New website!

From now on, I will be posting new blog posts over at my new website, Amity Farm Batik! I hope you will follow me over there.

Click here to go to the blog section of my new site.

http://tinyurl.com/carolconklinpoststar
Article

Moon of All Time

All was still except for the faint sound of my foot steps on the frozen gravel path that lead up the hill behind my house. The sky was as clear as it could ever be and it was filled with sparkling stars. As I rose toward the top, the sound changed to the crunch of frozen grass under my feet. The leaves rustled lightly on an old oak tree and the distant brook gave gentle musical sounds as it moved down out of the hills and twisted through rocks and frozen edges of ice.

At the top the expansive view of mountains woodland and fields spread out below me. The houses and barns below nestled into the valleys and their lights shone invitingly. The day was done and thankfully all was peaceful in this quiet town. Not a car or truck or train drove in the distance. Not a dog barked, nor coyote howled or bird called. Even though it has not snowed, many animals slept in hibernation below ground or in protected craggy tufts of earth. I think back to my summer full moon night with insects, peepers, frogs, birds and many other animals chiming into the loud summer musical of sound.

This was peaceful, still, alone and gave me a feeling of being connected to all time. Past present and future all merged and filled me. I bathed in this connection for only a short time (time was frozen), and then slowly walked home down the hill breathing in all I saw and had felt.

I returned home renewed as only nature can bestow on me. This morning is cloudy and grey again, but the inspiration of the January full moon lives on.

I have posted more batik images inspired by the full moon.

" Moon of all Time" batik

"Horse Frolics in Moonlight Night" batik

" Mushrooms, Bugs, Snails Below the Magic Moonlight" small batik

" Lothlorien - Enchanted Land" batik inspired by the "Lord of the Rings"

and two utility items;

Trivet with "Unicorns Rising from Dreams in the light of a Golden Moon."

(batik image fused to ceramic tile).

Circle bag titled "Mystical Garden on Moon Light Night" hand dyed and painted

Christmas Memories

The Sun is reluctant to show itself this morning, but I see clouds in the west with highlights so I know it is there. Finally the a red patch hits a distant mountain and I know we will have a sunny day. The shortest day of light has passed us by so I look forward to more light and the highlights of snow in January.

Yesterday I took a morning trip to visit my once baby, Footstep, now a grown cow, at a nearby farm. Unable to keep her I sold her to a family with a good farm and a daughter who takes good care of her. It has been hard to let go. Footstep was a tiny premature calf who took a tremendous amount of care to bring her to the age she should have been born at. I had not seen her for a long time and when I looked at the group of jerseys, was not even sure who she was. She had calved for her first time and being winter all the coats were long. I stood looking and examining and one cow near me looked back at me also looking examining. Something in her face was familiar, but her face was mostly black, unlike the Footstep I knew. I spoke questioning, "Footstep?" and she came right over to me. I scratched her under her chin and brushed her, talked to her, telling her how good it was to see her. It came time to leave and I told my once baby I loved her and then drove away. The soft light snowflakes of Christmas Day fell on the quiet farmland and set a mood of peace in our pastoral town.

I also stopped to see her mom, Steppin Up, in the barn where I help feed baby calves and gave her a special brushing. Then home, back to our little plot on the hill where our small tree had gentle lights cheerfully welcoming me home.

Cold Hands at November's End

My hands were quite cold in the morning breeze but my heart warmed as the sun crept across the fields, hedgerows and mountains. It is the last day of November and although the air is cool in this strong breeze, it is nice to see the sun. I practice Tai Chi high above my home and enjoy the vast space and feeling of freedom that this spot always gives me.

Back home I work on more batik and finish new scarves, purses , and the multitude of details required before any Art and Craft event. My batik helper, Singer, watches and then carefully inspects my work.

Last weekend I had my batik and other items at the Vermont Farmers Market Christmas Fair in Poultney, Vermont. A wonderful collection displayed their farm products and Art and Craft wares.

December 10 & 11th the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls will hold an Art And Craft Fair Open house that I am eagerly planning to bring my work to. The old Shirt Factory is on the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets

Garden Works in Salem, New York also has my prints and cards in their beautiful barn store and Larac's Lapham Gallery has a tremendous selection of artisans work displayed in their elegant Gallery of which my work is a part.
All of us are bustling as the Christmas Holiday approaches!!

Awesome Autumn!

The day shone brightly in the morning sun with snow covering everything. The first snow is not welcome in October, yet the brilliance of light was uplifting to me after the previous week of dark, foggy, damp and raining mornings. I grabbed my camera, dressed warmly and climbed the hill behind our house, capturing what I could of the unexpected beauty.
The snow had fallen on many autumn trees and there were glimpses of color revealed across the broad expanse of farms , fields, woodland and the majestic Adirondack Mountains in the distance. It was the first time in a week that I had climbed here to practice Tai Chi and feel the freedom of the vast expanse before me.
The jeweled emerald green fields were hidden under the snow which fortunately we had only a small accumulation of. My cow Steppin Up emerged from under the big Pine tree unscathed by the snow and ready to eat hay.
As the day went on, the snow quickly melted and throughout our county, herds of cows horses, sheep, lamas and goats were happily scattered over the fields greedily eating as if the imminent arrival of winter had signaled the end of grazing.
Dyeing my fabric was also a bit cold, but I tried to do all I could because soon I'd be forced indoors to do my batik for the winter months.

Spooooooky Time of Year

Dragons, The great god Pan summoning wood creatures, Gandalf and Shadowfax, the Ent Trees from The Lord of the Rings, The Archetypal Mask, The Black Riders. These are all batik images of the mysterious side of life that comes to life on Halloween!!!!!!!!!