What I did over Thanksgiving.

PaPaw and MaMaw looking through pictures

I have taken a break from some of the projects to think about things for a while and decided to start a new adventure. For several days I have been scanning all of my grandparents pictures. It has been fun playing historian learning all about ancestors and hearing old stories. I am not sure what the final form all of this information will take once it is all gathered, for it is a much bigger project than I imagined. Here are two of my favorites so far.

MaMaw being baptised in the river

My First Easter (May explain why I insist on using birds as my subject matter)

Eye Candy

Finally here are some details of a piece I have just recently finished called "the last happy thought". The story is based around this one character who's only purpose is to create happy thoughts, being he is the only one left capable. I have finished the piece and will post a picture of it later but for now I will leave you with these.
The process: Loose wool roving, thread remnants from past projects, synthetic filling, and leftovers from my studio mate's, Jamie, spinning have all been captured between sheer polyester fabric by means of machine embroidery. I loosely plan composition before sitting down at the machine, but I change thread color often and let the fabric, loose threads and other materials dictate most of my decisions. I then go back into the piece and do a lot of hand stitching, cutting, and applique following the same mindset. After all the "nonrepresentational" work has been laid out I then add the character. At least that is how this one went.

Christmas Time @ Shop SCAD

I was over at Shop SCAD on Saturday night and ran into these beautiful wreaths. They are wrapped in the most fabulous yarn. Katie Runnels is the artist and she can be found on her blog at http://theconstantgatherer.blogspot.com/ (she also has a flicker account of past work that I found interesting as well.) I thought they were so lovely I had to share them. Go look at the large ones in person.

a trip to the fair

So for a week now I have been debating about whether to take a break and go over to the coastal empire fair. I saw a billboard advertising a petting zoo that peaked my interest, but on Saturday morning when I read this on their website I knew I had to go see some hatching chickens.
"We are Hatching Eggs. You can view eggs hatching in their incubators. Chicks will be hatching daily through Saturday and children can watch the chicks break out of their shells and learn to walk and eat. With adult supervision, children will be allowed to touch the newly hatch chicks. Visit the Fair until Saturday to see this fascinating exhibit."
I walked the entire fair (or so I thought) looking for the animals. Turns out I missed them and they were in the front. Cows and goats getting a fresh shave and brush before the judging began.

Goats in Uniform

Stripe and his kid

I wondered into the building where they were hiding the baby chickens. Although I didn't get to witness any hatchings there was clearly evidence of past hatchings and hatchings to come. I was not so patient.

The Incubator

While looking at the chicks a small girl, her mom and her grandmom came and stood by me and the chicken tank. The girl wanted to touch them (it was allowed, I touched them). The mother said something to the fact that now the child wanted to touch something but at the petting zoo she didn't want to touch anything. I said to the mother where is this petting "zoo", knowing the only animals i had seen were goats and cows and that hardly defines a zoo.

Kissing Cows

She told me it was around the corner and I decided it was time to go home. As I was driving around the fairground to get out to the main road I looked to the left and there stood a camel. I don't know how I missed it from the inside, but I have to say i was a little disappointed in my observational skills. I may need to have my eyes checked again. Anyway, It was a good time none the less and here are some fun pictures of baby chickens to prove it.

Halloween and the masked bird

My Costume, made a year or so ago and embellished this year.

Cutest little mummy dogs ever!!!

Small Works 2008

Stand Up Strait

The Duplex

Pretty Small Cage

Here are three works I entered in the Small Works Exhibition at SCAD's Red Gallery.

They measure 10 x 16" and are stretched on brick molding frames I built myself. I enjoy working with a more elaborate cage structure and can see them becoming more and more intricate. "The Duplex" also presents the opportunity to address living arrangements and architecture that either inhance those arrangements or work against them.

Spy Pigeon

I am in the library doing some research and I thought I might share a picture or two.
David and I along with our good friend Jeremy took a trip up to Bethesda for the Small Press Expo. While we were there we took in some sites, among them and by far the most interesting was the new International Spy Museum. I was completely inspired by this picture of a WWII Spy Pigeon. It not only makes me want a pigeon of my very own but it also makes me wonder what this pigeon might take pictures of on his off days.

A Few more commissions.

The Handmade Market

Months ago David and I traveled up to Raleigh NC for my first Handmade Market. It was right before Mother's Day and the crowd was almost non stop so it made it hard to shop for my own gifts, I was very happy to see a familiar face at the table next to me.

SewOno! We met at Ice in June 2007 and I was so excited to see her again. You should check out her blog at http://sewono.blogspot.com/ and her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5156498

After the show we loaded up the car and hit a few thrift stores on the way out. where I purchased what would be the basis for my first piece featuring the birds in cages. I took a picture of the fabric while i was in line at the store as a part of my embellishment class I was taking at the time.

Reincarnated

I was asked to participate in an art show sponsored by the City of Savannah put together to promote the new recycling program and center. Anne Robinson coordinated everything so well and really made it a great show. I use mostly fabric that I find at rummage sales and thrift shops in my work and she saw some of my work at Mutation and Loop Link and Tangle last year. I wish I had got more pictures of the artwork there was a lot of clever artist using resources in a way that promotes reuse.

You can read more here. http://www.ci.savannah.ga.us/cityweb/savannahgagov.nsf/47b9dd27b9097a5485257296007391cc/b5538b0deb1c952d852574360050d7d4?OpenDocument

Buswater 2008

The end of June was my second time to be a part of a West Virginia show called Buswater. Here is a look at the work I sent to them.

Yeah, they are all birds in cages.

Here is an artical from last November's Buswater. I don't think I included it in the blog from last year.

http://www.dailymail.com/Entertainment/200712060235

Here is this years Charleston Daily Mail:
http://dailymail.com/Entertainment/200806190221

Some Commissions

I remember showing a drawing a while back for a commission I did for a nursery. Well, three months later here is the finished product (the work has been sent and received long ago I am just late as usual with posting). The picture is not so good on this photo but it gives you the idea. Kat, the woman who contacted me as a result of The Handmade Market in Raleigh, wanted these specific animals. It is always fun working with guidelines like this it forces me to work with characters that I probably would not otherwise.

As a result of that one of her friends had me create this one. Speaking of working with characters I would not normally. These are both done in three panels and I was excited to use the octopus in that format.

The sketch.

The Fabric

Caged Birds

I have started a new series of Illustrations. Birds in cages. They involve free motion embroidery on a sewing machine, hand stitching, and a dash of imagination. Here are some of the smaller ones.

Shadow Box Birdie