Around the World Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop in the Around the World Blog Hop. My Roy G Biv partner, Julie B Booth first invited me to join the blog hop in October. Susan Bowers of Tracemarks extended an invitation soon afterwards as well. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to accept their kind invitations at the time.

When Lotta Helleberg asked me to join, what immediately ran through my mind was third time's the charm and I knew the universe was telling me that I needed to do this. A heart felt Thank You! to Julie, Susan and Lotta for thinking of me and extending the invitations. If you click on their names, you'll be spirited away to their own blog hop posts. From there, you can hop away to your heart's desire discovering new artists around the world - all from comfort of your own home. Enjoy!

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1. What am I working on?

I have 3 tea bag pieces in various stages of creation and an idea for a series that needs attention. 

A replacement for Water Dreams 1, which sold from Alchemy of Tea at the Cornelius Arts Center, is nearly complete. It's waiting for me to decide how to finish the sides...or if they are. 

What began as the base for an artist book has aspirations of becoming an installation. Think ancient scroll cascading down the wall and landing on the floor. A bit more length is required, I do believe.

Of course, there's always my hand stitching on black cotton to occupy the time when one or the other of my little urchins is hip hopping or learning the piano.

A friend has inspired me to begin crocheting again. Luckily, we've a wonderful yarn shop nearby called Nancy O. That's where this luscious grey came from. It's meant to be a wrap to keep my shoulders warm on our chillier days. Charcoal grey and burgundy will be added at some point along the way.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Good question. The short answer is that I don't really know. In wanting to find my own voice with the tea bags, I haven't researched to see what others are doing. That probably sounds funny considering my participation in Alchemy of Tea, but it's true. 

That said...I alternately view the tea bags as paper and cloth. The flow-thru type are what I use and those are generally made with abaca pulp. Being paper means that they are strong and any technique one would use with paper can be applied yet the thinness and translucent quality of the material hint at organza - and makes them perfect for layering and stitching.  

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

Memories are often associated with tastes, scents and sounds. Tea is my memory link. One whiff of freshly brewed black pekoe with mint and orange transports me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. Lady Grey winds me to Newburgh, Scotland where I first sampled its delicate yet steady taste. 

My work with tea bags explores and expands on the concept of memories, whether real or imagined, through the use of marks – the tea’s own as well as my hand made marks, direct rust prints, digital prints and hand and machine stitching.

 
4. How does my writing/creating process work?

During an artist talk this summer, I listened as two painters explained their individual theories and practices for organizing chaos via their art. They were attempting to make it nice and orderly, have it make sense and play well with others, etc. In listening to them, I realized that I have gone in the opposite direction with my work...in fact, I have embraced chaos via a wabi sabi sensibility.

Thank you for stopping by my corner of the world. Enjoy!