Baltimore Sonnets

Eyewear as Muse ic! Berlin's Claude (Electric Turquoise) sunglasses When I visited ic! Berlin's New York office, their Public Relations Specialist, Alexandra, and manager, Tanja let me try the coral tinted Electric Turquoise sunglasses.  They looked so beautiful that I was inspired to write this poem. Orthogonal Glamour By Suzanne Coley Beauty is within us, but sometimes it has to be revealed.   Bezier curves guided by points of control, clean lines no rough edges.   Smooth manifolds etched with orthogonal lines project onto glamorous plane. Beauty is within us, no two profiles are alike fourteen facial bones, eight cranial, form ovals We all have our features.   Time is on our side as Sight   Masters create new technological devices to help us see.   Innovative frames shaped to the contour of our experiences, our cultures, our lives. We come from different paved roads some made of clay, some made ...

Eyewear Art, Fashion, Inspiration ic! Berlin's Zahara sunglasses I was a little nervous when I got off the M train in Queens and headed to ic! Berlin's office on Steinway Street to review their eyewear for their upcoming collaborative project with students at FIT.  I grew up less than 2 miles away from there: I knew the area and its fashion history well. I was raised in Queensbridge projects during the late 70s and early 80s when hip-hop, rap, and urban culture went from inner street life to main street life.  Before the big music deals and integration of urban style into fashion in the 80s, on weekends rappers were spittin' rhymes and everyone in the neighborhood was experimenting with style in fresh, innovative ways in Queensbridge's "River Park" and "Baby Park." Visiting the office of ic! Berlin in New York evoked the creative spirit of those days. ic! Berlin's S52- Wedding sunglasses Elegant and lightweight, ic! Berlin...

Far off the beaten path you can find some amazing things . . .  Evening at Ushigome by Koitsu Tsuchiya (1870 - 1949) I recently visited the exhibition Imprints for Impact , a showcase of Japanese Printmaking at the Center for Arts Asian Arts Gallery , Towson, MD.  It wasn't crowded and you could take your time viewing original prints by renown Japanese artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige, Kawase Hasui, Koitsu Tsuchiya, Totoya Hokkei, and Takahasi Hiromitsu, just to name a few. Meguro Fudo Temple by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) Meguro Fudo Temple by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) Wood block print on paper, published by Watanabe Shozaburo Curated by Suewhei Shieh, the exhibition featured classically printed ukiyo-e woodblocks as well as modern Japanese handmade papers using various fibers. Visiting the Shrine by Totoya Hokkei (1780-1850) 20th Century Impression from early 19th century design woodblock print I appreciated the detailed history of each print as well a...

 acrylic and silver leaf cover, 2014 deconstructionist  style covers of artist's book Linocut printed on washi paper and an antique Spanish dictionary page Linocut printed on washi paper with sumi inks

Letter from a Broken Heart: Dear Dean, What is love?   Is it that passion you feel when you first meet someone and a hot current runs from your fingertips down to your thighs.   Is it that anticipatory excitement you feel at the bottom of your stomach even if you haven’t eaten for days? Thoughts.   Feelings.   Smells.   Touch.   Vibrations.   Yes, it is the vibrations.   Some type of electric current that shoots through your veins so fast that all you can do is shudder. An intense passionate heat!   Not the kind of heat that I experienced in DC the other day when the temperature reached 106 degrees.   Not the kind of heat I felt when I got burned by fire when frying that catfish.  Not the kind of heat I felt when my blood pressure went to stroke levels, I broke into a sweat, and passed out on the concrete pavement.   Love is fire.   Fire that starts out as a thought . . . b ecomes a beautiful fl...

January 1, 2011 Yes, I still check my email to see if you wrote me.   To see if you are thinking about me.   If I wrote you each time I thought of you, you’d have 100 emails in an hour.   I miss our conversations.   I miss your warm hands underneath my skirt.   I miss your eyes looking at me as only you can do.   I miss your soft kisses on my neck.   I miss your soft toes on my thighs. How are you?   What does your apartment look like?   It is empty?  Clean?   Waiting for the right furniture?   Or is it colorful and fun?   Do you live with anyone?    You must be seeing someone because you are too handsome to be alone.     Have you given your heart to anyone else?   I imagine her to be beautiful and tall.   Fun and kind -- all the things that you are.   I hope that you are able to move on and find the love that you deserve.   I hope that you have lots of babies a...

Linocut on London Underground Map, 2010 Suzanne Coley Linocut on NYC Map, 2009 Suzanne Coley Worldview, Linocut on antique Map, 2012 Suzanne Coley Linocut on antique World Map, 2013 Suzanne Coley Linocut on silkscreened Map of 9th arrondissement of Paris,  2009,Suzanne Coley Pile of 20 original silkscreens of 9th arrondissement of Paris & stamps,  2009 Suzanne Coley

Leaving textured marks and imprints. . . Unforgettable, 2006 Suzanne Coley I created this series of small abstract paintings with 22 karat gold leaf in 2006 after visiting Maryland State Parks and Forests. detail of Unforgettable by Suzanne Coley I recently took 20 of these small abstract paintings from my storage box, and will be placing a few for sale. Unforgettable, textured abstract painting with 22 karat gold leaf Looking at this series 8 years later,  I realize the experimental textures and marks on these works can be seen on the covers of my artist's books and boxes. Invisible artist's book textured cover of artist's book And, my handmade papers. handmade paper by Suzanne Coley

Shining with several different hues when seen from different angles Forever, 2006 by Suzanne Coley I created this series of small abstract paintings with 22 karat gold leaf in 2006 after visiting Maryland State Parks and Forests. Forever by Suzanne Coley, 2006 Golden, iridescent glow and textures are achieved with acrylic paints, reflective particles, and genuine gold leaf. detail of gold leaf and texture Inspired by majestic forests early in the morning after it has rained, this is one of my favorite abstract series.

Communing with Hummingbirds Feeling Fuchsia with a Touch of Purple, acrylic & tempera on canvas garden view inspirations nature's cycle of life on my windowsill la primavera one never tires to watch magnificent colors of procreation tear drop shapes hanging boldly magentas, purples, deep reds communing with hummingbirds There are 110 known species of Fuchsia.  Named after the German physician and botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566), the bright colors of the fuchsia plant attract hummingbirds (to pollinate them). According to  Trinity College  Dublin, " Fuchs’ interest in realistic representations accorded with the Renaissance ideal of naturalism, but it also served a practical purpose – he wanted his book to be a reference for his medical students and fellow doctors. While the images were cutting-edge for their time, Fuchs was not as revolutionary in the text, and his description of each plant’s medicinal properties still draws largely on the writings...

From Breakup To Breakdown dissolved by Suzanne Coley Nothing Lasts Forever hope. . .

Friends  Always willing to listen. They bring you joy! They make you smile when you want to cry. Accordion books given as gifts to my friends.   Thank you. They make the struggle worth it.

Best Free Exhibit in New York City Fowl Play at FIT Red-Crown Cranes by Meredith Christensen & Lara Smith   I like stopping by the lobby of FIT's Pomerantz Center to see student work.  Their concepts and designs are always innovative and inspirational. Flamingo by Megan Finocchio &  Sean Scott  During the month of April, Fowl Play is on exhibition and it is spectacular. Flamingo by Megan Finocchio & Sean Scott First year Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design students were given an assignment to transform mannequins into birds. This exhibition highlights 17 birds selected from the many students studied.  They designed larger than life mannequins using feathers provided by  Feather Place . Feather Place's feathers are alluringly beautiful with intense hues and textures that make you want to sneak a touch. Wood Stork with her bird of prey by Laura Pariot & Honglip Gang In this exhibition, the students capture...

The Beauty of End Papers Believe, 2014 Suzanne Coley Back in November when I wrote the post  "Between the Covers " I didn't have a title for the actual series. First working of Believe (with handmade paper), 2013 I knew I wanted to explore the intimate sensory discoveries (touch, smell, sight) that handmade books offer.   So I put the project down and waited, and waited. Gold cover    A week ago, I revisited this book and saw how the light captured the nuances of the linocut print on the silkscreened Chiyogami  paper and whispered, "You have to see it to believe it." In this series I will take the word BELIEVE and explore how we Believe in ourselves.   How we Believe in our capabilities.  How we Believe in  . . . Linocut in the light, 2014 Believe  is such an intense word, and I want the gold on the cover to reflect that intensity.   24k Genuine Double Gold Leaf   I pulled out my prized packag...