red thread...

so this is some of what I was doing yesterday...a new series of "red work."

I have always loved the Chinese idea of the "red string of fate."

According to this myth, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of men and women who are destined to be soul mates and will one day marry each other. The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of time, place or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of or a twin flame. via wickipedia

But whenever I tried to think of a project based on this it always became a little too literal for me. So as I was trying to come up with ideas for my August show, and looking at the works of Danica Phelps, and thinking about how while I worked on the much more layered and complicated pieces for Sleepers I wanted to do something more simple and.... here it is a series of images of my family in moments of loving all done in variants of red thread. Some of the pieces will have multiple layered images together and some will be more straightforward.

I am actually really excited to see how this would turn out as a series and also have an idea for a simple sculptural piece in the gallery and maybe a corner that has a bit of wallpaper as part of the installation. Wheels turning.

But I must say it is so nice to work with the simplicity of one color.

Good Work.

another fun call for work at the Textile Arts Center. Deadline is soon so check it out!!

Info here.

art-astic office

If you missed this article in the NY Times on etsy it is worth checking out, if even just to scroll through the pictures of their AMAZING office space.

sorting through.

Deeann Rieves

dreary, dreary wet day. I am glad it is my day to stay home and watch t and my studio mates baby. That way I can have a glorious morning alone in the studio tomorrow and not be out in the cold rain today.

If those babes behave I might be able to start sifting through the incredible submissions to Play. WOWZA I have not even began to really look at the work and am already overwhelmed and delighted by the incredibly high level of work submitted. There are so many wonderful pieces that really "play" into the idea I have for the show that I know it is going to be SO tough to select the final work. I wish I had twice as much space!!!!!

Mira Gelley

Here is a totally random selection of some of the pieces submitted. I have no idea if any, all, or none will be selected in the end but just thought I would give you a taste of the awesome I am sorting through.

Alanna Lynch

are you playing??

only 2 days left to play with me.
Submit your work to my open call for fiber work. Due March 2o!!!

Details here.

kicking back.

Another work of Nancy Cohen.

Seemed like a perfect image for the fact that today is GORGEOUS and is suppose to get up to 70, oh my! And I am not picking up a needle or a hoop all day but instead playing with my sweet son in the park and loving him and giving him a taste of his first real spring.

joyful indeed.

joyful.

There is something quite joyful and very playful in the work of Nancy Cohen.


In actuality most of her installations and series of works are based on very specific themes and built after significant research. And often touching on issues of the human experience.

But in looking at her work the biggest emotion I got is joy....

joy for the materials.

joy of making.


joyful.


Much of her work is made of handmade papers and paper pulp but she often treats it like fabric in the installation.


You can read all about her work and each pieces significance and background here.

Would like to see...

Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay

March 18–June 5, 2011

Known primarily as an abstract painter and colorist, Sonia Delaunay applied her talents and theories to all areas of visual expression, including graphics, interiors, theater and film, fashion and textiles. A trademark of Delaunay's work is the sense of movement and rhythm created by the simultaneous contrasts of certain colors. This exhibition will focus on fashion designs from her own Atelier Simultané in Paris during the 1920s, as well as textiles designed for the Metz & Co. department store in Amsterdam in the 1930s. from press release.

What I like about the exhibit is it will showcase her paintings, textiles, finished clothing pieces, and fashion drawings all together.

I just have to make sure that I go on a gorgeous day as the Cooper Hewitt museum has the most lovely garden for lunch.

disaster-averted

before shots. we will see what it looks like in the end.

So I mentioned that I had a disaster in the studio over the weekend and I did...It could have turned into a totally lost piece but luckily it just turned into a giant waste of time and money. Anyway I was hoping to work with Van Dyke which is an alternative photo process with the above piece.

I thought that the dark brown colors and tonal variations would really add something to the work and it was a different technique to take a risk with. The issue with this process is it is VERY finicky and unreliable and I no longer have a dark room and well it did not work. After a few hours, a trip to the city, and a chunk of money all I got was a brown shifting stain across the linen. But...though it was not what I wanted and technically did not work I was OK with it. Thought it did not make the piece better it also did not ruin it. So I trekked it home and washed it in my shower for 30 minutes as required. Prepared to just make it work.

When I got it out of the shower was when disaster hit- THE ENTIRE things was purple, panic set in, sadness set in, googling ensued, bleach was bought, bleach washes were done...and to make the story short it ended up almost as if nothing had happened. The embroidery was intact, the linen white, my heart palpitations stopped.

baldy.

The only thing damaged in the long run was the hair, the bleach had totally eaten away at the wool yarn that had been part of the hair texture. So over the last day or so I spent my time filling in the bald patches. Truth be told it looks better now then it did before and now I am just deciding how to treat the linen.

hair now.

Sometimes a risk in the studio is SO worth it, sometimes it is a disaster, and sometimes it is just a waste of time. But it is all part of the process and you always learn something along the way.

Lets see what happens today.

I need some PLAY mates!!!!

Deadline VERY soon just 4 more days. Get your submission in.

Details.