ann wood

I’ve started working on the next window installation for the Johnson Shop on Orchard street. I’ve only barely started - I figured out what I want to make and it’s going to include some doug rhodehamel style mushrooms. Please go read about his spore project and make a bunch of his mushrooms and plant them. I like the fun and simplicity of the mushrooms and the idea and spirit of the project. Also on the subject of mr. rhodehamel check this out - I love it.

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Right on.

(you can click for the full image )

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I’m working on lots of things, including several new cake toppers and they will be available beginning next week. There will also be some little birds, a camp wapameo postcard set and at least one woebegone.

If you would like notice of shop updates please join my mailing list or check back here.

* If you’ve been trying to order for spring and summer 2009 thanks for your patience and there is news coming soon.*

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I’m painting a landscape mural this week working from pictures I took last week upstate at Olana and Clermont. I recomend visiting both, even though it was hot as balls I had a fabulous time. Here is some of the scarey looking underpainting.

This is the first 3 feet or so. The entire painting will be about 8 feet long and 30 inches high. When it’s done and installed I’ll let you know where. Here is the same section with the first of many color layers and a few details begun including some peaceful goats sketched in.

I haven’t painted anything in a long time and I’m way, out of practice and slow. Starting anything, especially large-ish projects and most especially painting, always makes me unreasonably anxious. This one gave me hives. I’m very happy in the middle of things but don’t care so much for the beginning or end.

Annette.

She is a springtime jolly and she went to Cog and Pearl here in Brooklyn yesterday with some other little birds.

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Sails for a new boat and a couple merry wobblers.

( You can click the image for the full photo.)

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Stephen Szczepanek of Sri Threads came for a visit a little while ago and brought me a fabulous present.

Beautiful bits of Japanese indigo and bright floral dust rags. I love them. You can find more about Stephen and these amazing things at his website. I think I’m going to make a bat out one of the dust cloths.

These little birds are on their way to London today for a garden wedding.

I like this photo - I think they look very earnest or maybe sincere. Note on wedding birds/ cake toppers: I’m still making them but not taking orders right now so I can focus on current orders, tackling my massive backlog of email and doing a little restructuring to make everything more manageable for all concerned. If I were to continue without making some adjustments and changes I would certainly lose the rest of my marbles. If you would like updates please join the mailing list or check back here.

This lace and fabric is for some brides and grooms I’m beginning today.

My favorite parts of the bird making process are picking out the fabric and taking the photo when they’re finished. I like the middle parts too - just not as much.

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Some new sailboats in progress ( there will be a pattern soon).

And my paintbox today.

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and fitting.

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The photo above is something new I’m working on and below is progress on a ship. I haven’t made one in a long time - maybe they’re a spring summer thing.

And some tiny pine cones.

I like tiny pine cones maybe even more than is normal and came across a ton of them in Prospect Park this weekend. I didn’t take them all, so if you like tiny pine cones too they’re at the grand army entrance.

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There are a few new birds in the shop.

This update is a little different so please be sure to read the descriptions. I’ll also be adding a few new birds to my etsy shop tomorrow, 2/29 at 2PM EST. I’ll also be listing some one of a kind birds on etsy , as the spirit moves me, over the next week or so.

And something new in progress - really just beginning.

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On a rainy day. Lot’s of it. Bird supervised.

I’ll have birds for sale in the very near future in my shop and etsy as well. This next update will be a little different and I’ll tell you about that soon.

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Due to a really unfortunate lack of heat (boiler broken since Sunday - being repaired right now) I’ve taken to my bed with the birds.

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This is progress on a pillow I’m making for snow flake dave from a beautiful piece of boro textile he got at at Sri Threads.

I love these and I’ve talked about them before. I’m adding some patches and some “eccentric mending” to what was done many years ago. I like being an eccentric mender; it might be the thing in life I’m most qualified for.

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I think (hope) my website problems are sorted out and sorry again to everybody who was frustrated or got refunded and especially to the people in England and Australia and Japan (and other places) who got up at an awful hour to try to buy a bird. I will be adding more birds before the holiday but I can’t give you an exact time and date - if everybody shows up at the same time and starts refreshing I’m afraid It will crash again.

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The Johnson Shop holiday window is up and I’ll post too many pictures of it later this week. I got a polaroid camera at the flea market a couple weeks ago and took some progress pictures with that, this is my favorite:

and there are a few more here.

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I replanted my terrarium and added a bunch of new lichen.

It’s very fancy lichen.

These are called pebbled pixie cups.

And a bat in progress.

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