American chestnut Castanea dentata as a prince in a throne

North American native hazelnuts, acorns, chestnuts, and plums photographed in the garden studio

Native American plums and nuts arranged as a mandala for curing in the garden shed that doubles as the photography studio, when such beauty is present. This mandala features nuts and fruit all native to north eastern North America and is possible through the work and generosity of PJ Chmiel who for the last decade has been restoring the soil and planting a native food forest near Kalamazoo, Michigan. A visit earlier in the week … >> read more

Embroidered mandala with blue beads

Sunny yellow and bright blue embroidered mandala details on a grey day

Here are some detail shots of one of the embroidered mandalas that were completed last year during our time in Mexico. This mandala has a face of white linen and a crisp yellow and turquoise color palette. This seems just the thing to look at in this very grey day in Toronto – April 15 and there is 2 inches of snow on the ground and a blizzard in full swing as I write this! … >> read more