Street Art: Sticker Faces

Pearl River Bus Stop: Face 1.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do waiting for the slow country bus going to the city (http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2013/05/around-town-hitchin-ride.html). 

Pearl River Bus Stop: Face 2.

These artists had the right idea: let's make funny faces from post office labels and stick 'em up for other people to see. It gets you through the tough times. What do you do when you're impatient?

This is you caring

Fellow book designer and talent extraordinaire Judy Abbate is 

battling cancer and a loss of income. She needs our help! 

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/big-surgery-for-my-love/71246

Small Town America: Malls

Grassy mound, at The Nanuet Mall.

One of the worst experiences about country life are the malls. They kinda suck the life out of people and places through the merciless sell sell sell of things. A lesser mind can get turned around in this fake Shangri La, a tempting NeverLand of beautiful objects priced just high enough to drain your wallet, making someone else rich. I'm not going to say malls destroy the environment, because that's easy and they provide jobs, but calling them blights on the landscape is justified.

Up.

Where the grassy mound sat was the last hold out from the early 70s boom in Rockland's economy, a time when young families from the city moved on up, and there one old lady sat in her old house as a reminder of our rural past, a real life version of the animated movie "Up". When she died, the developers finally moved in, and I found this mound where her house was a fitting tribute to her courage against the forces of Capitalism, the green earth not unlike a burial mound, some of the things I contemplated sitting at a red light.

How do you do honor the past in the present?

http://www.rocklandtimes.com/2012/11/29/simon-group-guts-ferrettis-home/ 

Nature: The Tree Man

A face grows in a Rockland tree.

Toys: Childhood Past (and Present)

"Winnie the Pooh, I love you!"

Staying in the country with my mom, surrounded by the people, places, and things I grew up with, I can't help the sentiments experienced by revisiting one's home. I see the edits my mom has made in her home, selecting which precious objects from our past to include, like the small, charming table lamp that also functions as a nightlight, resting on an antique wood table that sits under portraits of her as a child, her children when young, and now her grandchildren. I grew up in a bedroom that was decorated by a tiny watercolor painting she made for me of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, both of them floating on a watery backdrop of green that stands in for a landscape. 

It's so charming, and I remember staring at that cute picture for hours as a little girl. I still love A.A. Milne's* stories and art, so much so that years later I named a special little Mal cub TeddyBear, who grew to enormous height, so lovable an animal was he (http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/search?q=TeddyBear), plus a photo series from an adorable doll that my ex gave me from that time period, as a gift in celebration of sharing our home with this very beautiful animal (http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2011/10/ted-12901-102011.html).

The lamp has two modes: the tummy casts a small, cheery orange glow that babies (and little Acadian girls) can go to sleep to, or a more adult setting with an actual bulb. Now, as I go to sleep near it as an adult, I can't help but connect the objects from my past to this very real version of me as an adult who breathes art, design, and literature, so closely have they grown and interwoven together, that it makes me smile, just like it did then.  

What precious objects from your past have you saved?

 

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._A._Milne

Sacred Spaces: St. Margaret's

Saint Margaret's of Pearl River, NY.

I have another Pinterest board that's called Street Art and Sacred Spaces for a reason: both are intimate communal places that give us very specific experiences. One very late night, my mind racing from an unfortunately timed evening cup of very strong tea that I shouldn't have had, I condensed my boards into groupings, thinking about what I wanted to say to my audience.

Street sign in Pearl River, NY.

It's a carefully culled selection of images, whose pairings are designed for pondering. What do our public spaces say? Sometimes it's as simple (and wonderfully complex) as a stand of beautiful tress that inspired the original cathedral builders who sought to draw our eyes upwards towards the heavens, or a sticker on a bus stop links together the creator and the viewer in a bonding experience that's just as intelligently (and sublimely) developed. Enjoy the view.

Street Art and Sacred Spaces: http://pinterest.com/mariedoucette/street-art-sacred-spaces/

Gardens and Green Walls: Landscape Design

Landscaped garden in Pearl River, NY.

There are many aspects to country life I enjoy, and access to beautiful landscapes is definitely one of the finer things in life. A sense about natural beauty has informed every major aesthetic I have as an artist and designer. I couldn't imagine my work without them as influences, so high do I hold them up on my list.

I've spent time gardening as a kid, helping my mom with her vegetable garden, and sporadically as an adult, growing herbs in a small backyard space, and it gives you an enormous sense of accomplishment to grow your own food. I've read a saying recently that said it's like growing your own money, and that's true. It is a freedom.

Beyond the undeniably practicality of a kitchen garden, a lush space enhances the home and surroundings in every way. A lovely garden enriches your soul, making you feel good. There's a reason we turn to nature for solace and inspiration: they form the center of every great abbey that's been built, so closely do we tie it to our spiritual health.

I can't imagine New York City without it's great cultural institutions of parks and public gardens, because they serve as essential counterpoints to all that human (and fallible) construction. Even when there's artifice behind the design, the benefits of breathing cleaner air is incalculable to our physical health. Make sure to spend some time outdoors this week, if you can. You'll be the better for it.

See my board on Pinterest for more gardens and green spaces:http://pinterest.com/mariedoucette/gardens-and-green-walls/

Cottages: The Sitzmark Ski Shop

The Sitzmark Ski Shop of Pearl River, NY.

One of the best facets about being from the original 13 Colonies is a palatable sense of history and lineage that's directly tied to our ethnic affiliations. Many New Yorkers count the craftsmen who built our cities and towns as their direct ancestors. With them came their European aesthetics: medieval cobblestone streets, peaked roofs, and charming cottages. At heart I love old homes, particularly old Victorians, with their creaking wood floors, tall ceilings, big open spaces, and design quirks around every corner. I miss the time spent on making things slowly but well, because it's built to last. That's something I try to keep in any work flow I find myself in: carving out space for quality, because craft matters. 

It's hard to fight for. As the pace of life quickens, people typically toss out time and care when under pressure. But some things are worth fighting for, and a beautifully designed space should be the first thing we want for ourselves. Our homes are where we spend the bulk of our time. The Sitzmark Ski Shops' been here since way before I first moved to Rockland with my family in the 70s, but I still love passing it by. It's like the proverbial fairy tale cottage in the woods, full of magic and mystery. I love that's it's a very old church, now an old seasonal ski shop, whose downstairs basement still houses the workspace.  

Do you have every day magic around you?

Come check out my board full of quaint cottages on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mariedoucette/cottages/

Birdhouses: Stone Cottage

Stone birdhouse in Nyack, NY.

You should know I love birdhouses and tree houses, because they are mini houses for animals and kiddies. Babies!! And baby houses!! They are so cute and they come in so many varieties. If you like them, too (chicks <cough> chicks), check out my Pinterest boards. I post lots of pictorial content on there that's way different from here. http://pinterest.com/mariedoucette/birdhouses-and-treehouses/ 

Here's hoping your day includes some charm.

Street Art: Yo, Vinny!

What is that? Who's Vinny?!

I have no idea who Vinny is, and back at art school in the 90s, when Andre the Giant stickers were passed around among us, I had no idea who his posse was. I still don't. But I know Shep Fairey is from RISD, and at the time I actually thought he was a printmaking major (he was an Illustration major), because he spent so much time screen printing projects in those studios. My friends in printmaking gave me my first batch of Andre stickers, and for years I still had one or two.

He's the hook that pulls you in.

I've traveled the world a bit, and I've seen Andre stickers on potted plants hanging in Amsterdam creperies, at an angle directly within my line of my vision, which was surreal, strange, and cool all at the same time. And that's how it goes: fine art thrives in the cult of exclusivity, that hipster feeling of being in the know, then spreads outward to the masses. I'm glad to see the next generation has taken up the baton of sticker art made for the streets. Go, man, go.

http://www.rocklandtimes.com/2012/08/16/vinny-raffa-still-has-a-posse/

Small Town America: River Towns

View of the Tappen Zee from Nyack, NY.

Oceans are one thing, and big ass rivers are quite another. Townspeople by the Hudson will tell you that the river is as fierce as you would expect a major artery to the Atlantic Ocean to be. Anyone whose driven along the Palisades State Parkway will tell you that the fog bank that rolls off it at night is like something out of a horror movie: thick, impassable, and almost tangibly powerful enough not to be cut through with a car. We've all had those nights when you simply follow the tail lights in front of you, hoping that car doesn't drive right off the road, and that's how we get through it.

Picket fences and a very big river.

There remain no lights to lead the way, because of it's Federal Park status. Some folks swear they "know" the road by heart, but any good pilot will tell you that the true test for them is flying solely by instruments, because looking out the window does you no good, and that's exactly how it feels. It's scary, surreal, and wild, and that's the way it goes with forces of nature: you're not in control. That's what makes great adventures. What adventures will you have?

Nature: Full Moons

Phase I: the moon.

I've written about full moons and mythology a bit before (http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2012/02/wolves.html), and still lunar cycles amaze us. My mother's cousin told me a friend went into labor right at the peak of the full moon, as did many women in her area. So busy were the delivery rooms that night that they had women lined up on gurneys in the hallway, because every room was already in use. That's how powerful it is upon our bodies. 

Phase II: the moon.

That mysterious lack of control over nature that women feel, right down to our bones, is also what connects us back to the source of us all as a part of Mother Nature. Enjoy whatever phase you're in, because there's one thing in life you can count on: it will change.

Street Art: No Dogs Allowed

Oh, no Snoopy!

Every time I see a sign like this, it takes me back to Charlie Brown Specials from my childhood. You know the one: Snoopy can't visit his sick little girl in a hospital, the little girl who loved him before Charlie Brown. Oh, so sad! Poor Snoopy!! But then, one of my brothers would come in a dis the show (usually with "This show is gay! Like, for babies and stuff."), then change the channel to something more boy-centric like baseball.



I wish A.D.D. drugs were more available then for those little devils! I kid. It's made me much more tolerant towards other people's interests, even the cripplingly boring ones, and for that I'm glad because contrary to our t.v. reality, there's a lot of boredom and boring out there, and the more bored I feel, the more creative I get. What inspires you?

You little devil!

Nerds Love Video Games

lhttp://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2011/11/video-games.html

We do. We love them so much, we even take pictures of our high scores. By the way, can you touch my Tetris, bitch? No, you can't. See? It's that bad. What games are you playing today?

Food: Hash It Out

A morning hash is happy fat.

The greatest thing about slop is that it can be made from anything. Ham, potatoes, onions, oil, and slapping on some hot sauce makes fat glisten very happily indeed. I know I smiled looking back at these pics, because sometimes the best comforts are also the easiest. Eat it!

Small Town: Main Street

Playing field, Pearl River, New York.

The heart of every thriving town must have a few essentials in my book: a bank, a pizza place, a movie theater, some good, solid pubs (nothing fancy, just beer and grub), a bus stop and/or a train depot for out of town escapes, a bandstand (or a gazebo), and a field to play in. We also have a really big fire house, but that's Irish for ya ;)  
Enjoy your town this weekend.

The H and L firehouse of Pearl River, New York.

Small Town America: The Ice Cream Stand

King Kone of Pearl River, New York.

For us kids and teens, the local ice cream stand was like a roller disco that our parents dropped us off at on Friday nights: it was a highly social time when girly crushes ran wild. We busted out the magenta can of Aqua Net to full on High Hair 80s effect, with lots of bright eye makeup, short shorts, and sequined clothes. 

Nowadays, kids may be more sedate, as is apropos with generational cycles, but I couldn't help notice that the stand in town has a steady stream of customers all day long, regardless of the weather outside or the temperatures. That's a steady community presence.

What in your town that brings everyone together?

Street Art: Mad Skillz, Yo

“Phreshness” in the country. But how?

With internet ghetto skills. Duhhh!

Nature: Hazy, Hot, and Humid

Oh, look at those clouds! Maybe it'll rain?

Welcome to that wet blanket time of year, when every minute outside feels like it's your last ragged, hot breath. Sometimes it's hard for me to understand people who like this type of weather, but this great big earth of ours has all types, living and thriving in all climates. 

No. Still unbearably humid, and still no rain.

Enjoy your time in the sun, worshippers. I'm longing for the beauty and warm cool of fall. See you then!

Small Town America: Treehouses

Tree house, Pearl River, NY.

I love tree houses and birdhouses, so much so, I have a Pinterest board devoted to such fanciful designs: http://pinterest.com/mariedoucette/birdhouses-and-treehouses/. It's that childhood love of all things small for our little hands to explore, like dollhouses. 

Growing up in an area that has a wonderful abundance of trees (and houses), we sent a series of summers trying to outdo our last one (http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2012/07/treehouse-of-horror.html), reusing the wood from last year that sat in a pile in the garage. It still says "summer" to me whenever I see one, and though I may have designed a different kind that this rather staid one, I found it's charm intact.  

What will you make this summer?

For more amazing tree houses, check out my Pinterest board here: http://pinterest.com/mariedoucette/birdhouses-and-treehouses/

Street Art: Vinny at Your Inn

Vinny strikes back.

Martial Arts: Belt Rankings

Every martial artist loves going up in rank. It's the proverbial carrot in front of the horse-cart, the lure that keeps us coming back for pain we willingly pay the price for. As proud as we are, it is also counter to those same values to brag about it, because someone of the same rank can take your words to heart (or completely nut out in fear, envy, anger, and malice), by trying to kill you in the very next class. I've had more than one person say to me, while eying my latest belt, "So, you went up in rank again, huh?", often followed by "You didn't even say anything!", and now you know why.

Which brings us to the next principle: not all belts of the same color are created equal. It's a deceptive thing to base your training on. I've seen more prowess in someone of lesser rank, because a white belt for them only indicates learning a new art form, but they're actually a black belt in another discipline, hence much more advanced as an martial artist than you. 

On the other hand, I've sparred with black belts who simply did the time and paid for the classes, but they'll never be a fighter or a warrior of any serious worth (for a myriad of reasons), and isn't that true with any art form? It was doubly interesting for me, because I went up in rank yesterday, on Sunday, a day of rest and contemplation for most Catholics. And wouldn't you know what the title of this week's program read? "May I never boast of anything but the cross of the Lord."

I had placed my brand new, key chain-sized belt for Tai Chi Chuan on top of the church program, and the symbolism struck me deeply: the cross for those of faith, plus the cross made from two belt rankings. Who would you choose to follow? Which one would carry more weight with you? But, then again, for someone like me, life is always like that.  

Have an enriching week.

Small Town America: Thug Life

 

Butter Fuco was here!

A great scam artist has to have a brilliant alias, and this one got me good at the cash register of a local convenience store. Who you gonna call to fix your computer?! Oh, right: a guy from the rough side of town with a name so fake and funny on his business card, it's practically got "I'll rip you off!" as a subtitle. Go get 'em, killer.

Street Art: Skate Punks

Jesus: by the people, for the people.

I saw some arty stickers up in the local park, as well as a group of skateboarders by the band shell, and this old punk rocker's heart swelled with pride. Keeping it fresh, by the next generation.

Hey, Spitfire! What's up?

Freedom is awesome. Happy Fourth of July!
 

Nature: Florals

Magenta Floral.

It's no secret that I'm most inspired by nature: flowers, trees, leaves, grass, clouds, sky . . . . I love it all. It's in the landscape that I find perfection: through the symmetry of a snowflake, and the quiet beauty of a perfectly realized leaf fallen to the ground. That is has grown from a seed to a tree that grows, sprouts leaves, and then morphs one last time into this temporary perfection in the form of a fallen leaf is something worthy of divinity, because it is the beauty of life itself.

Yellow Cactus Flowers in Bloom.

So if you've noticed I don't take pictures of people often, that's why. As a subject matter, I find the bland snapshots of smiling people posing in front of objects horrid and most dull. Taking pictures of them on the sly appeals to me even less, and at worst, makes lots of enemies who think you're looking to capture them at their most unflattering, instead of getting the point that the photographer is seeking a deeper truth than the poser wants revealed through a candid shot. 

Magenta Flowers in Light and Shadow.

That's the thing with nature. It's always perfect as it is.

What inspires you the most?

Small Town America: Sidewalk Vines

Sidewalk Vines, Pearl River, NY.

Food: Farming

By now, we've read the articles and seen the news stories about GMO Frankenfoods that threaten our health, and contribute to a lack of biodiversity that is the agricultural form of extinction. Monsanto controls seeds and food production, Tyson muscles farmers through their production schedules, resulting in horrible food factories that don't even feel like farming to the farmers they pay, and the old lady who wants a pear out of season (the same one who clips coupons and haggles for a bargain), is the same person who eats produce that's traveled further than she will ever travel in lifetime, having been flown in exclusively for her consumption all the way from Chile. It's a bizarre mindset that needs to change, and it slowly has.

I've posted items on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Illuminations/371196022892113), with sayings like "Growing food is like printing your own money", and how collecting rainwater is now illegal in some states, to illustrate the growing separation between food production and our day-to-day lives. Do you want to cede that power to a huge business conglomerate? Would they have your best interests at heart? Of course not. Their executives aren't paid to do that like your family doctor is, because they're paid to sell you stuff.

Into the growing debate come visionary doctors who speak out, like Dr. Joseph Mercola (http://www.mercola.com/). It's in this very climate that I've begun to see the land around us as a huge opportunity for change. When I walked by a corn patch growing in front of a modest home last week, it reminded me that I grew up surrounded by farms: the small one next door to our house, my mother's humble garden, the little orchard that used to be part of the farm next door, and fruit trees in such natural profusion, that I still find apple and cherry trees growing right by sidewalks in town (http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2013/06/nature-edibles.html, and http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/2011/10/fall-harvest.html).

We have a chance to redefine our access to fresh, local, in season and affordable foods by supporting local farms, farmers, and producers through frequenting nearby farmer markets with locally made goods. Which brings me to the next motto that's gathered steam: you have three opportunities to vote every day when you decide what to eat. 
We can't always make the best decisions, for a variety of reasons (economics, availability, poor health, etc.), but thinking precedes action, and by questioning our mindsets, we've already started down the path towards change.

What will you choose to eat today?

Small Town America: Summer Storms

Storm clouds gather in the afternoon...

People often forget how humid our climate actually is, because tourist pictures of Manhattan skyscrapers rarely capture the water that surrounds us here on all sides, down in the tri-state area. Every summer afternoon holds the promise (or a threat, depending upon your weather-related phobias) of a sudden, gushing downpour. 

...and build, but not always with rain.

It provides a climate that causes green to thrive like a tropical rain forest, but sometimes the thick dampness becomes so oppressive, you break out in an uncomfortably sweaty, sticky, prickly heat on the back of your neck that can only be cooled by swimming in a deep, cool body of water. That's what these images remind me of: walking along hot country roads shimmering with heat waves that radiate off the pavement, with an eye to the sky that prays for a rain to break through and wash it all away. What does your summer sky look like?

Nature: Summer Solstice

Lazing in the grass.

Sometimes these events just creep up on us. A friend of mine in Nova Scotia didn't realize summer started when he absentmindedly watched an early morning sunrise last week.

Watching the clouds go by.

I was fortunately aware of the days' significance, and it inspired a few quiet, classically summer photos to mark the occasion.

“Hippies” like me enjoy nature!

That's what photography does for us: it permanently captures moments forever, those times that are unique to us, never to happen again. 

How do you mark the passage of time?