is a transition year for me. Actually the feeling has been building for awhile now. It's time to stop looking at the closing door and look for the one that's opening. So bear with me as over the next string of posts I explore, with the hope that it leads me to…well, something new. m

Januray 10, 2010 - For a friend

2010-01-10T13:35:00.002-06:00

A very good friend of mine called early this morning to tell me her mother had died. It was quite sudden as her mom seemed to be in quite good health. What went through my mind are all the stories she's told me about her mom—how she often had to go because she needed to get her desk organized but it just never seemed to happen, how on a visit she was intensely determined to show her daughter that a little elbow grease could get that pesky commode absolutely clean and almost killed herself to make it so, how on a visit she and her grandson got along so very well, without any of that family angst that my friend felt on occasion. I wish my friend and her family much sympathy and also the hope that over the next week they will find and revel in all those wonderful memories of their mom and celebrate her life.

In honor of my friend here is a list from the Dalai Lama called Instructions for Life. Please take it to heart and take a minute to remember those you love. I'm sure many of you have seen this before but it never hurts to remind yourself.

1) Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2) When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3) Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, and taking Responsibility for all your actions.

4) Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5) Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6) Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7) When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8) Spend time alone everyday.

9) Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10) Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11) Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12) A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13) In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14) Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15) Be gentle with the earth.

16) Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17) Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18) Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19) Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

January 1, 2010 - A blue moon at midnight

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How do you break a year down? There are 365 days. Do you remember each one? A very rare few probably do (I saw one on Oprah). But on the whole you only remember some days. Special days. Tragic days. Days of big decisions or big changes. Big news days. Celebrations.

In some ways I'm sad about what I'm seeing. In a world of constant connections I wonder if people really do connect, really know each other, really care to. When I was young I thought people who don't like change were old fogies—those people who couldn't see the bright new future that was coming. Why can't they just get out of the way? And yet only age can give you perspective. You compare the way the world was and the way it is now. The common phrase "it was so simple then" comes to mind. It wasn't ever simple but things do change. They do get more complex. It seems to be our nature, to add more and more to our lives and be proud that we can handle it all, "multi-task." Kids seem to grow up faster, deal with more drama. Technology evolves and changes our lives, for good and bad. Nature seems to take a back seat, be put aside, and yet everyone rallies around the green flag and pretends to have altruistic motives. But a lot of kids aren't going outside and experiencing the natural world. They're sitting in front of a monitor or looking at the screen on a "smart phone." I can guarantee they, the kids, don't see it this way. What will they see when they're fifty? Will it all seem as innocent, as harmless?

Last night I did something different for New Year's Eve. Late in the evening, before midnight, I went for a cold winter's eve walk. It felt right. True. It was seven degrees, no wind, calm. The full moon called me out. I saw it through the window. Bright in a clear dark indigo sky. A blue moon—this was the second full moon in the month. A rare spectacle for a special night. How appropriate. The warm glow of Christmas lights brighten my way. The snow and ice crunch under my steps. Everyone's up. Celebrating in their own ways.

So what's ahead? Will it be a good year, a better year? Will hardships lighten? I know we'll see things we never expected. There'll be lots of the same but it will all be new. Fresh—at least we can make it fresh. We're all moving forward, together. We hope for the best and once in a while the best will come to us. Grab it when you can.

I truly wish you all the best in the new year. Take a chance this year. Move forward. Get rid of the clutter. Pay attention to what's really important in your life. Stop sleepwalking. Wake up. Do something you've always wanted to do. Share it with someone.

Love. Peace. Truth. Powerful words that need action to make them real. m

December 13, 2009 - "Not a finga!"

2009-12-13T08:21:00.004-06:00

Could there be a more famous lamp associated with Christmas than "The Christmas Story Leg Lamp?" My family discovered this movie in the mid-eighties and it's become a "tradition" of sorts that we watch the movie at least once a year, if not more. Because who can miss the many reruns on TV during the holiday season. It must be up there with "It's a Wonderful Life." And I wouldn't be "The Lamp Guy" if I didn't do a post about the famous Leg lamp during the holiday season.

First of all, you can find everything you ever wanted to know about the Leg Lamp at the official "A Christmas Story House" web site. Yes, someone has bought the house, which is actually in Cleveland, and turned it into a tourist destination along with a museum and gift shot across the street. You've got to go if you happen to be in Cleveland during the holidays. Perhaps you've wondered, was this a real lamp or just something the author made up. Answer: It was made up. Jean Shepard, the author, was inspired by an old Nehi Soda advertisement (shown below). It seems Reuben Freed, the production designer on the film, created the lamp with very little to go on but he seems to have pleased Mr. Shepard with only a few sketches. Three lamps were created for the movie but alas none of them survived the production. If you look closely during the scenes where the lamp is broken you'll notice that the lamp is actually broken in two different ways, depending on which scene you're watching. In one the lamp is broken into chunks, in another it's split lengthwise.

Fear not, you too can own any one of five different sizes of Leg Lamps, the full size 50" inch, a slightly smaller 45" (on sale now), a 26" and 20" desktop lamp, and an 8" night light. But that's not all, you can find replicas of almost all the props at A Christmas Story Gift Shop. There's the bunny outfit, Randy's stocking cap, Flick's aviator cap, and the crowning touch, a limited edition "Red Rider Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in the stock and that thing which tells time." And if you really want to splurge, you can buy the immense wooden crate for the lamp, sold separately. I'm actually tempted by the sale for the 45 inch lamp. What a lovely prop to bring out every Christmas and put in my studio (family and friends take note of this amazing gift idea but I can do without the crate. And you'd better check with me in case I decided to get on already).

And in a Google search I also came across this lovely "Leg Lamp" Costume, an idea for those truly obsessed. Here's hoping your holiday season is full of joy and that you always get a great parking spot at the mall, if you really have to go there. m

December 4, 2009 - For the Holidays

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I have to say I'm enjoying this holiday season so far. I never know when it's going to hit me but I think because work has been manageable and fairly stress free I've been able to fall into the pleasantries of the season pretty quickly. This year the long and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend gave me a great excuse to get the Christmas tree up and at least partially decorated, just the lights so far, but that's the best part for me. It's been a week and we had our first snowfall in Madison last night. Just enough to cover the ground and make things look, well, like Christmas, but also enough to cause some stress during the evening rush hour. Luckily I was cozy at home and didn't have to deal with it. So, still being in the holiday mood I decided to search out some new Christmas music today on iTunes. There's always a few new CDs that are worth downloading.

This year I have two to recommend. The first is "Christmas Cheers" by Straight No Chaser, an a cappella men's singing group that started at Purdue University in my home state of Indiana. This is the first I've heard of them but they actually have two Christmas albums out with some non-seasonal music mixed in. I have a soft spot in my heart for really good a cappella groups and this group is one of the best I've heard. They offer beautiful arrangements of traditional songs with the addition of some novelty and humor in unique renditions of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," a concoction of well known holiday tunes merged with the traditional lyrics, and "We Three Kings" with a Mission Impossible theme. Some are pretty clever, and one or two are a little over-the-top for me. My favorites? I love the Charlie Brown classic "Christmastime is Here," "Carol of the Bells," and a new song called "Indiana Christmas." I had many good years growing up in Northern Indiana and it's great to have a song to remind me, it's still home.

The other CD is Sting's "If on a Winter's Night," a haunting collection of traditional carols and lullabies spanning centuries. This is not your typical holiday CD so it's not for everyone, especially those who expect the pop sounds of The Police or even Sting's later works. Sting defies labeling but his artistry and talent is inspiring. The CD is growing on me but I have to say my favorite song so far is "Soul Cake," a song I first heard from Peter, Paul and Mary.

I should also mention that Straight No Chaser will be featured in a television special on PBS stations this month so check your local listings. In the meantime check out the new music of the season and add to your collection. I love Christmas music if only for it's innately positive spirit. Have a wonderful week and I'll try to be better about posting, but you know how it goes. m

November 25, 2009 - Thanks

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Here's hoping you and yours

have a wonderful,

thoughtful,

peaceful,

ever-so-filling,

warm,

happy,

generous,

giving,

lovely

Thanksgiving day.

I certainly have much to be

thankful for and feel very blessed to have such good

family and friends.

Mark (The Lamp Guy)

October 26, 2009 - More food

2009-10-26T15:33:00.003-05:00

Photo by Linda Long

I made a really delicious meal last night and had to share the information. Oprah strikes again with "The Conscious Cook" by vegetarian Chef Tal Ronnen. I decided to try his Gardein "Chicken" Scaloppini last night and it is one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Unfortunately, I was unable to do it "vegetarian" as I couldn't find the Gardein brand of chicken breasts at my local Whole Foods. I think everyone who watched the show wanted to try to the same recipe. The bottom line is that this is a good recipe, vegetarian or not.

Here's a few tips and comments. The Gardein brand is considered to be an excellent replacement for chicken but it may be hard to find. I was also confused because their web site has Tuscan Chicken Breasts but I didn't see plain ones except perhaps in the frozen line. Also, I couldn't find precooked Udon Noodles. So I bought a package of uncooked round udon noodles, probably a lot cheaper. You boil it like any pasta and it comes in single serving bunches. I found that one bunch is plenty for two servings. I created the noodle cakes by packing the cooled noodles into 3" plastic lined ceramic ramekins and compressing them with a small bowl on top. I put them in the fridge on hour before I started the rest of the meal and they came out great. They stick together nicely and the plastic wrap makes it easy to remove them from the ramekins. When you fry them don't put the heat too high as mine started to burn fairly quickly. Keep a watch on them.

I did use real chicken breasts but I found that one breast per serving is too much. You could get 4 servings out of two breasts pretty easily. It wouldn't hurt to pound down the breasts so they're thinner as it would cook quicker. I kept mine thick but they were delicious. They just took longer to cook.

The pea shoots are a little tough when they're done and therefore hard to cut with a fork when eating. The next time I do it I'll cut them in half at the very least. That makes them a little more fork-friendly and probably easier to cook. From this point I followed the recipe closely. The sauce is amazing, it's what makes the dish so good. And I even forgot to add the chives but it was still excellent. I did use the Earth Balance butter and it worked great. It's a great tasting butter substitute but not low in fat. It's not too time consuming for something this good. Give it a try. I'm now tempted to buy his book and next time I will definitely try the Gardein breasts. m

October 12, 2009 - Soups on

2009-10-11T20:26:00.006-05:00

My homemade chicken noodle soup—2009 edition.

Cooking and cooler weather seem to go hand and hand in my world. And my first goal is to start filling the freezer with some good home made soups to get me through the next few months. And with cold and flu season coming—no doubt you've heard about that this year—chicken soup is first on my list. I bought a chicken at the farmers market and started reviewing recipes. I couldn't find the perfect combination in any of the books so I improvised. I wanted something pretty traditional with lots of vegetables. I ended up with chicken, green beans, corn, carrots, celery, onions, peas and lots of noodles. Not to mention a concoction of spices that I had on hand. Most notably some dried basil and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I probably over did the noodles. I think it would have been wise to have broken them up a bit more because they're big and sloppy and hard to fit on a spoon. Oh well, now I know.

Week two I made a great beef stew. I actually bought a beef roast, but I got out my mom's old Fanny Farmer cook book and it said that if the roast is less than 4 pounds it's better to use it for stew meat, otherwise the roast would probably be dry. See, I'm learning and in fact I have done small roasts in the past that just never really came out great. I'm just one guy so I always bought small roasts. Along with the tender beef chunks the stew owns potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans and onions in a great broth. Ahhhh, winter is looking good.

And today, a sweet potato and black bean soup. Actually it should be called a vegetable soup with black beans. Of course all locally grown veges from the Hilldale farmer's market. Next time I'm adding another can of beans. The cayenne pepper gives it a good kick. So that's a great start on the filling the freezer. I think a good chili is next.

It was a nice weekend. I've been cleaning up the studio for the Open Arts Studio Tour next weekend. Don't forget. Artist's all over Madison and Dane County are opening up their studios to the public the weekend of October 17 and 18 from 11:00am to 5pm. You can view samples of all the artists participating at the Community Galleries of the Overture Performing Arts Center downtown. Grab a map and plan your own custom tour of your favorite artists. As for me, I'll be working on some lamps during the weekend with about 30 or so on display. Hopefully the rain, sleet and snow will hold off for a little while and give us a great weekend for the tour. Have a great week and feel free to send your favorite soup or cold weather recipes. I'm always looking for more. m

October 6, 2009 - Washington Island

2009-10-06T12:37:00.004-05:00

Schoolhouse Beach

Washington Island has become one of my favorite spots. From the wonderful ferry ride to the rustic cabin, Schoolhouse beach to Fisk's fish fry, it is a joy to visit, even briefly. This year I went up for a weekend with my good friend Carol. I met Carol through another friend years ago but I realized that we have never spent a lot of time alone together as we are usually in the company of our mutual friends. It was fun to get to know each other better. The long drive gave a great opportunity to just talk, a rare event these busy days.

We really got lucky with the weather. Although indications were that we would have some off and on rain, we really didn't experience any beyond seeing evidence that it had passed earlier. Some wet pavement and sand. We also saw many dark clouds threatening the peninsula across the bay. I think they got it more than we did. And it was warm with the sun making itself known throughout the weekend. This made the ferry ride over and back that much more enjoyable. There's nothing like the anticipation of slowly moving toward the island and seeing the great vistas of water and islands along the way.

We're so lucky to have found an affordable and yet rather luxurious cabin to rent. It's solitude and views of the water and water foul make it very special. And it has a better than average kitchen which makes meal prep a joy. Not to mention the fireplace, both in the house and down on the rocky beach. We biked at least 1/2 the island stopping for the dunes, a great coffee house, and soft serve and a cheezburger. In the evening there was a great meal with games and lots of talking in front of a roaring fire. It all ended too fast but I felt very relaxed and satisfied to have gotten away even for such a short time. The quality of the environment can make even a short visit rejuvenating. And I needed it. It's been a long year and I'm grateful that I have good friends and such a great place to escape to. m

The wonderful fireplace with Carol making dinner in the background.

Carol watching the water foul on the beach in front of the cabin.

September 23, 2009 - Wetting my appetite

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Guess where I'm heading? m

September 20, 2009 - A simple house

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Part 3 of my favorite houses features a Santa Cruz home designed for a couple's retirement. This is just a very well designed small home. It's just over 1000 sq. ft. and it uses every inch. I love the attention to details inside and out. m

September 8, 2009 - My favorite houses Part II

2009-09-08T16:44:00.006-05:00

The second house in my "Favorite Houses" series is a Shaker inspired, whimsical weekend getaway in the hills outside Kinderhook, New York. The architect, Dennis Wedlick, wanted a weekend retreat but he also wanted to have some fun. "This house is a lot about roof" says the architect. The height makes up for the small foundation of only 20 x 25 feet. I love the details, inspired by traditional styles and materials. The setting gives it an almost sculptural quality.

Inside the Shaker style is more apparent with chalk-white walls, bare pine floors and simple trim, as well as traditional Shaker furniture. Perhaps a little "plain" for my taste but there is beauty in simplicity. There's no floor plan so I'm trying figure out how he fit in a kitchen and bath. Upstairs a high-ceilinged central hall doubles as an office tucked into the front triangular dormer window. Triangles, as it turns out, are a recurring theme in Shaker design. Note the number of triangles in the exterior. A large bedroom window with beautifully detailed columns overlooks a vast flowered plain. And on the very top, accessible only by a ladder, a long room is shaped by the extreme 65 degree peak of the roof—a simple retreat for watching TV.

I've seen this house featured in several books and magazines on home design. If I'm not mistaken, I think the architect has added a structure next to the house in quite a different style, more barn-like and spacious for large gatherings. If I find it I'll sent out a post. Enjoy. m

August 30, 2009 - Cool lamps

2009-08-30T09:11:00.004-05:00

Sorry for my infrequent posts but things have been quite busy. But it's Sunday morning and I have finally found some time to get around to a posting. I'll have more of my favorite home designs in the future. As I said, a perfect home may not exist and until you live in a place for awhile, perhaps many years, you just won't really know. So the homes I show are simply my idea of what looks to be a great place to live. But I've also found that if I actually get to visit one of these homes I may have a completely different view of them. Pictures just can't capture a true sense of the place.

I have become a bit of a fan of 20th Century homes and furnishings. It could be because these homes were the hot style, or at least I think they were, when I was growing up. Now and then I pick up the magazine Modernism. Throughout the magazine there are ads for cool lamps and furnishings. The lamps I'm featuring here grabbed my attention. Now granted, I don't know that I would actually buy one of these lamps and I can assure you they cost a fortune but they are beautiful objects, at least to me. The lamps are from Terry Tynan. Take a look. No prices are listed. If anyone knows what one of these beauties cost let me know. Have a great week. m

August 16, 2009-My favorite houses, Part I

2009-08-16T17:55:00.008-05:00

When I was a kid, I would sit and design houses, usually in the form of floor plans. I'm not exactly sure where this came from. I do remember a house that my parent's wanted to build. They actually sent to the magazine House & Gardens to get the plans. The house is actually a series of small pavilions and rather Asian in character. The rooms all surround a central garden space. I remember lots of wood and wall to wall windows. I can picture it in my head to this day.

Since then I have collected books on home design and architecture. I actually wanted to be an architect at one point but realized the math requirements were a little too much for me. I'm sure that's not the first time you've heard that. About twice a year I get the urge to start looking through my books and create the perfect house for myself. What I have learned is that the homes and apartments I've lived in have all influenced the designs I choose. In fact, there are rooms or spaces I've lived in that I would seek to duplicate in my own home design.

Over the next month or so I'm going to show you some of the homes that have inspired me. Most of these homes are considered second homes or cottages. I aspire to build a small home. And cottage homes seem to add many touches of character and detail that you don't find in today's main residences, not to mention a little bit of whimsy.

The first house is a post and beam vacation home set in the San Juan hills in Washington state. I have always loved post and beam structures. I like seeing the structure, the copious amounts of wood and the regular intervals of beams can be used to break up the space into functional areas. The house is a 16x60 ft rectangle surrounded by sundecks and a covered sleeping porch with it's own fire place. Inside, is a large central living space with a fireplace at one end and a kitchen at the other. All interior and exterior spaces open directly into the central space. Three sets of French doors open onto the deck. There are 3 main sleeping areas, two lofts on opposite ends of the second floor and a sleeping porch. Features I really like are the window seat, the large indoor/outdoor fireplaces as well as the wood burning stove. I also like the arrangement of the casual, eclectic and very comfortable furniture. There's also a full basement for expansion and storage.

I love combining the living, dining, and kitchen areas into one functional space.

August 10, 2009 - Ah Vanity

2009-08-09T17:07:00.003-05:00

First of all the yard sale is done. I made some money and got rid of a lot of stuff, not necessarily by selling it. Now there's some clean up to do but in ninety degree weather I tend to find excuses.

When one writes a blog, one can write about anything that one takes a fancy to. So this week I'm focusing on the art of the Combover. Since I'm a baldy and gave up long ago on trying to cover up the dome—which did go on for awhile—I feel justified in showing you some of the true diehards. Now I just continued to part my hair the way I always had and there was some hair on top to play with, but there was a point when it got silly. And once I made the decision to go nude on top it was a nice relief. So here's some real masters at the coverup, not that they're fooling anyone but themselves.

Now this last one is actually a patented technique by Donald J. Smith and his father, Frank J. Smith, of Orlanda, Florida. Basically you comb the long hairs if three different directions. Wat to go guys. I'm sure the money is pouring in for this one. Have a good week. m

August 1, 2009 - Prepping for the Yard Sale

2009-08-01T16:31:00.003-05:00

Thought you might like a preview of my fabulous yard sale next Saturday, August 8th.

My antique billiard ball collection. Wow. Can't believe this is going.

One of two fabulous Harry Potter games. Can you believe it.

A hand carved wooden lady. A rare find.

My one and only Tickle Bee game. A game of immense skill and daring.

A remote control rat. Great in the office. Scare your coworkers. The eyes light up red.

There's much much more. Art books. Audio books. Tools. Lamps. Exercise equipment. Music CDs. Fluorescent light fixtures. Art. Portable whirlpool bath gadget.Humidifier. Ceramics. Rugs. Stuff and more stuff. Have a great week. m

July 19, 2009 - The Local Art Fair

2009-07-19T10:12:00.007-05:00

Jay Long Studio

If you were reading my blog last year around this time I told the tale of participating in the Art Fair on the Square. How the storm came up early Saturday morning and almost wiped my booth out. Luckily I had not put my lamps in the tent. When I arrived the next morning I was heart broken. All my stuff was soaked, the tent was bent out of shape—I almost gave up but persisted and got up and running on time. But then the wind tormented me over the entire weekend. Gusts blew my tent around and I was continually holding it down and stressing that sooner or later some of my lamps would be blown off the shelves. About 2:00 Sunday afternoon that's what happened, twice. Two big gusts in a row blew over my shelves and because people in the booth grabbed lamps as they fell only one actually hit the ground. But that was it, it was time to pack up.

What amazed me was that no one walking by even noticed I was taking down. People could only see that there was now an open space in the line of tents so they could cut through, like seeing a space in a long line they can cut through—and often as not the people in the line are not thrilled by this. These people, in their haste to cut through often tripped on my equipment as I was trying to pack up. I have to say I was angry at these people who had no clue as to what I was going through. I wanted them to know the trials an artist goes through to come to an art fair. That I had paid $500 to be in this space and now had to pack up and give up any more sales opportunities. But I also realized that if I were one of them—and had been in years past— I probably wouldn't have thought twice about why a person was taking down and seeing a path through the tents may have taken it myself.

This year I didn't enter the art fair fearing a repeat of last year. And because my sales are never that great at my local fair. One reason being that when people see that you're local they assume they can contact you at any time and buy a lamp. But they rarely call and truthfully there aren't that many opportunities to view my lamps. I don't do many shows and work out of my home, which isn't open to the public. These days people are so used to getting what they want quickly and easily—the next day/convenience mentality. You can order most anything off the internet and have it the next day. If you don't buy it now it will certainly be there tomorrow. Maybe Target has something similar and cheaper.

But that's just one of the challenges to artists. I don't think anyone knows how much work goes into attending art fairs. Art fairs have gotten pretty sophisticated. The fees for outdoor fairs range anywhere from $30 to $800. Indoor shows can reach $2000 quite easily, and that's just the space. There's still the transportation, housing, and food costs. And if you're inside there's carpet, drape, and lighting rental which some shows require. Now many artists have figured out ways around these fees but I'm still a newby and often am surprised by the unexpected expenses. And if you do lose your work in a storm or accident insurance will only pay for the materials you used to make the piece, not the time you put into it. Think about the materials needed for a painting, on the whole fairly minimal. But it could be worth thousands. Insurance will only cover a fraction of the value. I'm sure there is coverage that will cover everything but the cost of it is usually out of reach for the average artist and it's just something you have to deal with if you're wiped out at a show. Which by the way seems to be happening more often by unexpected wind gusts and freak storms. Global warming comes to mind.

By the way there was another storm this year early Saturday morning at the Art Fair on the Square. Pretty much a repeat of last year. A friend showed me pictures of crumpled tents and told of many artists who were wiped out. Another small disaster that the public never hears about. Luckily the rest of the weekend was perfect weather. A friend in the show was showing me pictures of the small disaster on his iPhone. We started talking about how the public has no idea what artists go through to bring their work to the public. He told me a story about a woman who came in his booth one year. She said "isn't it wonderful the local art museum supplies all the tents, shelving and structures for all the artists." My friends was very happy to disillusion her of these beliefs. "The only thing the artist gets from the main sponsor are the four chalk marks that mark the location of their 10'x10' booth." I was shocked but I guess in retrospect I shouldn't be surprised. We live in a society where everything is at your fingertips. Rarely do people look behind the curtain to understand what it takes to make it that way. Someday when those services aren't there it's going to be a devastating shock.

I enjoyed wandering through the art fair for once instead of worrying about my own booth. I love art and the chance to view it and see the artist who did the work—or even talk to them— is a pleasure. So this time I was the tourist and enjoyed every minute. I've included a few artists that caught my eye this year. Enjoy. And next time you go to an art fair think about what it took to bring all of this to you. But somehow I don't expect you will. m.

Mary Sundstrom, cut paper.

July 10, 2009 - Studio Stuff

2009-07-10T13:35:00.005-05:00

I've been at lampmaking for 5 years now and I rarely throw anything away. About once a year I clean things up but like any artist's studio there's not a lot of reason to keep things too pretty, except to clear space for working. This week was slow so I've been cleaning. I decided to take a few pics before the cleanup for the fun of it.

I have tons of shades. Some were damaged but most are from trying different combinations of colors on the Step lamps. I save all the paper scraps too. Because I use a lot of small pieces for my compositions I try to use the leftovers as much as I can. But they pile up fast and I can never find that one color I'm looking for. I need a better system.

I was thinking the other day about stuff. When you're young you can't get enough. You want everything. I'm a designer so I've always craved beautiful objects, rarely able to afford them. I can't say I have that much that I covet but there are a few pieces that are special. As you get older you move to the opposite end of the spectrum. You have way too much stuff and crave to get rid of it. But if you have space to fill you fill it. It used to be people used garages for their cars but I've noticed that most garages are full of stuff these days. When my neighbors bought the house next door they totally remodeled it. It was pretty small and they had a larger than average lot. So they added on a new section to the house including a double car garage, rare in my neighborhood where a lot of houses actually share driveways. I don't even have a garage. But ever since they've finished the house the garage has been completely full with their "stuff." This seems pretty common. Got space, fill it up. But of course all they talk about is how they want to get rid of it some day. And we do start parsing it out. Garage sales, donations, college kids. But it never seems to make much of a dent.

There is a psychology to cleaning that I've figured out over time. When you get rid of clutter it actually clears your mind. I've been cleaning out the basement, clearing the pathways through the "stuff." It's been a mess for so long that I'd gotten used to it. But now that it's cleaned up I come down and take a second look, breath a sigh of relief. It feels good. I've noticed the same is true of noise. I tend to like hearing noise when I'm working or at home. It's either the TV or the radio. I also keep the radio on in the car all the time. But I've found that if I turn off the radio I can't help but immediately give a sigh of relief. It's palpable. I can feel my body immediately relax. I'm amazed how simple it is. Then I look at all the people walking by or in their cars with cell phones or iPods attached to their ears. If they only knew. m

July 4, 2009 - Pops for the 4th

2009-07-03T20:44:00.003-05:00

Well, a different kind of popping. Here are some amazing photos showing the instant a soap bubble pops. The photos are by Richard Heeks. Enjoy and be safe today. m

July 2, 2009 - It's been too long

2009-07-02T14:36:00.006-05:00

Sorry. Got so caught up my happenings to get a new post out. That implies that something big was happening and it wasn't. After the Lakefront Festival I was just tuckered out and needed to get a lot of little stuff done. If you did visit the festival thank you, and thanks to all my customers and their kind comments, even if they didn't purchase a lamp it's always good to get feedback. The sales were good considering the tight grip folks had on their wallets.

I came home to summer. Then a week later it feels like fall. We were in the 90's the week after I got home. Not the kind of weather anyone really likes. But Sunday was wonderful. I got up early and took a bike ride through the city. Stopping at some of my favorite spots to finish a book for my fast approaching book club— "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." First the Terrace on the UW Campus. The weather had cooled off a lot and it was very blustery. Not fun for biking but great for sailing. I sat under a huge oak tree, read my book and watched dozens of sailboats out on the lake. Contentment.

After reading the afore mentioned book, my club discovered that you can win a trip to Guernsey Island which is off the coast of England. We've decided we're going to win. The winner can invite 5 guests to join them. As it happens our book club has 6 people. So it's clear we are meant to win. We've all marked it off on our calendars and I've renewed my passport. It's only a 4 day trip, two of which will be traveling so it's nothing extravagant. So I'll be traveling in October.

And I recommend the book. Basically it's about a group of people who survived the German occupation of the island during WWII. I was not familiar with the Channel Islands or the fact that they were occupied. The story is told in letters from one character to another just after the war. The Literary Society was formed as a means of escape from the harsh conditions. The members, some of whom had never read for pleasure, came to love books and supported each other in a number of ways. The characters are quite a mix, from eccentric to heroic, I have no doubt this will become a beloved BBC series some day, and I look forward to it. Yep, you get your happy ending with this one.

On a completely different note, I'm a graphic designer (always looking for work by the way), and I found this YouTube film which uses type as characters. It's called TXT Island. Check it out.

And if anyone likes to play games, here's one that stumped me. It's called Circle the Cat. Don't waste the day on it. m

June 18, 2009 - Off to the fair

2009-06-18T07:52:00.002-05:00

I'm taking off for Milwaukee and the big art fair. I'm very excited but worried about the weather. We're supposed to get a lot of thunderstorms over the next two days and then it's perfect for Saturday and Sunday. Here's two more new lamps to tease you with. Hope to see you there! m

June 14, 2009 - New Lamps for LFOA

2009-06-14T21:09:00.004-05:00

On Friday June 19-21 I will exhibiting my lamps at the Lakefront Festival of the Arts in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum. I thought I'd give you a preview of the some of the new lamps that will be on display. Hope to see you there. m

June 7, 2009 - Hummingbirds

2009-06-07T12:30:00.006-05:00

Here's an email a friend sent recently that tells of a rather amazing encounter with a Hummingbird. I thought it was worth sharing as encounters with these creatures are few, at least for me, and I can't help but be fascinated by them.

Katie wrote "The strangest thing just happened. I left my studio door open while going out to check the garden. When I came back, I heard a loud buzzing - there were two hummingbirds flying around the studio, looking for a way out. I opened the windows and shooed both out. Before I could get all the windows closed, one flew back in and plopped on the floor. I thought it was stunned. So I picked it up and carried it outside. When I looked closer, I saw that it had spider webs (from the studio walls) wrapped around it's wings. I brushed off one wing - it opened immediately and started fluttering in fast motion - then the other - and it flew away. I held a hummingbird in my hand. Amazing. What an incredibly alert, beautiful, iridescent bird. OK - my day is complete."

Out of curiosity I did some quick searches to find out more about Hummingbirds in general. Here's a few facts I didn't know:

• The largest Hummingbird is called, appropriately, Giant. They can have a wing span of 8 1/2" and they're found in South America. The smallest is called the Bee Hummingbird with a wingspan of 2". They are rare and found only in Cuba and the Isle of Youth.

• Hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds in the Western Hemisphere.

• When hummingbirds sleep, they go into a hibernation-like state called Torpor. This is a really deep sleep. Their metabolism will lower to one-fifteenth (1/15) of normal. Their body temperature will drop to the point of becoming hypothermic (about 30 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius). Their heart rate will drop to about 50 beats per minute. Their breathing will slow to the point that it looks like they have stopped breathing. By sleeping like this, hummingbirds can save up to 60% of their available energy. It takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour for a hummingbird to fully recover from torpor. Once they are up and about, the first order of business is food. The hummingbirds will eat 25% of their daily intake as soon as they recover from torpor.

• A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.

• Hummingbirds can see ultraviolet light.

• Hummingbirds have no sense of smell.

• A hummingbird's metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant. (I was thinking that since a Hummingbird's perception is so sped up that the time the hummingbird was lying on the floor in Katie's studio must have seemed like ages to the bird)

Have a great week. m

June 1, 2009 - Monday Monday

2009-06-01T20:14:00.005-05:00

I like Mondays. Usually things go quite well for me. Mondays usually go well for me because I'm oh so relaxed from the weekend. Monday comes, I'm ready to get something done. Monday is usually my most efficient day. Things click. I have a plan and it moves along smoothly. It's Tuesdays I have to watch out for. But not today. Today was bad Monday. Bad.

First of all I looked forward to going out with friends for a late coffee around 10:00. First email of the day "child sick, can't go." The day begins. I pay bills. Nothing great about that. I finish some lamp bases. This goes surprisingly well. I run errands, one of which is to buy some ink for my printer which has surprisingly run out after only a few color prints. It seems odd. I buy two sets of ink cartridges. It's good to be prepared. I get back and put the cartridges in. And so begins a 5 hour technological mine field. It says it's still out of ink. It won't budge.

I do everything. I do the diagnostics that tell you extremely little. At one point I "reset the printer." Why not? Not good. Now the computer sees the printer but it can't communicate with it. About 3:00 I decide the printer is dead. I must buy a new one because I have needs over the next few weeks. I search for a printer a friend just bought. She did the research and I trust her. It's that or spend hours looking for a printer that you won't know will work until you get it home. So I find the printer. I find the best deal. I find the quickest method and the cheapest shipping. It's on it's way.

But I can't stop futzing. Miracle of miracles I get the computer talking to the printer. It's out of ink. Surprise. Then I think, what if it's the cartridge? What if it's a bum cartridge? And what the heck, I just spent $54 on new cartridges that I won't be able to use with a broken printer. I change one of the cartridges.

It works. It works! I don't believe it.

OMG I just bought an very expensive new printer. I call. It's too late. It's already shipped. Best advice, I can deny delivery. Or should I keep it?

After that, I went for a long walk. Felt better. I start watching this show "I'm a celebrity. Get me off this Island!" or something like that. It's like putting a cage full of angry rats on your head. But it's such a train wreck you have to watch and worse, there are reruns on every one of the big 6 channels I get via my rabbit ears digital black box. So that was Monday. Tuesdays are usually the worst day of the week for me. Wish me luck.

May 27, 2009 - Cool Lighting

2009-05-27T12:35:00.002-05:00

New lighting introduced in Milan by Vincente Garcia Jimenez.

May 26, 2009 - Hypnotic

2009-05-26T18:23:00.004-05:00

Try this little gizmo just for fun. Go to this web site then start clicking on the squares. Have fun. To clear, hit the space bar. There are other toys on this site too. Have a great day. m

May 17, 2009 - LOST

2009-05-14T08:46:00.008-05:00

So what have we learned? Jacob was introduced but we don't have much of a clue as to what he's up to. And he has an enemy, who for some reason wants to kill him but can't. But these events began possibly hundreds of years ago and he looks just the same. Jacob lives in the base of the mysterious statue and weaves. He also travels the world interacting with all the major players of the island. He also has the need to touch them all, if only very slightly. He's obviously manipulating their lives but to what end? Who's his mortal enemy and why did he take on the guise of Locke? What was the "loophole" that led to Jacob's stabbing? Will Juliet return from the dead? Or is everyone dead from the hydrogen bomb exploding at the cliffhanger ending? Or does everything "reset." As always, more questions than answers piled up. So that's everything I would be discussing with another fan of the show, but I don't know any other fan. It's probably my favorite show. It keeps me guessing, keeps me interested, and has the added "sci-fi" element so there simply are no rules to what's coming next. Next year is the last year and it's going to come to a conclusion and not go on for another 10 years without an answer. It would be very disappointing if the conclusion doesn't own up to the 5 seasons before it. So you have plenty of time to see all the episodes and catch up before the last season. And then we can talk about it.

So the weekend was gorgeous. It was a little cool, in fact we had a frost warning on Saturday night but we escaped around here. But I love cool sunny weather. I got a lot of chores done around the house. I painted a hallway. I tried to pick colors for the bedroom, but I couldn't decide so I rearranged the furniture. I mowed the lawn for the first time this year and it looks so nice. When you mow those weeds down it's just all green. There was a big bare patch in the front yard so I planted seed. I washed a few windows. Went to the farmers market. And to top it off I broke out the bar-b-que and indulged in some good food and a margarita this evening. Oh and I finally saw "Vicki Christina Barcelona" after having waited 4 months for it to be available from Netflix. It was a good movie but I'm a bit at a loss as to why it was so popular. I don't think I've ever waited that long for a movie. And so tomorrow it begins again. Have a great week. m

May 10, 2009 - Saw it. Loved it.

2009-05-10T12:39:00.006-05:00

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mother's in my life. I hope you have a day to remember and enjoy it thoroughly.

And now for something completely different:

Yesterday was cold and rainy in the morning. I went to the farmer's market but it was just too cold and wet. This time of year there isn't much in the way of veges and fruit. Luckily friends were on hand and we headed off for some coffee. Next door the Sundance theater and an early matinee showing the new "Star Trek" called to me. I really wasn't planning to see opening weekend but I was just in the mood. It was a good choice, there were no more than 20 people in the theater. I loved the movie. It held my attention, put me at the edge of my seat, and even brought a tear to my eye. This movie is in the genre of "Batman Begins" and "Superman Returns" (which I did enjoy even though it wasn't a mega hit). You got a lot of history, character development, smart writing, well thought, funny, excellent special effects, and of course a good story—totally unbelievable but it is Star Trek after all. And in one bold plot twist they revamped the entire fictional history of Star Trek so future productions are free to do anything they want. You have to see the movie for this to be explained but it does involve black holes and time warps. Enough of my rambling. Go and enjoy the show. m

May 7, 2009 - It's Odd Day

2009-05-07T12:50:00.003-05:00

Yes, It's Odd Day. I'm sure you've all heard of it. No? Neither had I but I guess it's pretty rare. Three consecutive odd numbers (5/7/9) make up the date only six times in a century. The last was 1/3/1905 (1/3/5). Oddday.net has the scoop. Do something odd to celebrate. It's not hard. I'm sure you already do plenty of odd things. Just ask those who circulate around you. I'm sure they'll find something odd you do. I have yet to decide my oddity of the day. I'll let you know.

My version of a film review: Just finished watching "Synecdoche, New York." It is the directorial debut from Charlie Kaufman and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener. I believe the title is a play on the word Schenectady, perhaps it's a reference to the new, yet very skewed world that the title character creates for his fictional theater production within the film. This will no doubt bring back the feelings one had when watching "Being John Malchovich." One of bemused confusion. Is this a dream? Will he wake up? When will it stop? Ultimately I couldn't stop watching. One feels in a state of always missing something and the need to watch that scene again. There's some big message in here somewhere.

The story revolves around Caden (it sounded like Caton to me) Cotard, a theater director whose wife and daughter leave him, much to his dismay and confusion. Caden's health takes a turn for the bizarre and he receives a "McArthur" genius grant which seemingly gives him untold resources for a creative project of his choice. He decides to stage a massive theater project that tells stories about every aspect of life. The breadth of the project continues to expand as Caden moves into massive warehouses with hundreds of actors and elaborate sets that go on for miles and for years. In fact for the rest of his life. By the end he has created the entire city of New York under massive glass domed structures. The production gets so big that he hires a series of actors to play himself, his assistants, wife and lovers who all interact with him day and night. Ultimately he has the ability to direct his own actions by directing his surrogates who in turn direct him and toward the end he gives up his life entirely to his surrogates direction.

One of my favorite scenes is when one of his soon-to-be lovers is looking at a house to purchase with a real estate agent. The house is on fire and this is taken into account by the prospective buyer. She says, "I love the house but I'm worried about the fire taking my life." In subsequent scenes this home, throughout the film and over many years, remains on fire. And no one ever comments on this. An example of the dreamlike atmosphere of the entire film but this is one of the few scenes I found comical.

Perhaps I've said too much but really it might actually help knowing what you're getting into on this one. Some will find it tedious and at times unbearable. I don't know that it's a "love it" or "hate it" kind of film. More like "tolerate it" or "hate it." I don't have the stamina to actually watch it twice but I might take a look at the Special Features and commentaries on the DVD. I recommend it with reservations and yet it is oddly compelling. A perfect movie for viewing on Odd Day. It may spur some thought and some interesting discussions. m

May 4, 2009 - Art is Mr. Natural

2009-05-03T19:35:00.008-05:00

Friday night I went to the Chazen Museum for the opening of an exhibit called "Underground Classics: The Transformation of Comics into Comix, 1963-1990." When I was in college in Cincinnati I had a roommate who collected underground comix, mainly from an artist by the name of R. Crumb. I can't imagine that you haven't heard of him or at the very least seen his most famous images and characters—"Keep On Truckin," Mr. Natural, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddie's Cat to name a few. The comix were a celebration of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll and quite a departure from the mainstream super hero comic books. They were also part of a rebellion against mainstream society, commercial publishing, and conformity. For me they were also hilarious, disturbing, eye-opening, educational, titillating, and rather mind-blowing. What can I say, I led a pretty sheltered and uncorrupted life and that really hasn't changed. Although I was never a huge fan early on, over the years I have come to appreciate the sheer uninhibited originality and talent it took to create them.

The exhibit is an extensive compilation of original art, printed pages, comic book covers, original sketches, statuettes, buttons, rolling papers and much more. I also learned that unique and rebellious art wasn't the only thing that separated these artists from the mainstream. As described on the Chazen web site, underground cartoonists "received royalties for their work, retained ownership of their original art, automatically retained copyrights, developed an alternative distribution system, and reveled in an uncensored environment. This subculture challenged the economics of publishing as well as social and artistic norms." I hope you get a chance to see the exhibit. It runs until July 12th.

On a side note this weekend was absolutely gorgeous in my neck of the woods. We had a long and trying winter and very few really warm days in the month of April. Not to mention I'm finally getting over the cold that I brought back from St. Paul. But this weekend it finally felt like spring in Wisconsin and everyone was out to enjoy it. Have a great week and stay healthy everyone. m

April 29, 2009 - What I just read.

2009-04-29T12:59:00.008-05:00

Book club. Who can be without one? A great way to socialize, have a couple glasses of wine, fill up on finger food, and yes, even discuss a good book. I, of course, belong to a book club. It's small—six—and I like that. It's just easier to get your two cents in, and even if you remain quiet you are missed when not there. Last night we discussed "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. No one had finished the book—I came close—and I guess that speaks to the general feeling for the book, not great. But it's non-fiction, there's no real story line, and it's steeped in science. It's kind of like reading a episode of "Nova." Well, several episodes. Entertaining and informative, but sometimes you're just not in the mood. But the science community loved it and you might be better off visiting the web site with many links and videos visualizing just how our world would change.

Oh sorry, what is the book about you say? What if people disappeared from planet Earth? He doesn't get into detail as to why we would suddenly leave but did offer a few possibilities—the Rapture, an incredibly virulent disease, alien kidnappings—who knows. Call it an intellectual exercise, a Book of Revelation, an eco-thriller. We've been on this earth a long time and have, in my opinion, mucked up quite a bit of it. So what happens to the animals, the forests, our cities, our art, your house, our weapons of mass destruction if they were left on their own? What you get is a series of chapters/articles on the aforementioned subjects and much more. You also get a bit of history as to how a lot of this all came about and in so doing get a feel for what we might still be able to alter and possibly fix. If anything it shows you that we human beings may be the worst thing that's happened to this planet. Can you imagine?

A few things caught my attention but this is the one I'll focus on. If there was a garbage mass the size of Texas floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean you'd think it would be on the news every day. Global warming seems to have a permanent foothold in the media. Why not this? Have you even heard of it? I had, but this book brought it to me in graphic detail. You see scientists are discovering that all that plastic is collecting in some pretty out-of-the-way places. Like the ocean. In fact a TEXAS- SIZED area between California and Hawaii called the North Pacific Gyre or "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch." Sometimes known as the horse latitudes, avoided by sailors because of a slowly rotating high-pressure vortex of hot air that sucks up the wind. What is found there is a continent-sized area covered with floating refuse—styrene packaging, cups, bottles, fish netting, monofilament line, six-pack rings, spent balloons, sandwich wrap, and limp plastic bags that you and I have been gathering from every store on the planet.

Back in 1997 a Captain Charles Moore, founder of a volunteer marine environmental monitoring group described the "mess" as 90 percent plastic. "The real reason the world's landfills weren't overflowing with plastic, was because most of it ends up in the ocean fill" says Captain Moore. More devastating than this is that plastic never really goes away. It turns into a soup, miniscule particles that even plankton can ingest. Small multi colored resin bits of plastic have been seen trapped inside transparent bodies of jellyfish. Seabirds ingest small plastic pellets thinking they're fish eggs. Dead sea birds are found with undigested plastic parts still inside their stomachs. They die. Their stomachs are full of junk and doesn't go away.

During his first 1,000 mile crossing of the gyre, Moore calculated half a pound for every 100 square meters of debris on the surface, and arrived at 3 million tons of plastic. And there are estimates that the garbage can reach 10 to 100 meters in depth. Not to mention that a lot of the garbage sinks due to being covered in algae and barnacles. Once out of sun and in cold water the likelihood that the plastic even has a chance to degrade disappears.

And this isn't the only garbage patch in the ocean. There are many ocean junk yards. The chart below gives you some idea of the size and locations. In my short search for images and information on this subject I came across many web sites that can inform and show you more than you can possibly imagine. Along with the information that no one knows how to fix it, or if it can be fixed. So the next time you get the question "paper or plastic" the correct response is to pull out your cloth or recycled carry bags and say "I've got my own." Not to mention avoiding plastic as best you can. But we all know it's part of just about everything we purchase. And you thought global warming was a difficult problem to solve.

April 25, 2009 - A long week

2009-04-25T19:44:00.004-05:00

Last weekend I had a great show in St. Paul and was able to catch up with friends. In fact I experienced not one but two bar-b-ques, the first two of the season. As it was the warmest weekend of the spring so far, the residents of the twin cities just couldn't wait to break out the barbee and chug a few brewskies.

The show was a success but unfortunately I picked up a bad cold. Sigh. It was not a fun drive back. Although I kept myself entertained with a Harry Potter audio book, the symptoms of a cold and the rainy weather made the drive quite a trial. I regretted making the trek right after the show, arriving home about midnight and quite exhausted. But with a freelance deadline due the next day and the need to get the rental van back on time I just couldn't put off getting back.

And speaking of the lovely van, I had wanted a regular size cargo van but ended up with a 12 ft. high behemoth much larger than I needed. And finding a parking space in the middle of St. Paul was, suffice to say, a challenge. But it all worked out. In fact I have to thank my friend Mike for offering taxi service to and from the show. Next time, a small normal size van will be procured.

And what is the next show? I'll be at the Lakefront Festival of the Arts in Milwaukee on June 19-21 in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum. More on this show to come.

Friday night I made a trip into Milwaukee to see the musical "Hair" at the UWM campus with a stop in Cedarburg for a dinner with a good friend. If you're ever in the neighborhood I highly recommend the Anvil Pub & Grille at the Cedar Creek Settlement Shops. The building is a restored 19th century blacksmith shop and the food is excellent. Go in warm weather and dine outside next to Cedar Creek.

The performance of "Hair" was great. I had never seen the musical live. My reason for going in the first place was to support my goddaughter Eva, the production's most capable stage manager. It seems "Hair" is making a comeback. And why not, our country is at war and many of the sentiments brought about by the events of the late sixties are being revisited. But it's a very different time and we seem to be dealing with the current events is a very different way.

It's a very rainy weekend but it's good for the budding trees and flowers. Spring is just beginning to bloom on my street. And around here, it all happens quite fast. So tomorrow it's back to making lamps. Have a good week. m

April 14, 2009 - Wrap your brain around this

2009-04-13T20:47:00.011-05:00

This is a huge ball of stars that existed before humankind, before dinosaurs, before Earth, even before our Sun. Omega Centauri is the largest globular cluster scientists have yet discovered. It contains over 10 million stars. It is so bright southern observers can see it with the naked eye. It is 18,000 light-years away and 150 light-years in diameter. At our current ability for space travel it would take 54,000 years to get there, give or take, and another 450 years to get to the other side. And it's estimated to be 12 billion years old. Let that sink in. Can one even comprehend? We're truly just a grain of sand on an infinite beach.

This is from a site called Astronomy Picture of the Day. The images are truly spectacular and mind boggling. And they're nice big images that you can truly get lost in. So when you have a moment just sit and meditate on one of these images. Maybe it'll stretch your brain a little. And that's gotta be a good thing. m

April 11, 2009 - Another new lamp

2009-04-11T11:49:00.002-05:00

April 9, 2009 - Happy Birthday Terry!

2009-04-08T19:25:00.006-05:00

As I said, lots of birthdays this month. This is best wishes to my sister Terry in California. My sisters and I all grew up in a house full of art. We all went our separate ways but art is something that ties us all together. Terry has a particular love of quilts. So I found a web site full of beautiful contemporary quilts as a treat for her. These are quilts from Studio Art Quilts Associates. Check out the many quilting artists represented. The diversity and creativity are rather astounding.

And…birthday wishes to Kathy and Carrie. Enjoy the day. m

April 8, 2009 - Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-04-08T16:13:00.003-05:00

Best wishes to my father on his birthday. I had wanted to put a picture of him on the site but my scanner decided to break today (sigh). I don't even use it that much. I talked to my father this morning and he regaled me with tales of me as a 3-year-old playing tag with the family dog. The beginnings of an animal teasing phase that stills remains to this day. Just can't help myself. And they love it (LOL). In honor of my dad and his love of the arts I'm including photos of one of his favorite artists, Henry Moore. If you want to know where my artistic influences came from you can look to my dad. A friend and I had lunch today and talked about how early influences definitely set you on a path in life.

Lot's of birthdays this month. I also want to wish a happy birthday to Cindy. Enjoy. m

April 4, 2009 - New Lamps

2009-04-06T11:28:00.006-05:00

I've been working on lamps for the show in St. Paul, April 17-19. Here's some current lamp styles in some new papers. I thought these three made a nice grouping. I'll try to get some other new ones photographed before I leave for the show

Saturday night I went to an African restaurant to celebrate Carol's birthday with a group of friends. Not many of us were well aquainted with African food so we all experimented a bit. The food was very good, including unique spices and sauces, but I suggest you skip the Fufu if you ever see it on the menu. It's a hard lump of white yam. Very bland. No amount of sauce seemed to add enough to the flavor to make it worthwhile. An opinion echoed by several at the table.

I also got to see "Slumdog Millionaire" for the first time. Although I enjoyed the movie I'm afraid all the hype kind of ruined it for me. I had come close to working out the story line before I saw the film. I assumed he got the girl and possibly the money too. And I didn't anticipate the twist of the police being involved but once the movie got going the plot seemed a little contrived. None-the-less it was fascinating to be immersed in the culture of India. Although not a particularly positive view and laced with a lot of violence and disturbing images. For many years movies and books about India—and even China—have been limited in the mainstream media. I recently read a book called "White Tiger" which delved into the modern caste system in India. I also found the movie "Outsourced" a pleasant distraction. It's about an American businessman who is sent to India to set up a Call Center for a company that sells american kitch, usually with a patriotic theme. Definitely a clash of cultures. All of which seems to be steps toward a world becoming a more blended world, no doubt helped along by the boundless internet.

Which brings up a question that has come up fairly often in my mind: Do you think there will be a time when there are no boundaries between countries and we live under one government? Even if this is only answered in the realm of science fiction, it seems inevitable to me. Be it hundreds or thousands of years from now. And of course it brings up many disturbing thoughts of the many wars and conflicts that may be inevitable to reach this end (or new beginning). Just a thought to contemplate. Take care. m

April 1, 2009 - Blagojevich: The Musical

2009-04-01T19:37:00.008-05:00

First I want to wish a very happy birthday to 2-year-old Mia Kramer. I think Mia is going to be a star someday. She's already fashion conscious with an attitude. But no less cute. And she's got an auspicious date for her birthday.

Last Sunday on me birthday, 4 of us took a quick trip to Chi-town to see "Rod Blagojevich Superstar," an irreverent musical about Blago's life and times performed by a Second City comedy troupe. The day started with a lovely spring snow but luckily it didn't hinder us from making the trip. Our first stop was the Grand Lux Cafe with an amazing view down Michigan Avenue, and we got a window seat. The place is huge along with the menu, and the portions. Perhaps a little too big but tasty. And on top of a huge meal we got some freshly made Beignets, basically a square of dough deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar. If you're ever in New Orleans they are known for the best. Let's just say we were stuffed to the gills.

Then we were off to The Chicago Shakespeare Theater on the Navy Pier. We got there early and wandered through the Stained Glass Museum before heading to the show. The play was in a very cozy theater with a total of five performers on a postage stamp stage and one prop, a stool. But it was great fun. I guess the script is updated as the real-life saga continues. We learned some new tid-bits about Blago's brother, his $100,000 book deal and Roland Burris's son. The music followed closely on the strains of, you guessed it, "Jesus Christ Superstar." It was well worth the trip.

Oh, and the cookies pictured below were a souvenir we just couldn't resist. From what I'm told the taste didn't own up to their uniqueness. Happy April Fools. (It was a boring day for me. Hope yours was a little more fun.) m.

As an added bonus, check out how they make "Peeps" on the Chicago Tribune site.

March 27, 2009 - Happy Birthday Chase!

2009-03-26T08:46:00.006-05:00

My grand nephew Chase is now 3 years old. My niece mentioned having had to put him to bed 5 times last night so he's hanging onto the terrible two's status as long as he can. What are the three's known for? Thunderous Three's? Thrifty Three's? Thoughtful Three's? I'm sure I'll find out. Anyway, here's his latest pic from his mom.

It's been a boring week. Not that I haven't had things to do. Nothing has much inspired me this week. I tried to make a new lamp design yesterday but it just didn't fly. Have to start again. I always learn something in the process so it's not without benefit. It's been very cool and rainy for a few days but the sun may visit us today. Not any warmer though. And a mix or rain and snow is predicted for next week. Well we had a short break at least. All in all I can't complain. It's a typical spring in Wisconsin.

My friend Katie send me a bunch of cool photos yesterday. Here's a sampling:

March 21, 2009 - A disturbing movie

2009-03-21T11:16:00.004-05:00

I loved Ellen Page's performance in the movie "Juno." So I did a quick search on Netflix to see what other movies she's done. She's very young so I didn't expect a lot of choices. I ran across "Hard Candy." Looked interesting. Liked the actors. Put it in the queue.

I started watching and was immediately uncomfortable. Basically it starts with a close-up of on-line texting, setting up a date. You quickly learn that the "date" is between a 14 year-old girl and an older man. She seems incredibly innocent and gullible. He's handsome, charming, and reeling her in. And so you cringe knowing this can't end well. And it gets worse. She gets in his car and goes home with him. At this point I'm ready to call it quits but I stick around a bit more and the movie takes a sudden 180 degree turn. And even saying that may give something away. That's the problem with writing about this movie. It's too easy to give something away. But there's more than one twist and if you stick it out you'll probably find it hard to stop watching even though it's definitely disturbing, gut wrenching, provocative, and controversial. In this day of on-line preditors this will definitely get a discussion going about who's the real victim.

This is a movie that you will love or hate but it can't help but make you think. Watch at your own risk. And Ellen Page is excellent.

March 16, 2009 - Springtime in Madison

2009-03-12T11:06:00.010-05:00

Here in Wisconsin we're in that very unpredictable time between winter and spring. But finally, this past weekend we had a big dose of warmth and sun. And everyone was outside. Even though it wasn't much above 50 it felt almost hot. I believe our internal temperature tolerance gradually goes down as the winter progresses and when a day in the 50s and 60s comes along it's time for shorts and sandals. The windows go up, bikes come out, the gardeners are in a premature frenzy, the kids are yelling and playing in the yards. And neighbors actually stop and talk to each other. Everyone is coming out of their caves. Everyone is optimistic and making plans.

Of course this can all come crashing down with a spring snow or ice storm. But you just have to take them in stride and live in the spirit that the days are getting longer and the warm days are more frequent than not. It's inevitable. Spring is truly coming. Ahhhh. There's just nothing like it. Especially for those of us who have a severe winter. I think we actually enjoy spring more because of what we have dealt with.

Now once you get out there and wander around you realize that this is not an attractive time of the year. Not yet. Isolated snow piles dot the landscape like small beached whales. They just don't belong anymore. When will they melt for God's sake! And underneath that snow is revealed a kind of time capsule of "stuff" that last appeared on the day of the fist snow storm—a flattened pair of gardening gloves, the hose you never got around to storing for the winter, an odd toy or bike that the kids just never got around to picking up, and flattened dead flora and fauna. All compressed as if having been under a stack of heavy books. There's a kind a scum on everything. It is not pretty. This you must ignore or there is danger you will succumb to melancholy. It's best to wander about with your head held high facing the sun, sucking in that vitamin D. It will all change soon enough. One must be patient. (But of course we are not patient. We can't wait.)

And what's coming for my birthday you ask?

"a must see"

"the laughs unspool like wavy stands of thick, dark hair traveling through the infamousBlogojevich hairbrush"

"just the anti-Blogo catharsis you need"

What can it be? Why it's "Rod Blogojevich Superstar." Second City's ripped-from-the-headlines, rushed-to-the-stage parody on guess who. I'll be heading down to Chi-town with friends for a rip roaring hilarious experience. What a great way to get out of a winter rut and ignore the aging process but to laugh out loud and enjoy good friends. I can't wait.

And on the more well lit side of my life, I'm making lots of lamps for the American Craft Council show in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 17-19. I don't look forward to the grueling set-up and take down but it's always nice to experience a new show, meet new artists, and hopefully sell a few lamps. Not to mention spend some time with friends whom I don't see often enough. If you're in the area please stop in and say hello. And open up those pocketbooks. You've got to reward yourself for surviving the winter at the very least.

Hang in there. Spring is on it's way and happier times are ahead. Trust me. m

March 4, 2009 - Happy Birthday

2009-03-04T18:05:00.004-06:00

This is my mom. She turned 79 today. I believe this is her graduation photo from Union City, Ohio. Union City's an unusual town because half of is in Indiana and half in Ohio. Which makes it really strange when Indiana doesn't change to daylight savings time and Ohio does. Or something like that. My mom grew up on a farm on the Ohio side. I have many good memories of that farm—chasing the little baby pigs around the barn, walking over to the "park" that my grandpa kept for church group picnics and family reunions, crossing the rickety bridge on the way, the swans chasing us in a rowboat on the small pond.

Mom was born in 1930 during the Great Depression. Makes you wonder how things compare to today. I just talked to her in Florida. She's doing fine. She said she doesn't feel like she's that old and doesn't recognize herself when she looks in the mirror. "I look old!" Mom's definitely a survivor. She's been through a lot in her life but she keeps going. I wish her the very best on this special day. m

March 1, 2009 - Pretty Pictures

2009-02-28T10:14:00.005-06:00

Beautiful images from Clark Little Photography. Clark, 39, swims the seas and waits on the shore for the perfect shot. Sometimes risking his life. Many are shot on Waimea Bay in his home state of Hawaii. He loves the ocean. Can you tell? m

February 23, 2009 - Fine Jewelry News

2009-02-23T14:19:00.005-06:00

Fine Jewelry News is a web site dedicated to fine jewelry, including in-depth style and trend features, profiles of well-known and up-and-coming designers, and information on how to make the right decisions in purchasing jewelry. One of the many features of the site is a bi-monthly subscription newsletter. I've been designing the newsletter for the last year and am very proud of the project. Jodi Goldberg is the creator and manager of the site and continues to find new ways to celebrate fine jewelry in all of it's imaginative forms.

I have to admit I've never been much of a jewelry enthusiast. But now I'm starting to take notice. The creativity, the variety, and the craftsmanship have caught my attention and I truly enjoy seeing what's coming in the next issue. If you have any interest in jewelry of any sort it will be worth checking out the web site.

So I invite you to visit the site, download a free issue, and browse the many features Jodi offers to jewelry enthusiasts. And it's my pleasure to support a good friend as well as show you all what kind of work I get to do. This month Brazilian jewelry is featured, one of the hot trends that sparkle on celebrity red carpets. The photo above is just one of the designers featured in the upcoming March/April issue of the newsletter. The piece is a catteya orchid pendant featuring a pear-shaped kunzite stone by Paula Crevoshay. Just one of many spectacular pieces featured in the issue. Enjoy. m

February 18, 2009 - What's going to happen now?

2009-02-19T12:54:00.009-06:00

Everyday I listen to the news. I was always told that you shouldn't listen to the news because it's so substantially negative that it can't help but effect your life. In other words it's a "downer." So for the last month or so I hear nothing but how the economy is tanking. Many many of us have never experienced this much negative news and get daily even hourly reports of how it's all going down the tubes. Well. What's going through your mind? Just how bad is it? What's going to happen next? Should we panic? Should we remain positive? What can we do?

And yet, we live our lives the way we always have. At least some of us. You hear about how many people have lost their jobs, their homes. My friends have been hit with lay offs but they're okay. Things seem to work out. But when is someone you know really going to start hurting. When am I really going to be up against the wall. No doubt you already know someone or are someone. I'm on the edge watching so far. But I am on the edge.

At my lowest times I have this thought that what we're hearing is a day to day commentary on the demise of the US as we know it, your know, as it happens but without really knowing exactly where it's really going. That sounds obvious, but I guess what I'm trying to say is this. Say you're on a plane full of people and everything seems normal. Then you hit some turbulence and everyone reacts mildly and brushes it off. Then the speed picks up, the plane dives a bit and you all kind of look at each other, raise an eyebrow. Then a really big bump. It knocks you off your seat. Then you're swerving around, diving and climbing. People try to make light of it but something's wrong. Some are losing it, and some are trying to comfort them. Some sit quietly and worry. Some try to take action. But all you can do is react to what is happening immediately because you have no idea where this is going to end. You can think the worst. Or you can go with the flow. Or with me, it's a little bit of both.

I feel very lucky right now but that could fly out the window pretty quickly. Yes, I have a home, a very nice home. I have enough for groceries and incidentals. I don't really think about buying a treat, a special meal, a bottle of wine. But. But. But. How long will it be okay?

In my worst moments I imagine losing my home. What would that be like? Would I handle it well or fall apart? Would my friends and family be there for me, give me a room, a handout. But they're going through the same thing. At least we're all going through it together. I guess.

I had coffee with 4 friends this morning. Four of us are freelancing and one had been laid off a few months ago and is now thinking of what to do next. Perhaps freelancing. But everyone is very slow. One said "The slowest ever." They wanted to put a positive face on it but couldn't help admit that things weren't good. One's big project is ending and she's not sure what's next. One's main client has promised a job that was postponed earlier in the year but has been told it will continue soon. But when? We're pleasantly negative. And I feel like we're in the little bump stage but the bumps keep coming. Where will we be a year from now? It's all just building and building. How big are the bumps going to get?

And that's all I really have to say. I just wanted to put words to this vague, weird, up and down feeling the I'm going through. Ultimately we're in it for the long ride. We can't get off the plane. What will be will be. We have to deal with it the best we can. Let's hope we can handle it with a little grace and not go flying off into the darkness of panic and fear.

And so I tell myself "it will all be fine." Really. No matter what. Hang in there because really, we are all in it together. And that's the way it's supposed to be. m

February 14, 2009 - Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T14:23:00.005-06:00

Well, I don't have a special valentine but it's all about love and love comes in many forms. So I send my love to all my friends and family. I hope love can take a little more hold on the world from now on. It might save us all from a lot of grief. "All you need is Love."

I'm painting my living room. Or I should say I'm continuing to paint my living room. It's a slow process. I have one more color to pick. It's hard to believe I've been here for ten years and haven't painted this room yet. After ten years I guess I've come to know what I want. It's looking good. Lots of color. And with a new arrangement of all my old furniture it looks really fresh. A great way to reinvigorate your surroundings.

By the way, for all those trying to find the perfect gift, there was a recent study about what makes people happy. And it turns out that experiences can make you happier than possessions. Probably not a huge surprise. In a new study it turns out that experiences lead to more happiness in others than purchases did. A sense of relatedness to others—getting closer to friends and family—may be one of the reasons why experiences generate more happiness. People feel a greater sense of vitality and "being alive" during the experience and in reflection. Nothing like a great memory. But the good news is, for those of you giving a great gift today, is that gift giving is an experience. But do it someplace really special. Want more on the subject, go to CNN for a report on the new study. Have a great day everyone. m

February 8, 2009 - Writing in Thread

2009-02-08T20:49:00.003-06:00

For those of you in the Madison area there's a wonderful exhibit at the Chazen Museum on the University of Wisconsin campus called "Writing in Thread: Traditional Textiles of Southwest Chinese Minorities." This is a rare collection of indigenous clothing in societies without written languages. Instead traditions and customs are orally passed from generation to generation. But the textiles, typically made by women, are a visual representation of their history, myths, and legends. Incredibly detailed silver ornamentation, made by men, complement the textiles. Together they visually represent oral traditions, record and transmit ideas and concepts that are important for the preservation and reconstruction of the identities of their makers and users.

I visited the exhibit today on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon. Suffice to say the exhibit is exceptional with over 500 pieces in 3 galleries. Madison is only one of three US museums that will show the exhibit. The exhibit runs through April 12 and then moves to Santa Fe, then on to Taiwan. Hope you get a chance to see it. m

February 6, 2009 - Snow Track Paranoia

2009-02-05T17:20:00.004-06:00

Well I don't think we're going to get the 150 inches of snow that was predicted in the Farmer's Almanac. Thank God. In fact January has been very quiet but very very cold. I'm getting pretty tired of the single digit temps. But this weekend it's supposed to be 40 degrees! And maybe thunderstorms on Monday. I would love to see some of this snow and ice go away, please.

I was thinking about snow tracks recently. When there's no snow you don't have any evidence that someone was tracking through your yard, or perhaps, came for a late night visit to your door. But that all changes when there's snow. And sometimes it can be a bit of a mystery.

One year we were having trouble in my neighborhood with someone getting into our unlocked cars, rummaging around and stealing valubles. I got used to not locking my car because there just wasn't any crime in our neighborhood to worry about. One morning I noticed things were definitely scattered and loose change was missing in my car. Kind of a shock. I gave a police report and starting locking my car. I had forgotten about the incident when one morning we had a new light snow on the ground and I noticed footprints coming to my car door then leaving up the driveway. Someone was checking my car door. A little more investigation showed that this person was going down the street and checking everyone's car as the went along. Luckily I had locked my car.

This winter in early December I was going about my business late one evening when I happened to look out my back door. The door is glass and I have a clear view of the small porch at the top of the outdoor staircase you must climb to get to the door. There was a pair of footsteps of someone who had obviously come to the back door. I found this a little creepy because 1) I rarely have visitors come to the back door. In fact my neighbor is the only one I could think of who might come to that door; 2) It was late, about 10:30 when I noticed and since the snow had started late in the evening the visitor must have come fairly recently as the tracks were very clear. Having a visitor that late at the back door was almost unheard of. Hence a bit of a shiver went down my spine. And I never found out who had visited, friend or foe.

One day I was sitting on my couch in the living room. I have a great view out my front windows to the sidewalk which is only 10 feet or so in front of my house. I live near a high school and it quite common for me to see young students coming and going to school. One afternoon a young man stopped in front of my house and was looking intently down my driveway. You could see his mind churning but I had no clue what he was thinking or looking at. I soon found out thanks to a recent new snow. A track of footprints went diagonally across my back yard, from the rear of my driveway, across my backyard and through my neighbors yard. The young fellow was looking for a short cut through the block. The silly thing is, he really isn't saving more than seconds as I'm pretty close to the end of the block and taking the sidewalk isn't going to add much time to the journey. But leave it to the young to cut a corner whenever they can. Do I sound like an old fogey? I have to admit I don't like people cutting through my yard.

But there is more. I also noticed tracks in my yard that had no real ryhme or reason. The tracks came in from a back corner of the yard, moved diagonally across, then made a spiraling curve turning back making a small loop. Then seemed to follow the same tracks back to where they came from. So what exactly were they doing? Did they just feel like making tracks in the pristine snow? Were they walking a dog? Animal tracks are pretty common, especially rabbits. I never thought of these tracks as ominous. It looked more like a kid who was having fun. I never have untouched snow in the front yard. It seems the kids in the neighborhood can't stand to see untouched snow and immediately trample the whole yard. SO it still makes you think, who was it and what were they doing.

Most of the tracks are mysteries that in any other season I would never have known about. So next time you have a new snow pay attention to the tracks. They might get you wondering. Bye for now. m

January 30, 2009 - Check These Out

2009-01-29T21:05:00.005-06:00

Here's a few web sites to check out just for fun.

The first is a photographer who took a panoramic photo of the Obama Inauguration. You can zoom into any part of the photo and see crystal clear images of everyone there. It's truly amazing. He includes instructions, but if you put your cursor in the navigation circle in the top left corner and hold your mouse button down, you can move around the photo with your mouse. You really move so go slow. It's easy to get lost. Find it at David Bergman's web site.

The next is a good interview with Daniel Radcliffe of "Harry Potter" fame on "The Daily Beast." He is ending his run in the play "Equus" and soon to start filming the next chapter in the magical Hogwarts series. He talks about Broadway, Americanisms, and how he'd love to give a tour of the Hogwart's set to Sasha and Malia Obama. And there are several video clips to enjoy too. I like this guy.

Next, watch a beautifully animated video on the history of the internet. Check it out at on "You Tube."

And finally, a 3-minute video created by EggMan consisting of images from 500 years of female portraits in western art. See it at Saatchi-Gallery.com.

Cheers. m

January 25, 2009 - An Election That Went Wrong

2009-01-25T19:29:00.006-06:00

No, not the most recent one. But since that one is still somewhat fresh in your mind maybe it's worth watching a movie about an election that went very wrong. "Recount" is an HBO movie about the infamous election of 2000, when George Bush won and Al Gore lost. At least that's the way it ended up. I never knew the whole story.

I was unaware that a movie had been made about the voting fiasco down in Florida until I saw Laura Dern win a Golden Globe for playing the infamous Katherine Harris, a woman at the center of the debacle. So last week I rented it and found it fascinating. It turns out the events were extremely well documented so it's a very accurate representation of what happened. I did know that there was a showdown between the Democrats and the Republicans with some of the smartest lawyers in the country. Basically a showdown in the sunshine state. The games that were played are rather astounding. And again, one has to wonder if circumstances had been slightly different, who would have ended up being president and where would we be today. At the same time it's also a set-up for how Barack Obama ended up being our president today. Yes, the Republicans got their boy in but I'm wondering if there's a few out there that regret it. Check out the movie, watch all the extras and listen to the commentary. It's all worth it.

Otherwise the winter goes on. We had another shot of super cold weather this weekend but the sun has consistently come out and no snow. This weekend I started painting my living room after 10 years of living here. I painted the largest wall a deep red and am now considering colors for the other walls. I also rearranged the furniture so everything looks fresh. It's been great way to add some excitement to a long cold January. And just in time because next weekend I'm having a potluck with some of my best friends. I hope to get a big pot of Chili going with some Jalepeno cornbread. Have a great week everybody. m

January 20, 2009 - Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T08:08:00.007-06:00

On a very cold January morning I'm sitting at home watching history happen. The only thing that would make it more special would be to have special friends and family sitting beside me. I take it back, it would be more special to be with friends and family in Washington D. C. But tonight I'm going to a small party to celebrate and I look forward to it. I have an immense feeling of optimism about our country, a feeling the like of which I don't know that I've ever felt.

As the day goes on I'll add to this post and create a short diary of the days events. For now it's 8:15 Central time and I'm watching shots of the immense crowds that are slowly filling every nook and cranny of the Washington Mall. What's special is when you can see the happy faces of families, friends, students, every color, every age and profession. This is what America is and I hope this feeling of unity sticks around for awhile. But that's up to us.

2:27 pm CST: And so we have a new president. God Bless America. I remember when Bush was elected I couldn't watch the coverage of either of his inaugurations. I simply had no interest. I know there are people who will feel the same way about Obama but I think most people in this country have very positive expectations of this president. With this inauguration I want to see it all, I want to know what's going through the new president's mind, is he enjoying this or is the weight of the government and all it's problems weighing heavy on his shoulders. I also never looked on a first lady with such optimism. Seeing them together makes me feel even better, knowing he has her support, and the support of his whole family, makes me feel happy. As far as the ceremony goes, his speech was a bit subdued. Expectations were very very high and I'm not sure he met them but it was strong none the less. I loved the poem by Elizabeth Alexander and the benediction by Reverend Lowery. The parades have begun. I have to admit I find parades boring so it's a good time to get some work done. But I'll keep the TV on. m

9:40 pm CST: What a wonderful day. I just got home from an evening with friends and we watched the inauguration together, most of them had not seen any of the coverage all day. We raised a glass as he finished the oath and toasted to a new generation of hope. I really listened to his speech this time and I was impressed. I'm amazed how the press started chipping away at it and convincing me that it wasn't the speech he had the capability of giving. But it was an excellent speech. I think the expectations are so high. The press want to get the one big line from the speech that will cement it's place in history. But I think this is a new kind of president, one who isn't looking to say the perfect thing and do it like it's been done before. I'm so glad I got to watch and participate in this historic day. Tears came to my eyes many times watching the reactions in the crowd and listening to the inspiring words. So let's keep this optimism going. Do what you can to make this country shine again and be a true leader in the world. Best to you all. m

January 15, 2009 - A Very Cold Night in January

2009-01-15T19:39:00.006-06:00

The temp is a mere minus 7 degrees. Soon to be minus 21. Out my window a great billowing steam cloud rises from the UW power plant. It's really cold folks. So I decided to explore the web for cold subjects. Here's what came across my google eyes.

Did you know there's a phenomenon of hypothermia called Paradoxical Undressing? It seems 20-50 percent of hypothermal deaths are due to this phenom. This typically occurs during moderate to severe hypothermia, as the victim becomes disoriented, confused, and combative. The victim may begin discarding clothing which, well you guessed it, makes them colder even faster. Unfortunately this can lead police into believing that the person has been the subject of a sexual assault rather than a victim of hypothermia.

Two men waiting at the Pearly Gates strike up a conversation.

"How'd you die?"

"I froze to death."

"That's awful. What's it like to freeze to death?"

"It's rather uncomfortable. At least at the beginning. You get the shakes and you get pains in all your fingers and toes. But eventually it's a very calm way to go. You get numb and you kind of drift off, as if you're sleeping. How about you? How'd you die?"

"I had a heart attack. You see, I knew my wife was cheating on me, so one day I showed up at home unexpectedly. I ran up to the bedroom and found her alone knitting. I ran down to the basement but no one was there. I ran up to the second floor and searched every room but no one was hiding there either. So I ran up to the attic as fast as I could. When I got to the top of the stairs I had a massive heart attack."

"That's so ironic"

"What do you mean?"

"If you'd only stopped to look in the freezer we'd both still be alive."

And a final note: The Ulysses solar probe, after 17 years of studying the sun and solar system, is about to die by freezing to death. The original mission was meant to last only 5 years. Farewell Ulysses. You did good. In fact you traveled over 6 billion miles circling the sun three times, and circling Jupiter.

So stay warm out there, at least those of you living in the frigid zones. Those of you in warm climates, well don't gloat. You know we are the stronger ones. It doesn't take anything to live in a warm namby pamby climate. m

January 6, 2009 - Winter Comfort Foods

2009-01-06T12:09:00.010-06:00

I love a good stew, soup, or chili in the depths of winter. And I make a big batch to freeze and get me through the long cold months. I was watching the CBS Morning Show and they had a segment on Ultimate Winter Comfort Foods by Sheila Lukins, writer of one of my favorite cookbooks the "Silver Palate." The link has recipes from her new book "Ten: All the Foods We Love and 10 Perfect Recipes for Each." You can get recipes for Chickpea Stew, Minty Lamb Kabobs, Chicken Tangine with Eggplant Tomatoes and Onions, and Red Carrot Ginger Soup at the link above.

I just made this Spicy Black Bean Soup from the Oprah's web site (pictured above). I added more spices I had on hand and it came out great. Try adding some chili powder, cumin, and some powdered chipotle pepper (I use Chipotle Ground Red from Penzeys Spices), and a touch of cinammon. Another great one I got from a friend is Curried Sweet Potato Soup from Epicurious. Check out the reviews for some additional spice suggestions. My friend added some sauteed garlic and onion in some olive oil, more broth, one teaspoon of curry, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, ginger and tumeric. And feel free to use canned vege broth. Very good. There's a Curried Pumpkin Soup on Epicuious too but it looks a little more complicated. I haven't tried it yet but I love pumpkin.

The same friend also gave me a recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Rosemary and Garlic Lasagna. I haven't tried this yet but she loved it. I'll let you know my review and the recipe when I make it this week.

I'm also looking for the ultimate squash and apple soup recipe if you have any suggestions. When I was in Chicago we had the most wonderful soup at a Atwood Cafe and we vowed to find something similar. The first spoonful was as good as the last, not to mention some incredible croutons on top. Keep warm inside and out. m

January 1, 2009 - The State of My Technology

2009-01-01T10:38:00.008-06:00

So, it's New Year's Day. I did not do much celebrating last night due to a really womp'n sore throat and general feeling of rottenness. I think I'm over the hump but you never know. The way my colds go is that I get the sore throat first but no congestion, then the congestion, then we go into the coughing stage, then the throat tickle stage which is absolutely the worst stage because you'll be sitting talking to someone and get this horrible tickle and you know if you give in to the coughing you may never come out of it. So you resist and tears start streaming down your face and you wonder if the world will end. Meanwhile the person across from you is confused.

And this is really a long post because it's just that important.

So it is time for life assessment. This is where you evaluate your life from the bottom up. So, let's begin with the "State of Remotes." This is the one where you gather all the remotes in your home and remind yourself as to why you have them and what they belong to. Please use the picture above as reference. We'll be going from left to right.

1) The big Hitachi remote is for my 32" TV that I bought in 1992. It works great but weighs a ton and to move it is a very big deal. The remote no longer works. It just sits and gathers dust.

2) This is the VCR remote. It's kind of like an 8 track player at this point but you know you still have a lot of VCR tapes in that back closet that you may or may not ever play again. Mostly it gathers dust too.

3) Now things get interesting. The third remote is for this kick-ass surround sound system I bought around 2005 from the "Refurb Depot." It was also a multi disk DVD player and CD stereo. Wow! I'm set. It had these fancy skinny tall speakers that you put around the room along with a womp'n big woofer thingy. About this time the remote for my TV stopped working but lo and behold the remote for the new DVD/CD/RWR/WR/CC/SR unit worked with my old TV. Now I'm down to one remote except for those rare occasions when I watch the VCR.

4) This is the DVD remote for the other DVD player I had in my basement studio. But what happened is that the kick-ass DVD/CD blah blah blah died one day so I had to move the DVD in the basement upstairs to the main viewing area. Meanwhile I had to move all the speakers and woofers and tweeters to the 2nd bedroom which doubles as a graveyard for dead technology, books I'll never read or am too embarrassed to put in a public space, and gifts I'll never use or think I may re-gift some day. There's a bed in there too for guests. So now I'm back to really two main remotes—3 and 4. Yes I'm still using the kick-ass blah blah blah remote even though there's nothing left of what it came with.

5) Enter the latest technology, HDTV. So the world has decided to turn the world upside down and require everyone to evolve to HDTV. Here's the thing. Even though I would love to buy a brand spank'n new flat screen 32" Samsung 1080 resolution TV (yes, 32" is totally appropriate for my viewing room size) I have a TV, actually two TVs, that work just fine. I don't have cable because I did once and just never really found much to watch but just kept flipping channels whenever commercials came on so I never saw a show in it's entirety. My solution: Netflix. So this last remote is for the HDTV conversion box that I set up yesterday. The good news is that the reception is great! And with my old rabbit ears antennae. By the way, I have no idea how I got it all to work because I did not follow their directions I just went by my gut instincts. Here's what they don't tell you. Yes, you get more channels but every channel is either letterbox, full screen, or something really small that brings the picture down by 1/3. In other words there's a big thick black border around the entire picture. I'm guessing this will all change on Feb 19 but for now it's a little disconcerting. You can change the display to fill the screen but it's confusing in a way that I really don't feel like explaining right now. And you can be watching the same channel and some shows will be in letterbox, others will be that small screen version so it's very confusing. And it's pretty silly to be watching a show that only fills 2/3rds of your screen so why have a big TV but then that's why you should buy a flat screen TV. See how they manipulate you into buying things.

Yes, I do have even more remotes but look how much I've written already and it's not like anyone's going to read this whole thing anyway. So on to our next assessment: why do I have a closet full of cloths but only wear one pair of jeans and two shirts. And you're wrong if you think I actually make any decisions based on these assessments. It's just what I do for the first couple days of a new year. It will not last. Have a great day.

December 31, 2008 - In Memorium

2008-12-31T20:08:00.003-06:00

In the early 70's I was in high school. A young couple came to our church and took on the task of leading our youth group. They were committed, open minded, creative, and fun. Just what we needed. As it happened 4 of us became quite close to them. One summer we met at their home in the evening once a week and talked about everything and anything. And they listened like no one else had. All this while raising 3 kids of their own. In fact Cheri was born during our time with them. Over the next 10 years of so we remained close friends and enjoyed reunions with them whenever the opportunity came. They were truly a big brother and sister, family.

Phil Rieman (64) and Louise Baldwin Rieman (63) went on to become pastors in the Church of the Brethren, not to mention mission workers in the Sudan from 1992-1996, pastors at churches in Iowa and Indiana, and peace witnesses and war tax resisters for decades. They gave 60 percent of their taxes to civil rights and peace programs, despite internal Revenue Service threats of liens against bank accounts, wage garnishments, and seizure of the family van. In an article in the New York Times on the subject, Phil was quoted saying "We will look back on war someday like we did on slavery."

Phil and Louie were most recently pastors at the Northview Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis. They were killed on December 26th in a car accident on a highway north of Indianapolis on their way to a family gathering. They are survived by their 3 children.

We did not see much of each other over way too many years but I still heard word of them and their kids and I still considered them very close friends. They will always have a very special place in my heart. A funeral service is available for viewing on the Northview Church of the Brethren web site.

And those 3 friends who grew up with me on those summer nights are some of my dearest friends. We don't get together often but they live in my heart and it has been a joy to connect with them during this sad time. Happy New Year everyone! Live life to it's fullest.

December 30, 2008 - Joy and sadness

2008-12-28T20:35:00.008-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I spent the last week with some of my family amidst much turbulent weather—ice, snow, fog, rain, cold and winds. But all in all we stayed safe and happy, ate too much, and enjoyed each other's company. Another Christmas past.

Madison is breaking records with snow fall this December. We're not jumping for joy but at least we've had less ice and a lot of the snow has melted. But there's much more on the way and we're all bracing for a long winter. I'll keep you posted.

Over the past years movie watching has been a big part of the Christmas holiday for me and family. Lots of leisure time means lots of time to enjoy movies. I have no idea how many movies we watched but here's a few. First there was "Wanted". A totally bizarre fantasy about a group of assassins with extraordinary and totally unbelievable skill sets. It didn't do much for me. We also saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and I liked it a lot. I had seen a review that didn't recommend it so I was hesitant. But it was a really nice story about love, growing old and growing young. It's very long but it held my attention and it kept me guessing as to where it was all going. And my sister finally talked me into watching "Mama Mia." Although I resisted you can't help but get into it if only for the catchy songs. There were more including marathons of "A Christmas Story" which has been a part of our family Christmas for many years.

The hit of the holiday was experiencing the Wii game machine. My brother-in-law got one for father's day and my niece got her husband one for Christmas. I was curious having seen all the buzz about it over the last year. And it is fun. We played tennis, golf, archery, figure skating, volleyball, snowboarding, go-cart racing, bowling, billiards, and the silliest of all, cow racing. I have to say it was as entertaining to watch as it was to play. I get it now. It's great entertainment for small and large groups as well as on your own. Worth the price? I'm still deciding. And as far as the exercise benefits go, you do get a great work out for one of your arms. But be careful. I came home with a sore wrist from all the twisting and erratic movements. It does get you off the couch and laughing at the very least but it's hardly a substitute for the real thing.

And now the sadness. I came home to an email from a long time friend. It said that two friends of ours were killed in a car accident on their way to a family Christmas in Indiana, not far from where I was. I'll leave the details for my next post but it was a shock and terribly sad. So with joy comes sadness. And that's life.

December 13, 2008 - Tales of Chi-town

2008-12-13T20:13:00.010-06:00

Spent a bit of time in Chicago recently. Some friends and I decided it would be great to see a live taping of one of our favorite radio shows on NPR—Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what's real news and what's made up. It's a great show and very funny. The show is taped in the Chicago Chase Auditorium right next to Daly Plaza in the Loop. We had a blast. It takes about two hours to tape the show. There are 3 celebrity panelists, an MC, Peter Sagal, and Carl Kasell, a legendary newscaster who's been doing NPR's Morning Edition since 1979, and you've never heard him like this. In fact the main prize for the call-in contestants is Carl recording a greeting for your home answering machine. Every week they have a celebrity guest who plays a game called "It's not my job", a series of questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the guest's background, just to make it interesting. In the past they've had Tom Hanks, Tom Brokaw, and Michael Hayden, Director of the CIA. Sometimes the guests are on the phone but we were lucky to have a live appearance by Denise Leary, a very irreverent comedian who is currently starring in the FX channel's Rescue Me. Check out Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on the weekends if you ever get the chance. And even better get to a live taping. I haven't laughed that much in a very long time. Below is my mug in front of the stage before the taping courtesy of Kristin. She also took a photo during the show, and after they warned us not to take any flash pictures her flash accidently went off. No one was more shocked than Kristin. Ed and I would have denied knowing her at that point if it meant missing the rest of the show. We also saw Jersey Boys, a musical about the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, had some great food and went to the One-of-a-Kind Show at the Merchandise Mart, one of the best art fairs in the Midwest.

The shot above is out our hotel window and shows the progress of the newest skyscraper, The Trump Tower. Below is the Famous "Bean" sculpture in Millennium Park. The last time I was in Chicago, almost 3 years ago, they had it covered up for repairs. I guess they also had to add some texture to the top of it as it was blasting intense sunlight into quite a few office buildings.

And one more little tidbit leftover from Thanksgiving. I made a few deserts for the big dinner—a Pumpkin/Orange Bread Pudding, a Maple Pecan Pie, and a Pear Cranberry and Pecan Pie. All on my stove top ready to go. The bread pudding was supposed to have a rich whip cream topping with white pepper but I'll save that for another time.

November 26, 2008 - Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T16:44:00.003-06:00

This is to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. My life is full and content and all of you have made it so. It's a tough year for many. I feel truly blessed that I have so much and hope to give much back over the next year. I'll be spending the day with a great group of friends and I'm sure the food will be amazing.

We had our first snow of the season this week. So I went outside and took a few pics near my house. Tonight I'm making a few pies and of course one of them has to be pumpkin. I like to try something new every year so I found a recipe for a pumpkin/orange bread pudding and a great pie that combines pears, cranberries and pecans. I'd better get to work.

For each new morning with its light.

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralf Waldo Emerson

November 20, 2008 - I'm bad.

2008-11-19T19:39:00.006-06:00

I'm bad for not blogging for the last two months. Sometimes you just run dry. And nobody reads this anyway. Especially when I don't put anything new in here. So I'm back. Next week is Thanksgiving. The best thing about a holiday like this is sleeping late and really not feeling compelled to do anything. Working at home the temptation to do work is pretty powerful. You're in the office so why not get something done. But on holidays…nothin. Don't want to lift a finger.

So I start the day with a big leisurely breakfast. It's just one of my favorite comforts. So I'm going to share. Here's one of my favorite recipes:

Corn Meal Pancakes

Put one cup of white or yellow cornmeal in a bowl and add

1 teaspoon of salt

1 to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup

Stir in 1 cup of boiling water, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl beat

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons of melted butter

Add these to the cornmeal along with

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and

2 tablespoons of double-acting baking powder.

Give a few good strokes and fry em up on a cast iron skillet.

Cover with hot maple syrup.

A few sausage links on the side make it great. And coffee.

And lay around in your robe and stocking feet near a sunny window.

Enjoy. m

October 4, 2008 - Recycled Beauty

2008-10-03T20:13:00.002-05:00

I think this is a beautiful chandelier and an amazing piece of art. This piece was created by Stuart Haygarth in 2004. The original Tide Chandelier is part of a larger body of work based on the collection of 'man made' debris washed up on a specific stretch of Kent coastline. The sphere is an analogy for the moon which effects the tides which in turn wash up the debris. More amazing and creative lighting to come. m

Sept 17, 2008 - Island Getaway

2008-09-17T19:38:00.004-05:00

These are some of the unique plant life found on a very secluded island off the coast of Africa called Socotra. It's an almost alien world that has been geographically isolated from the mainland for 6 or 7 million years. Like the Galapagos Islands, this island has 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, one third of which are found nowhere else on earth.

The Island has been declared a World Heritage Site and has around 40,000 inhabitants. If you're looking for a little getaway the island is geared toward eco-tourism—trekking, camel riding, cave exploration, snorkeling, and diving on shipwrecks—no beachfront hotels and restaurants. But it could be a place you'll never forget. What is unfortunate is that Socotra is located off the coast of Yemen, one of the hot spots for violence in our world as evidenced by the attempted bombing of the US Embassy just yesterday.

Sept 14, 2008 - Open Art Studios

2008-09-14T09:03:00.004-05:00

Time goes by too fast. There are times when I seem to have lots to tell you about and then it slips away and suddenly a whole month has gone by. August was great, slow and a bit lazy. The weather was amazing too. Mild and comfortable, a rare thing in my memory. You just need some time to be lazy every once in awhile. September is definitely accelerating my days. I'm working on a few freelance projects and I have a good stream of lamp orders to get done, including some custom work which isn't that common for me. I'll show you the results when they're done.

I wanted to take some time to promote the Open Art Studios tour here in the Madison area. It's coming up on the weekend of Oct 4-5. Around 150 artists open up their studios to the public for one weekend only. For a lot of these artists it's the only time during the year when you can actually see an artist's true working environment. And I think it's kind of fascinating. Unfortunately, for the last 4 years I've been one of the artists showing and I haven't been able to take the tour myself. But I'd really like to. There's something about seeing behind-the-scenes. It tells much more of the story behind an artist's unique vision. That's kind of what I'm trying to do with this blog but being in the environment is much different than seeing pictures of it.

Here's how it works. We are fortunate to have a preview exhibit at the wonderful Overture Center in downtown Madison. The exhibit is in the Community Galleries from Sept. 22 to Oct. 10. The galleries are located on 3 floors of the center located off the main rotunda entrance. The exhibit features one work from every artist participating in the event. The idea being that you can pick the artists you want to visit based on the work you see in the exhibit. Printed maps of all the artist's studio locations are available at the galleries and at local library branches and community centers. There's also an opening for this exhibit on Sept. 26 from 6 pm-9 pm. There will be a cash bar and a great silent auction.

Go to the official Open Art Studios web site for more information. The site features a listing of all the artists, their work, and an interactive map of the studio locations. There are also a few locations where a group of artists are showing. These are artists who don't have studios near by or whose studios just aren't able to handle the public coming through. Take this very rare opportunity to visit some studios including mine, pictured below. Have a great day. It's very dark and rainy here but it makes me feel better about staying in and making lamps. Ciao. m

August 27, 2008 - Who can top that!

2008-08-25T15:27:00.005-05:00

The critics are saying "the best closing ceremonies ever". I didn't love them. There were highlights but the images of all the people going up and down the tower was a little disturbing to me, although I can't tell you exactly why. There was something very robotic about it all. And that singing by the reigning rock stars of China was grating at best. It felt like each of them was trying to outdo the other with vocal gymnastics.

The Olympics are a fascinating spectacle. It's not supposed to be political but it is so very political—which country got the most metals; US criticizes China for not allowing more protests; Bush visits and games and takes care of international business; Russia invades Georgia on the first day of the Olympics (coincidence? They've done this before). It's interesting that China wants to be a world leader and yet they aren't too hot on playing by anyone's rules but their own. Control is everything to them. Rather than focus on the money spent and the human toll, they want us only to see the spectacle, the glitter. But how can we not take notice of the mechanizations that went into it all and frown.

But I loved watching the athletes and the challenges they faced. That ultimately was what it was all about and it didn't feel political when you're rooting for an underdog or watching a simply amazing talent. I enjoyed it and looked forward to watching everyday.

So now we move on to local politics. The DNC is well under way and the RNC is soon to follow. It should be interesting.

August 24, 2008 - It looks blue, but it's green.

2008-08-22T19:21:00.004-05:00

What's the Greenest building at the Beijing Olympics? It's the Water Cube. The cube is covered with 100,000 square meters of Teflon-like translucent plastic ETFE bubble cladding which allows in more solar heat than glass, making it easier to heat the building, and resulting in a 30 percent reduction in energy costs. This energy savings is equivalent to covering the roof in solar panels. The bubbles are air-tight, and LED-lit. They're only .008 of an inch thick and can hold up to 300 times it's weight and span greater distances than glass. It also costs 70 percent less to install.

A rainwater collection system gathers 10,000 cubic meters each year, while a recycling system reuses 80% of the building's water, crucial in Beijing's drought-plagued landscape. And the building will have a good afterlife. The building will be converted into a recreation facility for residents who not only can swim, but can take advantage of tennis, a waterslide and a cafe. Unlike the nearby "Bird's Nest" stadium which some see as a "white elephant" once the games are done. And no one was killed during construction, unlike the stadium which claimed at least 10 lives.

August 22, 2008 - Anything for a Great Show

2008-08-21T11:12:00.010-05:00

By any standard the opening ceremony for the China Olympics were brilliant, amazing, and unprecedented. But at what real cost. The Chinese government has long been known to use it's massive population as a seemingly expendable natural resource. As much as we were dazzled, what reaction should we have to find out about the harsh conditions the performers endured. An article at ESPN.com gives a hint of what the performers went through.

The performers stayed in army barracks outside the city and were not allowed to leave. Performers were injured, fainted from heatstroke and some were forced to use adult diapers so breaks weren't necessary. The ceremony's director wanted the world to know of the suffering and sacrifice of the nearly 15,000 members of the cast and crew. He said "Only the North Koreans could have done better." I'm not sure how he meant this statement.

The participants of the synchronized tai-chi routine rehearsed an average of 16 hours a day, every day, for three months. A young 26-year-old dancer fell from a 10-foot stage and may be permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Despite the sacrifices, the student performers were grateful for the opportunity to participate in the historic event and view it as an honor.

As a comparison, the director pointed out that in the West frequent coffee breaks were necessary and they could only work 4 and a half days per week, with no overtime. I don't think he was happy with that situation either.

August 21, 2008 - The Mysterious Cauldron Appearance

2008-08-20T18:18:00.006-05:00

Perhaps you're as curious as I am, but how could a 10-story, 45-ton structure get to the top of the Bird's Nest during the opening ceremonies without a hint of where it came from. Here's what I've learned.

The secrecy of the cauldron became a top priority. Look at the photo above and you'll see a 30-meter, air-cushioned tunnel set on top of the roof that kept the cauldron under wraps for almost two months. A rail system was created to move the giant cauldron to the edge of the stadium and down into position. So while you and I and everyone else were watching the parade of athletes, a button was pushed and it took about 16 minutes for the cauldron to move into position surprising everyone. The inflatable tunnel disappeared and no one was the wiser. The whole system and Cauldron weighed about 405 tons and cost about $1.5 million dollars.

This photos shows the day when the cauldron was inserted into the inflatable tunnel. Now you know. :-)

August 20, 2008 - The China Syndrome

2008-08-20T18:03:00.002-05:00

How can I help but be impressed by the China Olympics. So, while they're still going you're going to see a series of posts centered on the spectacle, the architecture, the tricks and even some of the controversy.

First a few spectacular photos of the opening ceremony from the Big Picture.

August 17, 2008 - A weekend away

2008-08-17T14:37:00.004-05:00

Last weekend I felt the need to get away. The creative brain needs new input every once in awhile. I headed west to the big river then up to Viroqua, Wisconsin. Viroqua is a typical Wisconsin town with a progressive bent and it seemed like a good home base for the weekend. A friend had recommended Lanesboro, MN as a great place for biking and escape. Lanesboro is about an hour west of La Crosse and the photo above shows the hilltop with the old school and church that look out over downtown Lanesboro. The school is currently being converted into coop condos and I envy the amazing views of the Root River Valley.

Lanesboro is a mecca for family and group biking, canoeing, kayaking, and tubing. This is the center of the 60 mile long Root River Bike Trail that follows the Root River through the valley. The trails are converted railroad tracks and features many bridges and great views. And if you're in the mood there's a great pie shop about 5 miles east of Lanesboro where just about everyone stops for a treat. You can't help but notice the mass of bikes parked outside the shop.

The photo above was taken on the deck of a restaurant where I had a Cajun Catfish sandwich. I had a great view of bikers on the bridge and tubers on the river below. Below is a typical bridge crossing along the Root trail. The trail is very gradual so you can take your time and not worry about big hills. And did I mention the weather was perfect. I highly recommend Lanesboro. Their web site boasts many awards like "Best small town in America" if that gives you a hint. I also noticed many restaurants and even a theater company. "Harvey" was the latest production but I had to get back home. Next time.

On my way home I took a trip to a little town called Ontario and the home of Wildcat Mountain State Park. At the top of a steep ridge the park offers an unprecedented view of the Kickapoo River Valley where many a canoe enthusiast has enjoyed a leisurely ride on the winding river. Sorry to sound so much like a travel agent but what can I say. It was a great little trip. Ciao.

July 29, 2008 - The Calm Before the Storm

2008-07-29T10:28:00.008-05:00

It's been over 2 weeks since the Madison Art Fair and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. It wasn't the experience I was hoping for. In fact it was kind of a nightmare. It all started the night before the fair when artists set up their tents. I worked from 7:00 to 10:00 pm that hot night getting my tent, shelves, and curtains up so I could be ready to go early Saturday morning. I decided not to put my lamps in the booth because the night previous Madison experienced strong winds. The news reported downed tree limbs and even damage to a large tent that was set up for a festival nearby. We were expecting storms again early Friday morning. It was just too big of a chance.

When I arrived early Saturday morning things looked very wrong. My tent sides had been blown off. The tent has been moved about 3 feet toward the center of the street. The metal shelves were all on the sidewalk haphazardly behind the tent. All my containers holding tools, receipts, paperwork, and supplies were scattered around the back of the booth. The curtain rods were badly bent. And everything was soaked with water. There was standing water in many of my containers. My heart sank. I started looking around and several tents nearby were damaged. It looked as though someone had dragged all my stuff over to the sidewalk. However, the tent on the other side of me had moved but it looked fine. It seemed the wind was very focused on a small section of the street and mine was one of the unlucky ones. I was in a wind tunnel.

I would have taken some photos but my camera was wet and I was intent of assessing the damage. My mind was going back and forth trying to decide if I should pack up and leave. But I slowly worked through the mess, drying what I could and realized that on the whole things were okay. I got the booth into shape. When I was done I was surprised that it looked so good. You really wouldn't have known.

The woman next door had to leave. She had a much heavier and well made booth but one of the legs had bent and she couldn't repair it. I also heard that maybe 20 other booths around the square had been damaged during the night. In fact one group of tents were all pushed together in a big pile. Some people had their art in the booth and it was a terrible mess. Artists were very upset and a lot of them left. This information was all via the grapevine and I never really got the whole story. Our local news didn't mention the incident at all.

The wind gusted all day. It was very stressful for me and many others. On the whole my tent held and my lamps did not fall over. I had a few sales but it was a fairly slow day. The people attending the fair loved it. In past years it's been over 90 degrees and sweltering. This year it was cool and very breezy. They had no knowledge of the small disasters that happened the night before. They did notice many empty booth spaces.

I packed up my lamps that night thinking I just couldn't take a chance. I had high hopes that Sunday would be a much better day. The photos here are taken early Sunday morning. All the tents were bundled up and the sun hadn't gotten high enough to illuminate the square. The wind kept gusting. And the gusts got stronger and stronger. At times I was literally holding down my tent. My neighbors decided to take their tent down and were much better off. They sold heavier ceramics and didn't have to worry about the wind blowing them over. We heard crashes every once in awhile and cringed. I was a nervous wreck. I was talking to my neighbor about the wind when a big gust hit and two of his pieces crashed to the ground. Around two in the afternoon I got hit with a huge gust and all my lamps and shelves tipped over. Luckily people in the booth grabbed the lamps while I held the tent down. Within five minutes another gust hit. Again all the shelves and lamps tipped over. This time I wasn't so lucky and at least two lamps broke.

It was time to pack up. On top of the erratic winds—which, by the way, were hardly effecting the people across the street from me—my sales were very low and it just wasn't worth the stress. So I packed up while people tramped through my booth to get to the sidewalk behind me, tripping over my tent poles, oblivious of what I'd been through. I finished around five, just when the fair closed down. I was defeated and grumpy. When I got home my neighbors were happily curious as to how well I did and all I could do was tell them that it was a long sad story and I'd have to tell them later.

Looking back I was pretty lucky. Only two lamps were damaged. I'm guessing that some other artists suffered much worse. I doubt that I'll do the Madison fair again. It's hard for me to do outdoor fairs because of the unpredictable winds and rain. Also it's rare for fairs to offer electricity and my lamps look so much better when lit. It was also interesting being on the selling side of things. The public was ignorant of what many of the artists were going through. They were there to have a good time, eat some food, buy some art, and enjoy the breezy summer day. On my side I was totally stressed out thinking my lamps were all going to be blown away at any moment.

I'll leave it at that. It was an experience I could have lived without but it's not an unusual experience for artists on the art fair circuit. I'm just not a seasoned participant and have had it pretty lucky, until now.

Here's a few more "calm" photos. I also want to wish a big Happy Birthday to Kristin on her 51st!

July 11, 2008 - Getting ready for the fair

2008-07-11T14:49:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm all packed for the Madison Art Fair on the Square this Saturday and Sunday. Got the old rental van stuffed and now I have to wait 4 hours before they allow you to start setting up on the square. In other words after 8 pm this evening. I guess it's better than setting up at the hottest time of the day. Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating this year, at least for set up. They are expecting storms to come through tonight and go into the morning. If it's anything like last night I'm a little worried that my tent will still be standing tomorrow morning. Trees were down and streets were flooded. It's one of those nights where the thunder makes you shudder in your bed.

I'm going to try and take a lot of photos this weekend so I can take you through the process of doing an art fair. Stay tuned.

July 8, 2008 - A day at the zoo

2008-07-08T12:03:00.004-05:00

On July 4th Amy and Jeff invited me to lunch and a walk at the Vilas Zoo. I needed a break from all the lampmaking and it was one of those days where the weather is perfect and the sky is dotted with cottonball clouds on a blue blue sky that are indigenous to Wisconsin summers. I don't always love zoos. I can't help but sense that the animals are bored and caged in a very unnatural way. But they do offer joy on some level, and there are many animals who seems perfectly content and even happy. Below are a few of the critters who inhabit the place along with a particularly happy monkey in the upper right corner who goes by the name of Mia (actually Amy and Jeff's daughter).

And Dubai continues to entertain us with completely absurd architectural gymnastics, now offering a rotating skyscraper. It seems each floor can turn on a central axis allowing the building to change shape continually. The building is 80 stories high and powers itself with 79 wind turbines located between each floor. The building boasts the feature of offering it's residents the ability to change views at will, but I wonder if your neighbors will all cooperate and all want the same view. Living in a continually rotating environment might get a little disorienting. The building was designed by David Fisher.

July 4th, 2008 - Alternative Motivational Posters

2008-07-04T08:23:00.004-05:00

On this July 4th take a look at the beautiful, well-designed and inspired pieces of art offered by Right Brain Terrain. The posters are printed on post-consumer recycled, FSC certified papers, chlorine-free soy/vegetable inks—in other words about as green as you can get in printing. There are 17, 18"x24" posters as well as a set of note cards.

The Art Fair on the Square in Madison is coming up next weekend and I'm ramping up by making more lamps. Unfortunately I won't have electricity to display the lamps the way I like but that's life. It's hard to pass up a local and high-quality fair like this one. Please come by booth 458 if you can. The hours are Saturday July 12th, 9 am to 6 pm; and Sunday July 13th, 10 am to 5 pm. Of course it will be one of the hottest weekends of the year, it's just tradition. And if a storm comes up just pray I don't blow away with all my very kite-like lamps.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July.

July 1, 2008 - Back from the LFOA

2008-07-01T12:05:00.006-05:00

It's been a week since I've gotten back from the Lakefront Festival of the Arts in Milwuakee. I had a wonderful fair selling more lamps than at any other show I've done. My booth is shown below. The weather was perfect except for a few thunderstorms on Sunday at the end of the fair. But as luck would have it the rain stopped right at 5:00 when everyone started packing up. I should also say that the entire 172 artists are housed under a huge tent structure so the rain wasn't a big deal. The festival learned a hard lesson many years ago when their art fair turned into a mud fest. They've been under a tent every since. When they designed the new addition to the museum I'm sure they planned a space for the art fair.

If you haven't been to the Milwaukee Art Museum it is a wonderful piece of architecture. The building was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The main hall features a 90-foot-high glass ceiling and a Brise Soleil, a moveable sunscreen that unfolds every morning to form a 217-foot wingspan.

June 14, 2008 - New Lamps

2008-06-13T21:57:00.004-05:00

The Bo lamp is one of my favorites but it's quite wide and people don't seem to have a lot of space to fit one in. I decided to make a smaller version. The large Bo is 22" wide. The new ones are 15". Both are the same height and use a similar base. There are two versions of the small Bo, one with straight sides and the other with a slight angle which I have come to like. I also like the square-ish shape. I've come up with some new compositions and have also made smaller versions of some popular Bo styles, like the one below. You can see these this coming weekend at the Milwaukee Lakeshore Festival of the Arts in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum, June 20-22. I'm in booth 36. See you there.

May 22, 2008 - For those into gadgets, large expensive ones

2008-05-22T12:32:00.007-05:00

The Trilobis 65 is a 65 ft semi-submerged floating home designed by Giancarlo Zema, an Italian Navel architect. It has four levels and offers two single and two double bedrooms, each with a private bath. It has a fully submerged observation bulb in the lowest level that provides a 360 degree view underwater. Perhaps Neiman Marcus will offer this in their next holiday catalog, if they haven't already. It's on my wish.

May 17, 2008 - Ah Spring

2008-05-17T10:06:00.011-05:00

Spring has sprung in Madison. And it seems so much more glorious after the long harsh winter we went through this year. The flowering trees are booming with blossoms, more abundant than I can ever remember.

With Spring comes the Farmer's Markets. The most well known is on the capitol square. Here are some pics I took this morning while picking up my breakfast, pumpkin and almond scones. Bakery booths are all too abundant and it's hard not to stop at every one to check out the fare. And Morel mushrooms. Luckily good friends brought some to me from my home state of Indiana so I didn't have to pay the $35 a pound price this year. Thanks Katie and Dave! And the flowers! It was a perfect morning.

Enjoy the pics. If you look back a few months you can compare this mornings photo of my block to the one in the depths of winter. It's a good reminder.

May 10, 2008 - Been busy

2008-05-10T09:51:00.005-05:00

Hi all. It's been way too long since my last post. Been busy. As many of you know I'm a freelance graphic designer as well as an artist. The design side has taken over my life, which is good and bad. It pays the bills but takes me away from making lamps. I have two art fairs coming up; the Lakefront Festival of the Arts in Milwaukee on June 20-22, and my home town's own Art Fair on the Square on

July 12-13.

I want to congratulate the One Family Campaign for the Goodman Atwood Community Center for last night's gala event sponsored by Merrill Lynch. I was proud to donate a lamp to the silent auction. (The photo above is a quick shot of the front and back). Congratulations to the new owners and thanks for supporting the Goodman Center. I had a great time. Also a big congratulations to my friend Kristin Groth who, I'm quite sure, put a lot of work into the making the event a big success.

It's the weekend and I'm taking a break from design work to build some lamps. I'm currently working on a smaller version of the Bo lamp. And it's coming along well. I'll post some pics when next time.

April 10, 2008 - Desktop Still Life 1

2008-04-10T10:17:00.007-05:00

It's cold, gray and raining. It's been that way all week. Almost worse than getting a bunch of snow. I was filling lamp orders and got distracted. Listening to a audio book called "Heart Shaped Box" about a heavy metal rock star who buys a ghost at an online auction. Strange.

This is a picture of my desk at the moment. An artist's studio in detail. The central object is a little sculpture I created a couple years ago. I think it was going to be a birthday gift for a friend but it never happened. Structure. Well, it's part of the landscape now. (there's another view below). It's amazing to me how inspirations come and go. Fleeting ideas. This one may lead to some variations.

On the right is a lamp I'll be sending out within the week. More lamps in the background. A few cherry dowel rods across the frame. Fake flowers. Over time you'll have a pretty good look at all the interesting nooks and crannies of my studio…and me probably. Have a great day.

April 4, 2008 - Worth a 1000 words

2008-04-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

Check out the web site worth1000.com. If you're into image manipulation or just like to see the amazing things that can be done by very creative people you'll love this site. This is a "contest website" where people submit creative images in many categories, like "Vintage Ads", which gave participants 48 hours to create an ad for a modern product using vintage advertising motifs. There are many other categories and you can spend a lot of time going through the galleries. It looks like you can also sponsor a contest. The top image is a winner from the "Vintage Ad" contest. Below is an image from "Edible Architecture".

April 3, 2008 - In Memorial

2008-04-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Kiersten Joy Faulkner - 1970-2008

A sad and premature end to a life that once seemed so bright.

My thoughts and prayers to her family and friends.

March 30, 2008 - The Ultimate Lamp

2008-03-30T09:36:00.000-05:00

Thought you might be interested in seeing what the French are doing for the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower.

It's seems there's been a competition to redesign the Eiffel Tower's public reception and access areas. Serero architect's won with this solution that will extend the top floor plate by grafting on a high performance carbon Kevlar structure. What do you think?

Spring is finally coming! In my first post I showed a photo of my neighborhood street back in February. Here's what it looks like today. We're all amazed at how wide the streets and sidewalks actually are. We've had snow on the ground since December 1st when we got hit hard by snow and ice. That same snow is at the bottom of all these piles, almost 4 months later and over 100 inches later.

March 00, 2008 - My birthday

2008-03-28T20:08:00.001-05:00

Row Row Row your boat (your boat, not someone else's)

Gently down the stream (gently, down stream, not against it)

Merrily Merrily Merrily (be happy, enjoy it)

Life is but a dream (I'm beginning to get this)

It's my birthday and I was thinking over the last year. One of my favorite times was taking a trip to Washington Island in Wisconsin with some good friends. It was a magical trip. This is a "self portrait" that I took on Schoolhouse Beach. An amazing beach of smooth white stones. I got lost in the ever changing patterns of the water ripples on the stones. It was a wonderful place just to sit and dream. Today I'm looking forward to spending time with friends. Have a great day.

March 28, 2008 - A Custom Lamp

2008-03-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine found an old lamp base, and quite a funky one at that, and asked me to make a custom shade for it. Actually it took some thought. This needed a more traditional shade construction. It needed a wire frame to make it work. I'd played a bit with this in the past, like once, but then I was never one to go the traditional route, and it seemed even more time consuming than the direction I had already gone. But here it was, a fabulous base and the opportunity to play. It took awhile but this is what I came up with.

I didn't want to do the traditional round shade so I ended up using the bullet shaped Bo shade and added a wire framework on the top and bottom. I had to wire in two round wire circles that I had gotten from a lamp part supplier. This was the tricky part and I wouldn't recommend the way I did it, but it worked. At any rate, if you find a funky base out there, maybe I can make a new lamp out it. Cheryl loved it by the way.

February 20, 2008 - A quick studio tour

2008-02-20T16:47:00.000-06:00

-14 degrees below zero tonight! One more degree lower and we break yet another record. These are records I have no desire to achieve. And you can't forget the total lunar eclipse tonight. The moon won't be completely blacked out but will have a red/orange color. It will reach it's peak around 9:01 pm CST.

Thought I'd give a short tour of my basement studio in my Madison bungalow. It's a very long room and 10 feet wide by almost 40 feet long. Actually the space is great for my one man shop. The top photo is my desk and display area. Once a year I open my studio for the Madison Open Studio Tour. Around 200 artists open their studios to the public. I try to display as many lamps as I have on hand.

The bottom photo is the opposite end of the room where I have my work table and parts storage. I also have an enclosed back porch which I use for my small wood shop.

Stay warm. m.

February 19, 2008 - Winter continues

2008-02-19T19:32:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my brand new blog. I thought I'd play a bit and see what it takes to put a blog online. It's way too easy. But being a designer I'm really going to have to find a way to have a little more fun with the layout. It's just too boring.

And yes, it's winter here in Madison. One of the worst in years. We're approaching 90 inches. Last year we got about 28 if that gives you a clue as to how crazy this winter has been. We get a storm about once or twice a week. And the last once started with a couple inches of rain. The trees are coated with ice and in the sunlight simply sparkle. Luckily it wasn't enough to bring down a ton of branches. At this writing the temp is a big 6. Tonight it will get to -7. Huge icicles have formed on everyone's homes making me wonder if the weight will bring gutters to the ground. We've been battling ice damns all winter, since December 1 in fact, when the first storm hit without mercy. It also started as an ice storm and there's a layer underneath from that first storm and it's like rock. If you didn't get all your walks and driveways cleared before it froze it's just not going to happen. It is beautiful but it also feels like you're living with a lion at your door. With -45 degree wind chills, icy roads that salt can't melt, icicles and ice damns causing water to collect in your walls and ceilings, and the furnace running day and night it feels like it could all go to hell pretty easily. When I go to bed at night I definitely give a little thanks for a warm and cozy refuge from the elements.

I have no idea where this blog will lead but I'm hoping it will be a creative journal, displaying ideas of all sorts and encompassing all my passions: design, lighting, architecture, nature, music, movies, friends and family, and whatever else comes to mind. Perhaps it will turn into something truly unique.

Chow. m.