Foggy Morning Walk in Mid December

The more time passes, the more I find I am drawn to this time of year. Especially on morning walks.

Home

I am always at home by the sea. Recently, I took a trip to Ocean City, Maryland with my mother. I had not been there since I was in middle school. We used to go during the fall and winter and stay at a hotel called The Princess Royale on the beach at 94th street with my grandmother who has since passed. To revisit these old memories, we stayed at the Princess, which is where the above photos were taken. We were both surprised by how beautiful the trip was and we often asked my grandmother if she was there.

Hands

Hands are my favorite things to make-possibly because I consider them to be the most difficult body part to get right. I am always having to remind myself not to 'fudge' the hands.

A tufted titmouse in the grass.

Kibibi

                                

This doll's hair is made using alpaca roving from Bell House Alpacas , a local farm just up the road in Parkton, Maryland. I really enjoyed working with the alpaca fiber, and have two additional brown colors. One of which is raw, so has a slightly different feel and texture, a bit more wild. She is dyed with sumi ink, and her skirt was dyed with avocado and then dipped in an iron after bath. Little glass beads adorn her skirt and wrist. 

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

 

 
From July 29 through July 3 I took a week long class at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. The class I was Islamic World Papermaking and Natural Dying and the teacher was Radha Pandey. Over the course of the week we learned the history of Islamic World Papermaking, with a focus on Indo Islamic papermaking techniques, how to make paper, and how to dye our paper using a variety of natural dyes.  Our paper was either a mix of cotton/abaca or flax/abaca, abaca also being called Manilla Hemp. We dyed a batch of each type of pulp with indigo, so we had indigo dyed papers that we could then dye again should we choose. I found myself more drawn to the cotton/abaca blend. The natural dyes available for our use were logwood, brazilwood, osage, fustic, and coffee, and either an iron or alum mordant. We sized the papers externally with either egg whites to give a high shine when burnished or a wheat starch paste.  Above are examples of class paper hanging on the line to dry, and my own personal finished papers. This was a wonderful class!

Not only did I value the class time, but I also enjoyed spending a lot of my days/nights in the library. I researched folk art, Islamic art, and read Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers, a book I've been meaning to read for awhile.

Spring Into Summer Blues

"Strangers" by May Sarton

Strength in Practice

Gracie was selected to be in the juried exhibition "Strength in Practice" on view now through July 21 at Waller Gallery and Gallery CA. Gracie is on view at Waller Gallery with some other incredible artists.

Making a Man

Lily

Lily

Rose and Violet

 

Rose. Her vintage napkin skirt is hand dyed in a avocado dye bath. Her tresses are synthetic violin bow hair.

 

Violet. Her skirt is made from muslin hand dyed in logwood. Her tresses are synthetic bow hair, too.
I've been loving making these dolls lately. Gracie is still my favorite, but I still like these two flowers.

Art Nouveau

I've recently been researching Art Nouveau because of a print I bought from the Kelmscott Bookshop that was printed with a woodblock made by William Morris. I read this article, What is Art Nouveau?, among other sources, that does a nice job laying out and explaining the movement with timelines and influences. I had not known of the relation of the ukiyo-e and Art Nouveau. The idea of the world of ukiyo was important to me in college. I also had designed a potential sculpture for a public park in St. Augustine, Florida directly inspired by my research into Gaudi's work in particular. I have both my BA and BFA in Fine Art from Flagler College. Flaglers' grounds include the old Ponce de Leon hotel that Henry Flagler built, that features window designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The hotel, as one would imagine, shows Art Nouveau influence. It is nice when things spiral together.

Louis Majorelle, late 19th century, fruit wood with marquetry, 50 x 27 1/2". Nancy, France. The Walters Art Museum.

The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, or Girl Diver and Octopuses, Diver and Two Octopuses. Hokusai, woodblock print, 1814. 19 x 27cm. 

Poster for La Trappistine,Alphonse Mucha, color lithograph, 1897. 206 x 77cm. The Mucha Foundation.

The Story of Cupid and Psyche, William Morris, Illustrated by Edward Burne-Jones, London: Clover Hill Editions at the Rampart Lions Press, 1974. The print I mentioned from the Kelmscott Bookshop here in Baltimore.