Saturday in New York City - January 17

Winter = ski season = Saturday in New York City for me while my family skis.

The first stroll (read near jog to stay warm) of 2015 through NYC had me looking up in honor of Ronnie and her 2015 daily series of looking up photos.

Vogue Knitting Live NYC at the Mariott Marquis was our first stop. My friend and fellow fiber/mixed media artist, Deb Jansen, joined me.

Ute Lennartz's hand-knitted teepee dominates the entrance to Vogue Knitting Live. It is breathtaking in its simplicity, size and artistry.

Ute Lennartz uses wool to cover everything from trees to entire bridges. You could call her work yarn bombing, but her attention to detail and the meaning she puts behind each project makes them much more. Her latest project is a series of hand-knit teepees that are the result of a conscious effort to encourage people to come together in a place that is beautiful and safe. This is her first installation in the United States. She lives in Remscheid, Germany. Find her online at www.ute-lennartz-lembeck.de *

Mariott Marques lobby 

It was impossible to take photos inside the Marketplace as the aisles were so packed with knitting enthusiasts that being jostled was a constant and I was afraid the camera would meet the floor in a not so good way. Needless to say, anything and everything involved in knitting or crocheting was available.

Our next stop was ABC Home with it's eclectic selection.

After enjoying a lunch of the most delicious cheeseburgers and french fries courtesy of the ABC kitchen, Deb lead the way across the street to Fishs Eddy.

The store is a life-sized treasure box of restaurant ware and vintage goods.

I don't know if Einstein really said this, but couldn't resist taking the shot.

If the weather allows (meaning if it's not so wintery that I wimp out), another trip to NYC is planned for next Saturday to see Debra Smith's Shifting Territory at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts and the Textile Study Group of New York's Square 2015. Stay tuned.



*from Vogue Knitting Live placard

Searching for Roy G Biv 4 - Red - update 2

Welcome to a new year of searching for Roy G Biv! Being as Julie and I are going back to the beginning of the Roy alphabet, January's color is red. Enjoy!

 Ann Hamilton's ONEEVERYONE at the Transformer Station, Cleveland, OH

strolling to the Cleveland Museum of Art

  Cleveland

 Charlotte, NC

 having fun with the family in Leesburg, VA

 Philadelphia sidewalk

 home

Yearning for more red? Take a stroll over to these blogs then:

Ronnie of art & etc has been looking up this year. I just couldn't resist including her latest post with it's pop of red against a gorgeous blue sky.

Fiona of Paper Ponderings is back with her insightful Thursday Thoughts.

Maya, who I know best from Million Little Stitches, is beginning the new year of Roy by moving him to a place of unexpected adventures, take diversion.

Want to join in the fun? Just leave a note for Julie or I and we'll link to your post. Stay tuned for updates!

---------

The new year has brought some new searchers our way. Welcome Fran, Elfi, Linda and Roxanne! When you have a chance, take a peek at the luscious reds offered by:

Fran at At The End Of The Day

Elfi at elf2mani

Linda at Linda Stokes Textile Artist

Sharmon at Sharmon Davidson Contemporary Mixed Media  

Mary Ann at Blue Sky Dreaming

Charlton at Charlton Stitcher

Lisa at arzigogolare

Eric at Cerulean and
Roxanne of Ideas in Cloth have joined in the search for Roy.

---------

2015

February 19 - orange
March 19 - yellow
April 16 - green

May 21 - blue
June 18 - indigo
July 16 - violet
August 20 -brown
September 17 -gold
October 15 -grey
November 19 -pink  
December 17 - blogger's choice

Searching for Roy G Biv 4 - reminder

Do you know what this Thursday is?

It's the first 3rd Thursday of 2015 and that means we're kicking off a new year of Roy G Biv. We're going back to the beginning and starting with red. If you're joining in the search, just leave a note for Julie or me when your post is up and we'll be happy to link to you. 

Hope to see your reds on Thursday!

---------

2015
January 15 - red

February 19 - orange
March 19 - yellow
April 16 - green

May 21 - blue
June 18 - indigo
July 16 - violet
August 20 -brown
September 17 -gold
October 15 -grey
November 19 -pink
December 17 - blogger's choice 

5

Five years ago today - yesterday actually by date, but today being as we've arrived at the second Sunday of the new year - I was sitting in Starbucks, venti chai at the ready, laptop open, fingers poised over the keyboard, trying desperately to write the first post of what was to be my art blog...this blog.

Those first words just wouldn't come. It seemed years...decades even...before the first coherent sentence flowed onto the screen. And then the post was written. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Being an ex-accountant, I thought it would be fun to take a peek at a few stats while reflecting on the past 5 years. My most viewed post is

Cleveland - India Flint workshop day 1. While my bundle photo from that day is very popular on Pinterest,

it's this shot of India's hands that I prefer.

And that got me thinking about my favorite posts. Two quickly come to mind. The first was one of the most difficult to write and share because of the strong emotions associated with it. Tactile Notebooks and the Written Word - After not only offers insight into one of the exercises Sandra asked of the class, but is a treasured example of how my world opened and expanded because of beginning this blog.

Another favored post is Santa Fe - Sunday. Pam and I arrived in Santa Fe the evening before, tired and excited about the week ahead. Our first full day, Sunday, was an all round magical day and won't be forgotten any time soon. We both fell in love with Santa Fe and are planning our return later this year.

The writing of this blog has brought about so many connections with kindred spirits, new friendships formed, opportunities to travel, exhibit my work and even write a magazine column. All would have been unthinkable 5 years ago.

From me to you, a most heart felt Thank You! for sharing the years. Here's to another 5 more.

Make Your Mark

One of the best opportunities that came my way in 2014 was an invitation 

from Jeannine Stein, editor of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine,

 to write a recurring column for the 2015 issues.

In Make Your Mark, I will be sharing some of my mark making techniques and the tools used in the process.

The January/February issue of Cloth Paper Scissors is out now. I'm thrilled to be in the company of Seth Apter of The Altered Page. In The Creative Pulse, Seth will address issues that all artists deal with beginning with ways to identify your own signature style. 

Stay tuned! 2015 promises to be a fascinating year.

January 7

Mother Nature graced us with a skiff of snow yesterday.

Wind is roaring today and tossing things about.

My little urchins and I marveled at Wind's leaf collage in the driveway.

The birds are thankful for a full feeder of seeds and nuts.

I am thankful for the ideas their footprints are spurring.

2014

As I pondered 2014, it occurred to me that the best way to describe it is as a year of opportunities.

  

While my little urchins were taking ski lessons on Saturdays last January and February, I ventured into New York to see exhibitions. 
(Left - Richard Serra Intervals, 2013, weatherproof steel, 24 plates. Right - Li Hongbo's Tools of Study at Klein Sun Gallery on right)

March brought about the first Stitching Summit which was a gathering of Christine Mauersberger, Erin Endicott Daniels, Kelly McKaig, Lotta Helleberg and myself. What a joyful and exquisite time we had together in a old farmhouse full of charm and creaks in southern New Jersey.

Mother Nature even gifted us with a snow day which cancelled flights and extended our stay just one more day.

April found me doing art math equations where 1 = 2 = 9 + 1

May brought the 5th Annual Artist Retreat at Pam's house. Wanting to play and experiment, we chose paper as our medium and mark making as our technique for the week. At the end, we'd collaborated on 10 or 12 journals.

In June, I continued the mark making began at Pam's.

July brought about a trip to Cleveland where Lotta, Christine and I gathered

 

to take Velma's and Aimee's paper making class at the Morgan.

August was a time for family, the winding down of summer and preparing for the new school year.

September had Pam and I meeting in Charlotte, NC for the opening of Alchemy of Tea, an exhibition of tea inspired art that I was lucky to be included in. The photo on the right is a shot that Pam took of yours truly during the artist talk.

A whirlwind trip to Santa Fe and caring for my Grace with her broken arm were October's offerings. 

Since returning from Santa Fe, studio time has been hit or miss. More miss than hit it feels, especially with the holiday season following on October's heels as it always does.

It was fun to look back over 2014 and realize that it really was a blessed year even with the little bumps that life threw our way there near the end. 2015 promises to offer even more opportunities for gathering with friends and expanding my art. More about those in another post...