Peg

Count Only Sunny Hours

Hooray for summer! Long days… glorious sunshine… the perfect time to think about sundials!
For centuries, sundials were the primary means of keeping time. The oldest known sundial was found in Egypt and dates from about 1500 BC. Sundials continued to dominate until the 19^th century when mechanical clocks took over. Nowadays, sundials are more likely to decorate a garden or outdoor space than to serve as a timekeeping device. But, with careful planning and attention to detail, they can do both!
I’ve seen many sundials in my travels. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these classic instruments. This sundial, at Middleton Place in South Carolina, is an attractive garden feature. The sundial is displayed on a pedestal in a wide-open area where it can easily catch the sun’s rays.

This type of sundial is referred to as a horizontal sundial. It has a flat plate with an elevated, angled arm called a gnomon.

Hours are marked on the flat plate. The sun casts a shadow under the gnomon. The shadow hits the hour markings to indicate the time. According to the shadow on this sundial, it was close to 4:00 when I took this photo.

Here’s a less formal take on the horizontal sundial. The rustic wooden stand and minimalistic dial and gnomon are prefect for its Carolina Beach setting.

Many sundials, especially horizontal models, are inscribed with a brief, meaningful phrase. The sundial pictured below features the popular motto: “I Count Only Sunny Hours”.

A Book of Sundial Mottoes, compiled by Alfred H Hyatt and published in 1903, provides a variety of suggestions. Many of the mottoes were originally in Latin. A few examples are shown below. “Without Shadow Nothing” is my personal favorite.

Not all sundials have a flat surface. Armillary sundials, sometimes called shadow clocks, represent both a terrestrial globe and a celestial sphere. Armillary spheres are known to have existed in ancient Greece and China. Mechanical versions evolved to serve as planetarium devices for observation and teaching.
Although they are noticeably different from the horizontal sundial, an armillary sundial also keeps time by using a gnomon to cast a shadow on an hourly scale. The below armillary sundial was spotted in Chester, Nova Scotia. It is known as the Parade Square Sundial and anchors a small public garden. The sundial is huge—I’d guess it’s about 9-10’ tall—which allows for an unusually precise time scale with 5-minute increments. Notice the below photo was taken between 10:25 and 10:30.

Here’s another example of an armillary sundial. I spotted this one at the Keukenhof spring gardens in Lisse, Netherlands.

Hemispherium dials are yet another model of sundial. This one, from Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, is a charming sculpture by Brenda Putnam (1890-1975).

I believe the sundial pictured below would be called a bowstring equatorial sundial. It was also spotted at the Keukenhof.

This stunning artwork, spotted at Stichting Land Art Delft in Delft, Netherlands, is a wonderful, modern spin on the sundial. I’m guessing it would be considered a vertical sundial.

I pulled several different sundials into the below image for a side-by-side comparison. Models of a bowstring equatorial sundial, vertical sundial, armillary sundial, hemispherium dial and horizontal sundial are included.

Despite the remarkable differences, all of these sundials are timekeeping instruments—they all have markings to indicate the daylight hours and they all use the shadow of a gnomon to indicate the time. Chances are, I’ve tried to read the time on all of them—I can’t seem to pass a sundial without checking! More often than not, I compare the Solar Time on the sundial to the Clock Time on my watch, iPhone or camera. More often than not, the times are close but rarely are they exactly the same. I have always wondered why.
How to Read a Sundial
After considerable research and some serious puzzling, I think I have the full picture on reading sundials. A key point is that, because a sundial uses the moving shadow cast by the sun to keep time, the actual interaction between the sun and the Earth must be taken into consideration.
My most important finding is that the exact location (ie longitude and latitude) of the sundial impacts how the sun’s shadow will fall on the sundial. The sundial itself must be calibrated for the location’s latitude. Thus, a generic, off-the-shelf sundial cannot tell time reliably.
Step 1: Check the sundial for messages or markings that indicate it has been customized for the location. If so, find the shadow on the hour markings and take note of the Solar Time.
My second most important finding is that there are three calculations which must be applied to the sundial’s Solar Time to determine Clock Time. You may want to dust off your elementary school science skills for this next section! The first calculation is called the Equation of Time.
Equation of Time
. Sundials work because the Earth makes a complete rotation on its axis every day. The Earth’s axis isn’t perpendicular to the plane of the Earth, it is tilted at an angle of about 23.5°. The Earth’s orbit isn’t circular, it is actually an ellipse. The Earth’s tilt and its elliptical orbit cause the length of each day to vary slightly.
. Clock Time ignores this difference and is deliberately configured to treat all days as exactly 24 hours long.
. This causes a variance between Solar Time and Clock Time. Depending on the sundial’s location, it can vary from being about 14 minutes 20 seconds slow around 12th February to being about 16 minutes 23 seconds fast around 3rd November. Solar Time and Clock Time coincide on four days of the year: 16th April, 14th June, 2nd September and 25th December. The cycle repeats every year. The below graph illustrates the Equation of Time.

Step 2: Consult a detailed Equation of Time chart (or use an online calculator) to manually adjust the Solar Time by the number of minutes indicated for the relevant day of the year.
Longitude Correction for Time Zones
The second calculation is called Longitude Correction and it has to do with Time Zones.
. Clock Time is standardized into time zones. A single time zone covers a range of longitudes. Each time zone is identified by a specific reference meridian which lies midway between the east and west bounds of the zone.
. Solar Time is specific to the single meridian in which the sundial is located.
Step 3: Adjust the Solar Time to match what the reading would be at the time zone meridian. This is done by calculating the difference between the sundial’s longitude and the reference meridian of the relevant time zone. Then adding or subtracting 4 minutes for each degree of difference: subtract the minutes if the sundial is east of the reference meridian or add the minutes if the sundial is west of the reference meridian.
For instance, a sundial in my garden would be located at 83⁰ West in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. The reference meridian for this time zone is 75⁰ West. So, I would have a difference of 8 degrees, to the west of the reference meridian, and need to add 4 minutes for each of those 8 degrees. The result would be an increase of 32 minutes on my Solar Time.
Hours of Daylight
The third calculation is easier since daylight savings time is a familiar concept.
. A sundial is calibrated for either Standard Time or Daylight Savings Time.
Step 4: Determine if the sundial is set to Standard Time or Daylight Savings Time. Add or subtract an hour if needed.
Once again, I’m on the lookout for sundials. I’ll be searching for one which has been calibrated to match its location so I can try the Solar Time to Clock Time conversion. Admittedly, it will be much faster and easier to just check my phone for the time!

More Info

Check out the North American Sundial Society website for more information about sundials. The society is an association of people from a wide variety of disciplines who are interested in the study, development, history, and preservation of sundials. The website includes a directory of sundials in North America.
An interactive calculator designed to help compute the impact of the Equation of Time on a Solar Time reading can be found on the PLANETCALC website. See Equation of Time online calculator.
More information about the public gardens and towns mentioned in this post can be found at these linked websites:
. Middleton Place in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
. Town of Carolina Beach in North Carolina, USA
. Town of Chester in Nova Scotia, Canada
. Keukenhof spring gardens in Lisse, The Netherlands
. Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA
. Stichting Land Art Delft park in Delft, The Netherlands

Today’s Takeaways

1. Sundials are the earliest known instruments for timekeeping.
2. Modern sundials can be both decorative and functional.
3. With careful planning and attention to detail, sundials can be used to determine Clock Time.

Events Make Other Media Travel

A Gourd Gathering… Wait, What?

“You should come to the next gourd gathering” she said as she wrapped my purchase. “The next what?” I asked, stunned. She went on to explain gourd gatherings are annual events where gourd artists and enthusiasts get together to share, learn and socialize. These get togethers are typically hosted by local gourd societies. So that’s how I ended up in Cherokee, North Carolina at my first Gourd Gathering.

Yep, there are a lot of gourds at a gourd gathering! There is, also, a lot of beautiful gourd art. Vendors sell everything from unfinished gourds (as pictured above) to specialty gourd art supplies to finished artworks. A series of workshops, hosted by enthusiastic instructors, offer attendees the opportunity to try new techniques, learn new skills and make interesting projects.
Gourds, I’ve learned, provide artists the rare opportunity to work with a blank slate that’s three-dimensional. Gourds can be painted, stained, dyed, carved, burned, cut, drilled, sculpted, trimmed, and embellished in thousands of different ways. Gourds are amazingly versatile!
Talented artists can turn a simple gourd into a piece of fine art. Here’s an example I saw earlier this year at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. Titled Ancestry, this beautiful gourd artwork was created by Michele Tejuola Turner. She says “I am a contemporary craft artist whose work tells the African and African American experience through story. My chosen media, American gourds and African calabashes, offer a three-dimensional canvas that connects me to the land and stories that inspire me”. She uses a power tool to carve images and words into the gourd. Then adds depth and detail with vibrant acrylic paint.

It’s hard to believe this work started out looking like these bottle gourds.

Gourds grow in a surprising variety of forms. Gourds are actually the hard-shelled fruit of the Cucurbitaceae family. This large family of tendril bearing vines also includes pumpkins, squash, melons and cucumbers. This gourd plant was spotted at a local botanical garden.

The gourds of most interest to gourd artists come primarily from Lagenaria siceraria plants and are known as hardshells. Based on their general shapes, hardshells can be divided into four types—basket, bottle, long and dipper.
Basket gourds are round and lack a neck. Popular shapes include cannon ball, basketball, tobacco box, canteen and bushel basket gourds. Pictured below is a selection of cannon ball gourds.

As implied by the name, basket gourds are ideal for making baskets and other vessels for carrying and storing. It’s not surprising that gourds are often combined with basketry. This gourd, created by Marianne Barnes, has a gorgeous woven rim called a Double Wall Cherokee Run. By the way, this is the purchase I mentioned at the top of this blog post. I tucked a few pieces of lace, crocheted by my Mother, into this pretty gourd as a special remembrance of her.

Here’s another example of basketry applied to a gourd. Pine needles are coiled, and embellished with beads, around the rim of this gourd.

Bottle gourds generally have a bulb at the base and a neck at the stem. Popular shapes include martin, penguin, powder horn, kettle, Chinese bottle and miniature gourds. Pictured below is a selection of martin gourds.

Gourds have an extensive and fascinating history. “By far the most common uses of gourds in all cultures were as containers and vessels. They were used to store every manner of supplies, wet and dry, food and utility, domestic and otherwise. Hauling and storage of water was of paramount concern in every tribe regardless of locale. Gourd dippers, ladles, and containers representing all periods of civilization are seen in museums throughout Africa, Asia, the Western Hemisphere, and the Pacific Islands. … all manner of foods were stored in gourds … gourds were also used as cooking and eating utensils. Native Americans boiled food by dropping hot rocks into gourds filled with liquids. Many gourd ladles from Middle America and the Southwest are scorched on the bottom, evidence of their use to pour and spread batter on the cooking stones. … Gourds were also used as birdhouses and feeders. European explorers noted gourd birdhouses in native villages in North America.” reports The Complete Book of Gourd Craft.
Martin gourds are still used to make birdhouses especially those for purple martins. Pictured below are a few outstanding examples of gourd birdhouses.

One of the workshops I attended at the Gourd Gathering was Wood Burned Martin Birdhouse Gourd with Jeanette Egan. We learned how to use a Walnut Hollow Solid Tip Creative Burner with its various tips to burn a design into a gourd. Here’s how mine turned out.

Long gourds are generally long and narrow with no distinct bulb. Popular shapes include long, banana and snake.
Dipper gourds generally have a bulb at the base and a long thin neck extending to the stem. The necks may be straight or curved. Popular shapes include short-handled dipper, mid-size dipper, long-handled dipper, club and maranka. Pictured below are two selections of long-handled dippers—one with long straight handles and the other with long curvy handles.

Gourd artists often use gourds as the foundation for a sculpture. They build up and shape the figure with Quikwood Epoxy Putty, polymer clay or other sculpting material. This startlingly realistic garter snake, by artist Cara Bevan, is created from a dipper gourd, epoxy clay and acrylic paint.

Miniature gourds, typically 4” or less, grow in a variety of forms. They are popular for making jewelry, ornaments and sculpted figures. This cute little chicken was created by Cara Bevan from a mini spinner gourd, clay and acrylic paint.

I purchased a few unfinished gourds at the Gourd Gathering so I’ve been seeking inspiration for gourd art. My newest Pinterest board, Gourd Art – FanningSparks Favs, contains over 100 ideas.

More Info

The Gourd Gathering at Cherokee is an annual event. The 2022 event was held in Cherokee, North Carolina, USA. You can learn more about this fun-filled event on their website or Facebook page. Many thanks to the organizers, instructors and fellow students who kindly answered my many questions and generously welcomed me into the world of gourds!
The American Gourd Society promotes interest in all activities relating to gourds: cultivation and artistic shape manipulation, historical uses, gourd show competition, craftwork, and artistic decoration. There are active chapters in several USA states as well as in Canada. These organizations sponsor gourd gatherings, festivals and shows across the country. You can learn more on the American Gourd Society website. Upcoming events are featured on the Calendar page.
I also mentioned the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA in a previous blog post. In Shadows at Play I share photos from the fascinating art installation Flying School (Ecole d’aviation) by Diane Landry.
The Complete Book of Gourd Craft was written by Ginger Summit and Jim Widess.
Check out my new Pinterest board, Gourd Art – FanningSparks Favs, for lots of gourd inspiration.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Gourds provide artists the rare opportunity to work with a blank slate that’s three-dimensional.
2. Gourds can be painted, stained, dyed, carved, burned, cut, drilled, sculpted, trimmed, and embellished in thousands of different ways.
3. Gourds are amazingly versatile.

Agritourism How Tos Make Nature Plants Southeast Travel USA Wood

Stop and Smell the Lavender

On a quiet country road in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains, there’s a small lavender farm called Red Oak Lavender Farm. It’s located near the city of Dahlonega known for its role as the gateway to the Appalachian Trail.

It’s an enchanting place especially during the month of June when the lavender is in bloom. Spiky blooms in gorgeous shades of purple and blue spring from mounds of silver and green foliage. The air is filled with the distinctive, fresh scent of lavender. Informative signs identify the different varieties and highlight their primary features. Here are a few examples.

Visitors to the farm have free rein to explore the lavender plantings. Most of the lavender is planted in carefully-tended, well-spaced rows. According to the Red Oak Lavender Farm website, “Lavender needs air space to dry up some of the humidity and wetness caused from rains in summer”. Growing conditions in Northern Georgia differ significantly from the ideal conditions, ie hot, dry summers, cold winters, limited rainfall and dry, rocky, alkaline soil, which allow lavender to flourish in places like Provence, France. Don’t expect to find those Instagram-famous views of mile-long rows of deep purple lavender running off into the horizon. Instead, you’ll find a more accessible, scaled-down version of those beautiful views.

A closer look reveals a myriad of bees and butterflies amongst the blooming wands. The soft yellow wings of this Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly (Phoebis sennae) are a striking contrast to the purple lavender blooms.

A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) goes about its business on the distinctive flower of some French/Spanish Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas). This is the same variety of lavender I grow in my own flower garden (see my previous post Weaving Lavender).

Red Oak Lavender Farm is a shutterbug’s paradise with thoughtfully-placed features, such as this curvy, white gazebo, providing pretty focal points.

Lavender is obviously the main attraction but there are several other floral displays. This cheerful patch of pastel-colored yarrow complements the barn quilt perfectly.

A huge bed of dahlias—over 900 bulbs—promises an amazing floral display later this summer.

A visit to Red Oak Lavender Farm wouldn’t be complete without checking out the gift shop. The cozy shop is a feast for the eyes and nose. Bunches of lavender, such as this recently-harvested culinary lavender, are hung to dry.

A wide variety of Red Oak Lavender bath and beauty products, handmade with lavender from the farm, are on offer.

One might even spot a copper still used to distill essential lavender oil. It takes an astonishing amount of work to reach the stage where a lavender grower can distill their own lavender. “Approximately three pounds of lavender Intermedia flowers are required to produce just 15mL of lavender essential oil. We recommend you have 500 mature (year 3) lavender plants to be able to steam distill to give you enough lavender essential oil for the year. … That’s a lot of lavender needed!” explains the Red Oak Lavender website.

Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t resist taking some lavender home with me. I chose a large bouquet of dried Intermedia Lavender.

A scan through the latest home decorating trends confirms dried flowers and grasses made a comeback. The trend is attributed, in large part, to an increased focus on sustainability. Dried flowers also have the advantage of needing no water so they can be displayed in a variety of innovative ways. To that end, my new dried lavender blooms are perfect for an idea I’ve been planning to try—a wooden display block. I’ve noticed some European home decorating sites, as well as Etsy artists, are arranging dried flowers on long, narrow wooden bars. My Dried Lavender Wooden Display Block is a slight twist on that idea. Here’s how it turned out.

It’s a super simple project—there are only a few steps as shown in the image below.
1. Start by choosing a nice piece of wood and cutting it into a rectangular block. Mine is about 4½” long x 1½” deep x 1” high. Decide how you want the lavender to be positioned. I chose a wavy line for added interest.
2. Drill a series of holes. I drilled 16 holes, spaced about ⅜” apart, about 1” deep, with a ⁷⁄₆₄” drill bit. A piece of tape on the drill bit helped me bore the holes to a consistent depth. Sand the block.
3. Lay out the lavender stems to select an attractive arrangement. I chose to vary the height of my stems—cutting each one about ½” longer than the previous one.
4. And, there you have it… your very own Dried Lavender Wooden Display Block. It’s the perfect size to tuck away on a bathroom vanity, living room side table or bedroom nightstand.

More Info

Lavender wands, made with ribbon and freshly-cut lavender stems, are another easy lavender project. Check out my previous blog post, Weaving Lavender, for instructions.

To learn more about Red Oak Lavender Farm & Shop in Dahlonga, Georgia, USA, check out their website or Facebook page.
The Georgia Farm Bureau sponsors a special outreach program called Farm Passport. “The Farm Passport features over 90 farms included in Georgia Farm Bureau’s Certified Farm Markets program, which was created to help people discover where their food comes from, meet the farm families who grew the food, and create lasting memories with loved ones as they travel the state.” You can learn more on the Certified Farm Markets Farm Passport section of the Georgia Farm Bureau website.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Investigate sources for fresh, farm-raised goods in your local area.
2. Consider supporting a local farmer by paying them a visit and purchasing their products.
3. Explore possibilities for incorporating dried flowers and grasses into your home décor.

Gardening Nature Southeast Travel USA

Deliberately Walking in Circles

Oops! I just missed World Labyrinth Day! Well—honestly—I didn’t even know there was a World Labyrinth Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, people all around the world participate in World Labyrinth Day to celebrate the labyrinth as a symbol, tool, passion or practice. The event is a moving meditation for world peace. I may have missed this year’s event but I have been making an effort to find and walk labyrinths as much as possible. There really is something magical about slowly and carefully walking in circles around a labyrinth!
The dictionary defines a labyrinth as “a maze (as in a garden) formed by paths separated by high hedges”. Interestingly, most of the specialized sources I checked, start by clarifying that a labyrinth is not a maze. Both are intricate walking paths but their purposes differ significantly. A labyrinth is constructed with a single path, albeit with a complex winding route, which guides the walker from entry, to center to exit. Labyrinths are designed to calm the walker, to inspire peace and to encourage a walking meditation. A maze, on the other hand, has a complex branching route which the walker must navigate by choosing the correct path and direction. There are many dead ends forcing the walker to retrace their steps and re-evaluate their choices. Mazes are designed to confuse, amuse and entertain.
The first labyrinth I took notice of was in Hopelands Gardens in Aiken, South Carolina. At first glance, it looked like a large brick terrace.

The signage convinced me to give it a try. It read “Welcome to the Labyrinth at Hopelands Gardens. An ancient tool, the labyrinth is a metaphor for life’s journey. Pause at the entrance of the design then follow the path to the center. When you arrive at the center, linger and absorb all the labyrinth and the gardens have to offer. Retrace your path back to the entrance.”

“This labyrinth is patterned after a 13^th century design in Amiens Cathedral France.” The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens, or simply Amiens Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church located north of Paris, France. Amiens Cathedral was built between 1220 and 1288. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture. The labyrinth is located in the center of the nave’s floor and built of white and black marble. According to Wikipedia, the labyrinth “symbolised the obstacles and twists and turns of the journey toward salvation, but also showed that with determination the journey was possible”.
As was typical of medieval labyrinths, the Amiens labyrinth is divided into four quadrants. It is octagonal in shape.

I made an effort to slow down and walk the labyrinth from beginning to end. It was an interesting experience: slowly following the many twists and turns of the labyrinth path is quite calming.

Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina also has a medieval style labyrinth. I shared my recent visit to Brookgreen Gardens in the blog post, Thank You Anna Hyatt Huntington, but I didn’t mention the labyrinth. “The labyrinth at Brookgreen Gardens combines the ancient cross-cultural aspects of the labyrinth bringing together the traditions of people who have occupied this land including the Native Americans, the enslaved Africans, and the Europeans.”

“The design is a seven circuit, medieval Chartres-style with a 76-foot diameter and measures 4/10 mile total in and out.” The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, or simply Chartres Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church located southwest of Paris. It was constructed in the same era and style as the Amiens Cathedral—but finished earlier around 1220. It is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and celebrated as “the high point of French Gothic art”. The Chartres labyrinth is also located in the center of the nave floor. Labyrinth experts refer to the design of the Chartres labyrinth as the “Eleven-Circuit Medieval Labyrinth”. The Chartres labyrinth is considered the most famous and credited with having influenced the popularity of labyrinths in 13th century France. The Chartres labyrinth is still highly regarded today—labyrinth enthusiasts travel to Chartres specifically to walk the labyrinth.
The Chartres labyrinth has a similar path arrangement to the Amiens labyrinth but it is circular, rather than octagonal, in shape.

The labyrinth at Brookgreen Gardens is situated beside a creek and surrounded by nature. It is an ideal place to slow down and walk a labyrinth.

I also had an opportunity to walk a labyrinth at the New Hanover County Arboretum in Wilmington, North Carolina. This labyrinth is constructed of contrasting pavers laid out in a “five-circuit medieval design.”

The New Hanover County Arboretum labyrinth is a focal point in “the Military Memorial Contemplation Garden … [which] was installed ‘to create a unique space of solitude and reflection honoring those who have chosen service above self’. … The garden was dedicated in honor of Durwood Baggett an Army veteran awarded the Bronze Star and former county extension agent.”

Surrounded by a floral landscape, the labyrinth is indeed a lovely space for solitude and reflection.

The final labyrinth I’d like to share is located in the Children’s Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville, Georgia.

It’s a little unusual because the walker walks on the stones instead of following the path between the stones. It’s probably perfect for the intended audience… children, I imagine, would enjoy the challenge of following that squiggly line.

Labyrinths are ancient symbols used by cultures all around the world. The patterns have been found on pottery, tablets and tiles that date as far back as 5000 years. A labyrinth pattern, called the Classical 7-Circuit, is based on a pattern discovered on a clay tablet from Pylos, Greece (circa 1200 BCE) and on Cretan coins (400-500 BCE). To this day, it is reported to be the most popular and most accessible labyrinth pattern. I haven’t come across a Classical 7-Circuit labyrinth yet but I’m watching for one…perhaps I’ll find it before the next World Labyrinth Day!

More Info

The Labyrinth Society “is an international group of labyrinth enthusiasts whose mission is to support all those who create, maintain, and use labyrinths, and to serve the global community by providing education, networking, and opportunities to experience transformation.” The Society sponsors the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator which is an online directory of labyrinths.
To learn more about the labyrinth locations mentioned in this blog post, check out the websites listed below:
. Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA. You can learn more about this award-winning botanical garden and its outstanding sculpture collection in my previous blog post Thank You Anna Hyatt Huntington.
. Hopelands Gardens in Aiken, South Carolina, USA
. Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville, Georgia, USA
. New Hanover County Arboretum in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
For information about World Labyrinth Day, held annually on the first Saturday of May, check out their website.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Explore the fascinating history of labyrinths.
2. Seek out a labyrinth near you.
3. Consider walking a labyrinth to help quiet the mind and ground the body.

How Tos Make Other Media Repurpose

From Tulip Paper to Natural Fiber Papermaking

“The cover of this park map is made of tulip paper and consists of 20% tulips.” This statement, on the Keukenhof spring flower garden park map, piqued my interest. Tulip paper? You can make paper from tulips?
Turns out this was the same question the Dutch specialty printing firm, JEA, asked themselves when they took on the challenge in early 2019. According to their website, every year JEA runs a special sustainability project. Working with the Kuekenhof (see my previous post Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips), JEA aimed to recycle over 10 tons of tulip waste. The project was successful and Keukenhof’s 2020 maps featured the newly-created tulip paper. According to their Instagram announcement, JEA used over 250,000 faded tulips from Keukenhof’s 2019 season to make the paper.

Unfortunately, the Keukenhof was unable to open in 2020 and 2021 due to the global pandemic. So, the tulip paper maps didn’t debut until this year—the same year I visited!
Around this same time, I became aware of a papermaking workshop at the Robert C Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta, Georgia. The workshop, Papermaking from Natural Fibers, was led by Robert Thompson, an Atlanta paper artist and owner of Lot 10 Paper. Robert is well versed in the use of natural fibers to make paper. His Instagram feed is packed with the natural materials he harvests and scrounges from local farms and the beautiful paper art he creates from them.
Our workshop started with an opportunity to view and admire some of Robert’s work. Interestingly, Robert attended the same Natural Dyes workshop, led by Doug Baulos and Jacob Phillips, I did a few years ago (see Natural Dye Making). Many of Robert’s works include eco-printing and natural dyes.

Paper making is an ancient art. “The earliest known paper has been traced back to 200 BCE in China. Archaeologists found a paper prayer embedded into the adobe brick of a home, presumably a blessing. In 105 CE, Ts’ai Lun, who worked for the Chinese emperor, announced and recorded the process of papermaking. … The first papers were made from recycled fishing nets, bamboo, mulberry bark, or hemp.” reports the Museum of Papermaking website.
The basic process to make paper remains the same from those early days. Simply put, the paper maker begins by breaking down cellulose fiber (cloth rag, plants, or scrap paper) and mixing it with water. Then the pulp is formed into a flat sheet, pressed flat and allowed to dry.
To make beautiful paper, like Robert’s samples or some of those from my own paper stash, requires knowledge and skill. Here are a few handmade papers I’ve collected over the years. I can’t recall where I found all of them but several were purchased in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Meanwhile back at the workshop, Robert showed us how to prepare wheat straw for paper making. He typically starts with a base, like wheat straw, before adding other cellulose fibers for interest, texture and transparency. Shown below is a pot of chopped wheat straw in water and lye.

After a few hours of simmering, the wheat straw was ready to neutralize with vinegar, rinse and drain.

Robert prepared wheat straw in advance so we could get started right away.

Each participant was set up with a vat of wheat straw pulp, a mould and deckle, sponge and section of felt. The mould and deckle were ingeniously created from a set of inexpensive stretched canvases. The mould, the bottom frame with a screen attached to its back, sits face down with the screen facing up. The deckle, the top frame without any covering, sits face up aligned with the mould.

Robert showed us how to pull paper. The mould and deckle are held together and submerged into the vat of water and pulp. Then carefully lifted up through the slurry leaving a thin layer of pulp on the screen. Still holding the mould and deckle together, the water is drained. Next the deckle is removed, the mould is flipped over and the newly formed sheet of paper is carefully transferred onto a flat layer of cotton and felt. This last step is called couching.

In addition to the wheat straw, Robert provided a variety of natural fibers including bamboo leaves, banana leaves, corn husks, garlic leaves, maple leaves, and pine bark. Tulip leaves and faded tulip blooms would have fit right in! We were able to experiment with the different fibers individually and in combination. Here are a few of my finished papers.

I’ve always liked handmade paper featuring botanicals. Here are a few examples from my own paper stash.

I was eager to try this technique for myself so I brought a few natural elements I’d previously pressed in my Fern & Flower Press (see Fern & Flower Press – DIY Tutorial). There were pressed maple leaves, hydrangea flowers and cosmos petals as well as some zinnia and coneflower seeds. The below photos show my attempt to embed a few maple leaves.

My most ambitious piece included an arrangement of pressed cosmos petals and hydrangea blooms sprinkled with coneflower seeds. I was really pleased with the piece at this point.

Unfortunately, after I added a second sheet of wet paper and let it all dry, my carefully arranged masterpiece had pretty much disappeared! Apparently, that second sheet was too thick. Regardless, the embedded seeds are still viable so I embroidered a little message on my sheet of handmade paper. You can learn more about paper stitching, including step-by-step instructions for embroidering a printed photograph, in my previous post Hello Marvelous Photo Embroidery – DIY Tutorial.

Based on the research I did after the fact, it would have been better not to add a second sheet of pulp. One expert says it’s all about timing—she says botanicals will become embedded within the fibers of the sheet if you lay them on the surface of the pulp directly after pulling the mould and deckle out of the vat before the water begins to drain away. Another expert recommends quickly presoaking the botanicals and carefully dribbling some pulp around and over the flowers (with a turkey baster) after placement on the sheet. And yet another expert, recommends using a pouring method (instead of dipping) with a deckle box. All good options to try next time!
Another option to try next time is to dye the handmade paper. I had great success dyeing various materials, including handmade paper, with Rit All-Purpose Dyes last year (see previous post Experimenting with Fabric Dye). The trick is to work quickly—dipping the paper into the dyebath and immediately pulling it out. The below photo shows the results of that project—the white sections are the original, undyed paper.

I really enjoyed the Papermaking from Natural Fibers workshop with Robert Thompson (Many thanks Robert!) and the folks at the Robert C Williams Museum of Papermaking (Thank you Virginia and Anna!). It was great fun to take that little spark of inspiration from the tulip paper to a full day of experimentation and creativity.

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The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, part of Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, has a “mission to collect, preserve, increase, and disseminate knowledge about papermaking – past, present and future. The Paper Museum cares for the most comprehensive collection of paper and paper-related artifacts in the world, comprised of over 100,000 artifacts including manuscripts, rare books, prints, hand and industrial papermaking tools and equipment, and crafted and manufactured objects, as well as paper samples. … The Paper Museum also offers a variety of programs for audiences ranging from lectures for the general public to field trips for schools to hands-on workshops for all ages.” Workshops and exhibits are posted on the Paper Museum website.
You can learn more about Robert Thompson, Lot 10 Paper and his beautiful paper art on the Lot 10 Paper website or Instagram account.
Several FanningSparks’ blog posts are mentioned in this post including:
. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips which is packed with all things tulip including a visit to Noorwijkerhout in the midst of the Netherlands’ Bulb Region, the world-famous spring gardens at Keukenhof, and tulip-related highlights from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
. Natural Dye Making about my experience attending a Natural Dyes workshop, led by Doug Baulos and Jacob Phillips, at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. in Atlanta.
. Fern & Flower Press – DIY Tutorial in which I share step-by-step instructions to make a generously-sized press for large plant elements. You can also use this press to dry and flatten handmade paper.
. Hello Marvelous Photo Embroidery – DIY Tutorial in which I share examples of paper stitching and provide step-by-step instructions for embroidering a printed photograph.
. Experimenting with Fabric Dye about my experience dyeing a variety of materials, including fabric, felt, yarn, string, wood beads and handmade paper, with Rit All-Purpose Dyes.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Be on the lookout for new and different ways to recycle.
2. Making paper by hand opens a world of creative possibilities.
3. Beautiful papers can be made from natural fibers.

Artists Europe Make Netherlands Travel

Artworks as Big as Walls in Amsterdam

A great tip from a friendly local led us to explore the lesser-known area of Amsterdam-Noord during our recent visit to this vibrant Dutch city. We’d already explored several of the popular sights and marveled at the charming canals, bridges and gabled canal houses of the historic Jordaan district.
This is Prinsengracht (Prince’s Canal) with the Westertoren (West Tower) in the background.

The iconic Westertoren, topped with the beautiful imperial crown, soars above the Jordaan district.

There are about 2,500 houseboats moored along the canal banks in Amsterdam.

Many of Amsterdam’s canal houses, with their ornate gabled façades, date back to the Dutch Golden Age.

Back in the 16^th century homeowners were taxed based on the width of their houses. As a result, houses were narrow and deep with very steep stairs. The ladder-like stairs shown in the photo below are a case in point.

As lovely as this part of the city is, we were ready to get off the beaten path and escape the crowds. It was surprisingly easy to get to the quiet residential area of Amsterdam-Noord (North Amsterdam); we simply hopped a free ferry at the Amsterdam Central Station. Then we wandered around the quiet neighborhoods and through the refreshing, green parks. Eventually we made our way to the NDSM Wharf—Amsterdam’s edgy arts community.

There’s a fascinating story behind this area. NDSM which stands for ‘Nederlandse Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij’ (Netherlands Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company) was founded in 1894. The company prospered for nearly 100 years building and repairing ships. But the shipbuilding industry declined and NDSM went bankrupt in 1984 closing the 90-hectare (about 222-acre) facility of docks and shipyards. It sat empty until squatters, artists and skaters started to adopt the space. In 1999, an urban regeneration process was initiated. The squatters got organized and argued that NDSM should be considered an incubator. The movement was successful and in the 2000s the neglected shipyard became popular as a cultural incubator zone. Forward-thinking corporations, such as MTV, Red Bull and HEMA, set up offices. More artists and creatives were drawn to the area. Today, some call it Amsterdam’s biggest outdoor playground for graffiti and street artists.
The huge artwork shown in the photo below is aptly named Container Arch. It is constructed of actual shipping containers and a great example of NDSM’s chaotic, post-industrial vibe.

NDSM’s raw edginess is appreciated by artists and visitors alike. Luca Boscardin, a toy designer and illustrator with a studio at NDSM, shared this perspective: “I think NDSM is a perfect place for this kind of project. Here, luckily, there is still a bit of beautiful chaos, and mess. There is room to improvise and to be surprised. … It’s a beautiful place filled with energy and creativity where a lot of great ideas start.”
Arguably, the biggest NDSM draw for visitors is STRAAT: the museum for graffiti and street art. STRAAT is located in a huge, 8000 m2 (nearly 2 acres) former warehouse. The ample space presents 150+ artworks as big as walls. The tiny person walking through the exhibit, in the below photo, illustrates the sheer size of this place.

Here’s another photo to help communicate the scale of the artworks. That’s Marian, my sister and traveling companion, taking a photo of the artwork Wild by Treze (Spain, 1986 – 2018).

The exhibit card explains “Showcasing his characteristic pastel shades, this piece is one of Treze’s many odes to the inherent beauty in nature, aiming to glorify the miracle of life. ‘The girl represents nature observing something ‘artificial’, like the [graffiti] style. The style is something associated with the metropolis, the concrete jungle and its industry.’ Treze”

Here’s another one of my favorites—this is Reunion by Zësar Bahamonte (Spain, 1986). Like most of the STRAAT artworks, it is done in spray paint on polyester.

The exhibit card reads “Although Zësar has painted many musicians throughout his career, this was the first time he painted flamenco musicians from his hometown, Seville. Instead of turning to the traditional imagery of flamenco, he represented the artists in his own personal way: fresh and original, yet deeply rooted into the cultural heritage of his country.”

The below artwork is Untitled by Dan Kitchener (UK, 1974). “Dan Kitchener’s iconic wet streets, overcrowded with neon signs, are based on his own photographs. ‘I went out into Tokyo at 2 am in the pouring rain, and it was just the best thing ever. I was laying in the streets, taking all these shots, finding angles… So that’s a shot I took walking from the station to Shinjuku, and I remember that vividly; it’s quite an important image for me.’ Kitchener.”

There are a number of factors that make the STRAAT Museum stand out. The museum website explains: “In our current exhibition, we showcase more than 150 artworks by 130+ artists. But our ever-growing collection features even more works. We are committed to building a collection that properly represents the international street art movement. We aim to attract artists who have earned their rep within the street scene with their personal stories, background, style and talent. A unique quality of our collection is the fact that virtually all artworks were created for and at our museum; the artworks at STRAAT are created in the same place the viewer gets to see them – just like in the streets.”
We did, indeed, get to see artists at work. This is Gary Stranger (UK) working on COME CLOSE. The bottom right photo, grabbed from the STRAAT online collection, shows the final result. This description is provided: “COME CLOSE was painted with the idea of the words folding into a lemniscate, suggesting the idea of an infinite embrace. The two halves of the artwork are intended to mimic arms interlocking. Gary Stranger studied arts and typography, but entered the art world through graffiti. … ‘Over the last decade I have been refining my work away from the traditional graffiti aesthetic. I aim to explore the manipulation of letter form, taking type beyond its intended, primary use.’ Gary Stranger”.

I’d never given much thought to the difference between graffiti and street art. The STRAAT Museum defines graffiti as “Name writing in public space. Graffiti writers deconstruct the alphabet and create it a new through the styled letters of their personal tag.” Street art, on the other hand, is defined as “art in public space that has the street as its main source of inspiration. It comes in all shapes and sizes, is ephemeral in nature and is usually produced with the aim of engaging a wide audience through easily intelligible messages.”
Shown below is Electra by Alice Pasquini (Italy, 1980). “Alice began painting in the streets in 1999, pioneering Rome’s independent art scene. Taking an intimate approach, Alice tells stories through her personal point of view on the world and on the relationships between human beings. Electra is a tribute to feminine vitality, one of the key themes in Alice’s works.” states the exhibit card.

The STRAAT collection showcases five themes including aesthetical, personal, grounded, conscious, and empathic. The conscious theme addresses “Artists’ Outlook on Contemporary Society” and is described as: “Besides being inspired by the physical environment, street art is also influenced by what surrounds it at large: our society. According to author Cedar Lewisohn, ‘when art is placed in the street without the input of a sanctioning body, everything around the image becomes important: the social context and the political context.’ Moreover, when placed in the streets, art reaches a broader audience … In recent years, this visibility has grown exponentially through street art photos going viral on social media. … [the artists] use visibility of their artworks in the streets and at STRAAT to plant seeds in people’s heads and hearts.”
Shown below is Lack of sense of emergency by Alaniz (Argentina, 1984). “Lack of sense of emergency is based on a photo of a Syrian child taken by David Gross. … Alaniz emphasizes how our distracted society fails to recognize the sense of emergency of such situations. ‘I paint about what moves me, and, as a migrant myself, I feel moved by the refugee crisis. I grew up in the ghettos of Buenos Aires and the social injustices that I experienced formed my social interest.’ Alaniz”.

I’ll wrap up with one more favorite—Universo em expansão (Expanding Universe) by Mateus Bailon (Brazil, 1984). The exhibit card states: “Deeply inspired by the natural wonders of his hometown in Brazil, as well as mythology and the mysteries of life, Mateus envisions his own magical creatures. In Universo em expansão, the artist depicts his iconic birds carrying a portal to his own universe. The viewer is free to imagine what could be in there.”

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My recent trip to the Netherlands and Belgium was packed with fun and inspiration. I’m sharing the experience in a series of blog posts including:
. Come Tiptoe Through the Tulips which is packed with all things tulip including a visit to Noorwijkerhout in the midst of the Bulb Region, the world-famous spring gardens at Keukenhof, and tulip-related highlights from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
. Milling the Water of Kinderdijk in which I share my visits—an afternoon bike ride and a sunrise hike—to the beautiful windmills of the Kinderdijk.
. Painting Delftware in Delft about the charming city of Delft and our experience trying a centuries-old painting tradition at the historic Royal Delft factory.
. Expected and Unexpected Delights of Ghent in which I share the rich heritage and beautiful architecture of Ghent Belgium as well as unexpected delights such as innovative art installations and sweet wildlife sightings.
. Artworks as Big as Walls in Amsterdam (this post).
You can find information about visiting Amsterdam, the world-famous 17th century capital of Holland, on the official website for the Netherlands.
Information about NDSM, Amsterdam’s edgy arts community, can be found on the NDSM website.
See the STRAAT Museum website for information about Amsterdam’s graffiti and street art museum. This museum was voted Best Hidden Gem and Best Museum in the Netherlands by the Tickets Remarkable Venue Awards in 2021. The STRAAT Museum’s artworks can also be viewed in their online collection database.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Locals are often the best source for hidden gems at your travel destination.
2. Consider wandering off the beaten path for a more authentic experience.
3. Street artists “use visibility of their artworks in the streets… to plant seeds in people’s heads and hearts.”

Count Only Sunny Hours

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Today’s Takeaways

A Gourd Gathering… Wait, What?

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Stop and Smell the Lavender

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Deliberately Walking in Circles

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From Tulip Paper to Natural Fiber Papermaking

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Artworks as Big as Walls in Amsterdam

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Today’s Takeaways

Jim Gibbs Dreams Big

Roses are Red, Violets are Rarely Blue

FanningSparks Completes 7th Lap

Frigorific and Other Cool Wintry Words

Unfolding a World of Paper Folding

Kumiko: Precision and Beauty