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.

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.

A new loom

I'm waving at Cheri!  Thanks for your encouragement. I've been dragging my feet about adding to this blog.

In May I traveled to Florida to visit my Mom for Mother's Day and while I had a very good trip going away disrupted the flow here.

So it's time to get going again.

That brings me to my new loom!  A few months ago I bought a portable tapestry loom made out of copper pipe. This past week I finally put a narrow ( 3" ) warp on the loom and started weaving a small piece that I intend to attach to a larger piece of weaving that I have on my big Glimakra loom out in the studio.

The loom is an Archie Brennan design but it was Jesse Brennan, Archie's son,  that built the loom and shipped it to me. Archie Brennan weaves wonderful tapestries. I also hear via  Joan Griffin that he is an excellent teacher. Joan is a wonderful tapestry artist as well.  Check out her web site at http://www.joangriffintapestry.com/

Here is the url if you'd like to see the loom. From this you can navigate around the Brennan-Maffei site and see pics of their excellent tapestries.
http://brennan-maffei.com/Loom.htm