Just Coffee Art | Announcements

May 27, 2006
A little while ago we were contacted by Kenneth & Julie van Schooten of ETiT Productions (ETiT.us) and they asked us if we would be interested in being a part of their coffee documentary film. Of course, we said 'Yes!'' and we planned a day for them to film us and our coffee art. That day was today.

Kenneth & Julie are filming independent coffee houses, roasters, and us and our coffee art. It's a great concept for a film.

While they asked us questions, we answered while working on a painting inspired by this occasion. The concept of this painting is combining the subject of their film, coffee, with the physical element, film, which results in this work - the transition of coffee to film.

Just how Gidget is a part of our lives, Little Gidget was also a part of the filming. She is irresistible and the camera just loves her. She was filmed in my lap as we painted and was part of a few other segments. We hope that she makes it into the final cut!

It was a great experience and it was a pleasure to work with Kenneth & Julie. It was very interesting to learn more about their project and it was an honor to be a part of their work.

May 25, 2006
Today in the mail we received a nice surprise. It was a letter from the United States Embassy of Lilongwe, Malawi. The letter reads:

Dear Ms. Sarkela and Mr. Sauer:
Thank you so much for the loan of Majestic Flight, Sunburst, and Edna G for the Art in Embassies exhibit at the official residence here in Lilongwe.

I was curious what the coffee medium would look like. In your hands it is brilliant. We have positioned your work in the dining room, and our guests are most impressed when I surprise them with the fact that it's coffee, an important crop here in Malawi.

We are in the process of printing the exhibit brochure and I'll see that you get a copy when they are available.

Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your generosity in loaning these works to us.

Sincerely,
Alan Eastham
Ambassador

The Artist in Embassies Exchange Program (aiep.state.gov)is a fantastic organization that allows artists to display artwork around the world. This is the second time that we have been able to work with the AiEP and we are very grateful for these opportunities.

May 20, 2006
We listen to the Prairie Home Companion every once in a while, but we made sure to listen to this evening's show. Garrison Keillor and his troupe were in one of favorite places in the world, Reykjavik, Iceland. The show was pretty decent and it relived our memories of our past travels there. I think that the their website rebroadcasts the show, take a listen here.

May 17, 2006
In our city, there are great little gems of hidden walkways and forested areas. Just a few blocks from our house, there is a hidden sidewalk. Trees grown on both sides, and the branches extend over and create a canopy .Forested areas right in the middle of the city make it a unique place to be. This covered sidewalk and forest is a whimsical place and we are lucky that it is only a few blocks from our house.

May 15, 2006
Today on our daily walk, I spotted a soaked note card laying on the sidewalk. I noticed some writing on it and picked it up to investigate. It looked like little a child had written it; and to our surprise, the card was written to French. It was quite the gem of found art. I had a quick flash from our trip to Paris last November. I hadn't read anything in French since then. The note translates to:

Hello Maureen,
How are you?
I am writing in French.
I can count to ten.
From,
Tally

Since my sister is a French teacher, I thought that she would get a kick out of it. I think that she would be pleased that someone so young is learning French, and may one day be a French teacher as well!

May 13-14, 2006
This is the weekend that Angel's brothers really look forward to in the Spring: Minnesota's Opening Fishing weekend. We all headed to their island cabin. It would not be a classic Opener unless it was rainy, windy and quite cold. It was miserable weather in the morning and the fish were not biting, well, not for me at least. I passed on the afternoon fishing and relaxed in the cabin. I think I had spent my time wisely. Later in the evening though, the wind had died down and it was no longer raining. I was up for some evening fishing, and it was definitely worthwhile. We anchored at one of our favorite spots and soon we were catching fish, and quite a few! I caught several, and kept three. Lee was catching a lot as well, and so was his brother Rusty. Angel's Dad, Bernie, he was not catching too many. But his luck changed the next morning when he was catching the walleyes, and Lee & Rusty were not. So, this week, I am looking forward to a walleye dinner!

May 9, 2006
It was a rainy and foggy day, but still surprisingly warm. We decided to put on our raincoats and go for a walk. Gidget also has a raincoat, and we thought that she would like to go along. Normally, she is hesitant to go, but after a block or so, she is leading the pack and knows the route by heart. But this day, either it was the dampness or the fog, she was more stubborn that usual. Her front paws wanted to go, but her hind legs would not have any of that. So, she walked on her front paws for half a block, and then gave in. She just had to shake that initial stubbornness off and we all enjoyed the foggy day.

Click on the play button to view the short movie of Gidget and her stubborn hind legs.

May 8, 2006
Sigur Rós was in our area and we had our tickets months in advance. They are our favorite band, and waited for a long time for this day. It would be hard to top our sigur rós experience that we had in September, but it was close. The opening act was supporting group, Amiina, which is composed of four women from Iceland as well. Playing a variety of instruments, Amiina is enchanting and delightful. Their set was exactly as it was in September, and was as good as ever. So good, in fact, we bought their EP from the last show and listen to it quite frequently. We wanted to hear more, but we will have to be patient until their first full length album.

When we entered the Orpheum, we saw Sigur Rós was selling t-shirts and notebooks. We wanted to get a shirt, but thought the signed notebook would be more enjoyed, and for a longer time. We spoke with one of the Toothfaeries (sigur rós support staff) and she introduced ourselves and she was very nice. Her name is Lukka. We told her of our passion of Iceland and how we have visited there many times. Then we told her about our last experience with the band and the coffee painting that we gave to Kjartan. She lights up and exclaims "Oh yes, I remember that painting!" So, that was very nice to hear, and that we made an impression. She also mentioned that there was going to be a big festival in Reykjavik in August, and we told her that we would be in Iceland the first week in Iceland. We hope we can meet up with Lukka there and the band.

As we headed towards our seats, we find our good friend, Joe Thorne and his friend were waiting for us. He tells us how he arrived last minute, but scored great tickets in the Pit. Lucky dog, he's three rows from the stage. They're going to have a fantastic time. Being their first sigur rós experience, it is going to be something else.

Like last time, we had brought along our camera along. We made sure we turned off our flash and display. It was hard to get a good shot from all the dramatic lighting, but we were able to get a few. In addition to the photos, we were able to capture a couple of short movie clips. The first clip is from the song, viðrar vel til loftárása. Click here to view the clip. There is a silence in the song, and is a special part of the night. The band remains silent until someone shouts out or makes some noise. From what I have read in the past, some nights, the silence can last a minute or so. In the September show, when it was just about to go silent, someone in the crowd started shouting, and the silence was that of a nanosecond - quite disappointing. I was hoping we could crack the three second barrier this time, and I think it lasted almost thirty seconds, so that was pretty good! It was surreal with three thousand people sitting in the dark in complete silence. It was also anticipation of how long it would last, and wanted it to never end. I remember asking Kjartan last September what the shortest time the silence in viðrar, and he said "Probably tonight." I also asked what he thought of the silence, and he said that they would wish it would get over quickly and they just want to continue on with the song. I found that quite interesting.

Another song that I captured with a movie clip was the first few seconds of Hafssól. It is one of the best openings. George Holm plays this thunderous rhythm on his bass with a drumstick. Take a listen for yourself.

We thoroughly enjoyed our sigur rós concert experience and we hope to meet up with them this summer when we are in Iceland.

May 2, 2006
When the Finnish cousins were in town, we went shopping and came across this squirrel bungee feeder. The idea is for the squirrel to have its own food, and stay out of the bird feeder. So, the device hangs from the feeder, and is made up of a spring, screw eyes, and corn cobs. Soon, the squirrels learn that the corn is for them, and jump onto the cobs, take a few kernels and jump off. I am not sure who enjoys it more, us watching or the squirrels who get a free ride and free food!