Flippant
February 29, 2012
For those of you who may read my blog but really are isolated from my quirky sense of humor, I should mention that my last posting was meant for fun. A prospective candidate does not have to be handsome, wealthy he just needs to find me as his true north of if he needs a GPS to just get home, then I should be the all encompassing center of his universe. wink. Ywah, that is why I am single as no such person exist, we all are the center of our own respective universes or is it universum which would make it multiverse? Spelling was never a high point in my list of qualifications. No art work today as I am off to my part time day job in a data center, so I can pay for unnecessary expensive trinkets like android 4G phones, solar power chargers, blue tooth gadgets as well as necessary items like food, clothing, shelter and supplies for ART and someday a coveted German Pfaff sewing machine
Happy Leap Year Day
February 29, 2012
OK, I am making a list and checking it twice, Who am I going to ask to marry me on this leap year day of Feb 29th? ? The only one I smart, rich and creative enough or who could stand me is now gone to the afterlife. There is another but I have lost contact with him since he left the country. Guess I will have to wait for another 4 years perhaps a new list will evolve. Off to studio………….maybe I will do a leap year painting.
She has returned.
February 24, 2012
Oh, how I would like to make the statement that I am BACK, yes back as in felting but it is increasingly more difficult to make plans. Yesterday, I knew I needed to felt and since the rotator cuff is still squawking at much activity I just let it have sample of this beloved activity. It seemed that little gift soaps covered with merino wool and accented with hand-dyed wool was just the activity. I dyed the bright turquoise in the fall of 2011. Wow has it really been that long since I did serious felting. I have a proposal in for a workshop at a library ( 50 miles away) Since the facilities are limited covered rocks about the size of these hand crafted soaps are the focus of the workshop. I love having these around as they make a special unexpected gift or consumable thank you gift besides food plus the soap has a much longer shelf life. I experimented a bit with each bar, trying to discover the easiest and more effective way of not only demonstrating the technique but allow success for each student.
It seems placing the soap on a piece of bubble wrap then layer with wisps of wool and topped by the outer compositional layer was the best and most successful.
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Felted Postcards
February 9, 2012
I adore postcards, and have collected them for over 40 years, even though the internet can take us to exotic lands, postcards are a signal that some one thinks of you even while they are gone. Over the years, I have been in several multimedia post card exhibits and it is great fun. I would like to see a twist on the travel postcard event by creating felting post-cards about HOME.
This challenge is called “Postcards from Home” and features small (4 inch by 6 inch) pictorials of scenes from you home environment: landscapes, perhaps a historical point of interest. Some suggestions to get you thinking about a pictorial postcard: the natural environment, such as mountains, deserts or coastal scenery; native flora and fauna; images of agriculture such as farms, ranches and dairies; man-made scenes, such as towns and cities, bridges, monuments, museums, and theme parks; historical images from home past; and recreational settings.
Deadline: August 15, 2012
Open to all
Size: 4 inches by 6 inches (traditional postcard size
Writing may be included
Make a label for the back of your postcard containing the following information:
Postcard from Home Challenge 2012
Your Name and Address
Title of Postcard
Location of scene
On a separate piece of paper, please include a short paragraph explaining the scene you felted and any additional information that you wish to share. This information may be used in promotional materials and articles concerning this challenge.
Bring the finished postcards, or mail* the finished postcard to me. I will document and photograph each postcard. I would like to take a display of these postcards to various exhibits. We have a Final Friday exhibit here in my hometown of Lawrence, KS. There is First Friday in Kansas City, MO. There is a large possibility of several national venues for a traveling exhibit but locations are undisclosed at this time.
Leave a response if you might be interested. The pieces will be auctioned off for a charity fund raiser TBA later. So this is a mere feeler for a response. I may extend it to fiberart postcards, since my circle of acquaintances extend way into the fiber world: weaving, surface design, beading, hand made papers, fabric design, dying, indigo, baskets etc. i have yet to decide. What a great way to get your work SEEN by a groups of people.
NO felting again
February 8, 2012
The physical therapist is putting some action back into my rotator cuff but not enough for felting. I am hoping that my shoulder will be much better and strong enough for making some Valentine handmade soap. Here are some samples I put together last year. A librarian contact about a workshop and we have discussed paperweights and I believe this technique would be nice. The alpaca did not felt well but the Icelandic lambs wool was superb, and naturally the good ole standby merino wool.
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rotator cuff
February 6, 2012
Yes, I am still nursing my rotator cuff issues thus working in studio is terribly limited. Here is a chair that I recently sold along with the supply of blank (canvases) chairs.
New project
February 4, 2012
I have been working on this for 2 months but my day job has so rudely interrupted my process. It involves, merino wool with silk wrapped in a spiral around the cylinder of wool that was created with a resist and loose locks left unfelted. Then, direct application of acid dye was applied after a 4 inch PVC pipe was inserted into the felted cylinder and scrunched using a Japanese method. I found it interesting that the silk dyed a different shade of blue even though both the wool and silk were white.
This is a detailed of the piece that is 9 inch circumference with a height of currently 17 inches but with the copper tubing it will extend it to 24 inches. The copper tubing and the base is still in design stages but as soon as the piece is completed decent pics of piece will be posted. I am very excited about this piece but currently I am still mending from a rotator cuff injury, which is adversely affecting my ability to felt.
Activities
February 4, 2012
I have been working on this piece off and on since January. I have had tremendous interference from my day job activities, including a week trip to NY for training on robotics tape storage (Stortek) finished with actual work. I had a great time, lots of wonderful food: from uptown diners to local grills like Kodiaks laced with people who speak as though they are from a foreign land with thick accents. My instructor was great fun even though he spoke so quickly there was always a 15 second day in my processing the words.
Hot Instructor
Greeting at Airport
The jet lag lingered for several weeks because I had to acclimate back to Kansas life. Several friends went out to a Japanese steak restaurant where they cook the food at your table and for entertainment they flip bits of food at the clients trying to entice them to catch the food as if they are Shamoo at Seaworld.
Steak cooked Japanese style.
Elegant stacking of used taxes
Nicki cooking our dinner
