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Regular studio happenings, new pattern designs and gardening at 8K.

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Sep 23

Happy autumnal equinox! “I drink to the general joy o’ the whole table.

Sep 22

Lavender in the pumpkin patch. With a little Rose. Each summer evening I leave the studio and head to the garden to gather dinner. We managed to protect the pumpkins and a few stray zucchini plants from the early snow so I’m still at it. This evening ritual will disappear when the frost comes back, though I prolong the season in the unheated hoop house and then we are wrapped up by early November. It’s always a jolt to step back into store bought produce under bright lights. Growing fresh food is a delight and privilege to be sure, as is sharing it, but the simple walk through the meadow to the double gate with two good dogs gives me a peace like no other. We all need a reprieve from the noise, from the task at hand. The state of our nation keeps me up at night — and I know I am not alone in this. Maintaining sanity requires a bit of sleight of hand and attention to wonder. The garden is all that.

Sep 20

Our landscape changed overnight and slid into autumn. As did the national landscape. Thank you Ruth Bader Ginsburg for your service, your leadership your perseverance, your wisdom and your wit. Just to name a few. Here’s a little #rbg to start your day: “Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” #notoriousrbg #fallcolors #coloradophotography

Sep 18

Wrapping up the fifth bird in my endangered North American bird series. The mangrove cuckoo or Coccyzus minor is threatened because his habitat is. Where’s that you may ask? It’s in south coastal Florida, Mexico and on down south to the Caribbean. You can read about him at https://abcbirds.org/bird/mangrove-cuckoo/. On another note, some of you have asked me why I don’t show more “finished“ images or even the final scarf design for more sneak peaks. There is a simple answer — copyright. I don’t post the finished scarf until our copyright is secure. Image theft is a thriving business. Filing a copyright isn’t a guarantee against crime but it is the first line of defense. Now that I have stepped into the design world, I am learning about theft in a whole new way. Another reason to shop small and local when you can!

Sep 15

Fall migration has begun so it’s crowded in the Mojo Gardens. Unfortunately, the closest we get to whooping cranes is in our new endangered bird scarves. I painted this pair and added a border inspired by the their native grassland habitat. Has anyone out there seen a whooping crane in person? Also, did you know we are partnering with @conservationorg — we plant a mangrove on Chira Island off the coast of Costa Rica with every online sale of our silk scarves. You can learn more at Isacatto.com/journal.

Sep 12

Here is a process video of my latest in my endangered bird series. This is a #nene or a #hawaiiangoose who is migrating from Woody Creek to Houston thanks to @k8hgibson . Thanks for the love💛 @wikipedia on our nation’s rarest goose — fortunately, the nene’s numbers are increasing: “The nene population stands at 2,500 birds... It is believed that it was once common, with approximately 25,000 Hawaiian geese living in Hawaiʻi when Captain James Cook arrived in 1778. Hunting and introduced predators, such as small Asian mongooses, pigs, and cats, reduced the population to 30 birds by 1952. The species breeds well in captivity and has been successfully re-introduced. In 2004, it was estimated that there were 800 birds in the wild, as well as 1,000 in wildfowl collections and zoos.” He/she/they will reappear as a scarf, a notebook and a print so DM me your e-mail if you want to be notified when our products are in.