Anything is possible

with dye and fabric!  

 The joy of having the "best me" back can't not be expressed fully in words...words are just failing me, but I can tell you it occurs at the cellular level.  I had been holding in a lot of stress and what the week of being surrounded by creative people and being focused on my own thoughts around my art practice with guidance by Claire and Leslie coupled with being pampered by wonderful meals prepared by Margaret Wolff did for me was to allow that stress to dissipate right out of my body!

The goals I settled on were to obtain a specific palette that I want to work in for awhile.  I came close with this piece ...

 

I will go back into it but I don't want to lose the colors so I've selected an ecru dye that I think is unifying to the cools and warms.

My current short term goal is to completely saturate cloth with dye.  It seems the dyeing and repeated over-dyeing is the answer versus a heavy measure of dye powder with one use.  

 

These represent my other goal for the workshop which was to work with the same motifs.  Below are two more.

The intent for the cloth is to end up in quilts, but I must admit the confusion comes about when I just want to sit and hold the cloth or stare at it from across the room.  I haven't really constructed a quilt this year, so I question if I'm going for whole cloth, art cloth, or what???  If its whole cloth, I'm great at creating backgrounds but need to get better at focal points.  Art Cloth?  Maybe on occassion, but I really love stitch and layers.  The only stitching I'm doing is slow, slow hand work...if I charged by the hour on the piece it would be out of range for the ordinary art textile buyer. (is there such a thing?)

Primordial Womb in progress.

 

WOW! will have to be sufficient.

This is the part where I'm suppose to write something coherent about my week with Claire and Leslie at The Crow Barn.  A very rare occasion that words seem insufficient.  

I have to acknowledge that all my fears and anxieties proved unnecessary!  I stayed well and am still well!  My stamina held until about Thursday when I began to slow down but still it was a full and amazing week for me! And every personal snafu that presented itself worked out smoothly for me which added to the joy and productivity.

I really don't even have adequate photos to convey the week I had because stopping to take photos was an inconvenience and using the camera rarely entered my mine but here are a few:

This is the beginning of a new cloth and a picture of my print table. The bottom photo on the right is me presenting my review to the rest of the group on closing day.  My 2 goals where to create a palette inspired by a painting of Barbara Earl Thomas and end the week with paper lamination.  I came very close to the palette and will continue to work with it here at home.  One of the paper laminations didn't turn out. I used too much medium and I think my print table was too soft...at least it was softer then my own.  The other is destined for greatness!  

I have to give a shout out to my girl Bev, who came to my rescue.  Over an hour from home and close to Cincy, Mo calls to tell me I left my silk screens.  Bev lives just east of Cincy so I called her to ask where I could pick up some screens...and Bev, being Bev, had a friend, etc.  She met me off the highway with 3 screens that she cleaned up for me!  Thank you for the blessing Bev!

Later in the week Bev, and Kel who lives 15 minutes from the Barn, came up Thursday after dinner and I gave them a quick tour of the Barn and then on Saturday Bev (an artist but not textiles (YET)) went to Athens to view Quilt National!  The treats within the treat was seeing Olga Norris' and Judy Martin's work in person.  I think Olga captures bodily gestures like nobody's business and Judy meshes hand work and philosophy so gracefully. I identify with it somewhat but moreso, am mesmerized by it.  However the one quilt that I would have taken home with me if I could was Vera Loves Her Gun by B. Michele Maynard.  The sole factor was it's ability to make me laugh out loud and the strong narrative it held.  I stood there in front of this quilt trying to concoct a story and laughing in between.

I've almost got everything put back in place in the studio but I'm also not waiting.  I've made up 8 quarts  of print paste,different recipes and varying thicknesses.  Soda soaked fabric was left on the line to dry yesterday and I'm going in later today to over-paint with thickened dyes.  My aha moment was being able to see where already dyed and over-dyed cloth still has room to take more dye.  It was most apparent to me while ironing the cloth.

In addition to painting, I'm hand stitching Primordial. The base is silk paper to felt.

 

Positive, Negative, Bitter and Sweet (or Why I love Winton Marsalis)

I've been trying to decide what my "intent" will be for the Benn/Morgan workshop.  (regular readers might recall an attempt at selling this space last month...a few inquiries is all I received.  I gave it close to a month after which I decided to dig into my emotional resources and forge ahead

Here is what I'm considering:

1. working with layering transparent colour


2. working with a variety of transfer technique on paper and cloth


3. breakdown printing and using thermofax screens with line/shape designs that represent fluidity and stagnation


4. hand painting on cloth practicing negative and positive space.

The one intent I'm sure about is making the most of my time with them.  Because of on-going pulmonary challenges and trying to control diabetes,  I forsee this as my last major workshop in a long while.  (not to be grim and nothing fatal and I hope I don't sound melancholy, because I'm not.  Just trying to stay clear in my head...as a friend says "tell them so you'll know" ).  In addition to using my personal finances, much of my ability to attend the workshops in the past have been awards from two local art agencies.  I've shown my appreciation by being a good steward.  To paraphrase a quote my Winton Marsalis: Life is a two-edged knife that can cut you bitter or sweet.  And I'll add, "at the same time".

And because there has to be pictures in a blog post, here are 2 of my images I burned into screens:

 fluidity

 stagnation

Peace,

Visitors make the Trolley Hop!

Last night's Trolley Hop went a long way in reviving my spirit.  For the woman who actually came looking for my demo on screening with thremofax machines, the 2 women who inquired about prices in their colorful jackets, the close to retired gentleman who is thinking about looking into Paducah's Artist Relocation program, to a friend of Nancy who previously purchased Sankofa Bird and has it hanging in her kitchen, I say thank you for stopping in.  Visitors really are challenged to walk through the building which is huge to find artists in their studios which looks sparse due to the size of the building and the number of spaces where artists select not to participate coupled with the vacant spaces.  I'm always trying to recruit artists to consider leases there, as it generates energy when working around other creative folks.   

Some of what I saw that amazed me last night was an artist who carves hummingbirds and butterfiles using wine corks, chopsticks and other recycled items.  I was stunned thinking about how his mind visualizes wine cork to very detailed and intricate hummingbirds.  I tend to think in broad strokes and fluid gestures so it leaves me in awe to think out another may see in small miniature details.  I can't recall his name and I've checked the Louisville Artisans Guild website looking for his work and its not there, otherwise I would share with you.  I'll get it today when I go over to my studio.

The first demo cloth was testing out freshly made screens and getting a view of how they might play together in a design.  

The second demo cloth was one that I immediately fell in love with and the screen will be one of my "go-to"s.   I drew the image in response to "branching out", the April theme for The Sketchbook Challenge (see button in the side bar).

My Mother came through the first surgery beautifully.  She will be having a second surgery on Monday and will need a little more care and support.  Going over to the studio will be "catch is as catch can".  Peace.

Does my sign look silly? (silly is a good thing)

I'm beginning to think there is no such thing as "routine".  Not sure if it speaks to an inability to gain some edge of control over my time and what I react to...or if "control" is a  myth that doesn't really work.  This morning was about excercising just the opposite of both of these.  I was drowsy, sleepy, and dopey all rolled into one but I went to the studio anyways.   Nothing intentional happened...did some breakdown printing with the screen seen in the previous post below this one.   Also, made a sign to hang in my window.  This is found embroidery from who knows where...I thought about making a quilted sign and at some point I might feel disposed to actually doing that. 

I might go back and wiggly waggly outline some of the letters to create more visual play.  Even though there is a cultural, social, and economic reasoning behind the name, it mostly tickles me when I say it so I thought why not add a little visual comedy to the appearance of it.  I thought about using burlap, lace and cheesecloth but thought it best to just keep it simple in time, appearance, and process.

Deb, my sister is on her way here to stay with my Mother for about a week or so and I am preparing to go over and spend the night as well if I can get the stationary 02 tank at her house I have one here and one there)  filled tonight.  I recently learned that the liquid tanks evaporate on their own even when not being used and the one there is on E.  My mother is having what we expect to be an out-patient surgery and has to be at the hospital at 5:30AM tomorrow!  I believe I just got sleepy typing at the thought of it!  

Hangeth in yall!

Love a good storm...

Its storming here.  Pot of coffee.  Ice Cream.  House work.  Books and mags.  Sketchbook.  Sweetie snoring.  Computer.  Scrabble...describes my day.  

Mo left to take Carter to the barber and if I had had myself together I would have been dropped off at Mellwood while its storming.  I don't feel up to driving in this and then having to walk across the parking lot with my rolling pink book bag while juggling an umbrella overhead.  

The end of May I have a workshop with Claire Benn and Leslie Morgan at The Crow Barn.  I had already decided that this would be my last major workshop to travel to for a long while.  Since last summer I have had the overriding feeling that I really have everything and more to create the art work I want and that my focus should be concentrating on staying in the studio as much as I possible to even begin to make a dent on my ideas.  

The first of April, however, I decided to try and sell my spot.  So, if you're reading this and have an interest in taking an advanced workshop with 2 hard working instructors with incredible insight into the creative process, or know of someone who might be, email me at seamless_skin at yahoo dot com.  Go the www.nancycrow.com and check out the workshop, Working With Intent before emailing me.

Shortly after I made this decison I learned that Jane Dunnewold will be running a year long workshop based out of Louisville.  If I sell the spot at The Crow Barn, then I'll enroll.  If not then I plan to enroll with Jane the 2nd year.

If I haven't sold the spot by the end of April, then I'm going to forge ahead and plan to attend.  I have to set time frames for holding on and letting go of issues in order to move on.  

and in the vein of counting my blessings...I'm a recipient of a textile collage from Marion Coleman! I finally hung it a few days ago and when I turn my head left from my desk, this is what I see:

 

And this lovely inspirational card from Carol sits above my desk at The Chitlin' Circuit:

 

Here is what I left on Thursday:

 

Artists Interviews

Elmer Lucille Allen

Valerie White

Lisa Austin

Penny Sisto

Dennis Shaffner

Tracy Pennington

Fred Miller

Deborah Stanley

There is a poem with a line...

"I'm not waving but drowning...." by Steve Smith.  (title is for dramatic re-entry to blogging)

My art making focus is being interrupted by bronchitis, yet again.  I haven't even had the physical energy to take up another creative diversion this time which accounts for me not having much to yak about here.   You may know how much I dislike winter.  I've not been well through most of this season.  It was just at the end of January that I had "a bout" (throwback term there).    And sometime in late Dec./early Jan. my pulmonologist called in antibiotic and I was hospitalized in mid-December w/ pnuemonia.   Its been a very sequestered winter indeed!  My log book of ideas for quilts is jammed and I just wish I could have a long, I mean really long time frame to focus  not on ideas but making the ideas manifest.  

The unspoken threads that weave through the above are realizations that I'll capsulize: one, death is not something one "gets over"...instead it sifts through you sometime slowly and gently, other times with more weigh.  two, now that my mother is a widow, her need for support in many things is growing.  three, it is very difficult to watch young adult children get "seasoned" into adulthood.  (Deb, I really think this is what your neighbor, (was her name Mrs. Sweatt?) meant when she would say "watch a monkey bump his head").  A friend said our generation is the panini generation; slap it on, turn up the heat and we get it from both sides at the same time.  If you been there or are here now, then you know what is going unsaid; and it is possible that the frequencies of illness have not been solely due to winter (ya think?) 

On the good days I've managed to get my studio ready to continue on Crowbonics (languishing) but actual work has been going back in to re-do what I wanted to be finished pieces but in my heart knew better.  This isn't a diversion as my goal is to have 10-15 small pieces to hang in a coffee shop where I'm on schedule this Fall, so I'm calling this my coffee house period (insert low snickering chuckle).  I think I selected October.  Here are some recent desk top snaps:

both still pieces still advancing toward completion

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Annnndddddddddd, my really great news is I have a studio mate!  I started out in '09 with a mate, a sista-friend of over 30 years.  She mostly made her items at home and used the space for display, but since last summer when she moved out of state, I've been flying solo.  I had one serious contender but our combined needs didn't fit the space.  I looked at sharing larger space with 3-4 other artists there but then decided against it, looked at cheaper spaces there but the water source is too convenient and I have 2 entry doors which is a rarity for the price I pay, (I think 2 doors is a psychological comfort for people strolling through).  I gave up on the idea of moving or finding a art mate and then bam!  My new mate is Aimee.  She does daily paintings that are small enough to do on a table and wants to return to doing them now that she is close to graduating with a degree in history.  I felt very comfortable with her and she endeared herself when I didn't have to explain "Chitlin' Circuit".  Grant it, she didn't fall over herself telling me how brilliant a name it was,  but none of us are perfect, eh?  (a light snarky on my part)

Seems like there was more news I wanted to share....ummmmm, oh, the next Artist Interview is coming around the first week in April.

And now to close with an indulgence of being a Nana :) Here is the recent birthday girl!

 

Lisa Austin, Artist Interview

Lisa in her studio

Some weeks ago I spent a refreshing 3 hours in the Mixed Media Studio of Lisa Austin.  Artists who embrace Mixed Media with the pedal to the metal, full throttle down, give me wide-eyed fascination.   You see, they have serious collections of STUFF.  Unlike us who casually put together a mixed media piece simply because we can't bear to throw away pieces of thread, or buttons, or even the Dorrita chip bag...noooo, they collect serious STUFF! 

Lisa's space did not disappoint me...I hope you enjoy the interview!

_________________________________

Davis: Describe how your childhood as it relates to your art making and creativity? What were your influences?  And how do you think growing up in Louisville influenced you as an artist?

Austin: I had no influences growing up. In fact, my parents and family never encouraged creativity and made fun of it. I was not influenced by Louisville at all. I began to be influenced when I moved to New Mexico in 1977 and worked on a Navajo reservation. 

 Davis:  What are some of your memories growing up with engaging art?  When did the interest become a engaging one?

Austin: Going to the Speed museum with my boyfriend every time we could when we were students. He really encouraged my love of visual art. I did get a minor in art history but never took a studio class until I was 34.

Wall of Inspiration  

Davis:  What led you to your choice of medium(s)?  And what/who were your influences in those mediums?  And how do they relate one to another, if so?  What other mediums have you attempted?  What does it mean to be a mixed media artist?

Austin: I was a studio potter for twenty years and got arthritis in my neck and had to retire from that. I hated having to do that because I was at the top of my game. However, I always knew I couldn’t keep dragging around hundred pound bags of clay much longer and always said I would quit when I was 60. It happened when I was 50. In the back of my mind I thought I would be doing fiber…it reminded me of clay, very tactile and flexible.  I love color but when I tried to work with fiber, I really missed the third dimensional quality, A LOT! I had been collecting cool stuff for years and as I looked around at the mixed media being done I knew I could do better, started and never looked back. I love Ed Klienholtz and Joseph Cornell. They make such contrasting things. Ed makes whole rooms and Joseph did small little boxes back in the ‘30s but they speak volumes. I had the great luck of seeing a Kleinholz retrospective at the Whitney several years ago when I was in NYC and I went nuts in there. I was talking to myself and running around. I did not look like a sophisticated New Yorker for sure. I saw the largest collection of Cornell in Chicago at the Art Institute a few years ago and was so disappointed. They looked dusty and beat-up.

Austin continued: What it means to be a mixed media artist is you get to be insulted a lot. I hear “I could do that” more than I care to and I think to myself “go ahead. You can’t.”  It is much, much harder than it looks. There are lots of people out there who get magazines and get “inspired by them” but I can tell who reads which ones because their work is often very derivative. But they think they can do it. The problem is: they frequently don’t do it well and there is not much very original about it. People who have junk lying around think they can too but usually it just looks like junk on a piece of plywood.

 Davis:  Describe your daily art making practices.  Include how your approach to design and what inspires you?

Austin:  I work almost every day on my art. At least five-six days a week. But I never stop thinking about it and being open to things that interest me. I keep a journal of words or concepts that intrigue me and I often turn to it for inspiration. I am always writing down new things in there. That probably comes from my background as a professional writer back in the day. I like to work with a theme since it makes sense to me somehow to work that way. My approach to design is really intuitive. I go with my gut and one of my greatest compliments was Jane Dunnewold asked me how long I had been a designer?  Then a graphic artist?  She was really surprised when I said neither. 

only a smidget of the cigar boxes stacked and ready to go

Davis:  Artistically speaking, what challenges do you face and how to you (plan to) overcome them?

Austin:  I probably work slower than I want but that is because I am very particular about what I do, what I use, how it is done, etc. So it usually takes me a good week to make one piece. Rarely, does it happen quickly and sometimes I will tear it apart and do it over because I am not happy with it. I must like what I do first before I hope anyone else does. I have no plans to overcome this. It just is how I am. I do not want to make mass quantities of something so it takes more time.

 Davis:   Do you work in series? Or does each piece stand alone?  Share your reasons for either approach.

Austin:  Usually I work with a theme instead of a series. However, each piece is one of a kind. It seems to focus me. I would be even slower if I didn’t do it this way!

the lazy susan method for button storage

Davis:   Share the milestones that mean the most to you as an artist.

Austin:  The first award I ever got many years ago as a potter. The first time I was in an international exhibit. The first time I was ever featured in a book.

Davis:  Whether it is the intent of an artist to become an entrepreneur, artists are thrown into the role the first time someone wants to purchase something they’ve created.  What advice can you share that speaks to the business side of art?

Austin:  I have several things I guess. One is: if you get “precious” over something and you can’t bear to sell it, keep it. If you are keeping too much then you are getting too precious about your work. Two: price what you think it is worth and then price what you want for your labor and consider what the market value is of your piece. Often they are far apart. If they are too far apart, you need to consider a more efficient way to work or else consider the fact you will have these for a long time until they sell. Three: if you are selling too fast, you are selling too cheap. Four: this IS a business, make no doubt about it and always remember that. Keep good records. Promote yourself. Be business-like and professional with your customers. Be on time and keep your word.

frames hanging from the ceiling

Davis:  What are your future goals and what should we be on the look out for you in 2011?

Austin:  I have a show coming up in March at Tim Faulkner’s Gallery in Louisville that is called “The Art of Seduction” and it is vintage female nudes. I hope to start a wall hanging of my trip to Africa in 2006 and spend the summer working on techniques I have learned from Jane Dunnewold. I have half-screened stuff laying around that I have never washed. That is terrible but my knee replacement, this summer’s horrible hot weather, and then work has gotten in the way of my experimenting more with fiber. I am DETERMINED to work on that next summer so hopefully you will see more fiber work coming from me

touch the Buddha wall for inspiration

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Lisa's show, The Art of Seduction is hanging at The Tim Faulkner Gallery and will run through March 30th.  The opening reception is this Thursday, March 10th from 6pm-10pm, 632 East Market, 502.381.1314.

Emma, by Lisa Austin

Lisa Austin's Website.

 

Stitching Woman Gonna Work It Out

I've been going back to older thought-it-was-completed work.  The crow was just a study though that Valerie White said I needed to complete when she saw it last year.  Can you see where I'm going with this?  I had no idea I would release the crow from the rectangle...it was impulsive on my part and while cutting I thought this was the seed from Penny Sisto that was beginning to bloom.  The crow doesn't work against this blue but I have a orangey-red silk that I think would work as a surrounding back ground.  I'm just not willing to sacrifice the silk if I don't have a clearer picture of what is happening with Mr. Crow and until I do it will sit yet again.  

 

This is 'Round Midnight.  I blogged about it over a year ago, but knew it needed something more.  I added the red circulars but failed to check value before stitcheing 3 of them.  It is the brighter section of the varigated thread that gives some contrast.  I think I have a solution but I'm going to stitch 2 more circulars before attempting to work it out.  

The motivation to go back into older pieces is coming from an upcoming display in the fall at a coffee shop and I want more coffee house friendly pieces...about 10-15.  

General State of Affairs

Forthcoming, 2 new interviews with artists coming this month.  Both are members of LAFTA.

As for my own art making, I'm somewhat back on track.  The warmer teaser we had weather wise a few weeks ago helped but I started feeling "puny" (as my great grandmother would say) over the weekend and  the firbro is flaring today.  I had good sense enough to bring home some hand stitching to keep my momentum up.  I'm hanging in there and I know when I'm feeling better I'll do more.  

Another series started calling me when by accident 3 pieces of cloth fell together while organizing to get Crowbonics going again.  I'll show it when I actually put it together.  It is a small piece so it should be up sometime this month also.

 rearranged my front window display.

Available Postcards.