Thread bare skin

My mother is hanging on to this world stronger than she was one week ago. 
I have been spending every other night in her room at my younger sisters house, sleeping at the foot of her hospital bed, listening for her to awaken so that I could help her.


She is still quite a force and yet her skin is so thin that it's difficult to believe her body can be sustained by such a thread-bare coat.


But it does. 


We are capable of much more than we realize. 

Leaving Home

This is me and my mom in June, 1973. My mom was 54 with curlers in her hair has she performed yard work, sweeping and cleaning in the back yard at our little cottage-style home in Lakewood, Ohio.  Later, she'd be going dancing with my dad as they did every Saturday night at the Slovak Civic Club.
I was 13.
Now she is 93 and I am 51. 


I'm still at my mom's side. Watching her as she enters the end of her life. 


We've called in Hospice Care and are watching over her, listening to her stories, and caring for her as her body declines and her skin and bones now move against each other without a layer of body fat to cushion her from discomfort.




She says to me, "40 years ago, I was 50, you're going to live a long life". I can only hope it is true.

Wall Marks Part 2

I spent a few hours in the gallery space today for 6 in Studio.

The plan now is to sew lengths of cut red transparency plastic and hang it in front of the marks on the wall.

All this work, my ideas, and results are borne from a sense of stream-of-consciousness.

One of my studio-mates asked me whether I had predetermined to hang the sewn red strips in front of the wall. 

"No", "It came to me this morning when I remembered that I had a rogue piece of red transparent paper".

I am using what I already have in my stash of stuff, except for the red marker.

This studio mate gave me great ideas for lighting the work. She's a professional photographer who works at the NASA-Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. I'm pleased at the quality and commitment  each artist is giving to this event.

I'll be at the gallery/studio next Sunday, we'll see what develops.

Wall Marks

My hand, with large 'Sharpie' marker

My wall, 15' long

I was juried into a show called 6 in Studio where for the next month, I'll be creating art in a gallery space with 5 other artists. It is a project created by the Cleveland West Art League (CWAL). The Gallery is located at the 78th Street Studios. 

Marks in progress

It's 10 pm, I need to go home.

Artists installing found wood and roots

Younger artist felting wool and creating shapes

Artist to the left is journaling as we all work and is
making decisions about what she will be doing in the space.

We'll meet every Sunday to work on whatever creative endeavor we choose.

The completed work will be exhibited on Friday April 20th.

This evening was the Art Walk/open studios evening at the site, so we kicked off the event where anyone could walk in and see what we're doing.

I decided to begin by making marks and marks.

More photos when I'm finished. 

Cheers!

Good morning

The sun is out, birds are singing, can Spring be far behind?
Time to pull out a piece I started in the fall and complete this work. 

Milk, Wait, Want

Milk

Wait *

Want

I've been experimenting with eco-dye techniques a la India Flint .

in the studio of a woman who makes puppets and other fantastical costumes.

We used milk to premordant cotton Union Suits with milk and let them dry

then used leaves, kitchen discards and green waste from a local florist shop to let them work their colorful magic.

P.S. Did I mention India is coming to Cleveland this Fall? See my post here.

* DISCLAIMER: For those of you who might bristle that we used pots on a stove in-doors, please note that the stove is located in a area away from the studio in an empty (non-inhabited) small room attached to the studio. the window was open and the space is not heated i.e.it was cold.

It is not a good practice to do this in a home where people live and who might breathe in any potential nasty vapors from simmering plant material.

Paphiopedilums, Dendrobiums, and Cymbidiums to Cure a Grey Day

Skies were grey today as they tend to be in March in Cleveland. I found beauty at the Cleveland Botanical Garden with my dear sweet friend, Mary B., Orchids, and birds, both real and not.

Intimate Stitches Part 2

In February, I posted that I have 3 works in a show included in FiberPhiladelphia 2012 called Intimate Stitches here.
Much to my delight,  Erin Endicott and Bruce Hoffman placed 4 of my pieces in the show.

Affliction, 8 x 12 inches, hand stitched thread on linen, 2012

Target Cell, 8 x 10 inches, hand stitch thread on linen, 2012

Guide, 20 x 21 inches, hand stitched silk/wool thread
on wool skirt (remnant), felt and eco dyed silk patch, 2011

Remnant, 13 x 19 inches hand stitched thread on linen, 2012

The opening reception is today, Sunday, March 4, 2012 and I wish I could be there to meet the artists in the show, see their work, and meet other like-minded fiber enthusiasts. I 'Googled' each of the artists and feel humbled to  be included in a show with these fine fiber artists:


Renie Breskin Adams, Emily Barletta, Adam Cohen, Marcia Docter, Erin Endicott, Karen Hampton, Alison Mercer, Kathryn Pannepacker, and Ellen Schinderman 


I hope you spend time looking at their sites and being as excited to see some terrific fiber art today!
And, if you're in Philadelphia, stop in at Kellijane and report back to me!
721 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA.
The show is up through April 2, 2012.

Shared Words and Images

Lost Book Page, 7" x 5", Patti Roberts-Pizzuto
Burbank, South Dakota, USA

I’m honored that the lovely Patti Roberts-Pizzuto from Missouri Bend Studio posted a little interview we had on her blog here. Please spend some time looking at her lovely works on paper while your there.

May you find a bit of inspiration and make a few marks of your own today.