Searching for Roy G Biv - They've got green

Boston definitely has green.

That's where we've been for the past few days. Exploring Boston, feeding the ducks, riding in the swan boats, going to the aquarium and the most magnificent children's museum I've ever seen. Oh! To be 5 again and be able to play in that place.

Do you know who else has green? Julie has Maine greens. Fiona favored us with a bit of green to ponder. Lisa posted the most wondrous greens...my favorites are the patinas. But it was Ersi who stole the show!

September's search for Roy will have us all in a blue mood...or in the mood for the blues...or the Moody Blues...or...

What sort of blues will you have, I wonder?

Searching for Roy G Biv - Orange updated

It's time for the next installment of the never ending quest for Roy G Biv. June's color is orange.

Do you know what my photos are of? Care to hazard a guess? If so, leave a comment by midnight Saturday [my time - eastern standard time USA...now daylight savings time just to confuse]. The person who has correctly identified the most objects will win a piece of my rusty cotton [roughly the size of a fat eighth in quiltling].

Sunday morning, the winner will be posted as well as the original photos of the objects above.

This post will be updated throughout the day to include blogs that are participating in the Search for Roy. If you are joining us or know of someone who is, please let Julie or I know via comment and we'll include that blog on our list too. Enjoy!

1. Julie B Booth   
2. Paper Ponderings
3. Arzigogolare

3rd Annual Artist Retreat - Monday part 2

What to say about our Monday? It was a blast! As mentioned in part 1, the previous first day of our retreats have been total disasters. Truly. Whatever Pam and I tried just didn't work and didn't work on a huge scale. At some point late in each day, we'd stop, think, discuss and light upon a plan that, in the end, was the right one.

This year, my plan was to figure out what to do with my rusty fabrics and to go home, not just with ideas, but with the bones of pieces that can be completed later. 

 After a show and tell

 of the rusty sort

we each set to work. Pam in the annex and me at the display board.

Inspired by the way two of the fabrics were laid on the floor [see second photo], I started with the rectangular grid piece. It went through several iterations before arriving at this one. Pieces are pinned and a bit of hand stitching may be needed, but the bones are there. So...here's #1.

#2 went through two or three versions before keep it simple starting playing in my mind. So, I did.

Meanwhile, in the annex, Pam was painting on a lovely translucent cloth that is scrumptious...

and has me wondering how it would rust, truth be told.

In between, in those moments of rest or just times when it was necessary to step away, we played with...what else?...rusty bits. And paper. And tea.

And talked of Fiona and Susan, wondering what they would think of our experiments.

At the end of the day, we were tired yet thrilled with the progress we'd each made.

#3 was pinned and hanging, waiting for a final decision to be made while

water and words danced in the annex.

Habu

Sunday's post over at Paper Ponderings was titled Pebble happiness and for stoners like me or Habu junkies, again...like me, it was a feast for the eyes, senses and imagination.

You see, during her recent trip to New York Fiona visited Habu Textiles, which must have been heavenly. Actually, there's another phrase that comes to mind to describe what the experience must have been like that is definitely not suitable for my pg rated blog. But...oh! my!...that's exactly what it must have been like to stand midst Habu's exquisite textiles.

screen capture of  Habu's web site home page

And...well, textiles is a good word for Habu's products. Calling them yarns doesn't begin to do them justice, neither does threads. Ribbons are certainly not what they are, nor are they mere strings. They are textiles to be used however our creative mind sees fit.

Fiona used her Habu to wrap pebbles in the most simple, yet spiritual way. I sat in awed silence for quite a while Sunday morning, just gazing at her wrapped pebbles and thinking just how right it was. How Zen. 

In my comment regarding her post, I promised Fiona a shot of my Habu stash...which has been accumulating since my first Surface Design Conference back in 2005. 

Fiona, these are for you!

A day to remember

Saturday was one of those rare days that involved a trip into New York. This time to visit the Museum of Art and Design, but, most importantly, to meet Fiona and Barry...in person, that is! I've been fairly dancing in place all week trying to contain my excitement...Australia being a fair distance from Connecticut and all.

We've had kind of...well...yucky weather this past week, but Mother Nature cooperated yesterday with a sunny warm winter day. I took the train in as usual and enjoyed a brisk walk to the museum. While waiting for the light at one point, I was perusing the skyline when something in an office window caught my eye.

 Can you see it?

 The bat signal?

Needless to say, a Holy smoke Batman! It's the bat signal escaped my lips only seconds before a chuckle did which was followed by a big smile at childhood memories of watching Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt and others. The light soon turned and it was off to MAD to meet up with Fiona and Barry.

Fiona and me. Photo taken by Barry.

Currently at MAD is the exhibit Hanging Around, Necklaces from the MAD Collection. Two of my favorite pieces are Giorgio Vigna's glass bubbles necklace, Gorgoglio and

Choonsoon Moon's necklace of cardboard, plastic and elastic. The graphic simplicity coupled with the materials and textural aspect of this piece were fascinating. My fingers were itching to touch and try it on. Alas, the glass enclosure and ever watchful guard ensured otherwise.

staircase looking down

The other piece that held me entranced was Shihoko Fukumoto's Tea Ceremony Room.

Woven with indigo dyed linen, it was ethereal and my photos are poor representations of this magnificent work. As I studied and admired it from outside, I imagined the experience of sitting inside its quietness, watching the breeze play on the linen panels while the scent of jasmine tea teased the air. Serenity.

Junco Sato Pollack's Cascade II of folded and stitched silver, silk organza and gold leaf was another that teased the senses. 

While photographing the stitching and the finished edges, the shadows caught my eye.

All too soon, it was time to exit MAD, but not before I chanced another upward glance...this time from the bottom of the staircase.

Over lunch, Fiona, Barry and I chatted and laughed, exchanging stories like old friends who haven't seen each other in a while, catching up on our lives and discussing future plans. It was...well... quite simply, wonderful. A treasured time. A day to remember.

Thank you Fiona and Barry for including me in your vacation. I hope the rest of it is as enjoyable as yesterday.

Giving thanks

Fiona Dempster over at Paper Ponderings has a lovely Thursday Thought, a quote by Jorge Luis Borges, today that deals with the idea of parallel universes, the intersection/interaction of individuals. She muses about what ifs and decisions made or not made.

This blog of mine was a what if. One that was thought of, dreamed of, considered, mulled over, discarded, feared and finally started nearly 2 years ago. It was a way to keep my name out there in the art world. And a way to insure that I actually worked in the studio rather than just dreaming of doing so. Can't very well have an art blog and not have new work to show, right?

What if? What if I chosen to not start an art blog? The answer to that is simple. I would have missed out on making friendships with some wonderful artists. Some live fairly close by. Some live on the other side of the world. Seems distance is no hinderance in the blogging world.

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the States. It seems appropriate to ponder a few what ifs, but even more appropriate to say Thank You for discovering this little blog of mine. Thank You for your comments, your encouragement, your sharing spirit. May your day be filled with lots of love and laughter...and art!