Moroccan Dreams

Only about six weeks until we go back to Morocco for me to lead a writing workshop, so I've been thinking about it a lot.

All sorts of images and memories from when we lived there and from way before that. 

On the left, a mosque that almost tumbles into the sea on the coast north of Essouira. On the right the shadow and glitz of the souk.

We lived a rather simple sort of life -- our front door was on the right of the lower right picture -- deep in the medina. Marrakesh can be super-chic and glitzy, but it can be shabby-chic too.....and even rather gritty and down-at-heels. I loved its many different faces. 

I could spend hours making collages. These images are all with walking distance of Djemma Elfna, the  main square.

 

These last two make me smile: little oranges in a house with really traditional tiles, and a view of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains near my friend Jamila's house.

The writing workshop is being held at Peacock Pavilions just outside the city.

See the photos below taken by Holly Becker of Decor8

during her really successful design workshop.

Please contact me very soon indeed for more details about joining our small group.

Evening NYU

In the very few moments spent not entertaining this....

I try to do some writing.

 A group of us often get together to talk about writing.

Usually we meet in someone's home where the snacks are a bit better.

(But we don't often have saki).

This week we borrowed a room on Lafyette Street belonging to NYU.

It turned out to have a grand piano.  A jazz band practiced below us.

 Anna, like the room, was a study in black and white...

There were reflections both literal and metaphorical.

... and intriguing glimpses into the building opposite.

Inspiration or Working from Home

Bee and Sarah have had recent posts about their work spaces/studies. Gretel showed a picture of her table scattered with fascinating objects. Dave King discussed responses to paintings.

(You can see how much time I've spent recently in the Blogosphere since the weather is so beastly cold and I've been pretty much winterbound.)

Robert and I both work at home.

This is his very old chair and a painting in progress.

This is the tray he mixes paints in - a sort of accidental painting in itself.

A photo, a painting, lots of bits of paper that have spray paint and stuff on.

"When oft upon my couch I lie in vacant or in pensive mood/they flash upon my inward eye which is the bliss of solitude...." 

Wordsworth had it pretty much right.  Quite a lot of lying on couches required when trying to be creative.

An unintentional ode to red on my desk. A jumble of things. What resonances each each sets off. 

Tag: Seven Obscure Things You Didn't Know About Me

I did one of these tags in May (click here if you’d like to read that one), but when my friend Debbie of the CozyCottage and TwiceUponATime blogs sent the tag my way this week I thought, what the heck. Let’s see if I can come up with seven more weird facts from my eccentric little existence.

(And no, I won’t blame you if you nod off. :)

1. I often drive to and from work listening to audio-books. My recent favorites are PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves series and also his “Uncle Dynamite” CD set. His sense of humor has me giggling out loud in the car. I can only imagine what my fellow-commuters must think.
2. When I was 11, I was so inspired by my Nancy Drews, I wrote a mystery novel of my own. It was called Key to the Blue Moon. And while looking back on it, though it’s hardly a publisher’s dream, it was great writing experience trying to develop a full-length story line.
3. I am learning to paint, and have taken two classes at the Carnegie Museum of Art. I’ve enjoyed the classes, but one of the most interesting aspects of the experience, I’ve felt, is getting to be in the museum at night, after hours. It’s surreal to venture to the classroom and pass by things like parts of animal skeletons, or taxidermy animals along the way. We had the entire art gallery to ourselves one night. I spent a few peaceful hours getting to copy one of Monet’s Waterlilies paintings.
4. I’m an only child. I often think, particularly at holidays, how nice it would be to have some brothers and sisters. But then again, if I had had siblings, I doubt I’d have spent so much time growing up writing stories. Things do balance out, don’t they?
5. I love black olives. I just don’t know what it is. In fact, you know how at Christmas sometimes you’d get an apple or orange in the ol’ stocking? Me, I’d get a can of pitted gigantic Black Pearl olives. Talk about obscure, right?
6. I really like the color fuschia-- it seems to have so much zing-- but I just can’t wear it because it looks glaringly bright with my red hair. I don’t want to scare the locals.
7. Spring is my absolute favorite time of year. There’s just something so marvelous to me about the longer days, the slant of the sun, the renewed chirping of birds and the atmosphere of possibility as the plants begin to bud. Spring feels like my reward for persevering through winter.
   

Well, that’s it! More minutia than you’d ever care to know, I’m sure.

If you haven’t stopped by this week’s feature blog post, “Dish and Dish-honesty” you might wish to pop over there... Click here.

Otherwise, I hope you’ll have yourself a rewarding week!

Tag: Seven Obscure Things You Didn't Know About Me

I did one of these tags in May (click here if you’d like to read that one), but when my friend Debbie of the CozyCottage and TwiceUponATime blogs sent the tag my way this week I thought, what the heck. Let’s see if I can come up with seven more weird facts from my eccentric little existence.

(And no, I won’t blame you if you nod off. :)

1. I often drive to and from work listening to audio-books. My recent favorites are PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves series and also his “Uncle Dynamite” CD set. His sense of humor has me giggling out loud in the car. I can only imagine what my fellow-commuters must think.
2. When I was 11, I was so inspired by my Nancy Drews, I wrote a mystery novel of my own. It was called Key to the Blue Moon. And while looking back on it, though it’s hardly a publisher’s dream, it was great writing experience trying to develop a full-length story line.
3. I am learning to paint, and have taken two classes at the Carnegie Museum of Art. I’ve enjoyed the classes, but one of the most interesting aspects of the experience, I’ve felt, is getting to be in the museum at night, after hours. It’s surreal to venture to the classroom and pass by things like parts of animal skeletons, or taxidermy animals along the way. We had the entire art gallery to ourselves one night. I spent a few peaceful hours getting to copy one of Monet’s Waterlilies paintings.
4. I’m an only child. I often think, particularly at holidays, how nice it would be to have some brothers and sisters. But then again, if I had had siblings, I doubt I’d have spent so much time growing up writing stories. Things do balance out, don’t they?
5. I love black olives. I just don’t know what it is. In fact, you know how at Christmas sometimes you’d get an apple or orange in the ol’ stocking? Me, I’d get a can of pitted gigantic Black Pearl olives. Talk about obscure, right?
6. I really like the color fuschia-- it seems to have so much zing-- but I just can’t wear it because it looks glaringly bright with my red hair. I don’t want to scare the locals.
7. Spring is my absolute favorite time of year. There’s just something so marvelous to me about the longer days, the slant of the sun, the renewed chirping of birds and the atmosphere of possibility as the plants begin to bud. Spring feels like my reward for persevering through winter.
   

Well, that’s it! More minutia than you’d ever care to know, I’m sure.

If you haven’t stopped by this week’s feature blog post, “Dish and Dish-honesty” you might wish to pop over there... Click here.

Otherwise, I hope you’ll have yourself a rewarding week!