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I'll be honest, this xmas cant be over soon enough. But I've been liking some things. I like the frosty designs on my window. I like the abundance of houseplants i have this year. I like these biscuits very much. I like the family chat. I like noticing the garden daily, in it's winter glory. I like the new barnwords i've been making. They were born from OLD signs i never can sell, from years ago, and i just sanded them a bit and painted over them. You can see remnants of the old signs underneath.(but i love that) Is that double recycling??
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everyday i see artTotally inspired by Encounters Art blog post called Top Ten Art Moments of 2020. I liked what she said about how art hasn't gone away this year, just the way we experience it may have changed. Here is MY list ....in no particular order..... Please check out hers as well. 1. NEVERMORE In March, right before Covid shut downs, i had the pleasure of seeing Hebru Brantley's absolute genius of an interactive, immersive and totally unique experience. Right here in Chicago, IL. It was like nothing I've seen before and I was invigorated and inspired. 2. PILSEN NEIGHBORHOOD Exploring the Pilsen area in Chicago is one of my top art moments. So many murals and gorgeous graffiti and art everywhere you look. Just walking around this neighborhood is something you should do. 3. MILLENIUM PARK PLANTINGS I actually experienced the new rooftop gardens in Millennium Park at a wonderful time of year- November. Since I am enthralled with seedheads and dying-back structures, this stuff made my heart swoon. Nature is king AND queen. Bonus: a good friend designed and installed these plantings. I feel proud. 4. VERTICAL GALLERY Garth and I discovered this gem when we went to see an exhibit of the amazing and talented Colin van der sluis work and we loved the friendliness and accessibility of it. Small (one room) gallery that we had all to ourselves, as we went late in the day. Walking around an art gallery makes me feel as if life is still normal. 5. ANDERSON JAPANESE GARDENS Located in Rockford, this is a beautiful and serene place. I need to go back again. The tea houses in the rocks/hills really intrigued me. 6. SMALLTIME63 Oh yes. An exhibit of 63 small canvases, somewhat representing my years on earth. This exhibit, although a work in progress,will be incredible when finished. Stay tuned cuz its on my porch. :) 7. THE SANDHILL CRANES On my way into work for many mornings, I had the privilege and extreme sensory pleasure of experiencing hundreds of Sandhill Cranes this Fall. Until one day they were gone. It's difficult to put into words how moving it was to see and hear. 8. OUTDOOR RIDES WITH SPIRITSPYN This art experience combined music, a moving workout, and beautiful views of summer in Evanston, IL. I loved riding outdoors with the breezes and summer heat. The outside energy was incredible. 9. STUDENT JURIED ART SHOW IN MILWAUKEE In February, Lynda and I went to see a student ( the best right?) art show at the college in MKE. It was all quite amazing, but one particular exhibit stood out to me, Beach Finds, where clear small tubes held things found on the beach and were all labeled creatively. 10. BOOKS I spent time this year with my books. Going through old ones, Re-shelving. Re-reading. Discovering. Enjoying. Books are a great art experience and really taking time with mine was incredibly satisfying. I also put plants on my bookshelves, for the first time! Very lovely.
I made these little ornaments on reclaimed cedar. They're Limited Edition, as they have '2020' on them. Send them to your friends, fam, neighbors you used to have over, anybody really. They are 1.5" x 3" and come in the cutest little bag. With a note. (I can ship them directly to your people with a note from you too). They are $10.00 each. Simple. and say all they need to say. Miss you.    HELLO FRIENDS! I cant believe it. My plan was to post regularly. Meaning, ambitiously-once a week, realistically- once a month. Or I guess more realistically... like every.... 7 months. :( So. Here we are in FALL. Beautiful sad dismal stunning scented lighted gorgeous Fall. I'm so tired in the Fall. My body has always been extremely in tune with seasonal changes. What's new? I miss traveling and planning travel. I miss hugging my friends and my kids. I don't mind wearing a mask in public places. It's actually so smart. And I've always been a frequent hand-washer. Barnwords won't be in any shows this Fall because they're cancelled. But I will have a set up at the wonderful Northwind Perennial Farm again this year! That is EXCITING. Last year, dear Colleen was kind to ask me and this year I am totally psyched for it. Please go to Northwind in southern WI when they open for Xmas and look at all the beauty that is there...plus Barnwords! Thanks a million!  Here we are. End of the weirdest March I've ever had. I'm sure many of us can say the same. Some things that happened because I was stuck at home were fantastic though. I did a (pretty strenuous) sweaty workout 5 days in a row Yep IN A ROW, people. I walked in two different parks I had never even been to. I participated in daily drawing prompts. I bought a piece of art! I read a LOT of books. Most were AWESOME. I made cookies. twice. I planned to go on a trip, bought tickets and then.....cancelled the whole thing. :( I truly thoughtfully enjoyed my bed. I drove so much less. Then there are all the things I didn't do.... but I have time. x  hello 2020. new year. new day. new decade. new. I love the first bit of January, when a brand new year starts and everyone is hopeful and ready and willing for change. Improvement. Quality. It's inspirational. This year is already wonderful in Echinacea and Panicum (proof below :) Yesterday at soulcycle, Garth said some words about Being Enough. We've heard these words before, but in really thinking about them... I believe a shift is taking place. I am enough. I do enough and I will continue to strive for feeling happy while living an enough life. I am lucky, and I'm grateful for all the enough I have. Happy NEW year friends. See you soon. x   HELLO FRIENDS! I am having a sale on the smARTs!! I have 33 available currently (pictured below). The smARTs are small art for your fridge. (or anywhere, but they have a magnet on back). They make the BEST little surprise gift and are fab to give away to friends. They are packaged in cute little parcels as you can see. I sell these for $10.00 a piece, but RIGHT NOW if you order from me, they are only $9.00 each. Pocket that dollar. Contact me at lhoveke@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram, I'm barnwords there. 
Hi Friends. Barnwords has a cute little display at Northwind Perennial Farm. Its a really beautiful place to go any time of year....but at THIS time of year they have all sorts of Christmas greens, a barn full of cute Xmasy things and a roaring bonfire complete with marshmallows and roasting sticks! I must say, the Milkhouse looks soooooo great though. I hope I sell some stuff. Here are a few pix- 
 Whats on your mind these days? I've been thinking about single use plastic (reducing substantially!), How brilliant Madmen really is (sooo brilliant), why i love something terrible for me, upcoming show THIS Sunday! (come!!) and GRATITUDE. Have you noticed that there are a lot of posts about gratitude and making lists of things you're grateful for and all? I think it's one way people deal with the impending doom of winter and less light etc. etc.-making gratitude lists. But lemme tell you I think about things I'm grateful for ALL the time. Not just my bed or my great cup of coffee (in said bed) or hot water or green plants or friends or my kids....but I am so filled with gratitude for people I will likely never meet.... Anyone who has done incredible kindnesses to my grown children (this list is long). People who fight actively for a cleaner better world. People who care and teach others all around the world. Artists who inspire me daily. Yep. So thanks everyone I will never get to thank in person. I'm grateful for you.
fall. autumn. seasonal. I am forever affected by the seasons. I do think that every season is glorious looking in nature, but for years I dreaded fall because of how it made me feel. I always liked the way it looked! and smelled and the light is better in (Midwestern) fall than any other time, honestly...but oh how I felt. Once I realized that, of course I began to take precautions and measures to deal with it and now I am proud to say that I do NOT dread or dislike fall any longer. It's been a process. But hey,life is learning. 
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