anura

I do have a reason for the frogs. I'll update and explain later.



update: We spent the day at the Maritime Aquarium (Norwalk, CT) at the Frogs! exhibit. Today is the anniversary of my father's death, and while that might seem like an odd thing to do as a memorial, it's really quite fitting, for several reasons...
- we had been to this aquarium with him many times over the years, as well as a bunch of other sciencey places - whenever we visited him or he visited us we would try to go to aquariums, zoos, science centers and natural history museums
- when I was little, my father's nickname for me was "froggie"
- he and my son had a habit of mailing little toy frogs (see picture above) to each other, for no apparent reason (we bought one today, just for old times' sake)

So today we thought about frogs.










ribbit

last one, I swear

He's eating half price pastel m&ms.

still with the bunnies

told you so

studios

The Cloth Paper Scissors Studios issue is here! Pre-order it now, or look for it on newsstands starting April 1. Some very cool peeks into some very cool studios, mine included. Here's one more little picture of stuff in my studio - my entertainment system...

still hopping

I know. Easter's over. The pastel m&ms are half price. But my head is still filled with bunnies. I can feel a new obsession coming on.

hoppity

stuff in my studio

My friend Pokey at Quilting Arts recently blogged about the artwork in her studio, and asked her readers to share some of the art in theirs. So...






My very favorite thing in the room - a painting by my son Lex...

hippity

It's all about the bunny...

[from Wikipedia]
In English, the etymology of the word "Easter" comes from an ancient pagan goddess of the spring named Eostre, related to German Ostara. According to popular folklore, Eostre once saved a bird whose wings had frozen during the winter by turning it into a rabbit. Because the rabbit had once been a bird, it could still lay eggs, and that rabbit became the modern Easter Bunny.

How cool is that?

chicklet

Once, when my aunt (Mary) was a little girl, someone asked her if she would like a chiclet. She of course thought they meant a baby chicken, and said that, yes, she would LOVE a chicklet. Imagine her disappointment when all she got was gum.

fiddleheads

equinox

vicugna pacos

Today's block is inspired by some new friends...

III

Betcha thought I forgot to post today. Not so. I spent the day in Massachusetts - on an alpaca farm. Really. I can't discuss what I was doing there yet, but I will tell all as soon as I'm allowed. And it doesn't have anything to do with alpacas, that was just a bonus.

[from Wikipedia...]
The values of French Revolution - liberty, equality, fraternity.
Threesome is a term for sexual relations between three people.
A tricycle has three wheels.
There are 3 notes in a triad, the most important and basic form of any chord.
Plato split the soul into three parts: the appetitive, the spirited, and the rational.
3 strikes and you're out.

IV

[from Wikipedia...]
Four rules : addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.
Greek classical elements (fire, air, water, earth).
Four seasons : spring, summer, autumn, winter.
Four parts of a day : night, morning, afternoon, evening.
Four cardinal directions : north, south, east, west.
Four horsemen of the Apocalypse : war, famine, pestilence, death.
Four suits of playing cards : hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades.
The number of tines of most forks.
Noble Truths in the Buddhist faith.
There are four human blood groups.
There are four basic states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.

V

[from Wikipedia...]
The number of oceans in the world.
The five senses are sight, smell, sound, touch and taste.
The five basic tastes are sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.
The number of cents in a nickel.
The number of permanent members with veto power on the UN Security Council.
The number necessary to make a majority decision in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The number of dots in a quincunx.
The number of points in a pentagram.

countdown

In the span of 5 days, I have 4 commitments (of the lecture and workshop variety) in 3 states. Accordingly, the next few prints will be of the "super simple" nature.

anisoptera (part 2)

He looks a little chunky. Maybe I'll get him to go on a diet and print him again later.

anisoptera (part 1)

frond

sssssssssssss

...for Spitzer, sex and scandal!

fear not

double you

W as in...hmmmm...Waterston, Willie (hello Willie), win, Wyoming (hello Wyoming). Or maybe it's w as in...what the heck was I thinking doing a block print a day for a whole freakin' year.

cha cha cha

IF ... garden

one, two

my mind is filled with radio cures

octopuses

My little friend Willa was drawing octopuses the other day (except that all of hers had four arms, so they were really quadrapuses), so here's an octopus for Willa. And just to be silly...one in a bird cage.

more politics

Okay, so I'm disappointed that Barack didn't win Rhode Island, but I'm really glad I worked for votes there. My experience with the Obama campaign has been remarkable and I can tell you that it's a well oiled machine. If his administration is run half as well as his campaign, we're all gonna be okay. I'm staying positive and setting my sights on Pennsylvania.

science and politics

This telephone block is in honor of Alexander Graham Bell's birthday, which was yesterday, and also because I'm spending the day calling voters. I don't want to get too political, but I think we all know I have a very strong feeling for a certain presidential candidate. I spent a chunk of this past weekend pounding the streets of Rhode Island asking for support. I met some amazing fellow volunteers, one of whom was a Katrina evacuee who told tales of voter intimidation in the last election at her (low income/all African American) polling place. So...if you live in Rhode Island, Vermont, Texas or Ohio, please consider a vote for Senator Obama today.


peace.

leaf (rangoli, part 3)

rangoli, part 2

A very tiny little something, to go with yesterday's petals (busy day, no time for elaborate carvings). I can't seem to print the petals without overlapping them. Oh well.

rangoli