[images taken in Chicago and up on the North Shore of Lake Michigan]
We have been here, there and everywhere and it’s been magnificent. RW came home from his six week long work detail in the southeast and we took a whirlwind trip to the Chicago area to be with family, our favorite little niece and one of our best friends in the whole wide world. It’s been a while since we took a trip together and it was my great delight to lay my head down on Rob’s shoulder, while zooming through the sky in our rinky tinky airplane, and take a little nap that way. Just marvelous. Lake Michigan is beautiful. I always forget that the great lakes of North America are essentially inland, fresh water seas. And that city on the lake…that city…I have always loved Chicago, it’s my favorite big American city that I have visited to date. Everyone is relatively friendly there and the downtown sector feels like Gotham City to me — tall, cold and perhaps slightly theatrical. We spent an afternoon at the aquarium (falling in love with the belugas), strolling, laughing aloud at our reflections in The Bean and generally wandering without a care. I never know what to photograph when I am in urban areas, it’s good to get my camera out of its comfort zone from time to time. I’m always surprised by how the hubbub of humanity is so similar, in so many ways, to the swirl of nature, when I look at it through a camera lens.
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Now that we are home and life has slid into working order again, we are about to survive two crazy weeks of life! It all begins tonight with another art walk for me in Old Town Pocatello. I know! I have gone art walk crazy! Guess what, I have yet another one scheduled for the month of June in the Methow Valley. That’s crazy talk. Three art walks in three months? I’ve lost my mind. No. I really have. Ok. But here’s the thing, one of my goals for this new year was to be more present in my local art communities, to come down off my hermit’s mountain and poke my head out from time to time and really connect with my local people. I think I failed to write about it in the month of April but my last art walk appearance was SO. MUCH. FUN. I loved every moment of it and did such great work leading up to it and wonderful work afterwards. It was a perfect kick in the pants. Additionally, it was so nice to stand beside my work, my bevy of offerings, and say, “Hi! I am Jillian! Here’s what I do.” Over and over again to really lovely strangers and friends. I met some cool people. Oh, I met a biologist who is studying the effects of wind farms on bat populations, she was fascinating! For me, getting ready for these shows is a dizzy-tizzy-studio-freak-show but it’s been more fulfilling than I imagined it would be and I’m going to keep doing them as the dates present themselves. Tonight I am going to be set up beside a delightful friend who is a painter and leather worker — I can’t wait to share the crowds with her.
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I have a thousand other things to tell you but, it’s art walk day and there is much to do. I really need to get breakfast cooking and a pot of coffee brewing. I should have new work listed in the Etsy shop this weekend and I’ll be working on catching up on, well, just about everything in the next couple of days before I begin to taper off my online work and pack for our move to the summering grounds in Washington. I am not ready for the transition into this fire season and deeply resisting, most ferociously, in my heart of hearts, letting go of my house and the land here. This move is so hard for me, that’s the simple truth. I hope you’ve all been well. I think of you always.
X
Good Morning you beautiful early bird…. So nice to see your words and photos again.
Have a most fantastic time today!
So glad to see you happy and with your man. What a lovely trip!
Ahhh, my head feels a little hizzy-tizzy about what to write after reading all that.
Glad your man is home, glad you had a great time in Chicago, glad you’re home and looking forward to another art walk.
Just glad for you.
Love.
Yeah, yeah & yeah!
Chicago…amazing city, home of my Mister. Oh, those midwesterners…so thoughtful!
Art walk…great idea. I’m trying to encourage the above mentioned to do more. Lot’s of work but so much fun!
I know the move is terrible for a lady bird who needs to nest, you’ve been so busy BUT being completely selfish shellfish ;D… you’ll be closer to us. xx
So glad to see you back! Happy to hear about your trip. Have a great time at Art Walk today!
Love, love, love it!
Your posts are magic, Every.single.time my friend.
I hope the art-walk goes marvelously (sounds grand fun- sharing art with people how can it not be!?)
And I pray your move for summer goes smoothly and that you may find your ground and beauty no matter where you are!
Thank you for the gift you present to us every time you post.
Your coffee cup brimeth over with excitement, wonder, busyness, laughingness and contentment.
Your voice, your liveliness has done nothing but lift lift lift my spirits soaring to my blue sky. It’s a good day for an art walk. It’s a good day, period.
XOXO
those city shots are just simply fantastic! there’s nothing like the hustle-bustle and architecture of a good city. and chicago is one of the best.
happy artwalk to thee….yes, it’s difficult to step out from the hermit’s abode [i must do it, too, every night, at work] but it allows us to appreciate our hermitage once we return.
xx
I love what you say about photographing in urban places. And these photos are all marvellous. And I love, too, your beautiful tone in this – happy and mellow.
loving the pics, the one of the ocean reminds me a little of this.. http://www.sugimotohiroshi.com/seascape.html
So so very happy for you!!!
Oh Chicago…that is one of our favorite cities too…I don’t want to think of this fire season, for you and for everyone and for the earth. We already have fires here. It is so dry. One day is cool and the next in the 90s. Climate revolution. I wish I had remained in environmental chemistry but then I would be permanently angry. I imagine artwalks are heaps of fun…at least I like walking through them. I imagine moving is difficult but you do it so beautifully. In case I don’t visit often know that I am painfully busy but keep you in my heart and thoughts. xx
Oh, the belugas at the aquarium are amazing! So charming! I live in Chicago, but am not a native of it. I stay because of the attributes you note in your first paragraph.
Glad your travels were good!
looks like a wonderful, wild adventure.
Aw. This whole time I was waiting for you to update your blog with some fabulous art piece or details of a mountain adventure and you were here in Chicago. My home. So glad to hear you had a great time. As a long-time follower and first time commenter (and fellow metalsmither/nature-lover), I love reading your entries. This time, I especially loved reading about my town through your eyes and soul. Thank you. x
Hi! What a fun time you have had! I’ve been to Chicago once. I actually went to support my bff who was a contestant for the Mrs. International contest. She was Mrs. Rhode Island at the time. It was a blast!
We are cramming in a similar way, preparing for 3 huge events. We are going to be selling our spoon jewelry at the famous Brimfield Antique shoe in a couple of weeks, and then again in the summer and fall. It will be a full week of it each time, but we are actually really blessed to be sharing someone’s space and giving her a cut of the profit.
Happy to see you back!
*Show! haha!
I swear, Plume, you can even make a pigeon look magical.
These travels sound amazing and look just magical. I am glad you were traveling with RW this time and had such wonderful time- lovely. I’ll be thinking of you and him as you pack up for the summer stays in Methow. Your land and home would be hard for me to leave too. 🙂
Thank you for sharing Chicago…and what a surprise to see my office building in two of your photographs. I often dread that building, but how eerily beautiful it looked through your lens! I tend to overlook the beauty of the city as my heart always lost in a daydream of distant greenery. I’ll remember to smell the roses even if they are concrete!
Wow! Such a great collection of shots! It is strange to see a downtown building on your blog. Still stunning, just different! You have the same beautiful eye, and lovely attention, wherever you go. xo
Home is everywhere, cities included. I enjoyed the urban landscapes to which you’ve waved your feather. Rock on. Roll on! Xo,hbb