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On my daily walks, the same trees are giving me something new to look at, turning brighter orange, finding their gorgeous reds, and settling into those quiet browns that sometimes leave me wondering whether everything is going according to plan. The orange ones seemed particularly enthusiastic this past week, and I’m happy to give them my attention, especially when a little sunlight comes along and makes an already extravagant tree even more stunning.

Orange Crush is back, and its name still fits beautifully, because this rich, juicy orange has all the warmth and playfulness that made me choose that name a few years ago. I had some of the glass remaining, and this felt like a lovely time to bring it out again. There are deeper reddish edges and little flashes of gold within the orange, giving the stones that delicious glow that catches your eye and invites another look, and I love the idea of carrying some of that color into an ordinary day simply because it makes you happy.

If orange is already a favorite, this might be a happy reunion, and if you’ve never considered wearing it, there is considerable fun to be had in trying a color that surprises you. Imagine a flash of orange at your ears or a necklace lighting up your favorite blue shirt. You might just find yourself with a little crush of your own.

Orange Crush is a color with a generous spirit. There’s something about orange that makes an ordinary day feel a little more spirited, whether it’s a bowl of clementines on the kitchen table or a flash of leaves outside the window. It catches your eye, gives you a reason to pause, and sometimes sends you looking for a little more of it.

Here on the island, orange has its own way of appearing. A buoy in the harbor offers a bright interruption to all that blue. Late afternoon light warms the granite, and in October, a tree you’ve walked past all summer suddenly becomes the star of the neighborhood. I love those moments when a familiar place offers up something unexpected. Orange Crush carries some of that pleasure: the delight of noticing a color and realizing how much you needed to see it.

There’s a deliciousness to it, too. The name brings to mind cold orange soda, the smell of a freshly peeled orange, and that first sweet, sharp bite. It’s a color you can almost taste. In glass, that warmth takes on another dimension as light moves across the surface, giving you another reason to look—and then look again.

I photographed this sunrise at Geary’s Beach last week, drawn to that touch of orange with that gorgeous gray blue sky and water. Looking at it now, I think of how Orange Crush jewelry catches the eye in much the same way. You don’t need much of this color to appreciate its warmth—a necklace against your sweater, a pair of earrings catching the light. A little orange gives you something lovely to notice.

Gathering Light - my take on an advent calendar

I’m working on a new offering - Gathering Light, a calendar that will carry us through December from the 1st to the 31st with small daily discoveries - dichroic glass stones to collect in a handcrafted glass dish, and special gifts for the winter solstice and the last day of the year. I wanted to create something that could be enjoyed throughout December, a little daily pleasure that makes room for anticipation and gives us something beautiful to gather as the month unfolds.

The name feels especially right to me, gathering light as we move toward the shortest day of the year, and continuing as the daylight begins its gradual return, with your own collection of light growing along the way. I’m still bringing the details together, and I’ll have more to share as it takes shape. For now, consider this your first little peek at some December magic in the making.

I hope there is something wonderfully colorful waiting to catch your eye this week, whether it’s on your walk, on your wall, or dangling happily from your ears.

Sometimes a color becomes part of how we remember a moment. In Billy Collins “This Much I Do Remember,” orange holds together the details of an evening spent across the table from someone he loves. It felt like a lovely poem to share alongside Orange Crush, for the way it invites us to notice what’s right in front of us—and how much an ordinary evening can hold.

I want to introduce you to the work of Erica Aubin, a Maine artist who has been a long time supporter of my work. It’s my pleasure to share her work with you. Her oil paintings explore the color, light, and feeling of the landscape, including many scenes here on Vinalhaven, and I’m drawn to the way she captures those moments when a familiar place gives us a reason to stop and look again.

Her collection Laughter on the Wind celebrates the pleasures of summer along the Maine coast. There are original paintings and fine art prints to explore, including small paintings that could bring a little island memory into your home.

One of the joys of making art is connecting with other people who see the world through color. Take a wander through Erica’s website and see what catches your attention. You might recognize a favorite place, remember a summer afternoon, or find something you’d love to live with every day.

Yes, I am open!

At the moment, Main Street is in the midst of some fairly major construction. It may look a little daunting, but WindHorse Arts remains open and accessible.

My Fall hours are Friday & Saturday, 11:00 to 3:00 and always available by appointment.

If the construction-- or simply life-- keeps you from visiting in person, you can always find me online. Shopping through my website is also a wonderful way to support my small island business at any time of year.

Monday was Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and I’ve been thinking about a talk I attended earlier this summer by James E. Francis Sr., the Penobscot Nation’s Tribal Historian, called “Penobscot Sense of Place,” at the Vinalhaven Public Library and the exhibit at the Vinalhaven Historical Society, “Holding Up the Sky: Wabanaki People, Culture, History, and Art.” Both brought the history of this place closer to home for me. It’s easy to think of history as something that happened somewhere else, a long time ago, until you hear it discussed in relation to the lands and waters you live among every day.

At the talk, the connections between language, geography, and place names stayed with me. A place name can hold knowledge, experience, and a relationship with a landscape. Long before the names I use for this island and its surrounding waters, these places were known and named by people whose lives are rooted here. The history of this place reaches much further back than the history of the town, and I’ve been thinking about how much not only gets left out but also gets twisted when we begin the story with settler colonialism.

The Vinalhaven Historical Society’s exhibit, was on loan from the Maine Historical Society and written, advised, and curated by Wabanaki historians, cultural leaders, and artists, it brought together history, culture, and art. Together with the talk, it helped connect things that are too often separated: the past and the present, the landscape and its history, and the Wabanaki nations and the place currently known as Maine.

When I was growing up, the word “discovery” was an ordinary part of the story of Columbus. It was presented as an accomplishment, something to celebrate. And yet the places he reached were already home to people.

Their lives did not begin with his arrival, and what followed included genocide, enslavement, violence, and the taking of land.

I celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day to recognize Indigenous peoples, their histories, and their lives today. Where I live, that includes the Wabanaki nations, whose relationship with this place continues, along with their languages, cultures, governments, and work for their communities’ futures. The questions of land, sovereignty, and self-determination belong to the present as well as the past.

I love living on Vinalhaven. The water, the woods, and the daily familiarity of island life mean a great deal to me. The talk and exhibit this summer were part of my continuing education, reminding me that the place I call home has a history far beyond the portion I know. That history is part of the island’s history, and it belongs in the stories we tell about this place.

Today, I’m thinking about all of that—and about how a familiar place can be understood when more of its story is told. I celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day because Indigenous peoples belong in our understanding of both the history and the present of this place.

WindHorse Arts store and studio are on stolen land of the Wabanaki people, a place currently recognized as Vinalhaven, Maine, nestled in the serene beauty of Penobscot’s Bay. I am grateful to steward this sacred land, honoring its deep roots and rich histories.

Handmade in Vinalhaven, Maine

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