I recently sent out my “quarterly” art newsletter about my work. I say quarterly in quotes because quarterly is the goal. The actuality is more like meh, I don’t feel like doing that today and maybe semi-annually is better! It could be said I do it because people ask me all the time about what […]
vintage linens
summer exhibit at Petaluma Arts Center
I was invited to show 5 pieces of my narrative work in the summer exhibit at the Petaluma Arts Center, June 11-July 23, 2022 . The Arts Center is located in the former baggage room of the Petaluma Train Station (now the SMART downtown station); 230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma, CA. Hours: Friday and Saturday, 12-4 pm. Opening […]
supporting other artists…
Decades ago when we bought our house, we met a neighbor who was a painter, unbeknownst to me, at that time. Her husband was a corporate executive and she dutifully maintained the perfect homestead for all of their married years. When he died, she painted the living room bright yellow and hung her paintings salon […]
stuck on a title…
Usually when I make a piece of art, the title is the least of my concerns. Not so this time. When I was self-educating on black history I came across a talk by a director of the Southern Poverty Law Center who spoke about hate groups in America. Of course I had to follow that lead, […]
on a lasting marriage…
Forty nine years ago today I married a man I met on a blind date just the year before. My first thought this morning was I would do it again, in a heartbeat, because in those 49 years, I have learned so much. I learned so much about him, about myself, about tenacity, about strength, […]
North to Alaska and back…
Eleven days ago I flew to Anchorage, Alaska for the weekend! It really was a crazy idea but I have been known to fly over 2000 miles for a weekend before. In fact this was my fourth such weekend trip in the past 4 years. Two were for art receptions both in OH, one to […]
the muse is keeping me awake…
Anyone who makes art knows how exasperating the muse can be. There are times when she has entirely left the brain, the building and the planet and try as we might we cannot ‘rouse her, no matter how disciplined or urgent the need may be. Then there are times when she is simply there, waiting […]
and they said it wouldn’t last…
Yesterday I finished the wedding dress piece…hurrah! I started Defining Moments 16: Marriage early last year by dismantling my wedding dress. Then I screen-printed our vows to the dress fabric as well as some of the flannel lining. I hand-stitched a strip of lace from the dress, fused on bridesmaid dress fabric in squares of various sizes, free-motion stitched […]
musings…
In 2012 right after my Dad died and I was recovering from my second knee replacement, I felt like I needed a lifeline. I had been ruminating for at least two years beforehand about creating a mixed media women’s art group. So I chose 7 regional artists to join me, and six accepted. One from my past […]
it’s the little things…
One of the things I most enjoy about this series work is I am continually challenged by how to convey my message or tell the story. The piece I have been working on (#16) these past weeks is about our marriage. A couple months ago I began the prep work by dismantling my wedding dress, which my […]
15 down, 10 to go…
I recently finished no. 15 in the Defining Moments series! Now with just ten more to meet our goal I am really feeling the momentum. However, I must pause to whip up some small bags for the arts guild so have pieced the background of no. 16 to inspire me from the wall. The interesting part to […]
coming up on #15…
After an incredibly short month, a quick trip, a class, and a whole lotta hand-stitching I finished the new #12 not to be confused with the former #12. My reward for same was that I strained my dominant rotator cuff from all the hand-stitching. So I have spent most of this week recovering and finally today […]
out and about…
Another month has zipped by…do we see a pattern here? I continue on my series which I am so loving. I worry a bit about what I will do when I finish it next year but then I chase that thought away. I will deal with that when I get there. In the meantime I […]
and then what happened…
In the month since I last blogged, I completed, but not yet photographed #11 and #12 in the series. Synchronistically the Stanford rape verdict which made the news enraged me again so I decided to go backwards and do a relevant piece and title it the new #11 which will push the aforementioned two to #12 and #13! […]
11, 12 and new…
I recall my grandmother at about my current age telling my 20 yr old self that time passes more quickly the older one gets. At the time I just thought, well, she’s old. Now I get it and I see it everywhere, like on laundry day. Is it really 12 days since I last did […]
more defining moments…
I continue to be engrossed in a collaborative project which requires 25 large pieces to be designed in three years time. We are now in year two and I just finished my fifth piece. What me worry? Actually I am not worried as the ideas pour out of my head. It’s been more of a matter of […]
tah-dah!
Finally I found time to photograph the latest addition to the Defining Moments collaborative series. This is titled Handcraft Heritage and celebrates the long line of women, from whom I descended, who did handwork. I also incorporated my own handwork, a handwoven silk scarf I wove for my mother and some Nuno felting. It was […]
making progress…
Ever since I got home from the fantastic art retreat at Lake Tahoe I have been challenged to resume the hand-stitching. I don’t quite know why but sense technology may have something to do with it! Why should I sit with needle and thread in hand, stitching away when I could be playing MahJong on […]
back to it…
After a couple harried weeks I am now back to working on the collaboration, with the goal of 25 large pieces in three years. We are now coming upon the 11th month of the first year and I am on piece #4! Yikes, I could just freak out over that but I am having too much fun […]
another day, another dye bath…
A little over a week ago I returned from a rather disastrous dye class in WA. Two days ago I decided it was time to remedy that and see what I could do to over-dye some of the 12 yds of fabric which came home in pastel hues. I was a bit more concerned about the water […]
on vintage linens…
I love using vintage linens in my work and as a result have been collecting them for some time. The other day I was downstairs soaking fabric in a print solution and painting a purse. For some reason the complete chaos on the fabric wall caught my eye. I must straighten that up…note to self! […]
