Sense of Place Revisited

The Ecotone Wiki was set up to provide a forum for people to explore their sense of place; the first two discussion topics here and here did this in the most general terms. (Many of the discussion topics that followed focused on a more specific element that dealt with place; please feel free to add a post to any of them and please alert me if you do!). The wiki has sadly been the target of much spam and is less active than it used to be, but it remains a wonderful resource for those with an interest in place.

Numenius and I will be heading back to the San Francisco Center for the Book this Sunday to take two workshops: Sense of Place and Letters to Anywhere. Ive just received the materials list for both workshops:

writing paper and pens
drawing paper
colored pencils
marking pens
pastels or crayons
assorted materials for collage
glue
scissors
thread and needles
awls
bone folders
cardboard and heavyweight colored stock for making books
exacto knife with blades

When they say pens, Ill bring about 50; about five different kinds of glue, different kinds of colored pencils, watercolors, gouache, etc. Ill be bringing along the walnut ink I made last year (by the way, there’s still plenty, so if you’d like some let me know and I’ll send it to you), some flowers I pressed from the foothills, various sketchbooks so I can refer back to images in my head. Often for these kinds of workshops I feel regret for things I left behind as ideas get triggered; Im going to stop just short of bringing the kitchen sink this time, since well drive and have no space restrictions.

Thanks to a tip from Chris Clarke, I read an amazing essay by Jarrett Walker on the Central Valley, Im quite stoked about exploring on paper, with ink all over my right forefinger and glue in my hair, what it means to live in this part of the world, where we are currently being pummelled with blustery rain. After a long, hot, dusty summer, Im in ecstasy over it, walked to work today almost getting blown off the Putah Creek bridge.