Fiber Art Play Day

Please join me this Saturday at Majestic Ranch for a free Fiber Art Play Day. I will be demonstrating a variety of surface design techniques and there will be an opportunity for hands-on experimentation. Stop by anytime between 10 am and 1 pm to participate. Majestic Ranch is located a short drive from San Antonio in Boerne, Tx.

Hope to see you there!

Tote Tuesday

ToteTuesday is a Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Over 50 artists throughout the country will be donating totes filled with a variety of books, fiber art supplies and finished artwork. These themed totes will be auctioned off every Tuesday in February. It’s a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and a showcase for everything that is fun and creative about the fiber arts. So far, the program has raised over $5600 for the American Cancer Society.



The collective at ArtCloth Studios, of which I am a part, has donated a tote filled with goodies related to surface design. It will be up for bid on February 23rd. The collective includes 6 artists: Laura Ann Beehler, Linda Charlton, Jane Dunnewold, Martha K. Grant, Leslie Jenison and me. The tote, made with beautiful artcloth created by Laura Ann Beehler will be filled with artcloth created by collective members, as well as items that individuals can use to create their own artcloth. A photo and partial list of the contents appears on my website.



Information about how the ToteTuesday program works and about the totes to be auctioned can be found on Virginia Spiegel's blog. To bid on a tote, go to the auction bidding site. There are only two more bidding days left, February 16 and February 23. It's a great cause, so I encourage you to bid on a tote. You will benefit a worthy cause, and receive a "packet of fun".

Struggling with Juggling

No, I haven't taken up a new sport. This is about juggling priorities - deciding which balls to catch and which to let go. A conversation I had with an artist friend a few weeks ago helped me articulate what I've been feeling for awhile now. I just don't seem to have enough time. (I know, you're saying "join the club"!) I've been feeling that although I am spending a lot of time on my art, I'm not accomplishing what I want to. What am I juggling? Developing, teaching and promoting workshops, studio time, administration (maintaining my website, keeping records of exhibitions, photographing my work), professional development.

As I look back on 2009, I feel a sense of lost opportunity. I was very busy exhibiting throughout the year, but I didn't complete many larger pieces. My last series was created for a local exhibition last spring. The rest of the year I worked on smaller pieces. They are fun and fast, but not really where I want to go with my work.

I think what was missing was a clear set of priorities. I'm feeling I need to really examine each opportunity/obligation that comes my way and ask, "Is this bringing me closer to the life I want or taking me away from it?" Of course, doing that successfully means that I need to know what it is I do want. More studio time is one of the things I know I want. I am tempted to take a semester off teaching to devote to studio time. Of course, I've already got things booked into this fall, so that means I couldn't take that time until next spring! And there's that pesky mortgage to consider.

So, as you can see, I'm still struggling with how to move forward. I'm taking some time this afternoon to look at the year ahead. To review my obligations, my opportunities, my aspirations and try to determine what is most important. I realize that I will have to let some opportunities pass me by. But I feel it is better to do it intentionally - to choose what is most important rather than try to do it all.

Friday Night Double Header

I'm participating in two exhibitions that open on Friday. I can't make them both, since one is in San Antonio and the other is 2 1/2 hours away in Round Top. They both include many talented Texas artists, so I invite you to attend.

In San Antonio, it's the opening for Small Works for a Larger Cause, This is an annual benefit for Say Si, a local organization that is committed to creating an arts-related environment for the city's youth. Say Si has visual arts, media arts and theatre programs for middle and high school students. The exhibit will open this Friday, February 5th from 6-9 pm. All artwork in the exhibition will be part of a silent auction on February 26.

In Round Top, the Copper Shade Tree will feature work by 24 Texas fiber artists. Juried by Liz Axford, the show includes four pieces from each artist. Three other San Antonio artists are featured in the exhibit, Laura Ann Beehler, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Martha K. Grant. The opening reception is this Friday from 5-9 pm. Round Top is a quaint town and perfect for a weekend getaway. The show runs through March 7th.

Cloth to Dye For

I've been looking forward to teaching a week long workshop, Cloth to Dye For, at a retreat center that was scheduled to open in Florida this year. Unfortunately, they weren't able to meet all the state and local requirements, so the center won't open. I had that week blocked off on my calendar and several people were interested, so I'll be teaching the workshop at ArtCloth Studios in San Antonio instead.

The workshop focuses on a variety of ways to add color to cloth with fiber reactive dyes. Those new to dyeing will learn the basics of working with fiber reactive dyes and more experienced dyers will have an opportunity to combine techniques to create a surface rich with depth. Participants will choose a color palette for the week, and will gain an understanding of how those colors work together in a variety of techniques, including immersion, painting, pouring, and dripping. The workshop will also cover the use of thickened dyes and everyday objects to build a complex surface suitable for use in other projects or that can stand alone as a piece of artcloth.

If the sound of a week playing with dyes in warm, sunny San Antonio sounds appealing, you can find out more information on my website.