A Week of Working

The title sounds like I have really been working hard, right?  Well, I have, but just not with cloth.  I have been actually cleaning house and washing windows.  I can’t tell you the last time I washed windows….I  had been noticing that the bedroom window was getting a bit “hazy” to see through.  That’s my cue…it’s time.  I didn’t even get them all done, but got about half and the two big sheets of glass we call doors.  I mowed the grass, trimmed the trees in the front so I don’t have to duck when I’m mowing and cleaned the flower bed in preparation for new chips.  In between other household tasks, I have managed to get things sort of “under control”…mmmm…yeh, we’ll see how long that lasts.  I even cleaned and gave a semblance of order to my sewing room…we’ll see how long that lasts too.  I’ve been in there working today, being creative.  I suppose if I would only clean up after myself every time I work in there, it would be easier, but more often than not, I am not DONE with the project, so there it is with the accompanying chaos, waiting until I can come back to it.

Yesterday I took off and went to Paducah, KY.  Yes, the quilt show is over, but I didn’t get to do everything I wanted the day I was down there.  I also decided it was a day for me to go and be inspired by some art exhibits. I visited Hollis Chatelaine’s exhibit, “Imagine Hope“.  It was at the Quilt Museum and it was quite wonderful.  Hollis dye paints all of her images that she uses in her medium and very large quilts.  She is very gifted.  I also found it interesting how she dreams in a certain color and that is the color she will paint the cloth in.  I visited the Yeiser Art Center’s current exhibit.  I could have skipped that one.  There were a few pieces that I appreciated but for the most part, it was made up of drawings and paintings of creatures who were half rabbit and half man.  I didn’t really find any inspiration in that work.  Then I went across the street to see an encaustic exhibit by Gretchen Smith.  I found it VERY inspirational….wonderful work and well worth seeing and reading about her inspiration.  After that I went to visit Helene Davis’ new studio digs.  I had great conversation with her husband Bob and bought a couple of handfuls of his ceramic beads that he made a long time ago.  They will work well with some of my art.

But I will be getting back in the real swing of things this week.  On Thursday an artist friend of mine is coming over to spend the day.  She makes wonderful fiber dolls (see JustJulia.com if you want to see her work) and I am “purchasing” one (on her site, 4th row down, middle one in the dyed cheesecloth, that one’s mine), only we are doing it in trade.  She wants to learn some screen printing techniques so that is what we will be doing on Thursday.  But before she gets here, I want to get some scarves printed in case I want to “erase” (wash out) some of my soy wax screens.  I also need to prepare a couple of deconstructed screens for her to play with.  I will prepare those ahead of time to be dry for her to mess around with.  We will have fun.

What else this week?  Well, I have some family members graduating high school at the end of the week…since I probably won’t be making the 3 hour drive home, I will send them cards and money and perhaps that will alleviate their disappointment that I am not there.  I would love to be there, but I have done an awful lot of driving in the last few weeks.  But who knows, I might change my mind and jump in the van and go on Friday.

I received my textile work from the Fiber: 2010 exhibit back.  I am disappointed that it didn’t sell, but I have another show that I can enter it in this summer.  I also got the cd catalog of the show that I am enjoying.

New felt beads made into earrings…I want to call them Jimmy Buffet earrings because of the turquoise and orange colors…very bright and tropical.