Gratitude Attitude

Deciding to do something unusual this Thanksgiving, we joined a surprising number of other townsfolk who had the same idea, and headed over to a stately local mansion to enjoy the bounty of nature's munificence and the welcome gift of unseasonably warm weather.

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The elegant Marshall Field Estate is located on a tiny isolated spit of land in our neighborhood called Lloyds Neck. On the cusp of Lloyd Harbor, it calls an ungodly amount of rolling green acres its own; containing a still working equine stables, a once functioning dairy farm, a restored red brick high walled secret garden, destroyed decayed and shattered greenhouses, an enormous Winter Cottage, a equally huge Summer Cottage, and all manner of servants' quarters housing that I always lust to live in. All of this is in addition to the main brick Mansion itself which proudly overlooks the Sound to Connecticut beyond.

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Our five mile walk began at the large white New England style dairy farm and took us through extraordinarily colorful lush fragrant woodlands redolant of salt and fallen leaves, past the main Mansion, all the way to the gently lapping waters of the Sound. We completely enjoyed encountering all manner of wildlife including a threateningly vigilant rather large hawk. We were grateful that we were not on his menu for Thanksgiving dinner.

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It was a picture perfect day. What is that first picture you ask? Why, that is the very soft nose of the very large horse who came over to kiss me.

Plump Comfort

Days are darkening ever earlier. The moon glows coldly in the night sky. Winter is coming.

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Curl by the flickering fireplace, nestled in your favorite chair, let your hand rest lightly upon this book. As it snows, pick it up. Begin.

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A Gothic book lover's book in the style of "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights", it starts deliciously set in an old bookshop and I found myself lost amidst images of dusty volumes begging to be lovingly perused and gently opened, agreeing wholeheartedly as I read,

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"I've nothing against people who love the truth. Apart from the fact that they make dull companions. Just so long as they don't start on about storytelling and honesty, the way some of them do. Naturally, that annoys me. But provided they leave me alone, I won't hate them. My gripe is not with lovers of the truth but with truth herself. What succor, what consolation is there in truth, compared to a story? What good is truth, at midnight, in the dark, when the wind is roaring like a bear in the chimney? When the lightening strikes shadows in the bedroom wall and the rain taps at the window with its long fingernails? No. When fear and cold make a statue of you in your bed, don't expect hard-boned and fleshless truth to come running to your aid. What you need are the plump comforts of a story. The soothing, rocking safety of a lie."

A Good Ambassador

At the show, as ScaryMary and I wandered, her eyes would widen and her smile would brighten. I said, "I'll make sure to show you the book that I have. You will love it."
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Oddly entitled, "Who Won Second Place at Omaha?" it was written by Diane Kagan and Meryl Joseph. A kind and thoughtful rare book dealer believed that it would make an appropriate addition to my eclectic library; so he saved it for me.
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Here it is. You can click to enlarge the image.
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The text reads, "Not visible to the naked ear. I have the most extraordinary ear - I can hear sounds that are not visible to the naked ear. I hear whispers that are meant for another world: hisses, squeals, kissing and dark laughter. My ear is cultivated to such a degree that I see sounds and listen with my eyes instead. this is necessary in my house, which is shared with so many others from all walks of life and places on earth. I have developed perceptions that stand me in good stead when it comes to maintaining order- which is not always easy here. On occasion chaos had occurred. At those times one must be highly skilled and experienced in diplomatic relations. I've often thought I'd make a good ambassador to the world of the less-than-human but more-than-inanimate creatures. "

Polly

I get a call this morning from someone who was not able to attend the show. Through ripples of laughter, I was told that flamingos might try to escape by flying north, but that they will never be able to escape east coast doll people. "You don't mess with doll people!" I was admonished. "No, I wouldn't dream of it" I said.

Then I was asked, "And WHAT was that scary thing that you had on your shoulder??" I said, "Polly? You've never met Polly?" She said that no, she had never ever seen anything scary on my shoulder and that it was so scary and the person was so frightened that she couldn't even describe it. My caller said, "Is it a dragonfly?" I said, "Oh lord, good heavens, no. Certainly nothing like a dragonfly."

Polly is huge. Polly is approximately six inches long and five inches high. Polly has pokey little legs to perch properly on one's shoulder. Polly is a fine art sculpture created by Richard, a professional artist who lives in a multitude of acres in upstate New York. He is not to be confused with island resident Richard Gardner, who produced "Bebe": the photographic exhibition of my work and that with A.D. People who missed yesterday's show, and who would like to see Window, can visit http://www.richardgardnerphotography.com/ . The Richard who created Polly has a degree in Fine Arts and produces sculpture for a living. Last I spoke to him, his work is not online and is available only through shows and galleries.
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As the physical incarnation of Richard's muse, Polly is extremely special. Richard is a Vietnam vet who came back safely and began to make Polly to share his good fortune with others. Others, who are typically artists and art lovers. Polly is discussed often and the consensus is: only someone with the heart and soul of an artist can appreciate Polly and wear Polly with the love and pride that Polly deserves. Polly often accompanies me to my rare public appearances at shows or exhibitions and immediately identifies me as a member of the fine arts community to others of that same community. Outsiders are alternatively intrigued or appalled, attracted or repulsed. Polly wards off 'normal' people nicely.
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When Richard came back from Vietnam, he attributed his homecoming to the angel that sat on his shoulder. This angel, he said, never left his side for the entire war. He is grateful that this angel brought him home to do his art. He named the angel Polly, because of the parrots that sat on pirates' shoulders while they were at sea.
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Like a parrot, as an angel, Polly has wings. Polly is a Spark Bug; out of Polly's butt is a spark plug. Polly's snout is a doll hand, with the little finger pointing. The spark of creativity comes from its butt and shoots out its snout, just like in the Michelangelo painting. Polly's eyes are red glass and Richard's wife would not let him make them light up. Polly's wings make the sound of helicopter blades flying over 'nam. Helicopters meant food and rescue; their blades a welcome sound.
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Richard also makes Pollys big enough to put on the roof of your house, in case you'd like big time protection. All Pollys are one of a kind and completely different. But, like the finest art that they are, all are recognizable Pollys. And, just when you thought that all of this is more information than you ever could want to know about how wonderful and how incredible and how special Polly is, the story of Polly gets even better.
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There is a heart painted upon each Polly's back. Polly comes in two sexes. You can choose whether you would like a male Polly or whether you would prefer a female Polly. My Polly is a "well balanced male". And how, do you tell the difference? Everyone asks. Well, female Pollys have heart. Males have a heart on.
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Eye of the Beholder

These are the Flamingo show photographs for anyone who might have missed the show or for anyone who would like to relive the experience.
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Orchid lovers gathered for lunch and laughed and laughed. We gathered again for dinner, continued the party, and laughed and laughed some more. Fans know they get special treats. One of the things that we laughed over was that someone actually stole one of the things that I made as a 'giveaway' item.
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Strolling through the show together, ScaryMary and I agreed that we like Kewpies; Kewpies are good. My mother always said that I looked exactly like a Kewpie when I was born. Now, isn't that wonderful?
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Anyone who missed Window at the show can visit her this upcoming holiday season at Ripe Gallery, http://www.ripeartgal.com/ . The RipeArtGal will also be carrying Jeanne's exquisite doll sized French Beaded Flower Bouquets.
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As you can see, at this show there was something for everyone. For those who look closely, you will see you could even get a little head.

Doll Toy Memorabilia Show

And sale. This Sunday, November 18th, on the South Shore of the island. Eleven in the morning until four o'clock in the afternoon. The location is north of Sunrise. If you are planning to go, double check the location, because over the year it has changed.

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The rumors are true; I have agreed to participate in the show. Window will be on display before she goes off to the gallery for the Christmas season. I expect Jeanne to be available with doll sized bouquets of French beaded flowers.

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This is also a good time to use the flamingo photo to tell you that we are planning, amongst the other fairy tales that are begging to be done, "Alice in Wonderland". Available after April 2008, "Alice" will be another collaborative piece who will be near and dear to our hearts. Doing "Alice" also allows us to present lots of rabbits. So, you can look forward to Alice, and rabbits, and flamingos for April 2008. Among other things.

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If you love dolls, toys, the quaint or the ridiculous, please make our day and stop by to say hello. The quaint and the ridiculous is what I plan to bring to the show.

New Shoes for Orchid

We took a chance. A.D. and I decided to do the "you have to be in it to win it" thing: we decided to go for several pairs of shoes that were being sold at a steep discount. The catch being that you bought multiple pairs sight unseen.
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We decided that we lucked out. Out of nine pairs, only two were 'iffy'. Even those there is absolutely nothing wrong with other than our personal taste.
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Orchid gets to keep one new pair of wonderful boots and the darling pink pumps in the photograph. We were discussing the difference between her new boots and her 'old' ones. The old ones are in the photograph. They are entirely different from the new ones. Due to the angle of the picture, it is difficult to see that the old boots are almost twice as tall as the new boots. They also have chains up the front whereas the new ones lace.
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Orchid will be not have a break until the middle of January. A.D. and I decided that for such a hard working girl, she should have some great presents. What girl doesn't love shoes?

He Talks

When people call, they too often say, "Oh, I hear your cat." Or worse, "What are you doing to the cat?" You've heard his voice. This is what he looks like.
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People who don't know him, who have never met him, who have never heard him, say, "Oh, he talks. He says, 'Meow'. That's nice." Those who have heard him, know that he doesn't say, "Meow". "Meow" is probably not in his vocabulary.
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When he speaks, he enunciates in complete sentences creating fully composed paragraphs expounding upon specific ideas. Worse yet, his verbose dissertations require a response. If you try to ignore him, he speaks louder and more insistently, and will begin to stamp his feet in frustration. Or, worse yet, he will climb on the marble table and become eye level in order to talk in your face. He is candy sweet, he is furball lovable, and he talks. Big time.
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What he actually sounds like is a lost dialect of Chinese. If someone had ever asked us whether we would have liked a 'talking cat' we would have replied emphatically, "Oh, yes! Please!!"
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He also does other bad things. He steals pincushions and he sucks on Orchid's underwear.
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Do not ever wish for a talking cat.

Orchid's Surprise

Actually, Orchid already knows what the 'surprise' is. It's now about everyone else being surprised.

This photo was taken specifically for CasaBlanca, who simply begged and begged, ever so sweetly, for a peek at what we are working on. Well, as you can see, our collaborative exhibition show piece for 2008 is still under wraps. This is all anyone who is not working on the piece will see until this upcoming January.

Fully jointed; possessing thirteen points of articulation. So finely crafted that the piece will stand without any support, A.D. has again produced another magnificent one-of-a-kind sculpt.

Rika Imma

There are those who accurately perceive the pervasive Japanese influence in the work of A.D. and the more subtle but ever present love of the oriental presented in my own. For those who share our interest in twenty-first century fine art figure making, I offer you the following excursion down the rabbit hole: http://imago.xrea.jp/studio.php

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The site is that of Japanese bisque artist Rika Imma. Enjoy her lovely site and then follow the links that she offers for maximum pleasure. Set aside an entire evening, dim the lights, have your tea ready, because you are sure to get lost in Wonderland.

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I remind you that our figures are neither bisque, nor porcelain; we use a variety of clays. However, if you love what we do, you should certainly enjoy what Rika Imma has to show you. Eerie. Haunting. Not for the faint of heart. Gloriously ghostly. Curiously alive.

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To give you a hint, I have taken a photograph of Shimizu's work. Shimizu works in clay, as do we. If any of the links take you to her, you will have found an artist whom we believe to be an extra special Japanese treasure. She is a kindred spirit on the other side of the world.

Starry Starry Night

ScaryMary thought this was wonderful. I agreed. VanGogh has been one of my favorites since childhood.
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If you love VanGogh, as we do, visit http://www.flashdemo.net/gallery/show.aspx?id=43 when you would like to take a break for a couple of minutes. Sound is a bonus, but not required.

Cooler Than a Moose

Could there be such a thing? You've heard the expression, right? "As cool as a moose." This moose is very cool and he's been around a long time.

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Heading west, out of our neighborhood, 106/107 to 25 to 25B, past the little cobblestone church with the glorious stained glass window, over the rail road tracks, and across from PeterAndrew's is a small red brick restaurant pub with flower boxes and green awnings. An island land mark that has been a mainstay since the mid-1970's, the establishment has recently changed hands.

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Over the years, there have been several owners. All have managed to maintain the menu for which they have paid dearly and have kept some semblance of the original quality. Not this time. Unless it changes hands again, don't go; not good.

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The only good thing that's still the same is the moose.

The Society of S

Let us rejoice
While we are young.
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Exploring immortality, family, choices and values. Reminiscent of the underground best seller The Lovely Bones , as well as Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, The Society of S appears destined for years of enjoyment as well as a sequel.
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The first photograph lends a clue to subject matter. Don't be afraid to read the book; it's far more wonderful than it is scary.
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Actually, the 'Teddie' in the photograph is scarier than the book. I created him from vintage real fur.

Be Witched

On Halloween we went out to dinner. Before the stroke of midnight, slipping back into our neighborhood as if we'd never left it, we decided to eschew all the normal routes of ingress and egress.

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We have long been certain that on Halloween there's decadent deviltry afoot, although all we've ever found evidence of is familial fun. Never the less, in our very quiet dark neighborhood, all beloved black cats are kept indoors on this special night.

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As we traveled a short cut back to our hill, we discovered to our utmost delight, this life-size witch and her feline companions. Eerily in the late evening the perpetually full moon glowed ochre.

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Personally, I'm very fond of silhouettes. This one made our night. We loved it; we voted it the very best seasonal decoration in the neighborhood.

Red Sky at Night

Sailor's Delight.
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As we stepped into the twilight on All Hallows Eve, this was the captivating, bewitching view from our back slate patio.
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I have told you that we live in the woods.

Hair to There

Orchid is, now, for the entire month of November 2007, participating and on display with the Fiber Exhibition, in Jericho, over in the next county. Yes, her elaborate clothing constitutes the 'fiber' part that qualifies her to be there.
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In the photograph, along with a sneak peak of the getting-to-be-infamous Red Teddie, is the dark hair piece which Orchid is wearing for this exhibit. Orchid's two-tone hair, was imported from China by A.D.; it shimmers and changes from a lavender to a sea foam green. Naturally straight, it cascades down her back, passes her shapely legs, and gently brushes her ankles. Her glorious hair enables her to play leading lady in The Little Mermaid, Lady Godiva, or Rapunzel at a moment's notice. Orchid's hair will be down for viewing in October 2008 when she greets her Frog Prince.
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In the Jericho exhibit you have a chance to glimpse a portion of the fairytale "The Nightingale". Orchid has gone distinctly Oriental and is wearing her hair in my version of a traditional Far Eastern up-do. The vintage golden comb in the photograph anchors her hair in place and can be seen in the exhibit.
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For newcomers from Jericho who have never seen my work before, this is a good time to thank you for coming and thank you for liking Orchid enough to want to find out more. Please feel free to bookmark this blog and to become an 'Orchid groupie'; Orchid is always up to something wonderful and we've discovered that more is always merrier. So, please, don't be stangers.
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It's also a good time to remind everyone that Orchid is a collaborative work between myself and A.D. Puchalski. Orchid is completely hand sculpted and is one-of-a-kind and, as her fans well know, has a life of her own. Orchid has won 'the Triple'; the highest award given for doll art in the United States. A.D. is primarily a graphics illustrator, resides in another state, and can be reached here: www.angeldevilland.com . The 'yakuza Necro Bun', yes, that tattooed white "tentacle reaching rabbit" who is intent on getting the lovely blue Nightingale, is pure A.D.; colorful, adorable, Necromiconies are each constructed individually with pretty much no two being the same. Necro buns are on hand at the equally colorful Ripe Art Gallery www.ripeartgal.com . If you don't 'get it' and hand-sewen tentacles aren't your 'thing', don't worry about it; Necromiconies are best understood by lovers of H.P. Lovecraftian fiction and lore.
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For questions, comments, or directions to the Jericho exhibit use email: info@cathycara.com . Information on the Guild who organized the exhibit can be found here: www.licg.org .