Recent Shows from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019

Recent Shows from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019

May 1, 2019 | Sales

Recent Shows from Fall 2018 to Spring 2019

I am lax blogger when it comes to writing about my trunk shows. But the shows inform me about how my work is doing, with people I don’t know and favorite clients.

The Style ’19 show at the Museum of Craft and Design in November went really well both days, though I only sold work on Saturday. It was a larger audience as it was in the city and in an up-and-coming hipster neighborhood. I enjoyed meeting the younger artists attending and being with my peers. It’s a question as to whether doing a 2 day show, versus one day, is the ticket. But the venue definitely had some draw.

The bulk of what I brought to sell was Fall-oriented: wool jackets and vests plus some indigo pieces, appliqué and stitching on the wools, collaging with the indigos.

Then, in December, I hosted 2 days of Winter show at my studio, featuring a different jeweler each day. Saturday, Ria Van Ornum showed her tribal abalone, ancient bead creations, and Sunday, Francesca Kennedy, with her mad, wonderful metalwork.

I also invited my friend, Suki Diamond and her daughter, Heather. Suki is a whimsical ceramist who paints known and made up animals on her dishware. Heather crochets and knits her Boneyard Beanies and dyes beautiful yarns. And, as ever in winter, my friend Betsy showed her hand-woven scarves and kitchen towels. The Winter/Christmas show is more of a family affair. The affair a was well-attended festive occasion- so fun!

I continued to make more pieces between shows, all the while hosting two Thanksgivings!

I was asked, in the fall, if I might do a trunk show hosted by the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery, my long time store, with my 2 other favorite clothing artists Carol Lee Shanks and Ellen Hauptli. Oh yes! How lovely.

So end of March we gathered in the Grand Hyatt, more like Tall Hyatt, on the 31st floor. Amazing view! Wonderful women! I worked hard to create a “collection”. Of course, I brought indigos, in new vest shapes and a couple of dresses.

I also had a vision of a new painting style. I wanted to try. I wanted some color. I don’t paint much these days and I was craving the act of applying color to fabric. I mixed happy colors: rich Mexican pink, coral, amber and some turquoise. I painted in a free brushy manner. On top I brushed swirling lines of black, using DynaFlow. Then, I used my Indian blocks to print and add another layer of beauty. I was curious and satisfied at the same time, as to whether I liked the results. I did. I used odd ends of yardage I had laying around, a canvas, some linen, and muslin of all things. The dye was happy on them all…

Style 2016 in Palo Alto/ Mountain View

Style 2016 in Palo Alto/ Mountain View

Apr 18, 2016 | Creativity, Designers, Sales, Uncategorized

Style 2016 in Palo Alto/ Mountain View

This year’s Style show went smoothly in spite of the rain. And we were happy about that. Attendance was high, I loved my neighbors. On one side was Slice lab, a couple of guys using a 3-d printer to create jewelry. Fun pieces, some necklaces looking like they were made of tiny bleached bones. And very reasonable prices. I bought one that is ivory colored looking like many rubber bands strung together. Can I just say it’s hard not to buy something from your neighbor?!

On the other side was Old House—Sandra Althouse, making ponchos and dresses from old cashmere sweaters and remnants of knits or velvet. She went on a Paris tour with Marcy Tilton and so we had to send Marcy a picture of us together. I ended up with a graphic black and white dress of unknown fiber content and a wonderful poncho gradating from dark blues to light robins egg blues. She got a terra-cotta scarf! A shout out to her son, Xander, who helped me schlepp my fabulous and very heavy mirror. I couldn’t have done it without him!

The clothes I worked so hard to make were appreciated and purchased by happy women. I am gratified when I have been at my creative edge to have the confirmation that the work is good, will be worn and give pleasure to the wearer and the observer.

And I will say again how wonderful it is to be among my peers, to be energized by what they are making and they by what I am doing. I need, and I think all of us who work in isolation, need a fertile ground to exchange ideas and gossip and love each other up. And eat fine Korean food!! We do need the audience and hopefully we will continue to have one. Thanks to Diane Master for providing the venue!

Why the last Acqua?

Why the last Acqua?

Dec 21, 2015 | Sales

Why the last Acqua?

The Sewing Workshop of San Francisco stopped offering their annual holiday shows in the 90s. To fill the need for selling samples and one offs, Catherine Bacon, Susan Green, Ann McKenna and Lea Ditson organized the original Acqua shows. As an offshoot, Braeda Horan got the idea to start her own group with some of the other designers from the Pacific Designer Collection, which included our core group: Susan Kirschner, Pam Barry, Mala Freedman and myself.

When Braeda moved away from her own production, Susan Kirschner and I took over the job of managing and organizing it. The graphics for the invites were originally provided by Susan’s husband, Steve Kirschner. Then, after many years he relinquished his post and I enlisted my brother, Marcus Badgley, to be head graphic designer.

Due to a number of complications regarding fabric availability, cost of studio space, etc. Susan has decided she wanted more time for her family, grandchildren and travel. And so now she is retiring. It was been a good run. We got along so well. She’s a resilient, good natured and talented designer.

 

Therefore, that left me to organize.

Organizing isn’t especially hard. But I like the idea of going forward without having to be in charge. It was always a challenge to find designers and getting them to commit. Then, there were the issues of collecting the graphics for the cards. Then, there were the issues of spelling everyone’s name correctly! And the list goes on…

I will still have shows at my studio. I like to invite one or two other artisans to mix it up. And luckily Diane Master has revived the Palo Alto STYLE shows, providing a vital and different audience than Marin. Plus- I’ll do any other shows I am offered and excited by!

Springtime at the Acqua…

May 24, 2015 | Designers, Sales

It was a muted day. In keeping with the mystery that is a show. Who will show up? What will sell?

 

We had two new designers: Francesca Lewis Kennedy and Jan Badgley.

 

Francesca, a jeweler, plays with her metal and has fun. You can tell. There is a whimsical yet talismanic quality to her work. And it is easy to wear.

 

jan@acqua56Jan has her own take on shrunken (boiled) wool and Japanese fashion that is well thought out and architectural, with fun touches.

 

I had been working for a couple of weeks heading up to the show. (Minus 4 days to go to Mendocino)! I made two beautiful Cecille tops out of some yellow scrap dupioni that were re-painted twice. The colors glowed and I added very few embellishments. I wanted the background to shine on its own. The screens I used on one were the Klimpt apple and it’s partner, in gold. A tip of the hat to the master.

 

Ning in stripey cowl 52I also made a cowl using up dye I had around. Painted in the color-block style. I made it a little longer and with longer sleeves. It was so beautiful. It’s nice to fall in love with your own work. It makes me excited. That one sold to Ning Mercer, an artist as well.

 

Another piece I did was out of some dove grey tight linen I got from Susan Kirschner. (Nice to have friends with leftover fabric)! I painted it out of the same dye pots as the cowl. But because it started out grey, the colors were muted and subtle. The style was a combo of the CP top and the EF top. A slighty boaty/scoopy neck, a-line and pockets (!) with pleats. Really nice as a jacket or a bop around top.

 

Sales were pretty even throughout the day. What I love is when the good stuff goes. Not that it isn’t all good, but some is fresher and more sparkling. I didn’t sell any Cecilles. It was a grey day and they are a burst of summer weight color. They have been shipped off to Santa Fe Weaving Gallery and will be just right for the heat of New Mexico!