I'm baaaaaaccck!

Don't know if you remember (or if I do either) but I used to write this thing called a blog.  About 100 years ago - ok the last time was only last summer but it sure feels like 100 years ago.


There have been some changes since then - narrowed the focus of my art, downsized my belongings significantly and oh yeah, lost my job.  


I have spent the last month doing the aforementioned downsizing, rearranging the studio, making plans and reading.  Lots and lots of reading.  Novels, art technique books, doll books - you name it, I have read it.  And here is the wisdom I have accumulated from all this reading - it's time to get off my ass.  I need to actually make something instead of just envisioning.  Real, honest to god work - not just pipe dreams.


Here are some pictures of the kinds of stuff I am capable of:

My first beaded doll

Mixed Media - love using book pages!!

Wet felting on an ostrich egg

Body made from vintage quilt fragment

Crazy girl on tea tin body - and more book pages!

Needle and wet felted head - colored with chalk and makeup

The second beaded doll - gotta love beads!

So now you see that I actually can do something, provided I can lever myself up out of my chair and point myself into the studio.

A good friend of mine consults a super talented psychic who says that March is going to be a time of great change and adventure for me.

I'm ready and waiting.  It can't come soon enough!

Doing time at the Erie County Fair

So every year I go to the fair with a few of my fellow fiber addicts and sit for a few hours in the Historical Building to demonstrate some of the different methods of making art dolls.  I get in for free, park for free and get to touch base with a couple of ladies I only see once a year who ooh and aah over all the things I bring with me.  Sometimes I even sell a couple of pieces.

This year, being the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the place where we usually sit was filled with a memorial exhibit, so we sat in another part of the same building to do our thing.  The 9/11 display used as its audio background a taped recording of the song Amazing Grace playing on continuous loop.  Over and over again.  On bagpipes.  After about twenty minutes of this I felt my jaws clench and I was not sure how I was going to stand it. 

But then, a wonderful thing happened. 

A crowd of older ladies came over to check out what we were doing and became completely absorbed in the pieces I had on display.  They carefully examined each one, exclaiming over their detail and laughingly pointed out various humorous touches to each other.  They really got it, which I have to tell you, not every one does.  It warmed my heart and put me in my happy place.   They even bought some pieces!  

I didn't hear the bagpipes any more (and really, I love bagpipes, but not the same song ad infinitum); all I heard was the buzz of the creative muse in my head and the echoes of the lovely things the ladies had to say.  Didn't mind the heat, didn't mind the flies, all was right with the world.  It reminded me of why I do this in the first place.  And so I dove into the piece I was demonstrating on and created until it was time to leave.

Thanks for the reminder, ladies.  I really needed it.

The Virgin Post

OK - so here goes.  For those of you who don't know me (which I would imagine is most of you)  I have attached a few images of my latest work.  I have always been drawn to the human form and that is what most informs my work.  Now, my take on what constitutes the human figure can be a bit broad, but that is just part of the wonderfulness of me!

Wise Woman of the Woods

Close up of her face

Found Object Robot

Her cute little butt!

Sweet face made from a door lock...

What is on her mind (ha!)

Seriously, though, all I have ever been interested in doing is representing the human form, generally female although not exclusively, and using every kind of mixed media technique there is in the process.   I bead, embroider, felt, collage, sculpt, stitch, paint, glue and embellish (to ridiculous levels!).  As soon as I see some cool new technique I start thinking of ways to incorporate it into my work.

Some people get it, some don't.  I have gotten every comment there is from references to voodoo dolls to tears (of joy).  It is not always easy to hear, but I am working on remembering that everyone's opinion has some merit, even if it hurts.

I guess that is all part of the process.