BAUHAUS

BAUHAUS! After all these years as a weaver I'm suddenly interested in the history of weaving. This is inspired by several things. First a new friend, Nan, gave me the book 'Women's Work: The first 20,000 years'. Amazingly I read it cover to cover and enjoyed it. I've also been active on Pinterest and have created a number of textile boards. In gathering images for my boards I discovered weavings that were created by Bauhaus artists and found that I felt a strong connection to their work. Specifically the 'squares'. I'll be posting more over the next few days and hopefully will be able to upload images as well.

Handwoven skinny scarf with ribbon edges.

Colorblock Scarf

The 'season' is upon me!

Hi Everyone,
Here it is again....the 'season'.

I delivered work to the Unitarian Church in Richmond, Va on Saturday. The show opens tonight and goes through Sunday.
Next up...the Fall Fiber Festival, October 1-2

in Montpelier, Va.
www.fallfiberfestival.org
I'm sharing a booth with some of my pals from the C'Ville Arts cooperative. It should be fun.
I'll post more soon.

Paths

While dressing my loom this morning I did a few things differently. Nothing big or really worth noting but doing them caused me to think about when I taught weaving.

I would tell my students that I was going to teach them my method of putting a warp on the loom. I told them that while there are many approaches to threading the loom it would be best for them to learn one way first.

I emphasized that there was no one 'right' way to dress the loom but suggested learning one way well first and then be open to adapting to suit your own needs and creativity.

So here is another way that weaving can teach. The idea of no one 'right' way cross-pollenates to spiritual searching or cooking or any aspect of life.


You start somewhere. That somewhere is usually what you learned growing up or in class. For some people that satisfies for what they need in this life. I don't want to fault those that find their life recipes and stick with them but for me I love the idea of being open ...to see the path..and the many possibilities along the way.

To Judge or Not to Judge?

Why is it so hard for me to approach my work with an attitude of non-judgement?

Julia Cameron ( The Artist's Way Every Day ) writes:
"As artists, we wish we could always work well, but we must settle for working always. The 'always' we can control. The 'well' we cannot control. For this reason, we do well to simply serve, to focus more on the process of doing our work than on the 'product' of work produced."

This is what I'm trying to do and it's hard for me. I want to judge as I go along. Yet...how can I judge the relative merit of what I make? I can't. I can only make it. I block myself from finishing pieces because I fear making a mistake and perhaps ruining a piece. But how can I know and how can I grow if I don't take risks?

Over the past couple of days I've started pushing on finishing a piece that includes weaving and collage. Progress stalled because I feared going forward. Now it is time....to just....DO....IT...and enjoy the process.

Julia is right....the process...that IS what it's all about.

Pictures coming soon!

Oh...and by the way...the piece I'm working on isn't one of the pieces pictured above.

The Artist's Way

a way...a path...start somewhere

Have you ever heard of Julia Cameron's book 'The Artist's Way'?

Over the years I've done every excercise in her book. I wrote the morning pages every morning for a long time. Hmmm...it would be a good thing for me to do again.

Cameron suggests writing three pages every morning. In case this is daunting you could take inspiration from my friend Ann who chose 3"x5" index cards for her morning pages! That got her over the daunting 'how to fill 3 8 1/2" x 11" pages. Soon she was using the full sized paper. :-)
But...it's okay to start with 'post-it' notes...why not?

This morning I opened up 'The Artist's Way Every Day' to February 1st. Camerson says in part...
"So you say you want to make art (snip) but to make it you need to start somewhere, and that is often the sticking point. We all have our fears, and they are as real as the chair you are sitting in. (snip ) Sometimes we need to sit up and ignore the cricks in our back and shoulders and just begin. That's how it is with art. We just need to begin. Begin where you are, with WHO you are. In order to go where you want creatively, you have to start somewhere. And the best place to start is precisely where you are."

So now it's February. January is past. A slow month....a quiet month.
Over the last few days I've been picking up in my studio. I even vacuumed the floor upstairs in my loom room! I finished weaving Risty's scarf! She's been so patient...thanks Risty!

So I'm off....out to the studio. You have to begin anew each day.