Slide show of Stanzas...

Seeing one's work hang and in place is just as much a part of the creative process as making the work.  Two thoughts, my small and medium sized pieces definitely could use better support when hanging.  Because of the size I thought having a bottom sleeve for a slat would be overkill; and I desperately need better lighting in the studio!

Red and Cilium are unevenly shaped pieced as intended...but the others, I'd like to see hang flatter.  Not sure if I could have pressed them better after being stored or what...

 

My thoughts are quiet these days...

so really not to much new is happening in the studio.  Tomorrow is the last day to see Stanzas: Mixed Media Art Quilts at the Iroquois library branch.  It is my intent to make it back over with the camera tomorrow.  Those of you who are in a constant flux of exhibiting and preparing work to go out, I salute you!  It took quite a lot of focus and energy to get the small exhibit at the library ready.  I had to put aside every thing else to prepare the quilts for hanging/framing.

In all of the above doings, the studio had become a royal mess and I was feeling the emotional need for a complete overhaul, but after putting items back in place,throwing out some stuff, and giving away some stuff, I felt un-burdened again.  

The last 2 days I've spent painting wood signs for sign posts that sit outside in the courtyard intended to let visitors know we're in our studios.  I thought about blinging it out with some fabric but I went for "just get it done and move on".   I hope to be finished with these on Thursday with final coats of poly-acryllic.

I'm reading more these days...my current list:  Joplin's Ghost by Tananarive Due (Kindle for the PC); In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa's Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World by Judith Carney and Richard Nicholas Rosomoff; and The Artist Rule: Nuturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom.  The last thing I do before falling asleep is to grab a poem from Mythium-The Journal of Contemporary Literature and Cultural Voices #3.  

 

She, Reinvented

She hasn't been sewed down yet...the original She was made in recycled teepee fabric and was lost to eternity shortly thereafter but not before I had scanned it...so this is She, Reinvented.  It about 1.5' x 2'.   Looking for moonlighting Elves (heard they work well in winter) who are willing to work for warm cookies and hot chocolate...tell them to in-box me...

Technically speaking...

winter hasn't started, but I don't give a crap about technicalities once temperatures dip into the low 40s and today starting this afternoon, the temp will fall into the 30s.  For any new readers, I hate winter!

The mixed media artist's panel at the library went off very well.  After a 50 hour week of watching 2 of my grandchildren, I made it on Saturday to the panel with my oldest and dearest friend Mary J.   Organizing artist Makalani was right, for the short 2 hours, it did take the ache out of my body and I enjoyed the poets and the one musician.  It was a great accompaniment to my exhibit.  After everyone had presented we formed a panel for about 30 minutes of discussion where I got to talk about my process of creating and how it relates to poetry.  We wrapped up by taking photos in front of African Delight, the very first quilt I made before I started this visual art journey.  

Karen Peace (isn't that a great name?) hung the show and did a great job (we do have a pretty cool library system here)!  By the time I returned home I had a pretty high temp and called my doc...I avoided a hospital stay but did an er run yesterday morning...turned out to be pleurisy.  I'm home and loopy from pain med...and hungry from the steroid.  Adorable grandchildren are being watched by their Great Aunt and a cousin this week.  

My current goal is to get at least one day in the studio before next Thursday and be there on Friday for the all day F.A.T. Friday Trolley Hop.  We've formed another pop-up exhibit for that day, November 25th.

Here are some photos I snapped of last Saturday..I was trying to wait until others posted some of me included with the other artists.  When those are posted, I'll share as well.  

Makalani prepping to read from his first full length book of poetry, Hellfightin', dedicated to the Harlem Hellfighters.

Poet Jerriod Avant reading to the audience

Poets, Chris Mattingly and Jeremy Clark

When we walked in, Norbert Blocker, guitarist, was playing.  While listening to the poets I was reminded how economical and portability the art form is compared to the other forms.  

 

My love affair with a book

How excited have you ever gotten over the purchase (when you actually walk into a book store and buy it) or arrival (ordered from Amazon or some other online seller) of a new book?  

Months ago I pre-ordered this book:

          El Anatsui/When I Last Wrote to You About Africa (isn't the cover so damn gorgeous!!!!)

and it arrived yesterday.  After washing my hands and sanitizing them, I flipped through and read passages and looked at some of the art work, but for me to really sit down to read this book, I must first create a ceremony that goes like this...

                I'm home alone, (no human sounds at all).  I'm sitting in the comfy chair, the blinds                 are open and the day is bright.  I'm wearing my favorite frumpy clothes and I'm                 drinking tea or wine depending on the time of day.  One of my journals is close by to                 capture thoughts as I read and meditate on ideas and images.  I'm in no rush to do                 anything...laundry is done, dinner prepared, and I'm not answering the telephone.

Do I need to tell you how often I have days like this?  It will be awhile before I can savor this book...but I feel like the woman in the Kohler commercials who pulls a faucet out of her hand bag and says "design a kitchen around this".  I want a day designed around this book.

 

Slowing Down...

My seasonal hiatus is going to begin earlier than I want it to.  My goal is to get through my November committments and then coast til Spring.  I did make it to the studio this morning and this will remain on the print table for the season...its the "boats" quilt which I wrote about a few posts back.  Because finishing this quilt will be slow-going due to its size, there will not be much for me to blab about over the next few months.  

Artists interviews will start again in January with the emphasis being artists located at Mellwood.  I'd like the questions to be unique and fun.  If you were being interviewed what is the one question you'd like to be asked?