Runners

Phew! I finally finished up all of the runners just in time for the Christmas in the Valley craft show. I did a couple more of the blue design and added two other designs in cranberry and green.

I like the way they look, in fact I named them...

Lar remarked that the green one bears a remarkable resemblance to the demon who is Samuri Jack's nemisis so it has been designated Aku.

The cranberry is more plantlike and is now named Lei

The blue one has an edged weapon look to it (pointy) and is called Shuriken.

Whatever... it amused me.

For all of you who haven't enjoyed the awesomness of the Samuri Jack cartoon here is a little glimpse (note the Aku resemblance)

Shifting Gears

For the next few weeks I will be focusing on the holidays. Production, events, celebration, and visiting will effectively consume my time so there will be less of it for experiments and development than usual. Its just the nature of the beast.

I've been thinking a great deal about what I want to focus on after all that is done. In the last couple of years I have been exploring (in a very tentative way) some of the options that I can follow. I have watched as others around me have committed to new paths and zoomed off in pursuit of their goals while I dither about uncommitted unsure and unfocused.

I get that if I want something different I will have to really focus with laser-like intensity on a single goal and really follow through on it.

Even when it gets tough.

Even when I don't see much hope or I feel unsure of myself

Even when it looks like a great deal more fun to do something else

Even when I feel or am rejected

I have been looking at the stuff I like doing (designing, creating one special piece,experimenting)The stuff I don't like (production runs that are too big, being tied to a product line)

My special skill set (shibori, design, conceptualization, sewing/ embroidery, drawing...)

What inspires me (nature, textiles, myths, stories, psychology, dreams, pattern...)

And my personal vision of what success consists of

I have an idea of the direction I want to pursue, it will be a great deal of work and there are a number of aspects to it that I am more than a little unsure of. In fact in some ways it scares me, however I also think that it could be more than a bit rewarding and that it capitalizes on my weird skill set. I'd like to give it a try and see what happens when I settle in for the long haul, commit and really apply myself to a goal. It might be fun...

The pic has nothing to do with any of this , I just like to put a picture with my posts and the purple attracted me!

Chihuly at RISD

Gallery night in Providence

took the opportunity to check out the Chihuly exhibit

Insane

Gorgeous

Inspired

Light made of glass... sigh

Pics taken with my phone, sorry not the best

Returning

I got back from vacation to find that somehow the X-mas season is upon me already.
As is usual I'm not ready, I don't ever remember being ready for this season. How does it go directly from Halloween to X-mas? Where does November go? Why am I already being assaulted by Little Drummer Boy, Jingle Bell Rock and Felice Navidad? I enjoy the carols during the week before the big day not ad nauseum for 2 months. Probably because I sang in chorus for so many years, Little Drummer Boy is permanently ruined for me now.
So I hit the ground running, a production run of scarves, shirts, and socks was first up. That consumed most of my first week back. Now I am trying to get some more of the runners done, as well as a couple of new items all for my first seasonal show the weekend after Thanksgiving. Hope I can do it.
I was inspired by the Caribbean to try a new coloway on the scarves a soft buff/sand color and turquoise/aqua.
Here they are all dyed up

Here they are all ironed out

I like the results but I will probably adjust the recipes to get a bit more contrast next time...

Turks and Caicos

Once again I find myself halfway through the month wondering were it went. At least I have an excuse this time… I went on vacation!
I spent 5 blissful days in Turks and Caicos visiting my brother and sister-in-law who live in paradise and who welcomed us into their home.

I cannot begin to explain what a big deal this is for me because
A. I have never been anywhere that required a passport before
B. I have never been south of N. Carolina before
C. I never take two vacations in one year
Turks and Caicos is a really interesting place,

the beaches are just beautiful but the interior of the island we were on seemed to be a huge construction zone, partly because of new development but also because they were hit by a hurricane a couple of months ago so there are many buildings being repaired. The disparity between the haves and the have-nots is pretty extreme which is how I understand a great deal of the Caribbean is. Some of the resorts are simply beyond decadent while many people who come over illegally from Haiti for work live in cardboard boxes. We were somewhere in the middle staying at a very nice house of average middle class American size with a remarkable view of the Caribbean Ocean a hell of a pool and lovely gazebos to sit in as day turned into evening. The flowers were gorgeous its funny to see all the “ indoor” tropical plants that I see at Home Depot growing happily in gardens.

I saw my first coconut palms

and I got to snorkel the coral reef (my favorite thing)

and of course my pasty NE skin got a sunburn in spite of my best precautions.
Unfortunately Lar got hit with a virus and wasn’t feeling so terrific for a good deal of the time. He did spend some quality time with the hammock though and we did get to go on a submarine ride out in the coral reef so he got to see the underwater sights. (sea turtles! barracuda! tons of fish!) He was a good sport about it though and brought home a conch shell the size of my head in his carry on bag just cause I wanted it.

It was a wonderful adventure.