Happy New Year!

I happened upon this lovely Christmas card from the early 70s when looking through old family pictures over the holiday. I love the mandolin, and the typeface and bright funky colors of course. Best wishes to everyone for the New Year!

Picture This: The Pop-Up Book of Gnomes

The opening page displays a typical gnome's living space where all the activity takes place; "The mother gnome cooks on the large stove, which keeps the room warm and cozy." The illustration is labeled with letters and has a diagram explaining what everything is, including the Christmas decorations on the table, which stay out year round, the carved portraits, and the hobby area!

The next page show the gnome's daily routine saying, "In the gnome household, the children set the table." Here we also see a typical breakfast for gnomes, including tea, eggs from a song bird, and bread from acorn meal.

This page explains that gnomes are great friends of animals, and often help them out of peril. The animals help the gnomes in return, as illustrated with the moving otter, who, "swimming and giggling... ferries the gnome to the other side."

And, of course, gnomes love to play! Adults and children alike enjoy swinging, jump rope, tug of war, and dressing up as dragonflies. Who wouldn't enjoy simple play in such a lovely setting?

I found this Pop-Up book for Laurence's birthday! Ok, it's a little gift for me as well. But, it also includes pages about gnomes as great woodworkers and gardeners, and explains that they believe in using natural resources. It's incredible. It shows and tells you all about the life of gnomes, using these wonderful pop-up illustrations. Most of the tabs, etc. are still in great shape too. These images don't even do it justice because there is so much beautiful detail, and it provides the great interaction that is the nature of pop-up books. I need to add some more of these books to my collection. And, I certainly hope some gnomes are living comfortably in the hollow of one of our old trees!

Winter Woods

I'm a warm weather girl no doubt, and this winter has certainly got me looking forward to spring- just a few months from now, right? But, I'm up for a hike any time of year. I especially like not having to worry about running into anything creepy or crawly this time of year. However, it seems as if the stillness of the woods in winter is so much more than hibernating creatures. It's such a modest season, not dramatic or showy, like fall and spring, or overly excited with a kind of nervous energy, like summer. The winter woods are calm and quite, stripped to the bare bones. There is a powerful beauty here; it is as if the woods are telling us to slow down and take a closer look, beyond the obvious vibrant fall leaves and delicate spring flowers. Subtle is the word I'm looking for in all of my musing, truly I am a Romantic at heart. So, back to the hike, I love the textures and pops of color and interesting curves and jagged edges that I found crunching through the leaves on this still December day.

Picture This: When Joy Came

We pull out tons of classic Christmas picture books each year, and I'm always discovering new favorites. Almost all of them include a Santa theme, so I was excited to find this old book from the early 70s entitled "When Joy Came." It's such a simple narrative telling the story of the nativity. And, the illustrations aren't all fluffy and cheesy! You know the ones, with the immature figures, curly blond hair, and barnyard animals. The illustrations in this book make for a much more authentic and moving story. I love the use of color and movement, and think children appreciate this quality of art over dumbed down images. So glad to add it to our collection this year, and I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas!

Mapping Our Wrapping!

We happened to be in UT's library right after the geography department cleaned out their old map files. Along with a few other scavengers, we sorted through hundreds of 7.5 minute topographic maps to find the prettiest of them all. With several rolls bundled under our arms we headed home to explore the interesting topography of our country. Not really, but Laurence did come home the next day with hundreds more of these maps! We've gotten great use out of them for crafty projects around the house, and I find that the lines and shapes provide the perfect "pepper" for some of my work. However, my favorite use for these maps is wrapping our Christmas presents! There are many nice shades of green, some just white with delicate red lines running throughout, and some with pops of blue... I love the areas with water! Hope our families don't get tired of this wrapping anytime soon.

Rockin' Christmas Tree

We found this poster at the Habitat Thrift store in our neighborhood last year. After mistaking it for wrapping paper, though it did make for a beautiful package, I tried to piece it back together to hang it as a poster. Still a little off kilter, and the lighting in these photos adds to the nice psychedelic effect. I think it's absolutely wonderful.. the nicest fake Christmas tree I've seen! I love the green wallpaper-like background, and the highly saturated colors in the tree and presents seem to be bursting with excitement. I couldn't find a date on it, maybe 60's/ early 70's, not sure. It needs a little bit more repair, but it's rockin' our house this Christmas!

Russell Briscoe at the East TN History Center

Corner of Gay St. and Clinch, circa 1890

Erin, TN, circa 1870- what's now Bearden! Looks a lot like where I work off Homberg St. to me, with the train and golf course in the background.

One of the few places Briscoe painted that hasn't been torn down, Old Gray Cemetery off Broadway looks just the same today, without the bright colors, trolley, and carriage of course.

Briscoe's nostalgic painting of Christmas morning as he remembered it on Clinch Ave. This room has been recreated as part of the exhibit at the museum.

Saturday, December 12th, is the Christmas open house, so the museum is free. And, you can get your picture made in front of this cozy recreated room from the early 1900s. Thought about using this as our Christmas card, but we couldn't sneak Lulu in very easily.

The exhibit is great, and I'm sure there's lots more to see in the museum, we didn't have much time last Sunday but will try to visit again. I loved seeing one man's interpretation of what Knoxville use to be like. Working in the 60s and 70s, Briscoe's paintings depict scenes of the city from the 1800s, using photographs and historical records, but adding a vitality and color that bring to life much more than a black and white photograph could. There is definitely a naive approach to his painting which adds to the nostalgic feel adults and children alike will respond to. I think the show is up through January, and the museum is free on Sundays!

http://www.east-tennessee-history.org/

Holiday Tea Towels

I can never use these types of beautiful kitchen towels, even though I've tried to implement the "clean hands only" rule in our kitchen for my really nice towels; it's just not practical. But, aren't the Sanna Annukka's new holiday designs lovely? You can see more of her products here: marimekko.

Pepper Sauce

The pretty peppers turned into a great punchy pepper sauce. Perfect for raising your temperature on a chilly morning with some scrambled eggs, or with some pork tenderloin... we've been adding a little here and there to marinades and glazes, potatoes and beans... adds some excitement to anything really.

Puree your bunch of peppers, saute in oil 20 minutes, and mix with 1/4 - 1/2 of a cup cider vinegar, then refrigerate. Our second mix had a little bit better flavor after roasting the peppers before pureeing them, grilling would be yummy too.

Oh, and next year we're going to save some peppers to make some crafty Christmas decorations!

Holiday Show at the Emporium

Some of my work will be at the Emporium's Holiday Extravaganza this weekend. The show will be in the Emporium Center (100 south gay street)... live music, Christmas parade, free lunch with $10 purchase, and hot cocoa and cookies! I'm really looking forward to all the festivities and am so glad to be participating this year with all the other talented artists working in Knoxville. I'm sure it will be a good night for all!!

The show is Friday, December 4th, 11-9pm, and Saturday, December 5th, 10-5pm.

Here is the article that was in the paper this week with one of my illustrations included! You can see more details there. http://www.emilyschoen.blogspot.com/