I’ve got this thing for doorways, so about half of my pictures from our recent trip to Turkey are of houses and doors. The window pictures are still to come. This tour includes everything, from palaces to run down neighborhoods to ancient ruins.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I went in our motor boat across Vineyard Sound to Oak Bluff’s harbor. We took the launch ashore and walked the short distance to see the cottages in the Martha’s Vineyard Camp-Meeting Assoc. Campground.
The 300 or so mini cottages look like gingerbread-styled play houses, all nestled closely together, with barely a path between them. The cottages have an interesting history, with their plots originally holding tents for religious revival meetings started in the 1840’s.
In the 1960’s, cottage owners began to have fun, painting them bright colors. The early Methodists who formed the campground had a long “Do Not Do” list. I’m sure that they would be appalled at today’s collection of flamboyant cottages.
The original canvas tents were built on wooden platforms. Then, wood sides were added, with canvas tops. By the 186o’s tiny prefabricated “Carpenter Gothic” wooden houses were built in place of the tents. Today, 320 cottages remain, with 52 winterized and occupied year-round.
I’ve been here many times, but found new inspiration looking through the camera. Here are a few of my favorites.
Continued from cruise to Cuttyhunk (part 1).
The next morning we took our dingy to the Cuttyhunk dock and walked through town.
We went to the Cuttyhunk Fishing Club for breakfast.
On the way we came across this “Bed and Breakfast” garden.
I love this flower bed.
There was an incredible view of Vineyard Sound from the dining porch.
We walked back through the village a different way.
With just a few short roads and no gas station, golf carts are the prefered transportation method.
From the hill on top of the island, you can see the Elizabeth Island chain going north toward Woods Hole.
We walked down to the dock, took our dingy back to our boat and motored home. What a wonderful getaway!
OK, this is the last of the Long Island pictures. I took tons of photos of houses and it was hard to cull it down to a few. Happy Forth of July! I’m off to see our playful science-focused parade in Woods Hole and then tonight we’ll watch the Falmouth fireworks display from a boat.
Here are more pictures from my trip to Long Island, this group focusing on doorways.
The North Fork of Long Island has water views, marinas full of boats and wine vineyards planted where potatoes fields used to be. But, I didn’t take pictures of those places. Somehow, I’m drawn to where people live and took these while walking around neighborhoods early in the morning.
Rob and Salley at Orient General Store
I took a ton of photos, mostly of houses in the area, which I’ve divided into categories, this one focusing on porches. I’ll be showing others in the next few posts.
After working all winter long, I’ve finally finished Rabbitat! It’s large, compared to my book illustrations, measuring 24″ x 30″ , with a depth of 1 1/2″. I’m waiting for professional photographs of the finished piece, so for now I’ll just show pictures I’ve taken during the process. It’s got lots of parts, which I’ll be showing in several posts. This piece was unlike my book illustrations, which have to meet size and subject specifications and are planned out ahead. I let this project evolve by itself and just followed where it led.
To start, here are some drawings from my sketch book. My first ideas include a vine-covered house, which could be a topiary. A bunny showed up, too.
Then, the house became a structure made of driftwood pieces, with a rabbit topiary outside. I didn’t know who’d be living inside yet.
I combed through all of my driftwood and selected pieces which I could see as a roof and side beams and a doorway.
And carved them in spots, so that they fit together and lay down as flat as possible. I don’t know how the little chair appeared in this picture. Some of you may recognize it from another scene–the Driftwood Clan in my book, Felt Wee Folk.
I drilled holes at the joints and glued wire pins into the holes. That way the parts are held together, but the wire joints keeps the structure flexible. I don’t know if this description is clear, but I essentially use wire in place of dowel pins because I don’t want the joints to break while I’m manipulating and working on the house. I’m always adjusting things until the last-minute, so the joints need to be somewhat bendable.
I decorated the house walls with an embroidered chain-stitched vine pattern on felt. The green mossy patches have lots and lots of french knots.
At this point, I’d decided that rabbits live in the house, so I made a father and son to sit on the bench outside.
I told my husband Rob that I was making a habitat for rabbits and he immediately said, “Oh, it’s a Rabbitat!”
Continued at Rabbitat – part 2 (topiary)
See the Rabbitat film here.
See all of the Rabbitat posts here.
Here are some more pictures of houses in the downtown area of Ojai, California, taken on my recent trip. I like the playful use of color on the trim and outside decorations.
Last week, two friends and I went on our yearly trek to a spa in Ojai, California. In addition to providing lots of exercise and healthful food, The Oaks Spa is located in a wonderfully idyllic town with photogenic little houses in the surrounding neighborhood. I found these doorways particularly appealing. See last year’s Ojai houses here and here.
SALLEY MAVOR 