I missed opening night!

...because I was home in the studio most of the day working on this piece, and I'm in Georgia. But I do hope someone scarfed up my portion of wine and cheese. When I have my first solo show I'm serving hard apple cider, raw cookie dough canapes and fried clams. If anyone got to go to this show, drop me a line. Two of my pieces, Exubera and Limbo are taking up a lot of wall space there. Prayers go up to all the gods that someone feels the deep urge to take one or both of them home, paid. ‘ART QUILTS XIII: LUCKY BREAK’ ON EXHIBIT AT CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS NOV. 7 – DEC. 31 CHANDLER, Ariz. (Oct. 16, 2008) – Art Quilts XIII: Lucky Break, a juried exhibition of contemporary art quilts, will be on display Nov. 7-Dec. 31, 2008, at the Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. Admission is free. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. An opening reception featuring many of the artists, and the music of jazz guitarist Pete Pancrazi, takes place Friday, Nov. 7, from 7-9 p.m. Admission to this special event also is free. “This year’s exhibition includes works of artists from four countries, the United States, Canada, Belgium and Israel. The pieces were selected to represent the very wide range of techniques and design solutions artists use today to create contemporary pieces. Those techniques range from painting and monoprinting to photo transfer and machine piecing,” says juror/organizer Diane Howell, a Chandler resident. “The image for our promotional postcard this year, Drawing on the Mist by Linda Colsh of Belgium, blends both new and old. It is machine pieced and quilted, but the surface design is made from computer images and screens created by the artist from her own photographs and drawings.” What’s the lucky break? The main image was an unexpected photograph caught while Colsh was photographing street pipes in Berlin Art Quilts XIII: Lucky Break continues the fall tradition of presenting fiber art at the Chandler Center for the Arts. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 people view the show every year, some of them arriving on buses and many of them out-of-state visitors. The Bernina Connection, located at 4219 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, is sponsoring two prizes for the judged portion of the show. Cutting Edge Quiltworks, 1949 W. Ray Road, #33, Chandler, is sponsoring a third-place prize. Honorees will be named by an independent third-party judge. For more information about Art Quilts XIII: Lucky Break, call 480.917.6859. ________________________________________________________________

Shiny things and Sunny Days

I love it when the morning sun can make it through the cobwebs into my studio. In the chaos lurks creativity...somewhere. Until then, here's a little patch to go on the back of a quilt so when the quilt police come looking, there's something to see... And here my magpie brain takes delight in page after page of pretty things to wear. I'm not really a jewelry girl but if I go out without putting earrings on I always wind up grabbing my ears and muttering "NAKED EARS!". Gets me some strange looks and more personal space when I do it in the grocery store line. Reminds me to go buy a lottery ticket.

day-late doodle

In the midst of this "creature" series I thought I would post this drawing that probably dates from sometime in the late 60's. I honestly don't remember, I've held on to it for so long (and have probably posted it in the recent past). It's usually up on my wall of "Things To Look At & Ponder" and now is insinuating itself into the fiber work. There is definitely a kinship to some of my 3D work which is being reconsidered.

running wild

Finally, I got back to some fiber and stitching. I think Big J somehow knows that I have been consorting with a variety of Vikings. There was some crankiness this morning that called for a big time cleaning but then we settled into some creature work and things are shaping up in an appealing way. Later...finished.

Oh Yes We Did!

There is much to say but much more to do. Right now I am deeply grateful to the American voting public who seems to have finally grown up, set aside fear and not squandered this opportunity to elect a leader with a different perspective on the challenges this county faces. Now, as a people, the hope is that we can put away childish things, thoughts and behaviors - the endless gluttony of self concern and self indulgence that has falsely driven our culture and economy - and work together to restore our country's self respect.

It's Done

What beautiful weather we are having for Election Day! One of the two hours I spent in line was standing in a light breeze and strong sunshine. Hope your day goes as well as mine - and remember, if you don't vote, you don't get to complain!

Halloween 1976

Yes, I've been fiddling with fiber a long time. Here's my darling in his prize-winning Mummy costume hand wrapped and spray glued by yers truly. He even went so far as to shave off his mustache so the facial Mudd would crackle properly all over his face. We won a bottle of champagne for best get-up! My "Bride of Frankenstein" costume was not quite as successful. There was not enough hair product in the world to get all my hair to stand up like Elsa Lancaster's did in the movie.

new creatures

Pushing these silk scraps around to my bidding makes me think about pushing paint (again). I thought about giving them transparent wings but these are walking beings, stalking beings, not flyers by any means.

Humbug Halloween

Voodoo appears to be the soul of Halloween here. In fact, when people start knocking at the front door, he is usually already in hiding. I haven't really been able to get into the spirit of Halloween since my boys (um, 23 & 27) and the rest of the neighborhood kids have finally figured out that they are too old for trick-or-treating. Strangers seem to truck into my neighborhood to stand mutely on my doorstep holding out a plastic grocery sack with no clue as to the spirit of holiday. I fully suspect that my candy is being confiscated from them and resold in dollar stores all over the community in the coming year. No one seems to understand or care either "Trick or Treat" or "thanks!". I'm tired of ten year old girls who look like they will leave my doorstep and spend the rest of the evening hooking on the corner. I'm tired of boys pretending (all too well) to be thugs. We have a cat door that opens onto the entryway right where the kids stand waiting for me to open the door. I wanted to reach through the cat door and grab them by the leg!! but it was pointed out that more than one dolt would probably fall down the stairs and sue me for instructing them in the spirit of Halloween. Well, all this griping is moot because this year, I have to work, as in YES! a JOB! and by the time I get home the candles will be out, the candy gone and the spirit flown for another year. This year even Karma is singularly unimpressed with my efforts.

wonders and delights

Never mind that mess on my design wall. If you look at nothing else on the internet for a while, take a look at this . Jude never fails to inspire me.

Back on the wall for now.

All that stitching and still there are design flaws. Value issues abound. There's a lack of focus. Something about the figures is annoying me.

You just get your nose down too close to the technique at hand and the big picture gets away from you every time. Something drastic has to happen here and, for the moment, it's escaping me.

just a few stitches

Although half my checked bag was taken up by sewing stuff and things to work on, there has been little time for the luxury of a few handstitches. Here's a little inspiration from my mother's blue glass collection. She used to be a wildly indiscriminate collector and would even hoard Noxema jars. This one I like a lot.

Happy Anniversary

Sixty years ago today my Mom and Dad were married at the Episcopal Church in Armonk, New York. Today I heard for the first time that they went to New York City for their honeymoon. There was dinner at Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe restaurant where a rye whiskey and soda was 11.28 (in 1948!) and Jascha Heifetz serenaded the newlyweds at their table. They went to Radio City Music Hall, saw a Hitchcock movie "Rope" starring Jimmy Stewart and stayed at the Clinton Hotel. This evening we celebrated together.

Sunday morning experiment

The bundles that spent the night in the dye container came out very underwhelming. Looking around you can see I have little taste or patience with pastels so they are on a back burner for the moment. While rooting around in the stash I found these two hot little numbers that had been mummified with soy wax just waiting for something exciting to happen. We'll see what transpires tomorrow.

bundles lurking

Here are the bundles standing on their heads on a felt pad soaked in soda ash solution and sprinkles with some dye powder. I'll stay out of it for the night. Jackie thought they looked like bones. Hmmm. Now that I look back on them, they did. I have to roll some more tonight and see what comes of it. I made this jug in 20o3 at the Painted Potter and for the first time it's going to decant something delicious.

thinking ahead

I'm mentally packing some art to take with me on an upcoming trip. The blocks will be backgrounds for a new piece that will have some very different appliqued things along the lines of the recent sketches. The little bundles are in for a dye experiment this evening. I'm tired of coming home exhausted, feeding like a pig and then going to sleep. Unused to working for a living, I have been putting in very long days and console myself with the knowledge that my schedule won't be like this when I get back from NY. Tonight, some music, some wine and some Arting around.

Black Cover Contest!

Remember my cool new tool? I had a day long panic recently because I couldn't put my hands on and was afraid that it had slipped out of my bag and was LOST, but then I found it. I hate that I haven't been using it but the problem is that I can't find a suitable notebook. A hasty purchase turned out to be a disappointment but now Black Cover has come to the rescue in my search for a Moleskine alternative. I'll be thrilled if I win the set but if not, there's a Borders just across the parking lot from my new job. I think I'll go take a peek today 'cause I really want to get my hands on the large one. New ideas have been passing by and I've been jotting things down on scraps of paper that more often wind up in the wash. And thanks to MarieZ for tipping me off to this contest!

hopey birthday

My hope won't measure or be confined, my hope is expansive and has a wonder filled full moon today, my birthday. I got up early because I wanted to steal some studio time from a busy day and make my own HOPE banner. I confess to not having read the rules or the mission or any of that stuff and it looks like something is odd here. I just liked the notion. Having hope means looking to the future beyond any troubles or concerns of the present. Before anything else, one has to have hope. I have a lot of hope for our future but I feel like, at this point in time, I have to protect it like a candle in the wind. I have to remind myself daily that a lot of people feel the way I do and it's not just the folks who put stickers on their cars or go to rallies and get on TV that get the job done. It's also the people who have HOPE. The translation from pixels to cloth continues to please me. As most of my stuff , it's a bit wonky but I thinking about mounting this one somehow so all will true up eventually.

not just imagining threadpainting

Feeling much better today. Being recently under the weather gives me a good excuse to avoid big issues like pressure washing the pool. Instead, I spent most of the day working on making this come to life. Unlike Jude, I have no patience for silk's delicate sulkiness and am only too happy to pinch it, stab it into submission and then nail it into place with a million little thrills. Much related to my new job, I have a new appreciation for my Janome.

Laid Low

I have been knocked flat by some sort of domestic Montezuma's revenge. You don't want the details but there is no good way to lose ten pounds in two days. Now that I can sit up for fifteen minutes on a chair that is not porcelain and have the energy to thread a needle and pull a stitch, I've started work on what will be a very slow cloth. Something about the scope of my design mind has contracted but things that might have died on paper will get a second chance in cloth and thread.

the Wheel Turns

I've been in a nesting frenzy for a few days, cleaning things that have given up waiting to be cleaned. Wanting to paint ceilings, beating carpets...all the things I should have been doing whilst essentially unemployed. That time is drawing to a close. In the meantime, there's some arting going on. These are some soft muslins that I dyed yesterday and a piece of cotton batting that did a little clean up work and turned into something quite interesting. Yes, more flings on the horizon and there's a slew of sketches for some smaller work. Seems like there's a market for some smaller, less pricey pieces. I have a pile of them squirreled away but I think they need to be mounted on canvas so they won't be mistaken for potholders. Any advice on mounting small works to canvas would be welcome. I've decided to upgrade my Trunkt listing to premium and will be listing some of my Flings for sale there. Might as well take advantage of all their marketing efforts. And here's my sewing chair cushion with the printed photo of Karma on it.

what's on the burners

No, that's not a cat in a basket, it's a picture of a cat in a basket that I printed on muslin three or four years ago with Bubble Jet Set. Something about the whole process left me cold and the printed fabrics found their way into the scrap tub. I'm still sorting through things and found myself building a pile of playmate fabrics around this print of Karma. I've started a slow cloth for myself. Something to hold and work on during the morning chill. I'm going to try some embroidery on it down the line. This dyed scrap will be incorporated into it. It's from a long ago find on the public beach on Naragansett, Rhode Island. The weather here in GA holds perfect and I put a batch of fabric into the soda ash pot yesterday. Once it warms up this afternoon I'm going to be dyeing a small batch of fabrics for some new directions. Got to get that Carnegie entry rounded up too.

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.