Monday, May 26, 2014

Installation donations and long awaited photos from Barcelona


(Above:  More thread donations collected from Nicholl Ransom.  Thank you, Nicholl!  Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)

I work on several fiber and art project every day.  I love multi-tasking and finding a balance between my "day job" and my "art career".  Recently, I unwind every night ... literally ... by unraveling miles of donated thread for the upcoming recreation of Threads: Gathering My Thoughts, an installation that is currently at Studio Cellar but will grow in size for next September 18 - 30th exhibit at Gallery 80808/Vista Studio.  Fortunately, nice fiber artists continue to mail old, neglected thread to me at Mouse House, 2123 Park Street, Columbia, SC.  That includes the terrific Nicholl Ransom who has dropped off multiple donations ...



(Above:  Box of old thread collected by Sylvia Lewis from quilters in Sanpete County, Utah.  Thank you, Sylvia and friends!)

... and Sylvia Lewis who collected all these spools from quilters in Sanpete County, Utah! 

 
(Above:  Donation of old keys, strange wooden spool-like "things", and bottle caps from Sonya Lenz.)

I also received two other recent donations for my creative adventures.  This box came from my sister Sonya who has been collecting old keys for my Wall of Keys plus other items she knew I'd like.


(Above:  Baskets donated by Ed Madden and Bert Easter.)

Threads: Gathering My Thoughts will be an enormous installation.  I'm also collecting baskets that will be suspended from the ceiling.  The unraveled thread will cascade down and through all these baskets.  I had just enough for the current installation and need at least twice to three times the number for September's event.  I regularly go to Bill Mishoe's Tuesday night auction of used household items in search for more.  One of my friends, Bert Easter, also attends.  He and his partner Ed Madden (who posed for my Decision Portrait Series as Poet) know I need baskets and left these on my doorstep!  Thank you Ed and Bert!

(Above:  Interior of Gaudi's famous Sagrada Familia.)

For the past few weeks, I've been spending a little time every day working with the photos Steve and I took on our trip to Spain.  Finally, I'm finished!  I shot well over 2000 images, saved just under 1000, and created ten albums on Flickr!  Below are photos ... one from each album ... with links to those images.  The main reason we went to Barcelona was to experience Gaudi's architecture, especially

Above:  Rooftop at Gaudi's incredible LA PEDRERA

We also went to two of Gaudi's masterpieces of residential building, La Pedrera and Casa Battlo; his miraculous Park Guell, and the Gaudi Museum.  On Sunday we took a day trip to nearby Montserrat.  There's several other albums too!  Enjoy!  (Dad ... there is no longer an easy link directly to a slide show.  Sorry!  Just click the link here.  When the pictures pop up on your screen, click the first one.  There will be a little arrow along the right-side margin of the image.  Click it to go to the next picture!  Trust me, it is easy!)

Above:  CASA BATTLO



Above:  Other amazing images of architecture in Barcelona.


Above:  Old city Gothic churches ... including the Cathedral, the Church of Pi, and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar.


Above: Photos from some of the museums where photography was permitted ... including the National Museum of Art of Catalunya and the Andries Tapies Foundation.


Above: Photos from our day trip to Montserrat


Above:  Other photos from Barcelona ... including the beach, Columbus Monument,

Above: Photos from Barcelona's markets

4 comments:

Yael said...

Dear Susan, I went straight to your Barcelona albums and I wish to thank you for such a splendid photo journey!
I spend a lot of time with the pictures and it almost feels like I have been there myself! :-)

Julie said...

We had one day in Barcelona on a cruise and it rained all day so we need to go back. I will revisit with your photos :) I love your message to your Dad and I hope he managed to get to your photos.

Margaret said...

Too much to take in...but I tried! I've been to Spain only once -- in 1992, to Sevilla, to visit a cousin and her husband, to see the World's Fair, and the narrow streets, their country home with fig, olive and lemon trees. My memories are treasured, along with the hand-decorated plate she sent home with me. Such colour and beauty is Spain!

Susan said...

If you are looking for more orphaned threads, be sure to check out the Scrap Exchange in Durham and the Cary Creative Center in Cary when you are up this way in NC!