Check it out: my work was used in a movie!

A set designer bought a mobile I made for the movie "Remember Me" starring Robert Pattinson(aka the infamous actor from the Twilight series). I didn't know if/how they would really use it - and I must admit I did not see the film while it was in the theaters... so it was a pleasant surprise to me when I heard from a friend that they saw a mobile of mine in a movie! This movie is so hot in the rental land that it took me a few days and a scavenger hunt to find an available copy - but here it is. Tucked near the end in a scene where you can see this man carrying some tea into his daughter's room - you can see the mobile glowing in the sunlight, hung in the window by the painter's easel. The little girl is an artist and the mobile was bought to decorate her room. I think it looks great. I had to watch the movie a second time to find it :) It makes a split second background appearance. Ah well, its still exciting!

Blog Photography

Do you wonder where to find pictures for your blog? Or how I find the time to take pictures for my blog?

My advice for anyone reading this that is also a blogger - simply take a lot of pictures. Statistically speaking, the more pictures you take, the more likely there will be a few beauties in the bunch. Snap colorful shots of the world around you.

I carry a little Canon PowerShot around with me at all times. Now a days most of our phones take great pictures as well. I just got a new phone, and currently I don't know how to get the pictures off of it - woops - but I digress! I also like to use my Nikon D80 as often as possible, great lens and great shots are so key!
This photo of some glue was taken when I was working in the studio on prepping some scrap for a kiln fire. Working with my scrap is nothing glorious (at all!) but this picture is fun and bright, and its a window into my world. I used it for a blog article about glue.

The first photo above of the orange glass pieces - that was taken one evening when I was working with my little scrap pieces - making them into little mobiles... I had previously been using my lightbox, so it was sitting in front of me, and I couldn't fight the urge to put my tray of glass bits on top of the light box and illuminate the pieces. Oh what a visual feast for the eyes! The glass lit up and sparkled - I grabbed my camera and took a few shots. I still use them from time to time. And I now keep my lightbox in my photo set-up to light things up from the bottom.

Below is a picture of some buttons I made for a friend one evening... I find colorful pictures of glass to please my eye. What can I say, I am a bit glass obsessed!
I am taking a class right now from Diane Gilleland - Blog Tune Up - so in the next few weeks you might notice an evolution in the ol' Garden of Leah. Today I made a new banner :)

I noticed in going over class materials that many times the questions come around to photography. I am a visually indulgent artist - I love taking pictures - so the photography part of blogging is a sheer pleasure for me.

I am taking this class because I want to give my blog some tender loving care. Blogs can lead to some really fun opportunities, and I enjoy taking advantage of that. So I am attempting to fine tune things here in the Garden of Leah and take it to the next level. I hope you as the reader find this transition enjoyable :)

Any Suggestions for Fava Beans

I fell in love with these Fava Beans at the farmers market. I know there are a myriad of things I could do with them, but I am not particularly inspired... do you have any suggestions? Favorite recipes? Advice?

Okay I also had to share some gratuitous shots of my own garden production... check out this beautiful pot of lettuce. My wonderful neighbor gave me these starts and they produce salad a few times a week for Tim and I! The lettuce seems to be the only thing I have that really didn't mind all that rain.

This basil is gorgeous - its a starter from Trader Joes. I couldn't resist.

as you see, my own basil starts suffered in the gloomy Portland spring. Endless rain did not make my basil flourish. Instead they seemed to get eaten by slugs.

one last picture - the kitty was sitting there talking to me while I was taking pictures - I do believe he is saying "feed me".

Blue Skies!

At long last - Portland Oregon is seeing blue skies!!! The sun is out, and while there is work to be done, I must take time off and appreciate this good weather. Its summer!
I have been so busy work, creating, and showing my work - its fine time to take a few days off and enjoy the sunshine. I've gardened, worked on the yard in general, bbq and naps in the hammock. The sweet life.

Wednesday I went to the Farmers Market downtown with Tim and Poe. It was scrumptious! My first farmers market visit of the year. We bought everything our hungry little eyes desired! Brooks Cherries (they only come out once a year -and it happened to be today! Sweet red plump cherries), huge fat fava beans, fresh garlic and sweet onions, fresh morel mushrooms, amazing looking purple kale, juicy red raspberries, fresh caught Salmon from the Native American fishmonger, jumbo eggs from the little fresh egg stand... clearly we had no self control, I love to grocery shop at the Farmers Market. Of course there were a few cookies and little french donuts purchased as well... how could we resist!


Yesterday we headed out in a canoe on the Willamette River. It was a neat - we rented a boat at Alder Creek (near Omsi on the SE side of the river) and rowed against a light wind into the industrial area. Under 6 bridges (and a barge was coming thru so we got to paddle under 3 bridges while they were raising!) and the Steel bridge had 2 trains(Amtrak and a cargo train), 2 light rail trains and normal traffic all going on while we went under it - that felt kinda crazy! Anyhow... I brought my camera with me and it had no memory card it in (doh!), so no pictures. It was a beautiful day. We wore sunblock and I had a big hat, so no sunburns. My body is sore now, we paddled that boat very quickly back thinking that we were late to return the rental boat, no breaks on the way back! Our leisurely picnic 5 miles up the river had us rowing as hard as possible all the way back. I was so tired afterwards I didn't know if I'd be able to carry the boat up the ramp back into the garage!
Okay - back to work... my phone has died (seriously, the screen simply went black, it still works, but I can't read anything on it, so its pretty darned useless) and I need to go get a new one... among other things.

If you're in Portland here... maybe I'll see you at the Saturday Market - I'll be there all weekend (hopefully the sun will as well!)

Summer Solstice Celebration in Seattle

I am back from Seattle - a LONG weekend of vending. A whole lotta rain. Seemed ironic to celebrate the summer solstice in a rain soaked outdoor festival.

The Fremont Fair was really amazing - absolutely huge - with everything creative you could possibly imagine.

I put a whole bunch of pictures on my flickr account. Check em out there.

Its been one hell of a week attending and speaking at the Summit of Awesome and then vending at the Fremont Fair. A bit overwhelming. I felt like the workshops I attended at the Summit inspired me in new ways. One talk in particular was a serious pep-talk for the sales person in me that is attempting to sell my own work. Whew - being the salesperson is one of the most difficult part of my life. Its a balanced experience though - its exercise (for real! setting up and taking down a booth full of artwork is a workout), its a constant challenge and its so rewarding getting to meet my customers and collectors in person.

While having a drink with friends Saturday night after the Fremont Fair - we all laughed at each other for "making it look easy" - because honestly, it is NOT easy. :)

Hello Seattle

Hey people - are you in Seattle? Come visit me in my booth at the Fremont Fair! I will be up here in town for the weekend... my booth is on Fremont literally right by the Fremont Bridge - evidently this is the best section of the whole show! I am not sure why I got such a great spot - the show is HUGE and seems like I am surrounded by veteran artists who have sold at this show for years to get such a good spot... I am guessing someone must have decided to not do this year and I must have gotten their spot!

Today was a whirl wind of making, packing and driving. I have been super busy. My feet are tired. I am exhausted. Traffic sucked. Its windy out and my booth is sitting outside vulnerable. I hope its still there when I show up in the morning. Show starts tomorrow at 10am. Long hours too... goes till 8pm tomorrow and then Sunday from 11-6 I think. When I read the hours this morning I thought to myself "Leah, you should have researched this show before you signed up!" sheesh, long hours are not my style, and I made no arrangements to have a helper here with me to boothsit. Usually I would have paid someone to come with me and help, but this is the first big out-of-town show I have done that is outdoors, so I had to bring a canopy and I couldn't fit both the canopy and a helper in the car (canopy sat in the passenger seat - inventory and display stuff filled the rest of the car) But here I am and I think this will be a great show. I have lots of wonderful glass mobiles with me that hopefully will go home with new owners. And I am staying in a hotel with some friends, so it will be a fun weekend!

Press in Neighborhood Notes

Check out this wonderful article

Over the last couple years I have become friends with Matt and his wife Kathryn, of Ekko Mobiles and we had the opportunity to do this interview together and it turned into a lengthy wonderful discussion about mobiles, why we make them, why we love them and how to take pictures of them! This is my cup of tea, seriously. I could sit around chatting about this kind of stuff all day! Fortunately I had plans for a private class that afternoon so eventually I had to rush out in the rain to continue my day...


Let me say this website was such a pleasure to work with, the writer Erin Codazzi and the photographer Ken Aaron were really into the mobiles - Erin pitched this story and contacted all of us out of the blue! The article is out now and ready for you to read.

photo above taken by Ken Aaron for Neighborhood Notes