thanks and stuff...

So just a peak at what I have to finish in a week! I do not know??? do you think it is possible?
Especially since 2 of those days of said week are all about installing connective thread. Am I crazy?
Definitive answer- yes!

But really what I want to say is THANK YOU! Not sure what is in the air this week but I have gotten a number of extremely kind and generous comments from readers and it has beyond made my week, year, etc. I started this blog just about 2 years ago- just on a whim and....
I am amazed by the incredible opportunities, experiences, and community that it has brought tod me. Both professionally and personally.
So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, for sharing, for being inspiring, and being inspired.

This new year is starting off on a very high note with the opening of connective thread and my solo show and in April the arrival of the babe. So I hope that you all continue to be a part of my life and we all keep being creative.

Happy New Year!!!

Celebration, 2007,

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

~Maria Robinson

Have a very happy & joy filled New Year!!!!!
Warmly-
Joetta

animal pelts.

Some more animal pelts that I can get behind are made by the fabulous and young hook rug artist, Morgan Milders.
Much like the amazing knit work of Ruth Marshall, Morgan hooks her fur from yarn to protest mindless hunting and truly honor the beauty of an animals skin.

Fox.

in process.

Morgan states:
Some households are decorated with trophies from hunting. I don't believe these hunters truly own their pelts, like I own mine. The fur still belongs to the animal ... With my pelts, I have recreated an animal fur, with no killing involved. The pelts juxtapose a traditionally male sport of hunting with a traditionally female craft of latch hooking, creating an equally masculine and feminine result.

skunk.

Raccoon.

I find the beauty and craftsmanship of Morgan's work powerful. As a very young artist just finishing her bachelors I cannot wait to see were Morgan's work goes next.

did you see me in martha?

Yes, there I am in Martha Stewart Living, my work I mean.
Sadly I am uncredited:(
What???

Nonetheless, I was very excited to find out that an image of my work at Lion Bran Yarn Studio is in the current January issue of Living. They wrote a very nice feature on the awesome Lion Brand studio and my installation was up during the photo shoot.
I was very sad that my name is not credited. But I will focus on the positive. I am in Martha!!!

And a huge thanks to Rebecca Ringquist who saw it and let me know. Otherwise I would have never known and missed out on seeing this exciting exposure. Thank You!!!!

p.s. if any one wants to write the editor and say how they should always credit artists be my guest. They really should know better. And we artist's have to stand up for each other.
mslletters@marthastewart.com

Upcoming Workshops:

at the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, Boston.

Hand Embroidery

Explore the beauty and versatility of hand needlework. Make your own personal sampler with traditional and modern embroidery stitches, and experiment with creativity. Learn a variety of techniques and be exposed to contemporary interpretations of the tradition so you can make your own unique works of art. We will have plenty of time for group and individual stitching. Limit 8 students

Sunday, Sept 15, 1–5pm 

NEW

Artisans’ Critique

It’s hard to find a place outside of art school to discuss your work in a critical dialog with other artisans. Come together to present recent work and enjoy constructive criticism and conversation in a small group with a seasoned curator/artist/educator. What are you working toward, both visually and conceptually? What will help move you forward? Open to all media including wood, fibers, paint, books, assemblage.  Limit 6 students

 Sunday, Oct 6, 2:30–5:30pm

NEW

Embroidery Embellishments on Clothing

Inspired by the Hippie Chic fashion exhibition at the MFA, embroider directly onto clothing. We will offer some designs from that era for alteration, personalization and play. In the process, learn basic embroidery Limit 8 students

Sunday, Nov 10, 1–5pm 

Hand Appliqué

Appliqué, a process of cutting, layering and sewing cloth to create pictures, can serve as an illustrative device, a form of collage, or even a pathway to three dimensions. Learn basic techniques to create appliquéd images and forms, then begin to explore how to go further, take risks and court the unexpected. Limit 8 students

Sunday, March 2 1-5pm

 

SIGN UP FOR ELIOT SCHOOL CLASSES  HERE.

Critique Workshop, Adult                          

Joetta Maue, 1-day, Friday, 10am-2pm, 06/07/13, $30

Discuss the best ways to lead and participate in critique, including:

how to talk about difficult work, how to present your work, how to build

a critique group, and how to constructively take critique back to your

studio practice. Bring 3-5 pieces to have critiqued in a facilitated group

discussion. The class will talk significantly about conceptual ideas and

development in the work. The majority of the time will be spent in

the actual critique of each others work. Joetta is the founder of the

Brooklyn Based critique group Connective Thread as well as a successful

independent curator. Her focus is on the ideas behind the decisions we

make towards our work and how this affects the viewers understanding of

it. Limit 8. Supply List available on line

Alternative Media Drawing, Adult                       

Joetta Maue, 1-day, Sunday, 1-5pm, 06/09/13, $30

Students will be inspired by contemporary artists who

are pushing the boundaries of “drawing” with their

techniques and mediums. Discuss ways in which an artist can

approach alternative materials in drawing and problem solve.

Experiment with drawing with thread and wire on paper and fabric. Class

will work from a still life initially. As the class progresses artists can feel

free to experiment and push the boundaries of the project. Students should

bring materials that they may want to experiment with. Limit 8. Supply List

available on line

Applique Portraits 

Thursday 08/15/13 9am-3pm Adult

Work from a photograph or drawing to create a textile portrait incorporating techniques of embroidery, applique & surface design. Learn how to apply these techniques to create work in a larger scale. In addition we will cover transfer techniques, learn appropriate stitches, stencil techniques and more. All levels welcome. Supply list will be emailed.

Embroidered Self Portraits - TEENS

Thursday 07/11/13 9am-3pm AGES 12-15 

Students will learn basic stitches and applique techniques to make a work of art that expresses who they are as an individual. Bring imagery, quotes and text that inspires you. Students will have the availability to approach the project literally or conceptually.

 

Get all the info here.

Essex Art Center | 56 Island Street | Lawrence, MA 01840 | 978-685-2343 | info@essexartcenter.org

_____________________________________

If you would like me to offer a workshop with you please contact me at joettamaue (at) gmail com

___________________________________________

Other locations that Joetta has taught:

_______________________________________________________________
Previous Classes Taught:



 Stitchery with Unexpected Materials
Sunday, May 19, 2013 – 10am–4pm – $70
Push the boundaries and explore alternatives to thread and fabric. Stitch with wire, raffia, rope on found materials, wood, paper and more. Great for mixed media artists, fiber artists and anyone interested in incorporating stitches into their art. Learn basic stitches and problem-solve quirks and challenges involved in using alternative materials.

Build a Blog
Build a blogger blog in this workshop. Learn the tricks and trades of a successful blog, how to build traffic, learn the ins and outs of the Blogger
software and begin to build your blog. We will work on inserting images, making a header, adding gadgets, links, etc. Students must
bring their own laptop to work on and have images on your computer to work from for headers and link images. You should have a blog fully built by the end of the class

 

Hand Appliqué
Appliqué, a process of cutting, layering and sewing cloth to create pictures, can serve as an illustrative device, a form of collage or even a pathway to three dimensions. Learn basic techniques to create appliquéd images and forms, then begin to explore how to go further, take risks and court the unexpected.

Hand Embroidery

Explore the beauty and versatility of hand needlework. Make your own personal sampler with traditional and modern embroidery stitches and experiment with creativity. Learn a variety of techniques and be exposed to contemporary interpretations of the tradition so you can make your own unique works of art.

'Til death do us part-

Celebrate, investigate, or pine about the experience of marriage and romantic partnership. Work with fiber artist Joetta Maue -who's work is inspired by the most intimate relationships we have in life- to create a one of a kind piece of embroidery art. Come with an idea to make a work about marriage, love, love loss, desire for love- wherever your heart is. Discuss how one can make a hand made ketubah, the Jewish wedding contract, an image of the bridal bed or couple, or a creation inspired by wedding vows and how these make a meaningful heirloom or treasured gift. In conjunction we will talk about the role of dowry and embroidered wedding gifts in history.

PUSH: Embroidery: Learn basic embroidery stitches to utilize the process of applique and fiber collage to create 3 dimensional fiber pieces of art. Each class will be dedicated to a different technique each week. Each technique is inspired by artists in the book. -Illustrative applique-using simple applique techniques to create simple narrative illustrations.-Black work or Red work- learn to create detailed stitched drawings with just one color, using techniques like hatching, stippling, and shading.-Working with unexpected materials- use your needle and thread on found and appropriated objects and images.-Transparency- use traditional embroidery stitches on transparent fabrics and discuss what to consider and how this changes your working process.Participants are encouraged to bring text, paper pages, and found fibers that have meaning for them.

Playing With Fiber
Celebrate fiber and all of its wonderful facets through this class where instead of focusing on an end product we focus on how taking risks and giving ourselves the freedom to "just play" opens up possibilities in our creative practice.Each week we will focus on something a little different including:
-Needle point stitches and learning about how far we can push them or how we can combine them to make unique and fun textures or apply them to unexpected objects- these textures can become a signature look or a canvas to build with.
-Applique and how we can use found fabrics and objects to create dimensional collages through the most basic technique of attachment. Learn to take risks and do the unexpected. And how we can make anything work with fiber.
- Yarn and its many uses through crochet and knitting sculpturally
-Liquid- Play with painting fiber, watering it down, using stains like coffee and tea and combining this with other techniques to create truly layered pieces of art. Allow the natural tendency of the fabric to bleed to be a gift instead of a burden.
This class is all about having fun, pushing technique, and letting yourself think outside of the box. Students are strongly encouraged to bring materials to class such as found object, found fabrics, text, small items, buttons, whatever inspire you! Using a piece of fabric as a canvas add elements through traditional applique and sculptural applique to create a dimensional piece of work. We will discuss adding fabric and stuffing it, adding folded and sculpted fabric, applique techniques, and how to create more textural stitches. This class will open up your creativity in making needle work pieces and unique works of art. Participants are encouraged to bring text, paper pages, and found fibers that have meaning for them.

Embroidered Gift Cards
Join Joetta Maue for yet another great experiment in embroidery -- this time on paper! Draw with a needle and thread to create your own personal gift cards.
PHOTO EMBROIDERY CLASS
In this class, you will learn to use basic stitches to create a detailed embroidered drawing from an original photograph. Using a photograph of your own we will learn to transcribe the photo onto fabric through a variety of techniques, choose the best lines and approaches to turn the photograph into a drawing, and bring the image alive through embroidery stitches. Experienced or new embroiderers welcome.

Autobiographical Embroidery

Glean from your daily life to create a one of a kind portrait by creating a "sampler" of embroidery stitches. We will discuss the creative use of diaristic writing and daily life documentation to create your own art while looking at examples of contemporary fiber artists and learning traditional stitches and embroidery basics. Students are encouraged to work with found, inherited, or vintage linen as their base.

3 Dimensional Embroidery

Explore your personal creativity in this sculptural needlework class. This class will teach you to use basic embroidery stitches, applique and fiber collage to create 3-dimensional artworks in fiber and textiles. Using a piece of fabric as an artist canvas, students will add elements through traditional and structural applique techniques to create a dimensionality. We will discuss techniques for adding folded and sculpted fabric, shaping and stuffing, applique and how to create textural elements with stitches. Participants are encouraged to bring text, paper pages, and found fibers or textiles that have meaning for them.

Nature's Inspiration: Embroidery Workshop

Guided by artist Joetta Maue, discover the newest applications of one the oldest of all needle arts: embroidery. Learn basic stitches and techniques to make art that celebrates organic forms. Bring a favorite photo, quote or object as a reference point for your stitched art.

satin stitching....

Life is somewhat in order again- giving me most of this week to work on my embroidered words. They are coming along and I love how they look but they are very very slow going. In order to keep the stitches neat and precise I cannot move fast. So all week this week in the studio I satin stitch. Which is extremely monotonous work so any great podcasts you know of send my way.


Otherwise the art shipments keep coming in for connective thread. And I started a little blog for the exhibition so that all the details are in one place. There are also links to all the artists website. Each artist will be featured here but not until the show is hung- So if you want a sneak peek go take a visit.

O.k. Back to my satin stitches.

vast space in stitch.

Artist Suchitra Mattai combines bold patterned fabrics with a futuristic style of drawing and needlework to explore the vastness and tininess of space.


Showing emptiness while simultaneously showing industrialization.



Her stitching technique is neat and precise which compliments the concept of her work. She states:

The act of embroidery is integral to the theme. The human hand is very present in the dots and lines used to create each piece. It is the connection of the thread to cloth, the actual act of mark-making with thread that builds each landscape.

In my work I try to construct a bewildering place, a puzzle of disparate pieces and memories culled from the noise of sensory details. These landscapes are imagined worlds where spaces are both filled and emptied, united, yet divided. Color is one of the most important formal tools I utilize. Bright bold colors ignite otherwise barren landscapes. The uninhabited scapes are meant to evoke a sense of isolation while stylization takes the work into the realm of the fairytale. The juxtaposition of diverse sources—patterns, silhouettes, ornament, and color from Indian textiles, Japanese prints, maps, pop culture, and fairytales—further intensifies the feeling of psychological confusion. These landscapes serve to help me make sense of the visual, cultural, and psychological phenomena that shape my existence.

She also creates some gorgeous paintings and drawings that continue her body of work on this theme. Her style reminds me a bit of my talanted friend Jaclyn Mednicov. Suchitra's website is behaving a little funky so I have not been able to see all of her work but perhaps you will have better luck.

little nests.

Loving these images of an installation done by artist Marcella Anna Stasa. Found via this interview.


I was asked to be interviewed for this blog by artspace@16 as part of my upcoming solo show in Massachusetts. And am excited to participate and very excited by the many cool artist interviews that they have done.

Marcella is a very diverse artist so go check out more work at her website.

home.

We just got back in town last night after many hours in the car. Our drive to Ohio was a scary trip as we were lucky enough to drive right through the wonderful snow storm of last weekend. Icy roads and slow going. We had a nice quick visit that included an early baby shower with lots of presents for the littlest maue.
Then we headed to Asheville, which had received the most snow it has seen in a long while, and enjoyed a laid back Christmas. We mostly stayed around the house in front of the fire. Just what C and I needed. I took advantage of the huge claw foot bath tub my folks have and sat back and relaxed. our apt does not have a bath tub:(

I did get quite a few hours put into my piece but not enough got done. The text is looking beautiful but taking FOREVER. So I am really hoping to get it done in time. This week I am 100% focused on that until Sunday so...should go well???

I arrived home to lots of wonderful packages of art for connective thread and cannot wait to do the install this coming weekend. It is going to be awesome!.

So today I am just trying to get my brain back on, getting caught up on emails, putting ALL the baby stuff somewhere (no idea where in out little Brooklyn apt), and our clothes back in their homes, and cleaning up the amazing mess 2 kitties can make all by themselves. So I am looking forward to tomorrow where life will be put back in place and I can spend a LONG day in the studio. I promise pictures tomorrow.

Hope you had a great December!!!

getting ready...

So I am prepping for the holiday week, packing, cleaning, and tying up all my loose ends at home.
I am stopping into Ohio for a early baby shower with family before we head down to Asheville for the holiday.

And I will have 5 days of non top stitching in front of the fireplace. Well I hope I can stop and relax a little bit. We will see.
But miraculously things for connective thread are pretty much organized and the cards are ordered. The artists are all in touch. I finally feel a little but like I can breathe.

So I will be stitching and relaxing with family.
I may not stop in much next week but will try to give some updates on my piece.

The above picture is the amazingly adorable mobile that I VERY MUCH WANT to get at my shower. Mainly because it is the cutest thing ever. Made by Pink Perch.

sweet and sassy.

The work of Jodi Bloom, simply makes me smile. It is a perfect combination of a little edge and a little sweet.


I really enjoy how Jodi uses uber feminine and structured ladies items to comment on modern relationships, sexuality, and the modern women.


The virginity project looks like it has a ton of potential. I want more? I once did a project on virginity in grad school. I collected images of everyone from the year they lost their virginity with a sound installation. It is a very rich subject matter.


Plus Jodi seems like an absolute ball to be around. She stated:

A storyteller and provocateur at heart, my work tends toward conceptual but accessible, edgy but humorous, subversive and political but also with a big dose of pure fun and joy. Gathering and collecting have always played a big role in my life and art (thriftstore junkie for over 3 decades); my work tends to incorporate found objects including vintage textiles, handbags, dolls & toys, and undergarments. Themes in my work are: femininity, sexuality, childhood and memory

Those words seem to come from a very fun and playful gal. And you may have noticed her love for the bejeweled side of life- so it is no surprise that she is the artist behind the very successful jewelry line So charmed. Visit to add a little charm in your life.

words, words, words.

So things are going in the studio. Though over the last few weeks I think I have been there WAY too much. My brain is becoming mush.
I started on the text today and it is going well.
But oh how long it takes. It will definitely be a race against time to get it all done. It ends up taking an hour to 3 hours for each word depending on the word length. Agh.

I think it will be good to be taking it with me on holiday and getting to talk in the family room with my family by the fireplace while I work- this might prevent my brain from going totally insane. Sometimes the really monotonous parts of my work can drive me a little crazy all alone in my studio. NPR is good company but sometimes you need something tat will talk back.

Sorry no pictures of it- I keep forgetting to take my camera back to the studio.
Promise they are coming soon.

the healing of thread.

One of the submission that I loved from connective thread was the moving work of artist Caroline Walshe. Caroline has a body of fiber work that deals with the aftermath of a good friends suicide.
The resulting work is moving and profound.


I love how Caroline combines the image with text in such a simple way.


In her statement Caroline says:

Fabric and the stitched word seemed the best possible way to communicate the horrific imagery left with me after this violent event. Embroidery gave the words and thoughts that were so difficult to say aloud a space to be expressed. Somehow the softness of thread and fabric, the beauty of stitching, the flexibility of the finished product and the comforting nature of textiles - we use them to clothe ourselves, to wipe our tears, to rest our faces on as we sleep - made textiles the best medium to convey the violence of the images, the nightmarish quality of suicide bereavement and the horror of the act itself.

Caroline strikes me as a eloquent and thoughtful artists and I hope to be able to curate her work into the text based show I plan in curating next year. I was honored to be introduced to her work.

Check out her lovely blog here.

studio.

I have had 2 very productive days in the studio. My piece is moving along really well and pretty speedily. I pretty much have the figure done- and am moving onto the text element tomorrow.
I am so excited about the scale and sculptural aspect of the piece -
and am inspired for a series coming out of this. Which is great, with the babe on the way I would like to have a series planned so I can just keep working on something I have already worked out.

So I hope it keeps going well and turns out as beautiful as I imagine it.

a generous post about me here. Thanks Katie.

Jennifer Hunold submitted to connective thread a week or so too late to be considered, but her work is worthy of consideration. she has an good size series called home sweet home which documents the floor plans of "dream homes" in embroidery. I have known a number of artists that do work that re-creates either real or imaginary floor plans. I wonder what draws so many artists to this theme?
Jennifer's website describes the project as:

An ongoing project in which the original floor plans of dream homes designed by the artist are embroidered and displayed to suggest a traditional "Home Sweet Home" sampler in a residential dwelling.

She also created an interesting daily journaling project in which she created a shape or pattern on a linen over about 6 months. Though the dates seemed randomly selected I think it makes for a great journaling idea and sketchbook for a needle based artist.

Daily Journaling Project.

detail.

Be nice:
An ongoing project comprised of multiple embroidered works that are scanned and reproduced into pamphlets or postcards. The mass produced materials are consistently distributed around the country.


I would love to fall upon a hand embroidered pamphlet laying around it would completely change your interaction and responses toward the pamphlet, I guarantee more time would be spent on the contents and the preservation of what normally is a throw away object.


a beautiful example f one of Jennifer's first embroidered pieces.
Jennifer states:
Domestic relationships are emotionally and psychologically complex. Under things beautiful lie other things subversive... my projects idolize the idea of a life and home complete with moral decency and architectural splendor. Imagined homes are repeatedly planned and rendered upon cloth; each unique, each better than the last but still never as great as the next. Positive yet mildly proselytizing and instructive manuals for societal courtesy are conceived and sewn to scale; massively reproduced into brochures and postcards which are then distributed nationally.

...Drawn from such matriarchal traditions as the sampler, quilting, and tapestries, my work establishes a dialogue between drawing, painting, and embroidery... The medium references any number of domestic ideals: matriarchal crafts, quaint and “problem-free” country living, Grandma’s house, a “simpler time,” charming TV sit-coms with silly 1950s-esque problems and suburban appeal. At once a longing for unrealized nostalgia emerges in contrast to the reality of modern living.

Beautifully put. See more of Jennifer's work here.