Category: Fiber Art

Posted on

Studio and Sunshine

 I can give my teaching and traveling shoes a breather till the end of the month.

Taught a local mudcloth class today during which some very nice work was accomplished. My next assignment will be gut for the local basket guild, then some mudcloth in Michigan, basketry in Indiana, installation work also in IN, ….

What I need to focus on now is doing some artwork!  Mudcloth keeps calling to me as I want to try some different approaches since the trip to Mali. I also need some basketry developed not only for the installation work, but also for a companion exhibit. And some work for an invitational at Mobilia Gallery in MA this fall. And a possible installation piece inside our local library.

Certainly enough to keep me busy and off the streets. And in my studio. Which is downstairs in the basement without a window. And the weather is extremely gorgeous right now and predicted to remain so for the week.

Sigh. It just isn’t fair.

I may have to claim the deck as studio space this week.

Gotta get my vitamin D, doncha know, from all that promised sunshine!

Posted on

7th Graders

I am ever so glad I am no longer 12-13 years old!

I’m spending another week with the Batesville 7th graders doing an artist residency with them: papermaking, mudcloth, basketry, bookbinding and pop-up cards.

They are taking to the artwork without much trouble and doing some really nice work. One of the classes is working on sashes to be worn by the African drumming corps when they perform. The other classes were doing group mudcloth projects today (individual projects were yesterday) that may turn into a wall hanging at the school or, possibly, tunics for the drum corps. Several of the pieces are really exquisite, all are lovely.

But the angst that goes into their work, their play, their daily lives is amazing! Any amount of attention is too embarrassing; positive attention is appreciated; silly little things can set them off; they devise sillly little things to keep themselves occupied; peer pressure is similar in scope as tectonic plates grinding over one another.

Callousness from friends and unexpected little sensitivities towards classmates all interposed with serious artistic dialogues and banal accounts of what-happened-in-the-hallway-on-the-way-to-lunch-right-after-putting-books-into-the-locker.

Enough to make your head spin and your emotions hide in a dark closet.

Two more days of pettiness, puberty and periodic perfectionism. Two more days of guiding exciting creativity and observing wonder and awe at accomplishments.

Can’t wait!

Posted on

Pop-ups

My scissors got a workout today. In the process of getting ready for a week of artist-in-residency at the Batesville Middle School, I needed to come up with a new pop-up card design. The one we used last October was definitely a Halloween variety and would definitely not do.

Except….the art class has been doing masks lately, so a face pop-up would fit. One of the face cards I made uses eyes that have the ‘whites’ popping out. The other one uses a reverse fold to give eyelids with an extra fold to help that work.

I also got hooked on a little bug pop-up – six legs on a rounded body. Couldn’t get the antennae to work without gluing them on, but that’s okay. The legs pop out from the body so there is an extra fold to make it work.

So, with snips here, cuts there, folds and refolds, I have three card designs that I think will work well. Guess I better get some pictures of them – tomorrow.

The cards will get made the last day of the week. We’ll start with papermaking – the kids are tearing up bits of colored papers for the pulp. Then we’ll do a couple days of mudcloth work – individual and group – and include the ‘mud dance’. A day of basketry making a twined garlic basket fills out the week.

And it WILL be a full week. And fun. Better get going on the rest of the supplies.

Posted on

Gees Bend Quilts and gourds

Back from traveling again. Nothing as exciting as Mali, but still some fun times.

Some mudcloth and seagrass twining teaching in Florida where the sun and breezes were lovely. Took some time while I was there to visit with a couple basket friends.

I also had the opportunity to see the Gees Bend Quilts exhibited at the Orlando Museum of Art. They have such a sense of down-home, honest, no nonsense-ness about them. I much preferred the earlier quilts to the more recently created ones. The recent ones, although quite attractive, did not have the same matter-of-fact necessity or individualism about them that the early quilts exude. Watching the video presentation on the women quilters was special, too. Quite a lovely exhibit, all told.

Flew home in time to jump in the car and head north to visit with another basket friend and her new grandson in Detroit. Then a leisurely spin through southern Michigan on my way to an overnight in Goshen, IN. A quick stop in Wabash to check out the awesome studio of yet another basket friend and then to the gourd festival in Kokomo.

What a hoot of a show! And people! I was amazed at the variety of gourd shapes and sizes and what people are doing with/to them. Came home with some little egg-shaped gourds that I’m thinking will need some decorations on soon so they can make their way to the boys before Easter.

That, and about 10 other things that need to be done in the next couple days. None of which can be done easily outside while enjoying this wonderfully warm spring weather we are having. Sigh…….

Posted on

Spring!

Spring made a grand entrance – it was a gorgeous day today! And now the peepers are singing and the stars are out. The moon sliver gave a great appearance, too. And it is warm – aaaaahhhhhhh.

Heading towards more warmth tomorrow to do some teaching in Florida. Should be a lovely time – fun fiber friends, lots of inspiration, mandatory laughter.

And when I get back next week, it will be crazy. Lots of ins and outs planned, driving and visiting trips and taking-care-of-business in between.

And in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of life here, I’ve said good-bye to another dear, gentle, old soul/friend. I was blessed to be able to sing her favorite songs for her while she could still hear them. Much better than a funeral.