friday night i participated in citydrift. i set up a blank canvas with art supplies and encouraged everyone to add something. it was fun to see what different people brought to the canvas; some things were recognizable, some not, people painted over things, added to existing things, and so much more. layers upon layers now live on this canvas. at the end of the night, the canvas was cut up and given away.to me, this canvas represents what life can be like. we all have layers upon layers of stories and life and we take bits and pieces with us. there are moments we wish we could freeze and sustain, but there can be real beauty in being fluid with change. to just be with what is. there can also be real beauty in sharing our stories.if you're interested in having a piece of the canvas, let me know and i will gladly give you one. thank you to everyone who participated.
xo
kk
p.s. i forgot to mention that participants were able to paint surrounded by bubbles and balloons... **here are some photos from the event. it started with a beautiful sky...after awhile, we did our own drifting to look at other installations...the night ended with this beautiful installation. this was a man made out of driftwood, filled with thoughts for loved ones we've lost. we were to write a note, fold it up, add it to the man, and seal it with beeswax. it was very moving.** full set
if you're in nyc and looking for something to do on a friday night, consider drifting...*the details of my piece are purposely loose, just show up and....
Earlier this summer, I found this blog and absolutely loved it - friends, you probably remember this... "omg, you have to read this, it's so, so lovely! just look at that fox!"After reading about Lucky I decided to make a painting. This weekend, I finally had some time to paint and dream up some places for Lucky.
I also worked on these two pieces. They aren't finished yet, but I thought I'd share.
i've been in new york for nearly five years. it's hard to believe. even after all of this time, i still have those moments of "i live in new york..." that moment often warrants an exclamation mark (or several!!!!) because it makes my heart race just a tiny bit and i experience something almost like time travel - i'll flash back and forth between my childhood home, to days with the college girls, to the wreath with cat vomit that made hayden and i friends (and how that friendship has changed me), to packing up that car and just driving east, to this city which i really knew nothing about. i had no idea how that move would change my life. how much i would grow. how i would mend in the best possible way from a broken heart and learn that time really does heal all. how i would explore the all of the parts of myself and how the lesson of self-love would be the most challenging (and important) lesson to date.i don't remember the exact day i moved here, but i do remember that feeling.time is passing and moving. seasons shift. i still love flowers and leaves and sky and furry little animals make my stop and say hello. these things will never change. but other things will. i'll become less of this and a little more of that -- what those things are, i'm not even sure -- but i just know that change is happening.five years ago, i would have hated this thought. and while i don't welcome it with open arms - just yet - i do acknowledge it. because i see that change is okay and that we have choice.i have no idea what the next five years will bring - let alone the next five months. as long as i continue to live each day with love and compassion, for myself and others, i'll be alright. i don't have to figure everything out rightthisminute (even though sometimes i wish i could). there are still so many adventures to be had, places to explore.and there will always be furry animals to make me smile.
~ a letter from John Steinbeck totally worth reading
**painted for the family of the very best cats to cat sit! sadly, they are moving to london! i will miss them and the kitties, but am thrilled for their new adventures. xoxo
**for the record, i was actually trying to take photos of all of those birds in flight. it was so pretty to see them swirling around, but i think he thought i was taking his photo - hence the last pose.
life lately.
Great music (The Milk Carton Kids, Lumineers, and Old Crow Medicine Show) + great friends = a wonderful evening!The photos are blurry and sparse because I wasn't actually supposed to have my camera, but because this was a big deal for my dear friend, Francesca, (her bf is one of the MCK and was playing in Central Park - eek so cool!!!), I decided to sneak it out again. Dancing and swaying under the stars when all three bands came out for the finale was just awesome.I had a "moment" that night. At some point, I looked up, noticed the Big Dipper and decided it was a perfect place for my summer blues. I threw my hands into the air and said, "goodbye summer depression, funk, whatever-you-are/were, see ya later!" It sounds silly, but I allowed myself to leave those feelings into the night air - to accept the stuff from the past few months and just let go. Releasing that energy allowed me to move. In what direction I'm not entirely sure, but movement is good. It allows room for so much more, forgiveness, compassion, and maybe there will be hope for love or at least shoulder to rest my head on while looking at stars. Surely, what I released that night can be turned into something more beautiful. Perhaps a meteor shower."Stars should not be seen alone. That’s why there are so many. Two people should stand together and look at them. One person alone will surely miss the good ones." - Augusten Burroughs
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”c.s. lewis
better photos to come soon...
I met Jeni earlier this summer and we became instant friends. Perhaps it was because of our love of birds and visiting bodies of water in cities, but we have spent the past few Sundays having "Adventure Sunday". What I love about our friendship is our spontaneity.
We arrived at Cold Spring around 4:00 pm. I couldn't stop laughing at the absurdity of starting our hike as most people were leaving. After lathering the bug spray we started what would be an endless climb. The trails weren't clearly marked so we got lost pretty quick, but decided to make our own trail. We decided that the spiders (which I feared so) were what led us to safer pathways. The forest was beautiful, full of treasures including stick bugs, frogs, and the tiniest snake (which I tricked myself into thinking was a big worm). We even saw a deer and if you look closely at the photo, you'll see that my iphone captured it!
We climbed terribly high and enjoyed dates and quinoa crackers from the ledge. We thought ourselves AWESOME and started the trek down. And it was that...a f**ing trek! Keep in mind, we were off trail most of this hike, but it wasn't until the very end when the sun set a little too quickly past the mountain and we ended up in bramble of thorns that I began to disagree with our "awesome" sentiment. "We are no longer awesome, we are crazy!"
To be perfectly frank, I wanted to throw a big ol' fit, but I knew I couldn't. The only thing we could do was just work our way out of it. So we did. Jeni fearlessly led in the front, hacking thorns and leading. Being in the back, I felt a little helpless and my mind wandered to scary places. Just as I was imagining someone having to rescue us, we found the trail. I have never been so happy to have solid footing!It was awesome and WE ARE AWESOME for having done it. That said, I think I'll make sure our next hiking adventure starts a little earlier!
Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It’s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self-portrait. Everything is a diary.
CHUCK PALAHNIUK
A few weeks ago, we had some friends come hang out at the Krull-tail apartment. "The pipe" is what Hayden used to share the air conditioning between the two rooms - this made for a very confused kitty. We ate pizza, happend upon a bazaar, ate fried oreos, wandered the neighborhood, and I took photos without autofocusing. They still turned out neat and it was a fun night.
