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Monday, May 30, 2011

Seattle

Stopping in Seattle on the way back home I got to do some more filling of my creative well as we walked around the city yesterday. Saw the incredible exhibit of Sound Suits Nick Cage had on display at SAM.
On Fifth Avenue - fashion...
Near the freeway - demolition...
In the park - blossoms...
In a storefront - machines...
Second Avenue and my friend DB...
DB's mum's apartment has a stunning view.
She is a knitter.
Today I am hooking up with my daughter for another day's ramble.  Tomorrow - HOME!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

SAQA Visioning Conference, Denver 2011

My conference days were made even more entertaining by the fact of being in downtown Denver for a change.  Although not the most glamorous or fascinating city in the world, some of the older architecture remains, as well as flash new buildings.  I enjoyed wandering around in the urban environment.
Thursday was rainy and quite chilly.  The conference was held in the Brown Palace hotel, the lowest building in the center of this photo.
The Tremont Street entry has this elaborate carved sandstone frieze above the doors.
 I worked as a volunteer at the conference all morning, then headed south several blocks to the Denver Art Museum where I spent all afternoon soaking up the images in the museum galleries.
One of  Claes Oldenburg's terrific sculptures adds humor to the site.
The weather turned springy later in the weekend.  Trinity Methodist Church is a landmark across 18th street from the Brown Palace.
More of those graceful stone carvings adorn the church facade.
Friday evening we got up to Golden, Colorado for a tour of several galleries.  This rock formation looms over the main street of the town.
  Much of Denver is hard-edge modernism, which feels cold and uninviting to me...
 ...but does offer some pretty amazing photo opportunities.
I am beginning to get home sick for my little green island. 

Monday, May 16, 2011

My Mother's (Bead) Soup

My mother and I share a passion for making things.  While I've been staying here in Denver, she has been sharing her wonderful bead stash with me.  I used her bead 'soup' and some remnant fabric to build a little bag for myself.
I ironed interfacing onto the bag's closure flap and drew the outline of my design. 
 The light on my beading tray is provided by a dandy little bitty Ott Light that clamps onto anything.
Here's the finished piece, which measures about 8x10 inches...
...and a detail of my beaded snake on the flap.


Monday, May 9, 2011

Dark and Light

In Denver to help with a family medical emergency,  I find time each day to walk in and out of memory along the canal. 
Rough bark covers the stately trunks of these old cotton woods.  I imagine secrets in dark places.
The medical world is a technological mystery, hard to get information that makes sense, especially when it is information that you don't want to face.  Uncertainty is the prevailing emotion.
  Well I guess that is life - fragile, no guarantees, crooked and gray - near death the facts get very very clear...
love and each other is the most important thing we have. 
In our weakness is God's strength. 

Hold on.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Teaching


They were the best group ever: fearless, focused, and fabulous.  I began Wednesday afternoon with a demo of low-water emersion processes.  A couple of hours later, thrilled cries of delight were coming from the sinks as people rinsed out their first-ever hand dyed fabrics.
The next session I introduced the class to thickened dyes and some of the ways of working with them including monoprinting and stamping.  They experimented intensely.
 As the week went on, visions began to form and finished pieces emerged from chaos.  I thoroughly enjoyed my role as cheerleader, soda ash solution preparer, title suggestor, and guide.
 



I find that the most helpful question an artist can ask is “What would happen if…”.  My workshop students were all examples of the wonderful strides in self-expression that can be made when this question is asked and answered.
 
 Finished work at the gala art exhibit and awards ceremony Saturday night.

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