Amazing fiber art

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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)