I was so happy to finish my recent installation at the Women's Environmental Institute. I went up to check on the elf house yesterday and it is still standing, despite recent storms! But then I had to rush home to start my next building project. Good thing that I had my trusty pug helpers on hand to assist me (get in the way).
My son happened upon this tree while working. Seems like a wood sprite to me! Keep your eyes open okay? This world is a magical place.
On my recent vacation to Door County, WI I stumbled across a lovely elfish house! I wondered how it could be so big, but then I met the elf...
We could not have had better weather, music and food! What an amazing eveing and crowd. Enjoy the pictures of the unveiling below!
Even in the dead of winter, I'm still thinking about elf houses. Summer is my prime building time, but today I was asked to make a lantern in the clay studio. A natural shape for my lantern came easily to mind: this little elf house. Here's to warmer days!
This September 9th weekend will be a busy one for me artistically. I will be in person at the Mac Grove Festival with one of my Huldufolk (elf) Houses. So if you have a problem that only an elf can solve, please stop by and leave a letter for the elves. Here is some more information about the festival.
Because my wife, Rachel, often helps put the finishing touches on my elf houses, she refers to herself as a "mushroom sylist." Its a funny little title, but why not? She's got a good eye for where to place the details that make a project come together. Here is some of her recent styling work for my houses:
Things are looking very jolly out at the elf house in my garden. I love the way the snow transforms everything.
As the wind gets colder, even the hardy elves are settling in for the winter. I snapped this cozy picture of my own garden elf house. Hope you like it - it fills me with a sense of warmth and peace.
I recently found out the house in Rochester's Slatterly Park was vandalized. I went down to fix things up and it was heartbreaking - someone had tried to pull the house off its base and wood had been stripped off. The chimney, doors and windows had all been smashed. I put in about 6 hours to fix up the house before the winter darkness fell. Hopefully I can finish renovations soon and get the trolls moved out and the elves moved back in. Man, I'm so sad. This was one of my favorite houses. Here's a picture of the house from happier times:
This past week, I had the chance to share my sculpture with some new crowds! The IMAGE Art Show from the East Central Regional Arts Council was a lot of fun. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to present a brand new elf house at the event. Since this event was indoor, I got to go a little "wild" with owls, moss and mushrooms galore!
Here are some pictures of the house from a fun night.
The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get! In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes. If you ask politely, they might help you out! But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.
We finally got out friend safely on his way. A few flights and a goat cart ride or two and he'll be home from his misadventures. Elves make excellent road trip companions. I'll miss him for sure. I told him if he ever wanted to visit Minnesota, I already had an elf house waiting in my yard. He seemed to be interested but you know the old Swedish saying - "there is no cow on the ice." If he shows up again, we'll certainly be ready for him!
The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get! In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes. If you ask politely, they might help you out! But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.
One of the best parts about travel is that it gets your creative juices flowing! My visit to George O'Keefe's Ghost Land Ranch with our elf friend had us both admiring the adobe structures. I'd never been inside this style of building before. They are so solidly built, but have an elegant profile.
I'm wondering if there might be an adobe elf house in my future! You never know. This picture below is the cabin where Georgia O'Keefe stayed before she purchased her own home nearby.
The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get! In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes. If you ask politely, they might help you out! But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.
I like a little music on a road trip. Our elf keeps insisting Kenny Rogers songs are "better in the original Icelandic." I was going to argue with our hitchhiker when my wife reminded me of an old saying - “let the Wookiee win.” And it is true that elves can get a bit tricky if they think they've been disrespected. And who knows? Maybe Kenny Rogers is Icelandic - google doesn’t work this far out in the wilderness. What music do you listen to on road trips?
Many of you may think being an elf house builder is an idyllic life. Its true that elves are pretty good clients, but everyone needs a break now and then. So my family set off on what we thought would be an elf-free vacation. Then we stumbled across this little guy! Elves don't read non-Elvish languages very easily. He thought he was boarding a plane for Vestmannaeyjar and ended up in Las Vegas. Poor guy was almost melting. Oh boy. So we let him in our air conditioned car to cool off and he started making himself at home. You know the old saying - you don't find elves, they find you. So far he's been a pretty helpful travel companion. Here we are in Monument Valley, AZ. Nice place.
The elves love to receive letters! Here are is a nice one they shared with me recently:
