Hoot If You Love Owls

Owls. They’re all the rage these wise old birds. My personal favorites are barn owls.




This handsome handmade sculpture was found at the Tigard Discovery Shop out in Tigard, Oregon. I like to visit this small and quaint thrift store because of all the sweet older ladies that volunteer there and because their proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. They are located at 11545 SW Durham Rd # B3, Tigard, OR 97224-3473.



What a sweet pair of love birds. Just this afternoon I found this vintage ceramic night light. Research tells me it was made by I. W. Rice and Co. Japan circa 1960-1970 but the foil sticker on the back has been removed.

The lamp has an Underwriters’ Laboratories Inc sticker inside but they’re just the manufacturers of the light and cord portion. The lamp has a regular sized orange night light bulb that illuminates the owls with a soft amber glow. These two make me want to take a nap.


Several months ago, or actually maybe sometime last year, I found this great book.

Owl Feathers by William Crutchfield, published by Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena, 1975. Mr. Crutchfield signed and dated my copy.

His fantastic illustrations show an owl morphing into various objects, buildings, insects, and other animals. Here are two favorites:


Swallowltail


A little night music

And if you truly love owls and other raptors visit the Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center in Sequim, Washington. They do wonderful work with some amazingly gorgeous birds.

I've Never Been to Japan

My sister taught English in Osaka for two years. Each holiday she'd bring me back trinkets wrapped in awesome decorative paper – stuff like sushi shaped erasers, cute animal stickers, bright bubbly stationary, etc.

Many years ago my friend Becky gave me a copy of this “Japanese Fairy Tale Series No 23”.

The Boy Who Drew Cats rendered into English by Lafcadio Hearn (a 1972 facsimile from the Huntington Library and Art Gallery).

If you’re interested in the Japanese originals that were printed on fabric in the early twentieth century let me know because we may have a few at Oldimprints.com.

(FYI, the paper used as a backdrop behind that book is hand printed paper from Japan purchased at my favorite local paper store)

My beautiful 1999 Honda CRV was made in Japan. I love my car although I don’t wash it nearly as often as I did when I lived in Los Angeles. And I love my car despite the fact that I had to head out to the Portland burbs last Tuesday for my car registration renewal.

Quick and painful. Every two years there's some new fee. In order to make myself feel better about the $145 I just lost, I hit up three thrift stores and spent some more money! But look what I found:

A shiny and bright 1970's unused Japanese photo album. Sure it’s crazy and colorful but it’s orange! I secretly love orange.



And these adorable Kokeshi Doll Salt & Pepper Shakers. I have no idea how old they are. Maybe 1960s? They are each stamped and embossed with "Made in Japan" on the bottom but I can’t make out the maker.

It took me an hour or so to realize that the man's hat and woman's bun unscrew. Aww. Japan, one day we’ll meet..

The Lollipop Guild

“Candy, Candy, Candy I can't let you go
All my life you're haunting me
I loved you so

Candy, Candy, Candy I can't let you go
Life is crazy
Candy baby”

No, I haven’t been listening to Iggy Pop lately. I’ve been eating lots of candy and cookies with candy in them (Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s = evil goodness).

I also picked up these neat vintage hand-painted wooden beads at Goodwill last weekend. More candy.

With all of this candy on the brain I began to envision little candy families strolling through an oddly lit landscape. Why? I have no idea, maybe sugar shock, but I started some paintings.

These are my four latest works from the new series which I have lovingly named The Lollipop Guild.

Sugar, Keep Up!

It’s hard to walk with all of those roots keeping you in one place but these sweeties aren’t going to give up.

How Sweet It Is

This reminds me of those family walks after some huge holiday meal. There you are, keeping in line, looking at each of your family members and thinking about how different yet alike you all are.

You’re Sweet

I’m not sure who’s speaking to whom in this scenario. It’s a toss up.

Saccharine Sunset

Lollipops out in Texas somewhere.