Mandala XLV

(Above:  Mandala XLV. Framed as a diamond: 36 1/4" x 36 1/4"; framed as a square: 25 3/4" x 25 3/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Found objects include: spark plugs, plastic novelty eye glass frames, six-inch wooden rulers, vintage stitch pattern needle knobs, old keys, metal picture framing hangers, drapery hooks, buttons, paper clips, sewing machine bobbins, gold metal circles with holes (function unknown), and some sort of gear in the middle (also for an unknown function.) Click on any image to enlarge. $450 plus SC sales tax and shipping.)

I started stitching on this mandala before going to Arizona for a week.  It was quickly finished after I returned even though I had no idea how this was going to happen when I departed.  I had no plan after stitching down the toothed gear in the middle and the circle of spark plugs.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XLV.)

I knew that I'd have a border of layered buttons.  I had thought about adding the sewing machine bobbins, but otherwise I had no idea what more would happen until ....

 

(Above:  Found objects sent to me from a new, cyber friend, Marty Ornish in California.)

.... these things arrived by mail! It seems that just when I "need something", "something" arrives!  I couldn't wait to add the vintage Sears Kenmore stitch pattern needle knobs and the rulers.  Quickly, the gold metal circles found places on the mandala.  (They are the ones that look like the top of a salt shaker ... except that there's no way to attach them to a container!)  Four of the plastic eyeglasses frames got stitched down too.  I haven't thought up a place for the silly, plastic eyelashes but I'm sure a future mandala will include them!  Thanks, Marty!

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XLV.)

The spark plugs came from Bill Mishoe's auction.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XLV.)

The toothed gear in the center of this mandala also came from Bill Mishoe's auction.  Like the spark plugs, they were on a table lot with all sorts of other junk.  I don't know what this gear once did.  It isn't always necessary for me to know the origin or use for my found objects. 

 

(Above:  Mandala XLV, hung as a square.)

My last name is almost always stitched in the lower, right corner.  On the mandalas that can hang as a diamond, I've slated the letters so that it isn't necessarily obvious that another orientation might have been intended.

(Above:  Some of my stash of found objects.)

Many people have asked about how I organize my stash of found objects.  Many people think I must have a very large room for all these things.  For the most part, I laugh.  Why?  Well, the word "organized" has very little to do with it.  Also, my stash isn't in a single room; it's all over the house.  Now ... it isn't completely disorganized either.  The photo above shows the items that have made it into the room living.  These are some of the things I absolutely know will be stitched to a mandala.  There's an old mayonnaise jar of paper clips, several boxes of buttons (though most of my buttons are elsewhere ... because they'd take up more room that this image shows!), boxes of vintage paper fasteners, a tray of clock gears, a cigar box of laminated Tampa Nugget cigar bands, and plastic bags of syringes and syringe caps.  There's a box of metal picture frame hangers and another box of screw eyes.  One Ziploc bag has a collection of zipper pulls and there's a red mesh bag with white plastic dairy pulls.  

 

(Above:  An antique butterfly collection cabinet with several open drawers.)

In a downstairs room, I have an antique butterfly collection cabinet.  It functions like a flat file unit.  I know its original function only because the drawers once included a wire mesh over each one.  This was for drying the collected specimens.  There were also random bits of butterfly wings, here and there.  The cabinet wasn't that expensive because the original door was gone.  Some of the drawers now hold clock gears.  Some have nails.  Some hold old book spines.  Most are simply assortments of small objects.  So ... a little organization but not much!

 

(Above:  A table with more "stuff" but also where I keep my electric drill.)

On a nearby table, I have more of my stash.  This is, however, an important place.  My electric drill stays plugged in and ready to drill holes in things like dominoes and six-inch wooden rulers.  My Dremel tool is on a shelf just below.  Lots happens here.  Beside this table are two, ten-gallon buckets.  Each one is about one-third filled with old keys from a college dormitory.  Student mailboxes were re-keyed every year.  I was the lucky recipient of hundred of used keys!

(Above:  Spark plugs!)

The found object stash is in a constant state of change.  Just when I thought that spark plugs were the coolest, most imaginative, and unusual "embroidery supply", I was the lucky, successful bidder on a box of brand new spark plugs.  This was just last Wednesday at Bill Mishoe's auction.  Inside the small box was six smaller boxes.  Inside those were eight packages of small engine spark plugs.  For $7.50 I have all these items for the next mandala!  Who would have thought!
 

ARIZONA !

(Above:  Steve and me along the perimeter trails at Red Rock State Park outside Sedona, Arizona.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Many people have asked how I maintain such a prolific studio art practice.  The answer always revolves around Julia Cameron's The Artist Way. The Artist Way is more than a book, more than a 12-week program meant for artistic recovery, more than techniques and exercises aimed at jump-starting creativity.  It is a lifestyle.  I'm one of millions, world wide, whose life was transformed.  The Artist's Way changed me. It let me claim my true, artistic self.  I've been through the twelve weeks on two different occasions.

(Above:  Jasper Forest, an area in the southern part of Petrified Forest National Park.)

The Artist's Way works for anyone who really uses it.  Like most things, one receives the benefit of a program if one puts in the effort. The efforts for The Artist's Way can be boiled down to two basic actions.  First, one should write daily, stream-of-consciousness journal entries.  Julia Cameron suggests three, long-hand written pages.  During my second time going through the twelve chapters, I started cheating.  Of course I did!  Instead of hand-writing, I type my "Morning Pages".  I store them on my laptop, filed by date and organized into yearly folders.  I've been loyally doing this since 2007.

(Above:  One of the brilliantly colored sectional logs in the Jasper Forest area of Petrified Forest National Park.)

The other, basic part of The Artist's Way is the habit of going on a weekly "Artist's Date".  Well, I cheat on that one too.  I don't always want/need an hour every week just for myself.  Yet, I know this is important.  It is part of "filling the well" for inspiration.  So, I look forward to times when I can really, seriously, and gloriously step back from my life for more than an hour ... as in travel time ... as in a week away!  Going to Arizona was just this sort of occasion, a time to soak up nature, be in awe of ancient artifacts, eat different foods, drive through foreign looking landscapes, and feel the presence of God, the Great Creator. 

(Above:  Another amazing section of an ancient log, now petrified.)

Steve cashed in some of the frequent flier miles that were returned to us after a canceled 2020 trip and we flew into Phoenix.  Our first day was spent driving up and through Sedona and then taking the perimeter trails at Red Rock State Park.  We logged about six miles and later had a fabulous meal at Lumberyard Brew Pub in Flagstaff near where we stayed the night.

(Above:  Some of the sculptural formations of mountain and eroding stone near Jasper Forest in Petrified Forest National Park.)

The next morning we headed to Petrified Forest National Park, entering from the southern side.  We went to the Visitors Center for trail recommendations.  Why? Well, I really couldn't figure out the trail system.  We wanted to hike, not just walk a paved, wheelchair accessible, quarter-mile loop with nicely placed signage describing the intentionally placed sites.  The park's website was oddly unhelpful even though it listed routes under the title "Off the Beaten Path".  So, we asked the ranger.  Well, there's a reason for my confusion!

(Above:  Holding the photocopied pages showing images of landmarks along one of the "Off the Beaten Path" routes at Petrified National Park.)

The longer, more adventuresome trails really aren't trails at all.  The "Off the Beaten Path" routes are upon request. The ranger showed us all that are available.  We picked two:  Jasper Forest in the southern part of the park and Onyx Bridge in the northern area.  We were given two, photocopied pages for each route.  On the pages were short descriptions accompanying pictures of landmarks. The idea is that visitors walk from one landmark to another ... if they can find them.  We were warned that many people "get lost" ... but not to worry.  Off we went to the Jasper Forest Overlook and to the route that was supposed to be three miles in all.  We were okay for the first two images.  Then, we were "lost".  There was no need to worry though.  We walked for three miles into the vast landscape littered with giant petrified logs but at no time were we out of sight of the overlook.  We saw a deer running up an embankment, inspected all sorts of plants, and snapped pictures of colorful, petrified wood that seemed EVERYWHERE.  Our conversation swirled around "What is rare?"  Petrified wood is rare but it is also plentiful in Jasper Forest!  There's something truly profound on such a walk.

(Above:  The red hills between the cliff and the desert floor in the northern section of Petrified Forest.)

Then, we drove to the northern section of the park, to the historic Painted Desert Inn which was closed due to the pandemic but beside which our next "Off the Beaten Path" started.  We knew the initial section would be a descent of 300' to the desert floor.  From the cliffside, we walked through a maze of red hill mounds and out onto the flatter, desert floor.  We nearly got lost again but were determined to find the next landmark on our photocopied guide.  At last, we saw the cut-off butte. The picture was taken from close range ... when the ninety degree angle was obvious ... with sky behind it ...

 

 ... like it is in the selfie we took.  From where one stands after leaving the red hill mounds, it is nearly hidden in the rest of the mountain range ... far away ... as in over a mile!  There are only nine pictures for the route to onyx bridge.  The distance though is TWO WHOLE MILES.  We definitely felt like explorers!

(Above:  Onyx Bridge.)

We also felt quite accomplished in finding Onyx Bridge, an ancient, petrified log that once spanned a wash in the desert.  Feeling great, we turned around to head back ... and saw that at no point were we really ever out of site of the Painted Desert Inn perched atop the cliff!  Our hikes totaled about six miles.

 

(Above:  Mr. Maestas Restaurant in Holbrook, Arizona.)

We checked into a cheap hotel in Holbrook, showered, and headed to Mr. Maestas Restaurant.  It was filled with antiques, had great food, and an excellent staff.

 

(Above:  One of many old vehicles behind the restaurant.)

Holbrook, Arizona is a charming place of decay and memories of yesteryear.  I think every vehicle registered to someone living there is still there.  The rock shops sell petrified wood by the pound and have more than one or two fake dinosaurs to lure in tourists. 

 

(Above:  Packages of flavored, dried crickets.)

Before leaving, we tanked up the rental car.  Inside the gas station I found packages of flavored crickets for sale!  I asked if I could snap this picture.  "Sure", was the answer!  On the flip side, I read that they have absolutely no nutritional value, but the cashier assured me that lots of people just love this snack!

 

(Above:  One of thousands of giant saguaro cacti in Saguaro National Park outside Tuscon.)

We headed over meandering back roads leading toward Tuscon and to the eastern section of Saguaro National Park.  There, we hiked two more trails ... a total of another five or six miles but over rather flat surfaces.  I took lots of pictures of the giant saguaros ... both of alive ones ...

... and the wooden "bones" of the dead ones.  The weather was perfect.  There were very few people on any of the trails we took.

 

(Above:  A blooming ocotillo cactus.)

We checked into our Towne Place Suite room for a good night's rest ... because we planned on more hiking the next day in the western section of Saguaro National Park. 

 

(Above:  Along the Hugh Norris hiking trail in the western section of Saguaro National Park.)

We also knew that the hiking in the western section would be over much more roughed land.  At the Visitor Center we were recommended to take the Hugh Norris trail, a 2.7 mile hike up over 1000' in elevation to the junction with the Sendero Esperanza Trail ... and then turn around.  Well, we made it! But, we didn't turn around!  We went for a little distance on the Sendero Esperanza, took the Dobe Wash trail back down the mountain, and then had to walk almost two miles back along the unpaved loop road to our car.  We did it! A little over SEVEN miles!  There will come a day when we will be restricted to the simpler paths and the wheelchair paved walks ... but that day wasn't last week!  My soul is filled with inspiration, gratitude, happiness and a refreshed mindset for making more artwork.  That's quite an "Artist's Date"!  

The next day we spent four wonderful hours at the Sonora Desert Museum.  Reservations were made on line for an early arrival ... 7:45 AM.  We were there for more than four hours, arriving just in time for rattlesnake feeding!  WOW!  (Yes, the snakes swallowed whole, dead mice that were dangled in front of them on long tong-like tools!)  We also saw javelina, a wolf, a fox, an ocelot, lots of spiders, a great pastel art exhibit, fossils, minerals, a pool of stingrays, and lots and lots of beautiful plants.  Below are some of the hundred of so photos I took!  Enjoy!

Mandala XLIV

(Above:  Mandala XLIV. 46 1/2" x 46 1/2" when hung as a diamond; 33 3/4" x 33 3/4" when hung as a square.  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Found objects include: the metal part of a vintage glass trivet; keys, buttons, caps for syringes; shower curtain hangers; hinges; red milk bottle caps; blue water bottle caps; galvanized washers; external tooth locker washers; paper fasteners; white plastic rings; clear plastic bracelets, and red Corby's whiskey, parrot-topped cocktail swizzles.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Sometimes it is better for me not to know about the generosity others have extended to my stash.  Until just a few moments ago, right before sitting down to compose this blog post, I had no idea that the red Corby's whiskey, parrot-topped cocktail swizzles were vintage and sold on eBay for up to nine-dollars a piece.  They were a gift.  They came unceremoniously in a used plastic shopping bag from a long-time friend simply thought I would like them and might use them for a mandala.  I was thrilled of course but totally unaware of the potential value.

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XLIV.)

I also didn't know that these swizzles once came in different colors or that were made back in the 1950s and 1960s.  I didn't know that Corby's whiskey is a Canadian liquor.  All I saw were lots and lots of cool items for the next mandala and cute parrots.  Frankly, I didn't see the brand name on the swizzles until several were stitched in place. 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XLIV.)

Yet, I am looking at many things quite differently now.  While browsing aisles in thrift stores, I'm seeing the parts of things, not the whole.  I'm seeing potential in lamps parts and electronic parts. I'm seeing cheap costume jewelry and hair curlers and salt shaker lids in new ways too. 

(Above:  Mandala XLIV, hung as a square.)

I'm also thankful that I finished this mandala today.  Later this afternoon, Steve and I are flying to Phoenix for Easter in the desert.  We are National Parking until April 6th and likely looking at nature in new ways too.  The pandemic has only made us appreciate the outdoors more than ever before ... sort of like looking at "junk" in the light of a future mandala!

The Cocoon at ArtFields

 

(Above:  Me at the entrance to The Cocoon.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

It's been nearly three years since my summer 2018 art residency at the Rensing Center outside Pickens, South Carolina.  That's where The Cocoon came to life and was shown for the first and only time until today! It was supposed to be part of ArtFields 2020 but ... well ... everyone knows what happened to in-person events during the pandemic.  I submitted it again, for this year, and it was accepted.  I can't wait for visitors to enjoy the maze of vintage household linen, antique garments, and all the handmade embroidery.  It is truly my honor to be part of this exhibit and competition, April 23 - May 1, 2021.

 

(Above:  The sun room of the old funeral parlor that was about to be transformed into The Cocoon.)

The venue is a new location for ArtFields. It was a former funeral parlor.  It is now called "The House on Church Street". The buildings needs lots and lots of work.  Yet, the old mauve and puce paint, the scrappy wooden floor, the antique glass windows, and the recent neglect seem absolutely perfect for my installation.  There's an atmosphere of nostalgia, as if memories hang in the air. There's a suggestion of yesteryear and the people who once lived and worked here.  It is perfect.

 

(Above:  Steve with the rolling cart carrying the panels for The Cocoon.)

Within minutes of entering the building, Steve and I were unloading the van.  Most of The Cocoon hangs on heavy-duty drapery hangers from a rolling bridal-wear rack.

 

(Above:  The satin wedding gown and the pipe-and-drape system which functions as the substructure for The Cocoon.)

Temporarily, we hung printmaker Stephen Chapp's mother's 1948 satin wedding gown from the light fixture.  The pipe-and-drape system was deposited in the middle of the floor.

 

(Above:  The sun room before starting to install The Cocoon.)

When everything was brought inside, I surveyed the room.  Originally, I requested a larger space, but I wouldn't have traded for more square footage after seeing three walls of windows!  One thing was absolutely clear: The lighting was going to be amazing! 

 

(Above:  Me installing panels on the pipe-and-drape system.)

With the heavy-duty bases in place, the uprights were installed.  The panels slipped over the cross-beams, one by one until the sun room was totally transformed.  The walk through The Cocoon meanders nicely.  The images below were taken while I walked through myself.

 

(Above:  The entrance/exit to The Cocoon.)

For the photos below, I entered on the right side.

 

(Above:  Entering The Cocoon.)

I also walked through while taking a video.  It is HERE on You Tube.

 

(Above:  The far right corner of the room.)

I absolutely love this view.  The lighting is tremendous.  I put two folding chairs in this area.

 

(Above:  Two of four, old folding chairs upholstered with sections of an old quilt.)

Recently, I purchased four, old folding chairs while at Bill Mishoe's auction. I upholstered them with parts of an old quilt.  The fact of the matter is that most of The Cocoon came from Bill Mishoe's auction.  Some of the pieces, however, were donated to my stash by friends.  Some people sent antique and vintage garments and linens from their families.  Even Steve's Aunt Virginia sent a few things before she died.  I do hope that a few people will sit in the provided chairs ... just to think about the people they knew and loved, people who stitched, people who brought handmade beauty into their homes.

 

(Above:  The heavy satin wedding gown donated to my stash by printmaker Steven Chapp.)

I have another installation coming up soon.  It is called The Big Day.  It will be at the Pickens County Museum of Art and History from May 11 - July 23, 2021.  People from all over the country have donated their old wedding gowns to this exhibit ... but to be perfectly honest, it is this gown I love the best (even more than the one I wore which will also be in the show!)

 

(Above:  View from the wedding gown to the further corner.)

I used several galvanized electrical conduits to alter the shape of The Cocoon.  This is how the path meanders.  I also did this because I knew I had more than enough panels to create nooks.  By the time I filled the space, I still had six panels leftover.  They might get to hang ... next time!  Fingers and toes are crossed that The Cocoon will have more opportunities in front of the public.

 

(Above:  The back center area of The Cocoon.)

I really tried to use the panels on which vintage garments were stitched.  With this wonderful lighting, they brought a human touch to the installation.

 

(Above:  The far left corner of The Cocoon.)

In this corner, I allowed slight gap.  One really can't see out but more light does enter the space.  There's also a broken window behind the panel on the right.  It's just a small pane but it allows a breeze into the installation.  Some of the fabric oscillates ... sort of like laundry on a clothesline.  Speaking of a "clothesline", I will not only be installing The Big Day at the Pickens County Museum of Art an History in May, I will be back at the Rensing Center to install The Clothesline!  I started this installation while at the Enos Park Art Residency with the Springfield Arts Association in Illinois ... last January ... just before the pandemic hit.  Parts have been hung as more and more items were made, but I haven't had a time or place to put the whole installation together, especially in an outdoor pasture area!  I'm excited!  (To see one of the days during which part of The Clothesline was hanging, CLICK HERE.)

 

(Above:  The last area of The Cocoon, right beside the way back out.)

In the near, left corner (right beside the way back out of The Cocoon) is a low, marble top table and another folding chair. This is where I'm put several things.

 

(Above:  Items on the marble top table.)

They include my business cards and a three-ring binder. The binder includes all the blog posts written while The Cocoon was under construction.  Those posts are easy to find.  Scroll down on this blog's right-hand side-bar.  There is a list of months since 2006.  Scroll down to find June 2018.  The first post is HERE ... and it really does start to explain how The Cocoon came into being.  The three-ring binder also includes pages on which visitors might leave a comment, tell a fiber story, or share a memory.

 

(Above:  An authentic English pub tray collaged with children's dress patterns and filled with thread, scissors, needles on a magnetic base, and lots of buttons.  The patterns were donate by my friend Anne Fowler Wade.)

One of the most important reasons for creating The Cocoon was the hope that it would provide a soft, safe haven for storytelling.  I could imagine mothers telling daughters about grandmother's who crocheted doilies and fathers telling sons about the quilts under which they slept when visiting grandpas.  I wanted a place in which stitching could happen, even if it only meant someone showing how to attach a button.  To this end, there are buttons, thread, and needles.

 

(Above: The view to the way out from The Cocoon.)

Below are two more pictures ... the last one was taken at the exit, looking back inside The Cocoon.  I am happy that this installation was possible due to funding in part by the SC Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC.  There are several acknowledgement with the SC Arts Commission logo printed on fabric and stitched to the bottom of several panels.