Collecting: Texture

         I collect lots of things- some of these things are pretty intangible- sounds, textures, colours- ephemeral snippets of life that I don't want to forget. These collections are where I draw my inspiration from for paintings and now my ceramics- so many good combinations to reflect on. Often times we think of collections as something that we need to physically obtain- by collecting things that I can't bring with me it becomes more of a study in restraint. A well curated collection of things left behind!

Collections : Our Nature Bowl

         With all of our hikes, camping and beach time we inevitably bring a great deal of nature inside- it is just bound to happen when you have little ones who are interested in nature. Not to mention a Momma who thinks that the perfect shell or feather is a better room accessory than any other nick knack or doodad! While we do have several "specimen" jars- all labeled and dated according to when and where the items were found- we also like to have special pieces of nature that are accessible for us to handle and explore on a daily basis- we call this our nature bowl.

       When we started our nature bowl it was purely intuitive- it just felt right to have bits of nature that we had collected in our home for our children to explore and connect with. Little did I know this is actually part of a larger growing movement in the education system to reconnect children to nature and to encourage natural observation. A child who feels more connected with nature and the environment is one who will more likely conserve that resource and grow into an adult with environmentally friendly tendencies!

      It is so easy to create a nature bowl in your own house- we used a bowl that my Grandpa carved however such a home hewn vessel in not necessary! Find a basket or a felted bowl- any vessel made of natural materials will do- if you have we ones make sure the bowl is pretty indestructible! Fill it with seasonal bits of nature found on walks or visits to the beach- pine cones, special rocks, shells, feathers- that sort of thing. Our family always is sure to take only what has fallen- so we never pick anything living and we certainly never take live animals from the shore. Place the nature bowl in an easily accessible location for the whole family to explore and enjoy at their leisure. Of course if you have very young children it's a good idea to make the nature bowl toddler or baby friendly- no choking hazards!

      Another fun way to create a collection is to document your collection as you find it through photography- this is great if you decide to collect something like moss- which would be impossible to bring home. Documenting sea creatures through photography is one of our favourite ways to remember our starfish and barnacle "collections" that are still happy and alive after we found them!

     The very idea of making education visible to children is so important- they are after all very visual creatures- and tangible collections like rocks or sticks excites them as well as connecting them to the natural world. Living in the very downtown of a busy city this has always been a concern for my husband and I- how to give our children a similar connection to nature as we had as children. I think because we are so aware of this and seek out nature at every opportunity perhaps our children are more in tune and connected than we ever were!

Collected: Driftwood

        I will confess to being a bit of a hoarder- rarely is there a pretty stone or piece of wood that I come across that gets left behind- it all comes home with me. My Littles are the same way- constantly bringing bits of nature indoors and adding it to their nature shrine. I guess they come by this collecting honestly and they are starting to develop an eye for beauty as well as strengthening their connection with nature.

        So when yesterday found us with a quiet afternoon and a bit of down time we decided to dip into the plentiful collection of driftwood we have accumulating on our deck and make some arts and crafts! Yes this project is totally campy and what some might regard as too seventies (Mom) but I'm OK with that! I love macrame and beads- throw in some pretty driftwood and it rounds things out nicely!

        These little drift wood mobiles have been cropping up all over the Interwebs lately- I spotted a really pretty one over on the Emma Dime blog and that got my creative wheels turning! I have had these pretty glass beads for an eternity it feels like- they were waiting for the right project- with the same softness as beach glass they mesh perfectly with the washed shades of the driftwood.

     I used the exact same technique as one would use when tying a hemp necklace but I used waxed cotton instead as the knots held tighter- I found that hemp string was too soft and the knots slipped. So simple and easy for a quiet afternoon in the shade. I love items in my home that have memory and meaning attached to them- I love that each piece of driftwood used in this project came from one of our adventures across B.C. This is a souvenir I can get behind- a souvenir of sunshine and Summer!

Treasures From the Beach

        Of course I could not come back from the beach on Sunday empty handed- much to the Mr.s dismay he noticed me gathering bits and pieces of driftwood and tucking them into the beach basket. Turns out Ambleside Park is a great beach for collecting driftwood- the clean, sun bleached variety- perfect for making beachy crafts!

    Now I don't really go in for "theamed" decorating but do admit to a sort of costal vibe going on in our apartment- there are large jars with shells, beach glass and shells as well as a stash of larger sized driftwood out on the deck. Perfectly smoothed ocean rocks are also brought home on a regular basis- so it is more of a natural evolution that our home is taking on this beachy look.

     The smaller bits of driftwood found their way onto an old picture frame- I may get a mirror to put in it- to add a bit of reflective light to our hallway. And those rocks? Turns out they look a bit like eggs! I had a bunch of dried grape vines hanging around and so I turned them into this oversized bird's nest- a celebration of Spring!

Winter Goodness

     I have talked about what big collectors we are several times in this space- our Littles are prolific collectors and year round we enjoy our nature ledge where we display all our treasures brought home from our wanderings. At a certain point though it almost becomes too much- too much driftwood, too many feathers, sticks and leaves- I also feel like really nature should be left for all to enjoy and not hoarded in our home. Enter in the Solstice Garland- a festive winter garland- and homage to the place we live- a way to say farewell to one year's collection and send it back to nature.

      We collected up our feathers, sticks, pine cones and shells- of course the Littles picked out a few of their favourites to keep for the permanent collection. Gathering up a few fallen bits of our neighbourhood to bring home with us on our walk today. A few red pompoms for a hit of colour- the rust of the Magnolia leaves and the grey of driftwood.

     I had a bit of help out on the deck with the bundling of leaves and feathers- Miss Lo was more than happy for a chance to get creative and be outside- something we miss during these days of rain. We quickly strung up our garland across the end of the deck- finishing it off with a few of our handmade tags from a few weeks ago.

      On the shortest day of the year when the earth is sleeping it's deepest sleep- regenerating for a new growing season we will head out to our special place- Spanish Banks and let go of our collection- send it back to nature- and look forward to all the treasures we will find next year!

P.S. I should also mention that only the natural bits will be given back to nature- the string  and pompoms will be removed and the ornaments ( although they are clay) will go into the decoration bin for next year.

Living With Art

     You can never go wrong when you live with art you love- or as one of my favourite stores so eloquently puts it on a tote bag " Love Where You Live"- thank you to The Cross for putting things in such simple and easily understood terms! I would consider myself a very choosy collector- I don't really go in for mass produced posters or cheep knock offs- I like the real deal or an artist's signed, limited edition print will do nicely as well!

    I do not buy art as an investment or because people will think it is "cool" I buy it because I love it- and I use the word "I" and in "we" my entire family. Because yes I buy art for the kids- they each have a tidy little collection that I like to imagine they will attempt to take with them one day when they set up house. Even before they were born I started their art collection after falling in love with two little bird paintings - I imagined them laying in their crib staring up at the birds in party hats- yes I  now know newborns can only see about 6 inches but I was a newly pregnant woman- give me a break!

    When the kids were babies and before toys became the preferred method of birthday payment I bought them art for their birthdays- Miss Lo received part of Jessica Bell's series Eighteen Pictures of November when she turned one. The Boy received a John Derian skull and cross bones plate for his second birthday- totally fitting for my little pirate in training! As I said art is easy when you buy what you love- both these items spoke to my heart and bring happiness to our walls.

 Curating a Collection:  I find that even when you have really dissimilar objects you can keep them cohesive and show them as a series by keeping your frames and mats really similar. In our dining area we have hung a grouping of artwork from a few of our favourite artists together- we kept the mats ( paper bit that acts as a barrier between the art and the glass) all one shade of white and the frames are either black, white or not at all. There is a heavy theme of the colour red used in many pieces of art work here which helps everything work well together.

from top left: Anna Coghlan, Jessica Bell,Tara Cooper, random card, Stephanie Frame, Sarah Lige,
Suzanne Summersgill & Heather Renney( photo of our kids)

Utilitarian Objects as Art:  Not all art work needs to be bought in a gallery or art sale- many of my favourite pieces have come from vintage stores or antique malls. We have the bold directive EAT hanging over our table and I find each letter beautiful in it's own way. The scruffy paint on the E, the shine on the blue. Every day house hold objects can be turned into a collection and hung together to create a pleasing vignette- a friend of mine has a collection of vintage rolling pins that is beautifully displayed in her kitchen. It really is whatever you find inspiration and beauty in- there is no right or wrong if done from the heart.

vintage letters such as these can be found at Stepback in Kitsilano as well as in abundance on Etsy

the bird that started it all!  Party Birds - Suzanne Summersgill

    I want to encourage everyone this year to think about buying some local art and supporting your local arts community. In Vancouver we are so lucky to have a variety of venues for local artists to sell their work- Emily Carr University of Art and Design has a student run sale every November - this year it is November 4-6- run - don't walk and buy some amazing art at amazing prices! Of course most famously here in Vancouver is the Eastside Culture Crawl which takes place November 16,17 & 18 in artist's studios across East Vancouver. Where ever you are these things are happening so get out there, drink some wine, take in a bit of culture and buy some original art!

May you find a pencil in your hands and a fresh ream of paper at your elbow- Happy Friday Friends!

Encouraging a Natural Curiosity or a Curiosity in Nature!

       We are collectors, always have been. Special rocks, sticks, seeds, shells, leaves and other natural treasures seam to follow us home of their own accord. A trip to the park usually yields at least a couple of rocks or a acorn when toddler pockets are turned out!

       I attribute this love of collecting the natural world to my own mom, not only is she an avid gardner but she also has a nack when it comes to getting kids interested in the outdoors. I clearly remember when my sister and I were young each fall our mom would get us started on the annual seed project. The seed project entailed us collecting a variety of different seeds, nuts, cones and leaves then glueing them to pieces of poster board- each specimen being identified by its corresponding label.

     This example of learning and collecting our natural environment is one of many that I could relate, an appreciation and love of our natural environment runs deep for most in our family. My maternal grandmother was a forager long before it was hip to gather thistles and dandelions, knowing what plants one could eat and what plants would heal. Not to mention what plants one could turn into wine!

     My dad grew up in the shadow of Tom Thompson tromping through the woods of Ontario, hunting and fishing. These are all things that were passed onto my sister and I when we were young and that my Mr and I really make an effort to pass onto our own kids who are growing up in the city. Our choice to live in a very busy urban centre really runs contradictory to our love of the great outdoors. If anything it forces us to seize every opportunity to seek out nature where we can.

    The bits and pieces that are unloaded out of our buckets and pockets at the end of the day have become part of our permanent collection, equally important to the art hanging on the wall. We have a rotating exhibition of natural curiosities all with in easy reach of a 2 and 4 year old. We want these totems of the outdoors to be accessible, to be taken down, examined and played with.

    I feel with the disconnect from nature that comes with living in the city- not only in kids but in myself as well- all our treasures collected up on sandy shores or forest floors is an important reminder to get out there and play!

ps- just to mention that we never ever take a living animal or pick a plant from its environment- the shells and sand dollar were all found high and dry. We collect what we love and leave plenty for others.