Happy Birthday Edgar Allan Poe!

Today is Edgar Allan Poe's birthday! While he was most famous for The Raven, we should recognize how he was influenced by and influenced scientific imagination. Last January there was an article in Scientific American asking if he foresaw modern physics and cosmology, and Smithsonian.com published an interesting article on Poe and the world of astronomy. The arts and sciences influence and inspire each other, and Poe is one of many in that long tradition!

Sonnet—To Science

BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art! 

   Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes. 

Why preyest thou thus upon the poet’s heart, 

   Vulture, whose wings are dull realities? 

How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise, 

   Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering 

To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies, 

   Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing? 

Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car, 

   And driven the Hamadryad from the wood 

To seek a shelter in some happier star? 

   Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood, 

The Elfin from the green grass, and from me 

The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree? 

Oh, you like my Navicula?

This limited edition unique brooch is based on diatoms in Navicula genus. They are ecological keystones and important global producers of oxygen. This pin is perfect for science supporting feminists! When people ask you what exactly is on your brooch it is a great opportunity to engage in discussions about science and climate change.

Washington D.C. June 2015

For our 10th wedding anniversary in 2015, my husband and I spent some time figuring out how we wanted to celebrate. For those who know us it's no surprise we ended up in DC rallying at the Supreme Court for marriage equality for all. Friday morning we got the best gift of all with the verdict. 

As we're facing turbulent times with more polarization than ever it is important to remember progress we have made. America is great, and together we can make it greater. Get off the couch and get going. Together we can continue making America truly great!

"Natantis"

I just put a new piece up in my shop today! This was inspired by the Navicula genus of diatoms. A colored stylized form seems to float above a blue-purple felted current of soft fibers.The subtly irregular spacing of the linear thread suggests movement within the rippling waters. See more pictures and information here.

Martin Luther King Weekend

This weekend let us take some time to remember MLK and how far we have come in 50 years. We must also recognize there is still work to be done to create better communities, and a better world. I've created a new pintrest board dedicated to the little things we can do every day to follow through on this dream. Check it out and commit to doing one thing every week, Big or small, we need to be the change we want to see in the world.

Somnium 1

"Somnium" is Latin for "The Dream." This piece has a dreamy feel with colors running up from deep red to an iridescent indigo night sky. The stylized brain has a dyed wool fiber cerebellum. The cerebrum, the newest structure in the phylogenetic sense, is composed of layered folded custom felts.

The title, Somnium, is also a reference to Johannes Kepler's work of the same name which presents imaginative descriptions of how the Earth might look from the Moon. It has been referred to by Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov as the first work of science fiction. A few months before his death he composed his epitaph, "I used to measure the skies, now I measure the shadows of Earth. Although my mind was sky-bound, the shadow of my body lies here." Visual echos of this are reflected in the fiber art piece.

To see more pics check out the listing!

Thursday Thought

"Hubble's Deepest View of Universe Unveils Never-Before-Seen Galaxies" HubbleSite.org

“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors.”

― Andrew Boyd, Daily Afflictions: The Agony of Being Connected to Everything in the Universe