Wordless Wednesday: D is for Doodling
Tag: Stratozpheres
Wordless Wednesday: New Wings for the Angel by Wayne Stratz
If a Clear Delight Visits You: Marsden Hartley, Modernist Painter and Poet
Another photo from my and Stratoz’s trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum, of Marsden Hartley’s Sextant. I knew Hartley’s name, but as as poet, not a painter, from my days of writing poetry and going to school for an MFA. The sextant reminded me of Stratoz’s drafting tools, many of which came from his father, a draftsman(who learned Autocad in his 60’s so he could keep working), especially the compass. Both a sextant and a compass have a moveable limb, and can measure angles, though sextants are for navigation, and compasses for drawing, but both are a way of finding our way and knowing the world. Stratoz made a video of his doodling, which starts with a compass. His stained glass arose from a desire to take his doodles and incarnate them in glass. I love watching Stratoz draw, as he spins the paper, and the lines blossom.
Here is a poem by Marsden Hartley, which originally appeared in Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, 1920.
| To C—— |
| By Marsden Hartley |
|
From “Sunlight Persuasions”
|
Over at Stratoz: Support Local: Centennial Blueprint and my mandalas
Scraps of Faithfulness: Mosaic Mandala by Wayne Stratz
Stratoz was pleased to discover someone purchased his Scraps of Faithfulness Mandala from our Nutmeg Designs Etsy shop, that he created, with bits of glass from our Fruit of The Spirit commission. I find it fascinating how our mosaic mandalas have a different flow with his larger pieces, and yet look akin to each other.
Welcoming Neighbors Home with a Red Orange Starflower by Wayne Stratz
Stratoz made a set of “welcome home” starflowers, in the order of the rainbow, for our 5 neighbors across the street who suffered a rowhouse fire in March of 2010, and finally all back in June of 2011. We were both glad to see everyone home, after the scary evening when we woke up to screaming and smoke billowing from the house directly across from us. One man had to jump from an attic window, but has healed and is back to work. Over the course of a year, we watched the slow rebuilding, in fits and starts, from clearing out, to baking soda blasting the sooty bricks which made it look like a snowstorm in spring, to new windows, porches, doors. To have everyone back is a delight. And Stratoz’s imagination is a delight as well. I am always amazed by his creativity and when he told me he planned to make a starflower for each neighbor’s home, in rainbow order, from red-orange, to blue-violet, as a way to welcome everyone back, I was awed by the thoughtfulness of this gift. What house warming gift have your received that truly made you feel at home? What was your favorite gift to give as welcome?
Creative Couple: Joy of Collaboration in the Art Studios of Nutmeg Designs
It was Stratoz’s birthday, and he asked me to take a photo of him in our front yard, by the brand new Sunflower, holding a sheet of glass destined for a lizard stepping stone for Snowcatcher. Gardens and glass are two of Stratoz’s favorite things, so this is an apt portrait, and also the final one in his Flickr Project 365, which he started the previous year on his birthday. The year has been one of growing creativity and more collaboration in our art, with our mosaic house numbers(observe the glimpse of “45” through the porch), and the Fruit of the Spirit commission.
When we met in 1986, Stratoz was already drawing intricate doodles with colored pencils, but starting Nutmeg Designs, and making art that expresses our spirit and brings joy was not what we predicted. We have both evolved into our “two-studio-one-bedroom-rowhouse” and my heart is happy that we were blessed to celebrate another birthday weekend(my birthday was July 29th, and July 30th is celebrated by annexation.)
Are you part of a creative couple? Tell me about someone who supports you, inspires you, and is creative with you. Creativity is not limited to art. It informs all joyful things.
Q is for Quilts: Fabric and Glass
Wordless Wednesday: Sophia Spiral Stained Glass by Wayne Stratz
Nutmeg Designs at the Pathway School November 13th, 2010: We’ve Got Your Number!
Stratoz will be doing a show at his workplace, the Pathway School, on Saturday November 13, 2010, with his stained glass, a selection of mosaics, including pendants, and our signs, including newest collaborative sign, the custom House Number. We will be displaying the prototype at our holiday shows, and will be glad to take orders for your very own custom address sign.
Stratoz teaches science and runs a horticulture program at this private, PA state approved school for to young people with significant learning, social, emotional and executive functioning needs. His students have grown some very cool plants including this mammoth sunflower, which I capture one night while Stratoz was busy watering.
All proceeds from this event will support the 2010-11 Annual Fund.
This fund bridges the gap between tuition and fees and the actual cost of a
student’s education.
The Pathway School’s Second Annual
Holiday Craft Bazaar
Saturday, November 13, 2010
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Student Activity and Learning Center @ The Pathway School
162 Egypt road
Norristown, PA 19403
Another wonderful plant from the students:
Over at Stratoz’s Blog:
The Other Half of Nutmeg Designs: Stratoz Stained Glass
Every since I have known my husband, Wayne Stratz(Stratoz), he has made vibrant doodles with colored pencils. He has kept himself awake through many a meeting with his energetic drawing. As I started making glass mosaics, an idea that had been percolating started to boil up. He envisioned his designs in glass, and after taking a class and making the requisite flower panel, he began creating panels and suncatchers in his own style. We started doing shows together last year, and as someone commented once, it’s not so much the “other half” as the “other whole half.” We both love glass, and our designs have affinity, just as we do for each other, a synergy of two creative visions.