Spring fever

We fiber artists are not immune from spring fever.  I wander into my studio, stare out the window, play around with colors for a while, wander out to the sofa, take a nap...

In my southern California garden, nature is putting on a show.  I draw a lot of inspiration from the local landscape, so it's an exciting time. 


 

When I do manage to buckle down to work, I've been felting handwoven fabric into the surface of my vessels.  As a long-time weaver and collector of other people's odds and ends along with my own, I have quite a stash to play with.  I like the results so far and will be doing more of this.


My most successful piece in this new genre is shown at the top of my new Gallery 3 page on this site. It's part of a series of natural-colored basket forms that are now for sale at Zazen in Coronado. Funny to be using browns and tans in the midst of spring's riot! Ah well -- all part of the adventure.

Crazy busy fun

I was in production mode through January and early February preparing work for Sophie's Gallery and the Talmadge Art Show.  Then I had to immediately switch gears and completely clean out and reorganize my studio in order to host a five-day intensive workshop there on sewing clothing from handwoven fabric with wonderful teacher and friend Daryl Lancaster.  A small group of us had a blast learning and making together.

Now that I've mostly recovered, and the studio is mostly back in working order, I am giving myself a holiday from shows and major deadlines for the next couple of months.  There's so much felting, weaving, and sewing that I'd like to do, and I need to let serendipity be my guide for a while.  I want to be a kid in my fiber "candy store".

At the Talmadge Art Show, I was privileged to sell one of my large vessels, Spice Market, to a gentleman who is a new client.  He was kind enough to send this lovely photo of the piece in its classy new home. (Photo used with his permission.)  I feel honored!

 In the garden my freesias have started to bloom, while the weather bounces from winter to spring to summer and back again.  It is full-on nesting season for the local hummingbirds.  My husband keeps their feeders filled, I keep the flowers coming, and in return we get endless hours of entertainment watching them.  The rate at which they're going through the "juice" makes it clear that there are a lot of babies being raised, though we have yet to see a nest.  Sadly, nobody built one in our wind chimes this year.  But all this activity, and some old yarn that caught my eye as I was felting, inspired this latest take on my miniature vessels.  And yes, there are tiny felt eggs inside.  Happy spring, a few weeks early!