Link Love and a new Condition

Thanks to Lines and Colors for reconnecting me with Odilon Redon and leading me to Cure the Blind. These and Lorraine Glessner's (exquisite encaustic) "Oh, What World, What a World" are my solution for I don't get out much anymore.... If my internet behaves I will be using it to distract me from my first adventure in fasting. I'm embarrassed to admit in front of a world that starves on a daily basis that I don't think I've ever gone a day (let alone 24 hours) without eating anything but there you have it. In preparation for my first colonoscopy (why do I think of My First Communion?). Sad to say the gallon of nasty that I'll have to consume later this evening does not come in Merlot or Mimosa. After spending some time looking at a variety of his work I get the feeling that Odie and I would have gotten along quite famously. Can you believe that someone put a poster of this cyclops painting in the children s library where I spent a lot of my childhood? I think the spider print was in the restroom too. Odilon's nearly abstracts are inspirational for this surface designer. A package from Dharma came yesterday bringing colors that I have never worked with so, under the altered state of Hungry, I will be mixing up some new dyestock this morning and working on some new wholecloth notions that have been clamoring for attention.

Sunday fruits

These are some of the fabrics that I discharged with painters tape and Softscrub yesterday. Any artist who has cats has probably never worked on anything without some feline assistance. Once this was all pinned down I had to spend half an hour with tape before I could start stitching. Closing doors is not an option with Jinx. If you are not in the room she dig up the carpet in an effort to get under the door. If you are in there, she will beat her head against the door until you cave in and open up. Shadow Fence #1 16"x20"

more gridwork

I working the grid again for the moment only I'm more interested in what is not there in the spaces between. It's very satisfying taking to take a murky, unsuccessful piece of hand dyed cloth and bring it back to something with potential. I stuck these scaps down to the work table with grids of painter's tape and then paint the openings with Softscrub. And then, you wait and see what happens. Now to dig into a comfy chair and see how to organize some of these with needle and thread. This one was started with Elmer's glue as a resist, dyed and now discharged. The cotton seems to be getting stronger the more things I do to it.

Happy Birthday Jimmy

It's my GoodMan's birthday today so the cloth is taking a back seat to the party preparations.

Inspired by "night stitching"

I forgot how discharging hand dyes will reveal the various layers secrets that go into making darkness on cloth. A bit of black damask... Who knew what was hiding under there? This piece of black cotton was jammed up in my vacuum cleaner. and here's a snatch of ancient tee shirt...

restocking

I have a small cloth bag that I take to the office with me each day and when time permits, I can work on small projects. When I went into the studio this morning my intention ( I have jet Runways of intentions paved straight to the gates of hell!) was to start creating some order. Instead I started pulling bits of this and that with the brand new and more reachable intention of restocking my go bag. Back to the grid, I'm feeling, without wondering why about it. Needle and thread. Eyeball the line. Go with the grain and allow for the color this time. I am half way through the complex boogie that ensues when you commit to an overdue, full physical at my age. Happily, I talked the doc out of the MRI=shots=surgery routine she was considering when xrays of my spine recalled certain snake breeds. Instead, I will be having physical therapy lessons in a Pool. How hilarious is that? Instead of an asshat of poison and pain I get splashing around and fun!

prioritizing

The sun plans to blaze the day blue and toasty here today so that means I have to take advantage of time on deck studio. I went out to tidy up and my largest rinse tub was full of murky water so I dumped it over the side and look what fell out! These three pieces were put in for a last rinse and overlooked when I took things up to the washing machine. Now they've been painted with textile paints and once dry will be heat set and stacked away with the others waiting for their turn. Above is a piece of vintage damask. To the left, another one. And this is a large piece of that vintage feed sack cloth. This fabric is sturdy and has a course texture. Think heavy gauze or cheesecloth on steroids. The spots are metallic Jacquard textile paint in several levels of gold.

Time management

Lately I've noticed a lot of people posting about time management. The fact that I was reading these posts tells me that I have to reconsider what I do with what little free time I have. Sometimes things just get in the way. You've probably noticed that my work swings wildly between large, machine stitched pieces and tiny little hand held meditations that are 100% done by hand. Those are the things that I can work on while I am at my job. I find myself focusing closer and closer on these little things - I tried separating the ply at the end of the tail here with the intent of braiding it but the cotton just fell apart in my fingers. This morning I'm devoting to stitching on this big piece and later, if the sun comes out, taking outside for painting. I need to move this one along. Other things are waiting.

all these days

Today is our 32nd wedding anniversary..here I am showing off my engagement ring to my family. They are no longer skeptical about the match. Jimmy told me he bought the ring earlier in the fall and kept unwrapping it to show his sisters. I found it tied with a ribbon around the neck of a little plastic turtle in the bottom of my Christmas stocking. I have been bending his ear for all these years and he remembers every thing I say. And he makes me laugh every day. With apologies to the unknown author, this, from the card he gave me this morning. "The man who is deeply in love with his wife is a man who has all he could want in this life"

day of joy

I had forgotten how much I could wring from a day started early. Got to do it again tomorrow no matter how tough the start up feels. some of these pieces will be going into the world and some of them won't be going anywhere! some are just for fun and all were fun and interesting to make. That's a stalk of French lavender in front of the piece on the right. One little intoxicating blossom. I cannot imagine standing in a field in bloom. And see the teeny tiny little tomato next to the blue piece.

busy day

It's Jake's birthday. My youngest chick is 24 today and treating himself to a day off from work but chances are real good you'll find him in this selfsame pose, his favorite place to be, under the hood of something greasy that needs a master's touch. There are spice cupcakes to be baked,

new cloth to be ironed and photographed for sale at

Fiber Fandango and more in the process all while the cupcakes are baking.(you should see me juggle!!)

I've also taken another cheapskates flying leap at an online art venue here. Any input regarding my choices of work posted would be welcome. It seems like I can't bring myself to commit to more than $25 for any sort of entry fee on spec these days. and the pool is open and needs daily tending which is my personal physical and mental therapy. I am always cheered on by the lifeguards hard at their posts.