more gifts from the universe

I've been gifted a full scholarship to Focus on Fiber 14, an artists retreat at the beautiful Atlantic Center for the Arts  in New Smyrna Beach, FL.

The last time I was there was 2007 and I worked like the devil was chasing me from can't see to half past dark, almost every day I was there, but came away with dyed cloth that became the foundation of the majority of my larger pieces.

My way with cloth has changed a lot since then and since I wasn't anticipating attending, I still don't know what I will be working on; could be just my tan and my improv skills - there is always a crying need for camp fools.

There's plenty of time for me to think about it and bank some bail money..FOF14 once again co-incides with Daytona's Bike Week which always makes for interesting fun on the local highways. Mary McBride tells me there are a few openings in both the retreat and the workshops  so don't drag your feet if you were half planning on going. There will be art, good times and noodle salad!

Romance is a slow dance

I've recently been given a great gift..a chance to travel, be away for a bit and be around some fabulous artists and amazing friends. Details when I know more and can share.

This series is clarifying itself to me. I'll have to back up and give credit to all the musicians one by one.


Romance is a slow dance    by Tim O'Brien

back to the regular programming

It seems to take a fistful of hours over a whole day from "go" to "done". I need to venture out to buy some more canvases, but that will wait until the weekend.

While I was churning the studio for those lost or imaginary canvases I found the piece below squashed between the pages of a drawing pad.

"Silkwinds"      2010       (13.5"x16")

This was an experiment using silk gauze dyed with Colorhue silk dyes that were a gift. The base is some kind of poly that looks like linen with a piece of warm and natural cotton batting underneath to give the stitches a little bite. No backing yet.

I would do stitching things a little differently I think, but it's made me long to work with transparent color again in any medium.

I'm going to mount this one to a canvas also and it will be the next piece up for silent auction.

1.29

For this little bit of winter people were stranded on iced highways in their cars overnight.  Kids kept in schools were sleeping on the floors of the gym.

It's just a matter of practice which most folk down here will never get.

When I lived in NY and worked for AT&T we were expected at work even if the state police closed the roads. I'd show my badge at the road block and be waved on through, and dance my old Honda over the top of the packed snow and ice, slowly, deliberately and so much safer since I was alone on the road.

Snow driving at night was a form of deep meditation; a combination of intense focus on the road and the car and the constant need for the restrained, gentle touch, feeling the conditions through your feet and ass, hearing the changes as you rolled. I couldn't wait for my shift to end so I could get back out into the night and roll on.

snow so rare

There was nothing left to do but hunker down while the locals went crazy on the roadways.

do over

The cloth called while I watched the Grammys last night. I finally got this piece of craziness  disassembled and reorganized and will work it to done soon.

Bunches of fat baggies were packed up before that great halftime commercial (which was better than a lot of the performances)  It was fun and I partially restocked the river basket while I was at it.

Off to join the beer, milk and toilet paper riots at the grocery store - 1-3" of snow/sleet are predicted for our area in the next 48 hours! Armageddon in Atlanta!

Break a leg

Well, that was a change of pace for a Sunday. Colin and I just got back from an open casting call at Pinewood's new studio complex in Atlanta.

I was afraid it was going to be a cattle call, but it was quick and painless and not too many people turning out. Filled out an info card, then stood holding #36 for a couple of mug shots. You know what that looks like.

They are  looking for a pool of local people to be movie extras. Who doesn't want to be in the movies? Liars!  I haven't had this much fun doing nothing since I was a crash test dummy  in court years ago..(and look, I was still writing about writing)

Now for a nap so I can stay awake for the Grammys.

                             And heard this on the way home... thanks Roxanne!

badges suspended -updated

"River Deep, Mountain High" has been sold. 
 I like it well enough that I will probably make  variations.

Now all I have to do is mount all of them and put them in the store. My iron will be coming home over the weekend.

A series of commitments to myself and others will be putting stitching on the back burner for a while.

I went to a local writer Meetup last night and read about eight pages of a work of fiction that I've had simmering for some time.

The reactions I got were satisfying. The lack of "pointers" from published professionals  was interesting. Giving and getting criticism about words on a page is a very different experience from the kind of feedback we give and get from other artists about the things we make.

More importantly, the time I spent selecting, editing and proofreading a chapter for this exercise took me right to that sweet spot when I was writing in the first place. Another time, another place and that other me who operates outside of all time and place. It felt like good drugs with no hangover and hey, I just realized it's Friday.

Badge on

We are back inside the deep freeze again so I've been hunkered down in the nest with two unhappy cats.



Even though they can use the cat door, they are wisely appalled by the cold and have been taking out their cabin fever on each other and their humans. Juicy avoids all of us unless its feeding time.



I wanted to be mixing colors today, but I can see my breath in the kitchen. And where the @&$% did my iron disappear to?


“Joy and sorrow are inseparable. . . Together they come and when one sits alone with you. . Remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.” 
― Kahlil Gibran

production

 Starting on Wednesday I'll be having a week of full time production for hand dyed threads.

Since the market seems to be there and I'm not using the kitchen for its intended purpose anyway, I might as well give over the first dyefest of 2014 to the thread.

It will be a little messier than working outside but I need the diversion and you need these threads.

I need a day to round up a few supplies, write up some business stuff and should be posting items in the store by Sunday.

I'm really looking forward to mixing the first set of new colors for the first quarter of the year. Anyone hungering for anything in particular colorwise?

I need to busy myself with something useful.