Just finished a new mixed media artwork...

That I am so excited about! I can already see making a dozen at least. This started out as a square, about 12x12 inches. It was going to be flat to the wall, but the square was just wrong as well as the 2-dimensionality of the felt with the little polyp like things coming off. So I cut a chunk out of the felt as a dart, sewed the seam together and had a bit of a curve. And then I did it some more. And then I cut the corners off. It hit an ugly duckling stage where I was sure I had overworked it, so I just let it hang out on the wall. I then decided to add more felt and really push the depth more. It is about 15x20 inches and maybe 6 inches deep. I’m still not sure if it is a wall ore pedestal piece, but it doesn’t have to go anywhere yet, and I can see what it does with the new ones I will make. It hits the creepy cool mark that I love so much.

The hooks are almost like marching ants. I enjoyed watching the Amazon series Hanna while I stitched. I think I will start Killing Eve Season 1 with my next piece.

Making artwork and Fargo season 1....

So I have either been teaching, prepping to teach, stitching, sleeping or exercising.  Occasionally I have made a nice dinner or a batch of cookies.  There has been no cleaning.  My house is filthy.  But, I have gotten some artwork done.  I have work going into a local restaurant, Forager, at the beginning of October and I am desperately trying to finish two stitched pieces and two drawings.  And then I hope to make one more drawing; I don't know that that is going to happen. I have watched the first season of Fargo on Hulu.com while I was working on this piece:

And it was fabulous.  Like I would watch it again fabulous.  It was a ten hour miniseries, and I finished stitching on all the little eyes right as it ended.  Now I need to cover it some with massed thread clumps.  Might have to buy myself season 2 for that work.

while I was gone....

for a week with my son to visit a friend, this came in the mail.  

there are over 6000 little eyes in here...all without the hooks.  I am just about ready to start sewing.  

Denim and Diamonds....

Is the theme for the Rochester Art Center Artbash 2015...and artists are donating works made with denim.  

This is Snorm the Sensitive.  He is from a long line of denim dome monsters.  Yes, his teeth look fierce, but he is more interested in thoughtful conversation than tearing you apart.  Don't let his crazy eyes scare you...there is a docile, deeply sweet creature behind.  He can be yours on October 23, 2015.

september, seriously?

Things have been nuts.  There has been no time.  My classes started, my son's school hasn't.  I made a trip to my mom's in California with my son and mules were ridden.  I installed my piece "Ligatures" at Artistry in Bloomington, and a week later I attended the reception.  The exhibition is titled "It's Personal" and I am showing with Paula Barkmeier.  The city of Bloomington's communication specialist produced this short video on the exhibition if you would like to take a look: "It's Personal."

"Corded 2" by Paula Barkmeier

so many more....

I have about 60 of these 4x4 inch squares now.  I think that is only about a third of the amount I will need.  Each square has hooks on two sides and eyelets on the other two, so that they can attach to those next to it.  Some will remain plain, some will have masses of eyelets and others will have the eyelets and hair like masses.  I can make the hair like masses in a different way than I had originally planned, which will go much faster.  I am really liking how it is quilt like...but I want it to be BIG...like five by six feet.  And I need to find a more permanent way for it to stay fixed together to go on the wall the first time, as I will be out of town when it is installed.  I need to make the installation fool proof.  Not quite sure how that will happen just yet.  

I love the weird little overlapping eyelets.  I could sew those all day. 

Installation images...

Thank you so much to my husband who braved the temperatures to get some shots of my piece at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts fully installed!

"Ligatures" is up another month or so if you would still like to see it.  

stitch and rend

So it has been a funny week.  I went out to Bel Air, MD for the closing of my show "Stitch and Rend" and all the related activities.  I texted my friend my flight info and arrival time and promptly shut off my phone.  When I arrived he was there waiting for me....confused...as the closing was actually scheduled two weeks from then.  I managed to plan an entire trip around the wrong dates, even after I had mailed out all the invites!  But I got a much needed rest....laying around on his couch watching Netflix while he was at school.  So the exhibition is still hanging, but these are images of the new flat pieces I am excited about.