blog - Holly House Ink

The Easy Part

Apr 06, 2024

The easy part was saying "yes". The hard part was getting it right -- it took me three times!This is a really special place, though, and I think that's why. It's become my home-away-from-home, but that's not important here. It's so much bigger than that.The College of Nursing is the place where dreams and passion walk into. They study and learn and are taught by the finest people with extraordinary purpose — leaders who are cutting new paths in nursing care on big and international levels ...

Hello, Charleston!

Oct 03, 2023

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.-- Ludwig Bemelmans It just makes me smile. And no apologies, I absolutely cannot walk past this house without envisioning twelve little girls in two straight lines, a really tall nun, and Christopher Plummer. One look and every word and every song comes spilling out like a fluent second language and as if I wrote them all myself. Two of my most favorite things... Madeline and ...

Ink & Sabbaticals

Jun 30, 2023

Ink & Sabbaticals So now I know what a sabbatical feels like. ...I think. It wasn't 100 percent. Close, though. Over the last year or so I've drawn just a couple of houses and a hotel twice, created Christmas cards for the loveliest ride-or-die this girl could ever ask for, made a few more hundred From-Our-Sandcastle-To-Yours Christmas cards for the most creative hotel GM with THE million dollar view that delights her to no end to share with her guests, and then this one... this sweet ...

9100 Club

Jul 27, 2021

The 9100 ClubHigh above 91st & Coastal stands the North Tower of the Princess Royale, known forever more as The 9100 Club. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Lovely rooms, of course. I mean, if you like that sort of thing. And more sun, sand, water, moon, stars, sea breezes, and salt air than anyone could ask for... if you like that sort of thing, too. And there's a newly opened ice cream tiki bar. I know, say no more.Drawing a really tall building ...

The Artist. The Craftsman. And My New Chairs.

May 23, 2021

I love artists. With color and mood and expression and sometimes gigantic canvas they show us what it is they see. I love to observe and absorb, let it leave me with a smile or a question and even if sometimes days later I am still so curious in understanding, the learning process is worth it's weight in gold and my world is that much bigger.When it comes to craftsmen... oh my goodness. Old World artists with an eye for an object we'll all soon see and a collection of ...

Juxtaweekend

Apr 07, 2021

If "juxtaposition" can be used to describe a weekend, this particular one of mine was just that. Allow me please, if you will, to transport you back to October, in the crazy-ass year of 2020. I wrote this blog post that Sunday evening with every intention of sharing it... and then I don't know what happened!So, let's go back...I took off early Saturday morning from Maryland's beautiful Eastern Shore for a visit with my son under the guise of bringing some things for his ...

Oh, And They've Got A Covered Bridge...

Dec 30, 2020

...And a separate garage that looks like the cutest cottage. Can you try to work these in, too?Sure I can! I mean, why not? This is artistic license, right? So when they asked me to draw this house and gave me a little background, I tend to start to picture it in my head. But having never been anywhere near this house before I truly had no idea what I was going to see or have to work with until I snuck out there to take the pics. And secretly, my dad always ...

Yes, It's A Christmas Post

Oct 19, 2020

But I mean, when you have a friend like this you get to work with who you can never quite predict what's next but still can hardly wait for what's next then heck yeah, I'll talk Christmas all day any day! Artist's Note: Each Christmas we've added a new decoration; this is last year's Christmas creation and this year's is on the drawing board currently. Shhhh...! One of the things I love most about my work is what we can do with it after it's done. It's a pretty ...

You Had Me At... Come Sit On My Deck

Sep 14, 2020

I mean..., for real! I would just be a bowl of mush with that invitation. Completely weak in the knees. I think I get my love for a screened porch from my Dad. Never without his binoculars, he absolutely loved a beach rental with a nice big screened porch from which he could sit and watch the ocean and the weather and the birds and the ships at sea. All. Day. Long. Born and raised in New York City (#ozonepark, #fordhamuniversity) and never ...

Welcome to Charm City

Sep 10, 2020

A classic Bal'mer row house. Historic brick nobody can duplicate, narrow, deep, steep skinny stairs, and old wood floors with stories to tell. Hun, if you've got one of these, you have got it goin' on! I think I remember the resurrection of Baltimore beginning somewhere around my middle school years. Because not soon after that, as newly licensed drivers we all loved buzzing up 95 to the Inner Harbor on Saturdays. Awesome waterfront, shopping, restaurants, and ...