Wednesday, January 24, 2018

scorecard scoria formulae

“I’m as happy as a cow in her stall. 
That’s the only place where everything is all right.” 



Yeah, it's me again.  Bet you thought you lost me, eh?  No, not lost, just derailed!  This past week has been completely off the charts busy, and I just haven't had time for silly blogging.  I heard on one of my 3AM podcasts that, 'NOBODY BLOGS ANYMORE'.  Well, OK.  It's just another remnant of the dinosaur age here.  Some day I'll be bones stuck in tar with my fingers fused to the keypad.  But I'm first gonna talk about my week!

I received my monthly present from the Altered Art group and it's a lovely collage from Janis.  I already am working on the piece I have to send out by the end of the month and just may make the deadline.  Last year I banged out 10 of them at once and mailed them all in the beginning to get behind it.  Then I sat back and awaited the mailman and didn't have the stress or guilt of having to do itty bitty bits when I was too involved in something big. 
My 'theme' for the year is going to be sewing so this one is called 'Spools'.  As you can tell by the pins it's still in progress, and as a matter of face pretty much done after this.  I trimmed it down to 10" square.  It's trans-web painted with acrylics and fused onto felt. Then it's random circles cut from vintage kimono fabrics with the remnants from that forming the I-beam shaped spools.  Then I did the ole internet search and grabbed some old spool labels to attach.  Once trimmed it got much less confusing.  The cool thing is that the stitching, and there is a lot of it, was all done on the Q20 which I have been avoiding like the plague even after whining about buying it for so long.  IT works fine, but *I need some practice.  SO, that will be the other requirement for this series-  I have to use the Q20 in every piece to justify it's floor space.
Next, I finished up the auction stool for the Play for Pink challenge going up at our club.  Since I was at the end of the stool choosing, the one I got was not very easy to establish a relationship with (!), the steps were very narrow, and the top piece could have been much bigger too.  the legs are too spindly and it just isn't a good design.  So all that complaining over, I like how it tuned out.  I free cut a bunch of handmade papers and hand painted cardstock I've been hoarding, thinking of tropical plants while cutting away.  I used papers without thinking about realism, just getting a feel of lush growth and twining vines as I cut and pasted.  It only took a day of arranging after the piles of cut leaves were done, it was dry the next day and the second poly coating went on yesterday so it's ready to go-  even with a tiny signature.

I opened up the studio for several friends to come make their messes with me, even supplied the acrylics if they promised to toss the dried up tubes as they encountered them.  As much as I love having people in the studio to chat awhile, I did find it hard to work with people around.  thankfully it was only  few hours over two three days and we all finished yesterday.  I will turn this in tomorrow and think the auction itself is mid February but I could be wrong.  

So then on Friday I started my 3 day workshop with Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn from the UK.  You may know them from their (no kidding) 34 books they have written together!  Their class was about embroidery and layering stitches and building up textures.  And the approach was way more complicated that I am willing to attempt-  in my head I argued with them every step of the way but DID it.  Now that I am back on my own I will see what can be eliminated, what can be substituted, and what can be additions to what they taught.  This was my first sample, the second became 'Spools' and I will get a better picture when I finish it up tomorrow.


OK, so its not that compelling, I admit.  And it certainly needs some cropping.  But it's my first intimate connection to Solvy, or something that acts like Solvy except that it's sticky, but it only available in the UK.  

In conjunction with the workshop, there was also a Jane Dunnewald workshop at the same time, and then a big fiber show with two other artists at the Armory Art Center in West Palm.  If you have any time and are in town I urge you to see what's being done-  an amazing show!  You should see what Jane D. is doing!

One more thing about the last few projects I've been saddled with-  my bocce triptych went for $400 in the auction for that-  I was thrilled because the money went to my own charity which just happens to be Planned Parenthood.  Since this is the anniversary of Row vs Wade decision and I am wearing a giant '1973' on my teeshirt whenever its somewhat appropriate, I'm doing my little bit.

ARTY PARTY, even thought I think somebody owes me one!





Recently, Belgium-based ad agency Soon used paper as the medium for yet another unexpected product–playful little insects. Each sculpture was handcrafted out of recycled materials, photographed, and used in a brochure to advertise company IGEPA Benelux's new line of recycled papers.
The designers–Creative director Jim Van Raemdonck; graphic designers Phoebe De Corte and Dries Caeckebeke; and assistants Claar De Waele and Sil De Boeck–flipped through old magazines and printed materials, and selected a wide range of colorful paper to form the incredibly detailed legs, body, and wings of each creature. Layer upon layer, the artists cut, shaped, assembled, and transformed the paper into these delicate sculptures. The hand-crafted bugs are filled with a vibrant energy that radiates from the delicate composition of materials.

I'm exhausted.  Since NOBODY READS BLOGS ANYMORE, I'm gonna take my ball and go inside.  see you in a day or two.

5 comments :

Hallsie said...

I'm reading, and enjoying, your blog!

Max said...

Given that your blog gets delivered to my inbox in the morning, and is one of the first things I read as I have my coffee . . . I refuse to be classified as nobody! That bit of drivel must have come from one who is incapable of reading more than 140 characters without becoming confused.

Janet W said...

I never miss your blog. Inspiring, funny, and visually fascinating. Don't stop, please. I also am appreciating your comments on the SAQA listserve about entering quilt shows. Amen!

Anonymous said...

I am still reading your blog. Cheers Jan

Sharon L said...

I always look forward to your posts!