ART MUSE-INGS

Upcoming exhibits

2012-01-10T16:24:00.006-05:00

Manipulated and enamled copper and fabric, piece on exhibit at the Focus Gallery, Folk Art Center in Asheville

It has been a long time since I wrote anything in my blog.
It seemed that creativity had just gone away, with the desire to work in my
studio.
Although that gave me a chance to do other things I was
interested in (like started my bee yard), something was missing in my life and
I was not quite sure of my identity anymore.

It seems that 2012 is starting on a more positive note with
2 upcoming exhibits of my work.
One of them is at the Cabarrus County Arts Council, titled “In
& Out” and I was invited to share the boxes of my Offerings series. The
exhibit will open on January 17 and run until March 8, 2012. The Cabarrus Arts
Council is situated in the Historic Cabarrus Courthouse in downtown Concord, a
really beautiful building. The exhibit rooms look wonderful.
If you are in that area and would like to see the show, here
is the contact information:
Historic Courthouse, 65 Union Street South, Concord, NC
28026.
Phone: (704) 920 (2787), website: http://www.cabarrusartscouncil.org/.

The other exhibit, for which I made new work, mostly in embroidered
fabric and manipulated copper, is in the Focus Gallery at the Folk Art Center
(on the Blue Ridge Parkway close to Asheville). The Focus gallery showcases the
work of members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, usually two artists at a
time. I will share the space with glass artist Cheryl Hevrdeys. The exhibit
opens on January 14 and will run until April 17, 2012.
For more information, contact the Folk Art Center, Milepost
382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, phone: (828) 298 2514, website: http://www.craftguild.org/.

Emberoidered fabric, beads and copper, Focus Gallery, Folkd Art Center, Asheville

So, back to the studio I go!

After 2 weeks

2011-04-30T08:56:00.016-04:00

I have now had my two hives for just over two weeks and I had to open them and check that things were going OK. First thing to note, I have NOT mastered the use of the smoker! But even without smoke, I could look into the hives and move the frames around:

Apparently, bees start building the comb, laying eggs and storing food on the frames in the center of the hive. So to speed things up, once they have been working on the 4-5 frames in the middle, it is a good idea to take one frame from the side and put it in the middle.

That is what I did in both hives. I did not see the queens but saw eggs, larvae, capped brood (which is when cells have been closed with wax for a larva to turn into a bee. She will have to chew the wax cap to get out)...so apparently things are the way they should be! I wish I could have taken pictures of what I saw, but it is kind of tricky to hold a frame covered with bees in one hand and hold the camera to take a picture with the other. It would not be a good idea to drop that frame!!!

What I could photograph though were pieces of comb that were sticking out over the frames (I had left too much space between frames in the first place, now I know better!) and these pieces had to be removed. Some of the cells were already filled with pollen (something with dark yellow pollen must be blooming right now) .

Other cells were filled with nectar (see the shiny stuff in the lower left corner?)

In any case, I will keep these pieces of wax until I have more and can do something with it. I was very surprised to see how white it is!

At the end of the class I took earlier this year at our local agricultural extension office, I had won a hive and its colony! So two days ago, I went to pick up the colony for that third hive from Mr. Holbert (Holbert Bee Supplies in Saluda, NC), who taught the class and gave away the hive.

Instead of being in a box like the other bees, these were already in a small hive (called a nuc, if you want to hear to proper term!)

So I had to take the frames (with the bees) and put them in the larger hive, among 5 other new frames. It was quite exciting.

The box was closed with some wire mesh to keep the bees in during transport. Those little guys were ready to get out!

Some of the bees were gathered on the lig of the small box. On the right of the photo, you can see the frames I have removed from the big box.

These are the bees on the frames in the small box. (phot above)

And now they are in the big hive.... (photo below)

Most of them anyway! I left the small box by the hive and by dusk, they were all in the hive. Good girls!

a swarm

2011-04-19T08:46:00.012-04:00

I had the opportunity yesterday evening to learn and experience something new about bees. My friend Kathy was getting a hive from one of her friends, who also had a swarm. So yesterday evening, we went to get the hive and collect the swarm.

Personally, I had never seen a swarm before. It is a big "clump" of bees that leave a hive for one reason or the other (a lot of the time because the hive is over-crowded). A large group of bees, including the queen, leaves and finds a provisory location on a tree limb, or some other place.

Apparently, swarms are easy to catch (that is, if they don't choose the top of a 30-foot tree)because the bees, knowing that they would not have a "home" for a while, gorge themselves on honey before leaving, so they are pretty docile.

We put the hive box, minus most of the frames, under the branch where the swarm was hanging (fortunately it was a low branch, easy to reach), and we sprayed the bees with sugar syrup to make them even more quiet.

After a little while, Kathy just shook the swarm into the hive! Most of the bees fell in.

We waited a little while for stragglers to join the others then Kathy brushed the bees gathered at the entrance of the hive into a box and dropped them in the hive.

Then we closed the entrance of the hives, tied them down, loaded them into the back of the truck, and off we went to Kathy's yard, the bees' new home. Almost looks like Christmas, doesn't it!

Bees- day 3

2011-04-15T11:04:00.007-04:00

I had to open the hives this morning to check the feeders and refill them. I was not sure at all what to expect. I must say, I was very surprised at how placid the bees were. When I removed the feeders, some bees were on them, but all I had to do was brush them carefully away.

It looks like they have been chewing on the sugar candy to liberate the queen, so that is good news, and may be the queens are out in the hive already. I have to be patient and wait another couple of days before I can check that for sure. So, so far, so good!

You can see the queen cage on the left half of the picture.

Next time I open the hive, I will have to smoke the bees (and try not to fry them!) and take out some of the frames to make sure the queen is out and has started laying eggs.

And here they are

2011-04-13T12:52:00.033-04:00

Today was the day and this morning, I went to pick up my bees. Fortunately, my friend Kathy, who had kept bees before, came and stayed with me to take pictures and provide moral support!

So here I am in my little beekeeper outfit!

I sprayed the bees with sugar syrup (which I had prepared yesterday) to calm them. This is 3 pounds of bees and a queen.

Then I carry the box from the car to the hive.

I need to remove 3 frames from the middle of the hive so that I can shake the bees in the hive. On the pictures, I am spraying the frames I removed with sugar syrup.

Time to remove the box cover. Things are getting serious!

I have to remove the feeding box in order to get the queen cage out then let the bees in the hive. But it is not as easy to get that thing out as I thought it would be!

Finally!

Now that the box is opened, I am pouring the bees into the hive. First I jar the box on the hive to make the bees fall at the bottom (picture on the left), then I just pour them in the hive. Some fall right in, the others I have to shake in there.

Most of the bees are in the hive. A few are

flying around and some are still in the box.

Then I must carefully replace the frames without crushing the bees.

Next, I must get the queen cage ready. One end of the queen cage needs to be opened. Even after I remove the cork, it is still blocked by "sugar candy", which she will have to chew away in order to get out. I supposed this is to give time to the colony to get used to her pheromones and recognize her as their queen. The queen cage is just placed on top of the frames.

At first the bees will need to be fed and I am placing jars of syrup around

the queen cage.

Just putting the top box (super) without frames around the queen cage and the feeders. The crumpled newspaper around is just to prevent the bees from building comb at that spot and to insulate the queen a little.

Some of those bees really don't want to leave the box and I am trying to shake them and make them fall into the hive.

Final step, I put the lid back on the hive.

So it is done! they are in the hive (most of them anyway), and I am exhausted! too much excitement!...but there is one more package to put in the second hive later today. I just have to wait so they don't get all confused!

Ready for the bees!

2011-04-11T14:39:00.009-04:00

Two more days before I go pick up my bees! it is exiting and scary too. I am not scared of the bees but there is just so many things to remember.

This is the back of the hives. The entrance of the hives is facing South/East.

A couple of weeks ago, John and I had dug the bases for the hives and stacked up cinder blocks. Yesterday, I brought the hives down on the bases. Right now, I left the frames only in the bottom box.

And here is the front. I blocked the entrance with newspaper so that no unwanted creature can get in!

The top box is without frames so that I can put feeders with sugar syrup in there. Once I don't have to feed the bees any more and they have built combs on just about all those frames, I will add the frames in the upper box.

Awakening

2011-02-26T12:51:00.005-05:00

I had the urge to go back in the studio a few weeks ago and to make a three-dimensional character. He grew and developed his personality as I worked. Considering the time of year and the material I used, I decided to call him Awakening. He was fun to make and I do like him.

Beehive frames

2011-02-24T15:20:00.012-05:00

I painted the hives. It does not matter what color is used (as long as it is light so that it does not absorb too much heat and makes it more work for the bees to keep the hive at the right temperature). Many light colors make me "unwell", so since the bees don't care, I might as well choose a color that pleases me...and I chose a light peach color. It is not quite as pink as it looks on the picture below!

I also checked out how the frames get nailed. It takes 2 nails at each corners, then 3 more to hold the wax panel (see below). So, that is 11 nails per frame, 10 frames in each box (and right now I have 2 boxes per hive) so that makes.... a lot of little nails!

Once the frame is nailed together, the bottom little slat is sliced off.

Then the sheet of wax reinforced with wire needs to be inserted in the frame. I have kept them inside so they would not be too cold and brittle to handle them. The shape of the cells is imprinted on the wax, which makes it easier for the bees to build the comb. It also makes it possible to remove the frames and harvest the honey without having to destroy the wax.

The top of the wax sheet slides in the bottom of the frame. The end of the wires is bend (bottom) and will be held in place by the little slat that was removed earlier.

The slat is nailed with 3 little nails. There is not much room and I was afraid to break the wax... I think I might have more than one bent nail like the one on the right!

Once the frame is ready, it hangs in the box.

So now, I only have 39 more frames to put together!

Building the hives

2011-02-17T15:21:00.018-05:00

Today was the day I put my beehives together. I bought all the pieces (above) and I just had to put them together. It is quite a clever system; fits together easily. The nail holes are even already drilled!
The outer and inner covers as well as the bottom board are already assembled.

I was a bit afraid that I would put together things that do not belong together so I was very careful to leave everything in little piles as they came. Actually, I saw after a while that it would be difficult to mix things up because of the size. The parts on the picture above are only for 1 hive.

I started with the bottom box, which is the tallest and where the queen lays eggs and the colony grows. I started nailing the pieces when I suddenly realized that it would be quite easy to nail the whole thing....crooked! So I got a square and made sure!

That is the bottom box (which is called brood box. Got to show off my new vocabulary!) and the inner lid. That lid actually does not go there, I just wanted to see how it looked.

On top of the brood box is another box, which is less tall but is assembled exactly in the same way. This is called a super and that is where the bees store their honey. The honey in the first super is not harvested (hum, does one say harvested for honey? I guess I will have to check but you know what I mean). It is left for the bees to feed on in the winter. As they produce more honey, more supers are added and honey from the upper supers is what we take.

I am afraid that putting the hive body together was actually the easy part and I have the nagging feeling that the frames are going to be another story. Above are the pieces for the frames (10 per box). Frames hang in the brood box and supers and this is where the bees build their combs, lay their eggs and store their honey.

I put one together and I think it is right (I don't see how else it could go together). However, I cannot remember where those things get nailed (and that will be the tricky part!) There is a sheet of wax that goes in each frame after they are put together but that will be for the next episode! Let's get those frames put together first!

What puzzles me are those 2 little nail holes on the side on the side of the frame. I can't figure out what they are for. I can't see anything that goes there. So before I mess up the whole batch, I am going to go ask!

But at least, I have the hive bodies put together. Yessss!

New adventure

2011-02-12T17:33:00.007-05:00

It has been weeks since I wrote anything and months since I have really done creative work in the studio. Call it burn out or re-prioritizing my time and activities? Slowly though, the creative urge is coming back and the class I took the other week at the Campbell school with Dan Essig definitely contributed to get me fired up again.

But even if I go back in the studio, it will not be with the same extreme focus and obsession as before. During these past few months, I have taken the time to do other things I really enjoy and had not done in years, for example work in my garden. I got 3 little chicks in June and my son David built me a wonderful chicken coop. So now, not only do I enjoy fresh eggs every day, but I am having a blast watching those little hens. Who would have thought!

They were too chicken (ha ha ha) to get out in the snow!

But my new adventure is something else. John, my husband, and I had talked about it years ago, but lack of time and funds pushed the idea back. Then recently a couple of my friends got...bees and I decided that this year would be the year for me too! So I thought I would share that adventure here.

All through the winter, I read about bees and beekeeping and realized how ignorant I was. I also got really fascinated with the whole thing. Finally, yesterday, I picked up the parts to build my hives and got a smoker. I will get the rest of the equipment when the bees come.

Apparently, that a smoker is one of the most important tools in beekeeping. Until yesterday, I had only seen pictures, but did not really have any idea of how get it going and why it helped handling the bees.

Here is what it looks like.

I just found out that the reason beekeepers smoke the bees before handling the hive is because the bees think smoke means fire, fire means that they might have to leave the hive and so they gorge on honey in case they have to go...which makes them a bit more mellow and takes their minds of the beekeeper's presence.

But there is smoke and smoke! The smoke must be thick but yet cannot be too hot or it will singe the bees wings and it has to last long enough to do whatever needs to be done in the hive. The gentleman I got the material from is also teaching a class at our local extension office. He is quite an experienced beekeeper and is very knowledgeable. His advice: practice with the smoker way ahead of the time of getting the bees (which will be around mid-April). So guess what I just? I tried the smoker. I managed to light a fire with packed dry leaves and put some wet leaves on top to cool the fire and make more smoke. It took a few tries but that worked....however, if I had been doing something with the hive, I would have been in trouble because my fire ran out way too soon!

Guess I will have to practice some more!

Backroad Studio Tour

2010-11-06T07:37:00.004-04:00

Looking for something to do after Thanksgiving? Then go on the Backroad Studio Tour in Columbus, North Carolina on November 27, 2010. My studio will be opened from 9 am to 5 pm. I will have some of my Offering pieces, copper enamel and fabric wall pieces, fiber notecards and journals. Four other artists are part of the tour, all within a few miles of each others:
Claude Graves of Little Mountain Pottery (Kiln opening at 11 am)
BJ Precourt (folk art carving), Don Rausch (twig furniture) and Joe Cooper (metal). For more information, directions and opening hours of each studio, visit:

http://www.nc-mountains.org/events/1446-2010-11-27

For directions to my studio, email me at housefiber@hotmail.com.

Upcoming events

2010-06-17T16:16:00.003-04:00

It has been forever since I wrote anything in this blog but I did not want to miss the opportunity to inform you of a few upcoming events on my schedule:

On July 24 and 25, 2010 I will be part of the second annual open-studio tour "Art Treck" in the Tryon/Columbus/Landrum, NC/SC area. This will also coincide with an exhibit at the Upstairs Gallery in Tryon from July 23 to August 21, 2010. So if you can, come and visit me in the studio!
For more information, contact mailto:contactfrontdesk@upstairsartspace.org

On July 29, 30 and 31, 2010 I will be teaching again at Quiltfest in Johnson City, TN. This yearly event is organized by Tennessee Quilts in Jonesboro,TN and is lots of fun. I will be teaching an introduction to crazy quilting, a fine-hand quilting workshop and an embellished trapunto workshop. For more information, contact Tennessee Quilts at http://www.tennesseequilts.com/ or call toll-free 877 835 0935.

Finally, from August 29 to September 4, 2010, I will teach at Arrowmont in Galtinburg, TN: my workshop is called "Hand-quilting: old technique, new possibilities". It is mostly for art quilters or people making contemporary work and explores ways of creating textures on various fabrics with all kinds of different threads. Lots of fun! So if you can, join us. To contact Arrowmont, http://www.arrowmont.org/ or call 865 436 5860.

Another discarded element?

2010-02-08T16:14:00.008-05:00

I keep making progress on the new box, which is a good feeling. I am very pleased with the chartreuse color of this fabric. I had only a very small piece of that. I dyed more and I think I nailed it!

Now on to the other element. Each little piece was cool but put together it looks like a "piggy round table", doesn't it? At this point, I am not sure it will stay. It would loose its piggy-ness once it is incorporated into the box but I don't know if I like the proportion of this and the other things together. I have to wait until I have all the pieces and see how they look. Since putting them together is the last thing I do, it will be easy to discard it or not or may be replace it with something else. Who knows???

more trial and error

2010-02-01T16:38:00.002-05:00

This was supposed to be part of the top of the new box. I like it but when I put it on the bottom piece, it really does not look the way I want.

So back to square one on that part. Now I am trying to figure out how I can make the top in the way the satisfies me.

In the meantime, I am sure that what I did already can be used in something else and all of that also means that I am spending time in the studio!

Patterns

2010-01-27T17:27:00.003-05:00

As each new box has a completely different shape, I have to make new patterns each time. Garment makers would probably have an advantage and a few useful tips on how a flat pattern can become a dimensional fabric piece.

As it is, I work with trial and error. I think of the shape I would like to get and draw a pattern that is along the lines I want. Because I have a hard time visualizing flat to volume, I make a muslin mock up of the first pattern. I know it will not be what I want but from that, it becomes a lot easier for me to see how I need to alter the pattern.
So this is what I did yesterday night. I drew my first pattern and make the mock up.

It was a good starting point to add more panels and change the shape. So on to step 2.

That was closer but still not quite the size (a bit too large) I needed and I also wanted a more accentuated shape. And there we are. I am pleased with this one and I think it will work well for that I want to do.

Now I need to decide the color and also what kind of fabric I want to use. I really would like to use cotton velveteen. It would look great there. The problem is that it is also a bit thicker than silk or cotton and because the shapes are small and there are many seams within a small area, that might be a problem. I guess the only way to find out is to try!

Inspiration

2010-01-25T18:41:00.005-05:00

For a number of years I have had the book called "The Impetus of Dreams", a collection of watercolor paintings by Daniel Merriam. I just love it: the jewel tones, the shapes, the content that is often most unexpected....and the details! Every time I look at the images, I discover new things. There are so many levels and layers in these paintings, both esthetically as well as conceptually.

So I was leafing through this wonderful book recently and it gave me the inspiration for my new "Offering". Of course, my box will not look like anything he painted but his art was the sparkle that started my inspiration.

This box is probably going to be quite different from the others, just because I am using colors that I do not often use, or rather that I do not use together. So that is really fun. I am also trying out new materials and techniques...a bit dangerous but fun also. So we shall see how this goes. I will certainly keep you posted!

One more things: for the past few days, I have been able to work all afternoon and into the evening in my studio. That feel sooooo good!

A medieval village

2010-01-12T05:50:00.010-05:00

I meant to add the following post and photos several days ago but things got a little hectic here. Anything new??Anyway, after we left Paris, we went to a little village called Donzenac, somewhere in the middle of France between the towns of Limoges and Brive, where one of my nieces lives.

As most old villages in France, the houses at the heart of the village are all clumped up around the church. The streets are very narrow and the medieval architecture is still visible with stone gates and houses with visible cross-beams and second floor that juts out on the street
.

Since the village is at the top of a hill, the view is beautiful, even in the middle of winter. And check out the elementary school, not medieval obviously, but a gorgeous building!

Art nouveau in Paris....

2010-01-08T20:07:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope these first few days of 2010 were great and that the rest of the year will bring you what you wish for.

I just came back from France where I spent the holiday season with my husband and my family. We stayed a couple of days in Paris and took advantage of some of the current exhibits.

At the Musee d'Orsay we saw an Art Nouveau exhibit (with an entire room and portions of rooms reconstituted with wooden panels, furniture and accessories. Breathtaking!) as well as an exhibit of Art Nouveau inspired art (some pieces were very nice, some I really did not care for but it was actually interesting to see the influence of Art Nouveau in so many contemporary ordinary things such as packaging or vinyl record covers.)

There is a lot of Art Nouveau around Paris (for example most of the metro gates in the center of the city.) So when we left the museum and walked along some of the well-known boulevards we saw several beautiful buildings, wrought iron gates and balconies, tiled house fronts, etc.

Most of the much older stone buildings in the center of the city, including Notre Dame, have been cleaned and the black grime that covered them is gone, leaving the beautiful creamy stone visible. Even on a dreary day, it was gorgeous.

This is the Louvres seen from the Seine

I spent another afternoon in Paris before I flew back home and went to see the Tiffany exhibit at the Musee du Luxembourg. It was ironic that most of the objects on display were on loan from museums or collections in the US and Canada. But what a treat that was! I had only seen photographs of Tiffany's works and had not realized how textured their surfaces are. The stained glass panels are made of layers of glass on top of each others so the surface is not smooth and the feeling of depth is incredible. I also realized that the glass is made with many different textures and techniques. There was a stained glass panel with an angel whose wings were made of rippled glass that really looked like feathers. The lamps on display, most of them designed by Clara Driscoll, were just stunning. I must add that everything was perfectly displayed and lit and it was really hard to leave the room and its brilliant colors to go back outside into the dreary winter . I cannot share any photos with you because photography was not allowed in the museum.

About surfaces...

2009-12-15T15:33:00.005-05:00

You know I have a serious addiction to books! Well, here is another one that those of you interested in textures and lines would probably love. I found about it through Irene Semanchuk, when we were both teaching at the Campbell School this fall (by the way, check Irene's work in polymer clay- http://www.good-night-irene.com . It is quite incredible!)The book is called "Surfaces, Visual research for artists, architects and designers" by Judy A. Juracek. It has hundreds of images of textures in wood, marble, stone, brick, plaster and concrete aggregates, glass, metal, tile. It also includes a CD so you can download the images directly in your computer.The same author has several other books: "Natural surfaces, visual research for artists","Soft surfaces, visual research for artists" among others. Most of these are not cheap (however it is possible to find used ones a bit cheaper) but considering the wealth of images, well worth every penny! Here are some examples from the book. (isn't Santa coming soon? So may be you still have time to add it to your wish list, that is if you have been good!)

"Iceless?"

2009-12-12T11:32:00.022-05:00

"Iceless?" is the title of the new piece in the "Offerings" series. As usual, I had some unexpected problems crop up when I was putting the last pieces together so I had to fix them but all and all, I think it works. With this one again, everything is done by hand. The embroidery on the felted outside is done with threads of different textures and thicknesses, the embroidery inside with 1 strand of embroidery floss.

I know it is difficult to get a good idea of these pieces from pictures, particularly from snapshots like mine! But at least you get a "little idea"! I feels so good to have that piece finished when it has been in progress for so long. These last few days, which I have spent mostly in the studio, have been wonderful and I am a different woman when I can do that!

"Iceless?"

Detail of the closure

When the first part of the box is opened

View from above

Close up of the embroidered trees

View of the box when the second part is opened

...and from above
Close up of the inside panel

Close up of the necklace

A wonderful present and help for a good cause

2009-12-04T20:09:00.005-05:00

If you are looking for a funny and moving book to give your friends for Christmas and at the same time contribute to a wonderful cause, consider "The ARTFUL BRA". This project, which started as a challenge issued to members of Quilters of South Carolina, the state quilting guild, was spearheaded by Sandra Baker, who at the time was president of the guild and went way beyond what Sandra had imagined. News of the exhibit spread all over the country and the guild received a number of requests to let it travel to different venues. Diane McLendon, editor at the Kansas City Star Books offered to record the project in a book: here is the write-up about the book on the Quilters of South Carolina website:

"Artful Bras ~~The Book
To raise awareness of breast cancer, 41 members of Quilters of South Carolina artfully decorated 50 bras, which became the ARTFUL BRA exhibit. After traveling the state of South Carolina for the past year, the exhibit is being presented in this delightful book – complete with the stories behind each entry, construction details and inspirations!
All proceeds from the traveling exhibit and sale of the book are donated to Best Chance Network to assist women who are without insurance or are underinsured and have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer and undergoing treatment.
Price is $24.95 plus $4.05 first class
USPS shipping and handling."

To order the book, go to the website and follow the link:

http://www.quiltersofsc.org/

"Look at Them Ther's Watermellons" by Bev Buchanan

"Sports Bra" by Angela W. Faulkenberry

progress report

2009-11-30T18:07:00.006-05:00

I have managed to spend a little time every afternoon in the studio and so my box is progressing. I have glued the panels on the base and this afternoon stitched them. The only way to do that is with a curved needle. It took me a while to learn how to use it! By now, I have done it enough that it goes fairly well...but it can be aggravating sometimes!

I am now reaching the point where I am putting all the elements together. It is tricky because I really have to pay attention and not mess the order or I will have major problems! I am also finding out what works, what does not and I need to find out how to fix it!

Julie Blondin: a talented young artist

2009-11-29T12:26:00.010-05:00

I am privileged to come from a family of artistic people and the new generation carries on the gene: one of these young people, my niece Julie Blondin, is a very talented painter. Like many (young) people, she has to work a day job to pay the bills, which does not leave all that much time for her art. That might be the reason why her paintings are usually fairly small. She paints attractive imaginary pictures but portraits are definitely her forte. What I really love about her work is that, even though the portraits are realistic enough that her models are immediately recognisable, she has developed a very personal style and through her choices of colors and lines her paintings are very modern. She also manages to carry out the mischievous look of a child or the personality of her model, which is not an easy task and shows her keen sensitivity. Julie paints members of her family (her niece and nephews at different ages in particular) from photographs. She also works on commission . Interested in an original portrait? let me know and I will put you in touch!

Folk Art Center

2009-11-28T06:46:00.002-05:00

I spent the day at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC, yesterday "demoing" embroidery. It was fun to talk to people from all over the country who were visiting family and friends for the holiday weekend. I had another wonderful conversation with another fiber artist, Ellen Guerrant and her husband. It was nice to finally meet her. She lives in Charlotte and I had heard about her work for quite a long time but we had never connected. Check out her blog: http://ellenguerrant.blogspot.com.

Progress

2009-11-20T18:51:00.005-05:00

I have spent the last 2 days in the studio and I am intending to spend the next 2 in the same place! I did need this to keep my sanity. So, that also means that I have made some progress on my box (finally!) and I am beginning to put things together. This afternoon, I had to figure out some hinges and I am thrilled. I found out that by using gray non-woven stabilizer and rust Lumiere paint,

then adding a coat of polyurethane on top, I end up with something that really looks like old metal and blends perfectly with the panels.

The last thing I want is for the hinges to be obvious...so I am pleased.

Focus meeting

2009-11-18T15:15:00.005-05:00

Focus, the fiber art group I belong to, met at my house this morning. For the first time in a long time, we all could make it and it was nice to see everybody. Since I had not been able to go to any meeting in such a long time, it was very nice to catch up. As always, it is so motivating to see what everybody is doing and how they are doing it. We welcomed a new member, Judy Heyward, and she showed us some of her work, which is fabulous!

Both Marilyn and Judy Simmons took pictures, so check them out on their blogs:
http://www.judysimmonsfiberart.blogspot.com/ and http://www.marilynhwall.blogspot.com/
They both take great pictures!

Studio time

2009-11-17T15:13:00.004-05:00

I gave myself Sunday afternoon to spend in the studio regardless of how much (other) work I still had to do....and it was wonderful! I felt so energized even after just a few hours. I am really very unhappy if I cannot spend any time creatively. So I did make a little progress on my new box, which was started....many months ago! I can start gluing some of the finished panels on the shapes. These panels (photos below) are for the outside of the box and are made of wool roving needle felted into wool fabric (with lots of texture) then embroidered and embellished. The little blue thing is actually a little stone I collected on the beach in France and it is more gray and less blue than it shows on the picture.
The colors of the photo above are more accurate, those on the close up picture below are not.

I have also decided not to include any pop up elements in this box. The shape of the box is already fairly complex and I just feel that it would take me a lot of thinking and experimenting, for which I do not have the mental energy and freedom or the time right now. I want to finish this project, which has been in progress far too long. BUT I will definitely use the pop up idea in another one!

Lark books contest

2009-11-11T11:22:00.003-05:00

My blog has been quite silent lately. That's because I have not been able to work in the studio at all, I feel that my creativity is all dried-up, and I have nothing new to share with you. Sad!!!

One thing I would like to pass along: the following contest announcement from Lark Books. Check it out.

"W’re very excited to announce an online Quilt It! Contest running from October 15 to January 5. The contest will be open to the public and invites crafters to create and submit a photo of a quilt. And there’s a cool catch: the quilt has to be made with 3 of 5 elements-birds, mountains, silver, recycled materials, and paper. Sound like a fun challenge? We hope so! Read more about it here http://www.larkbooks.com/crafts/quilt-it-contest"

Fiber Fun at the Campbell school

2009-11-03T17:05:00.025-05:00

The class I was teaching at the Campbell school is called Fiber Fun: and yes, it is just what the title says, playing with fibers and different materials in ways that can only be succesful! So no stress and just a chance to experiment with techniques and products that we may not otherwise take the time to try out. I had a wonderful group of students, very enthousiastic and creative, ready to try everything and see where they could take it. The class was not about working on a project but more making samples of the different things but most students did put a few of those techniques together into small sampler or decorative pieces. As a teacher, I get such a thrill when I spend a week with a group of people that generate so much interaction, exchange and emulation.

Here are some of the things these ladies did:

A technique sampler (left) and a small "magic cloth" with wool and free motion stitching by Audra C.

Magic cloth, foiling, real leaves by Diane B. (left)

Layering of different material, in progress by Donna H.

Jenna C. made a smaple book. Y0u can see some of her pages above.

And this is a "magic cloth" done by Karen N. (above right)

Martha H. did the small collage left and Sandy K. the technique sampler on the right.

A collage/sampler made by Sharon M. (left) and another by Trish S. (right).

And a photo of the quilting studio and everyone hard at work:

And our dyed silk roving drying outside:

Many other samples were produced during the week and I hope the class will lead to many wonderful projects!

At the Cambpell School

2009-11-03T16:33:00.012-05:00

The weather last week was not always great but the drive to the Campbell school was just gorgeous, with the sun shining on the colorful leaves. I just wanted to stop just about every few miles to take pictures...unfortunately there were not that many places to stop! Here are some of those images, as well as some views of the parts of the school ground. Now, can you dream of a most peaceful and beautiful setting to spend a creative week?

And here are some of the views from the school:

This is the view from the back of the fiber studio! It was a foggy morning as you can see.

And this is part of the school vegetable garden...and a faithful scarecrow keeping watch!

For those of you who may not know what the John C Campbell Folk School is, let me tell you quickly: it is a place in the most western point of North Carolina, in the mountains, where you can spend an entire week learning things from painting to knitting, weaving, dyeing, basket making, blacksmithing, woodworking and turning, music playing, cooking, stone wall building.... the catalog is quite thick and the classes many and varied.

The atmosphere is also conducive to creativity since every one can visit the other studios and see what is being taught and what other students are doing. Besides class time, lots of activities can keep you busy from before breakfast to after dinner if you wish. As for the food....yum! Why don't you check them out at www.folkschool.org.

Paul Gaugin

2009-10-24T16:11:00.002-04:00

I happened to watch a movie about Paul Gaugin's life on Ovation TV yesterday night. It was quite good and I realized that although I could recognize some of his paintings and I knew he had spent time in Tahiti, I really did not know much about his life. One thing was clear from the movie is that he had a comfortable life and loving family and gave it all up in order to be able to keep painting. His life sounded actually very sad and he died poor and alone. It is amazing that even with all this hardship and sadness, his paintings are so vibrant. In any case, the movie made me want to learn more about him and his work.

More wire wrapping

2009-09-28T16:35:00.012-04:00

Even though I did not really have the time, I took another wire wrapping class this weekend, from Sonia Arnold, a jeweller who lives in my area. It was really a great class and I feel that little by little I am learning about this wire and metal thing! Even though my goal is not ultimately to use these techniques for jewellery, I do enjoy making it! Now I have some ideas for closures for my new Offering that I think I can implement... if I ever get to work on it!

Speaking of which, thanks to Carol Sloan who recommended Robert Saluda's website, I found a book (The Elements of Pop-Up by David Carter and James Diaz) with all the info I need for pop up construction techniques. I had visited that website but for some reason had missed the bibliography page! I think pop ups in fabrics have so much potential! I can't wait to play with it.

art all around

2009-09-14T18:51:00.010-04:00

It seems that I can get out of the studio but the studio never leaves my mind! While we were in Canada this past week, I we were surrounded by beautiful colors: chartreuse lichen, turquoise lakes and deep green moss...not to mention wonderful textures of rocks, stumps and driftwood! I certainly added to my collection of photos , some of which may one day find their way into my work in one form or another. Here are some of these pictures:

We started our hikes early in the morning, so for a couple of hours, we had the trails pretty much to ourselves. When we were at Moraine Lake, the place where the stream comes down from the glacier to feed the lake felt like a very special place, a place where I could sit for hours and soak up the peace.

Pop up books...pop up "Offerings"?

2009-09-03T07:27:00.007-04:00

I am fascinated by pop up books. I remember those I had in my childhood and the magic they held for me. I had not thought about them in many, many years, but for some reason the idea popped up (ha ha ha!) in my head recently. I keep thinking that there has to be a way to create a pop up design in fabric and combine it with one of my "Offerings".

So I went to the children section at the store and bought a pop up book (I wish I knew what happened to the ones I had a long time ago) and spent many hours looking. It is one of those things where the concept is easy to understand, when I look at one page that pops up, I think "Oh, no problem, that's easy" and the mechanics of the whole thing seem logic and simple enough...

Well, think again! I tried cutting out some basic shapes in paper just to understand the folds and angles of the thing. And unfortunately my brain does not do well with that kind of logic! It is a good thing I recycle my computer paper and use it as scrap paper, because I did use a lot of it that way and my studio was covered with little bits of paper as if a blizzard had suddenly come through. I did end up with sort of a mock up, but I am not satisfied. I was not even trying to cut out a design that would fit in the box I am working on or be compatible with its shape.

I wish my brain would let me visualise how I need to fold and cut the "base" or "anchor" piece so that when it is pulled opened the other part of the design opens up, and does that in the right direction! I have a hard time just duplicating what I see! I am quite stubborn and I will play with this until I find a way to make it work. I am not worried about translating the design into fabrics, I think it will actually be the easiest part. But first, I need to solve the basic mechanics. Anybody knows a good reference book or article on pop up designs? I need all the help I can get!....

But then again, even though on some level it is a bit frustrating, it is so much fun and I love it when I can prove to my brain that I can do it!!!

Studio time

2009-08-21T22:02:00.004-04:00

I finally gave myself half a day in the studio. I don't care what else I needed to do (and may be I will regret it tomorrow) but it was essential for me to work on what I love, at least for a little while. I was building the structure for the bottom of my new Offering. It took me about 3 hours and when I put the pieces together, I realized that one of them was not oriented right. So I had to start over, which usually would have made me mad. However, the mistake did not even upset me because it had after all been a creative afternoon in the studio.

Olafur Eliasson

2009-08-05T19:14:00.007-04:00

My son Eric and I were in Chicago over the weekend for a family wedding. We took advantage of being there to do a few touristy things. Among those, we took an architectural boat tour. We floated on the river between these incredibly tall and towering buildings. The guide was quite interesting and very informative. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of very modern structures and materials and early 1900's buildings. What tickles me too is that apparently one of the "hottest" current architects in Chicago at the moment is a woman!

We also went to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Installations by Olafur Eliasson were one of the special exhibits. It was just fabulous! Shapes, very complex ones, combined with mirrors, colors and light, and we found ourselves in the middle of kaleidoscope-like structures, one spherical, one like a passageway. Some of the shape models were also on display, complicated "weavings" of copper wires made the most interesting shapes. For my currently "box"-oriented mind, this was really fascinating. Both Eric and I loved the way we were actually immersed in the artwork, walking in a bright orange-lit hallway that made us look gray, in a black room with an illuminated spray of water creating a curtain from the ceiling to a circular "room", with a wall which colors were constantly changing within the color spectrum. These are just a few highlights of the exhibits. We both enjoyed how colors, shapes and lights changed our perception of space.

I could not find any images of Oliason's work on line but you can see a couple of pieces on the Museum website:
http://www.mcachicago.org/, then go to current exhibits, Olafur Eliasson.

Amazing fiber art

2009-07-21T12:48:00.005-04:00

I did not have a lot of time at the Fair to visit many booths but there were a few people whose work I definitely wanted to see again. One fiber artist in particular, Vicki Essig. Her work is extremely original and beautifully done. At the Fair each small weaving, caught in an opening cut in white mat board is held between glass and framed in a sleek shadow box made of dark wood , which really enhances the fiber. Because there is nothing but space behind the weaving, its transparency is very obvious.

If white symbolizes purity, it certainly is a fitting color here. The incredibly thin silk filament are woven into a gossamer fabric, which provides a canvas for other symbolic and visual elements. I find that each piece can pull me into an almost meditative state. The fiber trapped in glass looks like it could blow away at any moment. So much movement in complete stillness.

One of her piece would not get out of my mind...and I took it as a sign that it needed to come home with me. It did.

The little weaving is 3" x 5" and my snapshot is far from doing it justice.

Vicki's work can be seen at Ariel Gallery in Asheville, NC.

(Ariel Craft Gallery19 Biltmore AvenueAsheville, North Carolina28801
HoursTuesday-Sunday 11-6
Phone: 828.236.2660)

Southern Highland Guild Fair

2009-07-20T15:09:00.008-04:00

After a teaching a workshop to a great group of ladies in Hendersonville, NC on Friday, I spent Saturday and Sunday demonstrating silk paper making and embellishments at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Fair at the Civic Center in Asheville, NC.

Many people walked by, asked questions and seemed really interested in learning more about silk paper. I think several of them are going to try it and I think that is wonderful. I also had a chance, although very little time, to see some of my friends and people I know and whose work I love (actually every artist at the Fair shows incredible work). I visited my friend Judy Simmon's booth (I am sorry that my pictures are a bit blurry and do not do justice to her beautiful booth), the J.C. Campbell Folk School booth (always a treat), one of my most favorite bead artist, Amolia Willowsong's booth. I think her jewellery is some of the most delicate, refined and tasteful that I have ever seen.
Then you can see my little corner, which was home for 2 days.

The next Southern Highland Guild Fair will be from October 15 to 18, 2009 at the Civic Center in Asheville, and for the first time, I will have a booth. So I hope you will come and say hello!

(Don't worry I will remind you closer to the date!)

Judy Simmons's booth

The Campbell School's booth

Amolia Willowsong's booth

My deno booth

a new necklace

2009-07-15T12:56:00.003-04:00

Well I spent yesterday in the studio, finally and it was wonderful. I am not starting any major piece right now, although I really want to, but I know I have to have an open calendar and no other deadline to work on these. So I will wait a while. In the meantime I did finish a necklace that I had started months ago. This one does not have a "box", I had just wanted to have a necklace I could wear (when I go out in all the fancy places, ha ha ha!). Anyway, here it is.

No creativity

2009-07-09T08:05:00.002-04:00

I am still around even though I have not added any post in days...I just have had nothing to write about. I have spent the last month and a half or so working all day on the computer for other professional reasons, with no time and absolutely no energy left for studio work. It seems that my brain has been sucked dry of all creativity right now. I know it will come back and may be an "inactive" creative cycle will prove to be a good thing. Got to think positive! I am sure many of you are confronted to the same problem, basically "life getting in the way" (although I do not like that phrase). How do you cope?Do you try to read art related publications even if you actually do not do anything in your studio? Do you daydream about what you might do when you have the time and the energy again? Or make a point of spending a few minutes in the studio each day even if it is only to tidy it?

Working with wire

2009-06-22T09:43:00.006-04:00

It has been a while since I had anything to say on this blog considering that I have been glued to the computer working on translations. So, finally, on Saturday I was able to take a wire wrapping class from Charlotte Caughman at Tryon Crafts, a great craft center where I live.

I feel that learning more about working with metals will be very helpful both for my "Offerings" and for the small copper enamel/fabric pieces. It will make it easier to make much better decorative elements to add to them. A surprising fact (to me), is that the more I handle the metal, the more I am enjoying it. It is so very different from the feel of fabrics, yet I think both work so wonderfully together. In my quest for textures, having the skills to add metal elements is such an added bonus! A new addiction????....(that requires new toys!)

Here is what I made in class:

Zardozi embroidery

2009-06-04T21:04:00.002-04:00

With quite a bit of difficulty and expense, I finally got a book about zardozi embroidery, the kind of work I saw in Dubai and that blew me away. It is not easy reading but I think it will be very informative. Now, we shall see how that will come out in my own work.... the first problem will be to find where to buy the different gold threads and wires...and the money to buy them! keeps life interesting.

Finished!

2009-05-31T16:39:00.015-04:00

I am finally done with my new "Offering" titled "Keeper of Seeds"! All I have to do is finish the closure on the necklace (parts on order so I have to wait) but other than that, it is all done! Here are some snapshots (I will have it photographed on Tuesday).

Seeds here can be taken literally (there are real seeds in the glass globe inside) or figuratively. The quote, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, says "Flowers and fruits are only the beginning, in the seed lies the life and the future." The rose design is actually traced on the macro photo of a real seed pod. Right now, I am fairly pleased with the whole thing but I do have to get away from it for a while to be able to really enjoy it! (If you click on some of the images you can see a larger version)

A source of inspiration

2009-05-27T15:41:00.003-04:00

It has been a few days since I had anything to write or time to write it! As many other people, I was looking at video of Susan Boyle's latest performance at the Britains got Talent show on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLLIIb_jA9Y&NR=1). Besides being really moved by her singing, I can't help thinking what an inspiration she is for every artist. She had a goal, and even though she was very obviously ridiculed, she did not let it stop her and proved that she could indeed reach it. She also proved that there is no age limit to do what one has set their heart in doing. I am just so full of admiration for her courage and her determination. If we all only had a fraction of that!

Crazy quilt workshop

2009-05-21T12:54:00.010-04:00

Twenty ladies from the Asheville Quilting guild in NC and I had a busy day yesterday working on crazy quilting. I always think it is so exciting to see my students have fun with a new technique and get so very enthusiastic about it (hard to break for lunch!). It is also fun to watch how personalities come through in the different projects. I just hope that I emphasize enough that everyone should be doing what it is that makes them feel good and not listen to well-meaning peer pressures. It think it was one of the hardest lessons I learnt.

Here are some examples of pieced blocs at the end of the morning, so colorful and happy. Unfortunately, I cannot include images of everyone's work . (I hope I am keeping images and names straight. I apologize in advance if I make mistakes!)

Blocks by Maria Knox and Nancy Nealon

Look at those gorgeous colors!

Nancy Mathewson

And just the beginning of the embroidery:

Embroidery by Nancy Mathewson and
Peggy Tobin

Putting the pieces together

2009-05-17T15:20:00.003-04:00

For the past two or three days, I have been putting the different parts of my new "Offering" together. By now I know that these things have so many parts and require so much precision that there will be problems (I used to think that it had to go perfectly together first time around. Needles to say, I was always disappointed!) There is no way around the fitting problems and realizing that lets me keep all my energy (that I would have spent moaning) to find solutions. Another thing too is that if a solution does not come right away, I don't force it. I do something else, work on another part and eventually I will have a "ha ha moment". I think learning to be patient when I work and accepting my limitations is the hardest thing to do!

So this morning, I was putting the doors in the front panels...and one door was too big. Well, it is relatively easy to trim it a little: very carefully un-glue part of it, slide a strip of an old cutting board between the fabric and the cardboard and trim slowly and carefully with an exacto knife.

(By the way, if you have an old cutting board, cut it into small pieces of different sizes and shapes. They may come in handy!)

That done, I saw that the opening for the next door was not cut right and I had some gaps. That is a lot harder to fix! But I must say, I did not freak out, just thought about it for a while and managed to remedy the problem. Pat, pat , pat on my back!

One more thing, I take lots of short breaks (check emails, eat a snack, take the dog out...). I cannot concentrate so intensely for a long uninterrupted period and I find that rather than breaking my concentration, the short breaks keep me very focused.

Why I am writing all this? Just to share my experiences in the studio and what I learnt from them. May be some of it will help you too!

"Turner to Cezanne" exhibit

2009-05-14T08:48:00.002-04:00

My friend artist Pat Kilburg and I went to Columbia, SC, yesterday to see the Turner to Cezanne exhibit at the Museum of Art. The exhibit is there until June 7, 2009 and then will travel to 3 other cities (I don't know which, but I am sure the Museum would know - 803.799.2810.) The works are from the Davies collection, two sisters that collected 19th and 20th century paintings. They appreciated a style that was not yet truly accepted in the art world at the time and the National Museum of Wales is loaning part of their collection for us to enjoy. The exhibit also includes works by Corot, van Gogh, Manet, Monet...to name just a few. Both Pat and I really loved two paintings by Corot in particular, which give out a wonderful feeling of light and peace. If you have a chance to see the exhibit, do it! For more information about about tickets, opening hours, etc., visit: http://www.columbiamuseum.org/visit/FAQs.php

Opening of the exhibit ECO-ART: Artists Respond – Reclaim, Reuse, Recreate.”

2009-05-09T05:37:00.002-04:00

My friend Nancy and I went to the opening of the exhibit ECO:ART at the Hand in Hand gallery in Hendersonville yesterday night. It was a wonderful evening (the thunderstorms had come and gone by then) and the opening was really very well attended. Many of the artists were there, which is always fun. I thought the exhibit was beautiful, original and interesting and there were a number of pieces I would I have liked to take home with me. Even though the theme of the exhibit is a serious one, I did not think the message was overwhelming, as it often is when this subject is broached, and to me, the "lighter tone" made the exhibit even more pleasant. This is what the gallery said about it:
This “green” art exhibition will explore the artist’s response to the world and times in which we live. As creative alchemists, they work daily to transform materials and elements into something beautiful, useful and meaningful. Few artists still mine ore as the first step in forming a gold pendant, dig a riverbank of clay for a pottery mug, or harvest trees for a rocking chair. However, every artist develops sources for their material needs and the inspiration for their creations within the context of their own world. An increased awareness of our impact on the limited resources of our earth home redefine our daily lives, so too, it must affect our creativity."

If you are going to be in Flat Rock or in the Hendersonville area, stop by the gallery. This exhibit is on until July 5.
Hand in Hand Gallery is located at 2720 Greenville Highway (Highway 225) along Flat Rock’s Little Rainbow Row. For more information, call 828-697-7719 or visit www.handinhandgallery.com.

Amazing architecture

2009-05-07T09:38:00.021-04:00

One more thing I want to share about my trip to Dubai: the architecture. I am sorry that we did not have the time or the possibility to really explore the new buildings. Some of those high-rise buildings are amazing and so many more are being built. We were told that in 1978, there was only a single high-rise building in the city! Things have certainly changed fast. What I liked about some of them is that, although the architects are working with very contemporary styles, they incorporated some of the traditional decorative elements. Of course, some of these constructions, like some shopping malls, are quite out there, with indoor sky slope and attraction park.

The tallest building in the world. Impressive but I don't see it as beautiful.

A very fancy hotel on the beach.

More skyscrapers

Modern buildings with traditional elements

I was glad to see that amid all the new style of construction, the government of Dubai has made a point to restore an entire block of the city in the traditional style of the region. This was actually where our hotel was:

A very clever "air-conditioning" system" a wind tower

Close to where we were staying, we discovered this beautiful mosque, covered in tiles:

Gold Jewelrry in Dubai

2009-05-03T14:29:00.010-04:00

I talked about the gold embroidery I saw in Dubai in my last post and while we are on the subject of gold, here is something else that was really incredible. Dubai has a gold souk (market) and there are over 300 stores next to each others that sell gold jewelry. It is also known as the city of gold and there are many other jewelry stores all over the city. From what I gathered from our guide, most of the filigree jewelry is from India and is traditionally associated with brides and marriage. The price depends on the course of gold at the stock markets so it varies. Haggling is also expected from potential customers. The work is so intricate is looks almost like embroidery. My photos are not very good but at the bottom of this post is a link I found on line that has better images to give you an idea of what we saw.

These images are from shop windows in town.

Yes, that's me drooling!

The brown archway with the red neon sign (course of gold of the day) is the entrance to the gold souk. And no, my shopping bag is not filled with gold!

That is inside the gold souk.

And this is John, my husband, patiently waiting while I look! Actually, he was as much in awe as I was.

http://www.shahji.com/indian-jewelry-heavy-necklace-sets.aspx

Gold embroidery from India

2009-04-30T10:20:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I was really blown away by some the "bejeweled carpets". The fabric, often velvet, underneath is barely visible, only a bit on the borders, the rest of the surface is covered with embroidery and semi-precious stones. In the Islamic Art Centre brochure, they are called "bejeweled carpets" but my search with that name did not lead me very far. I finally found out that the technique is called "zardozi". At the Centre, most of the pieces were of small/medium size (approx. 2' x 3' and a bit larger) but there were a few that were really carpet size. Now, just picture yourself in a very large room, very high ceilings, white walls, wood floors and these pieces are hung on the wall and perfectly lit. It takes your breath away (at least it did mine).

Look at the video from this link
http://www.indiavideo.org/uttarpradesh/news/zardozi-embroidery-2563.php.

The pictures are not always clear and the lighting is poor but you can get a glimpse of what I am talking about. The image I add here is from the Islamic Art Centre brochure but it does not even begin to show the beauty of these things.

Arshid, our host at the Islamic Art Centre, said that these were family affairs: one person transfers the designs on the fabric (and from my quick research, I have the feeling the designs are actually stampted), another sets the stones, and others do the actual embroidery.

On my way to learn more about them! I cannot die until I am at least 150 because there is still so much I want to know about!

Islamic Art Center

2009-04-29T05:38:00.009-04:00

Many things in Dubai were fascinating but one of the highlights of my trip was our visit to the Miraj Islamic Art Center. I could not take photos there but click on the link below to see some images and a write up. (you need to left-click on the page to make it big enough to read).
http://issuu.com/kalimat_group/docs/ta_dec_008/48 .

Unfortunately, the center does not have a website.
The following description from another newspaper article is pretty adequate:
"Miraj Islamic Art Centre is a unique blend: a museum, showroom and a showcase for creative art forms from the world of Islam. Miraj takes the best creative art forms of last 500 years and combines them with cutting-edge design and techniques to make objects d’art for today’s lifestyle.Miraj Islamic Art Centre is a cornucopia of decorative splendours of the bygone era."

I have truly never seen work of this quality of refinement and workmanship. Although one of their major goals is to sell the artwork, there is no pressure on the visitors. A young man from Kashmir took us around the showrooms and explained to us the various techniques and objects. If you look at the photos on the link above, you may get a little idea of what it was like, but no words can come close to help me share the experience. Needless to say, because of the quality of the objects, the prices were way beyond our means, but as an artist myself, I had no problem understanding why. One of the art forms that really fascinated me the most, and unfortunately it is neither mentioned nor photographed in the magazine article, was bejewelled carpets. I must humbly admit that I did not know anything about them and I no idea there was such a thing. There were a few rooms filled with them. They are not to put on the floor but are used as wall-hanging. I am still completely in awe. I am searching the web to find out more information and hopefully images before I tell you more about them and I will try to add more about my trip within the next few days....so keep in touch!

Back to the studio

2009-04-28T12:21:00.002-04:00

As you can see, I am back from my trip to Dubai. It was very short but wonderful. I am waiting for my suitcase to arrive (which should be this afternoon) so that I can get my documents and share some of the things I have seen with you.

Fundraising event with fiber art exhibit

2009-04-28T12:13:00.002-04:00

Salon Blue Ridge in Hendersonville "is your complete source for kitchen and bath products and innovative design". They are hosting a fundraising party on Friday, May 1, from 5 to 8 pm to benefit the Free Clinics in Hendersonville. There will be wonderful food, wine in the beautiful show rooms, which will also be the set for an exhibit of fiber art, pottery (Claude Graves) and woodwork (Bob Precourt). Tickets for the event are $60 per person and can be purchased by calling The Free Clinics at 828 697 8422. The Free Clinics offer medical attention to people who would otherwise would not get any. To find out more about this non-profit organisation, visit http://www.thefreeclinics.org/.
Go to www.salonblueridge.com to see the beautiful things they offer for your house. Even if you cannot come to the event on Friday, the exhibit will be on until July 10 and everyone is welcome to stop by.
One last note, three of my "Offerings" are part of the exhibit and it is the first time they can be seen in this area.

Call for entry for fiber artists

2009-04-19T08:01:00.002-04:00

Wendy Outland (WHO KNOWS ART - Consultant to Visual Artists & Arts
www.whoknowsart.biz) just forwarded the following call for entry. If you know anyone else interested in submitting work, please forward the information:

Below is a Call for Entries for our upcoming book: 1000 Artisan Textiles All the information can also be found at this website, where downloadable files are also available:
www.1000artisantextiles.com
Please forward this information on to any fiber artists, quilters, felters, and weavers you know. Feel it free to post it to your blogs or websites if you wish.

Thanks so much for helping us get the word out.
Best Wishes,

Mary Ann Hall
Executive Editor
Rockport Publishers/Quarry Books Quayside Publishing Group

Art with sand

2009-04-16T21:28:00.003-04:00

A friend send me the following video a few days ago. Well worth looking at it!

Nuno felting

2009-04-13T10:22:00.010-04:00

My friend Nancy Bruce had talked about nuno felting for a long time and had shown me some wonderful pieces she had made with the technique. This past Saturday, she very graciously shared it with some of us, Judy Simmons, Mari Stori, Patsy Thompson and myself. We met at Judy's and even though the weather did not cooperate, we had a wonderful time.

The technique is based on felting roving though thin fabrics, so that the felt is permanently attached without stitching and creates designs. It is possible to get wonderful textures (of course, that would be what I am particularly interested in!) because the wool roving shrinks as it felts and gathers the surrounding fabric free of roving. It does involved quite a bit of work and some elbow grease but the result is so cool! I am always so thrilled to learn something new, and
there is no fear that I will ever run out of things to learn. Here are some images from our day

The roving is laid out on the fabric with bubble wrap underneath,

then lots of work and manipulations are necessary to get to the end result.
Of course now, I will have to add some kind of embellishment and beads!

Look how the silk fabric is gathered by the felted wool on Judy's scarf.
Check out Judy's blog (Windyhill happenings) and Mary's (The inside Stori), both on my blog list, to see more images of what we did and of Nancy's gorgeous work. My camera did not fully cooperate and the colors of their images are truer than mine.

A useful tip

2009-04-05T09:41:00.002-04:00

I am back home after teaching at the Campbell School. It was a very nice week, with a small class but very enthusiastic and creative students. It makes such a difference when there is good positive energy between everyone.

Before I left, I had prepared things to work on and discovered something quite useful. You may know this and I am not sure why I had not thought of it before, but here it is:
when you write on fabric, you are supposed to stabilize it with something (freezer paper or masking tape) so that it does not stretch under you pen. However, if you are tracing a design or letters, the freezer paper or masking tape makes it impossible to see. I had to trace some very delicate letters written in calligraphy so it was very important that I traced them accurately. And all of the sudden, it donned on me that I could use transparent packing tape instead of masking tape. That would stabilize the fabric but yet be perfectly transparent to do the tracing. Duh! Wish I had thought of that a long time ago!

Fiber artists blogs

2009-03-28T08:10:00.003-04:00

I found out that I have two friends who started a blog within the last half year. They are both fiber artists who belong to the Focus group with me (http://www.focusfabricart.org/) and both do wonderful work:
Judy Simmons, http://www.judysimmonsfiberart.blogspot.com/ "Windy Hill Happenings"
Marilyn Wall, http://www.marilynhwall.blogspot.com/ "Fabricating Nature"
Check them out!
And now, I am off packing to teach at the Campbell school again. This time, I am teaching my new class "Hand quilting: old technique, new possibilities" and I am quite excited about it.

Second necklace

2009-03-26T15:57:00.004-04:00

When I designed the last finished"Offerings", I did it with the intention of hanging the necklace from the ceiling, so that it would be seen suspended when the doors are opened. I worked really hard on that necklace, made sure that it was not too long, but when it was all done, I realized that because of its shape, not hang well. So, I changed the plans and display it on the bottom of the piece. It works but it is not what I intended.

When I showed the piece to a group I meet with every few months, one of the members asked, it I would consider making another necklace to fit in the box as I had originally planed. The idea had not even crossed my mind! In retrospect, of course, it seems like the thing to do. But when I discovered the problem, possibly because I had worked so hard, I did not even consider that option. Strange how the mind works....or does not work!

My friend's comment made so much sense that I decided that I would indeed make a new necklace. I asked glass artist Teresa Brittain from TN to make a large blue tear-shaped bead and I am beading that. It is far from being done and it is probably as challenging as the other necklace ("weave 3 beads and take 2 out" kind of thing!) but I am enjoying it nonetheless and so far am pleased with the results. There are still a number of problems I need to solve...but hey, that's for tomorrow.

Beadwork for new Offering

2009-03-21T14:40:00.004-04:00

In order not to get bored with one thing, I try to work on different parts of each piece in turns. I may work on the necklace during the day because it is easier in daylight and at my desk and work on the embroidery at night. Sometimes, it feels a bit stressful because I have all these parts in progress and nothing really done, but in the long run, it really keeps my interest alive.

So most of the last few days, I have been working on beading the necklace for my new "Offering" piece. I don't think I have mentioned what the concept for this one is. It is called "Keeper of Seeds" and is a reminder how precious seeds are, whether real plant seeds, or metaphorical seeds in our thinking, creativity, etc. The "rose window" design is actually based on a macro photo of a seed pod. I traced the main lines of the photographed pod and shrunk the tracing to the size I need. So, even if no one knows and if it is not obvious, the concept of seed is really an integral part of my design. The freeze below the rose window is also based on a seed pod. (See my post from February 13 to see images of the drawing).

So back to my necklace, I took the rose window design and combined several copies of it to get to the necklace shape I wanted. This part is embroidered on fabric. The rest of the necklace (cord part) will be beaded in a different way. I am pretty excited too because I figured out how to use some of the cut stones that my husband had sent a few weeks ago from Afghanistan.

Dresses out of paper

2009-03-18T11:22:00.002-04:00

I just had to translate an article about an exhibit at the Musée des Tissus (Fabric Museum) in Lyon France. This exhibit called "Rêves de papier" (Dreams in paper) is on until May 4, 2009 and showcases the work of Isabelle De Borchgrave. She is a Belgian artist and she probably would be mostly known in the US for her designs called "Isabelle Parties", which are a series of designs on party plates and paper ware distributed by Target. However, the exhibit is about a series of dresses....all made out of paper. Although she has made paper dresses and outfits representing many different periods and countries, her influence for this exhibit is the work of Mariano Fortuny, whose work I love too. I am quite taken with the idea of using paper as a material, and she is a master! So check out her website, you won't believe it is paper!

http://www.isabelledeborchgrave.com/new_site/en/index.cfm.

If you are interested in Fortuny, go to http://www.fortuny.com/. His paintings, photographs, fabrics and dresses are fabulous.

And if you happen to be in France and near Lyon before the end of May, you can find more about the museum at http://www.musee-des-tissus.com/en/01_00_set.html

Center for Craft Creativity and Design

2009-03-12T08:56:00.003-04:00

I took the afternoon off yesterday, which was very nice after several stressful weeks, and among other things went to the Center for Craft Creativity and Design in Hendersonville.
Here is the link to their website if you want more information: http://www.craftcreativitydesign.org

The current exhibit, Soul's Journey: Inside the Creative Process, is quite interesting. A number of media are represented (wood, glass, fiber, clay, metal...) I knew some of the artists, some others I did not. All the work was inspiring but of course I had my favorites and I came home quite energized and happy to have learnt about several artists that I did not know before.

The Center also presents a video of some of the artists working. I think the total video lasts 2 hours, so I watched only part of it about Michael Sherrill, who leaves in Hendersonville. It was a treat not only to see his work progress, but to hear his thoughts about what he does and how he works with metal, clay and class and uses all three in his pieces.

This exhibit is on until April 24, 2009 and if you live in Western North Carolina or are travelling through, it is worth the visit.

Near disaster

2009-03-10T12:50:00.004-04:00

My planets must not be aligned right lately because I have had more bad things happen! I have been working (not as much as I would like) on my newest piece and was trying to put some Fray Check at the end of a gold braid to prevent it from fraying before I finished couching it down. I know to be very careful with Fray Check...but lo and behold, next thing I know there is a big (really big) blog of Fray Check on the panel that is almost done (saved for that little bit of braid to finish sewing). Panic? yes, I rushed to the faucet and splashed the whole thing with water so that the stuff would not sink in the fabric and be impossible to remove. It worked mostly and I was able to peal most of it off. I only have to redo a small part of the blue embroidery.

At least now, I know these panels are washable!

But does this happen only to me? It seems that with just about every single project I do something like that.

Here is the panel that needs to be fixed.

And here is another finished panel.

A different kind of art

2009-03-04T16:36:00.005-05:00

Some days ago, my son David came down to the studio and said he had a question for me: would I help him simplify and modify a design that he wanted to have tattooed on his arm. Now you have to understand to when they were small, I always told my sons that I did not mind earrings, long hair but please no tattoo. When he became a young adult, David decided that he did want a tattoo. In the end, that is fine with me. When I think of it, body art has been used for hundreds of years all over the world, often carrying some kind of meaning. I think I am getting over the stigma that tattoos had when I grew up and can look at them, at least some of them, with an appreciation for lines and design. So, I said yes. I was really very flattered that David would ask me and I was happy to work on the design with him. It was fun. He had chosen a very stylised wolf head and we had to simplify some of the internal lines and work something out for the bottom of the design, which was flat in the original version. So here it is, on the arm of my beautiful son.

Exhibit at the Sautee Nacoochee Center

2009-03-02T08:32:00.008-05:00

My friend Marilyn Wall, who belongs as I do to the group Focus Fabric Art, and I were both guest artists at the Fiber Soup Group exhibit, which is taking place at the Sautee Nacoochee Center in GA until the beginning of April. The opening was Saturday evening and Marilyn and I were at the center "demoing" our techniques in the afternoon. It is quite a nice exhibit and a number of people came through. I am impressed with how active this art center seems to be.

The day before was "play day" and one of my friends from GA had invited her group of friends to her studio and we had a "stitching" day. I showed them some of the techniques from my new class (hand quilting: old technique, new possibilities) and I think they enjoyed it. I did.
It was very nice to spend a few days with friends who have the same passion, particularly after a very stressful week.

Play day with friends

Part of the exhibit

Marilyn showing her fabric painting technique

Marilyn (leff) and I in front of our work

Weekend workshop

2009-02-23T14:20:00.003-05:00

As I work on my "Offerings" and have to solve more and more technical problems, I realize how many different skills and knowledge of different media I have to have. So, I am slowly learning them one at a time. This past weekend I took a 1 1/2 day beginning silversmithing workshop at the Craft Center of my community. The instructor was Dan Haga from Charlotte, NC. We made a pair of silver earrings and two silver bracelets. The jewelry itself, although beautiful, was not my main reason for taking the workshop. I just wanted to get more familiar with working with metal and wire, learn how to manipulate and bend it and also how to solder. This was really a great start and Dan a very knowledgeable and personable instructor. I could really get addicted to this metal thing!

Colorful surprise

2009-02-18T09:02:00.005-05:00

My husband is in Afghanistan and once in a while, he gets to visit a bazaar. Since he knows I love beads, stones and jewels, he is always on the lookout for things that I may be able to use in my work. Yesterday, I got a box in the mail and in that box, the most colorful surprise. I felt that I had plundered Ali Baba's cavern.

Aren't these colors beautiful? Particularly on a rainy day like today, I could just sit there and look at the sparkly colors all day. My mind is racing and trying to figure out how I can use the stones in my next project.

Interesting form of tapestry

2009-02-17T09:20:00.003-05:00

My sister just sent me the link to a video shown during a news program in France on February 10. It is about a tapestry artist that makes jewelry with what he weaves. But not just flat weaving since he shapes his woven strips into various forms. Even though the video is in French, just take a look at the images. It is quite interesting.
http://videos.tf1.fr/video/news/0,,4252444,00-artisanat-d-art-des-bijoux-en-tapisserie-.html
(Don't worry if the first images are not related, it takes a few seconds to get to the subject!)

Surface desing class in Saluda

2009-02-16T11:13:00.006-05:00

I had a great time on Saturday teaching a surface design workshop in Saluda, NC. The workshop was organized by Random Arts (http://www.randomartsnow.com/), a great altered art and art supplies store. If you have not been there, make sure you check it out. Jane and her associates offer all kinds of cool supplies, papers, stamps, gels, inks, paints....as well as wonderful classes. The store is also decorated by work created by customers and instructors and a real boost to your creativity.

Because 10 students could not be accommodated in the store classroom, the workshop took place at the senior center, which is a wonderful facility.

This group of people was a lot of fun and it is always wonderful to me to meet people with such different backgrounds and talents. We concentrated on creating textures with a number of different techniques and materials such as silk paper, distressing Tyvek and stabilizer to make decorative elements or beads, distressing Kunin felt, foiling and making non-woven material with soluble stabilizer. We could have gone on and on but the day went by too fast.

Here are a few pictures from the workshop:

Silk paper vessels and "Magic Cloth" created by MaryBryan Roberts

Elisabeth has just finished painting pieces of Tyvek and Lutradur

Jea Brown is experimenting with different kinds of bonding agents to attach foil to her fabric.

Doing this work is so exciting!

2009-02-13T20:27:00.003-05:00

I have built the basic structure of my new "Offerings" and I am now drawing the embroidery/quilting designs for the outside. I just love this stage of the work. It is so much fun to create a design that fits in a specific area and for a definite technique. It is also at this point that one idea feeds another one and so, I never know what is coming next!

I do use reams of tracing paper because once I have the structure or plan drawn, I draw the embroidery designs on separate pieces of tracing paper so that I can fold and trace the symmetrical parts, slide one element under it and trace it multiple times and just see how the design looks within its allotted space. Next step is thinking about color or more precisely, finding the color I am thinking of.

...to be continued!

Patchwork festival in Prague

2009-02-13T09:28:00.003-05:00

I have just received the notice announcing the 3rd Patchwork Meeting in Prague in April. If you are planing a trip to Europe and particularly to Tchekoslovakia this spring, you may want to keep the date (April 3-5) in mind and swing by. I certainly wish I could go! Check out the website for more information. There is an English version.

http://www.praguepatchworkmeeting.com/

A wonderful meeting

2009-02-12T11:24:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, I was lucky to meet tapestry artist Silvia Heyden and to listen to her comments and views about art. What a treat! This elderly lady, who studied in Switzerland in the Bauhaus tradition and with professors as famous as Johannes Itten, is filled with energy, enthusiasm and passion for her work. She stressed the connection connection between music and her work. She was so very interesting and inspiring. Check out her work at http://www.annatextiles.ch/artists/artindex/silvia/silvia.htm . I think it is just beautiful.

Such a moon!

2009-02-10T09:17:00.008-05:00

You may start to think that all I do is look at the sky! Not so, but I can't help noticing how beautiful it is and wish I could reproduce some of these colors in my artwork.

I took this picture yesterday from the car and the sky still had an unreal purple/rosy color with a pale orange moon. I took more this morning, but it was a little later and some of those gorgeous colors had already disappeared. The images don't even begin to show the size of that moon!

Colors of another country

2009-01-29T11:57:00.017-05:00

It has been several days now since I am back home but my scanner has given me troubles and I could not get the images I wanted.
Even though this last trip to my native country (France) was to visit my family and not at all work-related, I can't help keeping my eyes from seeing things from an aesthetic point of view and always have work in the back of my mind.

The city where my family now lives, Royan, was 80% or so destroyed after bombardments during the second world war. The city was then reconstructed in the early 50's in a style popular then and with a material, namely concrete, that was very much in vogue. Next to these concrete structures, there are still some of the older limestone villas (among which Emile Zola's summer house) on the beach front. Most of the older buildings in the surrounding cities and villages, a number of them dating from the roman invasion as well as XI and XII centuries, are also made of limestone. When I compare the newer buildings with the older ones, concrete versus limestone, I realize how limestone is so much warmer and softer (yes, that is what I said) that concrete. Something in the color of the stone and its texture makes it psychologically warmer to me, particularly with the gorgeous backdrop of nature. I also think the shapes of the buildings made of stones are softer that the concrete structures, which tend to be rather "blocky". I guess I miss limestone buildings here, may be because for me they are also synonymous with "home" .

(The top images are by my son, Julien House, and the bottom images are from Benezac Bommunications, http://www.bernezac.com/)

Another thing that struck me while I was waiting in one of Paris main train stations is that the crowds are "dark". Most people are wearing black or very dark clothes and when one looks at the mass of people, it is indeed a very dark mass. No colorful and vibrant crowd such as many that can be seen here. I am not sure why that is. French people do like color also. Could it just be that the dress code is more conservative? I wonder if a crowd in a southern city, let's say Marseille for example, would be as dark? An interesting thing to think about more.

Tidying the studio

2009-01-08T16:19:00.004-05:00

I am going to France for a few days to visit my family and when I go anywhere, I like to tidy the studio so that when I come back, I can start right away to work on a new project. Clutter and mess seem to really slow down my creativity and even though it is impossible to keep things tidy while working on something, I make it a point to put things away after each major project or before I go away....so here are some fairly unusual images of my studio! My tables are not often so empty.

Nature's free show

2008-12-30T17:58:00.007-05:00

Everything around us has been so negative these past few months. Just listening to the news is enough to send you in the deepest depression! May be it is time to remember that, even though times are hard and it will be difficult to find the extra cash to visit a show or buy an art book, there is a constant free exhibit around us if we care to look. I try to remind myself everyday and it seems to always improve my mood. A few days ago, I looked outside early in the morning and saw a beautiful dawn sky: just the edge of the clouds was colored. It was really very nice and I went back inside to get my camera. It did not quite capture it but is still a nice image.

Then just a few minutes ago, I was taking my dog out and a flock of birds of prey flew just overhead. The sun was very low and when these birds, which looked black against the sky, flapped their wings, the sun just caught their edges and it looked like blackbirds with golden wings. It was actually quite incredible. Unfortunately, no camera available and even so, I probably would not have gotten a good shot. But anyway, it really pays to look up or around!

New class, new samples

2008-12-29T20:09:00.004-05:00

With the new year starting in a few days, I have been thinking about the new class I will be teaching at the Campbell School in March (Hand quilting: old technique, new possibilities). I want to create new samples to illustrate different ways to work. I really would like the class to be about stitching creatively but also creating the designs and the lines to be stitched. I think it will be a lot of fun. These images are close-ups of one of the samples I have been working on. Not finished yet.

So much fun!

2008-12-23T07:15:00.006-05:00

I have been having so much fun in my studio recently that I have not wanted to do anything else, not even write a new entry for this blog! I have been making small textured enamel pieces and combining them with fabrics.

After texturing the copper and enameling it (and learning the hard way that you do not put your hand in front of the torch!), I open my drawers of hand-dyed silk and velvet pieces, pull all the fabrics out until I find those that look the best with the enamel pieces (and by then my studio looks like a tornado has been through) and then figure out how to stitch the fabric and add the enamel so that it looks nice.

Not everything is great but so far I have done a few pieces I really am pleased with. I also think it is a really good practice, both working with the metal and the enamel, and combining metal pieces and fabrics. A good reminder too that as artists, we have to produce a lot of not perfect work before we get a good piece once in a while. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the little book "Art and Fear, Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" by David Bayles and Ted Orland: "The function of the overwhelming majority of your artwork is simply to teach you how to make the small faction of your artwork that soars."

By the way, I highly recommend that book. It is wonderful reading, and particularly encouraging when you feel in the dumps.

Merry Christmas!

Artspace Gallery in Arizona

2008-12-12T07:21:00.005-05:00

I cannot believe how fast the days go by...and I have not been able to post anything in almost a month! Not that I have been idle, been teaching a lot, translating the quilting magazine and working a little in the studio. I have not started any new "Offerings" yet because I really needed to take a break after all the work and energy spent on the last one. But the new idea is beginning to boil in my head so I think I will have to start a new piece very soon. I have been playing with some little pieces involving fabrics and copper enamels and that has been lots of fun.

The highlight of these past weeks though was a quick trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, to visit the Artspace and Robert Roman Gallery, who represents my "Offerings" series. The only contact between Beverly Roman, the director of the gallery and Shirley Crane, her assistant, was by email and phone. So I felt I wanted to meet them in person and see the gallery: even though they were frantically getting ready for an exhibit opening that night, they still found time to talk to me and give me a tour of the gallery and I felt quite welcome. I love the collection of work they show in the gallery. There is a number of artists whose work is shown there whom I would love to meet because they work really touched me. The art is displayed beautifully and the space gave some very "positive" vibes, you know, when you feel good (or sometimes bad) somewhere without any rational reason for these feelings.

Anyway, I also went to the opening of the exhibit of new work by the artists working in the studios on the upper level of the gallery and it was an inspiring exhibit . So, if you ever happen to be passing through that region, the art district in downtown Scottsdale is fun and the Textures Gallery a definite place to visit.

Now, even though the Christmas season is on everybody's mind, including mine, I can't wait to get really "started" again in the studio!

New "Offering": it is finished!

2008-11-11T10:21:00.006-05:00

I just put the finishing touches to my new "Offering" , titled "Mumtaz Mahal" and I took a few quick snapshots, which I am sharing here.
In the 17th century, Mumtaz Mahal was married to Emperor Kurram as his 3rd wife and she became his favorite. When she died, he was so devastated that he had a mausoleum built for her, the Taj Mahal. I am just wondering what sort of a woman she was to inspire such a love and become the reason for the creation of one of the wonders of the world. Can you imagine?

So I made this “Offering” thinking of her and used symbols and colors found in Indian art (the red color, the tree of life, and the paisley design, to name a few). Even though the box is not a representation of the Taj Mahal, that incredible building definitely fed my imagination.

After some 240 hours of work, I feel that I have put so much effort into it that I am not sure that I still like it. I know I need to leave it alone and go away from it for a few days before I can enjoy it again!

And now, on to the next thing!

Idea folder

2008-11-09T12:07:00.003-05:00

Once in a while, I go through my old magazines (fiber, art, home decor...magazines) and tear out pages that instantly appeal to me. Then I cut the images out and put them in a binder, which I have divided in several categories: lines, shapes,textures, colors, ideas.

Obviously, often some images could be sorted in several categories so I have to make a choice. I have found it a very useful tool: first of all when I am in a "slump", I just leaf through it and most of the time an image will jump start my imagination. And it has also been quite interesting to consciously pay attention to the images that appeal to me (and conversely those that I do not like at all and do not want to cut out) and try to figure out why they appeal or do not appeal to me. It has been most interesting for example to see that I am always attracted to the same kind of color combinations, which curiously I seldom use in my own work. In any case, it is fun to create one's own image book and I think it is a useful tool, that I recommend to my students.

Back in the studio

2008-11-05T17:24:00.004-05:00

I really need to be back in the studio and finish the blue piece I have been working on for weeks. I am in the process of beading the top....and why on earth did I decide on doing that? It seems that I will never see the end of it!

Fabric and enamel

2008-11-04T14:53:00.005-05:00

I had to try it! I just wanted to play with one of the enamel pieces I did during my class and see how I could combine it with fabric to create a small image. Quite fun!

Campbell School, part 2

2008-11-02T08:08:00.012-05:00

After being the teacher, I went back last week to the Campbell School but this time as a student. Two or three years ago while I was teaching, Steve Artz , an artist from California, was teaching enameling. When I went to see what he and his students were working on, I realized that they were doing with copper and enamel almost the same thing as what we were doing in my class with fabrics and thread. I was so fascinated and in awe that I had wanted to take his class ever since...and I finally did

The class, that he co-taught with another great enamelist and teacher, Jackie Spencer, was everything I was hoping for and more. My mind is still reeling at the possibilities and I can't wait to finish what I have to do and the project I am working on to start another one incorporating enamels and fabrics. I think it is soooo exciting

Steve and Jackie were so very generous with their knowledge, creativity, time and materials. Steve had made some beautiful albums that he gave us to display what we made during the week. He had brought many of these books that he had filled in the course of time and I tell you, what a pleasure for the eyes and for the mind

So here I am sharing some of what I did in class and I hope I will have time to work with these techniques and improve my skills. If you ever want to take a great class, there it is!

Campbell School, part 1

2008-11-01T07:27:00.009-04:00

From September 16 to 25, I was teaching my "Fabric Pages ©" workshop at the John C. Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown, NC (Western-most tip of NC). If you don't know about it, the Campbell school is a wonderful place to spend 5 days and learn about all kinds of crafts, arts and traditional occupations. Classes range from blacksmith to quilting, felting, jewellery making, cooking. dulcimer playing...and building, all kinds of woodwork and pottery, painting...the list is too long to include here. Students and instructors stay on campus, have meals together in the dining hall and enjoy seeing what everyone else is doing.

This is a closed page

And this is what it looks when it is opened

So my class was about creating a sort of fabric envelope, as you can see, that includes photos transfers, embroidery, surface design and other embellishments. The 12 people in my class (which is the maximum) were an extremely creative group and the pages they created were wonderful. The quilting studio at the school is quite large, well lit and a great place to work. Here they are at work.

Our class picture at the student exhibit

On Friday, all the classes gather in the big community hall and there is a student exhibit of all the work which was produced that week. It is an amazing sight, what people can accomplish in a few days and how much creativity there is around when people let it out!

PS: If you would like to find out more about the school or ask for their catalogue, visit http://www.folkschool.org.

Also, a short "pub spot": I am teaching there again in a couple of weeks, starting on November 16 (surface design class called Fiber Fun and there is still room in the class!) and then again from March 29 to April 4, 2009 a class called "hand quilting: old technique, new possibilities". Check it out!

Nature wonders

2008-10-15T07:13:00.005-04:00

The exhibit opening at the Burton Gallery was wonderful. It was a lot of fun to visit with other artists and talk to people. Demos were staged outside and the weather could not have been kinder. Outside the studio of one of my friends, that we were visiting the next day, a huge tulip tree was shedding seed pods.

It always amazed me how beautiful the little details of nature are. And I always see them with a needle, fabric and beads in mind. On days when other things are not going too well, when all the news in the media are rather grim, I think it does help to stop for a moment, look around and be thankful to be able to see and enjoy all these riches.

Burton Gallery exhibit

2008-10-10T13:26:00.003-04:00

I am getting ready to leave to attend the opening of the 3rd annual show "The Art of Fiber" at the Burton gallery in Clarkesville, GA. I am thrilled to have been invited to be the "special guest artist" and I know that I will be in great company. So if you travel around that part of the country (until December 20) make sure to stop by, see the exhibit and all the other wonderful art in the gallery. And if you can, come on over tomorrow and join the fun!

discouraged, again

2008-10-06T13:32:00.003-04:00

I am reaching the point when, after embroidering for hours and hours, I am beginning to put things together, and this involves glue. It always makes me very nervous because one wrong movement, one drop of glue that falls in the wrong place, and the whole element is wasted. I just have to keep reminding myself that should that happen, it is only time (yeah, sure!). I also know that I cannot do this part of the work when I am tired or nervous. So today would actually not be a good day. I think I have been working on this thing too long and I am beginning to wonder if I am not wasting my time altogether. May be tomorrow will be a more upbeat day!

New book

2008-10-05T10:50:00.003-04:00

Lark Publishing has just released a new book about bead artists called "Beadweaving Masters" curated by Carol Wilcox Wells. It is a gorgeous book and I am so thrilled that the work of Amolia Willowong is included. She lives not too far from me and I have admired her work for many, many years. I love those books, which are not how-to books but collections of works by different artists. I find myself leafing through them when I am tired or when I am in a slump. The images just stir up my imagination and an assemblage of colors or a shape are usually enough to jump-start my creativity. Anyway, if you are interested in beads and beadwork, this is a great book!

an unexpected art form

2008-09-30T17:58:00.003-04:00

If you have ever visited Great Britain, you know that pubs are much more than just bars. And you also know that part of what makes them so special are the wonderful signs that advertise them. I was listening to a program on The World (public radio) yesterday afternoon about the dire situation many pubs are facing these days and how many of them are closing. The report in itself was interesting but what caught my interest was the mention that the artists, who create the beautiful signs, are also in a difficult situation. Look at the link below to find out more about pub signs, their history and some of their designs. I think some of them are so beautiful and, to me, a reminder of life many, many centuries ago when every profession was advertised in such a way. http://www.innsignsociety.com/

(Image featured on the Inn Sign Society website)

We are more than ever surrounded by signs of all kinds. However, I think the emphasis and goals of many of these signs have changed: color and design psychology as well as marketing tools have taken over and the beauty of the sign or the illustration of the name have become secondary. I guess in a world where everything goes fast, signs have to be reduced to a logo or a specific color to be instantaneously recognizable. Who has time any more to look at all the details of such sign as the one on a pub? What a shame!

Shipping artwork

2008-09-16T13:49:00.003-04:00

I am thrilled to report that my "Offerings" are going to be represented by Artspace and Textures Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ(http://www.artspaceaz.com/). So I needed to pack them and ship them. The more box-like pieces were not a problem. It was a bit more tricky with the flower-like ones.

I have found two very good information sources on packing artwork: the September 2008 issue of Art Calendar (http://www.artcalendar.com/) has a couple of interesting articles on the subject. The other is the book "Making & Marketing Better Artwork" by Milton Townsend (http://thebluemoonpress.com/). It has a whole chapter on packing art. Townsend is a glass maker so I guess he knows all about shipping fragile artwork!

By the way, his little book is packed full of all kind of practical information about the business aspect of being an artist. Anyway, I packed my pieces and took them to the shipping store for double boxing and shipping. And now, I will breathe again when I hear from the gallery that the pieces have arrived and are in good shape!

Working again on new piece

2008-09-07T18:10:00.002-04:00

I finally got to spend a few hours in the studio stitching! This feels so nice since the past weeks have been very busy with studio work...but not stitching. I have been embroidering on the red panels (see previous post) and am almost done with them but to change a little, I started working on the outside panels for the box. Because the fabric is dark blue and the design very intricate, I had to use tissue paper: let me tell you about it because it is a great tip when you have quilting, appliqué or embroidery designs on dark fabric. Since a light pencil is necessary and since they brush off very quickly, it is essential to protect the traced design while you are working. Otherwise, by the time you are done with a small part of the design, all the markings for the rest are gone. Soooo frustrating!

So I deal with that, after the design is traced on the fabric, by basting a sheet of white tissue paper over the entire thing. Then I tear small bits of tissue paper just on the area I am working on. It tears easily and protects the rest of the markings. This has saved my sanity on many occasions. One word of caution, use only white tissue paper! If you use colored tissue paper and a drop of water falls on your project, the tissue will dye the fabric!

Zaida Ben-Yusuf

2008-09-01T19:28:00.002-04:00

I was trying to catch up on reading some of my magazines and looking at the summer issue of ARTnews when I saw a short article called “Pictorialist and Pioneer, Zaida Ben-Yusuf: New York portrait photographer”. What attracted me at first was the little photo accompanying the article.

Zaida Ben-Yusuf was a professional photographer in the early 1900’s and apparently, after a brief career, disappeared from the public eye. Her work has been re-discovered by Frank H. Goodyear III and an exhibit of her photographic portraits was held at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. I thought that I would definitely try to go see it, just to discover that the exhibit ended….today! It is however possible to see some images and find out a bit more on the links I am including below.
http://www.npg.si.edu/
http://www.si.edu/opa/insideresearch/articles/V16_PortraitPhotographer.html

I would love to get the catalogue written for the exhibit. I like her photographs and I would love to learn a bit more about her life.

Arrowmont

2008-08-31T13:53:00.003-04:00

Some of you are most likely familiar with Arrowmont. For those of you who are not, Arrowmont is a wonderful craft and art learning center in Gatlinburg, Eastern Tennessee. You can find out a bit more about their programs by visiting the website: http://www.arrowmont.org/.
It seems that at this point the existence of the school is threatened by commercial developments of the land it now occupies. Please read the following message and visit the links included in that message. If you can, sign the on-line petition. I understand that nothing has been decided yet but I think it is never too early for us to show our support. I should also mention that Arrowcraft, which is one of the galleries representing artists of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and situated next to Arrowmont, is also directly concerned.

"Arrowmont Needs Saving!
Many of you may already have heard that Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts needs our support and help. The Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, specifically the seven person Grand Council, has started negotiations to sell and develop the property they have owned and used for education since 1912. It has been home to the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts since 1968. The developers have a nondisclosure agreement, but it is suspected that they are planning on building some kind of amusement park.
Please sign this petition in support of Arrowmont!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savearrowmont
Since this news became public in an article in Knoxville News Sentinel on August 16th, many people have come together to organize and do what they can to help Arrowmont and share information. Many outspoken supporters of Arrowmont are Pi Phi members who only learned of this sale through the article in the paper! This blog has a lot of information, links for articles, and posts comments http://savearrowmont.wordpress.com/
The original article in Knoxville News Sentinel with many comments after the article is : http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/aug/16/pi-beta-phi-fraternity-sell-arrowmont-land/
Please go to the blog or articles to read more. There really is too much to say here. This is a very crucial time for Arrowmont and all of its supporters need to come together. "

Trip to England, part 3

2008-08-29T11:25:00.004-04:00

Life really gets crazy sometimes and it has taken me this long to finally post part 3 about my trip to England. I taught several workshops at the Festival and had a wonderful time with my students and I hope they did too. I did have a little time to take in a few lectures myself and I listened to Susan Brandeis from the University of North Carolina (strange that I had to go all that way to meet someone from my own state, whose name was quite familiar to me) and I also had a chance to listen to Maggie Gray's talk. I was excited to have the opportunity because I have admired her work for so long and own so many of her books. Both of these speakers were truly excellent and very inspirational. It seems that the use of digital imagery in art, and particularly in fiber art, is really the hot topic of the day. Even though I like designing the old fashion way with a pencil and paper, I think the technology available to us is incredible and well-worth the time and effort it takes to learn how to use it (or at least some of it!). The creative possibilities that scanners, computers and photo editing programs offer are huge and I am fully intending to keep learning and see how what I can create with digital technology will fit into my work.

In the meantime, I purchased Maggie Gray's newest book "From image to stitch". It is filled with ideas and possibilities and very inspirational.

Trip to England, part two

2008-08-23T06:26:00.003-04:00

My second stop in England was the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. I was teaching there 2 years ago and decided to go back again because it is really a fabulous show. I had 2 days of visiting before my 2 days of teaching so I had time to look at the quilts and… of course at the vendors. The general exhibit is so well hung, with wide rows on very light carpeting and black backdrop. It really sets off the quilts beautifully particularly since the lighting is quite good. One thing I found rather odd and did not like: each quilt was labeled with its title and its entry number but not the name of the maker. I assume that the goal was to “encourage” visitors to buy the catalogue but I thought it really was stealing each entrant of her/his moment of fame. In my opinion, the name of the maker should be displayed with the quilt even if the statement is kept to the catalogue.
I took a number of photos of my favorite quilts but I will not post them here since I could not request permission from their makers.

The merchants were numerous and very varied. It was possible to purchase just about anything related to quilting, either traditional or contemporary and surface design. I had the surprise to meet again with my friends Margrit and Josef from Hungary. Their business is called Foltvilág KFT. Margrit, a fiber artist and teacher herself, dyes the fabrics and some threads that they sell at shows and they also sell the brand of dye powder they use. Her fabric is cotton but feels like silk. Quite beautiful! You can find them in some major European shows, their next one being the European Patchwork Meeting in Sainte Marie aux Mines (Eastern part of France, close to Germany) in September.

But I think the best feature of the Festival is the group of the galleries showcasing individual artists or special exhibits by various groups. The “galleries” actually have solid walls (probably plywood) painted a very light grey. The signage and lighting are very professional so the quilts really look as if they hung in separate “real” galleries. It is quite impressive. Many of these exhibits were beautiful and very exciting but there is one, which really blew me away: the work of a Swiss artist, Jacqueline Heinz, who now lives in Germany. Her panels are “simple” in composition, usually two or three large areas of fairly solid color (mostly light hand-dyed colors) separated by a thin meandering line of small designs made of wool roving attached to the surface with different quilting than on the rest of the quilt. The large fields of light colors are covered with extremely dense and very interesting and unusual machine quilting, which creates amazing textures. The textures are very obvious because the fabrics are solid. Her elegant quilts brought me a strong sense of balance and peace. It is of course impossible to convey the beauty of these pieces with words and I hope that Jacqueline will soon have a website, where we can see her work.

Trip to England, part one

2008-08-22T13:53:00.006-04:00

I am finally getting over jetlag and able to think back about what I saw in England. When I arrived, I went to Wolverhampton, not far from Birmingham, where my friend Janet had arranged for me to talk to her embroidery and quilting groups. The next day Janet took me and another friend to Wightwick Manor. The house, built at the end of the 1800 was meant to look much older.

As you can see from these few pictures, the building itself from outside is an incredible experience as far as lines, textures and proportions are concerned. Inside, the house is decorated in the style of Arts & Crafts Movement and many of the well-known artists from area are represented: wall-papers, rugs and textiles by William Morris, tiles by William de Morgan, stained-glass windows by Charles Kempe. I could go on and on. There are also a number of paintings by members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood such as Gabriel Rosetti, Edward Burne-Jones just to name only these two.

"Love among the ruins" by Edward Burne-Jones

It was such a treat because I am so partial to the Arts & Craft style and seeing the artwork in person was really something else! On any given day, selected rooms are opened to the public and they alternate to preserve them better. The rooms we could see that day had so much history, so much to see that I really wanted to be able to come back and see all the other rooms.
The gardens are also in the Arts& Craft style and very beautiful. The weather was on the cool side and somewhat rainy (which I really enjoyed after the heat-wave and drought that we’ve had in North Carolina this summer) and there again, there was so much color and textures all around that it was difficult to know where to look.

So I am just sharing a few images with you. If you are ever in the Birmingham area in England, make sure you stop by the Wightwick Manor, which is situated 3 miles west of Wolverhampton and part of the National Trust.
And I hope that one of my future pieces will have been inspired by what I saw there.

Musings

2008-08-10T09:36:00.002-04:00

I have spent the last few days getting ready for my teaching trip to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England. I am really looking forward to this, both because of the teaching and visiting. I am going first to a town close-by to present a lecture and this will allow me to meet again with a student I had first encountered in France. I hope to see the piece that she started in my class , which had really impressed me. It will also be so nice to see her again and discover what her group does.
The Festival of Quilts is a fabulous event. The exhibits are truly inspirational, there is a huge merchant's mall. But what had most impressed me when I taught there 2 years ago was the personal displays of individual artists or groups: their booths were build with hard walls (plywood) painted a light grey color, so when you entered the booth, you really had the feeling of entering a real gallery. Both signage and lighting were excellent and it did so much to showcase the qualities and originality of each artist and the mission of each group. I can't wait to see the work of artists featured this year.

Of course, because of all that preparation, my work on the new piece has not progressed very much. The piece is in my mind all the time, I think about it, try to solve problems and find creative solutions for them and design the parts that still need to be created. Of course, since this is all in my mind, who knows if it will work when I physically try to implement these ideas. However, that stage, when thoughts become reality, is what I love even though it can also be a very uncomfortable time.

I did take the time to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. All political and economic considerations apart, I was really blown away by the artistry and the combination of art and technology. I thought it was quite magical and almost made me feel that I was entering another world and dimension. One thing though that is at the edge of my consciousness and that I am not sure I can put into words: some of the elements of this production were so powerful because of the sheer number of participants. So where does that leave the individual participant? Doesn't the "person" disappear? Again, I am not sure that I can explain my feelings but there is something here that bothers me slightly.

Back in the studio

2008-08-03T11:47:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I have worked in the studio or been able to post anything but for a few days now, I have been working on a new piece. Once I decide on what style I am going to base a piece, it is so much fun and so interesting to do a bit more research about that particular style: lines, colors, symbols...Not that I am trying to remain perfectly faithful to the elements of that style but they serve as a basis for me to go on and create my own design. For this one, the Taj Mahal is such an incredible building and provides inspiration on so many levels that I decided to base my new "Offerings" piece on art from India. I searched on the Internet and also have been reading Sheila Paine's book "Embroidered Textiles" (I had mentioned it in an earlier post). I have found so much valuable and interesting information, for example on symbolism of colors (red background and the various colors used for the embroidery), of shapes (tree of life, carnation, pomegranate, birds...), all symbols that are relevant to the thoughts I want to express in my piece (and which I will talk about when the piece is further along or finished). So, I dyed the silk/coton fabric and some of the threads (the other threads were hand-dyed by my friend Nancy) and I have embroidered the first little panel (10" x 4 1/2"). And yes, it did take a number of hours. But I am quite pleased so far...except for one detail I am not sure I like: I don't know if the lines symbolizing the tree should remain black (black is one of the colors in my palette) because I feel as they are, they add too much weight to the rest of the embroidery. I will try other colors in the next panel (I don't know which yet). Any idea?