Irons in the Fire + Artist Alert: Rachael DiRenna

I beyond adore these Tree Spirit Figurative paper mache sculptures by artist, Rachael DiRennaFound, I just remembered to add, via the darling Rose Red over at Folk and Fairy filled with all the positive beautiful places, people, and fairy folk things that she takes delight in finding in her travels, real and imaginary. Bookmarked!

She's completely captured the delicate anthropomorphized quality I often see in nature. They are fairies. They are plants. They are beautiful. They are just the right amount of almost too subtle and they'll be missed, just like in real nature. I don't mean to imply that I literally "see" fairie folk--but if I believed they actually existed then Rachael's art precisely represents what I sense they look like. I also love how she's using materials that would be wasted otherwise, which is philosophically integrated to her subject. That's so, not just because it's faddishly "green" to use recycled or reclaimed material but because using what is available around you is specifically related to an embodiment of nature such as this.

I will look forward to being one of her proud art patrons in the future, buying up these sculptures (at $195 or so). Until then, I'll satisfy myself with buying cards and prints of them (at very reasonable $8 -10 prices) from her Etsy shop.

Halfland Progress update: Woo. So much has gone on. I'm doing more than ever and so into 1/2L it now clinically qualifies as a full-blown obsession.

Stopped into F&S fabric shop on Pico yesterday and met a wonderful man, Chuck Marso who seemed to really get 1/2L. So much so that he dove into the rooms full of veiling and cut me swatches of very expensive fabrics that may double as lacy spider-webbing. When I asked him about scraps of leather he gave me a great worn leather handbag that I can cut up for Yanu's gear that was going to be thrown out. I gave him a button with this address so he could follow along. I bought a length of fine twig/vine decoration that will make the most deliciously perfect fencing and archway for the Writing Mouse's chalet!

F&S had vintage hats for sale with the most wispy marvelously web like patterned veils. They even sold some vintage veiling, but nothing with the right color or pattern. My new friend Chuck suggested a millinery downtown (California Millinery Supply Company, 721 S Spring St., Los Angeles, CA (213) 622-8746) I look forward to going. Later that day I was volunteering in a kitchen and had to put a hair net on my head. When I took it off I noticed that a common hairnet has exactly the wispy fineness of vintage millinery veiling! I will buy some in gray to use as cottage webs. Their only drawback is the square hole pattern, otherwise perfect. I have the crystal beads for the dewdrops on the webs already. And of course, Time Flies will fall victim to these beauties.

Next post will feature some further action development for the Yanu/mothman character. Think lanterns!

Irons in the Fire (A never before mentioned list of some (some secret) things that have been happening here in addition to Halfland work):
• Izzy to doctors this morning for yet another steroid shot as she's returned to being a bloody raging mess. Disturbing.
• After many hours of logistics and project management, Paul's (and J-R's) new book is at printers on schedule.
• We need to hire a graphic designer to produce fun new print materials with me. Know of anyone that would be right? Please email nobledesign[at]sbcglobal[dot]net.
• I start teaching ballet once a week next week to both an after-school group and a private tutee. (And I'm up to 5 classes/week as a student myself.) Crazy, I know, but it's so enjoyable!
• I have been teaching a private client of Paul's over the last month or so how to be more of the artist she wants to be, coaching her to break the "rules" and demonstrating new techniques and materials to expand her range.
• Hila and I will embark on designing/creating an exciting new product line for children together in January. Emailing ideas and excitement currently.
• My step-father and I are collaborating on developing a creative product I saw him invent when I was a teenager. I always told him he should go further with it. And now that I can design and market, we are doing that together. Isn't that wild?!
• I started making hand-made woolen cat toys to give as gifts. That I'm actually ridiculously thinking of putting up on an Etsy shop of my own on a lark. They're fun and easy to make in idle minutes and any monies would go into buying Halfland equipment.
• Same for the Time Fly puppets, which I'll be making prototypes for shortly and posting.