Putting a lid on it

Hand dyed Coiled Rope Basket with Matching Lid by SquareCircleWorks

Goodness! Where's April gone?

I've been busy in my studio working on new designs for my Etsy shop - baskets with lids!

Hand dyed in Indigo Blue by SquareCircleWorks

Friends wonder at my limitless passion for basket making. This is the thing. Basket making is like gardening. Would you ask a gardener, Don't you get tired of gardening? Probably not. There are enough plants on this earth to last a gardener a lifetime.

It's the same with basket making. There are so many forms and textures and materials! It would take a lifetime to discover them all.

Baskets with lids in the Boudoir Collection by SquareCircleWorks

Here are more of my latest discoveries…

Basket with Lid - Fiesta Azul - Blue Festival by SquareCircleWorks

Arts and Crafts inspired baskets by SquareCircleWorks

Enjoy spring and happy gardening!

A Leiter view

Harlem by S. Leiter

Saul Leiter, the New York based photographer and artist, has come to one of my favorite Viennese museums, Kunst Haus Wien. Yesterday some friends and I paid a visit.

It's hard to describe Leiter as his work spans 60 plus years and covers many genres of photography - from street photos and still life shots to portraiture and fashion. Leiter not only takes photos, he paints.  His paintings are whimsical and unashamedly pretty.

Many of the items you see here are from the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Painting by S. Leiter

Leiter's photos are often provocative, like this street shot of a man facedown on a metal staircase.

Street photo by S. Leiter

Or this fashion photo...  one of my favorites in the collection.

Fashion photo by S. Leiter

Leiter's paintings offer a great contrast to his photos. The paintings, often created with gouache and watercolor, are light, fluid, and playful.

Painting by S. Leiter

Perhaps most interesting is Leiter's fusion of painting and photography. It's exciting to see the two mediums come together to create something that is both seductive and fun. Here is an example...

Leiter's painted photo

The Saul Leiter exhibit is at the Kunst Haus Wien until May 26, 2013. I encourage you to experience this inspiring collection! Now it's time for me to take some photos of my own... :)

Many thanks to Karen for inviting me to join her on this visit and to Kunst Haus Wien for allowing me to take these flash-free shots.

Expressions of rhythm and color

Tulip and Willow designed by William Morris, 1873

I am a big fan of the decorative colors and patterns from the Arts and Crafts period - swirling vines and twisting leaves of sage green and prussian blue, stylized flowers, birds, and fruits. So when Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts - the MAK - opened an exhibit on English textiles from the period, it was only a matter of time before I was there.

Wandle designed by William Morris, 1884

The exhibit is down in the MAK's basement, where the pieces are protected by glass and low light. The rows of fabric panels are breathtaking. Each piece hypnotizing.

Decorative fabric by Silver Studio, 1898

What an extensive variety of English textiles the MAK has collected! Most of the pieces were acquired during the very period in which they were produced, the late 19th century. Back then the MAK was called the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry (or die k. k. Österreichischen Museums für Kunst und Industrie).

Decorative fabric, unknown

The MAK's textile exhibit is open until October 13, 2013. If you love textiles and are in Vienna this year, I encourage you to visit the MAK.

Exhibit entrance

See you soon!

Sweet baby greens salad with brown rice and apples

Sweet and healthy!

I'm still not over a holiday-induced sweet tooth. I still crave those ginger cookies and chocolate bundt cakes we baked way back in December.

So, how do I satisfy my cravings in a healthy way? What about a sweet salad with baby greens?

Of course, if we're  going to be healthy, why not add a little bit of brown rice? Did you know that brown rice has over six times the fiber that white rice has? And guess what? Brown rice has over 17 times the vitamin E. (Noah Wellness, 2003)

Wonder rice!

I must admit that it took me some time to get used to brown rice. But once I started to add it to dishes, I begin to notice how the chewy texture and nutty flavor enhance a meal. And since it takes my body longer to digest brown rice, I find I am not as hungry later in the day.

But, back to the salad...

For the sweet elements of this salad I choose a tropical trail mix - macadamia nuts, cashews, almonds, dried pineapple and cranberries. I also added balsamic cream, which is a wonderfully sweet reduction, often used in salads as well as chicken and fish dishes.

Tropical trail mix

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients for one serving:

Arugula and lamb's lettuce (or similar greens)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2 tbsp trail mix (dried fruit and nut mix)
1/2 apple, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic cream (reduced balsamic vinegar)

Layer ingredients in a shallow bowl in the order listed above. Drizzle on the olive oil and balsamic cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ready to eat?

I hope you enjoy this and my other recipes. Stay healthy, ya'll!


Reference:

Noah wellness. (2003). Retrieved from
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/noahnet/lp/wgrains/WholeGrains_4_BrownRice_Oct04.pdf

A time for baskets

Hand-wrapped baskets from SquareCircleWorks

Easter is coming. This is a traditional time for one of my favorite things... baskets! I spend a lot of time looking at these lovely woven works. What captivates me? Color, shape, texture? Maybe it's the utility of a basket that draws me to it. After all, baskets are relatively light and they can hold lots of stuff!

Maybe there is just something primal about a basket. Did you know that basket weaving may be the oldest form of textile art on the planet? (University of Arizona)

Traditionally, baskets were made of natural fibers - willow, pine needles, and reed, for example. Many crafters still use traditional materials and methods.  Becky Bechtel of BrightExpectations makes beautiful baskets following this style.

Large Woven Reed Storage Basket from BrightExpectations

Deb Grenert of lureart takes the traditional and adds a twist. A basket woven around a piece of driftwood...

Coiled pine needle bowl with driftwood by lureart

Today basket makers have added non-traditional materials to the mix - wire, plastic bags, and magazines, for instance.

Check these lovelies out. How about a basket made of recycled plastic bags?

Recycled plastic bag basket from SARAHRACHA

Here's a cool basket made from junk mail.

Upcycled paper basket from Find Your Happy

I love the fun colors in this yarn basket.

Yarn coiled basket from JCStars

Now THAT's eye candy!

Have a great day, everyone...


Reference:

Womeldorff, Sara. “Basket Weaving: Old Tradition to New Art Form.” The University of Arizona, n.d.