Category: Studio talk

coffee pot posts, Coronavirus Chronicles, Studio talk

Sunday morning snow post

Laurie

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I started to take a snow picture, but nah. It is pretty and now it has turned to sleet. Ice is what is usually on the menu in North Carolina.

Sandy and I went over to the art center and I brought back my paints and mediums and glues, but left some stuff behind. The heat was back to normal and Jay was there. I was ambiguous about whether I would stay in the print co-op, but I told him it was likely that I’d drop out and come back later. We went to Deep Roots and this time I did not see a single unmasked customer inside. I bought a lot of fresh produce and I hope that I won’t wiggle out of making soup and lasagne today.

I’ve noticed that I spend more time reorganizing my art supplies than I do making art. You know, maybe that’s okay. I’ve been trying to nail down what I actually enjoy doing rather than what I feel like I SHOULD enjoy doing. Anyway, I need to reduce this stash by at least half. What you see here is only about a fourth of what I have. The looms are on the opposite side of the room. I have other bookshelves and chests of drawers full of cloth, collage materials, yarns, tools, and supplies. It’s a pretty big hoard, and I live in a very small house.

The hunt for rectangular baskets and cigar and wooden boxes for my supplies is a lot of fun. I bought a lot of the wire baskets from Office Depot during the pandemic and most of them contain my cones of yarn. The big bag of rice is for weighing down collages that I glue to panels, especially ones with more textural and 3D parts glued to them. It’s a tip that I got from Crystal Neubauer.

My idea for collage packets on Etsy – maybe I should do some categories where people can mix and match? If you’re really into maps, you could get a packet with just travel related stuff and maps. If you love dictionaries, I have lots of dictionary pages. I have music pages. I have foreign languages. I have encyclopedias. I have children’s books. I have textbooks. I have LOADS of cloth and yarns.

What I need to figure out first is what the shipping cost will be for a standard manila envelope, then the many changes that have happened in the Etsy platform since I last used it. Or maybe I’ll just set up a sales page here with a Paypal button. That might work.

I set up the big chair in the living room today with a blanket and table and reading lamp. If we lose power, the wood is indoors now. I’m determined not to let myself retreat into my bedroom until it is time for me to go to sleep. This morning, I was amazed that I woke up fairly early feeling refreshed. That is rare, and I was up in the middle of the night.

I’m so glad that I have Monday off! My guess is that the university will probably open late on Tuesday if this storm continues as predicted. The problem with that is that we don’t get a choice whether to go into the office or work at home. So ridiculous that after a long period of successful remote work that they do this. Disrespectful too, as if they don’t really believe that we are getting our work done, because God forbid they judge their employees or departments on individual bases. Everything these days has to be homogenized and across the board treatment of wildly diverse situations. We joke a lot about our employee performance plans and evaluations, because we know that nobody ever looks at them beyond our department head (and maybe not him).

I see that Portugal’s elections are skewing toward the Socialist party again. YAY.

Time for another coffee pot and some tapestry weaving.

agoraphobia, depression/anxiety, Nature printing, Studio talk

Monday

Laurie

I’m not doing a lot of photography these days, but I am fascinated with the shadows that leaves cast on the sidewalk  early in the morning. This is a ginkgo branch, and while I don’t have the patience or skills to make the shadow any darker because of the mottled sidewalk, I thought that it was cool the way its shadow morphed into a caterpillar. It has made me consider relearning the caterpillar stitch in bookbinding.

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I put this one up on my Facebook page: if you are a beginner at natural dyeing and leaf printing and don’t know what leaves might have pigment, here’s a tip. On your walks, notice what leaves leave a print on freshly laid or recently laid (within a few years) cement. Also, any tree that bears nuts should be a good choice.

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Yesterday I went to the print studio at the arts center, and although it was nice to have it by myself, I couldn’t bear the heat. It must have been in the upper 80s in that room. I peeled away as many clothes as I could, and fortunately I wore a t-shirt under it all, because the last time I had been there it was roasting hot. I found what looked like a room thermostat, but it didn’t have a temperature and it was set in the middle. I turned it all the way down after I broke into a sweat. No difference. I wonder what it felt like this morning because I forgot to turn it back. My bet is that it is either broken or not the thermostat or the heat is controlled by a central office. Since I am of a certain age, I never know if this intolerance to heat is just me.

I took advantage of the paint drying really fast to paint some panels and old book boards with black gesso. I ditched my plan to iron some fabrics and weave cloth strips. I packed up some of my stuff and brought it home. I can’t handle that kind of heat. So I’m going to call them and see if it really is a technical problem, and cancel my membership if it is an ongoing winter thing. Bring home my stuff and consider rejoining in June after I come back from Portugal.

Update: It is an HVAC problem, not a hormone problem. I’m not the only one roasting. A work order was placed the week after Christmas when I first noticed it. I told her that I’ll go back on Sunday, and if it hasn’t been fixed, I’ll bring my stuff home for a while.

Sandy suggested that I turn the back building into my studio again. The only problem is that we’d have to clean it out and I’ll probably have to buy other window AC unit. Also, the door and the steps need repair. It’s something to consider. A space heater heats it fairly well. I’m sure that the critters nesting in the crawl space above the ceiling would like that.

Yesterday I got it together and cooked again – bacon and eggs for brunch, beef stew for dinner. On Saturday I wove about a half-inch on my tapestry. That doesn’t sound like much but it took a couple of hours. Got laundry done and put away. After I left the studio I went to Deep Roots for a quick grocery run. Cricket was there in the parking lot with the Boomerang Bookshop bus so I went in and talked with him. Maybe I should get up a box of books to donate or trade for credit with him. I love his shop, and once when he was getting very depressed and burned out I volunteered to help him with it. But he didn’t want help. I don’t blame him, and honestly, do I want to learn how to drive a bus?

Anyway, I felt better this weekend. A little more energy. This is the first week of classes for the spring semester. We shall see how things unfold.

Studio talk

A new studio space!

Laurie

We’re going to Elkin tomorrow for the day, where I’ll pick up the little Joan Griffin tapestry that I bought this summer from the Foothills Art Center gallery there. Our neighbors bought a small resort home near Stone Mountain State Park and they are up there about half the time these days. We are going to meet them for lunch at Southern on Main and maybe check out their place, depending on how we feel tomorrow. It should be a nice day and I’m looking forward to it.

I briefly considered renting studio space at the Chatham Mill Arts Center up on the floor where the Yadkin Valley Fiber Art Center is, but I quickly came to earth because I knew that whatever the perks, I would not drive a little over an hour to Elkin and back often enough to make the expense worth it.

However, since then, a new opportunity only a mile away in downtown Greensboro presented itself, and I took it. Our 50+ Artists Community group had a small get-together at the Piedmont Print Co-op at the Cultural Arts Center, which I did not even know existed. Jim Weaver talked about his printmaking and demonstrated how he prints a monograph with a rolling press there. I asked him about the co-op and how many people were in it, and it was just him! I guess when the pandemic shut the building down, the other members found other places to go.

So I looked up the information about the co-op, and it is only $40 per month to be a member. Hell, it’s worth $10 a week for me to have access to a big work table by itself, but there are other tables, two presses and a station for rolling out ink, a darkroom space (which is being used for storage right now), sinks, and storage for supplies. I signed up right away, and I have been shuttling over a few supplies every day after work. This wasn’t a great week to begin because I have a lot to do, but I got excited. Hopefully I will be able to use the space mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. One other person has signed up this week as well.

I’m not going to use this studio just for printmaking – it is going to be my book arts and collage space and I might bring over the big upcycled shirt blanket I had almost finished before my last studio space was sold. Having a big table to piece the rest of the panels together will help a lot to get it done. I have no place to do that at home, but I can sew it at home. I’ve considered making another t-shirt quilt also, because that was a lot of fun and we have SO MANY t-shirts! Any fabric or fiber projects like that I will be moving back and forth from home, though – I just need to use that big table and display wall for those.

My woodcut and Speedy-cut blocks and carving tools have been moved over there, and I have ideas for my next steps. That’s really important, because lately my mind has not been able to focus in one direction.

We’ll see how this goes. I won’t move all my supplies over there, although Jim has encouraged me to. He doesn’t realize how much I have! If I use it at least once a week, I’ll keep doing it. If not, it’s on a monthly basis and I can stop. It will be nice to divide my studios and have more space in the weaving studio at home. I just have to make sure that I don’t fill it up with more stuff.

coffee pot posts, Coronavirus Chronicles, depression/anxiety, Studio talk

Slight movement

Laurie

I spent most of the past 24 hours in bed, and boy am I feeling it. I was really surprised when I slept eleven hours last night, mostly solid. Sandy remarked that it is because of depression, and I suppose that he is right. Another reminder that depression is not sadness, because I don’t particularly feel anything at all. Sandy’s doctor wants him to wait 2-3 weeks before seeing him for his muscle weakness – he wants time for the statins to get out of his system.

My massage therapist is out of business now…so I guess it is up to me to get pain free again, and that won’t happen by laying in bed for hours.

I finished watching The Queen’s Gambit. This is why I don’t binge good shows. It’s so hard when you finish one and can’t decide what to watch next. I happen to be between good books also.

I did get a little bit of house cleaning and purging done. I vacuumed the curtains behind my bed instead of taking them down and washing them, and the molding around the window, and the plaster walls around it. Hopefully that will help with the allergies.

Searching for some particular pages in all my collage stuff proved to be frustrating, and so I purged a bunch of junk that I had at one time thought that I would use in collage. The truth is, it was just junk, junk that is easily replaced at any time, so into the recycling bin it went. A few more things went into the donation box.

I cleaned off and organized my studio table so that it is ready to go this afternoon. Guess I’d better get to it!

Coronavirus Chronicles, Studio talk

Thanksgiving weekend projects

Laurie

A Take-Out Thanksgiving

I laid awake last night thinking of all the art projects I could finish or begin or work on this holiday weekend. We ordered a large turkey dinner with side dishes, dessert, and a quiche from Deep Roots Market so I don’t have to cook. I just talked with my sister on the phone for an hour, and I deeply miss her.

Then, looking at the mess on my studio table, I decided to open my laptop, at which time I realized that I still have about 6-7 years worth of blogging to finish up. Fortunately I did the big travel posts first, and I slowed down blogging considerably after I got on Facebook. So I may be able to knock this project out and forget about it in time to cancel that expensive Flickr Pro account.

I have a lot of WIPs to finish. The masks I cut out should probably be next. Then the woven cloth blanket that I was making from strips of Sandy’s old shirts and pants. It is awesome and I should finish it.

I have several online workshops that I am in the middle of or have bought and not started yet. I still need to get supplies to do the Leslie Marsh metal cover necklace book, and I am eyeballing Black Friday sales online. (Even though I celebrate Buy Nothing Day on Black Friday.) I bought both of Sharon Payne Bolton’s online workshops. All three of these workshops I have taken in person, but either didn’t have the motivation or the confidence or the information written down to continue working on my own. But all three of them were some of the best workshops I ever took, so it will be good to have the video versions to always go back to for reference.

One project still in my brain is to downsize my massive “old books for collage” collection by offering collage packs for sale. I have many old dictionaries, atlases, encyclopedia, and interesting old books in several languages. I am still working on this idea, but I will probably sell them through this blog and on Etsy. I still have my old store there, but it’s been in vacation mode for so long that it has totally changed and I will have to learn the software again. If you are interested, leave me a comment and I’ll make sure that I let you know when they are ready.

Okay, first things first. Food. Then clean off that studio table. Then transfer a year of Flickr photos to WordPress. Then sew masks. Yes, a plan.

collage, Studio talk

Studio Sunday

Laurie

I piddled around for a long time yesterday and finally decided that I could at least do some backgrounds that I would collage over. This proves to be a great way to get started.

These started with old book pages, a 1931 newspaper page from the Oroville, Colorado Mercury-Register and hawthorns.

This morning I added some very thin old book cloth to the second one. I learned the hard way why I was advised not to soak the glue off the cloth. When it dried I found that the faint design that I loved on the cover was gone.

The reason I scrubbed most of the glue off the back was so I could incorporate a suggestion from a member of our collage study group – a piece of sparkling silver wrapping paper beneath the black cloth that would show through.

This one might be done after I glue this down.

The other one still needs something…even though I like the subtlety of the colors I want to consider adding contrasting pieces. I’m going to put it aside for a little while.

I got my hair cut yesterday and boy, did that make me feel better. And having this new phone camera that takes decent photos – golden.

Here are some shots of my “new” studio room.

Now I have to see if I can force myself to go over to the UNCG gardens and clean up my plots before I get my massage and grocery shop this afternoon.

Blather, bloggy stuff, Studio talk

Update – I’m still here

Laurie

January was a busy month and February will be too, so you’re unlikely to see a lot from me. As far as this blog goes, I am, perhaps unduly, concerned about hosting my photos on Flickr. For one thing, they doubled their price since selling it, and for the other, their automation sends me erroneous billing messages which annoys me. I’m a curmudgeon, it’s true, but I am thoroughly sick and tired of software taking the place of human contact. I should become a hermit, I guess. Anyway, it has led me to spend some time transferring some of my most important photos to WordPress. It wouldn’t be a problem but I have to go into EACH POST and change the link to Flickr! OY.

The Italy trip is done now and in 2020 I will concentrate on one big travel series at a time, then the posts in between. Then I will set up some gallery pages for my art. When January 2021 rolls around again I will consider dropping my Flickr Pro account if I have finished up the link changes, but considering that I have been hosting my photos and linking to them on Flickr here since 2006, I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes me two years to accomplish this without wrecking my blog. I feel like I am being held hostage to Flickr.

I finally ordered a refurbished laptop from Dell.com only to find that it came with Windows 10 in Spanish only and could not be changed to English. So I returned that after a lot of phone time and confusing emails and ordered a Lenovo off eBay. I won’t be doing business with Dell again. I just received it, it seems to work fine, and it will be easier for me to post once I finish setting it up. I also have the Tapestry Weavers South website to update, and that will move to the front burner now that I have a laptop at home.

My other tech update will be when I either have my phone repaired or buy a new one. Then I will get back to taking a lot of photos, which will make me quite happy!

We moved my studio space to the room that I suppose should be the dining room and the (parlor/TV room/family room/den/living room ???? what to call this room?) TV, sofa, etc. to the front room where it is dark and cozy. The studio room has much better light. This meant that I purged a lot more stuff in January – looms, yarns, books, knick-knacks – about twelve boxes worth! In return we have some actual space in both rooms, and the cats are delighted with the new racetrack from the front room to the back, complete with throw rugs to slide across on the studio and the kitchen hardwood floors.

I completed the caterpillar four selvedge tapestry, but the top and bottom selvedges bother me and the choice of those little areas of kelly green appall me. What was I thinking? It is still a good piece so I am going to hem it heavily at top and bottom and take care of both of those things.

Oh, and I paid off my last installment on this art retreat on the west coast of Ireland. Ireland, my love. And an increasing interest in collage and book arts.

Studio talk

Sunday in the studio

Laurie

So here are the two tasks before me today and through the end of 2019.

I am going to complete “Blackbird” and “Caterpillar.”

I am going to clean up the other side of the front room, which is currently piled up with junk. This is what I have been referring to as purgatory, where stuff goes to wait until it is burned or recycled. This is a big project but I am reaaaaaally done with walking in the front door every day to face this. By the end of the year, these piles and boxes shall be gone.

Plus I have a warm studio, and can even cook on top of this, but the trick is to keep it so that the heat doesn’t run me out of the studio. So no stovetop cooking today.

coffee pot posts, critters, depression/anxiety, Studio talk

Saturday morning coffee pot post

Laurie

It is technically still morning. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do this morning. The cool breeze on the front porch is delightful and it is so nice to share that space with my cats. Pablocito has taken to sleeping on the swing since Diego has won the battle of territory over the cat tower. I set up a table with a cushion next to the cat tower and Diego has claimed that too. It is odd that Pablocito rules the cat food bowls but Diego is Top Cat in all other things. Anyway, I’ve been re-reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and I made another pot of coffee.


Mr. Wiggleworm wouldn’t hold still.

I managed to make even more room in the studio this week, and several of my plastic containers are heading to Reconsidered Goods or Goodwill, thanks to a gift from ZhaK of several cigar boxes and tins and candy boxes and a basket. I tackled the dreaded top drawer of my mother’s dresser which I have been filling with whatnot on top of her stuff, and as most objects of dread are, it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. After four years I think I am coming to some peace about my mother’s passing.

Fringeless, the online class by Rebecca Mezoff and Sarah Swett, begins on July 9. I took apart my copper pipe loom with the idea that I’d use the pipes for dyeing, and then realized that I would need it for this class. This is the pipe loom that I had the problem of it torqueing under tension. I glued the joints back together with super glue, except for the connection with the feet, which I want to be able to remove or adjust, and I hope this will help the torqueing problem, otherwise I will be be looking for someone who will solder it for me.


My mind is calming down. I’ve been able to sleep better. Thinking about aging in place more as I’ve realized how difficult it would be to emigrate somewhere that is not hot and humid. We still plan to visit Portugal and Spain next year. I will try to talk Sandy into limiting it to Portugal. I’ve learned that the temptation to do more often leads to me feeling frustrated and exhausted. Sandy has always “had eyes bigger than his stomach” in most things, and while it is easy for him to convince me to go wider (who doesn’t want more of a good thing?), I am more of the opinion that it is better to go deeper.

The silver maple tree was supposed to be in the process of coming down today, but we had a miscommunication with the arborist, so it has been rescheduled to August 2. That was probably a good thing since a big storm came through yesterday and blew a lot of my tomato cages over. I will need to go out and stake them today. The high is only supposed to get up to 77 degrees today! So nice after days of 90 plus and humid, and we get to give our AC and fan motors a break.

I can’t decide what to do next in the studio. My hands are hurting from too much mouse use at work and game playing and book holding so I think that I might get the sewing machine out, see if it forgives me after the accordion book project. If not, maybe it’s time to open up my mother’s Singer cabinet. I will head down to Lake Waccamaw for a spell later and that will be a great place to hand stitch and dye, if I am good to my hands now.

Okay, that’s enough. The church bells are playing hymns (ARGHHHHHHHHHH) and so I know that it is noon. I also know that the name of the song is “The Church’s One Foundation” and I see and hear the inside of Bear Swamp Baptist Church, my mother and father next to me in the pew. This might seem comforting to others. I hope that one day it might be that way for me, because I do not foresee us moving from here nor do I foresee the church stopping its twice daily hymn playing.

But the day is beautiful, the flowers in the hugelkultur bed are beginning to bloom, and the garden is calling. This is a good place. I am lucky to live here.

Studio talk, Tapestry Diary 2018, weaving

MLK Jr. Day

Laurie

A little progress. At least all the plastic bags are gone and the coned yarn is with the other cones. Will bring back a couple more boxes of fabric stash today from the other studio. That’s the main thing I have hoarded, and to think that I’ve already given so much away boggles my mind. I might wind some warp for the double weave rag rug project I began 3-4 years ago and abandoned. I’d like to get something going on the Macomber loom this year.

Very cold again today. Snow predicted tomorrow night. Hopefully light – we have stuff to do at work that can’t be rescheduled. I walk to work so it’s no big deal for me, but the schools around here shut down on just a prediction of snow and it affects other people’s ability to show up. Our office often has school-aged kids hanging out! They are very well-behaved, much more than I would have been at that age.