Ask- Jaime Rugh of Found While Walking

-- "There are so many reasons I love to walk.  One of my favorites is the going towards the unknown.  The what will I find today? How will this new path look and how will it change me?   I love the fork in the road,  I love the crossroads." -- the lovely Jaime Rugh  

I love winter, but I'm sure ready for spring, if for no other reason than to behold what Jaime Rugh will discover on her walks and arrange into pretty collections of flowers and words. Found While Walking documents her walking journeys, mothering, art work, love of textiles and other beautiful inspirations. To say this is a favorite blog of mine is putting it pretty mildly. I actually reread old posts because they tug so pleasantly at my heart strings and imagination. 

Jaime is pretty inspirational, from the way she mothers her children to her eye for detail in everyday life. And, of course, there all her many talents -- Jaime is designer, painter, printer, weaver, collage artist, florist and writer. She also makes some pretty yummy looking food,

and busies the hands of her children with the sort of fun crafts that make you want to be young again. 

Her home is so lovely, even more so for all her hand made touches, both her own and other artisans'.

I'm beginning to think there's pretty much nothing Jaime Rugh can't do, actually. It's a good thing for the rest of us that her shop is freshly stocked with her beautiful creations, among them her lovely weavings.  Often the lucky trees who meet Jaime on her walks may be left adorned with  her beautiful bouquets or weavings. Can you imagine finding such a surprise on a nice morning walk? 

Her collage work seems a perfect way to welcome Spring to the inside of the home,and I'm excited by her new wall and window hangings, as well! 

Jaime has a real gift with words, too. Her writing gets right to the heart of the matter while retaining every bit of it's poetic loveliness.  

 I love most how she writes about her children and their time together. 

-- "I think I may never collect enough blankets and textiles for my own two children.  Even when they walk off on their own paths, I predict I will still be piecing together fabrics or digging through the antique shop bins for more warmth to send their way.  I like the thought of folded blankets in their backpacks to be thrown down for a mid walk rest." 

Her post "Surprises" (where she describes a walk to a waterfall and her daughter setting their dinner table) might be my favorite post anywhere on the internet. 

-- "She still let me gather and hold glass for her, like it was just yesterday and not some long cold winter between us and our last walk there. She remembered,
like she always does. I'm so happy she knows me,
and that I'd stop for this because it's speckled.
That I'd stop for this, because it woodland, it's wild and it's with flower...."

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Jaime over the last several months, too. There isn't a kinder soul around, I tell ya.  Finding gems like her is definitely the best part of participating in the blogosphere.

Let's talk to Jaime Rugh, shall we? 

--You do so many beautiful types of creating, from painting to weaving to floral design. Do you find yourself turning to different artistic pursuits depending on certain factors, like your mood, the amount of time you have available, or the weather?   

Thanks! I'm certainly motivated by weather more than anything- feel more free in the spring & summer . . . more into the wildflowers when the yard is blooming and the roadsides are dotted with color among all the native grasses.  

I'm more of a weaver in the cooler months and into the painting, collage-making and my more sculptural work.  

 --Is there a favorite amongst your arts?  Is there one you have to remind yourself to go back to more often than the others? 

I guess my practice is about being able to do many different things and so I love them all and need them to balance me out in different ways. I'm always looking to expand my skill set and knowledge and I don't take any of it too seriously.  But that said, I do love the physicality of floral work and especially in gardening, having the limitation to what's there. Lately, I also like making bread and putting together packages of findings to send away to friends.

-- How did you get into weaving? 

I went to art school in 1995 not really certain what I wanted to focus on but knowing there was no other place for me to be at that time.  I took a class in Fiber Arts and was instantly drawn into the idea of weaving but more so it as a practice not limited to one medium or another.  Fibers was a way to learn weaving, dyeing, resist methods, basketry,  etc...but also to draw or build sculpture from found objects.   It also brought back a lot of memories of crafts I loved making in my childhood.  I was a big walker in college and was looking at weaving in relation to my travels zig-zagging through in the grid like city I was living in, Philadelphia, but also in relation to making woven forms with the findings I was gathering along the road.  

I abandoned traditional weaving for many years in my twenties to focus on other areas, mostly floral work, but returned to it a few years ago with a focus on making small basic weavings to leave in trees.

--Do you create with your children around or wait for solitude? 

I spent most of my life before becoming a mother with the preference of making my work in solitude, so much of the time without even music to accompany.  As a mother I've started incorporating my work into my day in a way that's natural.  My practice has changed some to accommodate motherhood and so I don't have goals, I don't have elaborate projects in the works, just a lot of small things I can turn to throughout the day if the stars align.   Things like gathering a flower bouquet or cutting out some paper flowers, weaving a few rows etc . . . These are things I love and give me a sense of  personal satisfaction.  I do have times where I set out a project for the kids and am trying to convey something, but overall, I'm just stealing minutes to do my thing while they're doing theirs . . .  In the warmer weather, they tend to have their "own work" they do in the yard, while I do maintenance or make bunches of flowers.

--Any favorite resources for artistic activities and materials for children?   

 When it comes to making art with kids I stick to two schools: the "no right or wrong way" kind and the "let's keep it simple & inexpensive.  I also don't make anyone, make anything, if they don't want.  I like Ann Sayre Wiseman's books, for reference.  And we look around a lot for ideas and then attempt to make our version of  it . . . Jeff, my husband, is very clever and so he is always building interesting things with the kids.  I do like when my kids make stuff in nature- in our yard.  Charlie loves making pictures from fallen leaves, weeds, sticks & stones etc.   I think it's nice that the art isn't too precious and has the pretense that we most likely can't save it.  

--What did the adults around you in your own childhood do to encourage your creating?

I appreciate that my parents bought me craft supplies and allowed me to spend hours alone playing with them.  My dad certainly helped facilitate my interest in the postal system early on, helping me to mail order supplies from catalogs and in my teen years allowing me to use his work PO Box for mail art exchange. My mother is creative and comes from a family of people with good hands- although I don't remember anyone specifically guiding me towards the arts-  its been a relatively self-taught/ found journey.  

-- What is one of your most beloved books for children based on the story and / or illustration?

I love children's books, so it's hard to choose one!  I'm very fond of Mary the Mouse, The Mouse and Mary by Beverly D'Onofrio and Illustrated by Barbara McClintock,  one of my favorite illustrators.  It like the continuity in it - the mothers story and then the daughters story... and such great details in the drawings.

-- Other artisans/ designers (past or present) from various disciplines that you have your eye on lately?

 Starch Green, Affinita' Moderne, Les Indiennes, Creative Women Handwoven Textiles, and  always Gwen Frostic,

-- Do non-visual experiences ever find themselves being translated into your artwork, or perhaps provide you with an emotional current that guides your hand a bit?  

Absolutely- I take it all in all the time.... All these details inspire me- make the setting come alive and certainly help my ideas come together.  It might be in a more abstract way- a feeling I want to evoke in my practice but it's there. .  .

Some days music while walking or gardening absolutely makes me feel fearless and like I can do or try anything. 

--Can you tell us a bit about your process?  

My work is experientially based and motivated.  It's probably why I more literally refer to walking in my practice.  It's often from the actual walking that the stories and ideas evolve.  Usually Im seeking connections although I don't know what they are until the walk is nearing through...  That's when I realize what the theme of the walk was, the so called "signs" tie themselves together. 

- While you may appreciate many different styles and approaches to life and art,  when it comes to your own approach to being and making, do you find that you have a (mostly) consistent aesthetic or method over multiple areas of your life?

One thread might be that I'm non discriminatory across the board. I put weeds in my bouquets like they are the same as anything else more typically regarded as beautiful, I mix patterns in my home that maybe shouldn't go together, mix flavors and textures in my food... I like going to all sorts of places, wearing all sorts of brands etc. I've been known to wear mostly black for many many years.  I go through phases where I wear black, brown and dark blue only but occasionally and sometimes in spring wear a lot of floral upon floral combinations.  Small pattern, big pattern, bold pattern, dainty patterns...

-- On the same note, do you appreciate the same quality in names as you do in dress, home design and art?

I do, I like the mix and match of names and pairing short with long... Old fashioned with more modern . . . I certainly love asking people their name.  Today I met a woman whose last name was Weaver, who was a weaver and that just about made my day! 

--Your children have such beautiful names! Were there any special considerations in selecting them, or reasons they were chosen?

I liked the idea of Charlie having  a boyish sort of name as my grandmother was Bobby (Barbara), my mother is Andi (Andrea) and my being a Jaime . . . We were very set on Marlowe all along as a tribute to my paternal grandmother Marion but agreed early on to make that her middle name.  Jeff liked Charlotte which was sentimental for us as his father grew up on Charlotte Avenue and we spent a good bit of time at that home visiting his grandfather Jack in his last few years.  I loved the poetic repitition of the name Charlotte Marlowe, although she's pretty much always been called Charlie, which suits her well.  

Naming Max was tricky, for whatever reason I found naming a boy very difficult!  I think we liked Max Rugh early on.  I really liked Wilder, or Max Wilder but we decided we wanted to find a name starting with the letter "B" for his middle name to honor my maternal grandmother, Barbara.  We decided we would choose a longer middle name to balance the short and last names.  We had thrown around Balthazar for a month or so when it occured to me that it was the right middle name for Max and in relation to my grandmother.  In the late nineties while working in a Soho art gallery, I used to occasionally buy the fruit foccacia bread at Balthazar Bakery.  My grandmother loved it and I always walked over to pick up some before heading out of town to go visit her.  So it fit.  It tied in the past.  

--Were there any "almost" names for your kids that didn't seem to fit when the time came to choose? 

Violet was a name high on the list most of my pregnancy with Charlie.  Audrey too.  

--Are there any names out there that you currently love? 

I love names like Daisy, Sunny, Raina, Rosy, Ree, Rae, Pearl, Villa, Willow etc . . . Wilder, still stuck on boy names! 

--What's the element of the weather you most enjoy?

I've always loved the rain but as I get older, I realize, the sunshine makes me feel the best. 

--What are your two favorite items in your home? 

A drawing my mother made in high school practicing line work and pattern making.  It's very similar to some paintings I did years ago so finding it under my old bed recently was a nice surprise.  

I love the things my kids make; Charlie has made some nice still lives and sculptures from fabric scraps found on

my studio floor which I treasure. 

Oh, and an Italian wooden box with a small key shaped like a pear, reminds me of my grandmother, who loved fruits and vegetables.

--What's the last beautiful thing you paid close attention to outside?

Cold roses. 

--And what's the last beautiful thing you paid close attention to inside?

That the dying amaryllis in my kitchen stain my hands when pulled them from their stems.  Such a beautiful rich color- I had not remembered Amaryllis to bleed color like that!

--What's the best advice you've been given?

Hmm, lots of good stuff over the years... It's not advice really but I liked this...

An old friend told me recently that his mother always used to say that motherhood was like planning to hop on a plane to Paris but being delayed and diverted to everywhere else on the planet first.  I like the thought of how different parenthood is that we anticipate and how you're not really in control of the vehicle anymore.  Kind of why I'm liking it though- its like finding cool stuff when you make a wrong turn while traveling... 

--What do you most value?

Patience, peacefulness, respecting children....kindness and generosity, freedom

--I've been thinking lately (again) on synchronicity in what one notices, experiences, or those things that seem to come out of no where but link up in spirit or theme--do you experience this? thoughts? 

All the time!  Sometimes I wonder if it's because I'm looking so much- like trying too hard to find the connections  or if they really are there in all these different places and "Whew, it was a good thing I was looking:)"  Maybe it's some of both.  

--your perfect cold weather food and drink for a cozy afternoon?

I love making bread in the winter- so the idea of warm bread maybe with fruits or  nuts inside, coated with all sorts of seeds and a piece of cheese on top sounds perfect..  Hot coffee in the afternoon is good too!

--Do you have any upcoming projects you can share that we should keep an eye out for?

I was working on a book for a longtime but am happily setting that aside and moving onward without it.  I can't do it all and I wasn't enjoying it. . . I really like just being a mom too.

I have a lot of ideas for my art practice that have been sitting for many years, coming, going and such . . . I'm mostly looking forward to traveling a lot this year and making as much "artwork" as possible while having lots of fun with my family.  I've done graphic design type of work on and off over the years and I'm feeling a pull in that direction right now as well. 

--Name Game! I'd like you to help me create a name or two by answering the following questions:

1. For the first name-the name of a favorite plant or type of plant (tree, flower or any other) found on your walks: 

Poppy

2. For the middle name-the name of a favorite designer/artist or author:

 Li (Edelkoort) 

second name:

1. For the first name-a term from textile arts and processes

First thought Crimson (as in the dye) or Mauveine

2. For the middle- a favorite character from a children's book

Nora from Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells

Poppy Li and Crimson Nora (or Mauveine Nora). Beautiful creations! What a fantastic collection of names throughout this interview, and such a lovely chat! Thank you for so generously sharing with us today, Jaime! 

(all images courtesy of Found While Walking, by Jaime Rugh. image of collage art work courtesy of Wiksten Made)

splashes of black

That's artist Juhl Hansen (and her paintings) above. Needless to say, I'm a fan--of her work, her house, and her name. I love how she uses space and color in both her paintings and her home.  I think her's is clearly one of those cases where her home is totally what you'd expect after seeing her paintings.  It all just makes sense together.

Her summer home was featured in the danish magazine Boligliv.  It's a black house! Can I tell you how long I've wanted a black house?  I think I must have seen one in a story book as a child.

My dream home, since you didn't ask? A black house with white trim, the inside done mostly in warm whites with lots of wood and children's art.  I want a house full of kids running around in one large, sprawling space. We've no need for nooks and crannies!  I want to watch the girls swinging indoors, riding their tricycles round and round the sofa while I set two giant tables and two wee ones with mix-matched plates, treasures collected from the forest, and flowers from the garden for a dinner with friends. We'll be watching everyone's latest travel adventures and special family moments on vimeo through some apple device that sends online films and photos through a projector to a wall-- does this device exist yet?-- before heading outside to count stars, sleeping babies tucked snugly into slings, and tuckered-out little ones lying peacefully on warm blankets, the sounds of ukeleles, banjos, and the crackling of a cozy campfire lulling them to sleep.

but back to Juhl's house...

love how she throws in tiny touches of black, while still keeping everything really light, soft and warm--not a super easy feat. It's bold, but it's not overpowering and looks really fresh and modern. My mother always told me that every room needs some black in it. I think I might agree. And the black chair above looks awfully similar to our Svan Highchair, which is a highchair that adjusts through various stages, ending with a standard seat height.  I think I'm painting ours black after seeing this. It will be our lone black chair, because doesn't this look so wonderful?  Thanks, Juhl!

Let's talk about her name!

I read that Juhl is mostly a surname, which after making it's way to the US most often gets pronounced 'jewel'. But it's correct pronunciation is 'Yule'.  Yep, as in yuletide.  I wonder if she was born around the holidays.  Some sources say the name also has similar roots as Julia, meaning 'youth'.   Both meanings are nice associations, and I love it's spelling and pronunciation.

 Additionally, her work has me focusing again on the name Painter.  

And lastly, there's my dream home, which her own sommerhus calls to mind for me with it's bold exterior and carefully placed and celebrated splashes of black throughout. This has me looking to names inspired by black.  My absolute favorite is Sable, but let's also look at some more!

Dark names:
Sable (Sable is so rich and lovely, simple, bold -- virtually every wonderful feature that a name can have.)

Odile (the black swan)

Brenna

Ebony

Jetta

Lela

Ilta (Finnish for 'evening') 

Soiree

Evening 

Jet 
Raven
Midnight
Night
Duff
Imoo

Black 

Additional names from today's inspirations:
Juhl
Julia
Painter


Using only today's names, I love the following pairings:
Julia Odile
Sable Imoo
Ilta Juhl 

As always, my sources may be flawed on a few names, so please do let me know if I've got it wrong! 

I'd love you to link to your posts relating to dark names in the comments. And I've done a very short list because I want to hear more from all of you! 

What are your favorite names inspired by the color (or non color) black?

Do you use a tiny bit of black in every room?

Tell me about your dream home! 

(images: magazine photos, all the rest)

of flames and leaves

   Above are some photos that personify Fall for me. I'm looking out my window now as I write, watching a leaf shower while my children nap. I almost want to wake them to watch the floating leaves with me. almost.  I haven't seen leaves this pretty in a long time. I sure wish people would let the lovely leaves just stay put for longer than half a day (or half a second) before blowing them to smithereens. After years of island living, Fall is one of the things I have been most happy to welcome back; it's my antidote to missing the island we called home for a good chunk of my adult life. It's my favorite season, I think. 

When I look at this campfire print (pictured above) by Danna Ray, I can smell all the smells of fall: the tobacco barns of my youth, the bonfires, the mix of wet fallen leaves and conifer needles, freshly washed flannel, cider with bourbon, and cloves.  This all reminds me that I've been dying to try this scent by Anne at MCMC Fragrances, called Hunter (on it's way! yay!)  Anne has a thoughtful story behind each scent, often related to memories (love that!) and this one seems to call Fall's name, as well as Harrison's (Hunter). Her perfume shop also happens to be one of the most interesting websites ever, you guys. Her story about becoming a perfumer is so inspirational, and I plan to give it some more attention in another post! 

And with this talk of the smells and foods of fall, can't you imagine some tasty chili and pumpkin stew in the pots above from the shop, blue flower vintage?  I'd slip on these vegan moccasins (I discovered them here), wrap up in this blanket and drink apple cider straight from these jugs (all pictured above). 

Have you guys been reading the Wiksten blog?  Jenny has been posting previews of her latest collection of beautiful dresses over the last few weeks. Her new and improved shop opened Monday evening, and the beautiful, black Lissa dress, pictured above, is was amongst the garments for sale (sold out fast!)  Jenny is carrying special pieces from various makers in her shop, and everything is up and going.  It seems the Wiksten tree is giving us a shower of Autumn lovelies, too!

 (photo by John Allen)

And speaking of more Autumn lovelies, I'd like to make an Autumn name list.   I dedicate today's list to my favorite Fall imagery, scents, tastes and sounds. Here's to Fall as it passes by so gracefully. I'm going to start with those names that require explanation because they have no obvious connection to Fall--they just feel (or look, taste/smell) like Fall. And I can't wait to hear your randoms, too! So from least to most obvious (and please forgive the random extra spacing between some of these; blogger is really acting up!): 

Tobias -- I'm starting with the one that requires a bit of explanation.  I grew up in TN and every fall my town smelled like tobacco barns, which do not smell like cigarette smoke. My brain likely just links the similar sounds and spellings. Simple as that. But when I read or hear this name, I smell the barns and taste spicy, tangy bean chili (tobassco sauce?)....and I love it.  Here's a very interesting post on namberry about how synesthesia affects the name-lover. I find it so, so fascinating that so many name lovers who commented also report having synesthesia! Any neurologist readers who care to take up this connection?


Barnaby ('Barn'... need I explain?)


Clove --My first fall at college smelled like clove cigarettes, because everyone was smoking them. Man, for someone who hates smoke, I sure have some pleasant-ish associations with tobacco products!


Virginia -- no idea why this feels Fall to me. It also feels very Summer, but then, like names, I also think a lot of songs are toss ups between feeling like Fall or Summer songs, usually folk songs.


Nydia


Ernest --literary images of pipes and tweed?


Crispin 


Scott 


Aubrey --I hope to see this one back on more boys again. I think it could actually be the Bread song that makes it feel like a Fall name to me. I have an old album of my mom's, and on the cover the boys are all in corduroy, standing in Fall leaves..of course! And before you tease me for my love of Bread, and yes, I absolutely love them, some really super artists did a tribute album some years ago, which I highly recommend, especially for Fall (or Summer).


Carole --even though it should totally link to the holidays... feels Fall.


Saskia --feels so spicy, also a bit winterish to me.


Sibyl


Naomi 


Talulah


Henri --A lot of H names have a Fall feel for me.


Henrietta


Hava


Hazel --Beyond being an H name, she reminds me of hay and barns, and she feels spicy, even with her tree roots.


Hazlitt


Haze


Harvey


Harvest

Garner

Potter (for some reason I associate many crafts with Fall and Winter, perhaps the vision of my grandmother quilting on a crisp fall day, or of a weaver on the porch in a thick, hand knit sweater is responsible for the association. Do yo guys sew, knit, pot, or create more in the cooler months when you're indoors a bit more?)

Weaver


Loom

Spindle


Thimble

Satchel

Wicker (see Bewitching Name's post on this one!)

Pendleton (blankets)

Tartan 

Opal

Moon


Moonstone


Luna


Ayla


Goldmoon

Golden 


Goldfinch


Demeter (goddess of the harvest)


Aluma
Afra (connections to deer and earth)

Artemis (deer, earth, moon)

Woodlark (perhaps the only time you could use the word 'wood' in a name. this one works)

Plume

Kindling 

Flame


Ember

Cider

Saffron

Fennel

Brown

Siena 

Auburn

Roux 

Rust

Rustylark 

Tawny

Crimson

Garnet

Topaz

Chrysanthemum

Cedar

Maple


Oak


Matsuyani (Japanese for 'sap'. found here...so neat.)

Orchard

Leaf

Rustle

November

September

Autumn

and from today's inspirations:
Jenny
Anne
Ray
Danna
Harrison
Hunter
Blue

What are your favorite fall associations? Any names those bring to mind for you? I must say, I'm a bit more interested in the seemingly random or personal associations for you all.  Do some names (like some songs, perhaps) just seem to feel more Fall like for no obvious reason?  

When my girls wake up from their naps, we're putting on our boots and going out for a walk, so they can wave back at all the twinkling leaves. I hope you all  (for those of you having Fall this time of year) get to get out in them today, too. Yep, absolutely my favorite time of year here!  

(images: by John Allen via Wikstenmade, via Manimal, via Danna Ray, via Blue Flower Vintage. all images linked to above)