October is better anyways...

Ok, September was one of those months where your entire life decides to go crazy. It's not like anything gets better or worse, but it's a mega tectonic shift to the right or left that you totally didn't expect. This is why I haven't written the entire month of September. Last month, I had to tackle creating and sending out wedding invitations, moving to a room in a house from a one bedroom apartment, getting new bosses and a new office, and running down to CO to work on my wedding dress. Plus, there was three art events to attend in town. Madness, shear madness. Now I look back on it and think, "dang, how did you get it all done?" Well, maybe the big secret was coffee. I've started drinking coffee again - moderately but it's because someone has been putting little creamers in the break room, and I really can't resist. Coffee is really just a vehicle for cream and sugar anyways.

There have been some interesting things brewing this month in my artwork.  I've fully embraced this idea of fabric sculpture made out of felt. I've started two pieces and have plans for three more. I keep making these drawings and thinking about the texture and color and form. I'm really interested in trying to create vessels and I've come across mesh. which doesn't sound like much but I'm in love. There are amazing things to do - now all I need is time!

September has also been marked by my obsession with Project Runway and Fashion Weeks (like all of them) I've been religiously stalking "Tom and Lorenzo" and Vogue to look at everything that is coming down the runway. And there are so many cool things! New textures and shapes and inspirations. I've also been trying to funkify my work wardrobe and wearing more heels. It feels like a new period of inspiration. I'm getting ready for a new direction and it will be awesome!

At the moment there needs to be more work made. I'm looking into a studio, and trying to schedule some art time. I'm now living in a house with some other creatives (comic artist and a writer) and I really admire their dedication. They set aside time to work on their passions every day. How could I not do the same? This will take some thought,...a plan....a list! Eventually, the boat will stop rocking quite so much and I'll find some time for my creative endeavors.

Hopefully next time, pictures of all the works in progress.

The newest idea for a series of art necklace/collars/yokes..It's so fun to pin things on my mannequin - Each of the circles are hand stitched together with felt and the insides are metal grate. I can't wait to get it finished and try it on! 

Kinda want to start using my couch as a back drop now...who couldn't love it's hot pink textured-ness.

My Birthday Weekend

What does a fiber artist do on her birthday? She makes a duct tape dress form!

Doesn't it look awesome on my pink couch? Almost art by itself.

I've wanted to make a dummy of myself for a long time  - I just haven't ever had another person/enough time/or the materials all in one place. The boy and I woke up on Sunday morning and I knew that this is what I wanted to do. So we bought some tape and because he's a theater techie he already knew how to wrap the duct tape around to make the dummy.

We had a lot of laughs because I couldn't bend over because I wanted a neck on my dummy too. I had the hardest time getting a drink because my arms couldn't move very much with the duct tape on the shoulders. and boy was it hot! The duct tape keeps the heat from your body in and you get all sweaty. This is where I printed out my set of instructions, but the boy really just free formed it. There was a lot of unnecessary patting because the tape needed to "stick". After the taping was done, we stuffed it with batting and old pillow insides. I'm so excited to start using it. 

I also got M & N's wedding quilt bound this weekend. All I need to do now is buy a dowel and stitch on some sort of hanging device.

So many things happened this weekend! It's was almost too hard keep up. Saturday, I volunteered with the boy for Cheyenne's Plein Air event. I was escorting the judge around most of the morning between The Link Gallery and Deselms Fine Art. John Encinias was the judge. He was a very nice man and we had a good conversation about art and painting as I was shepherding him around. I like his paintings because he started out as an abstract painter and he doesn't do your typical mountain landscape paintings. I also like his more natural light and color. His paintings also have this lonely, hazy quality that make them almost surreal. After the judging I got to user people to the viewing and auction.

Taiwanese Inspiration

I was feeling really uninspired yesterday. Things have been a little topsy-tervy this week, thus I'm trying to  be inspiring today.

My fiances sister is leaving for China soon and I'm really intrigued by Chinese minority historical dress. And on top of this I get the Taiwan Review at work. It makes for a lot of stewing about Chinese design.

One of my favorite fashion collections (well, the one that I remember) was Chanel's Paris-Shanghai Metiers D'Arts collection 2009-2010. You can see all the slides at that link. I love the combination of eastern and western dress, along with the traditional Chinese jewelry accents.

Also, American Craft has an article on their website right now about Taiwanese artists/crafters. I'm jiving with the Asian aesthetic right now.