Back from Barcelona and trying to catch up!

(Above:  Rooftop view of Gaudi's Casa Batllo.  Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)

Steve and I returned late last night from a week in Barcelona.  It was a terrific and quite an inspirational time.  We went EVERYWHERE but this blog post really isn't about our trip.  I'll write more about that later ... after I sort through the over 1400 photos we snapped.  Suffice it to say, we had a BLAST!


(Above:  Me ... at Park Güell under Gaudi's colonnaded footpath.)

How did we get to Spain?  Well, last December we went to England to see our son Mathias dance the role of "the prince" in Birmingham Royal Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.  His lovely girlfriend Laura-Jane was Clara.  (Different casts ... so we saw several of the 35 or so shows).  Our return flight, however, was over-booked.  The airline was looking for volunteers to be "bumped" to a later flight.  They offered $1000 vouchers for future travel.  Steve and I jumped at the chance ... and hence cashed the vouchers in for our flight to Spain.


(Above:  Steve and our one dinner out!  I had pizza with an egg!  Steve had traditiona paella.)

Best of all, we booked our accommodations through Airbnb.  The stay was around $425 total ... for an entire week in a beautiful place!  That's also how we met Fabriano!


(Above:  Fabriano, Steve and me ... a "selfie"!)

Fabriano is living with his boyfriend.  Thus, he is renting out his apartment which is about a block away from Gaudi's famous Sagrada Familia cathedral.  The place is a rooftop flat ... fully furnished ... with a private patio ...


(Above:  Fabriano's rooftop patio.)

... in a quiet neighborhood ... with free WiFi ... and a totally equipped kitchen.  With the exception of a single dinner out, Steve cooked all local fresh food from the many great markets.  We dined under the stars, laughed, and walked miles every day.  More will come!


(Above:  Life's Race Well Run, a Grave Rubbing Art Quilt and my donation to the annual SAQA auction.  12" x 12".  Crayon on fabric grave rubbings on an embroidered, vintage napkin.  Self-guided, free-motion machine embroidery and hand stitching with buttons salvaged from the South Carolina State Mental Hospital.)

Before we left, however, I had almost completed my donation piece for the annual SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) auction which will be held on-line from September - October 4, 2014.  All the pieces are 12" x 12".  This is my fourth year donating to the organization. 

 
 (Above:  Life's Race Well Run, reverse.)

The reverse is made from a damask napkin and a little embroidered cozy for a piece of stemware.  The hanging sleeve is another grave rubbing.  The edges are all hand-stitched ... blanket stitches.  I'm pleased with the piece and happy to support SAQA.  I believe in its mission to promote art quilts as "Fine Art".  It is now finished and will be in tomorrow's mail!  Remember to bid in September!

 
 (Above:  Window XCVI, Inventory # 3133.  Unframed:  12" x 10"; Framed:  17 3/4" x 15 3/4". $265.)

There were also three "Windows" that were almost finished before our departure.  Today ... THEY ARE FINISHED!

 
(Above: Window XCVII.  Inventory # 3134.  Unframed:  12" x 10"; Framed:  17 3/4" x 15 3/4". $265.)

Finished ... photographed ... and framed!  A good day!

 
(Above: Window XCVIII.  Inventory # 3135.  Unframed:  12" x 10"; Framed:  17 3/4" x 15 3/4". $265.)

 
(Above:  Cynthia Saad and her new purchase ... My Bluegrass Roots II.)

To be honest, I've been enjoying a little flurry of sales ... including this piece!  Plus, my installation Threads: Gathering My Thoughts at Studio Cellar, 912 Lady Street here in Columbia, as been extended until June 1st!  The group show at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios has also been extended for another week.  I've got my Wall of Ancestors there.  This weekend Steve and I will visit ArtFields in Lake City, a 10-day festival and art competition ... including my The Grid of Photos.  Also, I've got four pieces in North Charleston's Palmetto Hands Juried Fine Craft Show.  The coming weeks will find me busy making more "In Box" and "Stained Glass" pieces.  Why?  Well, I've got a solo show coming up this fall in Durham, NC!  These are all very, very good things!


(Above:  Antoinette Brown's second donation of old thread!)

My evenings are still busy ... unraveling even more thread.  Why?  Well, I'm expanding Threads: Gathering My Thoughts for a show in September.  This installation will be even bigger!  I'm envisioning a cascade of thread that will allow viewers to actually walk under and through the suspended mass of material! Thankfully, I'm still receiving more thread from nice people like Antoinette Brown, a talented art quilter in Cary, NC ... who sent this second donation!  Thank you!


(Above:  Donation of thread from Noel Gilliam.)

Thank you Noel!


(Above:  Donation from Sallie Maral.)

Thank you, Sallie!


(Above:  Donation from  Suzanne Taetzsch.)

Thank you, Suzanne!

 
(Above: Donation of buttons from Julie Ruff!)

Thank you, Julie!
(Okay ... these buttons won't be in the installation ... but I LOVE BUTTONS and often use them in just about everything else!)

It is hard to believe that last Friday in Barcelona I linked a blog post written on Wednesday from JFK to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays".  This week, I'm linking this post to her site for sharing fiber art. 

The Wall of Ancestors and Threads, Gathering My Thoughts ... before Barcelona!

(Above: The Wall of Ancestors. Installation of 127 framed, anonymous photos. Images are collaged with letters clipped from vintage sheet music and books with phrases that relate to the passage of time, memory, and suggestions of possible lives for those depicted. Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity. Steve and I went to Washington, DC over the weekend. We delivered a large “Stained Glass” fiber piece to a couple who had seen my work at the ACC (American Craft Council) Show in Baltimore last February. We also delivered My Bluegrass Roots III to a nice lady in Takoma Park. I love selling art work! Yet, our main reason for the trip was to see ABT's (American Ballet Theater's) performance of Don Quixote. It was fantastic!

(Above: The Wall of Ancestors, detail.)

During the drive, I got an email from the owner of Earthwood Gallery and Earthwood Collections in Colorado … placing a rather significant order for both locations! I was ecstatic but nervous. Serendipitously, I had almost everything needed under construction but time was a factor. Why? Well, Steve and I are now on our way to Barcelona!  (I'm blogging from JFK Airport in NYC!) We cashed in our $1000 travel vouchers from Delta for this great opportunity. (We got the travel vouchers after volunteering to “be bumped” on our return flight from England last December.) So … I had just two days to complete the orders.

(Above: The Wall of Ancestors, before the installation started.)

Of course, I already had a jam packed schedule for those two days. I had TWO installations to install! So, on Monday night, I welded my hammer and hung all 127 pieces of The Wall of Ancestors.

(Above: The Wall of Ancestors, after the installation was completed … three hours later!)

The Wall of Ancestors is my contribution to the group exhibit at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios for the annual Artista Vista art crawl in downtown Columbia. The show is called “Say Something” and includes work by all thirteen artists with studio space in the building.



I'm elated with how my work looks, how it feels, and by the impact it will undoubtedly make to people attending. There's just no way to stand in front of so many framed photos, read the collaged messages, and not feel the sense of time that is evoked. All these images came from Bill Mishoe's auction … except for a couple … including …

(Above: I Had a Dream Too, The Wall of Ancestors Series. Framed: 14” x 12”. Original reverse painted glass mat, hand-tinted photo, collage of letters clipped from vintage sheet music and books.)

… and …

(Above: I Had to Ride on the Back of the Bus, The Wall of Ancestors Series. Framed: 14” x 12”. Original reverse painted glass mat, sepia toned photo, collage of letters clipped from vintage sheet music and books.)

These two pictures were donated to me by Vennie Deas Moore. I am so grateful because they bring a balance to the collection, a different point of view, and different pasts. I only received these two pieces on Monday … and immediately did the collage work and framing … in order to hang them later that night.

 

(Above:  South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley addressing the Chamber of Commerce over breakfast at the airport.)

The next morning (yesterday … the day before going to Spain … aka “Tuesday”) started with a 7 AM breakfast hosted by the Chamber of Commerce at the Columbia International Airport. Even Governor Nikki Haley came and spoke to the assembled crowd. Why was I there? Well, the Richland and Lexington County Cultural Council just initiated a new program for 2D and 3D artwork to be on rotation at the airport.  Selected artists were invited to attend and show a piece of their artwork.  It was fun!

 

(Above:  Dual, locked showcases at the Columbia International Airport ... where my work will be featured this coming September and October!)

I'll have a collection of fiber vessels filled with wrapped-and-stitched spools, other fiber vessels, and small sculptural pieces in this double, locked showcase! When? Next September through October.

(Above: Threads: Gathering My Thoughts at Studio Cellar for Artista Vista.)

By Tuesday afternoon, I was hard at work getting ready for the next installation. Threads: Gathering My Thoughts took about three hours to complete. During the first hour, I was busy on the ladder, attaching screw-eyes to the wooden ceiling for lengths of wire … on which I hung the three dozen assorted baskets. Originally, I thought I had too many. I've generally had this sort of impression before my first installation. It is almost always incorrect. I had just enough! So … in September … when I mount an even larger version of this installation at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios, I will need at least twice the number of baskets.

I knew I had more than enough thread … but … for the larger installation in September, I will need even more. Making my vision a reality always seems to require even more material than originally planned. It is simply amazing how big a pile looks on my living room floor and how small it looks when on site!

This is Charlotte Lindsay, the owner of Studio Cellar. She'll be showing off her new business and my installation for the next week … including Thursday night's Artista Vista opening. Hopefully many people will stop by to see all these threads … especially since Wade Sellers of Coal Powered Filmworks made this great video!  CLICK HERE to see it!  (Okay ... I was interviewed AFTER three hours on a ladder and playing with baskets and a mountain of thread!  My hair is a wreck ... but I'm happy with the video nonetheless!)



Obviously, I'm missing the Artista Vista opening. I'm also missing Friday night's opening of ArtFields in Lake City where my Grid of Photos is hanging. Hard to imagine! Three installations mounted inside of eight days … and I'm missing the openings! Oh well … Barcelona is calling!

Between these installations, my “day job” custom picture framing, packing for Spain, and everything else in life …. I did manage to finish all the work for the two galleries in Colorado. The only thing that didn't happen was snapping photos of the “new work” for this blog. Suffice it to say, four new “small” In Box pieces, two Lancet Windows and two, small “Windows” were finished, framed, packaged, and shipped!

 

(Above:  Lancet Window headed to Colorado.  Unframed:  27" x 7".  Framed:  31 1/4" x 11 1/4".)

I only took this photo of one of two Lancet Windows …

 

and this one of half of the orders before shipping!

Next stop … BARCELONA!!!

Update:  Barcelona is FANTASTIC and will blog about it sometime next week ... after I return.  Currently, Steve and I are staying in a great apartment inside of about 100 yards from Gaudi's famous Sagrada Familia Church where I'm now linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site for sharing fiber arts. 

The Grid of Photos is installed at ArtFields!

(Above:  The sign off State Route 378 leading into Lake City, South Carolina.)

Yesterday was a big, big day!  Installation Day for The Grid of Photos for the upcoming 10-day festival in Lake City, South Carolina known as ArtFields.  Everything had been planned down to a detailed discussion on the construction of the wall on which the work was to be hung.


(Above:  Caroline Duncan with her fiance Louis Tarantini at her brand new business, Olio Studio.)

I arrived at Olio Studio around 11 AM as planned.  There I met Caroline Duncan, the new young business owner, and her fiance Louis Tarantini.  Over a decade ago, Caroline was in an intensive summer art program that I taught at nearby Sumter High School.  She has continued making art, studying art, and expanding her love of art into this business venture dedicated to sharing art through workshops, classes, parties, and other events.  The place is brand new ... sparkling clean and tidy ... totally perfect!  They were ready.  We were all excited!



(Above:  Five brackets made by John Sharpe of Sharpe Creations.)

First thing to do:  Mount the brackets. I brought an industrial drill with a masonry bit, the recommended 1-1/2" long concrete screws with a hexagonal head, the coordinating drill bit to fit the heads, an extension cord, and a ladder.  I've installed on cinder block and brick walls in the past.  This should have worked!  But, the intended screws wouldn't penetrate the wall deeply enough.  We are all perplexed.  After all, we were all told that this was plaster over cinder block.  All the other, exterior walls at Olio Studio are cinder block.  Well ... PLAN B.  I also brought short 1" multi-purpose screws.  We decided to use them.  The photo above shows all five brackets mounted with the short screws.  We were a bit worried.  We didn't feel the screws were sufficiently into the wall ... just into the plaster covering up what was supposed to be cinder block but evidently wasn't.  (Personally, I suspect there is a metal firewall between this space and the building that is attached to it next door.  My screws and industrial screw driver would have gone through just about anything else ... but not a metal firewall!)


(Above:  The Grid of Photos, unrolled in front of the wall.)

We unrolled The Grid of Photos.  It actually isn't as fragile as it looks because every photograph had been fused to fabric.  (For a blog post on the construction of this piece, CLICK HERE.)  We screwed together the 5/16" sectional rods.  We threaded the rod through the hanging loops of thread.  We lifted the piece onto the brackets.  For a moment, everything was fine.  Then, one of the brackets gave way ... fell to the floor ... and broke.  Fortunately, John Sharpe had made a spare bracket (thank goodness!)... but we were afraid to attempt using it.  The screws were obviously "a slight problem."  We needed help!


(Above:  Lifting The Grid of Photos onto the brackets.)

Carolina immediately called for the ArtFields installation team.  Amazingly, Tim and Jeremy showed up inside of FIVE MINUTES ... for real!  Seriously, ArtFields is very well organized has a great working relationship with the owners of the many venues for artwork.  I was quite impressed.

 
(Above:  Tim and Jeremy ... part of the ArtField installation staff ... and employed by Moore Farms, the major sponsor for ArtFields.)

So ... what kind of tools did they bring?

 
(Above:  A hammer drill and an impact drill ... brought by the ArtFields installation team!)

Just what we needed!  A hammer drill and an impact drill.  By the way, I covet the impact drill.  It is very light-weight, cute, and even has its own lighting feature!  What more could an installation artist want?  I think I need one!


(Above:  Tim and Jeremy mounting the brackets for The Grid of Photos.)

One by one, the team removed the 1" multi-screws, used my masonry drill bit with their hammer drill, and screwed the 1-1/2" concrete screws back through the brackets using the impact drill.


(Above:  Mounting the brackets correctly!)

Because the hexagonal heads of the concrete screws are bright blue, I also brought Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based primer in a can ... the perfect paint for adhering to metal.  After each bracket went up, I painted the ends of the screws.


(Above:  Five correctly mounted brackets!)

This photo might not look much different from the earlier, similar one ... but the screws are much, much better.  Within a minute, we lifted The Grid of Photos back onto the five brackets!  Presto!  Finished ... all inside of an hour and a half of the time I arrived!

(Above: Louis Tarantini ... who was tall enough that he could lift the rod into place without a ladder!  Thanks so much for all your help!)


(Above:  Caroline Duncan ... in front of The Grid of Photos in her business, Olio Studio!)

I'm truly honored to have my work in such a great venue and part of such a fantastic event!

(Above:  Donation of thread from Elaine Tanner.)

Last year at ArtFields I met Elaine Tanner, another fiber artist.  We've corresponded since then ... and she dropped off this amazing collection of threads, ribbon, crochet, etc. for my use in upcoming installations ...


(Above:  Donation of thread from Elaine Tanner beside the collection of unraveled thread to be used in my upcoming installation, Threads: Gathering My Thoughts.)

... like Threads: Gathering My Thoughts, which will be installed next Tuesday at Studio Cellar here in Columbia for Artista Vista.  I can hardly wait.  That is the same day as I'll be installing The Wall of Ancestors at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios!  So much to do!  Hope these upcoming installations go as well as it did in Lake City.  Even with a "slight problem", it went very, very well!


(Above:  The Midland Clay Arts Society .... all reading Jasper Magazine!)

Wonderfully, I wasn't quite done being "an artist" yesterday!  By 7 PM I was with the Midland Clay Arts Society giving a presentation on "The Business of Art".  I brought copies of the current Jasper Magazine, a free publication here in Columbia.  It was a great program for a great group!

I am linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site for sharing fiber art works.

Fiber Arts Options Goes to Meridian Fibers and more!

(Above:  Fiber Art Options, an invitational group in the Charlotte North Carolina area.  Going around the table from the left, front to the back, right:  Debbie Langsam, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Linda Stegall, Nancy Cook, and PJ Howard.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

For about a year-and-a-half I've been proud to be a member of Fiber Art Options, a select group of professional artists in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.  Membership has been limited to six.  We meet every month.  The experience has been totally inspirational, educational, and lots and lots of fun.  Last Thursday we visited a new fiber art business called Meridian Fibers. (Update: 2021. This business is now closed but it was nice while it lasted. The owner is changing her business to high end home fabrics with no more workshops.)


(Above:  Debbie and Linda discussing important fiber matters with Meridian Fiber owner/artist Laura Sutthoff.)

Laura's business may be new to the Charlotte area but her history in the textile industry goes back for decades.  Meridian Fibers is now becoming a place for workshops, experimentation, and an exciting new location for fiber artists to find inspiration.


(Above:  Material room at Meridian Fibers.)

How could a fiber artist NOT find inspiration when the material room has this sort of stash ...


... and dozens of threads and drawers of ribbon and trim ...


... and a glass case filled with vintage findings and buttons ...


.... and too many decorator fabrics (the kind one cannot find in any chain store) and all sorts of yarns ...


 ... and personal attention for a professional!


There were all sorts of wearables and accessories too!


Plus ... a very neat and tidy room for stitching!  I highly recommend this new business!

 (Above:  Prep work!  Recycled black acrylic felt cut into sizes for more "In Box" and "Stained Glass" pieces.

So ... what have I been doing?  Well, it was time to do a little prep work for my "In Box" and "Stained Glass" series.  The available work has dwindled recently.  (The pieces that are available are HERE.)  Why?  Well, I sold well during the ACC Baltimore Show last February, have a couple pieces in the upcoming South Carolina Arts Commission's annual Award Gala and Art Sale, have another accepted into the juried Palmetto Hands Show ... and just got picked up for representation at Iago Gallery in Blowing Rock, North Carolina!  So ... I need to make plenty new work, especially smaller sized pieces.  I start with recycled black acrylic felt.  It used to be the packaging material for a kayak or canoe being shipped from Legacy Paddlesports, a manufacturer, to River Runner, my local outdoors shop.  Guy Jones, the owner of River Runner, has been donating all this felt to me for years.  I cut up two canoe's worth of felt into the sizes needed for 12 "Windows", 10 "Small In Boxes", 8 "Medium In Boxes, 4 Lancet Windows, and more.  The paper piece of paper in the photo above has all my measurements for all my sizes on it.  Currently, I have two Lancet Windows and five, small "Windows" under construction.  I'll share them soon.

 
(Above:  In Box CXLVII. Inventory # 3122.  Unframed approximately 17" x 13".  Framed:  21 3/4" x 17 3/4". $325 plus tax and shipping.  Click on image to enlarge.)

I did finish this medium sized "In Box" piece. Tomorrow I'm installing The Grid of Photos at Artfields using brand new brackets created by John Sharpe's new business Sharpe Creations.


(Above:  New brackets for installing The Grid of Photos.)

I'll be taking photos of the installation in progress ... can't wait.  This month is filled with installations.  For Artista Vista, I'll be installing Threads: Gathering My Thoughts at Studio Cellar and also The Wall of Ancestors at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios. 


(Above:  125 individually framed pieces for The Wall of Ancestors.)

Over the weekend, I moved all the pieces for The Wall of Ancestors to my studio.  There are 125 of them.  Installation day is on Tuesday, April 22nd.


(Above:  Collection of three dozen or more assorted baskets for Threads: Gathering My Thoughts.)

The installation day for Threads: Gathering My Thoughts might be earlier on the same Tuesday ... but it might get changed!  It will depend on a film crew!  My fingers and toes are crossed that this might happen.  In addition to all the unraveled thread, I've been collecting assorted baskets for this installation.  I hope three dozen will be adequate! LOL!  


(Above:  Opening of Studio Art Quilt Associate's Radical Elements exhibition at the Cafritz Foundation Arts Center of Montgomery College's Takoma Park campus in Silver Springs, Maryland.  The show runs from April 3 - May 9, 2014)

With all these installations and activities, I wasn't able to attend the opening of Radical Elements outside Washington, DC ... but I loved finding this photo on Facebook from the opening reception.  My piece is the brightly colored one depicting the element Promethium!  It is made from cut pieces of Rowlux Illusion Lenticular film hand stitched with very thin red and hot pink copper wire.