The Secret Place

On our lovely trip out of the city on Sunday, we cruised the waterways of Tigre and found a sweet spot to jump out and explore.

We followed a sandy path to an open gate ....

...past some boats tied to tall trees and by a hidden (abandoned?) apiary, deep in a tangle of trees and bushes. It stood on stilts. No buzzing could be heard.

A row of trees led us to a rickety bridge.

With light feet we hopped over it and came to discover a tiny inlet, a prefect spot to take off your shoes...

and have a swing.

All of this made wish I was ten years old again.
Taking this walk was lovely, beautiful and relaxing, but had I been ten years old or so, I know the energy would've been different. Every little spot would've be more fascinating, mysterious, fun and exciting. There would've been running involved, yelling and a different kind of laughter.
It's so hard to grow up. Maybe I shouldn't...

Lovely Day, Pretty Night

It was a Sunday. It was hot. We decided to get out of the city.
We went into the country and I once again reaffirmed, for the millionth time, that I am not a city girl, much as I try to convince myself I might be.
It was sad to come home, back to the noisy streets, lights, traffic, etc.
But I was given this view from the roof as a consolation.

Not bad.

Dear Drunk Tree....

I love you, with or without your drinking issues.

Despite being a lightweight (like me) you produce the most intoxicating blossoms.

And even though you have a prickly (understatment) exterior...

...preventing hugs of any sort, I can tell you really want one.

No climbing these babies to commune with the flowers...


I think these blossoms are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen on a tree.
As usual, I love the contrast-hard, spiky, threatening trunks leading up to soft, flow-y, pink and yellow...

This tree, also known more technically as the "silk floss tree", a relative of the baobob, is very common on the streets of Buenos Aires. Apparently it requires little care and water (stores it in those massive thorns) so it's great for cities and people who can't be bothered with upkeep. Too bad it wouldn't survive a Boston winter....

House of Quatrefoil

Many know how much I love the quatrefoil shape (and how controversial its use can be). Its pretty, curvy, yet strong and statement-making presence works perfectly in jewelry. I guess the person who designed this apartment building in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires thought it was a great addition to a home as well. I have to agree.

The main entrance.

Front door detail.

The side entrance (there is one on each side of the main entrance). Very Confectionary.
Those little "awnings" over the windows are so sweet.

A beautiful column.

The metalwork in front of the windows.

Side entrance doors-so pretty!
It's hard not to love this shape. You probably can't buy this apartment building, but the jewelry is available here!

Recoleta Design

Any time I have walked around in the Recoleta Cemetery, I run out of memory on my camera. The cemetery is much larger than it seems and is packed with so many beautiful architectural embellishments, it's hard to stop snapping pictures.
As we walked around last weekend on a cool, sunny, end-of-summer day I was struck again by the amazing craftsmanship and details that went into these honored resting places.

(wouldn't this make a great ring?)

And while some of them have fallen into disrepair, or just been weathered by the elements, that usually adds to the charm and attraction for me.

Reference to nature and it's design is everywhere.

As are angels, large and small, all beautiful.

Recoleta is quiet and peaceful, as it should be, even in the middle of a big noisy city. It's a lovely place to think, reflect and be inspired.

Imagination Station

Holly, at Decor8, wrote a post recently about the Argentine illustrator Gustavo Aimar. I love looking at his fantastical, creative, mixed-media illustrations.




If you know my mum, you know she is a huge fan of children's book illustration. We already have many, many great books at home, but next weekend I will be happily hunting the bookstores of Buenos Aires for some of Gustavo's treats to bring back to the nieces and nephew (and mum, too).
I think the kids would love to color in this illustration of "Crafts".


He also has a blog called "The Work Table" where he shows his many-layered process of illustration and other happenings in his studio. He is lucky to live in such a world!

So inspiring!!

Focus, Fun.

Little Sis is one smart cookie. Today is her first birthday! Already she knows so much. Like: dial the number before you chat on the phone.


Be careful of elephants until you find out if they're friendly or not. Then you can tickle them.


Check out who is around you...right, left, behind.


When going for a walk with Gram, relax. She'll take care of you, bundle you up and show you pretty things.

And of course, she knows how much her Auntie Erin loves her!! Kisses to the beautiful Ariette on her first birthday. I can't wait to get home and see you walking and hear you talking!!!
Love you, love you, love you!!!!
xoxoxo
erin

Cloud Love

On the way home from class tonight...

Gracias El Beso

A big Thank You! to Karina, of the beautiful El Beso blog. She featured one of my necklaces on her blog! She is one of those creative, traveler types with a great eye for style and design, so I was very flattered by her words! Check out this post and photos of her time in Fruitillar, Chile. I think I must go.
Yummmmm....

The Bird Thing. Out of hand?

Once I named my business, I started seeing and coveting birds everywhere (not just the ones flying around or sitting in a tree, mind you). At first, I thought: I really need to keep a lid on this, I could become "The Crazy Bird Lady".

But then I thought of Joseph Cornell, an assemblage artist whose creations I love (for the most part anyway, some are a little creepy). I went to see an exhibit of his work a few years ago at The PEM in Salem. It was great, and one thing that I really loved was the displays of materials from his studio-little boxes filled with all kinds of treasures, some obvious and some not so. Things he felt a connection with, or that might have sparked an idea for him. And they came together beautifully. A man after my own heart.

Oh Joseph, if only you weren't so odd...

...and dead.

Oh well.

Here are a few of my latest acquisitions, courtesy of the San Telmo antiques market. I am planning on "branching out" into collage/assemblage type work of my own and will be using these old book pages.




This little friend thankfully waited a whole week for me to come back and get her. I have plans to make a porcelain cast of her (Mum? Help?).

This French print of various bird eggs is really gorgeous. It always amazes me the variety to be found in nature-size, shape, color, speckling (a word?). It reminds me again of the Harvard Museum of Natural History , where the Eggs and Nests exhibit is up for just one more week!!

And finally, a large cache of beautiful birds stamps! These ones are from the 60s, from right here in Argentina. This will revive my dwindling supply of glass lockets.

Thank you Joseph, for letting me shop and search for birds with a clear conscience!

The Story of a Name

I am sometimes asked why I named my jewelry business "Freebird Designs".
It's not because of the song (although I kinda like that song..)

I used to teach as my primary vocation. I taught Art to high schools students at an all-girls school. I liked my job. But! I am not a morning person. I am a night-owl creative type. Getting up at 6 am to go meet teenage girls hyped up on Starbucks was not an easy thing for me.
I always feel the need to remind people that I did not hate my job. It was fine for me and felt I got better at it each year, but I hated routine, I hated not having any creative energy left when I got home from work, I hated not having enough time to experiment, take classes, do shows during school times, etc. And then when we had that faculty meeting in the Spring, when we were so close to being done for the year, and we would go over month by month the entire following years schedule, I literally became physically uncomfortable in my seat, squirmed a lot and thought I would have an anxiety attack.
I guess i was not meant to be a teacher.
I digress.
So, I decided to quit my job and pursue jewelry design full time. I had been selling in the summers, it was going well and I knew in order to do it I needed more time. So, when I finally quit, most people kept asking me: "What are you going to do now"? I felt like I had just graduated from college all over again. Except this time I had an answer. Instead of just, "I don't know", I told them that I was going to make and sell jewelry. The reactions were for the most part, uncomfortable. I could tell most people thought I was crazy (especially my dentist, who had trouble even responding to such an outlandish idea). But the people who knew me, my family, close friends and my customers thought the idea was great, and they generally asked me a different question: "How does it feel to quit your job and follow this dream"? (maybe not in so many words). To them I said that I felt like a free bird. And I really did.

If anything, the name can be a conversation starter. I once had a woman in New York start screaming "Yeahhh!! Freebird!!!!!" I thought she was making a connection to the song by Lynard Skynard, as many people of a certain age and experience do. But she said "No, that's my nickname!!" I asked her why and she said she couldn't tell me. So, then I didn't feel so great about having the name as well.
My friend Jerry has no problem telling my he thinks the name is "lame" and I should change it to "eenelson"(my last name and first two initials).
Many people misread it and think it says "firebird". Is there such a thing?
Grammar buffs tell me it should not be all one word.
I have wavered. I know it doesn't sound "serious" and slick.
But then, neither am I!
So, a freebird I will stay, for now anyway. I have to say I do love my bird logo with it's little necklace on, how could I get rid of that?!
I am flying off now to hunt the flea markets and will report back with treasures (I hope!) soon.

p.s. Thank you Niels (my brother-in-law graphic designer) for the logo and fab font!

Rain and Pie

That was pretty much it for today...and lots of photo editing of my cute nieces and nephew.
The pie is from this recipe. I have made it several times and love it love it love it. The best one ever made, though, came from peaches picked minutes before from the tree in Perry, Mary-Louise and Fionnualas backyard on the Vineyard.
Really, the best pie I ever ate.

How to follow your bliss, trust your instinct, make something from nothing, and become your art

Just take a lesson from Tony at the Mercado de las Pulgas (flea market).

Tony is known primarily for his hats, I quickly deduced. Zipper pulls are obviously a favorite medium, but spoons, toy cars, spark plugs, light bulbs, batteries and anything else you would find at a big flea market seem to have been used as well.


He also creates what I would call assemblages, some with a title- see"Apocalypse" below...

with others left to the viewer to interpret. Good luck!

When I peeked in his studio, Tony was busily bent over a new assemblage involving lipstick tubes and other cosmetics. It was hard to spot him at first, but I had the benefit of seeing something move in there. I made it easier for you to see the man at work:

Whatever may be thought of his work, I have to admire Tony for going all out and doing only what he is drawn to do. He inspired me to follow those ideas and dreams I wonder about, judge too much, and doubt would work out-and to get to work!

("Another Hat by Tony")

Thanks Tony!