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Michgan morning

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Arrived Kalamazoo yesterday evening after a very long day in the airand airports. This is a pleasant moning. The sky is soft and hazy. The hotel is fairly quiet although the remaining guests from two weddings are stumbling about.  Attendees for Fabrications will begin trickling in soon and the mood should get lively.

Lynn and Kate are hanging the Blurred Boundaries show. The work looks good. There’s a lot of emphasis on surface and texture. The aesthetic is consistent across the selected works, making a cohesive exhibit. There are so many ways to jury a show. I wish I’d seen all the entries for this one. mystery. If photos are allowed, I will take some of the installation.

With a few hours to myself the plan is to relax, to get organized for the workshops that begin tomorrow and perhaps do some writing.

I’d hoped to do some computer work but either the telecom system here has firewalls that are in my way or my little laptop’s OS is obsolete. It is nice to have quiet time and a few hours with no obligations!

this little piece was made in 2004, I think. It would be nice to see it again, somewhere.

***

Posted in exhibits, travel, workshops | 1 Comment »

leaving on a jet plane

Friday, August 27th, 2010

bags packed – check

cat food replenished – check

find items that went missing Wednesday = found one (right where I put it of course), the other may be in my class bag. End of month business issues – check unless something has slippeded my mind, always possible.

Packing the class bag was exciting. The work in process pleases me and all the odd bit are going to be fun to work with. It should at eat make a ood jumping off point for the studio discussion/

see you in Michigan!

Posted in miscellaneous, workshops | No Comments »

august 22

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

for Debi

It’s going to be a busy week: packing for back to back Retreats (Fabrications, then Textile Evolution), trying to leave the house and gardens in order, taking care of all the end of month/ beginning of month stuff and more. The studio work is making sense to me again, just in time to leave it <G>. In years past, I’d leave something in process on the wall for an easy re-entry on my return. This time, I am taking the work with me. We’ll see how that goes.

At Textile Evolution, we’ll be focusing on creating   surfaces with mixed media. This new work excites me to the point I wonder if I am headed back to where I began: painting, drawing, collage and what role the stitch will play in any of it.

The pull toward tall folding screens was the impetus behind exploring these transparent surfaces. I have yet to actually begin building the screens but the cottonwood roots for the uprights are waiting.

This Fall, after the teaching trips are done, there will be time and room to dedicate to exploring those ideas. Meanwhile, play, explore, learn and play some more is being a good mode for the studio time.

a detail from “mapping memory, B” (in process), one of the  32″ x 20″ panels shown earlier. Media: packing paper, painted silk organza, rice paper, tea bag paper and cotton on exposed cotton batt, mounted on Peltex.

Here’s a newly finished “little rooms” piece titled, “Telling Stories”. The decision remains whether or not to mount it on painted stretched canvas. Its’ a small piece and the presentation matters. We’ll see what happens tonight.

The air is filled with smoke and ash from a wildfire burning 50 miles out of town. It began yesterday afternoon and is uncontained.  Fire season started late this year. Otherwise, it is a glorious Summer weekend, if hot and dry. Perfect beach weather. Alas, there’s no ocean in easy driving distance.

Posted in new work, studio, workshops | No Comments »

what is old is new again?

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Here are two of the three “landscape” pieces that were in process for so long. An echo of earlier approaches to the surface.



home again


the name of the moon

They are each 26″h x 33″w (so is the third one, the names of the river).

It feels odd to be going back and forth between this approach and the newer work which is so heavily mixed media and much less reliant on stitch. We’ll see how it all comes together eventually, eh?

** Some new small things can be seen in gallery four and in the etsy shop (where there is a special offer).

thanks for visiting! hope to see you in Michigan or Colorado in the next few weeks.

Posted in new work, studio, workshops | 3 Comments »

monday again

Monday, August 16th, 2010

It is a stunning day here. Clear skies, no humidity, a gentle breeze, temps in the low 80s.

The gardens are maturing. Sunflowers, scarlet runner beans and the silver lace vine are reaching their maximum heights. Green beans, tomatoes, sweet corn and more are gracing our meals. My efforts to tame the weedy volunteers have given way to 10 minutes here and there of trimming, pulling, thinning. Maybe this Fall there will be time for a concerted effort. Maybe not. Meanwhile I’ll praise the variety of colors and textures and try to keep the thistles from going to seed. That will have to do.

In a different area I am feeling ahead of the game. The packing for my upcoming teaching trips is well under way. On the 28th I leave for Fabrications in Michigan, then on the 7th go to Colorado for Textile Evolution.  (there may be a place or two still open in the workshops)  It’s a quick stop at home in between the two so I want to be prepared. I hope to see you at one of those two retreats.

Part of the preparation is for a vendor’s table at Fabrications. I have used this work to also stock my etsy shop.

Here are some samples of what’s available (it would be great to sell it now instead of packing it!):

Now it’s time to get back to the little books of quotes and helpful hints, they need packaging. The danger is that I’ll want to do yet another!

Posted in garden, new work, sale!, travel, workshops | No Comments »

friday color!

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Here are bits and pieces from various places in the gardens right now. Planning ahead might result in a solid wash of these wonderful reds, don’t you think? 

Today has been devoted to getting more “little words” onto the Etsy site, and to organizing for the upcoming teaching trips (Fabrications, then Textile Evolution). Three weeks left at home, lots to do!

It is time again to be thinking about the desired balance in my life between studio, travel-teaching, home/ family/relationships. There’s a lot of re-evaluating going on.

stay tuned.

Posted in garden, workshops | No Comments »

a day in the life

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

My co-pilot, Beau, and I walk every morning, near the river. There is a meadow on one of our loops. Two weeks ago today, it looked like this:

This morning:

It is an overcast day, trying to rain a little. I did some garden work after returning from our walk. With the last few very warm days, everything is growing, including the weeds. The lilacs are glorious but I have begun the very big task of getting the dead wood out. Beau loves the bit about picking up sticks but will not carry them to the dumpster for me. Dogs.

In the rock garden , the miniature iris have been blooming a week now. I love this flower in all its forms. This year though, these particular blooms are a little sad. Last year, in April, my mother asked me to give her some for her garden. I promised to  bring them in the Fall when I dug them for thinning. She passed away in July.

They will probably remind me of her and of her love for my gardens for a very long time.

Here is “little rooms: the guardian”, the newest and perhaps next to the last in this series.

full view (11″h x 8″w) detail

**With the rain just beginning, it is off to the studio. There’s a set of landscapes on the wall waiting my attention. Rain is wonderful in the dry climate, and a welcome reason to stay indoors.

Next week I will begin preparing for my upcoming teaching trip. I’ll be in Salt Lake City with the Utah Surface Design Group for five days in early June. After a couple of months at home it will be fun to plan for the workshops. I’m looking forward to the group.

Posted in artist date, garden, inspiration, landscape, new work, workshops | 1 Comment »

3/10/2010

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

it is another chilly gray morning. After the 60 degrees of Monday (joy!), this is a letdown. SUN is needed.

at least there are color spots where we walk.

this little mixed media piece is one of the things that has reappeared in the last week.

see it and others in gallery 4.

Monday the 15th is the first day of the next on-line class.

Details and registration here.   Idea to Image, Abstracting from Nature.

Yesterday’s adventure with piles of stuff was successful. Not a single pile came back into the office from the living room. Everything was disposed of. No remorse, no second guessing (what was in those notebooks? was it important? maybe…). What a great feeling, clear shelves, a clean desk. This will make work on the new book go much easier.

Today is a studio day, after beau and I walk. yesterday we encountered a fox, and about ten whitetail deer. Who knows what this morning will bring.

Posted in artist date, inspiration, landscape, workshops | 2 Comments »

river mist

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Tama asked about the two river mist photos. The river does flood when Spring melt-off begins in the high country. The Yellowstone is the longest un-dammed river in the lower 48. Currents shift, banks and channels are re-carved every year. However, the “tan” areas are snow/ice banks, not silt.

here are “corrected” photos. The snow reflects light, and the morning was gold.

**
On another note, Spring on-line classes will begin on the 15th, check my home page for the link to class information

Posted in artist date, conversations, inspiration, landscape, workshops | 1 Comment »

“a month of mondays”

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Earlier this morning, a friend described February as “the month of 28 Mondays”. Perfect!

This is usually a month that I welcome.  Once it is over, March is here, bringing Spring and all those nice changes. This year Winter has been relentless. Even though this, the shortest month, is nearly done, it seems the ice ruts in the streets are permanent.

The crusty coating on paths I usually walk with the dogs is stuck in a freeze/thaw, freeze/thaw cycle.

We have had more gray days than not. I miss the sun.

The last few weeks have been spent away: a wonderful visit to Berkeley, my first trip to Northern California. It was a delight. Then just enough time at home to repack and off I went to Iowa for the annual retreat.  Driving allowed Beau to go with me. As always, he acquitted himself very nicely, made friends, had a good time. He travels well and is a good companion, helps me maneuver the ice, keep track of everyone and remember to exercise every day. Now I am home until the latter part of March.

Then there’s a workshop in Florida, the Retreat in Colorado Springs and a new Retreat in Ann Arbor, MI. see my schedule page for details.

Right now seems to be time a good opportunity for re-grouping,  pulling in, paying attention.

some photos from this morning’s daybreak:

what  lovely color as the sun rose. Now it is gray again.

Off to walk the dogs and then will spend time setting things in order around here. what a repetitious adventure that is! wouldn’t it be nice to do it once and have it done? where are the pixies???

Posted in conversations, friends, landscape, miscellaneous, travel, workshops | 2 Comments »

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