Leigh - Leigh Feather

Art is Life

by Leigh | Jun 28, 2024 | Art

Growing up in DC my parents took us to art museums. It never occurred to me that other people weren’t spending a Sunday strolling endlessly through those hallowed halls. From a very early age I fell in love with Mary Cassatt and Degas. Soft, innocent confections. As I got older, I drifted away from the pretty expressionists, taking a passing interest in Matisse and Monet and Picasso and all the greats, moving on to my true home, abstract expressionism. These mad geniuses spoke my language. Their work spoke directly to my soul. Rothko. Those color fields vibrated with all the angst a canvas could contain. Franz Kline, big black strokes of iron, crisscrossing each other. I didn’t care why. They were perfection. I liked Pollock. But Motherwell. Diebenkorn. And so on and so on. I could also permanently reside in the clean orderly lines of Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, and Piet Mondrian.

Of course, I went to art school. where else would I go? And then they asked me what my major would be. I chose what felt the most me and what seemed the most responsible in terms of paying rent: photography. But I still wanted to be a painter. Or maybe even something that didn’t have a word or something that was everything. Like Robert Rauschenberg. Painting/silk screen/photo/sculpture. How dare you ask me to play favorites. But I did. Once I bullied my way into a drawing class with the best teacher MICA had to offer, Howie Weiss. He taught me to create work I didn’t believe was in me, always pushing me to find that elusive, makes-no-sense, forget-what’s-supposed-to-happen-on-the-page and do the art I was meant to do. And I did and it was abstract AF and I transcended. And then he remembered I was a photo major and he apologized for thinking I was a real artist.

Today I am a graphic designer. Well, I’m a human who makes money doing graphic design. I have paintings on my walls. Some of them I painted. The art critic in me will tell you they’re garbage. But I kind of like them. I mean I didn’t try to make them good. Why would I do that? God, what if I did try? Ok, I might’ve tried a little bit. They’re not terrible. For what they are. They add color to the room. They create a mood. I’m okay with that. Art is hard. As a creative person, I get tripped up by what my head tells me. Why do you bother? That’s not real art. Are you serious? But the artist in me says, leave me alone. I’m just starting. Let me make it be something before you tell me it’s nothing.

Maybe there’s an artist living inside you. Maybe you never even tried to make art because you think you should already be good at it, or you worry you weren’t born with that gift. But maybe it doesn’t matter. Besides, it’s all relative. It’s all subjective. I believe art isn’t supposed to be pretty. Nor does not have to look realistic. That’s why we have cameras! Art is meant to express, to evoke feeling, to calm, to enrage. It can be a means unto itself. So, you don’t need to worry if it’s “good.” If you think you want to create something, you should. Just try. Just start. Just put marks on a surface. A paper bag, a canvas. It doesn’t matter. Does it feel good? Awesome. Keep doing it.

Books Reviews — January-June 2024

by Leigh | Jun 21, 2024 | What I'm Reading

A Visit from the Goon Squad

by Jennifer Egan

I should have liked this book, very Gen Z, music industry based, but had such a hard time keeping track of the characters and who was speaking in each chapter. And I guess I had a hard time really empathizing with the people in the story. It had me wondering how this book won a Pulitzer. I read one other Egan book, Manhattan Beach. That felt more cohesive somehow.

A Carnival of Snackery

by David Sedaris

I’m been the biggest fan of Sedaris for a while. This is the first of his diaries I’ve read. At some point, half way through?, I began to slow down. He is very funny, but at some point the book seemed like a carnival of complaining. But by the time I finished, I was loving it so much. How great is it that the author lets you into his personal world with such wit, irreverence, and quirky joy?

Fates and Furies

by Lauren Groff

This is so my kind of book. When I read the jacket description, something about the challenges of a long marriage, I wasn’t sure I would like it. But it was beautifully written. The kind of writing that makes you have to use your brain, the kind of writing that makes you want to be a writer. I was drawn into the story and the mood of the time and place and the feeling of the characters. At times it got very academic-y, in a way that might alienate readers, but I forged ahead. Then, half way through, there’s a whole retelling, as the story is told from the point of view of the wife, and like in a marriage, those views can be very different. Very glad I found this book.

The Women

by Kristen Hannah

My most recent book club read. I liked it! I really liked The Nightingale by her but not Firefly Lane so much which felt too YA for me. But The Women, historical fiction about the women who served as nurses in Vietnam, really impressed me. And surprised me since I don’t really gravitate toward war books. What was so good about it, and this was true about the Nightingale, (which is also about war) is that you feel like you are there. I could imagine myself being the main character, and that made the subject matter so interesting. Hannah is very good at writing in a very accessible, unfussy way and making you really care about the events. Great book!

The Alice Network

by Kate Quinn

A book club book. Historical fiction about women who worked as spies during WWI and WWII. It was pretty good, engaging. I hurried through it so that I could discuss it when we got together and then we didn’t end up getting together. I actually listed to the audio book for part of it and I’m not used to readers doing different voices for different characters and the french accent was a bit rough. But you know, France, spies. what’s not to like?

Crying in H Mart

by Michelle Zauner

Amazing. Memoir about family, grief, food. I heard this book was good but put it off for a while because I was worried it would be too sad. But I loved it. It was so well written and so real. Isn’t that how a memoir is supposed to be? Unflinching? Not tidy or pretty. Real. I loved reading about the role of food within Asian-American families and how meaningful and multi-layered that connection is. Truly engaging and captivating.

Paddleboarding

by Leigh | Jun 20, 2024 | Travel

The first time I went paddleboarding was in Stone Harbor NJ. We called a place called SUP Guy and he met us on the bay side with four boards and gave us a quick lesson. It was so much harder to stand up than I thought it would be! Eventually I got the hang of it.

Soon after, My friend invited me to go do a SUP yoga class of all things. I loved it. Check out Melanie’s website below. I went a couple more times. And then a couple more times just paddling. Often I go with a friend and it’s like going for a walk with a girlfriend. You forget you’re doing it because you’re just talking the whole time.

We always wanted to have our own boards so my husband and I bought two of them for an anniversary gift for ourselves. We’ve had them now for three years. The ones we got are inflatable and relatively inexpensive. It’s pretty easy to transport them to the lake and then inflate them. (They come with a board, paddle, pump, dry bag, and a big backpack that everything fits in.) I recommend also buying belt pack lifejackets. And remember to take a water bottle! The LifeStraw water bottle is my daughter’s favorite.

OUR PADDLEBOARDS

BELT PACK LIFE JACKET

LIFESTRAW WATER BOTTLE

PADDLEBOARD YOGA

If you’re local to Bucks County PA, or visiting, you have to book a paddle with Miss Melanie!

Where do you find inspiration?

by Leigh | May 17, 2024 | Art

Lately I find myself longing

…for the good old days where there were fashion and lifestyle blogs everywhere, and I could pore through them, feeling connected, inspired, motivated. At some point they seem to have gone out of style and their content switched over to TikTok? It’s left me feeling a little lost. I need imagery! I need wit! Here are a few places I regularly visit when I need a creative lift.

ABBY RAMINSKY

Creative and original word explorations that make you want to become a writer yourself. Read Abby’s newsletter.

LE CATCH

Marlien Rentmeester’s blog is simply perfect. It lists fashion trends, high and low. Aspirational and inspirational. I love it so much. See Marlien’s recos.

BRITTANY BATHGATE

The best place for beautiful content that makes you feel relaxed and renewed. A perfect blend of relatable chats, clothing, home decor, art, and travel. Watch Brittany.

ALEXANDRA STEDMAN

Style ideas for days. Outfit repeating. British whimsy and realness. I’ve been following her since her pre-kid Frugality days. Check out Alex.

BENITA LARSSON

My favorite comfort-viewing niche: swedish minimalism, organization, and cleaning. I’m so here for all of it. Watch Benita.

PINTEREST: MY FAVORITE ARTISTS

And then, of course Pinterest. Among other things I have a board of all my favorite modern painters which is the best kind on inspiration. Paintings.

Transitioning to Spring — 9 Outfits I Wore Last Month

by Leigh | May 9, 2024 | Slow Fashion

When we got back from Mexico this past March, I thought, “Oh good, we will get back just in time for the beautiful Spring weather.” Uh, no. The middle of March was warm. Then bitter cold. Then everything in between. April was all over the place but actually not too rainy. Now, as we approach Mother’s Day weekend, the official, we-won’t-be-getting-any-more-frosts-and-you-can-plant-your-gardens time of year, I feel I can finally wear pretty much anything. I waited until just after Easter to do my closet switchover from Fall/Winter to Spring/Summer. All that means is I pull out all my shorts and try them all on and decide I don’t really like any of them. I also cycle the warm weather items I’ve had packed away in the big drawer in my dresser and replace them with my corduroys and cashmere and things I know I won’t wear for a while. It’s hugely satisfying. Welcome linen! Sandals. Tank tops. I’m especially excited to wear my clog sandals. Hello old friends. Flashbacks to my mom pulling boxes and boxes of clothes out of the attic and making me try everything on. How I hated it then, and now I love it. Some items I love just as much as when they were new, if not more. Other things I am so over and I say goodbye to them. I did a follow up inventory of my workout wear, specifically the running shorts and tops. I don’t usually get rid of much when I do a switchover, but I let a few things go. Only one pair of running shorts made the cut. And one pair of Patagonia baggies. After seeing what I had, I allowed myself to add a few new pieces. All clothing is old except for those with links.