In Search of Sherlock Holmes and the Diabolical Hound of Dartmoor

This time last year, my husband and I set off to Port Isaac, Cornwall, UK on a quest for Doc Martin for a dear friend, Pat Vivod, an amazing textile artist in Illinois who loves the ITV show which airs on PBS in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. You can read more about her eco-dying with rust, tea and other natural ingredients on her blog, Sentimental Pentimento. Peter and I carried a silk scarf eco-dyed by Pat to Port Isaac with plans to photograph the scarf on location - only to come face-to-face with the entire cast taping the new season.  Read my 29 June, 2011 blog post for more information about that quest.

This year, knowing that Pat, as well as friends: Denny, Kim, Cindi, Elizabeth, Anne, (shall I go on?) and myself, are also huge fans of the new BBC hit, Sherlock, a new quest was planned!! With ordinance survey map, Pat's silk scarf, and a bag of Cornish pasties with saffron buns in hand, my dear friend, Jackie Bone (Kim's mum, who is also my husband's niece), and I set out across Dartmoor by car and foot in search of the location of Season 1, Episode 2, of the modern BBC version of Sherlock Holmes. 

Set on Dartmoor, The Hounds of [the]Baskerville(s), has thrilled and terrified audiences since it was originally written as a crime novel by Sir Arthur Conan and serialized in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902.  One can read more about the modern Sherlock version of the Hounds of Baskerville on the blog of Dr. John H. Watson. 

While we may have hoped to catch a glimpse of the infamously diabolical hound running across the moors, what actually roams the heather and heath are free range sheep, ponies and cattle. One such pony became very interested in our adventure and hoped to get a closer look at our plan.

Not to be deterred, we continued our search!

Through river valleys ....

and golden broom in bloom...

Past pre-historic settlements ...

to ancient stone circles and iron age circle huts.

Beyond sleeping giants resting atop granite tors ...

and solitary monuments dedicated to young soldiers long ago lost in some forgotten war.

The land spoke not a word. Nor the animals that roamed. All was still, but for the call of distant birds ...

and the baaaa of listless sheep.

 So on we travelled ... down into valleys between narrow lanes lined with high stone walls covered with centuries of wild flowers and ancient trees dressed in multi-shades of viridian moss ...

Past the Dartmoor ponies...

and dutiful cows nursing their calves ...

Until we came to our journey's end ...  

without a hound in sight.

Pinky Murphy's Cafe - Surf's Up in Cornwall

Wandering along the narrow streets of Fowey, Cornwall, we chose the eclectic world of Pinky Murphy's Cafe for lunch. A cross between Southern California in '68 and the surfer beach huts in Cornwall today, Pinky Murphy's is a kaleidoscope of delicious colors, patterns, textures and aromas with couches, bean bag chairs, and comfortable beach chairs covered with fluffy pillows and beach towels arranged for cozy seating.

Open 7 days a week, 9-ish to 5-ish (Sunday 9:30 to 4-ish), the cafe has a wide selection of food beautifully prepared, including daily specials worthy of a return trip. While they don't serve pints or wine, one may BYOB anytime and they will provide the glasses. Peter enjoyed a cutting board platter of parma ham, salami and homemade pate served with homemade bread, green salad leaves, blushing tomatoes and sweet chili sauce. I selected one of the specials - baked sweet potato with goats cheese and a green salad with balsamic dressing. 

Although the outside seating is limited, if one is lucky enough to rest awhile on the front deck overlooking the Fowey River and the narrow lane below, one might curl up with a cup of tea and a good book, or gather with a group of friends after the "gentle" 4 mile stroll around Hall Walk.

HALL WALK - (As easy as walking up and down any well worn path at a 30 degree angle)

Basic walk: from Fowey across the Bodinnick Ferry, climbing to Hall Walk which us south to Pont Pill, then over the hill past Lanteglos Church to Lantic Bay and west to lower ferry at Polruan. Back through the streets of Fowey.

Recommended map: OS Explorer 107 St Austell and Liskeard.

Distance and going: four miles, easy going.

Maps and Hall Walk info above from: http://www.westcountrywalks.com/mid-se-cornwall/cornwall-secorner/fowey-polruan/fowey-polruan.php

Indigo Dying with Middle School Teens

World history, American history, geography, chemistry, social studies, music and visual art combined! For the past three years, the indigo vat has been set up in the Oakville Middle School art studio classroom for the 8th grade Art 2 students' study of the history of indigo and slavery.

Student allowing indigo to drip in pan after in dying in vat (bottom of photo)

Dying fiber in indigo is magical! Students were once again amazed as their projects emerged a deep lime green from the vat, but transformed into deep shades of blue before their eyes as the oxygen from the air they breathed attached to the oxygen starved dye.

Bundles oxidizing on the drip rack

Before dying, students had to create a design for their projects by applying a variety of Elements and Principles of Design, such as : movement, line, pattern, rhythm, shape, value, contrast, and emphasis.  

By implementing clamp, tie and stitch resist techniques, the fifty-seven students dyed their T-shirts or pillowcases over three to four class periods. 

While they waited for their turn to dye, they listened to various musical artists from Africa

 and researched the history of indigo and the slave trade. 

For more information about this research project

 see the April 24, 2011 post.

After dying their projects multiple times to achieve the value and intensity of blue they desired (with the understanding that dry fiber is considerably lighter in value than wet), 

they began to untie and wash their bundles.

After removing all clamps, tying and stitching, the students helped each other wash any residual dye from the fiber. 

The students were thrilled with the results!

 

After the projects were washed by the students, I gave them a good wash in my machine at home and brought them back the next day for the students to complete their written assessments.

While the indigo vat was "up and running," many of the thirty-seven OMS Art Club students, who do not have a regular art classes because of band or special education classes, also took advantage of the opportunity to dye their own shirts and socks during their regularly scheduled two hour meeting 

every other Wednesday after school.  

Admittedly, in a middle school culture of sports logos and Hello Kitty, it gives me great pleasure to see glimpses of indigo scurrying down the halls between classes.

Griffins and Dragons and Hippocampus, Oh My!

Seth Chwast: Mythic Works    March 17-June 3 2012

Fawick Gallery, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

When I first saw Seth Chwast on the Today Show on January 1, 2008, I was compelled to share his story with my middle school art students. Diagnosed with autism as a toddler, Seth took his first art class at age 20, two years after it was recommended by specialists that he mop floors for a living. Today, his artwork has been in shown in the Galapagos Islands; The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands; Curacao, Venezuela; and the Museum of Modern Art of the Ukraine. In April 2012, Seth’s art will appear on a United Nations Postal Administration Stamp! While Seth has worked with a series of art mentors, the subject choices, the research, the creativity, the imagination, and the painting itself is pure Seth.

Inspired by Debra Chwast's tenacious spirit, passionate resilience and commitment to the discovery of her son's brilliance as an artist who is autistic, I immediately emailed Seth and Debra for permission to share their story and Seth's artwork with my middle school art students. Seth’s powerful, colorful abstract paintings of animals, birds, cityscapes, and human hands intrinsically focused on the basic Elements and Principles of Design I wanted to teach my students. By 4:30pm on January 1, Seth and Debra, had e-mailed a reply, “We would be honored for you to use Seth’s artwork with your students.”  On January 3, OMS Art 1 students began their first lesson.

Seth Chwast, Griffin

Seth and his mother’s story wove perfectly into my philosophy of education. As the art teacher for Oakville Middle School for the past five years, I design my 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade visual arts program on a Comprehensive Model Art-for-Life philosophy of education. With the support and encouragement of my principals, my lesson plans integrate interdisciplinary subjects such as: chemistry, biology, math, world history, world cultures, current events, geography, reading, writing, music, and languages into the visual art Elements and Principles of Design, art production, art aesthetics, art criticism, visual culture, peer teaching, technology and self-assessment. Since each student deserves an equal chance to succeed, each lesson is modified and adapted to the needs of my students, beginning with knowledge gained in elementary school and scaffold through the three-year program, to prepare the students not just for high school, but for real life. All students complete the same art projects, but with consideration of each student’s fine motor skills, listening skills, literacy skills, prior knowledge, intelligences, analytical skills, problem solving skills, and abilities to make concrete and abstract decisions.  During projects, students are encouraged to develop other life-skills by: helping each other as needed, sharing ideas and problem-solving, selecting and organizing materials; managing and assessing their own progress; storing their projects and supplemental materials; and cleaning-up their work areas each day. 

Seth Chwast, Hippocampus

Three months after I first contacted Seth and Debra, I sent Debra images of my students’ artwork inspired by Seth along with student illustrated letters to Seth. After many emails over the next few months, twelve Art 1 student created pastel and watercolor paintings were shipped to the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands to be used for art educator workshops, along with my lesson plans about Seth; while Seth’s paintings were exhibited in a solo show, Icons of Cayman, at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands.  From October 2008 until March 2009, over 300 art teachers attended the workshops to learn more about Seth’s artwork and about teaching children with autism. For more information about Seth’s exhibition at the National gallery and the educational art workshops, watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzSCMtU5d5w

Oakville Middle School Art 1 Students' Artwork Exhibited at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands

Oakville Middle School Art 1 Students' Artwork Exhibited at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands

In the fall of 2011, Debra asked me to review her new book, An Unexpected Life: A Mother and Son’s Story of Love, for Amazon.com. When Debra invited me to Seth’s opening, Mythic Works, at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on March 16, 2012, I had to attend. Not only did my husband and I enjoy the opening, meeting Seth and Debra for the first time in person; we also had the opportunity to view and discuss 50 new artworks Seth had created since 2008 specifically for the museum’s exhibition, while Seth and Debra were busy meeting and greeting fans of Seth’s at the book signing.

Debra and Seth Chwast at book signing at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Elizabeth Adams-Marks and Seth Chwast at book signing at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Seth Chwast and Elizabeth Adams-Marks at Seth's opening "Mythic Works"

The next day, we enjoyed a few hours with Seth and Debra at their home in Cleveland, along with Seth’s current mentor, Amy, who gave us a tour of the hundreds of paintings, drawings and sculptures of Seth’s, lovingly displayed, salon style, in every room throughout the house.

Seth Chwast and his mentor, Amy

Elizabeth Adams-Marks and Seth Chwast looking at photos of students' artwork from Oakville Middle School 

Unable to leave without purchasing one of Seth’s abstract oil paintings, my husband, Peter, and I, along with Debra and Seth, squeezed into a powder room where eight of Seth’s abstracts were hanging. Before we said good-bye, we also purchased the first available silkscreen print of one panel from Seth’s 104 panel acrylic painting, “Manhattan Floating”.

Seth Chwast in his studio

Each semester since January 2008, my students have researched Seth's website, watched the videos about his journey, analyzed his paintings and often shared their own stories of friends and family who struggle with the anxiety and stress of living with a loved one diagnosed with autism. They create their own animal paintings, not only informed by Seth's sensitivity to color, shape and form, but also to his ability to see, hear and process the space between the lines. At the beginning of the project every semester, many of my students don’t think they can draw.  But with Seth as inspiration, by the end of the project, the students are proud of their accomplishments.  During the written summative assessments, some students openly share how their beliefs about people with special needs have changed because of Seth.  Not only have their thoughts changed, they also promise that their behaviors will change as well.

As an educator who often works with students who are autistic, I recommend An Unexpected Life: A Mother and Son's Story of Love to anyone who seeks a world beyond apprehension and darkness, beyond the bleak wall of denial, to a celebration of life and a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

A Must Read for Anyone Who Loves, Provides Care For, or Teaches Someone Who is Autistic

 An Unexpected Life: A Mother's and Son's Story of Love, Determination, Autism and Art

I am an artist, teacher and mother who first learned of Seth and Debra Chwast on the Today Show in January 2008. Inspired by Debra’s tenacious spirit, passionate resilience and commitment to the discovery of her son’s brilliance as an artist who is autistic, I immediately emailed Seth and Debra for permission to share their story and Seth’s artwork with my middle school art students. Each semester since Debra replied to my email, my students have researched Seth’s website, watched the videos about his journey, analyzed his paintings and often shared their own stories of friends and family who struggle with the anxiety and stress of living with a loved one diagnosed with autism. Finally they created their own animal paintings, not only informed by Seth’s sensitivity to color, shape and form, but also to his ability to see, hear and process the space between the lines. While Seth and Debra’s journey may be very different than other parents who have an autistic child, there is a strong common thread that binds all who struggle against misunderstanding, ridicule and fear of the unknown.  As an educator who often works with students who are autistic, I recommend “An Unexpected Life” to anyone who seeks a world beyond apprehension and darkness, beyond the bleak wall of denial, to a celebration of life and a kaleidoscope of possibilities.  The book An Unexpected Life is available online at Amazon.com.

Upcycled Hand-Dyed Dresses from Indonesia and Beyond Timbuktu (Part 2)

Made from the Indonesian hand-dyed dresses purchased at Beyond Timbuktu in Edwardsville, IL (described in the earlier post - Part 1), the small quilt, pillows and computer chair cover now reside at 

my daughter's condo in sunny Southwest Florida.  

Although Betsy and I discussed (texted) color choices for her guest room / office, as well as measurements for her computer chair, I was a relieved to see that the colors coordinated with her new futon and the chair cover fit. Phew!

The brown cotton polka dot fabric and the off-white flannel backing was purchased by the yard, but the turquoise blue panels and the olive green ruffles were part of the dress. Since I only used one dress, plus a bit of one sleeve, there is still more material for perhaps a couple larger solid turquoise pillows for the living room. Both the top and bottom chair covers were made with adjustable openings in the back. The bottom cover also had a drawstring to pull snugly under the seat.

My return on December 30 was sunny and mild, but January 1 has blown in from the north with grit and gusto!  Good-bye Ft. Myers Beach. Hope to see you again real soon.

Upcycled Hand-Dyed Dresses from Indonesia and Beyond Timbuktu (Part 1)

What a find! Digging through the racks of my favorite shop, Beyond Timbuktu, in Edwardsville, IL with a textile project in mind for my daughter, I stumbled upon two beautifully hand-dyed dresses (3X and 1X) from Indonesia. Not only were they on the sale rack, they were each marked down from $98 to $10!! The owner of Beyond Timbuktu, Andi Smith, and her family, adopted my daughter and I into their family back when we were on hard times 15 years ago; and they have been an integral part of out lives ever since. Betsy worked for Andi for many years at Beyond Timbuktu while she was in high school and junior college before she moved to Ft. Myers, Florida to finish her Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy.

A few weeks ago, I called Betsy and asked her what she would like me to bring her for Christmas. (Yes, it will be tough, but I am spending Christmas week on a beach in Florida.) She gently reminded me that two years ago, as I helped her pack up her apartment, I vacuumed her office chair with the working end of the vacuum (the little brush was NOT doing its job properly!). The cloth on the chair lost the battle and the vacuum ate a bite out of the fabric. Not good!! But the chair went into storage until Betsy recently moved into a larger condo in Cape Coral, FL. So when I asked her what she wanted this year, my sweet voiced daughter (the same woman who can easily move a 200 pound man in and out of a hospital chair as an OT) gently asked if I might make her a new seat cover for her slightly damaged office chair. At first, I thought about dying fabric (in my spare time while teaching 30 art classes each week, ha!). Then I thought about buying fabric at Goodwill ... and I did. But the queen-sized baby blue quilt I found at the Goodwill was so beautiful and in such perfect condition, (yes, I am selfish) that I could not cut it up. So I put it on my bed for the winter since it was nicer than the one I had on the bed. Thus, when I found the generously sized, hand-dyed dresses at a place that means so much to both Betsy and me, it was already like Christmas!

Since Betsy's office is also her guest room, I thought it might be a good thing to make, not only a seat cover, but also a small pieced quilt and a few pillows for her new futon. Thus, this weekend, I put away my book binding and handmade paper collage supplies, cleaned off the work table in my dry studio, set up my beloved 1972 Singer sewing machine, and started cutting a pattern out of manila paper from the measurements and office chair photos Betsy texted me from Florida.  With a cup of coffee perched on the back right corner of my machine (as it has been for almost 40 years - YIKES!!!!), Dommie (our Bichon Frise) patiently watching from his corner chair by the window, and madrigal voices filling the studio from Itunes Radio on my Mac (plugged into my old stereo system), I picked up my scissors and made the first cut.