Come inside my Dahlia Garden, a magical place, where love lives, and colors seethe, where angels sing and hopes soar, and fear starves and spirits dance in the wind.
“The Heart is right to cry, Even when the smallest drop of Love, is taken away.” – Hafiz
Maria’s work has always had a strong woman, find-your-voice, feminist cast to it, but it has become clearer in her work and she has found a gentle way to express her feelings – through the chickens, cats and animals on the farm. Maria and I are not political people, but we both have strong ideas about supporting women and the need to encourage men and women to find their voices. This has become a distinct theme in her work, she is not someone to rant on Facebook, she expresses herself quietly and through her art. But the message is strong and clear.
Our hens are, in fact, quite independent, maybe they get the message.This potholder is on sale tomorrow at the first New Bedlam Open House, noon to four pom. Whatever is not sold here will be offered for sale next week on her website.
People who are coming to the Open House Sunday are curious about what is being sold in Maria’s Schoolhouse Studio and people who can’t come would like a peek and a preview, fair enough. I’m putting an album up on Facebook. The studio looks great, Maria is in her element, conjuring up tags, positioning things, re-arranging her studio.
Above from the left:
-Kim Macmillan, who works with Maria putting together her fiber works will be in the Studio doing something interesting. People can choose their scarfs from vintage hankys on the table and Kim will assemble as many as she can during the Open House. So you can create your own scarf and watch it being made.
-To the right is one of the new potholders Maria has made “Minnie In The Garden.” Maria’s potholders have become somewhat more topical and she is increasingly inspired by the animals on the farm, who she sees every day. A number of her potholders and pillows on sale are inspired by Bedlam Farm animals.
-Behind “Minnie” is one of artist Jane McMillen’s new Hen Doorstops, she has large and small hens with adoption certificates, they are great, we bought one for the mantlepiece. Mara is selling one of my photos – “Queen Flo” for $150, and some signed Bedlam Farm notecard packs for $15. I am putting up some of the other good stuff – great art cheap – onsale on Facebook. More details about the Open House and the art on Maria’s website.
I love photographing signs, there is great wisdom in them, I saw this “Detours Ahead” sign and saw the long-awaited cold front approaching, introduced by an impressive looking storm, the first of the night. There are detours everywhere in life, few plans unfold precisely as expected. Life happens every day. Our challenge is to accept it.
