And she danced off into the aether!

I'm having fun..trying to squeeze as much out of the days as I can before the season who will not be mentioned sets in.  The last five or so days I've been marinating in the memory of spending time with artist Penny Sisto in her home and studio up in the knobs over in Indiana.  Its gorgeous there this time of year and her home is a meditation all to itself...and when you add in her fun and beautiful spirit it was a retreat and vacation from the concrete and wires and metal of a city steeped in commerce that I call home.

While there Penny showed me how she paints on fabric with wild abandonment and then looks into the fabric to see what emerges...very similiar to what Mystele calls "Gut Art".  The piece below is what came for me and I fell in love with it and trying to discover just who this was going to be.  I had a general idea but it wasn't quite affirmed.  On the ride home I kept looking at it but then decided to fold it up in the weathered "teepee" fabric she had given me for a possible background.  Well, beloveds, when I arrived hom and unfolded the fabric, she was gone.  I've looked all throughout my car and around it...she is gone!  I'll employ the Saint Anthony prayer (been using it for nearly 25 years and I know it works...if its not found after I employ Saint Anthony...IT AIN"T TO BE FOUND!  I have about a dozen small bags to riffle through and I'm hoping she will be in one of them...but as it stands now she has danced off into the aether!

Another big girl fun time was attending the grand-opening of Earthworks at the Carnegie in New Albany, Inidia...Congratulations to Valerie White,Pat DaRif, and Joanne Weiss (doesn't have an online presence) on a well put together exhibit that also heightens awareness to our MotherEarth and her struggles which are really our struggles.  November 7 and December 3 the artists will give a Gallery Talk.  This opening drew some of the art heavy weights out too, sculptorEd Hamilton, scuptor William Duffy, and scholar/artist Bob Douglass.  You have until December 30th to see Earthworks...get there!

If you've been reading Seamless Skin at least through one season of winter then you might recall how I feel about the season as I do my very best to express my indelible opinion.  However, in light of the blue sky I enjoyed yesterday and what looks like another break in the seasonal reminder that winter is a'comin', I'll hold back sharing so early how I feel about winter until the bitter cold sets in.

This past weekend I took a 2-day workshop with the lovely Lisa Engelbrecht and enjoyed myself with the Kentuckiana Calligraphy and Paper Arts Guild.  The week prior I was nearing exhaustion and almost decided to lose the workshop fee and stay home to rest but I forged ahead and this week I've been taking it easy.  Lisa is a very generous and beautiful spirit and the group is very warm, funny, and creative lot.

The piece with the yellow background, top center, is mine.

I've missed deadlines upon deadlines and meetings but between finding balance in self-care and addressing The Basement (new photos added under Beginning Again album) I have some super-fantastic news forthcoming that I can hardly wait to share...but patience is a virtue and the vision needs more shaping until I can share...but its a good thing, a very good thing!

Scene: i'm singing and skipping down candy lane where the flowers are loppy-pops and the trees are cotton candy

"my brother has a blog my brother has a blog my brother has a blog my brother has a blog"

(smiley face sun shines brighter and brighter as it sings along with me and dances over my head)

 

Beginning Again...

photo album updated.  I was there today with my oldest son and his friend.  I sat and pointed. They moved. 

One step forward, two steps backward, one and half steps forward, and hold...

I really wanted to start this post by reciting Langston Hughes' poem, Mother to Son.  You know the one...Well, Son, I'll tell you, life for me ain't been no crystal stair...or his The Negro Speaks of Rivers...I've known rivers. I've known rivers ancient as the world...but, that would have been overly dramatic really...but the emotion in them could capture the holding patterns with the basement as well as provide some comic release. 

Did you play red light/green light as a child?  You run to get ahead only to be caught in motion and have to return to the starting line.  The Beginning Again photo album has been updated and as of today this is the progress we've made.

I did get to bask in the sunshine of Crystal Wilkinson, (Mud Man's partner) who received this year's Sallie Bingham Award from KFW.  The award recognizes a feminist artist's contributions to social change in Kentucky.  Its pretty damn awesome and the state is fortunate to have Kentucky Foundation for Women and unbelievably, since its inception, its sad to note that feminist philanthropy of this statute has not developed in other states.

Here is Crystal giving her words of acceptance followed by other photos from the event.

There were 4 quilts hanging in this room...please note the one in the next photo.  The first name of the artist is Terry (or Terrie) and the last name, if I'm recalling right begins with a D, but I don't remember it.  The man on the couch is Muddy, my brother.  Sallie Bingham is at the other end of the couch.

Crystal and her beautiful twin daughters.

Crystal conversing with the Wild Woman and long standing feminist artist Mary Craik.

This is not the house were the celebration was held...but this house is sooooooo out of place with the landscape and the older homes and land reminiscent of once prosperous farms.  Even the pockets of new subdivisions do not infringe on the landscape the way this home does.  On the few occasions I've been out this way this house always catches me off guard.  I'm driving along and the city begins to give way to acres and acres of prairie (or what feels like prairie to me) and I'm mellowing out and my imagination begins to soothe down and zen out and bam! this house rises out of nowhere and throws me for a loop!  It would be a beautiful home if surrounded by other homes of this kind of opulence, but as it stands now, its just a blight in the hood.

 

Oh, did I happen to mention my niece in the postcard contest here?  I think I did...anyways she did very very well receiving the most postcards and the furthest or is it farthest away and won a 20 dollar gift certificate to spend at the book fair.  She was on cloud 9 so I heard.  Unfortunately her whole class didn't do well enough to win the pizza party.  But 84,000 thanks to you if you mailed her a card.

It seems like there was something else I wanted to share but its not coming to me.  If I remember, I'll be back.

Peace,

Oh, yeah, Sonji Hunt is blogging again!  Yea! I've missed her chatterings.  And I've signed up for GUT ART, an online class taught by Mystele...I'm in need of a diversion but with some focus so I thought GUT ART sounded like it would be the prescription I need.  Mystele's art makes me think of favorite songs and stories and 2 other favorite artists, Jonathan Green and Brian Andreas. 

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.