erika

Twenty-eight inches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Heart

 I've been away from this space for a while.  And I'm re-thinking this space a lot.  Less words - more photos.  To bring everyone up to speed w/ where we are : We sold our house December 15th (after a little over a month on the market) and it has been pretty hectic since.  As I look through my old photos I am drawn to the kitchen the most of our old home.  It was the heart of the house - so many meals and gatherings.  I loved that home and miss it - but I miss the kitchen the most. 

I have since packed up the presses (again!) along w/ the rest of that massive home and studio space .  They are being stored  and my little letterpress business is closed for the time being.  Until we find the next perfect spot for them, things will remain this way.  I sure do miss it though.  I have started a full time job doing something completely un-related.  There's been a lot of change going on.

So here's to a new year.  It's already full of adventure!

The makings of October

 

 

Inspiration

photo by Elisabeth Dunker

I really love visiting Elisabeth Dunker's blog : Fine Little Day .  She is a photographer, artist & mother living in Sweden - sharing a studio with Camilla Engman, another favorite of mine.  Elisabeth is the guest over on Design Sponge for the week.  Sharing her inspiration, daily life, etc...  This photo was so powerful to me, the little blue and white plates stacked up - with the geese flying on top.  At night lately, I can hear the geese flying south - and for some reason, I'm filled with sadness when I hear them.  I catch myself picturing their fields that they would normally land in filled with parking lots and strip malls.  Lately I see only one goose flying all by itself.  Listened to an NPR interview called Investigating the Mysteries of Bird Migration - found it so interesting that birds do most of their migrating at night - and that they know to follow the north star. 

Yesterday

 

 

Been very busy this week printing.  Enjoying the studio and this weather.  Not especially looking forward to the cold -as my workspace will be as well. 

New rollers & a new month

October is looking good for the studio.  I have some exciting jobs that I'm getting ready to print, and that's not something I would normally say... "excited to print".  For I wasn't born with the knowledge of printing on this cast iron machine that was built in 1931.  And it's a wonderful occupation - from start to finish - but it's a dated occupation.  And it's not like you can go next door and ask to borrow a set of rubber rollers just to see what the difference would be - in other words - it's hard to find "new" things for a machine that isn't being made and finding suppliers that do still make parts for it. 
The process of deciding to buy new rollers came from that annoying voice in the back of my head that says "it's just not perfect enough".  To start fresh is necessary - and so is the investment.  If you're serious about what it is you want to do - you have to believe in that.  I'm slowly getting more comfortable introducing what it is I do as "I'm a letterpress printer".  It always raises a brow and results in a pretty neat conversation. 

A walk in the woods

It is astoundingly simple to get out into the woods and live in Philadelphia.  A five minute drive and you're in it - can go a little bit off of a trail and find yourself in the moment of nature.  For Sophia, she is lucky - it's such a part of our daily routine - and though at her age she may not understand or even realize the impact or effect of it - she is still very much connected to the natural world.  When the birds are molting - she finds their feathers.  When fall is here she finds acorns and we find mushrooms.  When there's been a storm - we notice all the tree's that have fallen.  Good head space for all of us. 

"The Quiet Hunt"

Living with a Russian has many benefits.  One of which is their love for picking mushrooms.  A book that we have (on loan - Margaret I need to send that back to you) is Antonio Carluccio's The Quiet Hunt.  A lovely book with great story to it - but perhaps not the best mushroom identification book  - and according to my in-laws - not accurate.  Antonio- an Italian living in England - grew up picking mushrooms  much like P. and his parents. Many of the mushrooms in the book - my father-in-law gawked at the idea of picking - and one's that Antonio labeled as poisonous - everyone agreed that they grew up eating all the time.  Different strokes for different folks I guess.

The first four photos are from "The Falls of Lana" in Vermont.  A particullarly magical place.  But a little too early in the mushroom picking season.  That 3rd & 4th picture are poisonous.  That 3rd photo is called destroying angel.

The last two photos are from today.  Some big money there.  We made mushroom barley soup the other day - so good.  And I'm still here to tell the tale. 

Vermont :: part I

 
We planned a 11 day camping vacation to Vermont & Maine at the end of August.  Our plans changed due to an surprise amount of mosquitos.  Luckily for all of us, P.'s family friends live close by.  This is our second time staying with Sergei and Dieuwka and it is a slice of heaven on earth.  Their home, the pond, the town so close, the stars, and the Banya - a traditional Russian cedar steam room - we had thoroughly shed our city skin by the end of the stay.  More Vermont and Maine pic's soon!

The Royal