Fairy Houses of Beebe Woods #1

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Salley Mavor

We had the most glorious day for the opening of The Fairy Houses of Beebe Woods exhibit at Highfield on Sunday. All 23 habitats were installed and ready for the hundreds of visitors who showed up for the event. This past week, one of the artists, Jenny Junker brought her children along while she constructed “Chippikomuk” at her site (below). Her daughter Ursula made her own “Pine Cone Cottage” (above).

Other Fairy House News
(added May 30, 2015)
The Fairy Houses of Highfield Hall outdoor exhibit will be held from June 28th to August 31, 2015 at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, MA. In addition to curating the exhibit, Salley Mavor has made a fairy family of 5, which is being raffled (3 tickets for $5.00). Tickets may be purchased online or at Highfield Hall, where the fairy family is on display. The raffle drawing will be August 30, 2015. The prize will be sent to the winner anywhere in the world! Good luck!

To help celebrate, I had Jo Ann from Cape Cod Henna decorate my hand. The design has gotten darker since the weekend and people think it’s a real tattoo, which makes me feel quite daring! It’s supposed to last for a few weeks, so I’m going to have fun with it. I also wore a brocade vest I made a few years ago. People really enjoyed following the fairy house tour map which brought them to parts of the property that they may not have seen before. I made a colored pencil drawing of Highfield with the house locations. A graphic designer added my curator’s note, the list of fairy house names and their makers to the finished printed map, which is available in the building. The houses are situated in a wide scope, throughout the gardens and walkways of the property. The exhibit will be open until July 21, 2013, M – F 10am – 4pm, Sat. and Sun. 10am – 2pm. “Hidden House”, made by artist Julie Child invites close inspection. Barbara Whitehead and Bruce Safley constructed “Texas Redbud Cottage” this past winter in Texas. They brought it with them on their yearly drive north to their summer place in Woods Hole. It looks so good standing high above the boxwood hedge in the sunken garden. Pippa Ryan brought her delightful creation outside during the opening. “Pippa’s House” was her high school senior project last year. Her house and another one are protected from the weather inside the building. Glen Carliss’s remarkable house, “Stonehedge” is being called a lighthouse by children who see it. Word about the exhibit is spreading fast and I can imagine many cell phone photos are being shared far and wide. For those who live too far away to visit, I will post more pictures of the other houses soon.

House boats before their summer migration

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Salley Mavor

The Woods Hole house boats spend the winter rafted up together in the shelter of Eel Pond. Last week, while eating supper, it occurred to me that they would soon be migrating to their summer moorings in the shallow parts of Great Harbor, so I said to Rob, “This might be the last chance to take pictures of the house boats before they’re towed out through the draw bridge passage.” We’ve been looking at them all winter, in their snug corner of the pond, under the shadow of the Woods Hole school, where I spent grades 1 to 4. The houses are a mishmash of owner built structures, which have been fancied up over the years. A friend of ours owns the one with the turquoise door, which serves as a wonderful get-away cottage on the water.

We quickly finished eating and rushed down to Eel Pond. The winds were calm and the evening light cast a flattering glow over the village. I’m glad that Rob took these pictures, because wouldn’t you know, the next day a group of house boat owners moved them out, officially beginning the summer season. See the house boats in full summer mode here.

houses in California’s central coast

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Salley Mavor

Here’s a selection of houses we saw last month, while traveling around the rural back roads and towns of San Luis Obispo County, California.

all natural in California

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Salley Mavor

Here are photographs of some natural curves and textures that we saw in California.

California poppies and other icons

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Salley Mavor

I’m finally caught up with unfinished tasks and e-mails, so I went through last week’s pictures from our trip to California. I see this grouping as iconic images which represent the look and spirit of California. We came across this hillside full of California poppies while driving along the central coast. Rob took a picture of me taking the closeup photo. We’re calling it “Salley’s World” in reference to a certain famous 20th century American painting.

This couple’s color sense was irresistible.

The children playing, the beach umbrella and the VW van pictures were all taken at Hearst Beach.

This tile roof is inside the courtyard of the San Luis Obispo Mission.

And Tuesday is farmer’s market day in Paso Robles.

Polly’s trip to California

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Salley Mavor

Polly doll saw a lot of dry and wet places on her recent trip to California. Dry vineyards in Paso Robles.Green grass and railroad tracks somewhere between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles.

Misty and moist Bridal veil falls in Yosemite.

Another magnificent waterfall in Yosemite.

And soft and furry sequoia trees in Yosemite!

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new born lambs

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Salley Mavor

Rob and I visited a friend’s farm a few days ago. We took photographs of the new born lambs and proud ewes, who were very willing subjects. As our camera clicked away, they provided us with the most pastoral maternal scene. The lambs were so beguiling! See sheep and lambs I’ve stitched from my Close-ups series here.

early morning snow cover

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Salley Mavor

This has been a snowy winter. Last week, a few inches of new powder fell overnight. When I woke up and looked outside, the sun was just beginning to light the sky, showing off a fine coating of powdered sugar over every surface. It was the kind of snow that sticks to every branch, like it was sprayed on. I grabbed my camera and headed out, to try to capture the magic of the early morning before it melted away.

Quissett harbor looked ethereal.

The village green in Falmouth was as picturesque as ever. I walked around the green and took more photographs of snow-covered houses, walls and St. Barnabas Church.

Woods Hole: snowy doorways

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Salley Mavor

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you will have noticed that I have a thing for doorways. Some of these Woods Hole houses have been shown before, but in other seasons. I took these photos after last weekend’s snow storm. The summer houses were undisturbed, but the year ’round ones had shoveled paths. Enjoy!

After the snow storm

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Salley Mavor

Last weekend’s storm brought about 10 inches of snow to our end of Cape Cod, but other parts of New England had 2 to 3 feet! The public was instructed to stay off the roads during the storm. On Sunday, we went out in the early morning sunshine and took photographs.

We headed down Sippewissett Rd. toward Woods Hole. The houses along the road had a story book look to them.

We then turned onto Quissett Harbor Rd., passing this house on our way to the water.

At Quissett harbor, everything was covered with snow.

In the village, we stopped in front of the Woods Hole School, which I attended in the 60’s. It’s no longer a public elementary school, but houses head start and a day care in the winter and the Children’s School of Science in the summer.