Friday, April 21, 2006

skeeered...NOT

I decided to stop being intimidated by those hand dyed antique fabric. At first I thought I might use them to wash my car first but didn't want to risk losing any brightness. Then I saw the scissors laying there and the evil sister inside took over.It's in the wash right now, getting hairy.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Awwww

How did I know she would do that? (the first chick died and she ate it)

Does This Baby Look Worried?

Owlet number one has hatched and I have been spellbound. Yesterday morning I peeked in and all was as usual - Mum brooding and DOB snoozing on one leg, leaning against the wall. Suddenly, the Mrs. sat up very straight and looked right into the camera with what could only be described as amazement and then stood up to reveal a tiny naked scrap of life bobbling his head this way and his wings the other. He had already been out of the shell a few minutes because when she stood up, I could see the pieces behind her, but her manner indicated that she wasn't used to things squirming around under her. At first I was terrified that she would eat him each time she used her sharp bill to gently gather him back close to her. I struggle not to anthropomorphosize animals. I'd rather liken the things humans do to animal behaviour, good and bad. I wonder if the baby owl is worried that mom will eat him. I wonder if Colin worried when I used to take his whole little hand or foot into my mouth and make Yummy noises.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Funk Finished

"Stigmata" Well, it wasn't going to let me go until it was done. Sometimes I get that SYBIL feeling that someone else lives in here and gets to make art from time to time. I have been haunting the Owl family waiting for the first eggs to hatch. Mrs. O has thoughtfully dragged the eggs closer to the camera in her zeal to keep them evenly warmed so I have been spending way too much time on the computer. Between egg rolling, I have done my annual website crawl through Marie Elkins astounding list of fiber artists. I have seen work that makes me want to do crazy things and I have gone back to read my Quilter's Prayer We don't do any of the traditional Easter things in this household now that the boys are grown. I made a clutch of hardboiled eggs last weekend. Sick of eating them, I didn't bother making more just to color. Bought big chocolate bunnies for Jake and Nikki and made them promise to give me the eyes. Then I spent the afternoon listening to baseball and working on the largest of my Uninformed Innards series..here's Unidentified Part #4 in progress. The thing about sculptural work, I haven't figured how to photograph or display it what with all the angles.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

More Overdyes

All this talk on the QA list about hand-dyed versus commercial fabric and then seeing Leslie Riley's beautiful overdyed commercial fabric spurred me to get filthy once again. I have been dragging around this navy blue & cream fish print batik for ten years or more. If you look through my completed work, those fish keep popping up. I am much happier with it now. Dyeing is out of my system for a few weeks and at this rate, I predict that by the end of summer, my entire stash of store bought will have been overdyed with something.