Least any one thinks I'm slacking......

I've realized again lately that production work is not as fun as making art pieces but I'm trying to stay busy getting ready for the Dec. sale. That means there hasn't been much art to show.

Wed. I took a break For Studio group to come here. I didn't have a great project planned but my lentil soup was pretty popular. We did our usual show and tell (Deborah was the star of the day) and then I had the fabric, paints, stencils, and stamps out for any who wanted to play. I tried an Indigo Junction ginkgo stencil on the piece above. This is one of my new scarves but it's not going to the sale. The colors really suit me too well. Below is a box of finished items, mostly small bags and dyed scarves. I'm working now on my scrap scarves and I'll take pictures of those soon.

If you're in the Austin area the sale I'm working toward is Cherrywood Art Fair, Dec. 12 & 13. Please come out and do your holiday shopping with Ashley, me and the 78 other artists.

Please Come Out

If you are in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area, please come out on Sat. to meet fiber artist Susan Lenz and welcome her to Texas. She will speak about her work at 2:00 pm at the Denton Visual Arts Center. The talk is free but please call Deb Dyer, 940-382-3787 for reservations. Her installation,
Blues Chapel will be showing there until Jan. 6th. This work payes tribute to woman in the Blues. Susan has studied under several internationally renowned fiber artists and been juried into numerous national exhibits.

While you're in Denton, also see the weavings of Lia Cook at the University of North Texas. I am sorry I wasn't able to get to her talk this evening.

Tuesday turmoils.....

or "life is what happens while you were making other plans" . I come from a long line of family "sayings" and added many more when I married Karl.

"if wishes were horses, beggars would ride"; "if ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas"; "be careful what you pray for" (refering to patience only learned thru adversity). Some, such as "if your nose itches, Mrs. Pollock must be coming", I never understood.

These all come to mind on days like today. I'm working to regroup, refocus, and redefine my time for now thru the end of the year. Using an amusement park metaphor, my life right now is a super sized roller coaster.

The ups & downs of the ride since last I posted:

Up - I worked 2 days last week for my old company at the Texas Art Ed Conf. (attendance 1971) - good seeing old friends with assurances that 15 years as art consultant meant more than a modest income; good to see new teachers excited and committed to art in the face of daunting challenges.

Down - I am out of shape; standing on concrete for 2 days and schlepping 50 lb. boxes is NOT the kind of work I want to be doing again on any regular basis (there is an issue of "going back to employment", but I'm pushing that to the back burner now).

Up - Lu came up last week and Suzanne came Sunday. I am very ADD of late; often unfocused. I seem to work better beside someone, especially very creative and supportive friends. I hadn't visited with Suzanne in a long while so it was exciting to hear lots of great things in her life.

Down - Both Ashley and Elliott had close friends lose a parent this week.

Wake up call: Work on living the healthiest life possible. I spent yesterday morning at the Dr. getting antibiotic for an infection; niasin for cholesterol; and the news that the recent MRI shows more damage to right knee - it's fixable with minor surgery which I'll deal with "soon"

Up - I'm going to babysit with Karlie the week after Thanksgiving. It will be in Vail, adding a touch more fun (except for the flying part which everyone knows has become a hassle). No skiing but I love the views and will take crocheting & hand sewing for nap time.

Down - The time away from home means I won't have as much for the sale.

Up - I have a choice in how I use my time. Today, in addition to sewing, it's making soup and picking up for Studio group here tomorrow.

Yes, "Life is daily". I'm off to make the most of this one. The picture above is "Gut Reaction". I did it several years ago turning my homemade "body double" into a sculpture. It reminds me of how we make choices in life. It adds a touch of whimsy to my back yard - not to mention confusing some viewers.

After the tangle.....

As I mentioned last night, I went off yesterday to teach a workshop in Ft. Worth. It was for elementary art teachers in Ft. Worth ISD and it's a group I worked with over the years I was an art consultant with Sax Arts & Crafts.

It's been a while since I was up and on the road with the commuters and it's gotten MUCH worse than I remembered or allowed for. As I sat mostly still for periods of time I tried to find design where I was...line, shape, repetition. AND I am VEry thankful that I don't do this every morning.

Arriving only a few minutes behind schedule, I jumped into the day. Of course, there were a few tangles as the teachers selected and measured off their yarns. I was energized and inspired by the their willingness to try new things (for most) and help each others (veteran crocheters). I'm sorry I didn't get names here but it was a whirlwind day as the groups changed every hour. These are a few of the creations done at the end of the day. Pretty cool after less than an hour of instructions. If you know a teacher tell them how much you appreciate the work they do. It's pretty heroic and I'm glad to be reminded of that.

Inspiration

This video came in a Pickens Plan mailing and it is truly inspiring.

I taught a workshop today for Ft. Worth art teacher and they always inspire me with their dedication and creativity. I'll post pictures of some of the workshop results and show those later.

Sunday thoughts

How is this for "peaceful bliss"? Wouldn't it be something to maintain this degree of restfulness at least occassionally in our "grown up lives"? First off, you'd have to go on a news fast. It's definitely a problem for me to balance the need to be informed with not getting swamped by the sadness and maddeningness of it all. Either there's serious insanities such as this week's shootings or on and on and on about some inane celeb. Serious yuck.

I'd rather look at this and smile.
Deborah posted about hands. I'll have to get a picture of some of my collection of hand images but in the meantime, these are the BEST of all.

Fresh and innocent and full of possibilities and hope for a future to believe in.

Colors of the Season

YEA! The beautiful weather continues. Ashley blogged about finding new trails in Ft. Worth and when my knee is better I hope I can explore with her, Frank and the pups. I have taken a bit of time as I drive to notice a few of my favorite things of the season, the grasses and Sumak (at least that's what Dad called the second).

I'm doing more dyeing today and these colors are appearing in my fabrics. Some of the scarves I did on Sat. didn't suit me (too pale) so I'm adding more color to those plus more silk for scarves and cotton threads for crochet and embellishment.

Yesterday was All Saints Day and I thought of all the people in my life who helped mold me into the person I am today. I have been much blessed.

Check your local pbs station for a show on the Civilian Conservation Corp. It is airing this evening in our area but I'd bet it gets repeated. My Dad was in the CCC and he was always proud of what they accomplished. Many of the parks, both state & national still have buildings from that program. I believe the love of nature he passed on to his children and grand children grew with his experience with the CCC. I think we could use a 2009 version but that's another post.