What the quote says to me is that it gives  permission to express without stopping, be true to all parts of your expression.

Then I had the urge to develop some color recipe’s for my “job” with Catherine Bacon. I am creating yardage for her collections bi-annually. It is nice to have a deadline and some structure to fit into. I especially find the color perameters stimulating…

I have a collection to do for the lovely Pat Henderson– the woman who travels and does trunk shows featuring me and many other talented designers.

I have several orders to finish off from last year. Not the least of which was a beautiful blouse for Annie Proulx, which was shipped last week in between the flu…

Lastly- why always last? Jill wants to know– are pieces I want to do for The Santa Fe Weaving Gallery. By then I will be warmed up and ready to go. Pour du vraie–as they say in French–for reals.

I signed up for Carole Beadle’s Fiber Sculpture class at College of Marin. Alex Moses, stalwart denizen of Carole’s class, revealed that attendance was low and we needed to help out. I had been needing a push to show up and really do some of my “art”. This was the perfect container for me at this time. Being there brings a very high level of critique, and awareness in “seeing” to me and all the participants. I started the class by bringing in a variety of what I do. As I haven’t been there since 2006, I wanted to get feedback and bring Carole up to speed. She was interested and had good things to say, which over the course of the term,  boiled down to scale and content. However, when I explored the small pieces I did in Lisa Kokin’s class (Part 2), she seemed to alter her thoughts.

When Carole was out of town she had substitutes. The first of three was Emily Payne. She creates families of spheres made of wire lashed together — and panels of old colored book covers. She was the perfect Carole presenter: be curious, research, and explore. Then we had Ali Naschke Messing, who follows with her thread installations the patterns that light makes. Very spiritual pieces. Lastly, was a knitter who programmed her social security numbers into the pattern!  Each substitute had such valuable feedback for us, the students. It added depth to the term I am grateful for.

Part 2.

My prolific friend Myrna Tadar announced she would be taking a workshop from textile artist Lisa Kokin  in late October.  I jumped at the chance. Lisa is someone I had first heard about in Carole’s class. She works with thread and found objects in a mix of ways and is very well regarded. At the last minute Myrna decided she would do the mentoring instead, so I packed papers and items to collage with and headed to El Sobrante.  I didn’t know what I thought was going to take place, the name of the workshop being “Threads”, but it turned out to have a strong emphasis on using SOLVY!  This is one of my primary collaging/stitching techniques, so I had a lot of experience with the medium.  The thing is — it is always a pleasure to have a whole day to explore with others around, doing work in ways that are different than you. And what I hadn’t done before was work with SOLVY in a single layer. So I learned about using the threads primarily  my usual mode being to combine scraps or paper as the main element in a composition. This way of working is more delicate and painterly, stitching colored threads in layers which results in a richer surface.  One piece was an ode to Judith Scott,  downes sydrome artist, who wrapped and wrapped to create strong volumetric  shapes.  The other is a fragmented  landscape of an horizon. Lisa is a very supportive and warm teacher and I appreciated the resources she had available and her lovely selection of threads!

Part 3.

Soundtracks. While working in my studio I am selective about the music I listen to. When I am preparing for shows or starting a new line and need my brain in one place I will not listen to anything. But I went to concert in September with my friend Helen at 142 Throckmorton in Mill Valley to hear a French singer named Marinne Aya Omac. She is a dynamic guitarist, sings in three languages and does mouth trumpet. We were in tears. The special added attraction was Joan Baez. Her son played with Marianne and so did Joan. They were so compatible. Check her out. Then, for my birthday my brother Marcus gave me a double CD of Concha Buika. She was born in Mallorca, off the coast of Spain, was taught to sing by Gypsies and is of African heritage. What’s not to love? So juicy, the two of them. They set the stage for my happy creative stretch.

Part 4.

Shows. I had scheduled two local shows for the fall. One at the Acqua Hotel with the usual designer friends plus some new ones. That was in November. And I also decided to share my studio to do another show in December with my friend Shawa Stoney, a maker of jewelry who uses kunihimo , a Japanese cording technique. Mainly I wanted to celebrate the end of the season and have one last creative spurt before the years end. There were also some long distance shows I participated in, one in Chicago for Art Unlimited and the other, an invitational show with the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery.

The piece I was the most excited about for the season was a camel based jacket. When I have taught painting with thickened dye I have always said it was preferable to paint on white goods. That way the colors are purer and cleaner. A few years ago however, I experimented with a piece of fabric I had been using for a seat cushion  that was camel colored. I stippled the fabric with the brush, I carved the dye into it with the brush handle. I used some of the wrong side on the outside. It was pure fun and had a lot of fresh-ness about it. So I ordered more camel wool and used up some leftover dye to repeat the excitement. For me using up old pots of dye or scraps of material that I have been sitting on for years, is a way to not be attached, to keep it loose. Sometimes the best pieces come from that mind place. In fact it is hard to look accidental.

I am grateful to customers, friends and all that appreciate what I do. My creative fire is fueled by you– it is for you that I do it! May we all be creative in small ways or large for the good of all. Happy New Year!!

blue Paris knocker

When I landed in Paris, we rendez-vous-ed in the Marais at the Hotel Jean d’Arc, where the others had been staying for 5 days. We were leaving the next day  taking the TGV down to the South, so we took advantage of our moment here together and started our communal eat and wandering of the quartiers. Even for so short a time in Paris, where I lived for a number of years, it is a rich visual treat. Each store window displays some element of beauty and simplicity. And, of course, the architecture is so old and elegant, small touches that draw your eye in, such as blue doors and handsome brass knockers. Quintessential and trite maybe, but never boring, always a delight. And the food, well, the best!

The next day we dragged our suitcases to the Gare Montparnasse and hopped on the TGV, a big, heavy and very fast train. In 3 1/2 hours we were in Bordeaux, where we took another train to St. Andre de Cubzac, the birth place of Jacques Cousteau. On small back roads we were transported to the magical world of Kit and her daughter Abeline in the small village of Comps.

Bordeaux vines

Bordeaux landscape

The house is really a small chateaux, surrounded by vineyards and stone compounds. Villages are clusters of these compounds, perfectly composed, nestled between rows and rows of vines. Sometimes they are punctuated by a Romanesque church from the 13th century, itself sculptural and simple. I felt a real affinity for the scale of the place. It was a much more intimate landscape then I had pictured, when I thought of “Bordeaux” and the legend it has in the wine community. My friend Zuna and I made time to draw some of these landscapes, trying  to capture the strong shapes of the stone buildings.

There was much camaraderie through the making and eating of food and the shopping for it. In Paris I wanted to shop for clothing or objects- in Comps, I wanted to buy the fabulous goat and sheep cheeses sold in the Marché. We searched for things like the ceramic plate grater from Provence or antique glasses for the Porteau de Charente. There were sights to see, among them the grotto of Pair non Pair with it’s ancient bas reliefs of Cro-Magnon-era beasts; a duck blind / ecological tour that served “aperos” (wine, liqueur, and snacks) at the end. We visited the Citadelle de Blaye, an old fortress built to keep the English out of the rich valley of Medoc. One highlight was a progressive wine tasting and meal that took place a 3 wineries, each with a different portion of our evening meal, and serenaded by a talented trio who played in among the large vats. Walking from one establishment to the next in the evening light was truly enchanting.

Another tour was to a place not far off the pilgrims camino to St. Jean de Compostela-  Saint Emillion. It is a very quaint town, but has powerful places within it: the hermitage of St. Emillion, dug into the stones, where he meditated for 7 years. Next to that is a catacomb, hosting his remains  and those of some Knights of Templars. There is a large underground church carved with high buttresses with stained glass windows looking out floor level, featuring some medieval paintings. In an adjacent church which had been used by a blacksmith, the years of soot served to protect the centuries old paintings, which have been restored and are an thrilling example of the style and symbolism of that dark time.

The sisterhood created one  last Moroccan feast and celebrated our connections by eating couscous and cooked salads, dancing in the candle lit lanterns to Moroccan music with the full moon over the roof of the Chateaux. We felt like we were back outside of Marrakech once again.

We were gathered here with an extended group of friends, including a fair amount of very talented musicians. Nights were potlucks and home concerts – or Saint’s Festivals, cacophonous affairs with brass bands,  ending with glorious fireworks. There was much walking as it was 500 steps down (and back up!) to the village square. We usually walked that twice a day, once to meet the clan at The Luigi’s cafe (there were two cousins with the same name), and then on to the beach. Or to rendez-vous for a hike or day event. Then later, for dinner or an evening adventure, such as Peppino d’Agostino and David Tannenbaum’s concert in an old ruin in Ravello.

The beauty of the land and the luxury of time created a pace that was slow and allowed for drawing and cooking. The food, of course was wonderful. I made ratatouille  a lot- the eggplant and squash were so fresh.  Mostly when eating out I would take advantage of the seafood: calamari, clams, swordfish and mussels. The shrimp were small but very intensely flavored. The best pasta I had was with a local red pumpkin and mushrooms. The pasta was heathered and chewy, so yummy!

We don’t need to talk about the gelato – everyone knows it’s the best – cocoa and lemon, or hazelnut and pistachio.

Beside the food– there was the landscape. Villages everywhere you look. Walking down the path to the square you see the Mediterranean gleaming, a church with yellow mosaic turrets in the foreground.  On the side of the cliff is a small whitewashed church perched on a rock lined with cypress trees. Above that is the ancient ruin of a fortress tower. To the right is a mountaintop village called Ponetone and further to the side is another called Scala. You can walk from one village to another along worn stone paths lined with bougainvillea. Everything was in perfect composition and called out to be drawn or photographed.

Tattoo Me-

Yes, I have wanted a tattoo – on my rear. A spiral. The ubiquitous spiral has been around for all eternity as we all know. It has been one of the main symbols I have used in my work – which I most related to. But, why exactly wasn’t ever clear.

Then one time I was taking a bubble bath and the bubbles had lost their loft and were starting to form patterns and the patterns were moving of their own accord in a spiral fashion. It dawned on me that, in fact, it wasn’t just the symbol, but the motion that was significant. And it became clear to me that, perhaps, the spiral motion could be the true guiding force of the universe. Also known as God! From bubbles to galaxies.  Just give those physicists time and they will back me up on this theory, you will see.

In the meantime- my tattoo will be a multi-colored spiral that I will draw myself.

The piece I offer for this show uses indigo to mimic the dye used in the traditional tattoos of the Berber women of the Haute Atlas in Morocco.

Edie sewing

I was recently asked if I would teach a class, which I haven’t done in a number of years. Ideas started coming to me about what I would offer my students. To share what I most love doing and what style of working excites me right now is collage. I find threads and bits of cuttings on my studio floor which have migrated together into delicate compositions by chance and are so beautiful. Those artful groupings inspired me to plan the class based on the use of cuttings and threads from my actual wastebasket, as it is brimming with enough possibilities for days of stitching.

Garden with Butterfly by Miriam

For two days I worked with Edie, Nancy and Miriam, showing them different ways of using solvy, a disolvable interfacing, that allows for open placement of cuttings and stitching in lacy or abstract fashions. What is so fascinating to all of us is how different everyone’s work is- even though we are all taking from the same scrap pile.

After washing out our solvy pieces and letting them dry, we hung them up slightly away from the wall to be able to view them with the light and shadow behind, as if they were in a gallery. That way we could really “see” them with fresh eyes.

In this spirit of appreciation, I made a modern Huipile for my Spring 2011 collection. Using some of mother-in-law’s shocking pink silks, gathered from her many travels to the Orient, I painted and overdyed small lengths, mixing them together and applìqued, silk screened and stitched on top. I modified the shape to be form fitting and trimmed the collars with a slight bias ruffle. They are so attractive and appealing to wear and look at.

Modern Huipile

In one bin I was delighted to find shocking pink silks that my mother-in-law left behind from her travels to Thailand, India and China. There is something delicious about shocking pink, but positively unwearable. Unless you are Marj, that is! I had pots and pots of leftover dye from the fall collections in shades of aqua and turquoise. So, I over-painted some of these silks, (I love the unexpected), and they became hues of periwinkle, dusty mauve and eggplant.

I am on the road now, from tentative beginnings to a rush of creative fervor. Mixing color and shape together to form something that will lift up the wearer.

When I was asked to write a book about my dye technique awhile back I was frozen in my tracks. I’m not a writer! But, I found the practice thrilling to do, hard work but extremely satisfying. When I finished the book I realized I missed the opportunity to keep writing and needed to make room to continue to have it in my life.

The other purpose of this blog is the ability to manage my website myself. I wanted the freedom to upload new images of current work, share news and inspiration from my studio, or advertise shows. With this lovely format I can do both: keep the writing going and be my own web-master.

I am looking forward to this social interaction! And I welcome comments and feedback.