Going Green in Las Vegas

Last week James attended the National Association of Home Builders convention in Las Vegas, a seemingly unlikely place to discover anything green. He describes a scene of four huge convention centers, packed with all sorts of building products, from roofing to carpeting. His mission was to unearth all of the best eco-friendly products to recommend to his clients. He's still sorting the brochures and returning phone calls-- but here's what I've gotten out of him-- There's this nifty rain-catching bag that just about anyone can tie to the side of a drainpipe that can water the garden, there was a lot of photo voltaic technology, perfect for small structures, and of course he was completely enamored with any product made from recycled materials. More details and pics to follow.
In terms of a mixed blessing, the slowing economy brought all of the cranes and high rises to a standstill along the strip. It's terrible to see the suffering this downturn is bringing to the construction industry; however it might give everyone time to pause and reflect over what buildings are being created-- in terms of green technology, aesthetics, and integration to the natural environment. As a Taoist monk might ask us to consider our proper place in the universe, we should ask our buildings to do the same.

Illuminated Signs

I've always loved illuminated manuscripts. Some of my favorite exhibitions center around these small and intricate works. I remember the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I've seen two shows that required close inspection. The Illuminated Manuscript show was mostly Fra Angelico's pieces, whose frescoes are in every monk's cell at San Marco in Florence, and have a simplicity that is restrained and elegant. At that show, it was lovely to see the nuns in their habits shoulder to shoulder with modern day artsy folk. What intrigued me was the combination of the painted image and the text. I then decided to make my alphahouses-- each house welcoming us into his abode. Then I attended the Indian manuscript show, with works created for the kind from the 18th century. Hanging next to the artwork were magnifying glasses, allowing viewers to see the amazing miniature details barely visible to the naked eye. Soon after viewing the show, I bought one-hair brushes and a jeweler's magnifying lamp.

Through the years I've done individual letters for children; however these two images are for two local businesses that I'd like to see thrive. Salon Eden gave me obvious biblical illusions to play with, but it was Verace, an Italian restaurant seeking to express the truth in ingredients, that really tickled my imagination.

Quiet time

Bouler Design Group took a ten day hiatus to recharge after a busy year. The down time was far from down, however. Sometimes it takes quieting one's brain to allow innovative design ideas to evolve, away from the chaos of the phone, emails, and barrage of daily tasks. The results set the tone for a creative 2009.

A New Year

I celebrate every possible new years. . . of course the calendar year, but also the Chinese, the Jewish, the Indian, every school year-- I like to joke that it's because I keep breaking my resolutions.
Seriously, what is it about a new year that makes me perk up? Like opening a new notebook, my first few days of the year become very symbolic to me-- even superstitious. One year we all got deathly ill on day two and I knew it was going to be a bad year. This year I was very deliberate in anticipating the transition from one year to the next. After a few days eating raw oysters at the Bouler camphouse in Tunnel Springs, Alabama, designed by none other than James Bouler, architect, 2008 seemed complete.
Sitting alone in a tree stand smack in the middle of the woods, I reflected on all the changes the past year brought. It was good to think of what went well, but it was more significant to consider the lessons of things that didn't go as seamlessly as I may have liked. Those are always the best lessons of all.
For 2009, I waver between a punchlist of resolutions and making none, but in the end, I wind up with a few, ones which I hope will reveal themselves in this blog and in my life. The most important one is to look at the world with a curious mind, whether it is learning about cultivating mushrooms or the latest eco-friendly products, I want to engage whatever comes my way. As Emily Dickenson once wrote, "I dwell in possibility."
In the meantime, while I was meditating, Olivia scouted an open field for arrowheads and fossils as Jackson and James caught fish in the pond. Seems as if they're already living their 2009 resolutions.