Desks are on my mind these days. It started with a visit home. My sister-in-law just started working from home and set up a work space in the living room. Her desk features 3 computers and 3 monitors and an enormous leather wing chair. They laughingly call it "the command center." I call it idyllic--between calls she listens to the murmur of their chickens. Then last week I heard Science Friday’s Desktop Diaries for the first time. This show, centered around the amount of time we spend at our desks asks scientists to describe what’s on their desks and why. Now I’m noticing desktops everywhere! I’m more interested in creatives desktops like Lauren Bucquet’s that I stumbled upon yesterday. The head shoe and accessories designer for Rag & Bone has a space filled with pens and chalks, fabric and leather, buttons and vintage trinkets and plenty of photos that help complete her story. I’ve always loved Karen Michel’s photos of her art supplies--her tools become just as beautiful as the finished product. Musicians working spaces are music stands and studios piled with instruments and scores. The practice room is yet another kind of desk. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic offers a peek into the working space of 75 musicians. Dubbed “Musical Chairs” this fascinating opportunity invites donors to sit onstage next to musicians during a rehearsal. It’s a multi-dimensional experience not only to hear, see and feel the music, but to observe interactions between working conductor and musicians. Our wonderful supporters become part of our group’s “desk”, sitting next to their favorite section, asking questions, learning more about our work.My desk is a collection of metronomes, reading glasses assignment charts and scribbled ideas. A violin and viola hang on the wall at the ready. The rest of the space is filled with photos and mementos of my children and whimsical pieces that remind me to have fun. What about you? What’s on your desk? A work in progress? An idea just waiting to happen? Like a three dimensional mind map your desk is a crystal clear reflection of your work. Now it’s your turn. We want to see where your magic happens. Show me your desk. Hop on over to Beyond-Do Re Mi’s Facebook Page and post pics of your desk, studio or workspace. I can't wait to see!
There are buds on my lilac bush. Ahhh...Spring. It gives me hope to watch the world renew. Yes, we’ll have more snow but it will be dotted with playful crocus and sunny daffodil blooms. The buds and bulbs alert all my senses. Colors, texture, fragrance--it feels fresh and new. The anticipation of a new season helps lift me out of a rut and back in the creative groove.
What about you? Are you in a groove? Congratulations! May your ride be smooth and productive.
And the rest of you? Are you like me, in a rut? My tasks feel heavy. Arduous. Chores pile high like dirty snow. It’s been a somber, grey winter and I need a change. The best way out is to take a cue from Spring and lighten up. Be playful. Think young. Here’s a game of Child’s Play to lift you out of the rut.
There are buds on my lilac bush. Ahhh...Spring. It gives me hope to watch the world renew. Yes, we’ll have more snow but it will be dotted with playful crocus and sunny daffodil blooms. The buds and bulbs alert all my senses. Colors, texture, fragrance--it feels fresh and new. The anticipation of a new season helps lift me out of a rut and back in the creative groove.What about you? Are you in a groove? Congratulations! May your ride be smooth and productive.
And the rest of you? Are you like me, in a rut? My tasks feel heavy. Arduous. Chores pile high like dirty snow. It’s been a somber, grey winter and I need a change. The best way out is to take a cue from Spring and lighten up. Be playful. Think young. Here’s a game of Child’s Play to lift you out of the rut.Collect a crayon and paper and practice this meditation: close your eyes and think back--to being 7. You are wearing cowboy boots and “Cars” pajamas. (You also wore this yesterday and will wear it again tomorrow.) Run to the kitchen to drink half a glass of juice. Grab paper and crayon. Run to the living room. Stop to knock down your brother’s tower of blocks. Run back to the kitchen to drink more juice. Wipe your mouth on your sleeve. Now run back to the living room to draw. Fling your your body on the rug and burp. Laugh out loud. Draw a picture of your crying brother. Then, while you’re in “time-out” think about some other things you can draw....Now, make your own drawing. Be seven-years-old while you draw. Sing while you draw. Make up a story while you draw. Feel renewed.
It's a healthy way to suspend impulse control. You'll find this exercise works wonders for the psyche. It's as relaxing as meditation and rejuvenating as a brisk walk. And that's a handy tool when you are overworked. Keep a pad of paper and some markers handy, close your eyes and dream up your own seven-year-old meditation and doodle your cares away. Practice often and you might find yourself journaling. You'll be back in the groove in no time. Maybe for the first time since you were seven!
BTW, the absolute best book about this kind of spontaneous, childlike drawing is “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” It's so good I dare say it is required reading. Read it and be seven again!
I love the way a fabric covered memo board adds a little color and romance to the utilitarian cork or magnetic versions. Why not take it step further and create a memento wall?
 A collection of postcards, photos and vintage ephemera
My powder room was the ideal canvas for this project. The room was already painted a bright kiwi above the white chair rail. I picked a pretty eggplant grosgrain ribbon and some brass upholstery tacks. With a couple of hours of work I have a visually intriguing and whimsical display wall.
Start by measuring the width of the wall. Divide that number to come up with even spacings for the ribbon. Mark the ribbon placement for top, bottom and sides of the walls with pencil since it will be covered up by the ribbon. You also want to think about what you'd like to display. The memento wall needs smaller spacings to hold items in place without padding. Once the walls are marked measure to determine how much ribbon to purchase. Hold the ends of the ribbon in place with push pins. It’s a good idea to leave a few inches on each end. I put up all of my ribbon before I purchased upholstery tacks so I could be certain how many to buy. Since this was done over a wall it’s important to keep the ribbon taut. With the push pins in place work from the center of the wall, hammering the upholstery tacks at each ribbon intersection. I used a plastic hammer to keep from damaging my upholstery tacks. Continue to pull the ribbon taut after each tack is installed. You will need to re-push pin each ribbon edge as you work. When all the interior intersections have been tacked cut the extra ribbon and attach each end with an upholstery tack.
I display photos, postcards, Christmas cards and in February, vintage Valentines. There are so many variations on this project. and out. Use black and white to showcase colorful kid’s art and awards. Use hot glue instead of upholstery tacks and hang cards with mini clothes pins or fancy paperclips. Create a modern look with neutral colors and a collection of joss paper. Cover a wall of outdated wallpaper with a memento wall of vintage photos. Or turn a bedroom wall into a giant padded memo board with batting and fabric.
 Vintage Valentine's Day Cards  Charming Pop-up Valentine's Day Cards
Pizza, Grissini and Chocolate Calzone from scratch.
Announcing our first collaborative art project on Beyond Do Re Mi. "It Starts With a Smile." Join in the fun and we'll spread some cheer one doorstep at a time. Share your chalk welcome mats on Beyond Do Re Mi's Facebook page. Check the Event posted on Facebook for more details. I'll collect your photos and post them here on the blog. I've had this topic on my "to write" list ever since last summer. Imagine my surprise and delight when my all time favorite blog, the Improvised Life gave me a nudge this morning. Read their article here. What makes sidewalk chalk so fun? An unbelievably large canvas for one thing. What could possibly be a better surface than an entire driveway? It's spontaneous and unscripted play with a forgiving medium. The most important reason? It's impermanent. Cars and footsteps and rain make it virtually impossible to create a "mistake." Wouldn't it be great if "grown ups" could capture the exuberance of giant doodles? I smile every time I see a decorated sidewalk. And Sally just gave me a reason to join in the fun. Chalk welcome mats! Simply brilliant. I couldn't get to the store fast enough to buy my own sidewalk chalk--I bought a box of 52 washable chalks by Crayola. Here's my welcome mat. Now let's see yours!
It's a busy week for the summer festival so we're camping near Central City. It's a beautiful place to relax and journal between seven opera performances. I woke up in the mountains yesterday next to my husband with love in my heart and an idea for a journal page--an exercise in the simplicity and complexity of love. I pictured a simple graphic heart on a quilt block background as an exuberant symbol of love. I nearly finished the page that morning; later in the day I re-read a section of Twyla Tharp's book, The Creative Habit. As she discussed artists' skills Tharp says one goal is to make our work seem effortless. But to achieve that first we must master the basics. It was a perfect fit for my page. From Twyla Tharp's book, "Picasso once said, while admiring an exhibition of children's art, 'When I was their age I could draw like Raphael, but it has taken me a whole lifetime to learn to draw like them.' "
My favorite party noshes are sweet and salty. I remember mom bringing a can of chocolate-covered potato chips to a Christmas gathering. I wondered how anything could possibly taste that good. Since then this flavorful duo has inspired me to whip up trays of bacon-wrapped dates and platters of figs broiled with almonds and goat cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Yum! It's a tasty match made in heaven. I thought I'd reached the heights of this flavor combination until I saw the light. Last week an episode of Meat and Potatoes featured a food truck in Seattle that makes amazing burgers. What's so amazing? The two little words that just rocked my culinary world-- Bacon Jam. I am not joking. My previous efforts seem amateurish compared to this sweet and salty summit. I knew I had to try it--and soon. Fourth of July burgers with bacon jam. I searched the internet and found several recipes for this most excellent manna. I settled on a gem by Not Quite Nigella which is scrumptious, decadent, even intoxicating. Each bite is a new sensation of smokey, salty, sweet, maple flavor. Try it; you will love this stuff. In fact, I think I just settled on the perfect Christmas gift for my foodie friends and family members. NQN's recipe was quite manageable. If you'd like to save time and effort yet still savor the flavor, order a jar from Skillet Street Food.
I like art that surprises. Art that engages. Art that winks. I want to be let in on the joke. I want to be led down the secret path.
I love finding art in unexpected places. And I love the contrast of an unexpected object that becomes art.
Contrast.
My grandfather's saws hang alongside
my dad's artwork.
A wink.
Whimsical art for the kitchen. A chronology of breakfast cereals.
Private art.
A mural painted on the side of a barn in a tiny, rural town. Seen only by the owners and their occasional visitors, this giant canvas celebrates Dusty, the llama and Dali.
 Public art. The side of an abandoned building covered in chalkboard and outfitted with chalk and an invitation to dream. Created by Candy Chang, public installation artist.
I do my daily journaling in a utilitarian, college-ruled, spiral notebook. These ritual morning pages are really meant to blow off steam and negative energy. Once I've vented I'm freer to exercise my creativity and to journal for pleasure. I love this fun, colorful and artistic format--the artist journal. This kind of journal is an ongoing process which can involve as many layers of creativity--bookmaking, painting, collage, writing, illustrating, journaling--as you like. A no-rules journal for your doodles or dreams. It is a journal of improvisation--a true creative playground. My introduction to Artist Journals was a journal-making session at one of Teesha Moore's amazing Artfest retreats. We learned to make our journal from scratch by removing the pages from a used book, re-covering the book boards, and binding in sets of blank pages. However, it is not essential to build your own journal. Try using an artist's sketchbook or making an altered journal by painting, pasting and journaling right over the pages of a used book. Whatever you choose, it's important to make it beautiful. This is a treasure you're making for yourself! My journal. Book covered with printed paper. Collage of music paper, transparency, ribbon, clay medallions and gold leaf.
I love to layer my pages. I usually start with a base of water soluble crayons or pencils and blend the colors. After that I'll paste photos or magazine clippings, add more layers of paint (modeling paste creates great texture) and 3D objects. And sometimes I add words, quotations or even fortunes from last night's take-out dinner. After that the entire page can be antiqued, glazed or glittered if that's your thing. Creating one page can take a couple of days with all the layers and drying time. That's OK--because you get a chance to create every day.
Go ahead and scribble. Feeling rebellious, I experimented with an ugly Valentine. Minimalism Layers upon layers. I like to paint right over some of the collage elements. It's a good way to keep a secret. I've included some of my favorite journal artists in my library like Dan Eldon and Sabrina Ward Harrison. If you're intrigued by Artist Journals look for their books in the library. Here are a couple more inspiring artists. Teesha Moore's journals are explosions of color. See more samples of Teesha's journal pages here. Karen Michel's are artfully concise and often include some of her altered photographs. Read more about Karen here.
Explore your dream life, visit your past, journal your future in an interactive, colorful way. Try an Artist Journal. For more photos check the Artist Journal album on Beyond-Do Re Mi's Facebook Page.
Happy Mother's Day! This is my traditional weekend to start working in the garden. Gardening is an excellent form of creative play. Digging in the dirt triggers memories of the sandbox and mud pies. The rewards are plentiful. Flowers delight with color and texture. Herbs awaken our senses. Vegetables nourish. Beauty and fertility--what maternal symbols!
Garden boxes waiting for seeds and plants.
My parents always had a garden with a border of strawberries. My brother picked quart after quart and logged the production on a piece of notebook paper. The faded page remains on the side of my dad's fridge to this day. My mother took up herb gardening once her nest was empty. I loved to walk through the garden with her, brushing the leaves and inhaling the scents--spicy, pungent, floral.
My first garden was also an herb garden. Built in a far-away town, it was an homage to my mother's herb gardens. My way to throw toil and creativity into a living connection to my mother. The crescent-shaped garden bordered with stones was brimming with basil, chives, chamomile and scented geraniums. The path was lined with thyme and lamb's ear. Tending the perfumed herbs shortened the distance between us.
These days I grow veggies in a set of raised beds. Garden boxes built by my son--a Mother's Day present given 5 years ago. What a lovely gift! He built them in an afternoon so you know it's an easy project. We bought the materials at Home Depot where they even cut the lumber for us. Each box uses four pieces of 1 x 12s. The corners are joined with deck screws. We cleared and leveled the area and put down landscape fabric, placed the bottomless boxes on top and filled with soil. My husband helped with some additions over the years. We now have five boxes which he enclosed with chicken wire to keep out the rabbits. Gates make it easy to work inside the boxes.
The productive garden. A favorite gardening book is one my father gave me, In the French Kitchen Garden by Georgeanne Brennan. Full of ideas for a year-round garden, this book also features charming illustrations, garden plans and recipes.
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