October 26, 2024

Here I am again after six years.  I'm experiencing a strong need to express my thoughts about what is happening in this world.  Having just turned ninety I feel I have a lot of observations and ideas to share that might be helpful.  And I have a definitely more limited space of time to share them.  My health seems good but the life behind me is longer than what is ahead.  As birthdays go it's a big one and demands that I make good use of the time I have left.  

Which brings up that quote from Mary Oliver's poem Sometimes which has come to mind any number of times since I first read it years ago. 

'Instructions for living a life

Pay attention,

Be astonished,

Tell about it."

Those four lines have been nudging me for years and especially now.

I think I have learned a bit about how to pay attention more effectively.  And I certainly am astonished frequently, sometimes by beauty and goodness, sometimes by ugliness and evil. The problem is just how to go about 'telling about it' seems unclear.  

So that's why I'm back to my blog. I am exploring ways to 'tell about it'.  But since I'm exploring it may be I'll continue in this blog - or I may find some other venue.  I'll try to keep you posted either way.

June 19, 2018

It has been over a year since I posted anything, but I found myself writing a poem after reading about the 'family separations' that are taking place.  I hope it speaks for itself.

AT THE BORDER

I was instructed
not to touch them
except to change
or dress them,

the little ones,

not to touch them
when they wept
and called for mama
and sometimes papa,

cried over and over.

I followed orders
even though it was
hard not to hug
or stroke them

I know the damage

of comfort forbidden.
If and when they are
reunited with families
they will be broken,

I am broken also.

February 1, 2017

Here is a beaded hanging from 2005.  I did post this in 2007, but it seemed to have become appropriate for the situation of the many many refugees who are fleeing areas of conflict now.  I called the piece Child of War. 

January 31, 2017

Here is another of my unsolicited comments on what our country is going through.  It is based on a poster I made in 2014. 

I was also struck this morning by the coincidence that my blog (and business) is called Weeping Crow Studio.  I do feel like weeping with concern and alarm at what appear to be threats to a way of life which isn't perfect, but is something precious.

January 30, 2017

I've decided to use my blog to express my thoughts and feelings about what is happening to our country.  That includes some poetry I have written.  Mostly I haven't written political poetry, but it seems called for at this time.  This one was inspired by a news  clip about Aleppo.

As it rains on a street in syria

The people move slowly; in cold weather clothing.

They might be strolling except each adult carries a duffel bag;

Some balance sleeping bags on their heads; 

each child wears a back-pack except one very small child

who wears a pink hat with a pom-pom.

It’s clear they are together; but they spread out from one another. 

In the rubble that spreads to the horizon

shattered apartment buildings reveal their bones.

The images are on TV and computer screens,

many showing the violence as it happens

taken at grave danger for those who send them.

I witness these refugees and feel as helpless

as if they were fleeing centuries ago instead of now,

this very day toward America’s closing doors.

February 24, 2016

I'm adding the second and third of my Library Book series which I finished in January 2016.


Here are some views of #2.


I luckily was able to obtain an old dictionary which I cannibalized for the cover and can use in my next series.  The shelves this time were made by a kind fellow at Haystack who whipped it up for me in the Wood Studio.

And here is #3, finally!  The first three images are of the maquette I made to plan out the final product.  This piece was fun because I found I was moved to make a kind of pop-up to convey what I wanted.  To me it is an book in honor of the branch library in Cleveland where I spent time as a young child.  It was small and friendly.  The librarian was relatively kind - that is not judgmental - as I felt most adults were at that time.

As you can see it came out fairly close to what I had planned, for which I'm thankful. 

This whole project took about three years to complete. I was making the small books in early 2013 and finally finished the final book in January of 2016.  It was a process of making hundreds of small books without a clear idea of how I would use them.  I did have a tray for holding type that I wanted to use as it made me think of book shelves.  But otherwise I was just in love, obsessed, whatever you call it, with making the small books.




Then I was lucky enough to be part of the first Open Studio Residency at Haystack Mountain School of Craft which gave me the confidence to hang on to my blurry vision of incorporating the miniature books into a series of larger books that honored libraries. 

Memorial Day
May 25, 2015

Seems a good time to send out images of what I've been making over last year or so.    

This is the first completed of what I call my Library series.  

I have standing by at least one more library not yet completed.  It seems the most challenging part is chosing the presentation phase.  The inspiration/statement I was trying to embody has to do with the transitions libraries are going through and what I've experienced as a devaluing of libraries.

Making lots of little books for me is much easier, indeed is joyous and doesn't present that old issue of what is "the best way" to do something.  

For year 2015 I decided to follow the book by Franz Zeier called Books, Boxes and Portfolios.  I made one box and between the internet and some other inspiring books abandoned his book and went down the way of origami.  I've been exploring two of its paths:  making small boxes so that the accordion books inside will pop out - a book in a box and making rosaries.

I may need to explore video techniques to develop the popping books, so I've set that aside for now and have been making rosaries of paper orgami formed beads.  They are big and for some reason I get a great kick out them.  My friends in The Time Project also seemed to like them.

Here's the first.

It's hanging on the door to illustrate its size.  I have made a smaller one but that's not as much fun for some reason.


I'm not sure if anyone will read/see this, but it helps me to organize my thoughts--to look back and also plan ahead.

That's all for now.

December 16 2014

Have to make a correction to my saying in my last post that my Old Woman Reading was inspired by a Rembrandt.  It seems that that painting was by a contemporary and friend of his named Jan Lievens.  Rembrandt did also paint more than one Old Woman Reading, but I think the one Sister Wendy Beckett discussed is by Lievens.

November 29, 2014

To my surprise and delight this photograph of mine was one of three juror's choices in the Platinum Show at the Cambridge Art Association.

It was one of those times when something I was looking at suddenly called for photography and this time one of the shots worked to my satisfaction.  I have found that reflections and the background of my house capture my interest.  I call this one Selfie 01.

I've been having fun with the computer and photographs.  I had seen Sister Wendy Beckett on PBS talking about and showing a Rembrandt called "An Old Woman Reading" so I took another selfie in Photo Booth of my own version.

I learned from studying poetry that this is called ekphrasis from the Greek.  I was pleased that I got Sister Wendy in there too.  She's been a lovely surprise in the short TV pieces where she visits and interprets art in various museums.

I thank that's all for today.

Nov 2, 2014

It's been over a year since I posted anything, but I have a poster that came to me that needed a place to speak its piece.

This sentence may not be familiar to younger keyboarders but harks back to my high school days when I learned to type.  The revision just came to me and stuck around in my head till I found a way to set it down.  And today The Global Post reported that the UN released a report stating "the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said emissions of three key greenhouse gases were at their highest in more than 800,000 years."  That is a lot of time.

So there it is, I hope the poster might resonate with someone who might read this blog and be encouraged to act on its message or supported in what they are already doing.

August 28, 2013

It's been a couple of years since I last blogged.  But I've been busy and here are photos of the books I've been making. These were done in the spring and I'm still in the process of deciding how or whether to combine the poetry I write with the images I create.  I go back and forth.  But these approached what I was trying to do and were wonderful learning experiences.

Photos taken by Gail Handelmann

April 2011

This piece seemed to make itself.  I was working myself up to doing my taxes by sorting out the various paperwork items I'd received, when I happened to notice the different patterns on the inside of the window envelopes they came in.  They gave me the perfect diversion from the main task and one thing led to another. Then, I impulsively tried one of the filters in Photoshop Elements and it changed the color scheme to one I much preferred.  I don't understand how it changed the colors but they seemed to reflect early spring more than what I had before.  I'll show the Time Travelers at the next meeting what I had before and also  the envelopes.  Kay Dolezal

Broadside - March 2011

This is the latest version of this broadside, although I'm not entirely satisfied.  I have widened it, but that isn't so practical for anything but virtual posting at this point,  since it would require a 13" x 19" paper and lots and lots of ink to run off many copies.  Although I did test to see if the ink ran and it did not.  At any rate I feel I'll let it sit awhile and move on to April. 
After the intensity that preceded it the Time Project presentation at the Stonewall Institute was lovely evening.  I was bowled over by the warmth and receptivity of the audience and as always by the work the group is doing.  K. Dolezal

February 2011

The Snow Queen's Parlor           2011

This scene appeared in the window of my front door and I tried to capture it.  I found myself mesmerized by the image.  I worked most of the month with various layers and text but in the end I decided to stay with the original photo.  I call it the Snow Queen's Parlor, although I know a queen probably doesn't have a parlor.  I decided not to use the poem I wrote because it seemed the image spoke for itself.  That meant abandoning my plan to produce a broadside, but I have learned that it's best to follow the work when it is leading you.

I hope next month's piece will not deal with snow.  Kay Dolezal

Broadside for Time Project 2011- January

I decided to post this now because it fell into place this week and I thought people might enjoy seeing something to counterbalance the heaviness of the weather and the world news.  I had stumbled on a book of Chinese poets from the early dynasties.   The Lexington library had a display for the Chinese New Year. This poet is from the Tang dynasty.  At any rate you can guess why a poem about snow caught my attention.  I also love the tradition of writing a response to a poem.  So that's what I did and then I took some photos of the snow.  Kay Dolezal

Time Project Bonus of sorts

I guess it's hard to shake a year long habit.  I took a walk this afternoon and this was the last shot I took and the one I liked best.  I'd been thinking about what to put for the profile on my blog and then I saw my shadow.  I took several shadow shots until as I was almost to my car and I saw this tree and the late afternoon light. 
I couldn't resist sending it to the Time Project ladies with a haiku for old times sake.  If you check the little picture by the profile section you'll see I used it there.  Kay Dolezal

Week #52 - Time Project

On one of my walks I came across three hubcaps lined up against a fence neat as you please.  This shot had the reflection, which amused me. So here it is to end our year which has sped by.  The verse is a tanka, a relative of the haiku which has two additional seven syllable lines.  I guess I felt I needed a little more space to express my thought.
Kay Dolezal

Week #51 Time Project

I love Queen Anne's Lace and so took a number of photos of it, all of which I wanted to use.  But I settled on this one and then I saw the bugs.  First I saw the big fly, then the smaller one and then the smallest.  So this is an instance where the image came before the writing. 
I find it hard to believe that the Time Project year is just about up.  Maybe I should say the first Time Project year.  That's what I'd like to say.  Kay Dolezal

Week #50 for Time Project

I was still influenced by the lovely Time Project meeting last Sunday and forgot to post this yesterday.  It's actually a haiga I created last summer but was unable to post till now because it was published in the winter on an online journal called Haigaonline.  I have revised the haiku somewhat since, so this is a somewhat different haiku.
When I first wrote it the reference was to the soothing quality of a cat's nature.  However, this cat has a bad habit of waking me up if she gets hungry at night, either by meowing or by nudging the closet door till the sound wakes me. Her name is Sweetie Pie, but I have said I should have called her Bossy.  I liked that Photoshop could change a color photo into a black and white which better expressed what I wanted to say and also related to my cat's coloring.  Kay Dolezal

Week #49 - Time Project

This is more experimentation with Photoshop and collaging photos I take in walks I take.  I'm impressed a lot with the force and determination of plants as they thrive in seemingly impossible spots.  Here are two I came across.  I was especially taken with the "brown-eyed susan" but I didn't want to leave out the small petunia.   Kay Dolezal