Flights of Art

Breaking the Silence

2009-02-13T10:49:00.003-05:00

This blog has been idle, but I haven't! I'm finally getting past the writer's block that had me stopped in my tracks.

I've been busy chairing a gallery committee in the Stutz Business Center in Indianapolis where I have my studio. It is an old car factory that is home to 70-80 artists and many businesses.

Not only that, but I have been not only printing and working with fiber, but I'm doing WATERCOLOR!!! Who knew? Never thought I'd see the day.

The piece above is 6"x8" and is in the show 'Heart" at the StutzArtSpace Gallery.

I've also finished two print editions for 2 different print exchanges. More on that later.

2008-11-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

January Retreat

2008-01-17T13:40:00.001-05:00

Well, I started my January retreat a few weeks late. My goal, as it is every January, is to watch Paw Paw Lake freeze-anything else is gravy. I am LOVING the solitude, bird watching, journaling, and generally chilling out.

This is the second year here in Watervliet, MI and I have added friends and a cooperative art gallery-Chartreuse Coop in St. Joseph, MI to my experience. On tuesday, two of my new art friends came over to play with gelatin plate printmaking. I was having way too much fun to take pictures, then suddenly everyone was gone. So here are the after pictures. Until my 'studio' across the street is insulated enough to heat in the winter, I 'm using the little cottage next to the house to do my messy work in. It is also inhabited by my adoptive cat, Chloe, who helped us with our projects by demanding attention regularly, and swiping glasses when she couldn't get our attention.

Well, I'm not sure how to reorganize my photos, but here they are. The gelatin plate prints that I did were on paper and interfacing-the later are the ones in the picture.

New work-prints on fabric

2008-01-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

My first upload with my new Mac- I wasn't sure I would be able to do it.

These are some of the works that I created for my solo show in August at the Indianapolis Art Center, 2007. I am printing collagraphs on fabric, then quilting and embellishing them. The printing plates were made with pizza cardboard rounds and acrylic medium and various textures. My family ate lots of pizza until I realized I could buy the cardboard in the cake decorating section of craft store.

Tree clip art for Liz N.

2007-02-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

Here is some of the clip art that shows bare trees from the top. These are scanned out of the book, "Entourage: a tracing files for Architecture and Interior Design Drawing" There is permission in the front of the book to copy, trace or transfer however you choose to use the images. They sure make some neat patterns.

January Retreat in Michigan

2007-01-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

I've been hanging out in Michigan for the month of January. I've been looking forward to this month-long retreat forever, it seems. In August, we bought a home overlooking Paw Paw Lake in SW Michigan. The town of Watervliet is a short drive from Benton Harbor and Lake Michigan. My only stated goal, this month, was to watch the lake freeze. Don't know if it will, but I'm having a great time watching the birds and the lake. Here is a picture from earlier this month. It's the view out of my window, where we have a living room/dining room/studio(don't let my DH see that last description!)

Today brings snow flurries and a large area of white ?slush on the lake. I've been mostly indulging myself, sleeping and eating and working whenever I choose. Also exploring and taking pictures. I've been journaling and looking for a calm center to begin working from. Just today, the inspiration seems to finally coming.

I was interested to see on the quiltart list June Underwood's description of a long series of work with the focus of a particular landscape. I also watched a PBS documentary on Cezanne and how he focused on the landscape of Provance. Enviously, I searched my mind for a focus that I could use to work on-and realized that I already have a focus, it's just not the same. I have been working with circles and shrines since the tsunami two years ago, and realize that these are really my focus. I can build on my own personal imagery rather than feeling like I need to choose something concrete like landscape. Perhaps it is more difficult to measure success of work when it does not have a concrete beginning, or a recognizable framework. But I'm feeling really buzzed now that I have settled on this realization. So it's off on a long series for me. I'm already feeling like I need to get back to Indy and my printing press and do some serious printing on fabric-to create the fiber pieces that are beginning to dance in my head. This is good!

Time Flies If You're Having Fun- OR NOT

2006-11-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, I can't believe how long it has been since I posted on this blog. It has been a long and deep artistic slump, and now I'm surfacing in time for the chaos of the holiday season. It seems that I run around in a manic, inspired way, and then fall silent into the inner workings of the pscyhe. I would think that spring would be the season of renewal, but for me it seems to be fall. I love to see the bare trees and wonderful grasses that I consider the 'bones' of the world.

I also have yet another (but wonderful) complication of a year round lake house in southwestern Michigan. I plan to stay up there for the month of January and my goal is to watch Paw Paw Lake freeze! It has been chaotic to try and work between home, lake home, home studio, and Indianapolis Art Center studio. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it.

I also curate shows in the building where I have studio space- Next week I will be hanging a show by the members of Fiber Revolution. I will post more information in a day or two, and hopefully some installation pictures. Right now the art quilts are starting to be delivered to the Art Center's main desk, so I have some packages to pick up.

Do look at the Gallery North on the Square website for some new pictures of newer work. And I will post some pictures soon! For now, I've broken the silence and I'm waiting for the flood.

Virginia Spiegel's Fiberart for a Cause

2006-05-08T22:06:00.000-04:00

I am honored and excited that my silk scarf is part of the Fiberart For A Cause Invitational Reverse Auction this year. Only nine artists are invited to participate each year and 100% of the money raised by the Reverse Auction is donated to theAmerican Cancer Society.The online Reverse Auction opens with a MUST BUY NOW option on Monday, May15 with the regular reverse Auction opening on Tuesday, May 16. All thedetails are here:http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/NewFiles/ARevAuction2006.htmlFiberart For A Cause has already raised $50,000 for the American CancerSociety and I have donated my artwork to this Reverse Auction in memory ofmy Father, Wm. Kyle Upton, to show my support for the AmericanCancer Society. More of my artwork can be seen on my website and blog- www.carollmyers.com and www.artflights.blogspot.com
Thank you.Carol L. Myers

And now for the hard part!

2006-04-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

I'm getting excited about my new web site, but now I have to get myself together to write my part. Oooh, that's hard. And I will have to get organized and get my photos taken and ready. The design of the page is glorious! I had wanted a site that glows from within, and Gloria Hansen has done it again!

I am going through a very spiritual time with my work, it seems to be coming up from my very soul. But I find it a little embarassing to speak of it. If this website is to reflect who I am as an artist, then I have to find the words to put it out there into the universe. Risky and exhillarating all at the same time. I guess I need to trust the same source spirit that my work is flowing from and through.

Meanwhile, at the Indianapolis Art Center, the enthusiasm for the fiber dept. is growing. There will be great workshops this summer, which I will post here soon. And I am also setting up a blog for the art center's fiber faculty and class information. When I figure out what to call it, I will put the link here on the blog.

For now, however, I have to clean up my home studio, then go do the same thing in my IAC studio.The clutter is becoming overwhelming.

Sunday, still printing!!!

2006-03-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am on Sunday morning of my working weekend-I am still printing the pages for my little tea menus. I LOVE my Epson printer. And I have found that the Avery full page labels are my best friends!! I wasn't looking forward to wrestling with freezer paper, so I was prepared to buy as many labels as I needed. It turns out you can keep reusing the labels, and it is SO much easier to stick them to the fabric than to iron and cut freezer paper. I think I'm in love. And they are the right size and feed through the printer like a dream. One more page to print, and I've already gotten some of them started. So next comes the assembly.

I'm in my home sewing studio (as opposed to my print and paint and messy studio at the Indianapolis Art Center) with skylights and windows to let the wonderful sunshine in!

And my own special joy-it is the beginning of nesting season, so I can watch the perigrene falcons downtown and the screech owls out in Texas as they raise there feathered families. I'm sure, at some point, that there is a bird series in me. But first, tea menus.

Tea Menus

2006-03-17T13:54:00.001-05:00

A working weekend

2006-03-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

Can't believe, as usual, that I've been this long between posts. I have been working!! I am working on two projects for the new Conrad Hilton that opens next week in downtown Indianapolis. At the end of today, I will have glued ultrasuede corners on the rest of the wooden menu holders that another artist created. Luckily, I only am respsonsible for 1 corner per board, to finish up.

Then this weekend, I'll be making 36 fabric menus for their Tea menu. I think they are way cool, my design.

AND I've been working on haveing Gloria Hanson create a new website for me. The holding page is at www.carollmyers.com . I am VERY excited about that.

Looks like I don't have a button to upload pics-I'll do that later.

Also, more on the show in Bloomington, Indiana at Gallery North.

Postcards scanned

2006-02-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

Here are two of the poscards that I did on canvas with water soluable oil pastels. They've been quilted and have a cardstock back. I'm not sure that the colors are as true as I would like-getting used to my new Epson cx4800. I love the way the canvas is stable for quilting, and the pastels don't bother the quilting process at all.

A New Website is Coming

2006-02-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

I am SO excited. After waiting for my DS to make time for a rewrite of my site (he has written lots for me!!) I've decided to have Gloria Hanson and GloDerworks do it for me. I have been looking at all of the sites that she has designed-they seem infused with light, glowing and appealing to visit. So now, I just have to get everything written and together. I keep thinking that my next work will be more wonderful and worthy of the website, so at some point I'm just going to have to stop and photograph what I have, get it arranged and making sense. Scarey!

I've been quilting on the little canvas drawings that I made with water soluable oil pastels. I'm liking the canvas alot! (Thank you, Elizabeth Busch!!) When I have them all done, I will post them. Oh, I realize I might be able to scan them instead of photographing them. Whoohooo maybe I'll get that done today.

Meanwhile, back to work-tea menus for the new Conrad Hilton here in town. Need a prototype.

Printing with the morning show

2006-01-22T20:54:00.000-05:00

I spent this afternoon (sunday) in my studio, making a gelatin plate to use tomorrow on Fox 59's morning show. I'm on with several other artists representing the Indianapolis Art Center. I'll be doing fabric printing with the gelatin plate on a silk scarf. I think our segement is all of 3 minutes, so I have no idea how much will get done. It is live-gulp-but it'll be fun, I think.

I'm also getting excited about my new-ish position as head of the Fiber Dept at the Indianapolis Art Center (IAC www.indplsartcenter.org ) I hope we can get a core of excited fiber folks to teach and take our classes! I'm hoping to start a blog about the IAC, but first I have a few (million)other projects to get started or finished.

Whew, survived Christmas

2005-12-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in the middle of my sewing studio, amazed at the chaos. I finished the 50th anniversary quilt, and it was a huge hit with my mother in law. I never got pictures, she bundled it up and put it in her pile of goodies, so as not to forget it. My daughter got some pictures, hopefully she will email me one. Okay, 9 1/2 years is a little long to have procrastinated! But my Pfaff Grand Quilter made the whole thing pretty easy, although I'm still on a learning curve. I don't know if it will give me enough space to do my larger art quilts, but it made this queen sized quilt much easier to deal with. It takes lots less time to load up the frame then it does to baste with safety pins.

I have the urge to PITCH PITCH PITCH all of this STUFF! I'm trying to decide if I will regret ditching lots of things. Maybe I could drag it all over to the Indianapolis Art Center to use with classes. That way I could have it fairly close. Or not. Sigh.

I've joined the email list 'Everyday Matters' to encourage me to draw more. I'm not actually sure it is a good thing, as I spend way too much time on the computer as it is. And there are lots of messages, maybe as many as on Quiltart. Well, I can always skim and take what works.

Well, back to organizing and maybe pitching. Ribbon and yarn anyone?

Writing my bio

2005-12-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

I am trying to write a bio for the SAQA newsletter. It's much harder than doing the work! I have already put it off for way too long. At least I've figured out which photo of me and my work will be okay. Now to just knuckle down and do it!!

I'm liking my Pfaff Grand Quilter, I'm about a third of the way to finishing the 50th anniversary quilt for my husband's parents. It will be done for Christmas, never mind that this year is their 60th. The quilting won't win me any awards, but they will be so excited to sleep under the memories, that it will be fine. When I get it off the frame, I will include a photo.

Speaking of anniversaries, friday will be my 33rd . Time does fly!!

My printing day with Maria was a blast, although we talked more than printed. I'm hoping a great show will come out of this. Look for details.

Printing day

2005-12-12T08:05:00.000-05:00

Today is an exciting day in the studio-Maria Elkins is coming for a visit from Dayton, OH to talk printmaking. I have some ideas and hope to share lots of info and inspiration. It also helps that I've been out of the studio for several days, so I'm excited to get back to work.

On a fiber note, I have a new Pfaff Grand Quilter and frame squeezed into my sewing studio. I've quilted one lap quilt on it so far. I'm getting ready to finish a 50th wedding anniversary quilt for my inlaws-in time for their 60th. Well, better late than never has always been my motto.

New toys

2005-11-14T23:33:00.000-05:00

I found a tin of water soluable oil pastels, and have been making little drawings on canvas. I plan to stitch into the drawings, and make 4 x 6 postcards or maybe just framed pieces. I think by using canvas, I won't have to use stabilizer to stitch. I love the way they work on the unprimed canvas. I'll upload photos as I finish them. I may have to look for more colors!

Monoprints

2005-11-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

Here is an afternoon's worth of monoprinting. Now I have to figure out how to use all of this raw material. I'm using acrylics with Golden Glazing medium, and I'm really liking the way they work. I like the amount of open time that the glazing medium gives me. I used plexi and floor tiles(ceramic) for my plate, and a brayer to print the inage to fabric.

Made my day!!

2005-10-23T19:35:00.000-05:00

My cell phone rang while I was in the car with DH (retrieving the boat trailer for the dreaded end of sailing season) and it was my good friend Carol G. I hadn't talked to her in a blue moon. She was calling me from the Houston Quilt Market to say she was standing in front of my Best of SAQA quilt-and she had goosebumps, it was so good. Well......talk about making my day! Makes me wish I could go to Quilt Festival. Maybe another year.
I also got word that one of my quilts was accepted to Form Not Function in New Albany, IN. My, my, life is good!

Back from the north woods

2005-10-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful weekend!! I attended the Fabrications retreat in N. Michigan and took a class from Laura Cater-Woods. It was an incredibly exciting and validating time. The piece that I started doesn't look like much, but it was a revelation as to ways that I might look at my prints and begin to incorporate them into larger works. I was also excited to see 3-D work of other classmates-I have been seriously thinking of vessels and other off-the-wall ideas. Now I'm just too charged up for words! So it's off to the studio, and hopefully tonight I will upload some photos-new and old-that are lurking in my camera.

Back in the Studio Again

2005-10-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

Finally, I've gotten back to work. At least a little. I started monoprinting yesterday, and now have a whole design wall to contemplate. It feels really good to be productive after a fallow period. Next, to work on some UFO's and get ready for two shows!

Hopefully, photos tomorrow.

In Progress

2005-09-19T10:51:00.000-05:00

In my defense, I am working on a few things. Here are two pieces on my design wall at my IAC studio. I have been rusting fabric as well, so hopefully I'll find the photos of that. I'm sure I took these pictures, just not sure where they are.

Wow Maggie!

2005-09-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

I have just been to Maggie Hunt's blog, scquiltadditct, and I am amazed at the outpouring of work that she has done!!! Lots of quick quilts for Katrina victims, wonderful crazy quilt amulet bags-wow! I am inspired. My response to the whole issue has been to go to bed. Don't know if I'm down in the dumps, or if this is just the usual rythmn of my work. I was going great guns, getting shows up and new work done and now BANG I'm stalled. Seems no matter what I try to do, I can't get started. Guess I need the nike 'just do it' mentality.

I also like Maggie's quality control team-I have one of those, but they have to be banned from the sewing studio because the new cat, Jeffrey, likes to chew on wires. To date he has murdered the cable connection, two irons and two printer cables. He started nibbling on my sewing machine wires-out he goes. So that means the whole crew has to stay out.At least that means that I don't have to race Penney(the cat) for my chair when I'm sewing.

So now, hopefully, I can use this great inspiration to get a move on. Thanks Maggie!

Prying my eyes away from the TV

2005-09-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

Like so many others, I have been watching the TV news in horror and sadness. I cannot even comprehend what these folks must be experiencing. Some seem able to get to the studio and work, but I feel completely stalled out and unable to really care about creative issues. I spent some time cleaning up and organizing, hopefully that will open the door to more creative endeavors.

Meanwhile, I am the featured artist this month at the cooperative gallery in Muncie, IN called Art Works. The work that I finished for the Waldron show in Bloomington went up to Muncie, so I still haven't really had time to photograph the new work, or even live with it.

Labor Day weekend was a fun time, with my oldest daughter here visiting. She is our newest doctor in the house, so we are very proud of her. Hopefully the zoo of people and animals didn't scare away her friend John who came to meet us all.

Some folks have been asking questions about rusting, so I plan to post some photos and instructions tomorrow for my way of doing it. I also have the start of a new print edition for my exchange with the Baren Forum. I'll be doing a reduction woodcut, so I'll be posting pictures of the stages of that print, and my registration setup.

That's if I can get myself moving and away from the news!

Web site, oh my

2005-08-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

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I spent the afternoon while working at the coop gallery, Art IN Hand, working on the gallery's web site. Little by little I'm getting the hang of it, but it sure is alot of fiddling. Now I need to continue working on my website as well.

I'm listening with half an ear to the Quiltart list, interesting discussion about jurys and curators and shows. I do so like the comment that you just need to do the work. I have been lucky this summer to have worked pretty consistantly, although I'm in let down mode after the show was up and opened.

I can't seem to get around to putting work on my website because I feel the next piece will be better, and then the next and the next. It's too hard to stop and fiddle and photograph when I should just be doing the work. I'd love to know how others do it all!

So now, lets see if I can get some pictures from my show in Bloomington up on this blog!

The show is Up in Bloomington,IN

2005-08-10T00:41:00.000-05:00

I'm relieved and happy to have gotten the three person show at the John Waldron Art Center in Bloomington, IN up and opened. The crowd was modest for a hot summer evening, but lots of good comments from viewers. The details for the Art Center are on their website, www.artlives.org . I'll get another look at it this week when I drive to Bloomington for my shift at the coop gallery, Gallery North on the Square. Maybe get some pictures. It was a pretty intense working time this summer, now I just need to keep my momentum going. As it is, there were at least 3 large pieces that didn't get finished-no, make that5. So I still have lots of work to keep me going, plus a need and interest to do some printmaking on paper as well as fabric.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to learn html and work on the Art IN Hand Gallery website that my son Brian started me out on. My, you can fiddle for hours, and that's just updates. Hopefully I'll learn enough to make it faster.

The photo above is titled "Ancient Site" and was accepted into "The Best of SAQA" to be exhibited in Houston this year.

2005-07-29T22:48:00.000-05:00

Flights of Art My goodness, I can't believe my last posting date was in June!! I've been working very hard towards a show in Bloomington, IN at the John Waldron Art Center. It is very satisfying to see a body of work come to fruition. If you want to see the info, go to www.artlives.org HOWEVER, I have learned NOT to ask for the obvious. I asked my husband and family to tune down the drama. HA! Two cars bought, one sold, son to doctor,family camping to 'get out of my hair', a long time family fur child over the rainbow bridge, and it goes on and on. Hope I survive this show!! I've even been working on my website, just haven't had the time to upload the changes. Oh, and I got a piece accepted in 'Best of SAQA'. I'll try to find it and upload it. Meanwhile, I'm done for the day and enjoying looking over the fruits of my labor!

2005-06-28T23:09:00.000-05:00

Wow, this is the first time I've uploaded an image without Hello or Picassa. And it was easy, if not a little slow.

This is an example of some of my mixed printing and fabric. The image is a woodcut print that I printed on several pieces of fabric, after I had printed the edition on paper. I'm thinking that I've used the block for printing maybe as much as I would like. I may now go back and use encaustics with the woodcut as the starting point. If it works, it might be a way to use those old blocks that I can't just throw away.

I'm trying to finish a body of work for a show in August, so I'm really humming in the studio. I need to find time to work on my website and continue to post here. I must say that I like the ease of this new photo posting.

Latest Show at the Cultural Complex

2005-06-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

I'm just finishing hanging the show, Art Quilts from Indiana and Ohio-a show of work by members of the Studio Art Quilt Associates that reside in my region. That would be Indiana and Ohio, obviously. It looks great, if I do say so myself. Meanwhile, at the 'big house'(that would be the Indianapolis Art Center, www.indplsartcenter.org) they are also scurrying to get ready for tonight's opening.
Don't know if anyone will come, but at least I can admire my
work and the lovely work of others. Photos to follow.

Quilt National....and blog comments

2005-06-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was a wonderful time in Athens, Ohio. I was at the opening of Quilt National and also attended(and was on the planning committee)the Studio Art Quilt Associates conference, The Business of Fiber Art. It was my first time for both events, and I am still on a high. I met so many people whose names I have seen on the internet. And seeing all of the fiber art and hearing all of the speakers-well, I'm on overload. Today is my work day at the co-op gallery in Bloomington, IN. It is a quiet day, so I will be looking over the QN book and reliving all of the work I saw in person.

I so appreciate all of the comments that are showing up on my blog. I have tried to reply to a couple of them by email-it doesn't seem to work. So I guess I'm supposed to make a comment myself, which I plan on doing. Meanwhile, keep those comments comming!

Gallery North in Bloomington

2005-05-25T00:10:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the images that I have created with rust on fabric, and then graphite. I tried to post these when the show opened, but never could figure it out. It's scary, I think I'm getting better at this web stuff.

2005-05-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

here is #2

2005-05-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

two more finished pieces from my workshop

2005-05-24T20:52:00.000-05:00

Garden Close-up This piece was started in my workshop with Elizabeth Busch. I quilted it with varigated thread and warm and natural batting, and floated it in an oak shadow box frame.

Branches Magazine

2005-05-23T23:51:00.000-05:00

well, didn't get the link posted, so here it is: www.branches.com This is the magazine that has my print on the cover. The print will be on their website for the two months that it is on the cover. Woohoo!

So long between posts??

2005-05-23T23:39:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that it has been so long between posts. When I last talked about hitting the ground running, I wasn't kidding. I have been going full tilt since returning from my wonderful workshop with Elizabeth Busch at the Coupeville Art Center on Whidbey Island, WA.

I've curated at show at the Cultural Complex of the Indianapolis Art Center, called "Cloth and Clay" which I hope to post pictures of here before it comes down next week.

Also, I've finished 8 new pieces, make that 9, 4 for the Black and White Show at the Art IN Hand Gallery, and 5 for the Cloth and Clay show. All five pieces started in Elizabeth's class-I just had to finish them instead of going back to the other pieces that I had in progress. now I have to go back and finish the other works in progress.

This week is also the Studio Art Quilt Assoc. mini conference. I'm on the planning committee plus I am doing a digital photo shoot. So I'm just a little anxious, as well as excited to meet other SAQA members and talk art quilts!!

Oh, and I didn't mention this weekend-the Broad Ripple Art Fair, which is a big deal here at the Indianapolis Art Center where I have my studio in the Cultural Complex.

I'm making myself tired just with the list!

One of the other delightful events-if you follow the link to Branches Magazine website, you will see my woodcut print on the cover. Wow!

Well, I need to get back to conference preparations. Will post some pics soon.

Hitting the Ground Running

2005-05-04T07:24:00.000-05:00

I had a GREAT workshop at the Coupeville Art Center with Elizabeth Busch! I'll have much more to say about that in a day or two, when I finish a few other pressing matters. I flew the red-eye back on friday night, slept much of Saturday, and then hit the ground running. I'm trying to finish a few pieces for a show that I'm curating and hanging (Today, eeeek). Then this evening I have a demo for the National Assoc. of Museum Directors. I just haven't had a chance to sit down and process the whole week of workshop and travel. So I'll be back folks, when I work my way through a pile of 'must dos'.

Digital experiments

2005-04-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

Flights of Art
Thanks to the help of my older son, I am slowly getting my web site up. Working on this blog has helped get past some of the fear of the medium. Now I'm hoping to be able to administer the site myself. Although it seems like this spot might be the easiest for impromptu recording of work in progress.

Flights of Art

2005-04-11T18:47:00.000-05:00

Flights of Art
Parts of my web page are up now, thanks to the help of my son Brian-you can see the link to his page on the link bar. It's not done, but feel free to click around and see what you think. I keep clicking on the link to my page, I can't believe I'm finally this far!!

Defining Moments

2005-04-10T12:48:00.000-05:00

Spring is finally in full swing here in Indianapolis. Perhaps the longer sunlight hours are fueling my creative thoughts. I passed up an opportunity to enjoy good company and the Fleece Fair on Saturday. At first, I questioned my sanity for staying home and knocking about in my sewing studio. And then I realized that what I really needed was a narrower focus. Yes, I love to felt and knit. But what I need to spend my major creative focus on includes the things I love and do best-artquilting, drawing, printmaking. And while the other forms of fiber art (and craft) are seductive, I owe it to myself to explore my unique talents. And so I didn't buy any more fleece or yarn, but hopefully got back on my own path.

Part of that path, it turns out, will be an impromtu decision to fly (I Hate to fly) to Seattle to take a class at the Coupeville Art Center on Whidby Island with Elizabeth Busch. I have long admired her work and the painterly and graphic aspects of it. I had hoped to get to take a class with her at Split Rock, but the dates conflicted with a show that I have opening in Bloomington that same week in August. So on a lark, I looked up her teaching schedule, booked the class and a flight, and here I go!! I worried about the sewing machine requirement and traveling. Well, an early birthday present later, and I am the proud owner of a new Janome Gem Platinum that is only 12 pounds and fits in my carry on suitcase. Now I just need to figure out how to fit my laptop in there, and I'm good to go.

Tomorrow, I look forward to getting into the studio at the Art Center and starting a print that needs to be done before I fly off to the West. That idea hatched this weekend also, in this period of reflection . It feels good to be excited to get into the studio!

I did decide to pass on the Quilt Festival in Chicago, knowing full well that I would spend wayyy too much money and time, as I've moved up many deadlines with this trip coming up in two weeks. Glad I can hear about it on the Quiltart list! Maybe next year.

Wearing a groove on SR37

2005-04-05T23:08:00.000-05:00

I've just gotten back from my first meeting of the Bloomington, IN cooperative gallery that I have just been accepted into as a member. I'm pretty excited, as it is a GREAT gallery and I'm always interested in new artist friends and their work. The only real drawback is the hour and a half drive from home in Indy down to Bloomington.

Well, that and the difficult parking. the URL if you are interested is www.gallery-north.org

More tomorrow-this week instead of printing just gelatin plates, I have been fish printing. Not too stinky yet, but soon.

Blog this

2005-03-31T23:00:00.000-05:00

This is a test to see if blog this button works

2005-03-31T22:08:00.000-05:00

press

2005-03-31T22:07:00.000-05:00

trying again, here is my etching press

2005-03-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

gelatin plate ready to go

2005-03-31T22:05:00.000-05:00

messy studio at the Indianapolis Art Center

Crisis of Confidence

2005-03-31T20:21:00.000-05:00

I've fallen out of my groove, lost the flow. I've been looking at websites, trying to get the courage to put my own up. And now I'm stalled, feeling less confident about my work than before, when it seemed to flow effortlessly.

All of the talk on quiltart and the various blogs about gelatin plate printing and messy studios inspired me into a frenzy of printing and messing. So I have some photos of my studio at the Indianapolis Art Center-not in pristine condition. IF I can get them posted.

I realize that I am soooo fortunate-I actually have two studios-one at home with my stash and sewing machines, and one at the Art Center for messy stuff, where I have my etching press. So at seems pretty silly to moan about confidence, when I just need to get to work. And by golly, that's what I'll do (as soon as I figure out how to get a few pictures up!

Black and white

2005-03-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'll figure this out eventually. This is the discharge piece that I'm working on the for the Black and White show at the Art IN Hand Gallery in May. The fabric that I bought at Walmart is discharging nicely to white. I free form cut the rectangles into ovals, now to decide the next step. I've been working from the inspiration of a bead that caught my eye recently. I went back to buy the bead, and it's either gone or I imagined it. Oh well, inspiration in any form is good.

2005-03-26T20:55:00.000-05:00

black and white

2005-03-26T20:48:00.000-05:00

more works in progress

2005-03-26T20:46:00.000-05:00

work in progress

Hello Picassa

2005-03-26T20:35:00.000-05:00

Sheesh, this uploading of pictures is not easy!! I'm trying to show some of the work that I have in the gallery in Bloomington, IN. I'm going to try to show some of my work in progress, don't know if I'll be able to figure it out.

Okay, so the cat picture wasn't what I had in mind! Back to the instructions.

2005-03-26T20:32:00.000-05:00

rust and graphite

2005-03-26T20:21:00.000-05:00

2005-03-26T20:15:00.000-05:00

recent work

2005-03-26T19:55:00.000-05:00

Gallery North Show:Carol L. Myers and Mary Burks

May in Black and White

2005-03-24T07:56:00.000-05:00

The cooperative gallery that I belong to has issued a challenge for the month of May, to make work with the theme of Black and White. Now I have lived in Indianapolis for 26 years, and I still am taken by surprise when the traffic gets crazy and the checkered flags start to appear in the month of May. So the challenge for me has been to stay well away from the issue of the Indy 500 and really look at the design issues of black and white. It has been a good challenge.

I've been working on some discharge pieces, and everyone knows the difficulty of finding black that discharges to white. Word was that Walmart was the place. I try not to venture to Walmart very often-growing old in the long and tedious checkout lines is not my idea of a good time. Besides, the last few attempts found them to be out of black cotton fabric. Well, I hit the jackpot this week, and am cheerfully working on my 7 yards of black that really does discharge to white. When I get to the studio today, I'll try to take a photo of my work in progress.

Spring

2005-03-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

Well, today is the second day of spring, and I awoke to a hard frost. I always approach the change of season with mixed emotions. The cat part of me longs for sun and balmy weather, with bird and bug song filling the air. But the artist part of me is not ready to part with the stark bones of winter-the architecture of nature. Soon everything will be soft and lush and green, and I am not quite ready to give up on the browns, grays and beiges of bare trees and ornamental grasses. I have been sketching and taking photos of these sights, but still have to incorporate them into my work. Will it be fiber, or prints , or both combined? Maybe this it the start of my Tactile Architecture piece!?

2005-03-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

Gallery North opening

Flights Of Art

2005-03-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

It's time to get onto the blog bandwagon. Flights of Art will be a studio journal, and hopefully a way of linking up with other artists working in the meduiums of fiber art and printmaking. Of course, I reserve the right to fly in any direction that appeals to me!