wanderings

I didn't take very many photos on my trip, but these deep purple wandering jew plants, vine covered walls and Ginger the cat were special enough to be documented.

back in a bit...

Hi friends, it's that time again.  Time to give my little fingertips a bit of a break from glass shards, foiling coils and hot soldering irons.  While I'm away I'll be leaving both shops open here and here.  Any orders placed will be made or sent once I return!

I may pop up on twitter or instagram (both @glassandsnacks) when I find free wifi, but otherwise, have a great week :)

* sadly I will not be visiting the stunning place pictured, I'll be back soon Wales...

trip: storm king

On Saturday we had a mini art-themed roadtrip to Storm King Art Center in NY state. It was that perfect first roadtrip of summer. I think we talked so much in the car that the drive up and back went by in a flash. Virginia even got some sewing finished in the first hour of the drive.  I am a bit embarrassed to admit that my favorite part of the park may have been the new honeybee hives.  The heat hasn't affected my brain so much that I've forgotten bees are not art, but they are pretty amazing creatures!  Besides the bees, my next favorite thing was finally getting to see Andy Goldsworthy's stone wall (see last photo).  Overall, a great trip (and only a bit of sunburned shoulders)!  We're already planning a trip back again this winter.

wissahickon walk

On Saturday we went for a walk in Wissahickon Park.  We used to go for walks all the time in England and that's one of the things I've been missing lately about that little island.  From the moment we stepped into the woods we had so much fun, jumping across stones and over fallen trees.   Every tree seemed to have a different story, some covered in vines, others in mushrooms.  My favorite was the trunk with insect tracks visible in the wood.  And I always have a soft spot for moss.  I'm really looking forward to exploring the rest of the park as the weather gets nice :)

go west

Some photos from this past weekend in Pittsburgh.  It was a windy one!

The Andy Warhol Museum

Primanti Bros.

baby it's cold outside

fire dodecahedron lamp :: some new birds

 For some reason this week I just couldn't shake the chills.  It's probably why I've been working with a lot of fire themed colors lately, in the hopes that those reds, oranges and yellows will generate some warmth!  This weekend I'm heading on a roadtrip to Pittsburgh to have a belated bday celebration for one of my best friends.  I'm looking forward to some time on the road (hopefully my roadtriping partner likes Bruce) and I'm planning on remembering my camera to capture some moments. 

Next week I'm going to be tinkering with my website layout/design, so if you stop by and things are looking weird that's why.  Hopefully I'll get them ironed out, but I just wanted to give a heads up!  Also from now through Monday I'm offering 15% off in my Etsy shop with code spring15, so go on, treat yourself :)

inspire: fallingwater

I find that the most inspiring places I go to for ideas are out in the natural world.  There is nothing more interesting than the shapes that nature can create over thousands and millions of years. 

These photos are a bit old now.  They're from a trip I took out to Falling Water (the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Mill Run, PA) with my friends.  You can see how Wright took care to make the buildings one with nature and to mirror the surroundings, often even bringing the outside to the inside, so that the house feels it grew from the rocks.  As interesting as the house was, I found the land that it sits on to be the most interesting.

For me it was all about the sandstone.  These massive walls created by compressed sand over millenia.  They are geometric and hard, and yet they undulate and seem to follow the river that has helped to give its shape.  As with most inspiring things, I don't know yet how these rocks will materialize in my work.  What new shapes or colors or play of light they will bring out.  But I know that for now this experience is sitting in the back of my mind and is probably already oozing into my new work.

I also liked this little natural garden, which was growing in a nook of the house's balcony. 

Here, nature is everywhere.