Blueberry summer

Blueberries ripening on the barren.

In mid-July DH and I visited friends with a camp on Lake Sennebec, near Camden, Maine.  The blueberry harvest was imminent.

We walked up a country road to the blueberry field - properly, a blueberry barren.  Wild blueberries are cultivated differently from their domesticated cousins; "wild" is a bit of a misnomer, as the barrens are in reality actively-managed stands of lowbush blueberry. Every two to three years the barren is scorched in a controlled burn; this stimulates new growth followed by a new crop of berries. In the image above the blackened rocks testify to the role of fire in regeneration.

DH, with our friend Steve, on the barren.

Some of the blueberries will become breakfast.

 On our walk to the blueberries we enjoyed typical Maine scenery.

Rural mailboxes.

A white horse - make a wish!

Where the horses live.

Beautiful Greek revival home.

A vintage A-frame - not many of these left.

 

Black-Eye Susan.

Lichen-covered rock.

For a contrast to the rural sights, our kind hosts Steve and Lisa took us into Camden, a delightful coastal town with lots to do and see. It's worth the trip just to see landscape architect Fletcher Steele's outdoor amphitheatre, occupied by arts festival vendor's tents during our visit.  In beautiful weather the vintage automobiles and trucks are part of the fun too.

Restored postal truck.

Camden harbor - the yacht is the Bella Vita.

Shopping for things you didn't know you needed.

After the hustle and bustle of Camden, and a wonderful dinner at the Youngtown Inn, the lake and the loons - Maine's iconic bird - returned us to a slower pace.

Lake Sennebec.

Two symbols of summer - straw hat and Adirondack chair.

Steve and Lisa's camp has been updated and improved by their daughter, landscape architect Emma Kelly - how handy to have such expertise right in the family!

An Apple a Day: exploring health through art

An Apple a Day: Saturday. Phoebe Ann Erb.

Recently, DH and I enjoyed a local art exhibit with the engaging title of Healthful.   Eighteen artists, all affiliated with the community arts organization Unbound Visual Arts, explored the theme of physical and mental well-being in various media, including, but not limited to, painting, quilts, and photography.

The exhibit was curated by John Quatrale.

My friend Phoebe Ann Erb presented a series of collages celebrating the folk wisdom of eating an apple a day, but with a twist - on Sunday, just rest under an apple tree! It's a palatable message (pun intended) as portrayed by Phoebe's seven engaging collages, in which she melds her gouache painting with vintage fabrics and paper.

A collage a day...work by Phoebe Ann Erb.

The work below, by Ruth Rieffanaugh, offers advice even more directly. The density of the text is reminiscent of those package inserts which accompany medications, but the warmth of the wood and informal quality of the lettering suggests the inner monologue of someone confronted with, but not conquered by, illness or other challenges.  One of my favorite lines in this work: "You can become off balance seeking stability."

Musings, Ruth Rieffanaugh.

Musings, detail.

The fascinating pen drawings in the image above were begun by Dianne (Iyan) Freeman while she recuperated from surgery.  Beauty can rise from the most unpromising of circumstances.

Reflection, a Self-Portrait, Dianne (Iyan) Freeman.

I Have Hip Dysplasia, Grace Luk.

Humor was in evidence too. We are all familiar with the Snellen eye chart; a standard, reliable method of measuring visual acuity.  In the digital print above, artist Grace Luk uses the familiar chart to communicate information about another condition which may not be so easily "seen."

Seattle Garlic Cluster, Francis Gardino.

Since this blog began with an apple, why not end with another food associated with a healthy diet and good nutrition?  Garlic was historically used both as a food and a medicine, and the plump bulbs in the photograph above, glowing in their purple net packaging, look ready for the kitchen. 

Time Travel aboard the Frigate L'Hermione

Rigging of L'Hermione.

L'Hermione in port.

Just in time for Bastille Day, the Marquis de Lafayette arrived in Boston aboard the 32-gun, three-masted frigate L'Hermione. Say "The hair-MY-knee" in English, or impress your friends with your grasp of French pronunciation and say "LAIR-me-own."

All right, all right, reality must intrude. The tall ship which visited in Boston on July 11 and 12th is a replica of the original frigate which brought the young Marquis de Lafayette to Boston in 1780.  The Marquis, a great friend of General Washington, proved an invaluable asset during the Revolutionary War.  Learn more about the L'Hermione project at http://www.hermione2015.com/index.html 

A crew member, dress as the Marquis, is shown below, with one of the many helpful volunteers who assisted visitors.  L'Hermione is visiting several North American ports, including Boston and New York,  this summer, and then will "rentrez chez elle" - return to her home port - in Rochefort, France.

Marquis de Lafayette and volunteer.

So, how does this have anything to do with fiber?  Well, in addition to the acres of sail canvas, furled while she was moored in the harbor, there are literally miles of rope - more properly called lines - used in a myriad of ways on board. The lines are twined from natural fibers such as jute and, in a concession to modern requirements, polyester filament.

Originally rope was made outdoors in areas called rope walks; later extremely long, narrow buildings housed the manufacture of rope in which lengths of manila, sisal or jute filament were twisted together.

The humble rope is essential.

Exterior of the ship.

Stern of the ship.

The ship was quite a popular attraction; we arrived at Rowe's Wharf early in the morning and were able to board after just a short wait. One hundred and twenty visitors were allowed on at one time.

On deck.

The lifeboats.

Looking up.

Ship's bell, and crew member's footwear.

The co-ed crew dressed in period costumes; we chatted with the crew member in the image below, and, using Franglais, learned that the timbers for the massive masts came from Oregon, and that most of the constituent parts of the ship were made not only from traditional materials but using traditional techniques as well.

Able seaman.

In addition to the French ship and crew, a contingent of Minutemen from Lexington were part of the celebration, including the father and daughter depicted below. Their wonderful period costumes were developed and made by fashion designer Ruth Hodges, of Lincoln.

Minuteman and daughter talk the helm.

Everyone gets a turn.

Happy Fourth of July!

Our town puts on a great pyrotechnics show.

Our town produces a wonderful fireworks display every year, as part of traditional festivities which include carnival rides, carnival food - fried dough, anyone? - and a local band playing patriotic favorites. A good time was had by all.

"Wonder of Wool" exhibit at the American Textile History Museum

Coverlet, Pennsylvania, late 19th - early 20th century, detail.

From May 20 through December 31, 2015, the American Textile History Museum features a special exhibit, the Wonder of Wool: Ancient Fiber to Modern Marvel.

The show displays quite a variety of sheep- and wool-related objects illuminating the romance, and science, of this protein (animal-derived) fiber.  One highlight is a "please touch" wall of yarns as well as woolen fabrics, both woven and knit.

Adorable exhibit free bookmark - take several home. I did.

View of the Stevens gallery.

Tactile delight!

The image below is a wall collage of Green Mountain Spinnery mohair-blend yarn, from our neighboring state of Vermont. Luscious colors.

Wool takes dye beautifully.

The exhibit featured fashions old and new, including a late 19th-century catalog, and ladies undergarment, from "Dr. Jaeger's Sanitary Woolen System Co."  The British apparel company Jaeger was founded to produce long-johns based on the hygiene theories of German physician Gustav Jaeger (1832 - 1917.)

Before there was Victoria's Secret.

Up-to-date fashions.

The exhibit of modern apparel trumpeted wool's continuing role in high fashion, in part aided by the sustainability movement - sheep regrow their fleece each year.  Although I recognized some of the names represented, such as Massachusetts native Joseph Abboud and, of course, Pendleton, discoveries include newer labels Wool & Prince and Ramblers Way Farm.

After touring the exhibit we wandered into one of the educational spaces within the museum.  We were delighted to encounter the work of weaver Antonia Kormos on the classroom walls.

Classroom with looms.

Work by master weaver Antonia Kormos.

The Shepherd Boy, unknown artist, 1840's.

Although the information presented in the Wonder of Wool exhibit will be familiar to most textile mavens, it was still a treat to encounter 19th-century sheep-themed ephemera, such as this hand-colored wood engraving, from a design by an unidentified artist and sold by Boston vendor J. Fisher.   Note to the museum shop: I would happily buy a reproduction of this charming image if one were available.

Quilters' Connection Quilt Show

Circle Game/What Was I Thinking? Karen Swiech.

The end of May brought an end to a chapter in the saga of my quilt guild, Quilters' Connection. Our annual show blanketed the walls of the Arsenal Center for the Arts for the last time. After ten years in residency, the guild has decided to up sticks and move to a convention center at Bentley College, in Waltham.  Here, for the last time, are scenes from the Arsenal Center.

Quilts at the entry.

There are no visitors in these images as I took them the day before the show opened as part of my duty as assistant quilt show photographer. The show featured a good variety of quilt genres again this year - traditional quilts, landscape creations, figurative work, etc. - as well as apparel and fashion accessories. 

The quilts in this blog post are simply ones which spoke to me, but all the quilts and wearables will be on view on the guild's Flickr site soon.

Quilts line the walls.

Spider-Spun Beach Balls, Carol Anne Grotrian.

The non-juried guild show is very egalitarian, as the work of nationally-recognized artists, such as Carol Anne Grotrian and Nancy Halpern, hangs in neighborly relation to artwork by folks like me, for whom quilting is the continuation of a family tradition, or who simply find joy in the act of creating something unique with their hands (and sewing machines.)  Enjoy, and remember that each image can be enlarged by clicking on it.

New Goose on the Block, Nancy Halpern; quilted by Ruth McDowell.

Time in a Bottle, Diane French Chait.

Pool Pleasure, Deborah Rocha.

Fear the Beard, Rosemary Bawn.

Low Volume Tiles, Michelle Gallant.

Batik Neighborhood, Margaret Rolph.

Slot Canyon at Tent Rocks, Susan Stemporzewski.

View of the Bridge, Kathleen Walsh.

Love in a Daze, Elizabeth Chamberlain Habich.

Although it's unclear whether the guild will be able to mount a show at Bentley, I certainly hope we continue this tradition of sharing our work with each other and with the wider world.