Still Life: Fern Green Tower by Dale Chihuly, me, and a stranger at the Corning Museum of Glass

Fern Green Tower by Dale Chihuly. Photo by Margaret Almon at the Corning Museum of Glass

Cleaning and Doodling in the studio with French drummer Manu Katche

1 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

Coming back from a weekend of selling our art in Wilmington, I was faced with a studio that had not be stratightened up/cleaned in .... months. Ughhhhhhh

It is far better shape now. Two days in a row I listened to Manu Katche's Neighbourhood. Splitting the time between jazz doodling and cleaning was a fine idea. A new habit?

And then when I research this drummer, I realize I was listening to him in the 80's and 90's when he played on LP's by Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, Loreena McKennitt...

As I cleaned up, I separated paper of designs I wanted to keep, and paper to be recycled. It reminded me of our recent business meeting when we planned out a week in our studios. Maybe more of my favored designs will be revisited if we continue these meetings. We will see. A special meeting to get through projects could lead to a bit more focus from me.

Beginnings: Here is the opening track to Neighbourhood, it pulled me in and I am a fan.

I decided to capture the center of these doodles, where they began.

2 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

3 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

4 Jazz doodling to Manu Katche by Wayne Stratz

Blue Tuesdays: A Stratozpheric Jump

Blue Stratoz: Stratosphere Trampoline Park in Wilmington DE by Wayne Stratz

Friday 7/24/15,  Margaret and I rolled into Wilmington, we took back roads and found a new place to eat with a way too enticing menu along the way. Who knew southern food was so appealing to me? Well, maybe food is appealing. (Dixie Kitchen in Malvern, PA)

Unloading at the Chase Center went fine. Then before we set up.. a museum visit, Thai Food, an art supply store, and later after set up... dinner with one of my best artist friends, Great Egrets along the riverfront and TV commercials all of which I had never seen... The weekend was off to a fine start.

You jump into shows with hope, and like a trampoline (sure I am only going by knowledge not experience) it sinks and rises. A sale here, a near sale there, a slow hour of no one walking by the booth; and running into friends, who drove south to see you. Encouragement. Disappointment. And that moment in time when I tried to get a woodworker to howl when the show slowed down on Sunday just like my neighbor's dogs would do when they were lonely. I told him I would join in. He loved the concept, but no howling was heard.

The weekend was fun. Did I have hopes to make a fortune and celebrate our birthdays in a huge way? Sure, but we always celebrate. Weekends need to be seen in a big picture.

I used to say life was like a roller coaster, maybe it is like a trampoline. We fuel how high our spirits soar.

and and let me say one of the highest leaps happened when I posted this video on YouTube, we will deliver the item in the spotlight to a collector/fan/friend

;

old words in a new font: Jazz, welcome, and breathe in Chelsea Studio

Breathe in Chelsea Studio Font. Lettering by Wayne Stratz. Background by Margaret Almon. Order your word of choice here

Jazz in Chelsea Studio Font. Lettering by Wayne Stratz. Background by Margaret Almon. Order your word of choice here

Welcome in Chelsea Studio Font. Lettering by Wayne Stratz. Background by Margaret Almon. Order your word of choice here

just because your destination is gone; arriving at the gate that was nonexistent

top of the a fence post at the Jesuit Center; June 2015; Wayne Stratz

So did I turn back, nope. (see this post about walking to a nonexistent gate)

While the gate was gone, I kept walking. My eye was drawn to the iron fence on either side of the entrance to the Jesuit Center in Wernersville. I started taking photos, until... 

"What are you doing over there!"

The man in the pickup truck was curious. Once I explained who I was and what I was up to, then he explained who he was. A Jesuit, not in charge of spiritual direction, but in charge of the grounds was in the pickup truck. All those stops along the way to the nonexistent fence had created this timely encounter.

"What happened to the fence?"  I guess I had broken Silence, but hey, the Jesuit in the pickup truck had started the conversation.

"Damaged" "Again" "Being restored" "Again" "Hundreds of years old" "From Europe" "Tired of being damaged" "Uncertainty of its future home at the center." "But... it will be used on the grounds"

And thus, by being nonexistent, it became known;

a few nights in the studio with Vijay Iyer going solo

Vijay Iyer Solo CD cover with a jazz doodled bookmark for a friend's daughter

It was 2014 when Margaret and I walked into the Hatch Center in Rochester. It had become one of our favorite venues in no time at all. Solo jazz piano in a state of the art (acoustically magical) setting. Vijay Iyer was the local boy that evening and his family and friends were there in good number. We squeezed in and found two seats.

Vijay Iyer inspired design, funky view to get violet shine. Design, Craft, and Photo by Wayne Stratz

We had learned of his music in 2010 when Solo hit many a best of the year list. So we sat and waited. Joy.

I drew a few cards to hand out at one night while listening to Solo. As I drew I thought of a friend at work. I know her voice well, especially the sound of it at 3:00 when students are called to buses. But the voice is not there this summer, so I asked for her address

Vijay Iyer inspired design, view with Dogwood. Design, Craft, and Photo by Wayne Stratz

The next night, I played Solo and I took pencil (and lots of erasure) to paper. I wanted a new design. I started over on a new sheet and went on and on as the music flowed. Solo. And before the music ended I stopped. Pencil and erasure were dropped. 

Glass was chosen and all was set before I hit play. Then it became together through solder. But my time in the studio was not over. When chatting with my friend, a thought came upon me. Why not draw a bookmark for her daughter. So once again Vijay Iyer filled my studio.

Vijay Iyer inspired design, funky view with Blue Sky and Dogwood Tree. Design, Craft, and Photo by Wayne Stratz

Blue Tuesdays: looking at the edge while at Warner Glass

the outer edge of Blue: Warner Glass, 2015, by Wayne Stratz

Over on the Nutmeg Blog, I wrote about a business trip, adventure to Warner Glass in Allentown. It was their first day open in a new location and to see what we experienced... check this out.

This image didn't quite fit the theme of that post. As Margaret paid for our purchase I walked about with camera in hand. The rows of the extra large sheets caught my attention. I tried to get an image peering into a wooden crate set on their side, but nothing was working. So I focused my attention on the colors streaming out of the outer edge of glass. That worked.

Have a great Tuesday.