7th Annual Artist Retreat, part 4

The final day of the 7th annual artist retreat arrived...much to Pam's and my chagrin. It seems the week flew by at amazing speeds this year.

After a leisurely breakfast, we decided to venture outside the studio today and

go into Kansas City (the Kansas side) to visit Asiatica. Known for their clothing constructed of vintage kimono material,

Asiatica is an all round visual feast.

I fell in love with these glass houses by Katsuya Ohigita

and couldn't resist taking this shot of Pam and I in mirror as she tried on that lovely scarf.

The true visual feast at Asiatica can be found behind the showroom wall. Row upon row of the vintage kimono cloth is bound and organized by color and pattern, waiting to create exquisite clothing.

The simple marks caught my eye

as did these reds.

But it was this red that captured my heart. It's safely packed and ready to fly back to the east coast tomorrow morning.

Many thanks to Pam and Mike for allowing me to invade again and to my husband, John, for understanding the importance of this week.

And thanks as well to the studio muses who always inspire and whose whispers become great what ifs. 

7th Annual Artist Retreat, part 3

The morning light as it begins to sneak into Pam's studio is glorious.

For a few seconds yesterday morning, before the sunlight drifted to the side, it made the recycled Macy's shopping bag handles of my newly created paper bag journal glow. 

Thursday was dedicated to finishing the black, white and red scroll. After all, it was home and it wanted to be completed here...to move on to its next life. 

So I listened and obliged.

 Sewing

and cropping, 

aligning

 and joining.

We had both machines fairly humming most of the day. I always enjoy a bit of a chuckle when Pam and I sit at opposite ends of her worktable and begin stitching - Pam at her George and me at the full metal Elna that was once her mother's. Can't help but think of dueling sewing machines...

Pam's creation is exquisite. I need her permission to share photos though.

At some point around mid-day, Pam looked out the window and spied this little fellow searching for his lunch. He's so tiny - would fit in the palm of your hand. 

Back at work, the black, white and red scroll has become a double-sided accordion book. 

front

back

a different view

The last day of the retreat has arrived far too soon. I feel like I wasted half the time trying to do regular work. On one hand, I did. On the other...well, my folly proved once and for all that this time at Pam's truly is sacred play time. And we are serious about play. All bets are off, there are no mistakes, no bad ideas. And that is a very good place to be. 

7th Annual Artist Retreat, part 2

Way back during the first annual artist retreat at Pam's house, we agreed that this week would be a week of experimentation, much what if-ing and just doing it. A week to try those methods, techniques, tools and/or materials that were on our one day lists. Somewhere along the way this time, I lost sight of that and attempted to do a bit of serious tea bag work. If you read part 1, you know that that was unsuccessful and highly frustrating.

This studio radiates fun, cooperation, sharing ideas, lending a hand, etc. That's not to say serious work never happens, but it comes about as a result of giving yourself permission to play and follow an idea...even the hint of an idea. With this in mind, Pam declared the remainder of the retreat to be about play and I happily followed her directive.

We raided her stash of paper bags and 

while she painted fabric,

I set about slicing

and dicing the bags.

Pam decided to add more handles 

to her journal while waiting for the paint to dry.

Soon enough, it was time for me to sew this to that

and that to this.

Some parts of the bags seemed perfect for creating pockets.

In all, there are 3 pockets in this journal...in fact one whole page (not pictured) is a pocket.

With plenty of supplies at hand, today's question is

do I finish the black, white and red book or make more paper bag journals? What do you think?

7th Annual Artist Retreat, part 1

Greetings from Oz! Dorothy's Oz, that is. It's May which means it's time for the annual artist retreat at Pam's. We live in her studio all week, experimenting and what if-ing, sharing ideas and lending a hand as needed.

This week began with the emptying of a box of tea bags that Pam had been saving for me. She sewed and I opened and emptied as we chatted and caught up.

Soon enough, the tea bags were ready for stitching. I came with the goal of creating enough pieces to cover 20+ more 4 inch square canvases to add to my Tea Stories series. For some reason, this has been difficult.

 Popcorn has helped to ease the stress and discomfort

of being unsatisfied with my tea bags. 

A mama cardinal has been diligently guarding her nest on the rose trellis outside the dining room window. She tolerates our glances out to check and make sure she's well.

Back in the studio,  Pam brought out some of the drawings she did in Santa Fe last year

to crop and give new life to. I must admit that as much as it hurt (me) to see these beautiful large drawings be cut into, the end result is exquisite. 

In between cropping and stitching, Pam has been painting

the fabric she uses

as well as adding her own marks

to the paper bag journal

I created for her.

Toward the end of the day yesterday, still unsatisfied with my tea bag work, I brought out the circle scroll that had been begun here last year. As I told Pam, it's home and wants to be finished here.

So I did a bit of cropping of my own and have begun to breath new life into a piece that has languished in my studio for the past year...because I couldn't figure out what the next step was.

All I had to do was listen to it. It wanted to come home - to this studio filled with light, life, water, circles, friendship and never ending possibilities just waiting to be tried.