Making a Change

Its been a while since I've posted a Merry Bright blog, but its all good news...

Merging art, design, and science teaching is a lot of fun!

A new blog will start soon, with the nuts and bolts of how

the aesthetics and art of science can be used

to engage a broader range of learners.

Its going to highlight the work Mark and I are doing

with our classes, so ideas can be copied, critiqued, altered, etc.

Yes, science IS beautiful!

Meanwhile, I am only going to do occasional updates on this blog site,

thru 2014, when I hope to amass enough thoughts and pieces to

publish a Merry & Bright Christmas Celebration Journal.

In the mean time, thank-you, and big hugs!

- Lesley

Berry Colossal Crunch

For an amazing food deal in our hometown,

nothing beats the Grocery Outlet.

Of course, it can lead to moments like this, buying giant bags

of Berry Colossal Crunch (a Crunch Berries substitute).

Its even bigger than our new staple: bags of yellow potatoes.

Nothing beats a trunk-full of food for less than $150,

with at least a few frivolous fun things.

Irving Penn Still Lifes II

Irving Penn can take a flower to a point of artificial splendor,

but I know him best for...

Clinique ads.

Lipstick like a luscious dessert.

Trinkets to collect and treasure.

Even the flotsam of humanity is given

this elevated focus.

Irving Penn Still Lifes I

Probably most people have been wowed by an Irving Penn

magazine cover or advertisement at some time...

A whole book of back-to-back photos really hits home

how memorable his arrangements are.

A modern take on still life, complete with fauna.

"pre-construction" as a modern version of deconstruction.

Playful arrangements of like shapes.

Graphic tension in photos that can draw out memories.

Even decay and the wormiest of apples have their
place in Penn's world of beauty.

Party Time

You just know this is going to be a good day!

Make it Real

SARK books show up all the time at Goodwill, and thank goodness

they do, or I may have missed the author's juicy & saucy inspiration.

The best (and simplest) recomendation so far?  Don't just think it,

plan it, dream it...physically make it.  That way you have something

tangible to share and improve, and who knows, it may be awesome

from the start!

I love planning, and the "Make it Real" mantra is perfect for me.

I have the wonderful dilemma of so many fun things to do,

its sometimes hard to know where to start...postage art?  calligraphy?

scrapbook journaling?  assemblage?  Its all fun!

And even better, its now all going to augment my teaching through

four art exhibits, each with at least four "galleries" of pieces.

Yep, I kick butt on the planning, now I need to start making :).

Doing & Dichotomies

"The Book of Doing" by Allison Arden has me thinking

of the various things I do (imagine, explore, collect,

design, create) and what I'd like the people who

interact with my work to be able to do (think,

feel, make, share, remember).

This creative tension between artists and participant has

been making me think of the dichotomies we're immersed in

every day like nature vs. man-made, timeless vs. current...

Precious in Pink

Two new glorious finds from Goodwill, a pink duo:

Micro Minis from American Girl features miniature scenes

you can construct from beads and more.

The instructions are easy to follow, and the final product is impressive.

Tricia Guild's Pattern is a delight, starting from the velvet-embossed

cover, and getting better with every beautifully produced page.

There is of course, plenty of pink...

...and expensive-looking materials to ogle.

This book is substantial, a delight to hold and enjoy.

The Salmon of Doubt

 If you, like me, miss the great Douglas Adams

(Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and more),

its worth reading The Salmon of Doubt a collection

of works found on Adam's computer hard drives.

Just reading a few passages improves my writing ten-fold.

Daniel Smith Triads

The best deal in watercolors are the Daniel Smith triad packs

that you can snag on sale during one of their many promotions.

Here are my latest four sets:

Ballet, Hydrangea, Canadian Geese, and Alpine Wildflowers.

In addition to the three watercolor tubes,

 There is an insert with product information and a painting idea.

On sale, this is a $100.00 watercolor order from Daniel Smith:
15 15ml tubes, two sets of sample dots, and 10 half pans.
For this quality of paints the price is right.

Dose of Rubies

The color that motivates me the most is ruby red.

Lab created stones pack a potent punch of color.

The subtle and shifting variations in red are mesmerizing.

Cloud Gazing

 I love that feeling when you are super-relaxed, gazing at clouds,

and the mind sees impossible things.

Is that the letter "A" up there?

Office Rainbows

Its occurred to me my world is getting more and more colorful,
and that's evident in my office and professional life too.

My projects and planning have taken on more flavor...

I'm extending beyond the sciences to the beauty of the arts.

Lecture shoes next to greenhouse boots, both in full-on pink.

A bit of stray Vera Bradley for extra punch.

Bold new designs match zany new ideas.

The quest for color and pattern is permeating into our courses.

It all seems a bit happier and fun.

Living in a Rainbow

A few weeks ago it just hit me how much more colorful my

world is becoming, both figuratively and literally.

 

It started with actually physically collecting colorful things.

The physical light and sparkly spectrum kept me company on

some of my darkest days.

Then my mind broadened "colorful" to mean variety: tastes, smells,

a wider range of thoughts and experiences.

But I'll keep taking my visual rainbow with me everywhere too.