waiting for the muse

Devotees of grammatical studies have not been distinguished for any very remarkable felicities of expression.
- Amos Bronson Alcott

Yesterday we went to the MFA to check out the El Greco to Velasquez show.  I always enjoy seeing real life paintings that I am all too familiar with from books and this show didn't disappoint.  Well, except that I am not a real fan of this era, or Spain either.

Fortunately for me, there was a big display of Antonio Lopez Garcia, probably the most famous painter in Spain today, in the contemporary gallery and io knocked me aside my head.  His work is massive walls of super-realist paintings taken from views over different Spanish cities.  No detail goes unobserved.

                                           View of Madrid from Capitán Haya (1987-94

Garcia is also known for his monumental baby head sculptures, and there were several examples of these in different sizes in his exhibit, as well as heads that were used in other artworks, but the most unsettling were the two dark bronze (?) baby heads flanking the museum entrance welcoming us to the show.

It's all in the details today, simply because these pieces are almost ready to go out and I shouldn't show them before...um...before I *show* them.

These two details are from the 'Australian Pines' wee piece.  Do you have any idea how much I love toiles???
Here I have used seven different toiles and managed to even find four dogs that are on a similar scale.  For once I didn't have to resort to scanning and changing sizes.  All the toile images are then put onto a background of a photo I took of some pines after a hurricane in Florida.  A denuded tree!  And that, in this case, is a good thing because I am embroidering all the damn needles.  Like I have nothing else to do in this world.  After I  mail this out I will post the whole thing.

This one you need to see a larger detail to catch the creepy guys in the trees spying on our yellow swinger.  I get goosebumps when I look at it too closely.  Hope the recipient doesn't.  This is made for a friend for a forgotten birthday and the big presentation is this week so I will post the whole project soon.  More toile, this time just three of four different pieces but arranged on a hand printed background and with several vintage fabrics added.  

Speaking of vintage, note the stars in the sky, remnants from the quilt my mom wouldn't give me because I would CUT IT UP.  I assured her I wouldn't but she wouldn't part with it so I got it after her death and guess what-  I cut it up.  Frankly it was sort of hideous and she had been right all along.  

                                                               Butt Ugly Quilt

All I wanted to do was replace the too-wide sashing and do real quilting rather than having it tied with fuzzy acrylic yarn, but once I got it home and started ripping, the devil took over.  No way in hell was I going to re-make the ugly thing but I ended up with stacks adn stacks of stars that have appeared in many quilts and collages.

Here are just two of them, but I use these in everything it seems, probably only have 20 years worth left now! On the left is 'Swirling', and on the right is 'Twirling' (I think-  I keep getting them mixed up!)  Both are collages mounted on canvas with the stars hanging loose off the surface so they move slightly in breezes.  Guess any new old cutter tops I will have to get on eBay. Lately though there is such crap there, it will be a complete accident when I find something.

And it's Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend so, back to work here in condo-land while I have some quiet time before Mr. Golf-Tournament gets back and the tv starts blaring baseball, basketball, and reruns of Mohammed Ali's fights.  All at once...