I went out to Coney Island today. Every time I go out there I am reminded of how much I love it. The visuals are magnificent and today they were hidden in mist and fog. As the subway came into the fancy new station (it is above ground), out the window the wonder wheel is peering out from the fog. I was supposed to rain today and it threatened. But while I was out in Coney Island, it was simply beautiful. All the rides and attractions in their bright and bold colors battling the mist for their beauty. Battling the locked gates for their life. I guess that is why carnivals closed up are so spooky. All of the faces and colors demand to be alive. To have life surround them. Although to me they are no less beautiful in their disuse. Coney Island is strange in that it seems to want to keep a part of it falling apart. It is not trying to be like a new amusement park. Coney Island is definitely an individual and is beautiful in its tarnished glory. Maybe because of it. My main reason to hop on the train was to see the Leland Eve’s art show at the Coney Island Museum. I love the old memorabilia in the museum and I am totally inspired by Leland Eve’s beautiful work. He paintings are gorgeous and delicate. I have admired her work from afar on the internet for a year or so now and the medium doesn’t do her work justice. Her lines and delicate and expressive. Her girls have the most beautiful clothes and in some instances not many clothes at all. They all flirt with you and I am completely inspired by the nature of her work, the simplicity and complexity of her layers, building to a very whimsical and exquisite image. If you have a chance to see it, I totally recommend taking a trip over. The museum is great. As I was leaving the boardwalk I felt a little sorry for the two buses that were unloading. I hope the classes realized that Coney Island isn’t really open for play. But nothing can begin to hide the beauty. As I hit the street I realized that they were walking over to the famous Nathan’s Hot Dog, which was open. I also went to the Folk Art Museum on my way home, but I will save that for another day. It was great but I felt totally out of place….

I realized lately that I am being such a downer. I have so much going for me. The boy is so happy and he is doing his dream job – sound design! We have a new apartment and a beautiful cat. I have an opportunity to figure out what I am going to do with my future. Which path I will take. It is exciting and frightening, but spring is here and it is beautiful! Unbelievably beautiful. When I was younger I never appreciated spring. You’re in school and spring just makes you think of summer and getting out of school. It really wasn’t until I moved to NYC that I noticed and paid attention to spring. New Yorkers walk everywhere. Because of that you see the minuet changes in the world around you. Especially the trees. The tiny green buds forming into gorgeous blossoms. Even when the blossoms fall you are left with tiny precious green leaves beginning to unfurl. It makes me believe in magic and miracles. Here in NYC you have all the seasons! The lovely spring and fall and the extremes temperatures of summer and winter. Regardless of me preferring one season to the next (because really – it is not my choice), it is beautiful to watch the little things change. I have to remember that my life is changing and for the better. There is a tree outside the bedroom window of my new apartment that has clusters of yellow-green flowers and I can’t wait for it to sprout all its leaves and then watch them drop this fall. Little pleasures and the magic of nature.

I know there are clients from crabbcards that are wondering why I am taking a summer vacation. Actually there are so many changes happening in my life right now. Moving was the catalyst. I am moving all my stuff, touching everything I own and deciding whether or not it would make the cut (so much stuff did not make it). That in turn has made me question all my life. My first instinct was to just stop crabbcards. Then I realized that since I don't know what my future holds, I am going to examine my life further over the course of the summer. Things I WANT to do for the summer: stuffed robots I am making for the Schmancy show in August creating new scents (I have a really great nose) study healing plants figure out my future I really don't want to make cards this summer and I will figure out what form it will take hopefully by the fall. Thanks for letting me take this time.

I think I have been a part of every time members of my family have moved since I was a child. You would think by now I would have it down, but not so much. We are moved, but now we have to move in. Figure out where the light switches are. Fix the bathroom door because it doesn't really close. Find things that are packed away. Hope Trixie will stop hiding under the bed and eat again. Level the fridge, so the freezer doesn't freeze shut. Clean everywhere. Look longingly at the bed when I am supposed to be cleaning. Lay down the sticky tiles in the bathroom, but clean the floor first! (The old renters just stuck them down on the dirty floor.) Make my softies for Plush You. Put away my laundry. Make more softies for Plush You, because they are going to be sooo cute! I am really relieved to be done. Moving that is. I am really glad that I never have to go back to the old apartment again. I didn't realize how much I didn't love living there. I love the new place. It is clean and bright and lovely. There is more room and we are going to have a couch! A comfortable couch where I can sit watch netflix and sew. This summer is looking good! Also thank you everyone that made comments on Illustration Friday. It meant a lot to see such great feedback during the horrible move. Thank you.

The days when traveling meant just you and your goat going to the next village.

Actually this is something I painted a while ago (obviously since I am posting so fast). I haven’t participated in Illustration Friday in a couple of weeks, so I thought I’d post this while my computer is down during the move.
I really love the idea of bonding with animals. I guess it goes back to my days of imagining as a child, that some magical animal would come and take me away from it all. Let me know what you think…