Beyond the Bricks piece

A while back I talked about a project we are working on at the non-profit where I work. Volunteers had gone into the local jail to work with the inmates on creating art and writing. We asked community artists to choose one of their pieces and create a response, a companion, to it. The completed works will be exhibited side by side in our gallery in a few weeks.

I had chosen a writing from an inmate who had found a crumpled brown leaf in their cell. They remarked at how odd it was to find a piece of nature in their hi-tech, sanitary environment. I couldn't help but ponder how I might manage if I were far removed from nature.

This was my response.

I would have to hold nature inside me, somehow.

If I were denied it, if I were contained, I would still contain it inside me.

Needle-felted wool inside an old wood cigar box.

For those of you in the area, do not miss this exhibit.

It opens Thur, Sep 25th at 8:30 in the Q Gallery in Brainerd, MN and runs through October 11th.

my work in Australian Homespun magazine

This was a lovely thing to come home to yesterday.

My wee sheep and mushrooms in Australia's Homespun magazine.

What a lovely magazine, too.  Chock-full of great content.

Thanks Homespun!

rainbows after rain

We had a heck of a storm blow through this morning.

I stopped counting at 19 trees down in our yard.

My little ones made it safely to school and though we're all a little shaken up, all is well.

After that I needed a rainbow and since mother Nature wasn't providing it, I made one of my own.

Take care everyone, and I hope you have a great day.

double duty

Food dehydrator trays make a pretty nifty wool bead dryer.

It's that time of year and I can't resist making a couple of acorns.

These are headed off to the sales gallery at work.

Once my hands recover, I may make a few for my shop.

skipping stone

Someone recently asked me if I sketch out the designs on my stone first, or if I had a concept of what they would look like.

The short answer is no.

The longer answer is that my art is an organic thing. I value the process as much as the end result. So when I sit down with a stone, pick some colors, and start to stitch, I do it without an idea of where the stitches are leading me. 

Sometimes I find out pretty soon into a stone but some, like this one, take longer before I know where I'm going with it.

I began by capturing a small stone under stitches, a technique that signifies an embracing of something precious. Knots and beads started to surround the stone and then some thin green plants appeared. Next came small circles, then a line, then another. Soon I knew where I was going. I added more plants, the hint of movement, and ripples at the surface and what I had was a skipping stone.

A small stone skimming the surface of water, leaving bubbles in its wake, a view of the watery landscape beneath it.

It will settle at the bottom after its wild ride. After losing momentum. But not until then.

In my shop today.

The wool a mottled mix of watery hues, more subtle than the photos are showing. (why must you mess with my photos, blogger?) Stitches in blues, greens, russet, and gold. A bit over 3 inches long.

What can you tell me about your process? Do you always know where you're going? Are you a sketcher? What do you leave to chance?

for Mary

A healing stone requested by a friend.

Heading off tomorrow with lots of well-wishes.

overcast

Leaving my stitching behind on this overcast Monday morning to greet the week.

Work, workshop (with the amazing Naomi Schliesman), meetings, school shopping, chauffeuring, stitching...and some planned fun, an intermission of sorts, though I don't know quite what that will be yet.

Wishing you all a great start to your week.

I did indeed find my peeps

I was very flattered to be featured in the new issue of Her Voice magazine, a seasonal insert in our local paper.  Her Voice is a magazine by women, for women, about women and it's always fun to look through and see what other women in our community are up to.  The article about me was written by Kathy Krueger, a freelance writer who I've gotten to know in the past few months through my job at The Crossing Arts Alliance, and she did a wonderful job.  She made me sound much more interesting than I actually am.

I was photographed by Joey Halvorson, another new friend from The Crossing.  Only for her would I pose with wool birds on my head.  Only for Joey.

In the article I talk about how much it meant to me to find the creative souls in our community (my peeps) and to be able to find a job working with so many of them.  I'm lucky in so many ways, friends.  Though my days are long and life is not always easy, I *am* so lucky to have found my peeps both in town and here in this blog.

Thank you for reading.  And for being my peeps.

the roadsides are in bloom

It's that time of year.

The roadside flowers are in bloom which means they've been wrapped in fiber and tucked in jars to steep on my porch.

Each like a little science experiment.

Tansy, Goldenrod, Yarrow, and Aster.  Each giving a shade of yellow.

Oak leaves, Creeping Charlie, and a few Eucalyptus too that I tucked away in a bag and dole out slowly.

Now we wait.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  What's growing on your roadsides?

oh Robin

I cried last night for a man I didn't know.

Who seemingly had the world on a string.

A brilliant mind, hugely talented, successful.

It's hard to reconcile then, why he would take his own life.

Depression is a lying bitch and she doesn't discriminate.

So many in the creative community are followed by the Black Dog.

Even those that may seem to have it all may be trying to tame that mutt.

Let's be kind.  Let's be helpful. Let's be there.

Squeezing all of you tight today.

a new vest for E

Some felting happened last night and end bits of roving became a vest for E.

It's been a couple of years since I made her first, photographed by this very same tree.

I can't believe how she's grown.

Kindergarten this year.

Wow. 

She made the flower detail herself, and dictated where it should be on the vest.

She has an opinion about things.

About all things.

Which I hope will serve her well as she grows, even if it drives me batty in the meantime.

Have a great week, everyone.

reconnecting

I've been disconnected from nature. 

And that's not good for me.

So this morning, in the middle of a soft rain, I reconnected.

I went in search of textures and details and came back with some and a lightness in my chest.

Funny, I hadn't fully noticed the weight that had been there until it was gone.

I tried my hand at a selfie.  Clearly not my strong suit.

Foot shots are more my speed.

I'm preparing to start a large-scale project that I'll tell you more about when the time is right.  I feel good things ahead for me but right now I'm being a plotter.  

Plotting.

Reconnecting.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday.

fabulous fairies

I taught a fairy class to 10 talented ladies last night.  It was a lot of fun and everyone left with a beautiful and unique fairy.

Some had beehive hairdos.

Some wore pantaloons under their dresses.

Some were pretty in pink.

Some had dragonfly wings.

Some had more personality than their hair could contain.

Some were daintily delicate.

Great things happen when you get a group of women around a table full of color.

Thank you, ladies, for a wonderful evening.

Next class to be announced soon!

randomness on a Wednesday

I found a mushroom that looks like it would be perfect for a little gnome to nap under.

I was totally wowed last week at the Wicked creativity found at this quilt show in the gallery at work.

I found out what happens when a sock gets left outside too long.

My daughter found a new friend who was very good at grabbing her with his sticky feet.

I have decided I need to change my name to this.  

Happy Wednesday, everyone.