Firefles hypnotize me.
Tuesday, December 08, 2020
All Unknowing
Firefles hypnotize me.
Sunday, December 06, 2020
Deadlines
"Well those drifter's days are past me now
I've got so much more to think aboutDeadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out.." Bob Seeger
The river basket is in the closet. Out of sight but not out of mind. I'm in this chair right now wishing for something to hold that requires nothing more than to choose a color, thread the needle and go.
Tuesday, December 01, 2020
bathtub gin
I've had this river grass basket since 2008 and none of the cats have ever expressed any interest in it. I always assumed it had some kind of odor that put them off. This morning Sweetie climbed in, dug around a little, then nested. I couldn't bear to chase her off the scraps and just left her in the weak sunshine. True mixed media.
Friday, November 27, 2020
Thanksgiving 2020
While waiting for an apple pie to bake, I soaked up some fine music and experimented with new ways to cover ground with the dirty threads. Finishing it just now while listening to Charlie talk himself to sleep was the perfect bookend to my day.
A fine traditional meal with our small family circle. Plates packed and dropped off for those working double shifts or living alone.
Then sharing a first look at an older movie with Charlie who gave it 10 stars. "Chicken Run" has my thumbs up too.
It was dark by the time we brought Colin his dinner. An idling freight train was blocking a gated crossing. Police vehicles strobing silently on both sides. We circled around for a better view of the airfield, tiny blue lights stretched into the distance. Then we made our way through town. Every other crape myrtle swathed in Christmas lights. Charlie had a good view from his booster seat in the rear of my coupe, the seat he's about to outgrow. He went quiet.
"I feel like I could cry."
I checked him in the rearview. "What's making you sad?"
"Nothing. The night is just so beautiful."
I'm so humbled and grateful to spend time with this child.
Monday, November 23, 2020
a working studio. finally.
There is a real possibility that I will be joining the ranks of the unemployed in the near future. Having more time for family, writing and art make that idea more appealing as the days pass.
I'm running out of a few thread colors so Necessity remains the Mother of Invention. I've come up with a scheme for the Winter Indoor edition of Dirty Threads.
Friday, November 20, 2020
cat door flap
This a piece of the softest damask. It was part of a small tablecloth. To be whisked out of the Maitre'd's jacket pocket to freshen a cocktail table with a flick of his wrist. The yellow freckly places stayed under soywax during a ill-advised overdye.
There were also places where I used softscrub to discharge some of the color. Much of this after the design was stitched down to the backing. The very bad design could not offset the colors that I must have been besotted with. It was ugly and I had no qualms about chopping it up.
Three types of cloth so incongruent. The base, a griege cloth. Some mongrel cotton/poly blend by the way it refused the dye. The teal? An IKEA dishtowel.Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Memorial memory
Jim's been gone seven years now. We used to sit together and watch TV. He watched. I stitched.
As I'm studying this one now, I remembered him asking, "What are these evil little fuckers up to?"
The plan is to mount some of the ever-growing pile of small, stitched pieces on canvas using the same technique.
Saturday, November 14, 2020
The Red
Friday, November 13, 2020
diversions
Worked while I waited for Charlie's bus.
Monday, November 09, 2020
fresh starts
Saturday, November 07, 2020
Fuckin' A!
Thursday, November 05, 2020
the one
me and Nelly, 1951 |
I have to "go to" the time and place I'm writing about and it takes full focus. Prolonged concentration.
Has anyone got a couple gallons of that to spare? Didn't think so.
At this moment, 99% of the ballots in GA have been counted. 49.2% for Biden and 49.6% for the incumbent. It probably won't be Georgia that decides the outcome of the election. But to think it might, by such a slim margin.
I requested an absentee ballot partly due to COVID concerns, but mostly because I wanted to hurry up and have my say. Vote as early as I could. I filled it out and took it to voter registration way back in the middle of October. Dropped it into the formidable-looking hopper outside while people cued up outside on the first days of early voting. My county did the blue team proud. 58%.
Thinking about it now, my ballot could have been one of the last ones counted, buried at the bottom of the dropbox the way it was.
My thoughts are about how to broach the "Why..." conversations with people that matter to me.
How do we move forward because there is no going back, the way back being guarded by that miserable 800 lb. gorilla who must surely be sick of that job by now. Aching to retire. Like me.
Wednesday, November 04, 2020
take comfort where you can
The perks of being the creator? You get first dibs! I got mine. These are two views of the same scarf. They are like kaleidoscopes that warm to your touch when you wrap one around your neck.
There are only a few left. I am still trying to figure out how to make these indoors.
Tuesday, November 03, 2020
Monday, November 02, 2020
Sunday, November 01, 2020
The October Rains
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Very old school.
We had little damage but no power still after 16 hours. Looks like I may actually have clean out that fridge for real. A little old school for me is fine.
The day (and tomorrow) was blessed with his incessant energy.
I love this table. The perfect play place. Jim made several from scraps from solid wood doors. Some kind of composite that weighs a ton.