A Visit to Atlanta, Part 4 - Folk Art

I'm back after being momentarily engrossed in numbers and tax returns - it's that time of the year! Today I'm going to show you one of my favorite exhibits at the Atlanta History Center. The folk art exhibit. 

One of my favorite parts of that was all the fabulous pottery, much of which was made by the Meaders Family (I included a video about them a little further down).

Daniel and I love pottery and you can see it all around our home. And one of these days we'll add a face jug to our collection!

The video below is a short documentary I found on YouTube on the Meaders Family and worth watching.

Of course, there were other pieces of folk art that were also gorgeous!

So now there will be just one more blog post about our Atlanta Trip with some of my favorite photos. I've also been painting a little and will have more art to show you soon!

I hope you are all enjoying spring and the return of warmer weather! We are in a stretch of perfect temperatures and are enjoying it thoroughly!

❧ Silke

Blog Anniversary and A Visit to Atlanta, Part 3

Eight years ago today I started not just blogging but my creative journey. I started painting and blogging at the same time and I am still going strong! My blogging has lessened and the time I spend on painting dramatically increased.

I remember in the beginning making a little time each day to be creative and now it has become not only my passion but my profession. In some ways it seems like a miracle and in others I know it's because I started and never stopped. A lot of it is just showing up and painting.

In those eight years, I have finished hundreds of paintings, I've gotten published in an art book, painted many commissions (which I love doing), had my art in three group shows and had a big joint exhibit with Daniel. For the future I see much more of the same and I want to add teaching to the mix.

But all those accomplishments are just a by-product.

The real reason why I keep painting is this: by nature, I am a worry wart. I can't remember a time when I was not.

And going into menopause has made it much worse for me. I can live with it, but the only thing that really stops it is when I get out of my head. And painting does that for me.

When I paint, I am in the flow. I think of nothing. I worry about nothing. I don't try to figure anything out.

When I paint, I am fully present. When I paint, I feel the color. And the only thing I do is to follow each step in my painting to the next without a plan.

It is difficult to express something in writing that happens in the space beyond words. When I paint, the world makes sense to me. I feel connected to everything.

I never plan my paintings aside from the layout in a few cases. I don't plan the colors, I have no idea of the subject in most of my paintings, and even if I see the finished painting in my mind before I start, I still surrender to the process and allow it to lead me.

I think that's why I love each one of my paintings and have never had to deal with the inner critic. I know that my analytical, planning, critical worry wart of a mind is not in charge when I paint.

Rather it is that part of me that knows it is connected to everything, that can see beauty in all, that knows that mistakes don't exist and that loves the process even more than the end result.

All those things we define as success with being an artist are definitely secondary to why I paint. I am grateful that people love my art. Yet I know that even if I were the only one who loved it I would still keep on painting.

And on this anniversary of my blog I am extra grateful for all of you who have accompanied me on this journey! Here's to many more years together...

❧ Silke
P.S. The photos are from the gardens around Swan House (see my last post) at the Atlanta History Center. 

A Visit to Atlanta, Part 2

Today I'm taking you inside Swan House, a gorgeous mansion from the 1930s, which is on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center.

When it was built and furnished, I am sure it was quite modern and with all the luxuries that were available. We started our tour on the second floor in the master bedroom. I didn't realize it then, but I bet the wallpaper was hand-painted. You'll see another example of that further down.

More fascinating than the bedroom was the adjoining beautiful bathroom. I loved how it was designed and painted!

 Behind me were extensive closets.

 A little detail featuring a swan.

And just look at this toilet, so cleverly disguised...

Next was the children's room, which was huge! Big enough for sleeping and extensive play.

And the view wasn't shabby either - although I'm not sure how interested kids would have been in that!

On the third and fourth floor were the servants quarters - complete with an ironing room, which I forgot to get a picture of.

Being the knitter that I am, I was immediately drawn to the rocking chair with the basket of yarn.

Daniel liked the round window!

And we both liked the old cookbook that was open on the dresser. I might just have to try out one of those recipes.

On the first floor, everything was very elegant again! The living room was quite stunning.

On the way to the study, they had a small telephone room. It reminded Daniel and me that the house we lived in in Michigan, which was built in the 1920s, had a similar little telephone alcove, which we had completely forgotten about.

The study was definitely a man's room.

Now the dining room - again very elegant!

Our favorite feature of that room was the hand-painted wallpaper. It was stunning!

And now to my favorite room - the kitchen! Actually, it was two rooms and I wanted to adopt both of them! I loved everything about them - the wall color, the appliances, the cupboards, the recipe books and all the cook and bakeware.

 I almost stuck this waffle iron into my purse, but it was just too large... Isn't it pretty?

This is a serious pressure cooker, that almost looks dangerous...

In the basement there was an exhibit of some very interesting porcelain. It seems that the architect of the house also ran a porcelain trading company, so there was a huge collection. My favorite pieces were these serving dishes!

In my next post, I'll show you a little bit of the outside gardens and paths around the house. So much was blooming... 

I hope you enjoyed this little trip to life of the affluent in the 1930s. Personally, I feel much more of an affinity to the farmhouse in my previous post than to this example of luxury and opulence. My favorite part of this mansion was the kitchen, which I am sure the lady of the house didn't set foot in much at all...

Wishing you a beautiful Wednesday! 

❧ Silke