Send me your flower power!!!

With warmer weather hopefully around the corner, the next dress I want to put in the window of One80 is Flower Power. This dress will usher in Spring with color, spirit and the passion of peace. Another stellar element of this dress is that it is an ongoing collaborative project – all the strings of beads have been made by other people and I am still collecting. I am hoping for a big, beautiful, full skirt of beads & color.

So with the upcoming appearance of Flower Power I hope to get some more strings of beads. Anyone who wants to add their personal touch can send me a string of beads. It is easy – there is no wrong way to do this – any beads, any length, whatever you want. Just put the strand into an envelope and send it to me~

Dress Project .

25 Washington Ave.
Natick, MA 01760.
Threading beads can be a wonderfully creative and meditative activity. I look forward to seeing your creation.

Thank you & peace !

Dress Update....

Well...Black Widow did not make it into the Danforth Member museum show; HOWEVER, “Emily” the Dress of Etiquette did!!! She was juried into the show by Lisa Tung and Joseph Carroll. For more information about the show click here. There will be two receptions ~ the Off the Wall Gala, Saturday, May 30, 2009, 6 - 8 pm and the Annual Members’ Juried Exhibition Opening Reception ~ Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 6 - 8 pm.
Since I was (of course) racing the clock to get Emily submitted I do not have a picture of her complete!!! SO you will all have to see her in her finest at the Danforth.

(a teaser- have a read..)

Now Even though Black Widow did not get into to the show she is on exhibit in the window of One80 in downtown Natick. Since I lost my windows when I moved studios One80 has kindly offered their windows!!! Right now Black Widow and In Memory of… are in the windows. I wanted to put in In Memory of… to acknowlegde the 6th anniversary of the Iraq war which was March 19th!

In Memory of....
I hope to be able to keep a good rotation of dresses in their windows. They are also exhibiting other artist’s work – some beautiful jewelry and the woodworkings of Carl Staley. The address is 19 south Main St (Route 27), between Gallery 55 and Bakery on the Common.
Peace

13 uninterrupted years!!!! lost

This is a quote that came on my Starbuck's cup and I HAD to share.....
The Way I see It #51 ~
"Americans spend an average of 29 hours a week watching television- which means in a typical life span we devote 13 uninterrupted years to our TV sets! the biggest problem with mass media isn't low quality- it's high quantity. Cutting down to just an hour a day would provide extra years of life- for music and family, exercise and reading, conversation and coffee."
--Michael Medved, author of Right Turns & radio talk show host

That is a little over 4 hours a day which equals 13 YEARS!!!!!I am the person who, in college, learned that you spend about a quarter of your life asleep and I tried to stop sleeping - that didn't work...you need sleep, but TV?!?

Beside putting scary numbers to a habit that i don't particularly like - though there is a time for TV, and it can be a good resource - like the PBS series Art 21!!! love it!!! It also seems like an appropriate quote to go with my VCR tape dress or aka Black Widow. I submitted this dress and the Dress of Etiquette ( a sculpture made entirely out of an Emily Post book) to the Danforth Member Show - let's all keep our fingers crossed!!! And let's turn off the TV & talk!!!!!!! peace

WOMEN in PRINT

This print is in the WOMEN in PRINT,
an exhibition of Boston-area Women Printmakers.

It is at the

Bunker Hill Community College Gallery ~

the show runs March 9th through April 17th

Artists’ Reception:
Thursday, March 12th,

6:00 – 8:00p.m.
Featuring music by Felice Pomeranz of the Gilded Harps

Visit their site at http://www.gildedharps.com/music.htm

Gallery Talk: Thursday, March 26, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. “Let’s Talk About Prints”

WOMEN in FILM: Thursday April 2nd, 6:30pm
Current works by women filmmakers, exploring women’s issues
Including film shorts by:
Ashley Shuyler, Michelle Rawlings, Jessica Gidal, and guest curator, Rinat Harel
Panel discussion to follow

Gallery information:

250 New Rutherford Avenue ~ Boston, MA 02129617-228-2093Gallery Web page at: http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/

Here is a blurb from the press release as well as a list of the artists ~

"The assembled group of Boston-area women printmakers provide a broad range of work including abstracts, portraits, cityscapes, socio-political, domestic interiors and the autobiographical in printmaking techniques ranging from mono-prints, etchings, fabric printing, serigraphs, woodcuts, holographs, and digitally assisted processes. The work is as varied as the interests and styles expressed by this intergenerational group of local women printmakers. The participating artists include the seasoned artist veterans Esther Garcia Eder, Linda Dunn, and Carolyn Muskat, as well, as the soon-to-graduate Umass art Department emerging artist Angie Melchin and recent Leslie University graduate Fiona Logusch and printmaking newcomer Blair Boudreau. Female imagery is abundant as seen in the work of Jennifer Hughes, Virginia Fitzgerald, Jackie Miller, Nancy Popper, Christiane Corcelle-Lippeveld, and Randy Garber. The lush and vibrant prints by Rani Sarin, the black and white mono prints by Catherine Carter, and the print-on-fabric quilted squares by Jeanne Williamson supply the exhibit with an array of abstract imagery. The work of these 29 local women artists in more than fifty pieces are on view as part of the BHCC International Women’s Month events and celebrate the diversity of art making within this well networked printmaking community."

Coco Berkman

Blair Boudreau

Susan Axe-Bronk

Catherine Carter

Priscilla Claus
Barbara Ford-Doyle

Linda Dunn

Esther Garcia-Eder

Tamar Etingen
Virginia Fitzgerald

Katharine Furst

Randy Garber

Judy Hochberg
Jennifer Hughes

Lynne Johnson

Charlotte Kaplan

Christiane Corcelle-Lippeveld
Fiona Logusch

Angie Melchin

Rachel Mello

Jackie Miller

Carolyn Muskat
Ellen Shattuck-Pierce

Nancy Popper

Amy McGregor-Radin

Rani Sarin
Danielle Shaheen

Erin Smith

Jeanne Williamson

the dresses are leaving the building

Today is the last day of the dresses at the Natick Collection ~ tomorrow I move them out (hopefully not in a blizzard). The time has flown by but the response has been wonderful ~ it is always a treat to have my dresses exhibited there. I have received many lovely emails and even a mention on Skirt Magazine editor, Alison Murray's blog ~ http://boston.skirt.com/node/29739. It was great to see Flower Power in triplicate!! So thank you all for the fabulous support and comments!! Peace

Come here often??

" Do you come here often?"

"Wedding Dress"

These two photographs were accepted into The Members Juried II at the Concord Art Assoc. by juror Meredyth Hyatt Moses. This show consists of Photography, Drawings, Crafts and Graphics. The show will run from February 14- March 15, 2009 and the opening Reception is Thursday, February 19, 6-8. Hope you can come by!!

Peace

An awesome book

I discovered this awesome book & i want to share... it is called Artists' Journals and Sketchbooks by Lynne Perrella. I have been carrying it around for the last 6 weeks and now sadly it needs to go back to the library. But I have found it thoroughly inspiring and freeing. I was addicted after reading the first chapter, "Getting Started". It speaks of creating "for ourselves alone", "finding our authentic voice" and the sentence I love the most ~ "Silence your inner critic, and begin to think of your art journal as a companion, a muse, a soul mate." Besides these wonderful words of encouragement, the pages are chucked full of wonderful ideas and techniques ~ showcasing different artists' journals. It is a feast for the eyes and the creative brain. I think any creative soulwoudl enjoy this book! Enjoy & peace!

Where have all the dresses gone???

For all of those who live in the Natick area you may have noticed that the dresses are gone from 3 Pond st. I have been asked by many people what has happened....well I have moved my studio. After two years at 3 Pond it was time to go. I am going to miss that studio – so much went on in there. I will miss the windows and all the wonderful supporters who stopped by to tell me how they enjoy the dresses. I was amazed how on the days that I felt confused or insecure about my art someone would knock on the door and tell me what a certain dress meant to them ~ truly unbelievable. During my time at 3 Pond I grew so much as an artist ~ so many dresses were created in that space. But economics, heat (or lack of) and a stubborn ceiling leak finally chased me out ~ AND an incredible space was available!! So January was packing and moving month!!! Now I am in a wonderful studio in the Winchell Building, 25 Washington Ave. Natick. The building houses other artist’s studios so I have a community. And I LOVE the space – it has an amazing spirit. So the dresses are not going be on Pond st anymore. But you will be able to find a dress in the window at 19 Main St. Natick, thanks to the great folks at One80 Visual.

Also for the rest of this month 5 of the dresses are at the Natick Collection! The dresses are in 2 locations – the VCR tape dress (Black Widow) is by Infinity Pool (the same place as last year) and 4 other dresses are down by Neiman Marcus. Like last year – this is a great experience. I was installing the dresses Sunday morning and got so many comments, many people remembered the dresses from last year.

So there is the answer to the mystery of where did all the dresses go!! Thanks for the interest and curiosity. peace

IV bags, anyone???

There is a dress that has been kicking around my studio and my head. As i have been designing it out in my head i have decided that i want to use IV bags in the dress. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to get empty IV bags for cheap??? I have been searching on line & they seem quite pricey. I don't need sterile bags - I just would like clear iv looking bags - any suggestion would be SOOOOOOOoooooooooo appreciated!! thanks & peace

more fun with food

Here is the Northeast we were hit with another snowstorm ~ meaning another snow day!! So as the girls and I fended off cabin fever i spied a rotting potato & voila ...

i love the reflection in this shot

nothing was safe....

can anyone guess what this heart is made out of????

peace

Because what is better than a party & Valentines

VALENTINES

BY ARTISTS

party & sale

at Kalliroscope
on Sunday, February 1st, 2009
from 2–5 in the afternoon.

music and light refreshments
264 Main Street, Groton, Massachusetts
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: info@artval.org

Come see and purchase a wide variety of artist-made Valentines.
prices $4 - 200,most under $30

This event benefits the Artist’s Valentine—fundraising for
artists, by artists. Artists from New England and beyond have made
Valentines and are offering them for sale. Proceeds from the annual
Valentine sale are used to fund a juried grant competition for artists. Artists
who have participated in The Artist’s Valentine, are eligible to apply for
money to further their art, for example to do a special project, or to purchase
materials. The awards are juried, this year by painter Ben Aronson.
Since its inception in 1996, The Artist’s Valentine has given away
over $40, 000 in grants.

peace

Yahooooooooooooooooooo!!!

These past few days i have been on pins & needles and i realized this morning that it is pure anticipation for this BIG day ~ the beginning of a new era!!! So in honor of this historical moment … an Obama dress ~ made after scrounging the house for blue markers that work, and between making lunches and getting girls on the bus. Yeah life! Peace to all!!

Who does she think she is??

Saturday I watched the documentary “Who does she think she is ” directed by Pamela Tanner Boll ~ a movie that explores the relationship of mothering and women artists. I believe I went to this movie looking for some answers to how to balance this mothering/artist act. As I watched I was riveted to my seat. But when the movie ended and I started to digest it I started getting agitated. I realized that it had feed some of my critics. As time has past I have wondered if instead of being an empowering movie it is a cautionary tale.

I knew a lot of the background of women artists and their plight. I have studied many women artists ~ their letters, diaries and works. I have seen Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party (awesome), studied the supporting material and read many of her writings as well as working through her autobiographies. I am know the Guerilla Girls’ work and the different Women’s Artists’ movement. So I knew the back-story (although I did learn that the version of my art history text, History of Art by H.W.Janson, didn’t have any women artists represented in its hundreds of examples of art. I knew there had not been a lot but I just assumed that either Mary Cassatt or Georgia O’Keefe had made the cut.)

The stories of the featured women artists I found interesting as I find the stories of any creative person. But I was hoping to find the key to how to be the artist I need and want to be and be a mom and wife too. Ok I went hoping for the Holy Grail, but I came out with stories of talented women who followed their passion, have kids but many didn’t have their spouse. And the artist, Janis Mars Wunderlich who did have 5 kids, a successful art career and was still married just feed my critic, making wonder what I doing wrong – she has FIVE kids!!! Well insecurity is something I am working on. But watching the movie I so connected to these women and they reinforced one of my fears – can one follow one’s passion can keep the family/ kids and husband? I guess I am looking for the movie “She can have it all”!!

Would I recommend this movie?? Yes – anything that makes me think and push myself creatively I am all for. In fact looking at Wunderlich’s work made me realize that I do NOT put my true feeling out in my work ~ I am too afraid of hurting people’s feelings. So this movie had made me aware of how I am still influenced by more fear than I had realized ~ more personal work to do!!! It was also exciting to be in an auditorium full of mostly women – many knitting – and being part of a communal experience and struggle. I also realized that I am not going to get an answer to my struggle from anyone or anything – each of us are traveling on our own path, my life is not going to be like anyone else’s. Funny how obvious this thought is but it is a lesson that I need to keep learning over and over again.

Peace

the Dress Project @ Holliston High School

For this month I am the artist-in-residence at Holliston High School. I am honored to be able to install the Dress Project in their gallery, Studio 370. I am always happily reminded about all the benefits to installing a show. I am always learning something new about the work and usually discovering a new way to view a piece. Also it has been a great way to start the new year ~ I have never been called COOL so much in my life :) always a nice sentiment! I am really happy with the way the collection works in the space ~ Here is a video of the show.

peace

It is official....

I am obsessed...

I can’t stop making valentines for the Artists’ Valentine!! Luckily the due date is upon us so I may stop. It has been so fun to explore and create these little treasures & I love working with words and quotes ~

'There is no remedy to love but to love more.' Thoreau

'There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved.' George Sand

The fabric hearts are a real passion for me, as well as many who have seen them. When I ask my eldest why she liked them so, she said because of their homemade-ness and I believe she hit the nail on the head. I love the fraying edges and the randomness of the patches. I also LOVE the sewing and embroidery. This reminded me of a piece that I made in college. It is about 4x6 and completely rendered in embroidery floss – using the floss like paint. It has always been a favorite of mine. I can see myself continuing working with this path…
peace

A Reprieve for the Glass Slipper!!

Happy to report that the Glass Slipper was accepted in the Members Juried Exhibition l at the Concord Art Association. The Opening Reception is this Thursday, January 15, 6-8pm. Hope you can come by ~ peace!

"If I know what love is, it is because of you."

This year I am participating in the Artist's Valentine ~ 'a fundraiser for artists by artists'. Artists from all different media make Valentines which are sold at a party at Kalliroscope Gallery in Groton, Mass. The money raised from the Valentines' sales is used to provide grants to the artists who submitted Valentines. It has been so fun to make these Valentines ~ no pressure, just create. The above images are of one of my Valentines that I am submitting(submissions are due January 19, 2009). It is a little pillow with the Herman Hesse quote - "If I know what love is, it is because of you." I love the sentiment of that quote. I used an iron-on transfer to put the quote on a patch of printed fabric then sewed that patch and many others onto a heart. The back is similar however the main patch has "to & from" so that the sender can put on their name. I have also embellished the heart with buttons and beads. I am so enjoying this sewing thing. Besides this valentine I have started a 'dress' of small sewn 'doll' forms which I plan to use in the skirt of the 'dress'. Of course, this plan means sewing many, many of these dolls, so the dress maybe completed in 2010. more about that dress in a later post!! Peace!

update on the womb wrap

During the holidays and the school vacation i didn't get to my studio that much; however i did knit, and knit, and knit, on my uterus. I had to get another set of 36" long circular needles to be able to get a sense of how it looked. I also struggled with whether to make it only single sided or double sided - like a pocket of sorts. I knew I wanted it to have a significant weight so after I got the ‘fallopian tubes' as long as I wanted I started to cast off stitches. So instead of being done I am really only halfway done.

In the below picture you can get a sense of the size. When I had it spread out to photograph my 10 year old crawled on top of it and curled up ~ this is the response I am striving for.

I hope to be able to exhibit it on a wall - hanging from a set of open hands that are offering it to the veiwer. And i want the viewer to wrap themselves up in it. we will see... peace

back to the printing press

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away I was a printmaker. In college I concentrated on printmaking, especially relief printmaking. When I graduated from college I quickly learned that printing presses were not readily available so I didn’t print for a looooooooooong time. But I was getting eager to print – especially to carve. Seeing Louise Bourgeois’ Personages make my palms itch. I want to try wood carving but until then it was easier to start with carving wood plates. So I signed up for a class called Big Woodcuts at the De Cordova Museum, taught by Jennifer Hughes. It was a great class & so satisfying to be back in the print studio. It was interesting how much has changed since I was last there – much more environment and heath conscious – no more turpentine which I remember basically bathing in. But the inks still smell the same & that smell touches a deep place in me!!! Jenny encouraged the class to make plates as big as 2 feet by 4 feet ~ what fun. I started small then made my big woodcut. (drum roll please)

Not only is it big ( the above print is roughly 24"x48") but I had a fellow artist and woodworker, Carl Staley, cut the plate into 32 different pieces which I inked up separately. It takes awhile to print one of these prints so I only made a few before the class ended. But the possibilities are endless ~ using different colors, different color themes, piecing the dress together differently and I even printed on fabric which got my brain whirling in a whole other direction. I hope to get access to a printing press again & soon ~ not to lose the momentum!!! Craving is very meditative and to run your plate through the press is a lot like Christmas ~

the anticipation to see how it printed.
So hopefully I will be posting more 'puzzle' dresses

in the near future.

peace