the only place I want to be...

is home. I am not feeling so great today and I have about 10 different places that I am suppose to be sending images to today, a packet that must be postmarked today, and some neglected work that needs to be picked up and worked on.

But it is going to take a lot of motivation to get any of that done- as I really just want to be in bed.


But I so love this piece that I am sharing with you today. I recently finished it and was planning to send it off to a show but in a very rare decision decided to keep it for myself. I never consciously decide not to sell a piece but... something about this piece seemed too special and so perfect that I decided it's for me, at least for now.

spilling forth.

Celebrating another Cincinnatian today, artist and weaver Claire Zeisler. Claire created expressive and often large scale 3 dimensional sculptures through weaving and knitting techniques.

As an artist Claire pioneered the process of turning weaving into a 3 dimensional art form. I find the humanoid shape of the work very evocative and powerful. I can imagine how it would feel to walk amongst these works...

Claire Zeisler's large, free-form sculptural works were, in fact, very carefully planned, as she wrote out intricate instructions and precise formulas for her pieces. While meticulously designed, they were also meant to spill arbitrarily onto the floor like the flow of water or long hair, thus combining elements of calculation and chance.

To read a brief bio of Claire go here & and interview here

knotted beauty...

I am so in love with the knotted works of Finish artist Nithikul Nimkulrat. Most of the press written about her is not in English so I cannot tell you much except... She makes incredibly beautiful, ethereal, sculptures of everyday objects and moments with the simple process of tying knots.


With that said she creates some of the most intricate and beautiful knots that I have ever seen.


I love how each sculpture is a monochromatic white, adding an aesthetic simplicity that strengthens the work....


and each object is delicate and see through- though also seeming strong and sturdy.

and I also adore her series of suspended clothing and coats.



these specific works speak so much to both the presence and absence of the body.

See more of her lovely work here.

excepting that I am...

and deciding that it is ok!

otherwise laying low today, having lunch with a friend, and then perhaps to the studio for a mellow few hours. I realized after yesterday that it is ok, and even essential for me to take breaks away from my studio when needed... it allows time for me to get excited and invigorated again....giving me space to create and nurture new ideas.
So my plan for next week is a sort of "required" or "forced" studio vacation. I plan to see a few shows I have been wanting to see, actually creating time to attend some yoga classes, sit in the park and enjoy the smell of fall in the air, and step in to visit a store that is 4 floors of trimmings- Yes 4 floors of just trim, ribbons, and thread.

a little post on me from a blog with a very funny name.

and a lovely blog by milla to help promote our show in England...go here.

This call for work is closed.

connective thread
an exhibition of contemporary fiber work that explores the role of thread & the act of making as connective.

detail of family ties by Kendra Skalski.

Congratulations to the selected artists for
connective thread
a contemporary fiber work exhibition

Sarah Bahr
Lyndsey Baldwin
Jennifer Bevill
Marcy Chevali
Jane Waggoner Deschner
Michelle Dickson
Crystal Gregory
Kim Hennessey
Christalena Hughmanick
Alisha McCurdy
Simone Meltesen
Stacy Renee Morrison
Jennifer Prather
Rebecca Ringquist
Kendra Skalski
Summer Zickefoose

The exhibit will be held from January 7-January 30.
Sweet Lorraine Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Opening reception will be held Saturday, January 9, 7-10 pm.
Artists talk Sunday, January 24 at 5:30pm.

Sweet Lorraine Gallery:


Sweet Lorraine Gallery is a Brooklyn based gallery located at the Screwball Spaces Artist Studio building in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Each month a new exhibition opens. There will be a formal reception and opening for connective thread and possibly an artist's talk. (if atleast 3 of selected artists can attend.) Exhibition Postcards will be provided for publicity. Opening date will be announced.


Curator:
Joetta Maue is a full-time fiber artist working in Brooklyn, NY. Her work has been included in numerous exhibitions across the country and in New York. Some recent exhibitions include Re-surrect; the Art of the Reclaimed Object at Mesa Contemporary Arts Center, Historic Interpretations: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Historic Collection at the The Peabody Historical Society and Museum, and Forget me Not at Gallery Hannahou in Soho, NY, NY.
You can currently see her work at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NY, Gallery Lele in Tokyo, and Space 414, in Brooklyn.
Joetta's work will be featured in a number of upcoming exhibitions including a solo show in 2010. She will also be a featured artist in the forthcoming book Indie Craft by Jo Waterhouse.
Joetta authors the popular art and craft blog Little YellowBird as well as regularly contributes to the online journal Hello Craft.
This is the 4th exhibition curated by Joetta.
www.joettamaue.com

Each artist selected will get a full feature on Little Yellowbird.

The artist is responsible for all shipping costs. The work is not able to be insured during exhibition. Any works sold will have a %15 commission taken.

Email any questions or inquiries to connectivethread@gmail.com.

sincere and sweet.

Now this would be a super sweet wedding gift to receive. Made by the fabulous Rosa Martyn of My little stitches. She made this awesome embroidery for a wedding gift for her sister. I think she made a very happy bride with this bit of love.


I also truly enjoy Rosa's sweet and simple little quotes and tidbits embroidered with sincerity and sweetness.


What type of saying's do you surround yourself with...what quotes inspire you?


I remember growing up my mom had a cross stitch of the girl scouts saying make new friends in the kitchen. And though as I got to be a teenager I thought it was oh so cheesy, secretly I loved its simple and sincere words of wisdom.


See more of Rosa's work at her flickr site.

motto.

my motto, and one I truly must believe in.
This is a sweet little piece that just got sent off to England for this show...
I am wishing I had a slightly better image...but it will just have to do.

I have to admit I am feeling a little burnt out. I have a number of new ideas, which is great. But I juts do not want to be in my studio. Perhaps partially because it is hot. But also I am just in need of a break. But that is hard to get since C works from home and wants me out of the house while he is working.
So I end up at my studio even when I know I need to be elsewhere. I realized that while in graduate school I always got the built in breaks of holidays and vacations. Since I was working so hard during school I was able to guiltlessly take it easy during those times. But being out of school I never really give my brain a studio vacation and I think I should.
Spending every day in your studio is a very solitary and intense life...and for mental health sometimes you need to go far away from that space to give your brain time to develop new ideas and just be. I am realizing more and more I need to remember to do this in order to avoid total burn out.
So tomorrow I am hoping to go see a show at the Brooklyn museum and for the next few weeks try to find a way out of my studio...and try to find a way not to feel guilty about it. That will be the hard part.

I would, I would...

I would happily take a nap by a pool right now. Too bad neither are happening.
Hmmm...


a super sweet post on me from where the lovely things are.

and if you like super wacky fun but strangely profound video art check out this very nice article written about my dear friend, Ben Pederson's awesome art work.

intrigued but unsure...

I find the work of artist Rob Wynne very interesting. Most specifically his "embroidered paintings" in which he creates pigment print with embroidered text on canvas. And from the looks of it, the embroidery is machine done.


I sort of wonder what his motivation is, what conceptually is he playing with by incorporating the embroidered language with antique and/or commercial images.

I am one who always wants to understand art. And though in a way I am visually very pleased by these works. My satisfaction is left blank as I am not sure that I get it.

But I do love his mirrored glass text pieces- they are quite unique and lovely.



What do you think?

Post-Partum.

I have always loved the body of work, Post Partum Document by conceptual artist Mary Kelly.
This work documents the first 4 years of her sons life, not by photographs but from evidence and meticulous records of his existence.

Post-Partum Document: Documentation IV

Transitional Objects, Diary and Diagram,

In a press release about this complex body of work this was written:

In the "Introduction," Kelly ... presents the work's main motif - intersubjectivity - which she has drawn on four baby vests, using one of Lacan's early diagrams. The subsequent sections document the development of the child up to age five and analyze the reciprocity of the process of socialization of mother and child. The vests, dirty diapers, traces of markings and writing, hand imprints, and insect specimens stand for the mother’s memorabilia and how she makes sense of separation from the child. The artist has added diary-like notes and quasi-scientific data to these private objects so that subjective references are juxtaposed with the more distanced or theoretical approaches represented by the diagrams.

In her critical engagement with psychoanalysis and feminism as well as her provocative stance vis-a-vis conceptualism, Mary Kelly has succeeded in creating a multi-faceted artwork documenting one of modernism's central and most symptomatic blind spots: the woman as artist and mother. Her seven-year process of reflection and visualization has meanwhile assumed a unique place within art history.

Analysed Faecal Stains and Feeding Charts

I admire Kelly's taking on of the subject matter of mother and child, especially in the 70's when most female artists were hiding there families or choosing not to have them in order to gain respect. The 70's Feminist movement finally allowed women to explore their very woman-ness as subject and Kelly went to the ultimate subject of the female birthing body.

Analysed Utterances and Related Speech Events

Though the work may seem somewhat clerical and sterile. The devotion and meticulousness of the work seems to be a form of evidence towards the complex love between mother and child.

Analalyzed markings and diary perspective.

I hope that when I have a child I can be equally inspired to make an important and courageous body of work as Kelly has been. Though I am sure mine would be quite different in nature... I hope it is quite equal in courage. To see more of Post-Partum document go here.

beautifully...

I am trying to remember the "beautifully" part of this statement. The last 2 weeks have been a bit of a challenge for me. I have been exhausted and the overwhelming horrible heat has made me want to do everything but go to the studio. Though this is exactly what I need to do.

I am a person that puts a lot of pressure on myself to be constantly productive and moving forward so when I am not I can fall in a pattern of unkind thoughts.
But I am trying to acknowledge that if my body and I just need a break it is ok. It is ok to be lazy every once in awhile and just breathe and rest.
Still, I am hoping I will get a little motivation in the next week and get back on track- and I hope the weather cools down!
Today I am going to clean and straighten my studio. Always a good thing to do for studio and mind.
This is really being done in preparation for a studio visit later this week, so wish me luck with that...

Happy Monday!
and a thanks to kind over matter for selecting my work for this etsy feature and for the sweet little mention by LazyTcrochet here.

narrative embroidery...

I love the narrative embroideries of fellow Brooklyn embroiderer Iviva Olenick. She uses thread to write sweet and sad stories and comments dealing with the lonely complications of contemporary love.


Often playing with issues of Internet dating and the bizarre and complicated navigation this arena takes.
Sometimes her work breaks your heart...

or reminds you of moments in your own life...

or makes you chuckle with its humor and sweet honesty. Iviva states:

In a culture increasingly reliant on the internet, email, and text messaging to communicate, connect, and reconnect, I have chosen embroidery, an old-fashioned and time-consuming medium, as my primary communication vehicle. I create vignettes smaller than one foot in scale incorporating text and illustrations. My collection of hand-stitched pieces is an unbound book or blog where I observe, remember, fantasize, daydream, and invent.

I particularly really love her series Family album, there seems to strangely be something more honest in these works. Though the language and images are not as seemingly obvious as her other series there does seem to be a more sincere vulnerability in the portraits of her loved ones.

This piece is especially sweet, with the embroidering of her grandmothers handwriting.
Check out her blog here.

So much inspiration abound, it is exhausting.

something for all of you...

You are! Every time I get a little burnt out on blogging or just my work in general. You all are here to inspire me, share your sweet thoughts on my work, and simply have community with.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

All these sweet embroideries I have been showing as of late are off at a Showroom for exhibition and I am hoping they will grow into commissions and good opportunities, Putting that positive thought out there.
And I made a few other truly sweet little pieces to send off to England today. I will share them next week. One I loved so much I decided to keep it for myself. I never do that. But it was just too special.

I hope all you lovelies are staying cool and have a very lovely weekend.

sweet humor.

loving the sweet ceramics work of artist Jasna Sokolovic. Her use of words is both playful and endearing.
Her play with ceramics approaches the material sometimes like a surface simply to be played with and sometimes like a tool to make truly astoundingly lovely objects.

I love how she plays with everyday experiences and emotions with such sweet humor.

I love her clay pigeons series...

gorgeous, gorgeous.



and would not mind a call from this telephone at all.



See more here and here.