Santa Fe 2016 - Wednesday

Numerous discussions took place between Pam and I as to just what it was that we thought we wanted to work on or with during this year's Santa Fe retreat. I kept coming back to paper and books.

So yesterday morning while all was quiet, I cropped and re-cropped the red and gray thread drawing from Tuesday (sorry...no photo of the full piece). It was my least favorite of the large sketches, but had potential. Cropping allowed the flowing lines and arcs to become the focus.

Not wanting to glue the sketches to the backing...and not being patient enough to wait for the glue to dry properly...I stitched the pages to the black backing. 

The inside of the book is full of color and energy, while the back is more subdued. 

It needs a holder, a container, a pocket or envelope to keep it safe. That will be made at home. 

After stitching the original thread drawings on full sheets of paper, I wondered what would happen if I used smaller squares. Two sheets of Rives BFK lightweight yielded 12 eight inch squares and provided the basis for what I hope will be a daily practice. Only time will tell...

In the studio

The Connecticut chapter of Surface Design Association (SDA) met last week for our monthly gathering/summer party to share ideas, ask for suggestions, tell about upcoming exhibitions, etc. Anita Balkun shared Esther K. Smith's How to MAKE BOOKS.

The book is wonderful, beginning with the textured cover. 

Helpful diagrams are found throughout. 

This morning, while my not-so-little urchins were still asleep, I decided to try a few of Esther's instructions for making accordion books from one sheet of paper.

After folding and refolding per the diagrams, I turned the sheet over to begin cutting. The spiral is more visible this way.

The last step is folding this way and that to transform one sheet of paper into a funky accordion. The corners create a V in one place and an M in another which break the traditional accordion shape. I'm eager to try this again with more folds...and with paint on both sides of the paper. Stay tuned!

In between

In between - that's what I feel like I am at the moment...in between. What? Here and there? A rock and hard place, perhaps? 

No. No. All is well here. It's just how the universe has me feeling what with winter still holding on while spring tries to muscle her way in. We've projects around the house to start, but, well...starting can be so darned difficult at times. Getting that momentum going, you know?

So, I've been locking myself in the studio once the urchins leave for school. And that is good.

 Sections of the next piece have been being sewn together and are waiting for more.

The past few days have been a frenzy of attempting to sew a pinafore apron out of my rusty cottons a la Christine Mauersberger's pattern that she was kind enough to share (Many thanks Christine!).

It fits, but needs tweaking - pockets are called for and it's a bit too long...or is it? The straps in back are a tad off somehow... I promise more photos soon.

Time in between has been spent applying to exhibitions and waiting for notification of acceptance or rejection.  I'm happy to say that

Mapping the Mermaid's Dreams © 2013 will be part of the Juried Member Show 2013 at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, April 13 - May 12, Ridgefield, CT and

my collages The Scent of Tea Wafted Through the House, The Memory of Tea and The Making of Tea (all ©2012) will be part of Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space (A Mitchell Gallery National Juried Exhibition) , May 29 - June 19, 2013, at The Mitchell Gallery, St. John's College, Annapolis, MD.

Having my work accepted into exhibitions is a new occurrence for me. While I was juried into some of the best art shows along the east coast with my weavings, rarely were they accepted into exhibitions. Curated into by a curator who was familiar with them, yes, but juried into...no. So if you've been hearing the odd Woohoo! that can't quite be placed or get the feeling that someone is doing a serious happy dance (or 2 or 3) in the studio, that's likely been me.

All in all, this feeling of in-between-ness that has settled in has been quite productive for me. Of course, it could be a side effect of the allergy medicines that the allergist prescribed. This time last year, skull splitting headaches were a daily occurrence for me. Let's see...in-between-ness vs skull splitting headaches...not really a contest, is it?

Accordion or scroll?

The official vote so far is 2 either way, 3 scroll...4 if my vote counts. What do you think?

In the studio

Accordion book 4...

or scroll?

Wabi sabi

What is wabi sabi?

Wikipedia defines it as a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete"... Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity (roughness or irregularity), simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.

The words that jump out and grab me in this definition are:

imperfect, incomplete, asymmetry, simplicity and intimacy

Wondering where this is going? Well...an idea had been floating around as to how to start book 4. Last week, when starting book 3, I decided that the fabric for the next book would not be whole, but would be cut up and reassembled willy nilly so that the pattern was broken.

With that idea in mind, I mentioned it to Pam when we skyped on Thursday. Also said something about concentrating on the treatment of where 2 pieces of fabric are joined. Once our conversation was over, a glance at the clock showed 1.5 hours before the little urchins would be home.

So...with 1.5 hours in the studio, an idea that just wouldn't let go and whispering just do it to myself, I did it.

Fabrics were set on my worktable

and a bin of scraps was opened.

I'd close my eyes and select a piece, from here or there,

of rusted and/or monoprinted cotton,

 pin it together,

go sit at the sewing machine

and stitch the layers together

with dark gray thread

along the short side.

Wabi sabi

In the studio

Got a start on book 4 today.

Light and shadows

Thought I'd post a few more shots of the sun playing with the third accordion book.

 The snow has moved in and is here to stay for a bit - until tomorrow around 1 pm 

if the weather forecasters are correct. Be safe everyone!

In the studio

Working on accordion book 3.

Enjoying the sun streaming through the windows

as I monoprint

 and stitch

and wonder what comes next.

What if...

Last week an idea flitted through my mind....

what if I took one of my large rust beauties and

cut it into 5 inch strips and

 what if I stitched on it 

mostly length-wise

 with a only a few vertical lines?

 Today I wondered what if bees wax were painted on it?

[Thank you Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch for the suggestion of encaustics! This is my version of it.]

 The marks left on the newsprint after ironing to remove the excess wax were fascinating

 and had me wondering if the paper could used as well.

  And then it was time for a few photos.