Thursday, June 12, 2014

Buried Treasure - 5 days

Welcome! Seth Apter of The Altered Page is hosting a hunt for buried treasure - favorite older posts from our blogs that strike a cord. It was fun culling through my entries from several years ago. Instances or processes or pieces long forgotten were revisited and remembered.

logo from The Altered Page

In the end, I chose a post from May 2012, entitled 5 Days. I was getting ready to head out to Pam's for our 3rd annual artist retreat. Seems fitting as we've just finished the 5th retreat and are planning a mid-year get together. Enjoy!

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5 Days, originally posted May 22, 2012

The countdown is on. The clock is ticking. 5 more days until I board the first of two airplanes that will take me to Kansas. Can I tell you just how much I'm looking forward to this? To our 3rd annual artist retreat...to a week with a very dear friend...to a week of being able to think and speak coherently [little urchins are staying home with Dad]...to a week of art...to a week of breathing.

Yes. The countdown is on. I'm sitting here in the studio listening to rain falling, to birds chattering, to cars driving by and for the sound of little urchins' stumbling footsteps as they come down the hall to the studio where they know mommy will be.

I should be writing the proposal for Silvermine. It's due on Friday, after all. Yikes! Then again, there's velcro to be pinned to the 5 large rust beauties. There's green tea #3 to be peaked at to see if the time is right for unbundling. There's....well, there's a lot.

Yet here I sit, remembering last year's artist retreat. How we'd planned to do one thing, tried it and failed miserably. Regrouped the next day and ended up giving ourselves over to the studio muses, Esmerelda and Cecil are their names, but that's a story for another day.

I ended up taking over Pam's printing tables [that's her in the doorway]

 and printing yards

 and yards [there are 6 of these 4 ft x 12 ft pieces behind me in the closet...patiently wait]

 of cotton 

and organza.

I even got the most delicious lines of from monoprinting all of the paint off of the holey fabric that produced the multitude of circles.

That was last year's artist retreat. While most of those pieces are resting comfortably, biding their time, knowing that one day their bin will be opened and I'll reach in, a few have been rusted.

 So now there are layers

 and layers

 of circles.

Hmmm...wonder what would happen if I printed over the already rusted prints to add a 3rd layer of circles? Just a thought...

30 comments:

  1. That was a good recap of last year's retreat...brought back all the memories! Soooo...will one of the mono-printed, rusted pieces be coming back?...for the lastest what if? The studio muses are starting to get excited.

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    1. Oh yes. The mono prints are wending their way to your house...except for my favorite piece which will be accompanying me. So...us Esmerelda spinning yet?

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  2. circles are my thing on everything so I vote yes add circles! lucky duck off to play with art buddies. good deal! have fun!

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    Replies
    1. That's 3 yeses to more circles. We're likely to be a bit dizzy at some point, don't you think?

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  3. Ah...my envy is creeping in...wish I could play with you too (or two?)...will have to live vicariously! Looking forward to figuring out Skype so I can have a great show and tell. Hoping your week will be a motivation for me to clear off the table! I am simultaneously picking up the mess, packing for tomorrow night's class, working on my Mom's gift and maybe a surprise!

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like you've had a hectic day! Good luck with packing and clearing and creating your mom's gift. See ya next week...via Skype.

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  4. envy did I hear someone say. Yep. All looks gorgeous - i especially love the layers image. You are going to have enormous fun. Enjoy that lovely 'own head space' you have when you leave your family behind with all their needs and wants. Love them as we do, having your own head space is simple one of God's best gifts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The envy word was bandied about by Thread Born above...who is actually a mutual friend of Pam's and mine. We all met when we all lived in Virginia once upon a time. Keep trying to get her to come play with us...maybe next year.

      From your comment about needing your own head space, would I be correct in assuming that you have children? I love my daughters dearly, but they scramble my brain. It was day 2 of last year's artist retreat when I realized that not only could I think clearly and intelligently again, I was actually able to correctly use multi-syllable words often in conversation and hadn't referred to bathroom as the potty once. Ah! What a glorious feeling that was.

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    2. Threadborn would be happy to come play next year!!

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    3. Since we don't know yet when the 4th annual artist retreat will be next year, clear your calendar for the SDA conference at the beginning of June. We can explore San Jose together. And plan on taking a workshop...one for fun...just because.

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  5. why oh why
    is there never enough time to do
    Everything?

    clearly
    i need to train @ UR knee
    to make
    these
    magical roundy prints...


    {{ the light shining thru
    IS another layer,
    you know,
    which comes & goes... }}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You picked up on the light...
      and the shadows as well.

      Train at my knee?
      Oh just too funny.
      No trading needed,
      just do it
      when time allows.

      But you've just had
      the most wonderful trip.
      Pictures soon?

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  6. The fabrics you are creating are gorgeous.
    It's wonderful that you are able to plan ahead for a week of non-planning , a week of not knowing what will happen, a week of allowing your muses to lead you.
    You are SO ready for this - Don't you feel as if you might just fly?

    Have a wonderful time. More and more circles - never enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "You are SO ready for this - Don't you feel as if you might just fly?"

      Yes. And it is a lovely feeling. Care to join us?

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  7. yards and yards of scrumptious fabrics...
    oh lucky you
    this is my idea of a fantastic time
    thank you for sharing

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Patty! Every artist retreat with Pam is a wonderful time, but this yielded the most printed fabric...much of which is safely packed away waiting to be brought out and used.

      Enjoy!

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  8. Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting Lin! Our artist retreats are always loads of fun. Enjoy!

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  9. Ahhh, sounds like an amazing artists retreat with your friend! Lovely prints!!
    Wonderful Buried Treasure!
    All the best,
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Mary! In re-posting this, I've realized just how much fabric is packed away and waiting to be used so it was buried treasure for me as well. Enjoy!

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  10. Jennifer- I love this post as well as your other friend artist retreat posts! So glad you picked this one for Buried Treasure- truly wonderful fabrics and surely a wonderful time was had!!
    Jackie ")

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    Replies
    1. Thank you JackieP! As one might guess, I have a great time at Pam's every year. Sadly, we didn't do this when we both lived in Virginia. It took moving to different parts of the country and various other life changes to bring us round, but man! do we enjoy these weeks.

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  11. As someone who loves to rust fabric, work on surface design, and live in Kansas, I truly admire you and your friend and envy your mid year retreat and get together. If only I had someone to share my fabric ideas with. Of course, I would probably need a better studio, because it looks like Pam's is simply incredible (and quite spacious, too). Thanks for sharing this buried treasure.

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    1. Just took a stroll over to your blog to see what you've been up to out there in Kansas. Love the artist books! Also took a peek to see where you are in Kansas. Pam lives a couple hours north of you. The story is that when they moved back there, her husband would tell the real estate agents that they wanted a really good art studio that had a house attached. And it is a excellent space. If only my own was like that...

      Enjoy!

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  12. Visiting from buried treasures - I knew I was going to love this blog when I read your tag line ...rust stitch text cloth paper! Your blog is packed with inspiring photos and stunning fabrics. I love playing with tags and what a great idea to sew them together to create a book. This is why I love blog hops - we get to meet so many talented artists along the way. cheers from singapore.

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    1. Welcome Cathy! Glad you could stop in on your hunt for buried treasure. I need to carve out a chunk of time to do the same. (shhhh...don't tell Seth that I haven't yet.) I totally agree with you about loving blog hops and being introduced to new artists. Tend to get lost in the inspiration of it all. Enjoy!

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  13. Wonderful fabrics, surfaces and books.
    I have enjoyed the visit and will come again!
    Thanks for sharing it all.

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    Replies
    1. Welcome Dorit! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to my various experiments. Enjoy!

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