Thanks Arlee...

My photography is not getting crappier. My camera is starting to have issues. I'm going to leave this on the design wall and stay my hand for a while. Less is more. The hole in the center where nothing lives provokes me eye. I had all kinds of snide and entertaining notions to share about the new job but, right now, I'm not feeling the comedy of things but I am feeling deep gratitude for the generosity and kindness of (almost) strangers. The Card of the Day is Strength and there I abide.

Flourish continues

The time I have to do artwork is so precious all of a sudden. I spent most of this morning in the studio working on Flourish. they have an orchid feel to them although I've never given a real orchid a good hard look. They look more like creatures of some kind than plants. They sell orchids in the grocery stores down here, the most expensive things in the produce department. I'm going leave off with this now cause I've stopped feeling joyful about it - got a cold brewing I think - don't want to run off the rails the way I tend to when working past inspiration.

a flourish of progress

Stabbing myself with pins while laughing at "Two & Half Men" has become part of my routine. I'd like to say I'm going up to the studio to spend some time with this but truth is, the job got to me today and I am just plain tired and I don't want to make any commitments with needle and thread that I'll regret come Saturday. Instead of nattering about the job, I will tip my reading list to the late John Updike, rave about Slum Dog Millionaire (OH! the Textiles!) and the latest issue of American Style Magazine (featuring one of my favorite artists, Eleanor McCain) - in my mailbox 'cause I'm a 9/10ths member of SAQA. Long story for another time.

works in progress

I've been fascinated with Tricia McKellar's "Flourish" series and noticed akinship shapewise with a new piece I started last month. Tricia has generously granted permission for me to interpret her work in my medium. Yesterday, I isolated the stitched shapes with soy wax and got it into a dyebath. I wanted a neutral gray but, as any attempt at black in whatever concentration, you get what you get. In this case a rather nice dusty lavender that will work well in the long run. From here there will be much applique and dimensional work, both hand and machine stitching. Given my new schedule, some real slow cloth in the works. And finally, I finished the last of this set for another summer garden quilt. I think the border/edge on this one will be a series of overlapping leaves. That should take me through April or May.

Personal Archaeology

I started digging out our walk-in closet today. You can put an awful lot of crap in one of those construction weight black plastic bags, but then you have to lift it up. I was appalled to find that much of the clothing I was getting rid of would be rejected by Goodwill. I made the mistake of going through an old art portfolio that I have been dragging from closet to closet for some forty years. A lot more crap went into the bag. Why do we keep some things? Seems as if creatures real and imagined, dark views and riotous colors have always been part of my art heart. This was our cat Moses. Probably the only time I've ever been able to capture a real likeness.