my very creative and talented niece
just on the cusp of teenager-hood
presented me
with this lovely fairy
made on her way to come for a visit
with plaited hair
a hand-painted face
and fashion-forward attire
she was such a joyful surprise
due to her acorn cap beret and sense of style
i’ve decided to give my new fairy the french name of ‘brie.’
—
“the world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.”
-neil gaiman
leaves in the rain
lovely homemade breakfast
pollinator hotel in the forest
fresh-picked peppercorns
cool water swimming pool at the rainforest hotel
local cat rests with la tortuga sculpture
shadow of a rainforest fern
rainforest hotel lounge
retro lighting and paneling
playing jazz standards and christmas music
the coatis and their families
often joined us for meals
a hut deep in the rainforest
offering a place for the workers to rest
a palm tree on the pacific ocean nods to the end of a day.
—
“i love to mix everything together. it’s really my way to see beauty.”
-alessandro michele
ethereal green wall in the alley of a small town
powerful monument in the capitol city
broken pottery mosaic on the sidewalk
tree trunk art in the rainforest
luscious dessert art
bottles create stained glass in the walls of the turtle sanctuary
heart becomes part of the path
where the fairies might live in the rain forest
small storefront in the rain
night setting at one of our rain forest stays
hanging rain forest bridge to ?
fisherman’s boat waits for him on the river
flowers growing wild on the caribbean beach
near where the sea turtle laid her eggs the night before
—
there was beauty of all kinds to be found in costa rica,
often in the most unlikely of places, in all its forms, as is beauty’s way.
—
“when you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go.”
-amanda stoddard
What better place to learn your ABC’s and 123’s than inside of a giant building shaped like a cat?
The kids who attend Kindergarten in Karlsruhe, Germany, do so in a giant feline.
Constructed in 2011 and designed by artist, Tomi Ungerer and architect, Ayla Suzan Yöndel, the whimsical kindergarten is in a big white cat building that includes a door for a mouth below a whisker-lined nose, windows for eyes, and a classroom in its belly. For added fun, kids can even ride down its tail that doubles as a slide.
In terms of architecture that inspires a playful imagination, the Kindergarten Wolfartsweier is remarkable for its embrace of an alternative, animalistic design for what a school can be.
“design is where science and art break even.”
-robin mathew(s)
—
source credits: Atlas Obscura, My Modern Met, Milk magazine, inthralled.com,
painted rocks left on a tree stump in our courtyard
—
our science teacher
retiring after many years
has lovingly hand painted
180-ish unique and detailed rocks
one for each of the children in our early childhood program
all having to do with science, nature, kindness, joy
our children were absolutely thrilled
with this lovely legacy.
—
meraki is doing something with total love, and pure soul.
it is leaving a little piece of yourself in your creative work.
(greek origin)
when you combine things together in a different way:
magna tiles, fresh flowers, a light table, and wonder
you can’t help but create beautiful art that is new, even to you.
—
“art must take reality by surprise”
mac does its part with loose parts: an earth day art show
—
the children have been learning for weeks
about recycling, reusing, and repurposing
many kinds of materials
in honor of tomorrow’s holiday (earth day)
using the voice of art as expression
each child created an original sculpture
repurposing used items
finding new beauty in these discarded things
putting them together in new ways
inviting their families
to their ‘gallery opening’
each child filled with pride in their work
and a realization that they are artists.
“art is a form of exploration, of sailing off into the unknown alone, heading for those unmarked places on the map. if children are not permitted-not taught-to be adventurers and explorers as children, what will become of the world of adventure, of stories, of literature itself?
– michael chabon
how lucky am i to find this downtown, on a walk on a beautiful day?
—
“i’m well aware. a world without rainbow sprinkles is a world without happiness.”
-l.m. augustine
robin’s nests created by the kinder using natural materials
clay, twigs, pinecones, clippings
any robin would be happy to raise her babies in one of these beautiful homes
—
“wildness we might consider as the root of the authentic spontaneities of any being. it is that wellspring of creativity whence comes the instinctive activities that enable all living beings to obtain their food, to find shelter, to bring forth their young; to sing and dance and fly through the air and swim through the depths of the sea. this is the same inner tendency that evokes the insight of the poet, the skill of the artist, and the power of the shaman.”- thomas berry
“It is so much more than a vending machine. It’s an art experience, but it’s also an art object in and of itself,” Samantha Timm, the curator at Saint Kate The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said.
Since Saint Kate opened in 2019, the Art-o-mat has been a huge hit.
The first Art-o-mat was built by Clark Whittington in 1997. He refurbished an old cigarette vending machine after it became more or less illegal. He displayed it at an art exhibition, and it became a huge hit. Now, he leases them out to galleries, libraries, and hotels.
It’s not cheap to have one. It can cost $5,000 per year. Plus, it costs $2.50 plus shipping to stock the machine. However, it’s not about making a ton of money. These exhibits are designed to be a fun way to interact with art and the past. Furthermore, it makes art collecting accessible for buyers. All the art inside the machines is made by different artists from around the world.
“It’s so unique. It’s so different. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Kami Strunsee, an artist and owner of Timber Lane Studio and Gallery in Wales said.
Strunsee also has an Art-o-mat in her gallery. She estimates more than 500 pieces of cigarette box-sized art has been purchased since she opened in April 2022. Strunsee also discovered that there is an entire community of people who collect pieces of art from these vending machines.
“I have several people from California come in. They came to Wisconsin, and they just drove east, and were trying to hit as many Art-o-mats as they could,” she said.
Strunsee has even hosted Art-o-mat nights. People come in with their friends, buy a few pieces of art, and then sit around a table looking at each other’s collectibles and making trades with each other just like one would with basketball or Pokemon cards. “It’s kind of random as to what you get but it’s always something really unique,” she said.
—
“i do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few.”
-william morris
—
I didn't have my glasses on.... 