A Quiet Place

Today, I needed a quiet place. My head was spinning with writing and painting projects. Not to mention my favorite way to procrastinate, experiments with color. The phone wouldn't stop ringing.

Time to unplug. I thought about Holly. She wrote a piece yesterday about living at a slower pace which really spoke to me. I've been so envious of her move to Germany, and am fascinated with watching her create her life. Her life is art. I am so grateful she is sharing her journey with us. She is teaching me a lot.

We can't all move to Germany. But we can all live as art. We can move at a slower pace where we are. This is my environment. I write about what I know. And for some odd reason, I love my city. I love Lake Erie and I love the sky. As you know, I even love gray.

And today, I am so grateful to be able to take a long walk in the middle of the day. A luxury I have seldom known. In my favorite season, Autumn.

Blame it on the sky

Cleveland's skies are a never-ending source of fascination. It is these skies that have taught me to love gray.

But I think it's these skies that also make me want to hibernate. Isn't this the most beautiful bedroom you've ever seen? If I went in there, I'd never come out. Image Lucinda Symons.

My City

I'm not sure why, but I love Cleveland. I have dreams for her. I'd like to see her become a mecca for the arts.

Euclid Avenue is shaping up nicely. There are a lot of new street art pieces. I love the concrete flower holders.

About 10 years ago they built three - that's right three - new stadiums and a convocation center. That year all of the little shop owners in the arcades were forced out. The arcades have never recovered. Shop after shop remains empty. I miss those little shops.

It's a funny thing about empty shops. Sometimes a lone piece of art remains in the window. Such is the case with this cute teapot. Why is it there? Who put it there? A vestige in a ghost town.

That was also the case with this beautiful watercolor. It was in a window. To a shop that was empty. Around other shops. That were also empty.

Another strange phenomenon occurs when a shop is full of stuff, but it is never open. This shop looks interesting, but is a tease. It's never open. I need to rethink supporting Target.

Out and About, Vol. II

I always carry my camera when I am out and about. Below I wrote about my day thrifting in the city, and focused mainly on pottery. Today I'd like to focus on paintings. I saw a great many vintage and amateur paintings that day. All reasonably priced and already framed. A couple of them are tempting me. If you need art for your home and are on a budget, thrifts shops are a great way to go.



I found this sweet little postcard by Anthony Merritt, I want a poster of it! Made in the 216, is an indie event featuring artists, musicians and food, and devoted to the local economy. It is sponsored by Room Service, and I'm sorry I missed it. I will be sure to check it out next year.

Apparently, interesting things are happening with the development of the Gordon Square Arts District. I must check out the lofts before the construction is complete and they are all gone. I will keep you updated on these developments.

I spotted what appears to be a gallery, called the Glass Bubble Project. I think this wall is too fab. Wish I'd painted it! I intend to investigate further and will keep you posted.

Reasons to Live, No. 96

When you're feeling blue, the cosmos will send you an angel ..... or two. All you have to do is listen.

Image via Cloud 9.

That day the angels took the form of Wesley Washington and Jimmy Love, together they are Cloud 9. And the name is appropriate.

Now it's not unusual for me to go to lunch feeling blue. But that particular day, I was almost numb, lifeless. As I walked to the The Arcade, I felt empty and not present. I can't even remember what my turkey sandwich tasted like, or if I even ate it.

Then I heard sweet music. Guitar, singing and the most beautiful whistling. I looked and saw two angels serenading me. The lyrics were especially poignant. "You can be a superhero," they said.

Image by Peggy.

The melancholy was no contender for these sweet guys. The ennui vanished, my mood uplifted. I stopped to chat them up. Wanted to let them know that I appreciated their art. Two guys, just doin' their thing, workin' to make their dreams come true, is how they described themselves. Yeah, cuz corporate jobs are death, said one. I may be paraphrasing - or maybe even projecting.

The message was clear. We just need to remember who we are. And we can be anything we choose to be - even a superhero.

Thanks for the love guys. I wish you all the best. One day I'll be saying, I knew them when.

Image by Peggy. For more peace sign photography, click here.

Lamp Tramp

And now it's time for another episode of Lamp Tramp. Only seems right to get a lamp fix, since we've had our pottery fix this week. As my readers know, I love me some lamps. Almost as much as I love pottery, or as much as I love pottery ... whatever. Here are some fine lamps that I actually saw IN PERSON for the first time. I had only known these lamps in the virtual world. These lamps are all out of my price range (even on sale) and were at a store called Surroundings, in the heart of the warehouse district, downtown Cleveland. Cleveland needs many more hip stores since there are so many cool lofts and urban developments happening. The flats are located near the warehouse district and would be a great place to turn into a design, art, and furniture mecca. Fuck the tit and sports bar, we already have a ton of those, and people are still broke. But today is not about politics, it's about lamps. Hope you enjoy!




The Bourgie lamp. I almost shit when I saw this. I am sure Heaven must be lined with these lamps.



Caboche by Patricia Urquiola.







Jasper Morrison.

Nelson lamps (I think).




Philippe Starck.

Okay, I just can't resist showing some pottery too. These vases made me drool! They are designed by Nicole Aebischer. Muy bonita. Muy expensivo.

Please drop me a line if you know the designer of any of the lamps that I could not identify.

My City

I was planning a pottery post today. Only seems right since I posted about pillows and lamps this week. Instead, I'd like to show pictures I took today while walking around at lunchtime. Cleveland is one of my muses. An unlikely muse, to be certain. For some reason, Cleveland and its detritus look great to me in extreme angle and heavy saturation.

There's plenty of bling.

And partial mannequins.

I love reflections.

And architecture.

Pottery tomorrow, I promise.

Lake Erie Skies

Soon this tree will be green.

The Lake Erie sky is such a fascinating study in ever-changing color. It is my love for this sky that has taught me an appreciation for the color gray.

A color I never thought I'd use in my home. Vase by Umbra.

Livin' My Life - Yesterday was a Good Day

Saturday. My favorite day of the week. I leisurely sat on my sofa, in my favorite sweats. Sipping my favorite Colombian coffee. I admired the way the sun was shining on a corner of my little apartment. It's been a while since I've seen the sun. I opened the window, and felt gratitude from my depths. Saturday. Ahhh. A whole day to myself, and the sun is shining. I held my arms out to meet the day and made the very logical decision to go thrifting.

On the way to the thrift store, I noticed there are now two houses on the hill. When did that happen? Every day, I speed by on my way to work, and missed it. Note to self: must slow down.

These are very close to being my dream home. In my fantasy, the house would be on a secluded beach, overlooking blue water. The ground level would be a drive-in garage, where I store my scooter, my bicycle and for longer journeys, my electric car.

The corridor makes the city look metropolitan. I've been attempting to get a picture of the new super-cool accordion-style bus as it rounds a corner. I first noticed these spectacular examples of public transportation, the Friday before Labor Day. I was at lunch, standing in a crowd all crooning in unison. "oooooo, aaaaaa...." The entire crowd had their heads upturned to the Blue Angels.

I'm kinda confused. I mean the Blue Angels are weapons of destruction and cost like about a zillion tax dollars, don't they? I was kinda mystified, no one seemed to notice the centipede-like bus rounding a corner. The new buses help people get to work more comfortably. Good design aimed at solving a problem or making life more comfortable, is much more fascinating to me than any war plane.

I don't care what anybody says about the city - yes it needs improvement - but I adore it. Beauty is everywhere. In the hands of artists and visionaries, Cleveland could become a mecca of art and culture. The city needs more than sports and tit bars. We have plenty of those, and people are still broke.

For some reason, I love to photograph Cleveland's erections in extreme angle. I don't know why. And I am addicted to high-saturation in Picasa. Lame I know, but I just can't help myself.

The Cleveland sky is a never-ending source of fascination. Changing moment to moment. I've been working on a 365 project of the sky. The project is kinda languishing because of well.... time. For more of my 365 project click here.

These skies have taught me an appreciation of the color gray. A color I never thought I'd use in my home.

I got this vase at the thrift store. $3.00. I adore its shape. And like all colors - it looks great with pink.

I am a perennial tourist in my city. I see art everywhere.

Sculptures. Stickers.

Kinda looks like a Pokemon.


Walls.



And doors.

When I look at the small business, I come face-to-face with my hypocrisy. Supporting Target undermines the small shop owner. The city used to be full of them, now there are precious few. I miss those shop owners desperately. (At least I don't support Walmart.)

I cringe when I think of the creativity that is lost in the hell that corporate America has become. But I am instantly cheered up by this symbol of hope. It's omnipresence gladdens my heart.

What a great visualization. It would be cool to frame a bunch of these. Would even make a great Valentine's gift. For more of my peace sign photography, click here. And if you haven't checked it out yet, there's a cool blog called One Million Peace Signs.

I went to Chinatown and almost overdosed on Kawaii.

Amazing swan made of folded paper.

I thought I might buy a Hello Kitty. But, the sheer numbers of her made it impossible to decide! I made the logical decision to have a virtual Hello Kitty collection. Takes up a lot less room. But that Miffy clock is cute ... Would be fun to decorate a kid's room.

Saw this cute t-shirt. Maybe I should email this picture to Senator McCain.

Being single is just like being married. There are good days and there are bad days. Yesterday was a good day. I need a vacation. Think I'll plan a trip. To Chicago or Seattle. By myself.

For now, I need to stop procrastinating and clean my apartment.