Busy! Busy! Busy!

 (Above:  The Canopy, installed in the Jones and Carter Building at Artfields.  Click on image to enlarge.)

Spring is always busy for artists in South Carolina.  This year is especially busy because a new, ten day arts festival called Artfields in Lake City is causing quite a buzz.  Why?  Well, there are three prizes ... two for $25,000 and one for $50,000.  This is an incredible amount of money ... and, NO, I don't honestly think I stand a chance at these awards but I'm very, very honored to have a piece on view.  It is an honor to have juried into this competition.  Over 30,000 people are expected to attend.  Now, that's what I call EXPOSURE! 


(Above:  Charity, my new intern, helping to install The Canopy.  Click on image to enlarge.)

Last Thursday was my scheduled day to install.  My new studio intern, Charity, made the trip and was invaluable.  We rolled out the 10' x 18' spread of vintage doilies and lace, inserted the PVC tubes into the "sleeves", inserted 1/2" electrical conduit into the PVC for strength, and then threaded the hanging wire to start hoisting the piece aloft. 


(Above:  Installing The Canopy at Artfields.  Click on image to enlarge.)

There are several businesses and newly renovated art spaces in Lake City where juried work will be presented.  My piece is in the Jones and Carter building at 105 Henry Street.  This historic, brick building has an open floor plan, wooden beaded ceiling, and was originally a seed and feed store.  The renovation is brand new.  In the photo above The Canopy is in the process of being raised and Charity is joined by Erin Glaze Nathanson (left), the Artfields Arts and Cultural Director and Heather Davis (right), the coordinator for the artwork in the Jones and Carter Building.


(Above:  The Canopy at Artfields ...  with other artwork to be hung in the background.)

The installation went very smoothly, especially considering that the original wooden beams are not perpendicular to the track lighting or the building's floor plan.  Everything is slightly slanted.  Charity and I went from side-to-side, pulling on the supporting wires, and making adjustments until it was up.  It took less than two hours from the time we pulled up to the building until we were totally finished.


(Above:  The Canopy at Artfields.  Click on image to enlarge.)

The grand opening of the ten-day festival is this Friday night.  I am also giving an "artist's talk"/trunk show called "Going Green with Textiles from the Past" on Wednesday, April 24th at 5:30 ... under The Canopy!  Like almost everything at Artfields, my presentation is totally FREE!


(Above:  Mouse House during the Historic Elmwood Park Tour of Homes and Gardens.  Click on image to enlarge.)

I've very excited about this coming weekend and Artfields ... especially since it is coming on the heels of last weekend ... which was equally GREAT!  My business, Mouse House, is on the first floor of our historic home in Elmwood Park.  We had both the business and our house on Saturday's annual Tour of Homes and Gardens.  This year was especially great because the neighborhood is a finalist for "National Neighborhood of the Year".  Steve and I stayed busy all day talking to people.  Paula Brown, one of the Georgia/South Carolina representative from SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) even came from Aiken!  I was thrilled to meet her and a friend.  By 5:30 the tour had ended.  Steve and I locked our doors and headed to Washington, DC to watch Sunday's matinee performance of Le Corsaire by ABT (American Ballet Theater) at the Kennedy Center and to consign a carload of antiquarian prints at a specialty auction house.   The show was AWESOME.  I swear some of these young men can defy gravity!  We returned to Columbia listening to radio news reporting on the explosions at the Boston Marathon.  Yet, there's not much time recuperate.  Spring is BUSY!


(Above:  Lancet Window XXVI.  Unframed:  28" x 8".  Framed:  31" x 11". Click on image to enlarge.)

I've been busy for the past two weeks creating more pieces of "faux stained glass" fiber artworks.  I make four different sizes of these works and call each of these series by an architectural name:  Windows, Lancet Windows, Lunettes, and Stained Glass Windows.  Here are those I've recently finished.
 

(Above: Lancet Window XXVII.  Unframed:  28" x 8".  Framed:  31" x 11". Click on image to enlarge.)

Since one of my earlier "Stained Glass Windows" is now featured on the upcoming Artista Vista poster, I'm having a show of this work at Ellen Taylor Interiors during the event.  It will be the 22nd annual art crawl in Columbia's downtown ... and it opens on Thursday, April 25th!  That just a nine days away!  Busy, busy, busy!

(Above: Lancet Window XXVIII.  Unframed:  28" x 8".  Framed:  31" x 11". Click on image to enlarge.)

Last week I was interviewed on film for some of the Artista Vista promotions.  That video is HERE on my video blog!  (I know that some Internet service really slows down if there's a video posted ... hence I put them on their own blog. 



(Above: Stained Glass Window XXXVI, detail.  Click on image to enlarge.)

I also made one of my largest works ... Stained Glass Window XXXVI.  Originally, I intended this to be part of the show at Ellen Taylor Interiors but then I needed it for the South Carolina Arts Foundations invitational Art Gala and Sale.  This prestigious event celebrates the Verner Art Awards, South Carolina's highest arts recognition.  It is on May 1st ... and I delivered this piece to the SC Arts Commission last week.  I'm determined to make another before Artista Vista on the 25th!  Busy!



(Above: Stained Glass Window XXXVI.  Unframed:  57" x 17".  Framed 64 1/2" x 24 1/2".  Click on image to enlarge.)

I've also just finished four "windows".  These are so much fun to make.  These are headed to Ellen Taylor Interiors for Artista Vista.  Unframed they measure just 12" x 10".  Framed these are 17 3/4" x 15 3/4".  I remembered to snap a photo of only one of them before putting them into their frames.  That some times happens when one is just this busy ... but I'll be blogging later this week ... after the opening of Artfields.  What a wonderful time of year!


(Above:   Window LIX.  Click on image to enlarge.)


(Above: Windows LX and and Window LXI in frames ... sorry about the reflections!)


(Above: Window LXII in a frame.)

I am linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site to share fiber artworks, finished and in-progress.