So-It's the end of July... AND... I failed miserably in writing and posting once a week, BUT I am gaining so much this summer! Let me explain...
First, In June, my daughter and I rode the Osceola train to Dresser. What fun! We had a blast. It was a great day to ride- overcast and sprinkling, and the green summer fields were bright and bold. We found seats facing each other- much like a booth, then our tickets were punched by the conductor. The train whistle signaled our departure and off we went! On the train, we watched railroad volunteers try to catch the mail in the mail car, listened to an older volunteer tell stories of the railroad and watched farm fields rush by as the train rocked back and forth. My daughter, Tori , thought is was great. You can walk around from car to car- feel the train shifting, and see the trees fly past through open windows and the spaces between rail cars. I took many black and white photos and made a wonderful collage of trains, depots and railroad signs and paraphernalia. The nostalgic feel seemed perfect in black and white and the finished collages are quite beautiful- if I say so myself!
This July, my husband and I went on a Motorcycle trip to Grand Marais. Long winding roads of farms, trees, lakes, ponds, beautiful scenery all the way up! Then Grand Marais itself! The hills with sweet cottages and lake homes, the rocky shore of Superior, the driftwood and rounded stones,wild life, marinas full of sailboats, sandals and shorts, whitecaps and calm waters. There is so much to see- and to see it from the back of a motorcycle is absolutely breathtaking! I have around 300 photos from our 4 day trip. Many of which will be the inspiration for paintings and collage work I am starting. I have all of these wonderfully rich ideas and can hardly contain them in my head! I have sheets of notebook paper listing ideas and sketches- just so I don't forget to touch on all of it! I am so in awe by the beauty of our state (yes- even in the winter when I can appreciate it's beauty, just don't want to drive in it:). But Summer in Minnesota is so grand. So gorgeous. How lucky we are to have all of this in our backyard.
Now, I also have other projects on the docket. I watched a wonderful program on Lowertown- where my studio is located, and it talked about the history of the area. Talked about the railroads and boats, the rich and the poor- the artist community as it grew. I have always had a special place in my heart for St. Paul, but this program sparked something....
I grew up with a view of the Cathedral and State Capital from my backyard. I love St. Paul. My Great Grandparents immigrated from Italy (their names can be found on the Charlie Brown Immigrant Statue off Eagle Street:) to the levy. My Father used to bring me to the Italian Festival Along West 7th. We shopped at (and still do) Buon Giorno's market for the ingredients for our spaghetti dinners (used to be every Sunday). I went to School (off Rice Street) at St. Bernard's High School and I Graduated in the St. Paul Cathedral. I went to College at The College of Visual Arts of Summit, graduated in the MN History Museum Auditorium! I love the architecture, the facades, the views of the Mississippi River, The old Schmidt Brewery. I love the restaurants, the people, the shops, the community. I love Rice park, Mears Park, Summit Ave with all it's gorgeous mansions (including the James J. Hill home). Now- I could spend hours going on about this place- but I am going off on tangents! The TV program got me thinking about all the different aspects of St. Paul and how I love them. So I am planning on some collage work with photos and paint and a few tricks up my sleeve. I am dividing the things I love into smaller themes.
Well- I hope to get a few projects finished prior to the Fall St. Paul Art Crawl- so you could view them in person:) Should you want to:) otherwise, I will post a picture or two of the finished results. Summer, in Minnesota, has truly sparked a fire in me!
Always Inspired,
Michelle
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