I first met Emily Kurth several years ago, when she was running her creative business, Coco & June, from home. As we toured her house and her bright basement studio, she told me how she came to spend her days doing something she loves—making abstract art. “I’ve always been self-directed,” she said, “structuring my days based on what feels good at the moment. But for a long time, I thought ‘That’s not what successful people do.’” Turns out, she was wrong. Coco & June began years ago when Emily and a friend decided to monetize something they were already doing—refinishing old furniture ..read more

Ever spend way too much time dreading something only to have it turn out to be completely fine? Or even good? This happened to me last month when I visited Oklahoma City for the first time. My preconceived notions were so wrong. That City has been working really hard at redevelopment. And I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. First of all, the Omni hotel where I stayed downtown was well designed, with a great sense of place. Tall vertical landscapes dominated by sky and dramatic clouds lined the hallway leading to my room. A pencil drawing of a buffalo hung in the bathroom, and the gold ..read more

This morning I saw the early green leaves of tulips and allium in my garden, which feels promising. Spring is just a few weeks away, technically speaking, though I’m sure plenty of cold days remain. If you need an early warm weather fix in the meantime, I have just the answer: take a trip to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. Right now they have both an Orchid and Tropical Bonsai show and a Tropical Forest Hawaii exhibit. These plants require warm air to thrive, of course, so walking through the various sections where they’re growing feels like taking a trip to the tropics. The variety and ..read more

Remember when The NY Times said the feeling of 2021 was languishing? I so identified with that. I wish I could say the feeling went away with the start of the new year, but it seems to be hanging around. Just like this pandemic. Sometimes I feel quite guilty about the languishing. I’m a creative person with lots of supplies on hand. Why can I not figure out something to do with them? I know it would make me feel better to create something, but it’s nearly impossible without a real purpose. Give me a reason (that bed needs a bright throw pillow; someone needs help finding a new rug), and I’ll ..read more

The photos I took a few weeks back of the Mo’Town Studio Tour led to the opportunity to take yet more photos at the annual Lock House Studio holiday sale last weekend. The first floor of the house next to Lisa’s studio, which they’ve dubbed the Meditation Palace, was packed with the work of multiple potters, as well as Bryn Perrott’s bold wood block prints. (I got a real kick out of the pink possum shown above in left center.) All the ceramics pieces were intermingled rather than separated by artist, and it was fun to see how their distinctly different styles complemented one another. I l ..read more

Last weekend I experienced my first Mo’Town Studio Tour. The self-guided tour featured stops at five local artists’ studios who together hosted a total of 11 guest artists from other places. The weather was lovely and the event perfectly timed for people like me who hope to get a jump on their Christmas shopping. (Though wouldn’t it be so much easier if everyone could just shop for their own presents? I saw so many things that would be just perfect for me.) We started at Lisa Giuliani’s Lock House Studio. That stop included Lisa’s handmade jewelry and bright, beautiful pottery (which I tota ..read more

You know that phenomenon where once you start looking for something, you see it everywhere? (It’s called the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon if you’re interested.) It’s been happening to me with local creative businesses. My latest find is a good one, especially for anyone who’s in need of unique quality furniture, memorabilia, or local art. Juliana Claudio runs the Arts & Antiques Marketplace, which is located in the Fairmont Mercantile in downtown Fairmont. The building contains three floors of art and antiques and includes both vendor-run sections and consignment items. The depth and variet ..read more

I spend a whole lot of time at home these days. Sometimes I feel so antsy I don’t know what to do. A couple of days ago, I remembered what a good friend told me works for her: go outside. So, I took another friend’s recommendation and drove out to Shields Herb & Flower Farm. There were so many beautiful vignettes in this place. And, they are the kind of people who actually know plants. They helped me choose something for exactly the spot I needed, and I got to pick from multiple options. I heard one very loud frog in the Lilly pond, but he didn’t stay still long enough for me to make a ..read more

Several years ago I made a game of going around to nearby towns with my camera. I wrote a few “portrait of a small town” posts as a result, including this one about Fairmont. My photos reflected my mood at the time: I noticed a lot of sad, broken things. Recently I was asked to take photos at Fairmont’s Hometown Market (my very first paid photo gig!), which is a new event put on by Mainstreet Fairmont. It was so uplifting to find a completely different energy from the last time I visited with my camera. This time around, the downtown felt positively vibrant. The market was well-organized an ..read more

Closed for Covid One thing that really struck me about the Covid-19 pandemic is just how universal its effect was. Bad or good, it changed something for virtually everyone. Here in Morgantown we lost an institution when Black Bear Burritos closed its original downtown location last winter. My friends and I watched our kids grow up in that place. For years, it was the only spot in town that offered tasty, healthy food, live music that drowned out the kids’ noise, AND delicious craft beer (which made us care a little less when our kids ran around like banshees, hid under benches, and shook the ..read more