Happy New Year!

2008 was the year that Jim's life was saved. Nothing else matters.

Studio Day!

Hopefully, by this evening I'll have something creative to post about. For now, her Cranky Highness Madam Karma presides over kitchen chores on this rainy Georgia day - (I am very grateful to not be having real winter weather like much of the rest of the country) . One thing that I did get accomplished early this morning was to list my fiber and art books that have been languishing at Amazon. Here's the list. Most are new, some are quite esoteric. All were rescued from a private library that was forced to downsize. If you see anything that you are interested in, drop me a line and we'll work out the details.

Merry Christmas

Unlike much of the country we are having mild Christmas weather, in fact, there was a thunderstorm last night to compete with the fireworks up and down the next street. I have the most wonderful gift this morning -the knowledge that all my family and friends, near and distant, are safe in their homes and will feast later today as they share good company. Wishing the same for all of you.

The Making Mode

I've made all the gifts that I was giving but I've been casting about for something functional to put the Art Mojo onto and have come up with a few one-of-a kind pen rolls, or pretzel rolls if that's how you roll. This is preliminary to, (really a procrastination technique) to putting my stash back in order. It's really, really bad. I won't make you suffer pictures of the chaos, just imagine Santa's workshop the day after Christmas, wood shavings and paint everywhere, elves draped over kegs and hanging from light fixtures - you get the picture. What I really want to be doing is baking but my oven is broken. The truth is what I want to be doing is eating some baking. Not to be undone by mere technology, I made a terrific apple/blackberry pie last week on the gas grill. I wonder how it will work for oatmeal cookies? PS -Thank you Leslie - I wish I could have had this particular brainstorm in time for the holidays, but then again, a nice affordable, functional piece of art is timeless. I'll be moving these over to the Hotcakes site for sale as soon as #3 & #4 are finished. A series is spawned!

Spooky Stories Travels

What do you give the man who says he has everything? Art of Course! "Spooky Stories" is on it's way to spend an open ended exhibition as part of the esteemed Charles & Rosalie Useted Collection that includes pieces stretching back to the beginning of my career - 3rd grade: a glued paper & felt tracing of my very small foot with the inscription "Upon my sole I love you Daddy". I can post this because my Dad doesn't use a computer and thinks the internet is "50% voodoo bullshit and 49% nonsense". He'll only credit the other 1% because I do. Here( 1,2,3) are some detail shots of this gen-u-wine machine pieced and appliqued, hand quilted and beaded utility quilt approximately 6 feet square. Can you tell it's one of my favorite and most personal pieces?

Perpetual Motion

When it gets cold out, I get the crochet hook cranking and I've finally settled on a stitch/sequence that I plan to see through to the end of this piece. I am fully fed up with making beanies, mittens and plain scarves. This is a boa built from chained loops covered with single stitches and intertwined together like so many cotton worms..well, they look like worms to me and since I make it up as I go I guess I'm entitled to name it. I'm also in the middle of constructing a garment from a pattern and things have changed quite a bit since my last garment making attempt back in 8th grade. The tissue is much finer and somehow, I managed to select a pattern that only has instructions in French. I keep telling myself "This is NOT brain surgery". Also - I'm still giggling over an ad I just read in the Jobs section of Atlanta's Craigslist. 6 On line Criminal Researchers needed ASAP (Duluth GA)!! ".....Knowledge/Skills: Bachelors degree or commiserate experience required...." I think I may have found my true calling.

Production

Lots materialized this weekend. I hope I haven't gone too far on this one with the paint. I look back on earlier images and now I miss those big white cottonball looking areas. It's a path/technique I want to explore in more detail once the demands of the holiday have relaxed. I spent all of today bringing these pieces together to be "of service". Taking my time and auditioning the talent was worth every minute. I can't reveal the finished product because it's a gift in the making but I like it so well, it will be hard to part with.

Ghosts of Christmas Past

On a Roll

Uninspired for anything new, I've been tackling the river grass basket full of UFOs and this piece got soy waxed and overdyed yesterday. Today I started in on it with textile paints and something interesting is coming around. I had forgotten how much I like working close in with textile paint on wet fabric.

This top was not quite big enough for a working quilt so I rummaged about in the stash and came up with a bizarre piece of hand dye that seems just about right. The flannel back on this one had been waiting for this job for about 25 years.

And finally, maybe best of all, the rain stopped and the sun came out just long enough to get a shot of these prayer flags that I finished early this morning. Here's a modern interpretation of Tibetan Prayer Flags - the images are contemporary, the language unwritten except in the heart. This set, $SOLD. More when I can.

Putting Art to Work

I loved Kim LaPolla's description on the QA list of how her daughter favors their old, raggedy dog quilt because of the memories associated with it. I daresay I won't want to see the same Art (any Art!) hanging on the wall for twenty-five years. But to snuggle under a warm if worn blanket with all that family history is another good thing. Time to rethink what I am doing and why I am doing it. This discussion about Quilts & the Economy (read 'sales and lack thereof') and functional quilts has me wishing I worked even larger than I already do. I'm seriously contemplating taking three or four of my dye-painted, finished pieces and whacking them up and then "Frankensteining" them into something functiona along the lines of this digital example with three pieces from my gallery. What a challenge - first, the letting go of the "Art" and then rebuilding something both useful and lasting. Taking some 3x4 footers and going Queensized! I'm happy that I haven't wandered too far from traditional quiltmaking when it comes to construction techniques. It will make the transition easier. And pursuant to sending folks off the QA list to blogs to read all about it, I like the idea of having some discussion out there in public if it's relevant to the group in general and posting it with eye candy here the the blog.

Creature Series

Here's the roundup so far. I've been doing this kind of doodling for as long as I can remember. Giving life to circles, lines and squiggles. Having them congregate, interact, work, war, dance, love - all the things that beings do but these are my beings doing my bidding. Many of my larger pieces depict similar beings in action. Think there's a power tripper lurking or do I merely observe closely that which others cannot see?

Later, I found this other pair tip-toeing about.

fresh starts...

...can come from a combination of things for me but usually a confluence of fabrics is the first spark. (day's end update: I struggled to no avail at the design wall most of the morning with this gang of unruly thugs and gave up around lunch. Later on, the cartoon fiend got loose in the studio and the fifth 12"x12" that I needed for the APW show materialized.)

I feel like an Elf in Santa's workshop

I've got four large *things* to get accomplished in time to be shipped elsewhere as holiday gifts and numerous smaller ones in varying stages of completion. Looks like coffee will be my best friend in the coming days. In keeping with the Handmade and Buy Art movements (I know there are official names and linkages I could hook to but I don't have time to root them out) I've broken out some vintage pieces and am putting them up for sale at prices guaranteed to start or grow someone's art collection!

From 2005

"Needleturning at Sunrise"

16"x 12.5" unmounted

Machine pieced and hand appliqued cottons that have been hand dyed and painted with metallic acrylic paint. This piece was exhibited at 2006 - Considering Quilts '06" at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.

$140

please email me for availability

Two other pieces "Stigmata" and "Blues Bound" are now up on the Like Hotcakes site also at gift giving prices!