Monday, March 31, 2008

Blues Bible is Under Way and Collage Mania II


(Click on image to enlarge. Saint. Created for Collage Mania II. 10" x 8". Xylene transfer with gray fabric marker on pale green moire colored with heat transfer paints. Collaged with snippets of distressed vintage material. Adhered to mat board with Golden Acrylic's GAC 100.)

Some projects take a long, long time. Last September I started pages for The Blues Bible. I also started a computer file of images and a pile of paper material, clippings, and quotations. The work must be completed before June 21, installation day for "Blues Chapel" at the Pickens County Museum of Art and History. Over the weekend, the studio was totally rearranged. The project is underway despite the fact that I'm leaving for England later today. I got two full days of work done this weekend.

Almost as a "warm up", I collaged four quick pieces for Virginia Spiegel's Collage Mania II....right under the deadline. I really wanted to participate...especially since a local artist, Lynne Burgess, lost her battle against breast cancer last month. The collages are shown here.

I'm a little nervous about the trip to England because I've decided not to take a hand stitching project along. I'm only taking an "idea sketchbook". I've been thinking quite a bit about new work, combining unusual material with embroidery...more installations and ways in which to use my three dimensional vision for self expression...thinking about rusty bits and pieces, thinking about "eco-friendly" statements, thinking about concept before stitch.

Thus, I'll be away a week with my thoughts and Swan Lake. I'm also grateful to several people who sent messages about Bradford's wonderful shopping opportunity at Texera Mills (my Wednesday day trip) and about the textiles at Manchester's Whitworth Art Gallery (Saturday). I'll be in York on Thursday and Chester on Friday. My camera batteries are charged...all four sets!

Oh, one more thing....CYBER FYBER has now been pitched to the South Carolina Arts Commission and to Time Warner Cable! I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for funding!


(Click on image to enlarge. Mask I. 10" x 8". Created for Collage Mania II. Digital image transfer of African mask on unbleached muslin with ink adhered to silk, chiffon, and heat transfer painted polyester with metallic foiling. All attached to mat board using Golden's gel medium.)


(Click on image to enlarge. Mask II. Created for Collage Mania II. 10" x 8". Digital image transfer of West African mask on unbleached muslin stitched to synthetic felt, handmade paper, and African inspired cloth with beading. All adhered to an acrylic painted mat board using Golden gel medium.)


(Click on image to enlarge. Remains of a Quilt. 10" x 8". Created for Collage Mania II. Strips of a former quilt cut to make CYBER FYBER postcards stitched to a thick, textural pink paper. Piece adhered to mat board using Golden's gel medium.)

5 comments:

Unknown said...

You are going to have a sketch book full of ideas by the time your on the plane home from England! What FUN!
Fingers crossed for the funding for CYBER FYBER! It should be a shoe in! Cant wait to see all these things unfold for you!

Unknown said...

I shall keep my fingers crossed too!!!

Nikki said...

I came and visited this post earlier in the week and thought I had commented. Love the work and hope you are having a grand time in England!

I wanted to let you know how much you and Alex have been on heart and in my prayers lately.

arlee said...

What can i say? Your talent is leaving us in the dust! Have fun in England, come back even more inspired and enjoy yourself.
Hugs.

Susan Lenz said...

Hi Steve!
I'm in the Manchester Marriott. I can't make the computer access our email...but I can leave a message on my own blog...which...hopefully, you'll realize is from me. You were quite correct about the swimming idea at this hotel. The steam room and cold dip was even more wonderful than the whirlpool. The pool is the most fabulous I've seen in a Marriott...ever!

Mathias was fabulous on Wednesday night. I did manage to persuade him to take a few pictures with my camera yesterday...so, I've got no Benno photos but I do have one of him in his Act I outfit with Laura Jane (who is really, really lovely) as a swan.

I loved York and Chester. Mathias skipped Thursday's ballet class in order to go with me to Chester. The shopping at Texera Mills was incredible. I enjoyed the Whitworth Gallery today...after a wild goose chase to find the place due to a typo in the guide book!

I'll see you really, really late tomorrow...a long day but I've got two new embroidery magazines.

Love!
Me