ongoing

Focusing on the details can become a distraction but here each detail has a place and meaning.  What they are remains a mystery, even to me. Besides, distraction is just another way to get there.

in writing

Thanks for all the wonderful points of view regarding the use of written dialogue stitched into art. It's good to know what other people think both about doing it and seeing it. For now I have decided against any messages or even letter forms.

 

I find that when I begin using letter forms I can't help but want to convey something snarky or entertaining. In fact, I find that when I work literally or do something representational you can pretty much bet on something weird, shocking or downright wrong going on. You'll laugh too if you don't run out of the room.

the Wheel

Just came from Gerdiary and it's fun to see someone who seems to be rolling along the same art rails with me at this point in time.  Using whatever is at hand to make some kind of sense of things with needle, thread and a stretch of quiet time.

The ground for this one is a piece of what I think is linen but I could be wrong. Maybe I'll snatch a thread off it and set it on fire, see what happens.

Here's a closer look

I have been thinking about the pros and cons of stitching words into this piece - all that white space is nagging me to do something about it but I'm resisting the urge for the same reasons that I don't like to write artist statements about a specific piece. I don't want to tell people what to think and don't think my own thoughts should be relevant to the observer's experience. I'd love to hear from other artists who use the stitched words in their work. It seems to be a very sharp two-edged sword.

the Wheel turns

I brought a new base to work with me only to discover that I forgot to bring any scraps to compose with so I started pulling raggedy chunks off my Go Bag. I've been dragging it around for a couple of years now and it's getting pretty seedy. There were fluttery little things hanging all off of it. Now they are being incorporated into a new hand stitched piece loosely based on the  Wheel of Fortune tarot card 

Thanks for all the lovely comments about the pieces in the previous post. This one was part of a short lived creature frenzy that I went through late in 2008 
back when I had more free time. All of these were done on the machine in a very fast, improvisational manner. Right now, the studio is a kind of sad place for me - I don't spend all that much time there. Just digging through piles of things as I look for materials to take with me on the go. The Wheel will turn.

Morning Light

I love the way stitched pieces look in the morning light that comes through my studio. Unfortunately, the tree shadows prevent any good photographs and at this time of the year the light is too...steep. I'll try again later out on the deck.








This one continues to entertain me while I am at work but probably not tonight. It's Friday, the 13th. You would be surprised to know how self-fulfilling superstitions can be. Years ago I was a telephone operator and felt certain that there should have been combat pay added to our checks for getting through a full moon Friday night or Friday on any 13th.

There has been no news about Jinx

newest-biggest

Maybe I should wait until it's completely dry but as I was applying the matte medium and working on it from all directions I decided I liked this orientation better than my first approach. I thought about calling it "Blessed Are the Cracked for they let in the Light" but no doubt Groucho Marx' family lawyers would be all over me in a heartbeat. A name will come in time as I live with it. The original textile construction has been permanently mounted to a 36"x36" canvas and sealed with matte acrylic medium                           

Make An Offer! UPDATED

BOTH OF THESE GOODIES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED AND MY PLEDGE TO PFAN HAS BEEN MADE - THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT.

In support of Joanie San Chirico's efforts to get the pFAn website up and running

(it has outgrown it's blogspace!) I'm offering "Rainbow Box" OR this tall stack from my stash to the highest bidder by noon tomorrow with a $10.00 minimum bid. All proceeds will go to the pFAN kickstart

   

It never ceases to amaze me how this can turn into this:

Somehow I have to keep these together. It will be hard. They are mostly table napkins, some monogrammed and embroided, ranging from a childish 12"x12" to a queenly 20"x20".

November change & suprises

Jake convinced me it would be good for me to get out in the sunshine and stomp the woods for while. We went to Suwannee Park and walked and talked and suddenly he pointed out a mile marker to me and to my amazement we had gone a mile and I was not falling down. Bless him, he did go get the car and picked me up at the end of the trail. Not bad for my first outing in ages. My feet are singing.      This time away from the usual Sunday routine gave those jars extra time to batch and Jim  took them out into the warm sunshine for me. There was little dye in the rinse water but how these will finish out always remains to be seen. For now it's all eye candy. Enjoy.

new WIPS big & little

It's been a good day for the art. There's been progress on both the new WIPs, little unamed by hand is waiting for me to settle down and sew,  the big one below has been under the machine needle all day.  

Add to that a whole flock of vintage damask napkins and table scarves found their way into the dyepots today. For now, there's a dozen or more mason jars flocked around the little heater in my living room sort of poaching.  I promise not to get up in the night and start hatching them out. Dawn maybe.