the inside-out of feathers

Doing Play-Doh the other day, we used a pod stem (??... I don't know what it is, it fell on the lawn) for a roller. And whoa, it made a PERFECT scale texture, just like feathers, or lizard skin. It was like the ghost of the young pod structure silently revealed itself. Hidden patterns repeat everywhere. Perfection!

old habits die hard

      

"Everybody can memorize the old laced or crocheted tablecloths, which were used as interior decoration at your grandparent's house. The decorations are beautiful hand made design, but do not represent today's style anymore. The knowledge about handcraft techniques vanishes. JONGHLABEL regrets that these old artistic techniques disappear.

In order to renew interest in old handcraft techniques, JONGHLABEL started Jongh Geleerd Oud Gedaan. Together with women from different cultural backgrounds and from different parts of the city of Amsterdam, JONGHLABEL started a co-production project. These women still know how to practice Dantel (Turkish handcraft technique), tatting, lace and crochet. JONGHLABEL transfers the beautiful handmade fabrics into modern jewelry. By turning them into modern jewelry, JONGHLABEL hopes to renew people's interest in these beautiful old handcrafts."

bravo!

via JONGHLABEL and Frozen Fountain.

compulsive pattern matching and the gridded pod

The moment I have been waiting for: an Angela Adams textile I could afford, and fit into my house: Dandipod, from the mini-handwovens collection. It arrived Friday and it is beautiful!

Hangs above our old map of Groningen NL that we have had for many years. Gridded pods, look!

And yet, more pods. My brain is strangely cascading with OCD endorphin oneness.

last week's library free pile

Title > 7 words = free pile.

All three were picked up on the same day, including math book. Same palette..!

Fundamentals of Mathematics

Fundamentals of Mathematics, by Edwin I. Stein. Leeds Junior High School Philadelphia. Allyn and Bacon Inc., 1959.

froebel fascination

Inventing Kindergarten by Norman Brosterman, Abrahms, 1997

My new book arrived: !!! This is Inventing Kindergarten by Norman Brosterman, about Friederich Froebel (1782-1852), the inventor of kindergarten. I'm reading it cover to cover and it is ridiculously fascinating. The program taught spiritual unity demonstrated through principles of art, mathematics, design, and natural science. You can see how the seeds of what was to become Modernism were planted in original kindergarten students like a wee Frank Lloyd Wright. Traces of the original kindergarten remain in public education today, but we all know how that ended up.For more information/ inspiration, see:

http://www.brosterman.com/kindergarten.shtml

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orihouse/859284808/in/photostream/

http://www.uppercasegallery.ca/uppercase-journal/2008/6/23/old-school-research.html

http://theiff.org/oexhibits/kindy01.html

If you live in the NY area, more is coming your way: http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1239

Wow, one more:

Vasily Kandinsky’s Composition 8 from 1923, recreated with kindergarten gifts number 7 (paper parquetry), 8 (sticks), 9 (rings), 14 (weaving), 15 (slats), and 16 (jointed slats).

From Cabinet: "Froebel and the Gifts of Kindergarten"

CA nature forms : when late winter = spring

Sun, rain, sun, rain. Almost everything appeared over the last week...!