Moving right along....

The basement redo has been in a temporary stall pattern but will pick back up tomorrow.  My youngest son will get in on the act by painting the basement floor and my mother and I will make another big box store run.  My father is kinda eager to reclaim his garage space for his man-cave activities but not half as eager as I am to reclaim my basement space for my woman-underground art making!

I backed myself into a corner meeting a deadline for today but with the cooperation of friends it will be met.  Saving the information for what I hope to be a winter annoucement.

A gallery in Yellow Springs, Ohio will be hanging some of my pieces in October and Bev and I will be going up sometime that month to do a demonstrations (of something, I'm not sure what yet).  Although, I came late to knowing who David Chappell was, maybe we'll bump into him while in Yellow Springs and we can have coffee and he'll purchase one of my pieces.  Now wouldn't that be off the wall, on the hook, off the chain, over the speed bump, under the tree, fly the sky fantastic! 

Three things made my day yesterday!!! E. called to say she had takent her last radiation treatment and together we shouted and went ahead and claimed the victory over cancer.  This propelled me out of bed and I went out to mail the Iraqi Bundle of Love feeling good from my head to my toes.  I was imagining what the impressions of an Iraqi woman would have to the fabric selections...where they hip enough, too dull, too bright...would she be an urban woman, rural woman, young, old, etc.  I closed my day out with an email from the woman who will become my youngest son's piano teacher.  He has expressed an interest so we're going to let him get on the bus and see how far he rides. 

 gelatin plate printing

It goes...

which is better than it not going.

Just a summary update on the basement restoration which I'm calling "Beginning Again".  Basement framed, drywall installed, shower is in, sink too wide, toilet works, washer, dryer, hot water heater delivered, electrician called, electrician needs to come back, progress made, FEMA added to the pot...more to come.

I've added a new photo album in my sidebar to document the restoration but so far it only has 3 photos in it. 

I have creative outlets that I've put in place in order to keep my hands, mind, and ideas flowing but so far I've not been inclined to do any of them.  Just been feeling a little flat, ya know what I mean? 

The books and magazines that I had to throw out have been replaced and receiving them has been a source of joy and perks in what sometimes has seemed like endless days.  I greatly appreciate the assistance and kind comments. 

Peace,

Saving Graces and Other Reasons to Shout!

We're going to duct tape Mrs. Helen, my mama, to a chair today! She doesn't know how not to be involved or sit still.  She use to tell me all the time as a teen, a hard head makes for a soft behind.  Me thinks she needs to follow her own advice. 

Last week when my sister and bil came to tear out the panelling and bathroom, my mother was still trying to help out.  She had already washed down the basement floor to rinse away the gunk left behind by the sewage water all by herself a few nights before.  She puts all of her children and grandchildren to shame and nor are we as healthy as she is.  God is good, eh?!

Here is my BIL who worked his tail off...and he is not a young man despite what he says ;)

Prior to all this, I spent a day at a sewing retreat with some wonderful friends and I meant to share some photos-

This is Sherita's sister who visited from nothern Indiana...one of her projects was this adorably cute dress she was making for child in her family.  And below is Rhonda, working on a pillow case with a golf theme for her husband...and below is what I worked on as well as the goodies I picked up at the 50% sale at a quilt store that is closing.

Here is the piece I have at hand that will be finished with hand stitching. 

Another saving grace has been the kindness and thoughtfulness expressed by my sisteren bloggers and friends.  In addition to the books being replaced the greater benefit is the inspiration I've received which motivates me to aspire to be a stronger, better person.  For this I'm most grateful!

peace,

Ironing Party and Margueritas

at my place!  I really wish it so!  Humour gets me through a lot of stuff beyond my control and just for the fun I wish I could make pitchers of Margeritas for everyone as a gesture of kindness for your offers and kinder words.  As I glance over  at the pile of fabrics that need ironing...its as least 4 Marguerita pitchers high and I couldn't very well drink 4 pitchers all by myself!

In all seriousness though, my love and appreciation to each of you.  And since I'm not alone I just wanted to update the progress...the adjustor came this morning and it went smoothly...she estimated the damage at 15,000 but the alloted limit is 1/3 of that...since we are using the DIY plan, after my parents finish with the home essentials if there is enough to cover the books I lost, I'll get them from that, if not, I will definitely let Gerrie know...it isn't that many but they are core books to my processes.

The HVAC person was there today and cleaned out the furnace and replaced a small piece and said that my parents where lucky that the motor didn't sit low.  My sons and friends will start on removal of the paneling and the bathroom tomorrow while my mother and I pick up supplies.  Ya know, some people take atrip of a lifetime, climb mountains, go scuba-diving, or get a personal makeover...instead of sporadic posting like I had thought, I'll just treat this as one big long adventure :) 

In the comments of the previous post, Dee mentioned the UofL library flooding, not only did the UofL library flood as much of the campus did, but the Main branch of our City's library loosing all their books stored for the annual sale, their new books that come in for all the branches, and their bookmobile trucks, and the mainframe for the computer system...to the tune of 5 million in property damage.  Libraries are such vital focal points and common ground for each and every citizen it serves...I lean heavily toward the belief that without museums (art) and libraries everyone would succumb to the uglier sides of humanity.

Again, I appreciate the kind words and offers incredibly!  Peace!

Well, the creek did rise...but the sun will shine again in my back door someday ;)

This is not the entry I'm thrilled to write...but until I can find my feet again I'm going to park my butt whereever I can until I'm back in stride...thats Karoda speak for my workshop was dismantled today due to sewage back up caused by the storm we had last Tuesday...7-8 inches of rain fell in 1 hour and 15 minutes.  The gunky water receded immediately after the rain stopped but there is damage (not as bad as most who where affected, but significant) that requires the bathroom to be removed as well as most of the panelling and my mother lost her dryer.  Their insurance coverage will not be enough...so we went into plan B today...the DIY plan and calling somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody...for clean-up and repairs.  I'm also hoping that my renter's insurance will cover my personal property that I definitely want replaced (about 7 or so of my new art quilt books)

Thanks to my oldest son, Adrian and his friend Al, for coming to the rescue on the clean-up part!  The good news is most of my stuff survived...I had to grieve the lost of sketch journals created over the last 5-6 years and some fairly new art quilt books I had stacked in a basket next to my comfy chair...Fabric wise, I'm washing as I type, I'm okay...I think the fabrics helped absorb a lot quickly and prevented the water from spreading on my side of the basement.  I might have lost my computer, but for me that is no big deal.  My large rugs are lost and not worth the physical effort to clean them and I'm okay with that also.  The pat on the back I gave myself is the wisdom to put the electrical outlets for my machines/iron half way up the wall! 

On a much happier note, I had an absolute inspiring time in Elizabethtown last Thursday evening...sitting in a circle with about 20 woment artists from Central Kentucky and Louisville discussing our art and feminism, personal identities and experiences and social change!  It was an extension of the wonderful time I had in Athens with my sister-friends 2 weeks ago!!!!  I'm going to be leaning on the memories of these two events to get me through the down time.

My posts will be sporadic until I can celebrate the restoration of my workshop space.  Hangeth in!

Friends and Family

Acey asked to see the beads I purchased in Athens...here is my lot along with head shots of the fantastic women I shared the trip with.  We've kicked around art collaborative ideas for years and one of these days despite the hundreds of miles that seperate each of us, we'll pull something off and it will be first and foremost FUN as well as a unique project that reflects each of us and our shared friendship going on about ten years. 

 

While in Athens I purchased af book written by Zakes Mda, a South African and a professor at Ohio University.  The title, Cion, a novel, involves a South African who relocates to Ohio, USA and travels history by way of learning about quilts.  Ron and Crystal heard him speak at the Antioch Writer's Conference and knew I would be intrigued.  After seeing the cover of the book I realized I had this book in my 45 page Amazon wish list simply because the art that adorns his books is strongly appealing.  Rudy gutierrez is the illustrator for what appears to be all of Mda's novels which I haven't started on yet.  My current fiction read is A'mercy by Toni Morrison and I'm not sure which I'll dive into next. 

We (Peter and Ade) did an impromptu drive today to Utica, Indiana along the river to go to Hidden Hill Farm and Nursery.  It was our first time there and it is a great place to hang out and chill.  It is owned by retired journalist from our local paper, Bob HIll...he was kind enough to dig up and give me flowers that have mystified me for about a year or more...they are called "naked ladies" and are in the amaryllis family.  I'm going to plant them in my mother's yard. (ssshhhh, she doesn't know it yet).  When ever I see these flowers they always get my attention and make me smile.  I'll get a photo after I plant them.  I also picked up a new mug for tea (I use smaller mugs for tea...coffee demands a heftier mug).  I think we'll return, there was so much to take in and absorb.

Groovy People

Recall Lou Rawls singing that song, Groovy People?  It describes my time spent in Athens, Ohio and an impromptu visit into Yellow Springs with 3 good friends.  My brother and his partner, Crystal, have been telling me about Yellow Springs for a few years.  I left here on Thursday for Athens thinking that Yellow Springs was on the opposite side of Cincy and out of the way.  I picked my friend Bev up and the first thing out of her mouth was "would you be interested in going to Yellow Springs?"  A quick flash of Thelma and Louise in my head and the answer was yes.  Yellow Springs was too short but we did make a couple of gallery connections thanks to Bev come what may marketing style.  Bev is not a fiber/textile/quilter but she is a highly imaginative artist who works in several mediums.

We arrived in Athens Thursday night and just chilled out.  On Friday, Kel, clay artist who is currently working in precious metal clay, and Dee, masterful story teller and poet joined us on Friday.  Whenever we're together there is always plenty of gab and laughter.  Family, art, health, politics, movies, tv, work, books, the usual.

Friday's highlight was the bead shop Kel took us too and it was a pretty damn awesome shop with wonderful customer service (the shops here leave me cold when it comes to customer service) and the diversity of items this bead shop has is lacking in Louisville shops.  I'd have to run around 3 shops locally to find half of what this shop had in inventory. 

Saturday morning we spent hours at The Diary Barn oohing and ahhhing...After the first round of viewing Bev had us go back around and pick our favorites for 4 catergories...of course I took notes but since then, they are lost...but from what I'm recalling, I had selected these 3 for the 3 of the 4 categories (can't remember them either):  Tunicates 1 by Andree Fredette, Nothing to Fear by Susan Else, and Architectural Squares by Christine Tedesco.  As a group we spent a considerable time in discussion on Africa Scarified IV by Sue Ackerman, Ruffled by Jessica Jones, Communicating with the Past by Aaron McIntosh, Little Fish in a Big City by Kathy York, Nothing to Fear by Susan Else, Quilt Drawing #9 by Daphne Taylor, When Nature and Industry Collide by Christine Milton, and one that I thought was entitled Eating Roses that made a direct feminist statement but I do not see it on the QN page.

Bev most frequent question was "what makes this a quilt?" and pushed the question about what materials she could use to push the definition further from the center and toward the edge.  Sunday morning Bev posed the question to us about which quilt was still the most memorable and for me it was Nothing to Fear by Susan Else (at the base of my memory lies humour), for Kel it was Ontario Quest Triptych, for Dee it was Ruffled by Jessica Jones, and for Bev it was Quilt Drawing #9 by Daphne Taylor.  

I did not buy the book but I'm trying to recall 3 quilts...one was done in shades of gray and had a pyramid and a cross as motifs and the other was a close-up portrait (small size) of a friend who passed away from cancer and another portrait (large size) done in yo-yos that had been painted over...if anyone can tell me the names of these 3 pieces it would be appreciated.

The bead shop is in a house in a residential looking neighborhood off the path of downtown Athens but close by a church turned art center.  Another must stop gallery is Passion Works Studio which is a studio/gallery of works by disabled and non-disabled artists.  Having been intimately involved with the start-up of a similiar group in New Albany, Indiana, I'm always most interested in artists who are disabled as well as how arts programs reach out to non-traditional audiences.  The highlight of dining was The Star of India which was right across from a Mexican restaurant that we ate at the day before.  This is the only photo that immediately struck me for a blog post since photos are not permitted of QN. 

This is turning out to be a season of opportunity...I'm considering an invitation to do some demo'ing at a gallery in Yellow Springs along with showing some of my work during gallery hop night...just have to weigh the initial investment cost over exposure and potential sales.  Also, Lisa Engelbrecht, author of Modern Mark Making will be here in October leading a 2 day workshop, and I'm going to be a resource artist for Kentucky Foundation for Women August 6 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky...for more info, go to their website at www.kfw.org . 

As far as taking time to rent studio space to dye fabric for a month, I'm now undecided...just have to repriortize.  Is this the time to place my resources in process and materials, education, or exposure???  I'm giving myself 10 days to weigh it and will then make my decision.

Working out the knots

First attempt at bullion knots...I'm so glad there isn't an embroidery jail for those who offend the discipline...but these look like french knots on steroids. 

Below is my third set and I finally got the sequence correct.

  

Again, as with the calligraphy, I'm not trying to become an embroiderer...I think in surface applications which explains why I selected the piece of silk paper as a base, (a material I love), instead of the Aida cloth recommended for beginners.  My initial thought was "this red and muddy grays look great together".

I joined the Take A Stitch Tuesdays at Stitchin Fingers (see side bar).  I might make a sampler, I might not.  I'm thinking I'll make postcards, atcs, or just small cutesy framable pieces...just think if I do this for all the 52 weeks...that would be 52 small pieces. 

Muddied Mind Needs a Good Cleaning.

Monday at my workshop I did a lot of piddlin'.  I couldn't open up a clear path of thinking on what to do.  I had cut stencils over the weekend but wasn't focused enough to work with them...I used up the rest of dye paint that was left in a screen from last year but no pizzazz...the colours ended up as muddied as my mind.  I did remember to get the gelatin mold out and was really surprised at how solid it formed.  I thought it would be slightly mushy but it felt rubbery.  My reference books for the gelatin printing were Rayna Gillman's book, Create Your Own Hand-Printed Cloth, and one from the library, Making Monotypes Using a Gelatin Plate by Nancy Marculewicz.  I managed to ignite enough brain cells to do these fabrics but afterwards my brain went to sleep so I followed suit.  I used Jacquard's screen printing inks and regular block printing ink and extender with the screening and gelatin mold.  The glue resist worked very well, so I'll be investing in more blue glue and gelatin powder...does anyone know if Costco or GFS (restaurant supplier) carries gelatin powder?  

top-bottom: gel print, gel print, screen print

 

both fabrics gel prints

When I return I'm going to be about damage control on the red and green graffiti panels shown in the previous post.  I wasn't thinking and what I did to them on Monday showed it.  I've invested too much time in them to just chalk it up...hopefully the super hero within will come to the rescue.

I rested all day yesterday...my concentration was still poor and this morning feels the same...but neverless, I'm going to venture to my workshop for a little while and see what I can do...hangeth in people!

 

Smallview of Mega-Artist Date

 

glue drying in screen, auditioning fabric, gelatin plate in the making, reference books

I ended the week feeling very productive.  I did push it to the limit though but feel it was worth it every second!  I did some brush calligraphy, continued with graffiti and writing on cloth, set up some buckets of soda-ash solutions (one for over-dyes, the other for white cloth), made a gelatin plate, mixed dyes for dye painting, and set up a screen with glue resist, and held steady with 3 hours in the gym.  I increased my time on the reclining bike from 10 minutes to 30 last week.  All which has brought me to today: the hardest thing I'm doing today is rolling in and out of bed.  The humidity has increased which is horrible for me so going out I'm not!

My social highlight of the week was an artists' date with friends, old and new.  Here is Emma, Pat, myself, and Juanita inside the theme hotel 21C.  The theme is 21st century art.  The C in 21C could stand for Cutting Edge and Conceptual also.  The hotel is a series of gallery spaces.  Below we are standing between the elevator interacting with a video tech. exhibit.  When you walk around the corner there is this wall screen/camera that puts you into the image of fallilng cascading letters...the letters bounce off of you or your body acts as a blockage to the letters falling.  This is highly entertaining!!!!!!! and addicting!!!!!!!!!

This is the lobby of the hotel and the 2nd picture below is a projection on the floor in front of the hotel desk of a couple in bed trying to get comfortable.  It is in video format so if you stand there long enough you see them adjusting pillows, checking the clock, tossing, turning.

The man and woman at the desk where just as stoic as the figures above their heads, as if they, too, are figures in the art.

  The art in the hotel is not just compatible or complimentary, the hotel is more gallery space from every nook and cranny, than hotel.  Even the bathrooms provide an ecletic artistic experience with projected video words in the mirror and one way mirrors that allow you to see out in the hall ways of the hotel.

Local artists are represented along with internationally known artists. 

 

digging this white on white embroidery

one of the galleries held a solo exhibit of lithographs by Kara Walker's grotesque antebellum imagery.  This is the 2nd exhibit I've seen of her work. I've read a dissertation turned book on it and I'm sorry to still say, the full meaning escapes me.  For work to be so intense and disturbing, and it is to me, I still can't fully grasp the intent of the artist.

We also headed to the headquarters of the Embroidery Guild of America to see the LAFTA show. Here are just a few shots from the show:

 by Joanne Weiss

And sometimes it all boils down to a sense of humour! This is a bust by Alyce McDonald:

 

 

We ended the outing at the Carnegie Museum of Art and History in New Albany, Indiana where Penny Sisto's newest solo exhibit is hanging.  I'm always so engulfed and interested in her work but this show, a series of portraits of faith/religion, left me feeling mediocre.  Even hearing her give a gallery talk some weeks ago did not tie me into the work beyond a cerebral/academic connection.

I'm looking forward to returning to my workshop next week...it will be my first time doing a gelatin plate and using glue as a resist.

Peace and blessings, immeasurably.

this is what I'm talking about

Our weather has been really nice the last week...humidity not as high and temps in the 80s with dipping into the 70s at night.  Some spots of rain but nothing troublesome...even the gray overclouding we had I found relaxing. 

I can actually say now that going to the gym is habit.  I don't feel right when my routine breaks as it did on Saturday.  For those who know how I feel felt about exercise CAN I GET A WITNESS?!  Last week I went up to 30 minutes on the reclining bike with the programmed hills.  The exercise aggrevates the fibromyalgia but not to the point that I can't move or don't eventually feel better on the days I don't go.  And it really all boils down to my philosophy of "if I'm going to be uncomfortable or in pain, I might as well be so while doing something I want to do or have fun anyways".  That waiting for the perfect time or when things are just right or all the lights are green just doesn't happen...

Congratulations are in order to MudMan, my brother.  But I can't say why because there is the need to keep it hushed for reasons personal to him.  I've been bursting at the seams wanting to share it here since it relates to his life as an artist.  pssst, family and friends, email me for the news on the downlow ;)

As for me, I'm working into a groove but not quite there yet.  I've made this cover for my iPod and was proud of myself for figuring out how to put the snap on.  Its a project from Alissa Burke's book, Canvas Remix.  It (the case, not the book) is coated with polyurethane which makes it feel coarse.  I'm going to make another one without the coating.

I'm still playing with the graffitti look on canvas and the combining of techniques from the online class, Graffitti Chic, taught by Alissa.  I love the Ning format for taking online classes compared to the other formats I've taken.

Taking this class has got my eyes tuned to graffitti as I drive around town.  Yesterday I found myself wanting to make a sudden spontaneous stop to get out of my car and walk across a large gravel parking lot of a industrial business, cross train tracks to get a closer look of some very ornate lettering on parked train.  I didn't.  But I experience that urge daily whenever I come across graffitti now.  I like to think of graffitti artists as calligraphers who think really big.

I cut this stencil out from a photo of Peter when he was a young fierce teen-age warrior for the revolution. ;)  (incoming divergent thought:  we already know that the revolution will not be televised...but, will it be blogged?)  I might do another stencil of him as the now aged fierce tomato grower.  I get a daily tomato plant report with such detail and passion.  He is so cute with his serious passion for his tomato plants.  Reminds me of the days when we spent hours sitting in the Afro-American Reading Room solving all the social and political ills of the world when I decided he wasn't as square as I thought he was.  Oh my words, I'm cracking myself up here.

This piece has gone through some changes.  The base is silk paper.  Its been beaded 3 different times.  Yesterday I removed the beads and painted inside the squares with pearl-ex powders mixed into a textile medium.  In spite of really liking it just as you see it here, I'm leaning toward making it a cover for a journal.  It is 3 layers, but the edges of the silk paper which I didn't want to tame extend beyond the bottom 2 layers which end at the sewn line.

Right before leaving my workshop yesterday I sat and took in the space that I've been in now for a little over a year.  I sat reflecting on the on-going challenges of health, finances, deferred dreams, family conflicts, etc. and felt thankful for the Grace which is allowing me to have a space and abundance of materials to explore my imagination and artistic heartbeats.

To top it off, I came home to Kyra E. Hicks' new book!!!! I waited patiently to open the package while I listened to Peter's tomato report but just as soon as he finished I ripped it open and was like "look, look, look"!  I had to explain who Harriet Powers was to him and why the book was signficant and then I saw the pink sticky notes...couldn't contain my excitement...Kyra is kind enough and gracious to have blessed me by mentioning Seamless Skin.  Seeing myself and my blog referenced gives me an ethereal feeling.  Do you ever ponder humanity from a soul-physics point of view?  My mind is too small to grasp it but I do ponder it often...even tring to conceive how each individual small inhale and exhale we take effects change across the globe and if one breath has impact then what can be said of our breaths compounded.  Have you ever seen the African cylinder sculptures of humans interlocking to form a tower?  Maybe this is the way that particular culture or artist(s) understand what I ponder...how our small individual lives connect to form spiral cylinders that increases our humanity for the greater.  Lord know that scholarship on Harriet Powers is not exhausted and I never could have imagined or envsioned that my small breath would ever be of assistance.  But we can only see what we can see and living life larger means keep trusting the process and stepping out on belief (i.e. what I cannot see but know to hold truth).

I'm going to commune with some trees today with a grand-sistah-poet and tomorrow will be hanging out with Juanita, my quilt guru, who is here teaching some classes! All praises to the Most High!

Peace,