Rejected?.... Next!

Jeanne Williamson has written a great post about her feelings and concerns around getting into (or not) a certain prestigious exhibit. Read it here.

threadpainting

...is not something I normally get into but Frank Ze's Scribbler lends itself so nicely to it. I go there from time to time to sketch. Too many times I find that when I put an idea to paper it stays there never to be hatched. Putting ideas into a computer program seems more like dreaming about something than actually doing it. Makes you wonder how many pieces get wasted .

new things

A friend has decided that the best way to recruit new members to her particular form of crack is to give lovely gifts and I am oh so joyful! Thanks so much M. I am hard at work looking for inks and papers. Today was Senior Citizens Discount day at the local Goodwill and I got carded AND I got my 25% discount. These are all new and close at hand along with what used to be just sewing glasses. I'm on a mission to get the two sides of my brain talking to one another - maybe for the first time.

New work

I took advantage of the alone time today and spent the entire day stitching on this as yet unnamed piece. It was part of the Mob Scene series. It was dyed, discharged and later overpainted with metallic acrylic paint over a year ago and lost UFO land until the other day. I'm glad it was put out of "grab and slash" reach. 39"x52"

Chili Time!

Here's my contribution to Team Climax. 12 pans of Cliff's Magic Cornbread, oops make that Yankee Climax Cornbread. We won first prize for it in 2003. This year, it's the chili's turn to shine. Jim looks forward to this outing from year to year the way some folks do Christmas. It borders on obsession but I remind myself it could always be worse and this year all the planning and anticipation contributed to his recovery. He left early yesterday to set up camp at Stone Mountain for the 2008 Great Miller Lite Chili Cookoff, which despite the sponsor, is a family venue. You are more likely to get your toes run over by a stroller than you are have a drunk spill beer on you. I got up early to bake and Colin will deliver to the booth shortly. I'll post more pictures and judging results later tonight. Cross your fingers! To the Anonymous commenter who was concerned that this was cheating. Our entries are prepared in camp according to the rules and regulations under the watchful eye of the judge's observers. The food we generously serve to the public for free is prepared with quality ingredients under hygienic conditions. Please come by next year and watch Chef Jim make magic but you had better be up with the chickens! Although we didn't place this year, a great time was had by all. People who have to cheat to have fun camp out with cowards who make anonymous posts!

A Good Morning Laugh

This morning I gave my son Jake a ride to work and as a routine part of most morning commutes, I got to grouse about a tail-gater. Jake told me he had seen this bumper sticker on a car and was determined to get one for me. I laughed to tears and made this up as soon as I got home. Just warming up for a big piece to go under the needle later today.

Scrap Baggies Sale

Of course, studio cleaning is always followed by a good sale. These quart sized storage bags are stuffed full with everything from hand dyed damasks to satin jacquard with lots of hand dyed cottons in between. Most pieces are hand sized or smaller, some bigger but not much (I throw out nothing) so there's tons to work with here. Every bag has a nice chunk of something silver and stretchy. I have no idea what the fabric is but it's fun. $8.00 each includes postage in the US. Email me for availability first deborah@lacativa.com

Lucky Break

Late yesterday I found out that both "Exubera" and "Limbo" have been juried into "Art Quilts XIII: Lucky Break" at the Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler AZ along with a pretty star-studded roll of contemporary fiber artists. Congratulations, everyone!

unearthing

Spiders have been routed from the windowsills, UFOs are being tilled up from the subsoil and archeological societies are camped out in the yard. All operations are being overseen by one of my ablest studio assistants. Boxes and bags are being filled with snips and scraps that will be on their way to other people's studios keeping in mind that there is really NO trash. Take my word for it, his eyes are open.

the Stall in the Fall

I know pictures like this of art studios turned into public dumps are both common and boring but taking them and looking at them has helped me diagnose my Stall in the Fall, my unwillingness to take up serious design considerations and start something new besides another .....

...comfort piece. The time for patting myself on the hand and tut-tutting has passed. Lots of people have had tough rows to hoe and come out the other side in one piece as I have.

Nope, it did not kill me and therefore, I am stronger.

And so, in between other things that need accomplishing, today is Fold & Sort Day. Throw Crap Out Day. Spray it and Wipe it Off and Vacuum Day.

Thinking about a Change? Lisa Miller cuts it to the bone here.