small progress

Machine stitching on vellum. All of the vessels are connected with jump stitches (loose threads that connect the stitching). I like the sketched quality of these and that you can see the jump stitches from the back as well.

Machine stitching on vellum.

Machine stitching on vellum.

Watercolor, tea and machine stitching. These vessels are also connected with jump stitches.

In progress. Tea and machine stitching with jump stitches connecting each vessel. I am going to go back into this one with watercolor and see how the loose threads affect it.

4 small postcards. Earth pigment, tea and machine stitching.

You might remember this one from the last post. I took out the read threads and appliquéd a tea bag over the tea stain.

vessels

I have been thinking a lot about the mind/body connection lately, how the mind has incredible control over the body, and how we are connected to everything around us. Here are a few things Ive been working on since Ive been here:

I was using the tea bag impression a lot this summer but didnt exactly know how to use it. Now I finally see how it fits.

For me, the tea bag impression represents the entire process of making the tea. Filling the tea kettle, listening for the gentle roll of the boil, steeping the tea bag and relaxing to enjoy a cup. It is very meditative and helps me slow down and re-balance myself. This is the psychological aspect.

The vessels are physical. Ive been seeing them as boats, but Im trying not to get locked into that just yet. They represent the body, the journey, and what physically connects us to the world and each other.

I am stitching over the tea impression, reinforcing the mark, creating physical connections. Sometimes I also collage with the tea bag.

In this piece there was another red line under the small boat but it looked unbalanced so I took it out. I like that the holes are still there, maybe a broken connection or a psychological connection.

I tried creating the “environment” or “atmosphere” by directly painting with watercolor. Meaning I was putting brush to paper using intentional strokes. This turned out horrible and I wanted a more indirect approach so that I wasnt in control and I could let things just happen. Now I am essentially doing a mono-print with the watercolors and I love the result. It reminds me of the irregularity of color in the stone here.

I would love to know what you think, please feel free to make comments and suggestions. What do you see? How do you feel we are connected to ourselves, our environment, and others? Feedback is more than welcome!

second round in paris

My second trip to Paris was very exciting. We went non-stop the entire time going to museums and site visits and just walking around the city.

As a disclaimer, the wordpress editor does not want to separate my pictures when I try to put space in between them, which is why everything is going to be a little close this time. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt, its a very fickle thing this wordpress editor. Anyways, on to the photos…..

Our first stop was Prell. They are a 5th generation weaving company.

They created the fabrics used in the Marie Antoinette movie from the original fabrics in their archives. All of the fabrics they produce now come from their archives. Their current exhibition is their Art Nouveau fabrics.

The Pompidu Center was having an Alberto Giacometti exhibit, one of my favorite artists.

He mostly used plaster but his figures look like they have been rusted.

Giacometti used his studio walls to work out his ideas. They are like pages from his sketchbook, he would draw and write all over the plaster walls. After he died, his studio landlord wouldnt renew the lease, so his wife had the walls removed so they could be preserved.

We also went to the Christian Lacroix exhibit at the Louvre. They had his pieces separated by color and pattern. My favorites were the Blancs.

The Greens.

Polka dot dress with lace.

A Paris metro station with beautiful painted graffiti on the walls.

Thats me freezing my tush off in front of Notre Dame.

Prayer candles inside Notre Dame. We happened to be there during mass so we sat for a little while and took communion. It was a very nice experience.

We went to Li Edelkoort, which is a trend forecasting studio. I wasnt allowed to take photos in the studio, so I took one in the bathroom. I liked the trough sink. We watched a presentation on trends and color forecasting for summer 2009. The studio and the trend books were amazing, I wish I couldve photographed them to show you.

A Paris street.

My feet on a Paris street.

After the rain, the trees had so many gorgeous colors.

On our last day we went to an antiques market. I got scolded a few times for taking photos. Oh well.

I couldnt read what the letters said, but I imagined them to be old love letters.

A suitcase full of buttons.

This was the sink in the Avignon train station. The left nozzle is the automatic soap dispenser, the middle is the automatic sink, and the right is the automatic hand dryer. Genius.

this just makes me laugh