Monday, April 30, 2012

Spawn



















The birth of two new orbs Chlorophyll and Lava. Today they're on their way to MICROMORPHIC  at the Byrdcliffe Keinert/James Center for the Arts in Woodstock. They won't be travelling alone... other pieces in the show include ONE DAY, DENDRITE II, COLONY, ANGELO and INSATIABLE.

Creating felt beings is one of the most satisfying of all my art practices. I take great pleasure in the design of the shape in space and the 'painting' of the wool. It is a true collaboration between me and the materials with time spent punching with a needle, exploring the ins and outs of its form and patiently waiting for its expression to reveal itself. An addictive process that's difficult to let go of once you're in the middle of it. It's tough to let these babies go so soon... time to produce some others!


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Shadows



I'm loving the traces of light and shadow created by the HIVE project. It suits what I'm thinking about when working on the pieces. About the impressions we make and what we leave in our wake as we move through our day: the relationships, the actions, the discussions and ultimately the connections. Like with UNDERCURRENT, light is cast on the physical but ends up illuminating the invisible. The dancing shadows just below the surface appear solid but in reality are very difficult to grasp.

This Friday we will be having another of our weekly meetups at NK Gallery. In only a few sessions, relationships have been bonding and we're already becoming a unit. Several have been able to attend, to drop in for a few minutes or stay for a few hours. The discussions have been lively and I'm already seeing the genesis of the dynamic that I experience with traditional handwork circles that I'm involved with.

With HIVE, the unorthodox materials of screen and wire are free of associations to traditional handwork like embroidery, quilting, knitting etc., and the technique is simple and requires no training. The repetitive actions busy the hands and free up the self conscious mind. The aim is to experience the essence of what happens between us when we work together without any historic prejudices that confine it within the 'women's work' view, and to leave a personal mark.

If you're interested in joining any of our meetups, please contact me to be added to the email list.

And if you're around this Friday, we'll be at
NK Gallery
450 Harrison Ave.
Boston
1pm

Please note this week's time is an hour later than usual...

Looking forward!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Meditech Art Liaison Program


I will be teaching a series of workshops at MEDITECH for their Art Liaison Program beginning May 10 in Framingham and June 13 in Fall River. Please read their statement below to see what a progressive and beneficial program that MEDITECH is creating for its employees!

"MEDITECH has a long history of interest in and support
of local artisans, and this involvement extends to their own staff
in the form of an Art Liaison program.  Our mission is to promote
creative thinking through the on-going display of, and interaction
with, art.  We aim to foster an atmosphere of tolerance that
encourages the exchange of new ideas, stimulates the senses, and
inspires innovation allowing everyone at MEDITECH to reach their
full creative potential.


In this spirit, we sometimes host workshops within the company
hosted by professional artists.  These workshops are a wonderful
way to bring some of the artwork on display in our buildings "to life".
They offer an incredible opportunity for employees to connect with
art in a hands-on way, which helps them transition from their
logical, work-oriented minds into their intuitive bodies where
creativity and new information live. As the hosting artist, you
would guide them through the fundamentals of working with the
materials you use in your own work, but the emphasis would be
focusing on the fun and playful process of working with the
material, rather than on the right or wrong way to produce a
finished product.  In fact, our mantra is pretty much that "there is
no right or wrong" when staff are at these workshops! "


Our first meetings will involve the art of wrapping items to both mask and celebrate the form. This will be an exercise about seeing objects from a new perspective and exploring all sorts of materials  in the process. I am so impressed with MEDITECH and how they appreciate the arts; both by supporting local artists, and by practicing its themes to enhance the quality of worklife for its employees.

Needless to say... I'm very excited to get going!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Road Trip


Sadly, yesterday, we deinstalled Gooey Gobby Gummy at Gallery 263. It was a quick run of 3 weeks but quite a ride. It was a delight to work with Sarah and Bo. The opening was lively and we made many new friends... particularly with the members of the Atlantic Works Gallery in East Boston.... what a fun bunch!

The media was good to us with a 'Pick of the Day' on Friday, April 6...  a generous write-up by Flux and a shout-out on Facebook from Artscope. Another unexpected benefit was getting to know Gallery 263 and the people who work there. A real gem for the Cambridge Community with many events ongoing.

Time to pack up and ready ourselves for the next road trip out to Woodstock NY for Micromorphic at Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild... an embarrassment of riches with all the new friends, places and artworks to be introduced to.


Monday, April 16, 2012

SOWA


Friday we had another HIVE meeting. This time at NK Gallery in SOWA District, Boston. An afternoon of working, art talk, politics, food tips and in a setting of two inspiring art exhibitions. Natacha made us a 4-egg cake with eggs from her chickens in NH. Nancy read aloud The Phantom Tollbooth.  It was intriguing to listen to the wit of Tock, the Whether Man and especially the Lethargians as we passed the afternoon. The perfect situation to experience a story that elaborates on the small things, especially as we're focusing on building the small units of HIVE.

Thanks to Natacha for hosting at NKG, and to Barbara Lucas, Rebekah Gardiner, Nancy Moskin and Soosen Dunholter for attending. We will be meeting regularly at NKG, each Friday at noon except for First Fridays of the month.

All are welcome to join us in a low-risk, high-return pause in the busy schedule. It will be worth the trip!

Next meeting:
Noon, Friday, April 20
NK Gallery
450 Harrison Ave
Boston


I've printed up HIVE cards and am awaiting their delivery from the printer. See below... please feel free to use, especially if inviting friends to join us!






Friday, April 13, 2012

Micromorphic



I'm making preparations to deliver my pieces for MICROMORPHIC... a show curated by Laura Gurton and opening at Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild in New York on May 4. 

Laura is a painter who experiments with her medium of oil paint and resin to create images reminiscent of life on a molecular level.  Lucky for us, Laura then went looking around for other artists who explore  similar shapes and subject matter to hers. The end result is MICROMORPHIC and a collective of artists including Laura, Jen Bradford, Karen Kamenetzky, Constance Jacobson, Susan Spencer Crowe and myself.

"For each of us, the finished pieces are our own personal statements about our relationships to our materials, our processes and to what we find beautiful and important."  - Laura Gurton

Show opens May 4, the reception May 5 and artist talk May 12.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

MetroWest


A BIG thank you to Rebekah for hosting our HIVE meeting yesterday. We had a fun crowd with Jean, Ellie, Mary, Rebekah and myself. The stories were flying with some old favorites (Sarah's Dead) and the tears from laughing were flowing. Lots of work done too. No better way to spend a few hours... with friends and busy hands.

Looking forward to our meeting at NK Gallery tomorrow, April 13, at noon. We have a special event... a live reading from one of our participants to accompany us while we work!

Open to any one interested in participating... please contact me if you'd like to join us... we schedule meetings regularly and I'll add you to the list.

NK Gallery
450 Harrison Ave
Boston

Friday, April 6, 2012

Gooey Gobby Gummy

Our show GOOEY GOBBY GUMMY is up at Gallery 263 in Cambridge and we had our reception last night. It's a fun show curated by SARAH MEYERS BRENT and containing work by Sarah, MYSELF and BO PETRAN.

We're thrilled to be the PICK OF THE DAY in the Boston Globe today....and also featured in FLUX. Please stop by when you have a chance!

Gallery 263
263 Pearl Street
Cambridge
Hours: Th/Fr 12-6, S/S 12-5

Thanks to everyone who came to the reception, we have a wonderful time and loved all the engaging conversations. Here's a photo review:














Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Laying the Foundation


Today was the first meetup for the HIVE project. Mary Gregory, Margot Stage, Brenda Cirioni, Catherine Evans and myself met at Artspace in Maynard. We busily set out to work of embroidering aluminum screen with steel wire... each of us adding our individual touch to the process. The collected units will ultimately be sewn together to build the modular components of a growing installation.

Each week groups of interested participants will be meeting at my Joy Street Studio and other venues. The next time together will be in my studio this Friday, April 6, at twelve pm.  If you'd like to be a part of this community collaborative, please contact me for future schedules and more information.

In the course of today's meeting we shared book titles, kid advice, politics and the merits of aluminum screen as material.  The newness of the group kept the conversation simple... A few shared moments... some relationship building... all we need now is time.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Roller Coaster

Boy what a week.  As most of you know, two weeks ago my mom suffered a serious medical emergency and was in critical condition for quite some time. Miraculously she survived the less than 1% odds with flying colors... a real Wonder Woman. Blessed news now, but not without its stresses and consequences. Last week was all about recovery and rehab and good health and we're all hoping that it continues on that track for a while. We are very thankful.

It has been a good week for art too. Gooey Gobby Gummy opened on Thursday with a very fun Kids Plasticene Workshop on Saturday. Looking forward to the reception this Thursday. Gallery 263 is a vibrant and active community center and I recommend that you check out their calendar of events. Here's a sneak peek at the show....






Other news this week...

The Philly Inquirer interviewed me and two others about fiber art, the exhibit Outside/Inside The Box at the Crane Arts Center and FiberPhiladelphia.

Four of my works, One Day, Marrow, What Looks Like An Elephant and Receptor have been accepted to the World of Threads International Fiber Exposition to be held in Toronto fall 2012.

I have been selected to receive a Fellowship Award for a 4-week Artist's Residency at the Vermont Studio Center sponsored by the Pollack-Krasner Foundation. I'm scheduled to attend February 2013 and absolutely cannot wait.