Patrick Dougherty in NY Times

Workin' with Patrick and NatalieGreat article (Building With Sticks and Stones) and slideshow in last week’s Home and Garden section of the New York Times about sculptor Patrick Dougherty.

I had the pleasure of assisting Patrick with his installation here in Ithaca in 2006. (Patrick, me, and Natalie working on 6 of 1, right.) And all I can say is that he is even nicer than the article portrays him. His works rely a lot on volunteer labor and Patrick is a master at involving people in the process.

He also has a new book out, Stickwork. Says the Times:

It’s full of installation tales, like the time he camped in a Japanese temple while working on a piece and was warned by his host about the poisonous but sacred snakes that lurked there. “Don’t kill them,” Mr. Dougherty recalled the host saying. “If one bites you, call my wife and she will take you to the hospital.”

It’s definitely on my wish list this year.

Gardening Gone Wild ‘Picture This’ photo contest:

colchicum scanI am honored to be the judge in this month’s Picture This photo contest over at Gardening Gone Wild.

The theme is ‘Fall on a Flatbed Scanner’. That’s right. Just arrange plant material — flowers, foliage and the like — on your basic office flatbed scanner. Click preview and make a few adjustments. Scan, and enter.

It’s easy and fun. If you’ve been following my Garden Blogger Bloom Day Scans over the years, now’s your chance to try it out yourself. See Nan’s post for all the entering details, directions and links to inspiring ‘scanographic artist’ sites.