I find I am in search of a sensibility of beauty in all matter of things these days-
a meal that touches all your senses (I miss Gourmet magazine and now turn to Orangette
and 
Smitten Kitchen for inspiration),
the stylish inventiveness of the well-dressed (I recently discovered the Sartorialist and JAK & JIL
blogs; 
we in the Pacific Northwest have a lot to learn),
writing that causes me to take in a quick, second breath (always Mary Oliver and so many, many more ).
The art of a beautiful landscape….my grandfather’s farm in Tennessee, Reflection Riding. This was my playground growing up. At that the time all I was interested in was my pony, fishing, tractor rides, picnic suppers and avoiding rattlesnakes. I assumed that it was some inalienable right to be plopped into the midst of such incredible beauty and have the full run of the place. I could re-trace every inch of those 300+ acres blindfolded to this day. The essence of the elegance in the mountains of Tennessee. 
An although I’m not exactly a lean modernist type, I am finding such inspiration in many of the elegant compositions of gardens by renowned architects and designers- Andrea Cochran; The High Line in NY City; Maya Lin,
Lurie Garden by GUSTAFSON GUTHRIE NICHOL.
These designs are not plant-centric but equally about the innovative use of materials. The excellence in them is a recognition that creating a beautiful landscape is far from a static art form- completed for posterity as a painting or book might be. They are designed to age and morph with a sense of beauty at every stage.
This is an exciting time in our design field- so many bright creative people drawn to it- working with issues of ecology and urban crowding and earth stewardships. I am a tiny cog in this giant wheel but love that I am still struck by the elegance that comes from beautiful composition and attention to detail. And hopefully still absorbing this beauty into my own design work.
