Long ago I wrote about some unfinished work I had and this piece was among them. Happily, I can now say it is completed. As you can probably tell, I used details of it to make my blog banner.
I applied shisha mirrors and heavily embroidered and appliqued the cloth. Birds, leaves, spirals, hands, hearts and eyes are images that always make their way into my work. They are all such ancient symbols and I think of this cloth as a mandala or ritual cloth. I hope you enjoy the work.
I discovered about 8 months ago that I'm allergic to dairy products. Seeing as cheese was one of my all time favorites it was a bit disappointing. I like to cook I have been thinking about the qualities dairy, especially cheese, adds to the foods I like and how to substitute something else. Mostly I have been discovering that just making things very flavorful keeps me from even noticing the absence.
I recently made a pizza and it was so great that I wanted to share. I bought a ready made crust (Mama Mary's was the brand, Boboli's have milk in them) and I added sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, red pepper, some chopped olives. The winning ingredient was roasted onions and garlic. To roast, slice 5 onions into eight segments (like an orange) and put them in an 8x8 glass pan with about 8 cloves of garlic, skins still on. Tossed them in olive oil and roasted them in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes. After I took them out I covered the pan tightly with some aluminum foil (be careful, the pan is very hot) and let it sit for about 10 to 20 minutes. This step isn't really necessary but I wanted them to cook a bit more and I was afraid if they stayed in the oven they would start to char. I peeled and chopped the garlic and sprinkled it all over the pizza and voila! It was delicious and it makes enough for two pizzas. You will notice in the photo that half of it has cheese...that's for my husband.
I think one of the hardest things about being an artist is to actually go to the studio and make stuff. It is especially true if you work in your home because there is always a distraction, laundry, dinner, a book, and I could go on and on. At the end of the week I sometimes realize I haven't been in my studio much at all...no wonder artwork isn't piling up! Quite a few years ago a friend suggested that I do a small piece everyday, something that would take less than five minutes. I have done this off and on for several years and it really helps for the times when I am feeling less than creative and as a place to begin everyday I am in the studio.
Here's how it works. Decide on materials you want to work with and an image you'd like to repeat or a way to work with the materials. Keep it small and simple. Get the materials ready for several days or weeks so that when you go to the studio you pull out your materials and get right to it.
If this seems a little vague, it is. Here is what I am doing right now and that might help you to figure out how you would use this technique. I chose to work with rectangles of black fabric torn to about 3 x 4 inches, a smaller piece of muslin torn to various sizes and red thread. Every day I layer the two fabrics in a way that seems interesting to me and then make a mark using stitching with the red thread. I have decided to leave all of the threads hanging from the torn fabric as a sort of record of the process. Literally, this takes me less than five minutes a day. I now have a nice pile of these pieces. I find that often how I am feeling or what is going on comes through in these very small pieces of work, making a record of my days.
Let me know if you decide to try this or if you want to try but need more clarification. I'm always willing to help. Don't be stopped if ripped fabric isn't your ideal material. Use paper, clay, metal or whatever speaks to you. Make a collage, put a dot on the paper, draw a leaf. Experiment within the medium and images that you choose. The point is, get to your studio and make stuff!!!!
One of my latest knitting projects is the Gretel Tam from the book Stitch and Bitch Superstar Knitting by Debbie Stoller. I am not so good at taking pictures of myself, plus I have a cold and am not looking so good today so I got my dear dog Tia to be my model, against her better judgement, I might add. I have wanted to make a tam for some time and I love all of the cables. I used a different yarn than the pattern called for and my gauge was just a tiny bit small so the cables look a bit like brains but I still really like it. Another change I made was the cast on. She suggests using a tubular cast on because it is stretchy but I found it annoying to make so I used a long tail cast on which worked just fine. I've worn it quite a few times in the last week and with our veeerrrrryyyy
cold weather it did its job just fine. Now I have to go get Tia an extra bone for her fine modelling work.
Hi, it's been quite awhile since I've posted on my blog...I really needed a break. I wasn't inspired and topics to write about just weren't coming to me. But after my long rest I'm back and ready to share the inspiring things I find in my life. I wasn't quite sure how to start up again after such a long time but I'll just recap the last six months!
We continue to enjoy our new home, adding our own touches here and there, especially the garden last summer. I can't wait to plant some vegetable gardens and we put in a cherry tree this fall. It is small but I expect loads of cherries in the next several years. Sour cherries are among my favorites. I dehydrated some this year and they have been tasty. This is what the garden is looking like now.
One of my major goals for 2012 was to really learn how to knit. I made three sweaters, several scarves and cowls. I still haven't made a hat or mittens, but I'll get to that. This is a cowl I made for a friend for Christmas using some yarn hand-dyed by my friend Jacque. I taught myself entrelac , a method of knitting that looks woven. I also got a spinning wheel! I had one quite awhile ago and sold it which I have always regretted. Spinning is such a zen activity and I'm happy to get back to it.
I also took some major steps toward getting healthy by losing nearly 40 pounds and doing the NHS Couch to 5K program, so I can now say I am a runner. When I think about this I sometimes wonder who has inhabited my body. It is odd that at 54 I have taken up running. I think having Lara, the woman on the podcasts holding me accountable makes all the difference. I surely wouldn't want to disappoint her!
Well, I think that's all for today but I promise it won't be 6 months until you hear from me again!
My days are being taken up with continuing to settle into our new home but there is really nothing new to show you (although I have tackled the studio head on but still a bit to go). Therefore I went surfing some of my favorite blogs and thought I would share what Julie is doing over at the adventures of bluegirl xo. She has been experimenting with spun cotton ornaments and created this cute little bird. I felt really inspired by her creations (again) and thought you might be as well. If you really want some eye candy follow Julie's Pinterest boards...a feast of color, creativity and fun.
As for myself, I am setting aside organizing and get ready for my upcoming trip to Washington Island in Door County Wisconsin. I'll be going to Sievers School of Fiber Arts and take a week long class in digital fabric design taught by Donna Kallner. I have been to Sievers before but it was probably twenty years ago (Yikes! Is it possible it's been that long?) and remember it being a beautiful, relaxing place. I can't wait. After I get back I'll fill you in on the amazing time.
As I mentioned yesterday, we moved into a new home about three weeks ago. I've moved many times but this time I seem to have lost my motivation and organizational skills. I look at the boxes, especially in my studio and I don't know where to begin. I've been doing all sorts of avoidance techniques, in fact this blog post is one of them. If anyone has any ideas to help me get my mojo back, please let me know! Until then I think I'll go knit!
