August Newsletter
NO. 25 | August 2023
Hello, I say with tears bursting from my eyes. It’s been too long! I missed this newsletter, and also, in reality I waited until the last minute to write it, as I feel quite unmoored and didn’t know how to express that to you here. Then, I decided I would just tell you. I am untethered, waiting, floating, caught between, limbo-d, scrambling, sitting, enjoying, anticipating, and writing.
So much has happened since we last spoke. I’m most excited to share the blog post with you today, which will cover much of our time apart. But, the fact is that it doesn’t get to everything! I’m spending my last clock-ticking weeks in Chicago. I signed a lease in a brand new (to me, obviously) part of the country. Already, I feel between homes, though I guess I have felt that way for many months, too. I’m building a killer spreadsheet about everything I want for and from my new home, and I’m filling up calendar days with goodbye lunches and game nights, which feels pretty hard.
And the truth is that the residency kind of rocked my world. It offered me so many alternatives to the life I was living here. So now I’m spending time pondering what the days I have returned to should look like. With so much in flux, I’m not expecting answers anytime soon. So day-by-day I’m reckoning with different pieces of what’s happening. I’m sorting and getting rid of stuff in my apartment, shelf by shelf. I’m working. I’m playing frisbee. I’m crazy-texting Emilio about buying the last semi-affordable rug in a style I like for our new kitchen. I’m letting intuition guide any art-making that feels right before I go. I’m taking a little longer to respond to text messages. And that’s what I’ve got for you.
If you’re a Chicago loved one, you’ll be hearing from me soon. Or, also, text me! I don’t want to miss seeing a single friendly smile before I go.
Look: Tofte Lake Artist Residency Part 1
The first part of my experience as an Artist in Residence.
Almost all the makin’ I’ve been doing happened at the residency, so I’ll have to hold you in suspense until next month. But I have been doing a lot of livin’. Pictured here: Zinnias grown by the talented Daniela Zwischenberger of Laurelwood Blooms, my best dog friend Rio, and double croc action in an upstate-NY rowboat.
With the upcoming move, I’ve continued to spend a lot of time enthralled with textiles for the home. I’m a big fan of Tara Faughnan’s quilts, in many ways, but largely because of her commitment to solids (un-patterened fabrics). I find my own quilting inclinations heading that way, so I am always feasting on her palettes and combinations. Her works feels traditional and contemporary at the same time.
☆ I mentioned The Overstory in my blog post. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, especially nice taken in when surrounded by trees.
☆ NYT has a beta (and free) new game called Connections. It’s kinda fun.
☆ I enjoy Lizzy Stewart’s newsletter, Paintpot.
☆ The recipe for the Blueberry Basil Tart in my blog post is from The Farmer’s Daughter Bakes.
☆ Dreaming about interior decorating via Domino Mag.
