Linger

How long did it take you to make that?

2010-06-11T10:30:00.003-05:00

I get this question just about every time and every where my work is exhibited. And it's terribly difficult to answer. Because, well, because it is. It's much easier to describe the process by which a piece is completed. So here are some photographs documenting my newest work. Please understand that some of the fabrics have been dyed or discharged months ago, even years ago. They come jumping out of drawers and boxes at times like this.

Day 1
Collecting a pile of fabric: literally, a pile of fabric on the floor. Fabric and a piece of netting from a antique hat. So do all my old friends recognize that red and yellow striped fabric? That's all that's left of "YARDS" purchased at Quilt's Plus about 20 years ago.

Day 4
Moving to the design wall to begin composing. Pins and static electricity hold everything together. Very few fabrics are cut to the desired shape here. Most are folded and scrunched into some sort of position.

Day 7
The scariest part of all: cutting into the fabric.

Day 10
Finally, a needle in thread gets in on the action. Pieces are hand sewn to the foundation fabric.

This is by no means close to completion. Stay tuned.

More Twirling

2010-03-31T07:39:00.002-05:00

A solar system music box. Via Coudal.

Satellites 101

2010-03-09T18:47:00.002-06:00

A beautiful documentary and boy "Does it Twirl!" And while you are there, check out some of the other design work by This is Real Art. Just wonderful

Madden Arts Center

2010-03-07T08:10:00.019-06:00

It's always wonderful to see one's work hanging in a gallery. But it's even more wonderful to see it surrounded by other beautiful work. The Fiber by 5 exhibit in Decatur, Illinois is no exception.

Curator Sue Powell researched and "discovered" five fiber artists from Illinois and Missouri. That's not unusual. What was a bit different for her was that all this researching and discovery took place on the internet. In my case, she googled fiber artists in Illinois and came across my website. A lucky thing for me.

And here we all are at the opening last Friday night. From left to right: me, BJ Parady, Sue Powell, David Johnson, Leandra Spangler. Peggy Wyman was unable to attend the opening.

Sue reported that as the work for the show came in and was unpacked, it became apparent that hanging the show was going to be a real treat. The various pieces of art seemed to resonate with each other.

Pine needle and gourd sculpture by Peggy Wyman
Mixed media by Ann Miller Titus

Reed and paper vessel by Leandra Spangler
Quilt by BJ Parady

The results? A exhibit of five very different interpretations of fiber art arranged in spectacular vingettes.

Leandra Spangler: Reed and paper vessel

David Johnson: Sculptural tapestries

Ann Miller Titus: Quilt

BJ Parady: Quilts

Leandra Spangler: Vessel

Ann Miller Titus: Mixed media

BJ Parady: Quilts

Leandra Spangler: Vessel

Peggy Wyman: Pine Needle Sculpture

Leandra Spangler: Vessel

Ann Miller Titus: Quilts and Mixed Media

The exhibit runs through March 30. So if you get the chance, go take a look.

Madden Art Gallery

2010-02-28T20:49:00.002-06:00

Fiber by 5 opens this Friday, March 5 at the Madden Art Gallery in Decatur, Illinois. And the first map of 2010 makes its debut.

Fine Line Creative Arts Center

2010-02-14T11:13:00.001-06:00

More pictures from the Fine Line exhibit are here.

Opening March 5, 2010

2010-02-14T10:52:00.002-06:00

Fiber by 5 at the Madden Art Gallery, Decatur, Illinois.

Catching Up

2010-02-14T10:45:00.001-06:00

It's been a time for catching up. The "warming" following January's extreme cold encouraged me to haul the last of the Christmas decorations to the attic. A few hours here and a few hours and a portion of the house is clean. Most importantly, the sewing room was straightened up and I began working on a brand new piece.

So now a minute to catch up on the Fine Line show in St. Charles, Illinois.

Subzero temperatures and a foot of snow kept the audience to a minimum at the opening. BJ and I were grateful to have the few visitors that did brave the weather and for the opportunity to talk with them about our work. We also had the opportunity to make a short film about the work in this show.

This show was based around our work with transfer dyes. These are dyes that work only on polyester fabric. We use them as a tool for printmaking. We paint the dyes onto paper, let it dry, and then transfer the dye from the paper to polyester with heat (an iron). The colors that will transfer are limited, but what is available for that application are vibrant. And there is always the possibility of mixing dyes before they are applied or producing additional hues by transferring colors on top of each other.

BJ introduced me to the transfer dyes several years ago. I was sceptical at first. I did not like working with polyester. But I experimented with a few pieces and incorporated some into some works with other fabrics. The polyester issue faded away in light of the painterly qualities that could be obtained with the transfer dyes. But I wasn't happy with the results of seaming two pieces of polyester. It just does not lay flat or hold a crease.

Then two years ago, I saw a fiber piece at Art Saint Louis that had been collaged. And that gave me the idea to GLUE these lovely pieces of dyed polyester. And voila, an entire body of work ensued.

Most of the work that I have done over the past two years has been based on this technique. I have a collection of dyed fabrics, the exhausted dyed papers, and several bags of scraps. The fabrics and papers are cut and torn and positioned onto a background of canvas. When the composition pleases me, I glue them down to the canvas with matte medium. When all is dry, they are ready for some embellishment: more layering, stitching and oftentimes paint. They the pieces are matted and framed.

I have loved the results. But I am aching for more quilting. So I have pivoted away from the glue and am experimenting with similar compositions can be expressed through piecing and applique.

Opening Tomorrow

2010-01-07T21:48:00.003-06:00

BJ Parady and I will be exhibiting at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles, Illinois.

Other World Maps

2009-11-09T10:38:00.003-06:00

Mars

Eduard Imhof

2009-11-06T10:55:00.002-06:00

Consider me inspired.

The Sound of Music II

2009-11-02T13:39:00.000-06:00

The movie trailer is completed.

Cul de Sac

2009-10-30T12:44:00.004-05:00

I might have titled this post "Even more new" but in fact, this piece has been in the works for several months. It has been the source of much consternation. It was thrown to the bottom of a pile of discarded ideas and concepts that go awry. But BJ said not to throw it away. So I did not. It was good advice.

I completed the piece last night and didn't go to bed until after it was laundered. Any quilt maker knows just how incredibly wonderful it is to pull a quilt out of the dryer. Extensive stitching through the layers creates such wonderful texture. But that texture is heightened with the bit of shrinking that takes place with laundering and heat. The result is no less than spectacular.

So at 1:30 this morning, as I stepped out of the laundry room, I fell in love with this piece. It's quickly becoming one of my all time favorites.

(You should be able to click on the image for a closer view)

Back in August...

2009-10-29T12:21:00.002-05:00

A slide show from my exhibit at John Wood Community College back in August.

Regarding Both Particle and Wave

2009-10-29T10:34:00.001-05:00

THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER from THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER team on Vimeo.

All About Nancy

2009-10-27T23:11:00.002-05:00

Last April we took a vacation to Arizona. Being the internet addict that I am, I headed over to the public library one afternoon to catch up on the news and to collect our emails. We had gotten some mail from a friend in Lafayette, Indiana. She told us that she was working on a fundraiser for a local not-for-profit. This fundraiser was an art auction. And someone had donated a very old portrait to be auctioned off. Brenda had picked up the portrait and had found information taped to the back. The woman in the portrait was Nancy Barton Titus. She had homesteaded with her husband Stephen Titus in Boone County, Indiana in 1832.

Now our friend knew some of the history of Jim's family. So she had emailed us, curious that maybe this was a relative of Jim's. We immediately forwarded her email to Jim's dad in Indiana. And after several other emails, phone calls, and references to the family Bible, we determined that Nancy Barton Titus was Jim's great, great, great grandmother.

We called our friend and told her that we wanted the portrait and would be bidding on it from Arizona by phone. She told us that she had contacted the woman who had donated the portrait to tell her that Nancy Barton Titus's family may have been located. The owner of the portrait demanded that the painting be pulled from the auction. She wanted the family to have it.

So after some negotiating, we agreed to purchase the portrait with the money going to the not-for-profit. Our friend took the portrait to Jim's dad. And we picked it up from him last month.

It's a wonderful portrait done in pastels. It's in mint condition. And we are so lucky to have it!

More about Nancy soon.

Make Over

2009-10-27T23:09:00.001-05:00

After making a total mess of my website, I started all over. It needed to be updated anyway. So go take a look: www.annmillertitus.com

More New

2009-10-23T00:06:00.003-05:00

Preparing for Jacksonville

2009-10-20T22:25:00.006-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at the first of six new pieces that I'm preparing for a show at the David Strawn Art Gallery in Jacksonville, Illinois. The show runs from November 7 - 29, 2009 with an opening reception on Saturday, November 7 from 6-8 pm. My work will be shown along with glass artist Jesse England and purse makers "Helen's Daughters". Should be an interesting mix.

Done

2009-09-30T23:50:00.002-05:00

Time Travel

2009-09-30T22:48:00.004-05:00

Some of the world's oldest living things. And be sure to check out Rachel Sussman's blog.

Food for thought

2009-09-11T21:17:00.001-05:00

Check out the wonderful work by Kellyann Burns. Her palatte is delicious.

Ten Days...

2009-07-28T10:43:00.002-05:00

Until the John Wood Show Opens.

Unbelievable Covers

2009-07-27T11:35:00.004-05:00

Many years ago, I had the surreal experience of witnessing a polka band covering "Roxanne" by the Police. It was jaw dropping. And I thought it may have been the most incredible cross genre cover ever. Until now.

Recycle

2009-07-24T09:24:00.002-05:00

Recycling deaccessioned museum textiles.

Ink Calendar

2009-07-17T10:23:00.003-05:00

"The calendar enhances the perception of time passing and not only signaling it. The aim of the project is to address our senses, rather than the logical and conscious brain."

Birthday Treats

2009-07-17T08:36:00.006-05:00

When I was little, people brought treats to school on their birthday. Having a birthday in the summer, I didn't get to do that. I was always sad about that. In lieu of cupcakes or cookies, here's my treat for you.

New Work

2009-07-16T15:28:00.003-05:00

More at my website: www.annmillertitus.com

Pour Madame

2009-07-14T10:01:00.001-05:00

Brand X Economy

2009-07-09T17:34:00.000-05:00

Does this qualify as a paradigm shift?

Hannibal Alliance Gallery

2009-07-01T21:45:00.002-05:00

I hung several pieces at the Hannibal Alliance Gallery this afternoon. I am the "featured artist" for the month of July. Each month, the gallery hosts a "Second Saturday" open house. So I hope to see you all there on July 11, from 5:00 until 8:00 pm.

Without Comment

2009-06-29T22:34:00.002-05:00

Overheard at the art faire: "Why would I pay $200 for something to just hang on the wall?"

Noted at Fireworks store in Missouri that same day: lots of people spending hundreds of dollars.

be afraid.

2009-06-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

2009 Pins

2009-06-24T07:34:00.006-05:00

Every year I make a new series of pins to sell at the Midsummer Arts Faire. I am loving this year's edition. Now if the glaze will just dry!

And half of each pin sale gets donated to Cornerstone.

New work

2009-06-23T14:29:00.003-05:00

See the rest of the quilt at the Midsummer Arts Faire this weekend.

Fast and Furious

2009-06-20T09:48:00.003-05:00

A storm swept through town yesterday bringing heavy rain and a WIND that was clocked at 70 MPH. I say wind in the singular because one particular strong "gust" did damage all over town, including a tree in our neighbor's back yard. There are trees down everywhere, the roof was blown off the ready mix shop building, and lots of electrical lines down with the associated power outages. And an entire wall was blown off the back of a building downtown. Hard to imagine how that happened.

Neighbor Larry, the tree man, will be busy for weeks.

Seraphine

2009-06-10T08:17:00.001-05:00

Just beautiful.

Edward Tufte and UP

2009-06-10T08:07:00.004-05:00

Watch for the homage to Edward Tufte during the credits of "Up". Just too funny.

"We are all...

2009-06-07T00:17:00.003-05:00

half garbage and half marvel."

Venn Diagram of Social Media

2009-06-05T08:35:00.002-05:00

Love this

Tomorrow's Breakfast

2009-05-31T20:09:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of Neighbor Donna's strawberry patch

Memory aides

2009-05-31T10:03:00.002-05:00

I am working on a new piece: no glue involved. I've been wanting to get back to applique. The problem is that working somewhat improvisationally, I audition various shapes on the background until I get the composition just right and then have to remove them all in order to sew. And there is no way I can remember where everything was positioned. And I hate marking the background so tracing around the shapes is not the best option. So I'm taking digital images, printing the image, and using that as my guide.

I am thinking that if I strap a camera to my forward and click away throughout the day perhaps I can remember where I have put things.

At the Bowling Alley

2009-05-29T21:31:00.003-05:00

My mother found this picture today and sent it to me. Taken at the T and C Bowl in Carthage. I'm the youngest one in the group. Mom thinks that it must have been Easter Sunday as I am very DRESSED. But I think she dressed me like that most of the time. Wish I still that that little purse that I'm holding!

Sorry I'm Late

2009-05-29T08:55:00.002-05:00

I'll be considering this the next time it takes Avery an hour to get dressed.

Sorry I'm Late from Tomas Mankovsky on Vimeo.

Thirteen Flags

2009-05-24T10:18:00.003-05:00

Sometime Thursday afternoon, some kind soul left a banner of thirteen flags on our front porch for Avery's birthday. The usual suspect (Ruth) has said it was not her. So, as Avery says, it remains a mystery. I imagine we will figure it out as time goes on. I just have to look for these fabrics in someone's quilt! I could also do a forensic analysis of the stitching done on the flags and try to match it to someone's sewing machine. Or it would be easiest if the seamstress would simple fess up so she could be properly thanked!

In any case, they look beautiful and we plan to leave them up all summer.

A perfect birthday

2009-05-21T20:29:00.005-05:00

A pearl necklace fit for a princess from Faith, Dick and Laurel.

A delicious dinner.

A set of 13 flags from an anonymous friend

Perfect.

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-14T00:02:00.002-05:00

It is really difficult to get a picture of Avery looking at the camera. Usually that's a cue for her to scrunch up her face in some sort of fake smile. And because I am generally the picture taker, I have maybe a handful of pictures of us together. So imagine how pleased I was to see how this turned out! A very nice Mother's Day present, indeed.

oh no

2009-05-13T09:43:00.001-05:00

Facebook.

More Brand New

2009-05-10T22:10:00.003-05:00

Brand New

2009-05-10T12:36:00.002-05:00

Canton Area Arts Council Exhibit

2009-05-09T09:25:00.008-05:00

Notes to self following an opening reception:

Don't schedule it the night of Baccalaureate at a small town college.
Learn some Finnish.
If someone asks how I achieved such a sophisticated color pallet without any formal training, refer to this.
Remember names that are dropped: here, and here, and here.
People who arrive late just may buy something, so stick around.

Higher Resolution Movie Here

Topography of Money

2009-03-24T08:26:00.003-05:00

From tsilli, "This series is about the topography of money in human consciousness, the constant parade of numbers in everyday life."

Just wonderful.

Unbelievable

2009-03-15T14:09:00.002-05:00

If I had not been there, I would not believe it. But I indeed, I was there to see it. And luckily, someone with a video camera has captured it happening in another time and place.

We had dinner out a few nights ago at a local restaurant called The Pier. It is, as the name would imply, built out over the Mississippi River. Across the narrow channel in this part of the river is a small island. And while it's a bit late in the season, bald eagles are still nesting there.

Initially we saw one eagle fly from one tree to another. Then a second eagle flew out of the trees with the first in pursuit. They passed at each other out over the river, then passed at each other a second time as they swooped down near the water. This time, one was hit by the other and it went down, right in the middle of the channel.

We were horrified. The bird was nowhere to be seen and we assumed that it was drowning. After about a minute, one wing popped out of the water. Then a second wing. By that time, everyone in the restaurant was watching. And I was thinking we might have to call a local veterinarian who keeps a shelter for large birds. But then, that bird started swimming. It's wings were executing some sort of a butterfly stroke, coming up out of the water at the same time and then circling back down into the river. It swam fast. And with determination. Even against flow of the channel which was mighty after several days of rain. It made it to a log just off the shore of the island and pulled itself onto the log. The eagle sat there for 10 minutes and then awkwardly, flew to a tree on shore. We lost track of it after that.

Evidently, this is not unusual. Often, eagles will catch a fish so large that they are unable to take flight out of the water and rather than let the fish go, they will swim with the fish to shore. But we never saw a fish. So maybe it was stunned. I don't know enough about how territorial these birds are or if they will fight each other when mating or nesting. But in any case, it was amazing.

Spring

2009-03-15T14:04:00.004-05:00

Centerpiece for Cornerstone's Annual Dinner

New Toy... Er, I mean Tool.

2009-03-15T13:58:00.003-05:00

A neat color scheme generator at http://colorschemedesigner.com/

Titus T Shirts

2009-03-15T13:19:00.002-05:00

Avery had a friend over yesterday and we dyed T shirts. We think they turned out great! Now she's planning on setting up a T-Shirt stand and even has the sales call down: "Titus T Shirts for sale! Get your Titus T Shirts right here! Ding, Ding, Ding!
Get your T Shirts here!"

I thought the bell was a nice touch.

2009-03-15T13:06:00.002-05:00

I have been working on a commission piece for the local Unitarian Church. It's much larger than anything that I've done in several years (4' by 6') so it's been fun adjusting my brain to that scale. Here's a peek into how it's going:

The sketch

The hand dyed fabric on the design board

The uncompleted top

It has also been fun working from a sketch. I have improvised for so long that I've had to remind myself over and over, "Oh yeah, just go back to the sketch" when I think something needs to be changed.

On this day...

2009-01-19T09:52:00.001-06:00

Validation

2009-01-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

Mary S. Oakley Area Artists Showcase

2008-11-19T07:18:00.005-06:00

"Up to the Barn" received a second place award in the Mary S. Oakley Area Artists Showcase at the Quincy Art Center last weekend. Also juried into that show was Skirt and Blouse 08.4

Both of these works began with the disperse dying process. Dyed fabrics were then collaged onto canvas with other fabrics and the dye papers. They are embellished with machine and hand stitching and paint.

Fired up? Ready to go!

2008-11-04T13:01:00.001-06:00

At the polls today

2008-11-04T12:50:00.001-06:00

Avery pointed to Obama's name on the ballot, smiled, looked at me and said, "Yes we can."

Come gather round people...

2008-11-04T12:47:00.001-06:00

While we wait...

2008-10-28T11:30:00.002-05:00

Electoral Maps from 1789 through 2004

Bone Conduction

2008-10-23T08:26:00.003-05:00

Back in the days when I was an audiologist, the concept of conducting sound through the bones of the body was a routine procedure during hearing evaluations, especially when working with deaf children who generally FELT the vibration generated by loud sounds. But the idea always seemed a bit creepy and listening to something that was not traveling through the air but through my skull always made me uneasy.

Here is an art/history installation that employs that ability of our skeleton.

"Change begins when we believe...'

2008-10-19T10:14:00.001-05:00

Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

Stolen...

2008-10-17T16:00:00.001-05:00

My Obama/Biden yardsign.

"...you have to spend time with the work..."

2008-10-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

Singing Sand

2008-09-29T23:07:00.005-05:00

So if buildings can make music, then surely sand can sing!

New Work

2008-09-29T23:03:00.005-05:00

Several new pieces are up at the website: in preparation for this weekend's show in Saint Louis.

And there's more

2008-08-18T18:24:00.002-05:00

Where's David Byrne?

2008-07-28T14:35:00.002-05:00

Playing a building in New York. So very, very cool.

Midsummer Arts Faire

2008-07-02T15:42:00.002-05:00

Best of Show!

What a lot of rain can do.

2008-06-12T22:44:00.003-05:00

Three years ago I put in a shade garden at the back of the house. I pilfered most of the plants from friends and neighbors and laid two small stone walks: one leading to the back yard swing and one to the neighbors to the south of us. I mail ordered some Iris Moss to plant in between the stones. It arrived looking sad and smelling even worse. But I planted it none the less. It was completely dead in two weeks.

Not to be outdone, the next year I purchased some from a local nursery. It lasted about as long. Shortly after it withered, a neighbor offered some Creepy Jenny. Of course, it took off like a weed and popped right out again this spring.

But last week I noticed some strange fluff trying to make its way through the Creeping Jenny. I looked more closely and saw that it was growing in several places between the stones. Interestingly enough, it seems the Irish Moss has decided to make an entrance. We'll see if it can hold its own.

New Work

2008-06-07T20:47:00.001-05:00

Lots of new things at my website.

Yes We Can

2008-05-25T13:30:00.003-05:00

"But I also began to realize that I wasn’t just helping other people. Through service, I found a community that embraced me; citizenship that was meaningful; the direction I’d been seeking. Through service, I discovered how my own improbable story fit into the larger story of America.

Each of you will have the chance to make your own discovery in the years to come. And I say “chance” because you won’t have to take it. There’s no community service requirement in the real world; no one forcing you to care. You can take your diploma, walk off this stage, and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should by. You can choose to narrow your concerns and live your life in a way that tries to keep your story separate from America’s.

But I hope you don’t. Not because you have an obligation to those who are less fortunate, though you do have that obligation. Not because you have a debt to all those who helped you get here, though you do have that debt.

It’s because you have an obligation to yourself. Because our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Because thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential and discover the role you’ll play in writing the next great chapter in America’s story."

Excerpt from a speech given on March 25, 2008 at Wesleyan University in Connecticut by Senator Barack Obama.

Happy Birthday, Avery!

2008-05-20T21:46:00.002-05:00

When we left the hospital with Avery nearly 12 years ago, the staff stuck her bedside charts in our bags. The charts consist of two pieces of card stock, tri-folded. One side provides an area for identifying information. The other side is lined out to provide nursing staff with a small area to make daily notes about the infant's care. This chart begins on May 22, 1996, the day Avery was admitted to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics and ends 163 days later, on October 31, 1996, the day she was released. The notes tell a rather grim story for the first 100 days: days spent "chasing" her. "Chasing" is the word they used for keeping her alive and as stable as possible. The final 63 days show a bit more optimism. While certain serious setbacks were encountered, her survival was more certain those last two months.

But at some time early on, one of the staff drew a picture for Avery on her chart. With red pen, they illustrated a sunny, outdoor scene, complete with flowers and trees. And between two trees is a child, sitting in a swing. It's a child-like drawing, but prophetic as swinging has been and remains one of Avery's favorite pastimes. It is obligatory, like eating or sleeping.

So as I prepare for the birthday festivities tomorrow, I am again reminded of our good fortune, of the depth of Avery's courage and strength, and the power of positive thinking.

Happy Birthday Sugar Pop!

New Movie on Hand Applique: Turning a Point

2008-04-19T22:00:00.001-05:00

Inspire

2008-04-09T09:39:00.003-05:00

Color schemes from album covers: from Listropolis.

Frank Lloyd Wright

2008-04-08T22:09:00.001-05:00

Mike Wallace (and his cigarette) interview Frank Lloyd Wright.

Shameless Self Promotion

2008-04-08T22:01:00.005-05:00

After listening to a story on NPR this morning about search engines I decided to see if my YouTube video on hand quilting would come up on a Google search. So I googled "Hand Quilting Demonstration" and look at the first hit! That's me. (Click to enlarge the screenshot.)

Come on people!

2008-04-03T22:32:00.000-05:00

Architecture as Protest

2008-03-28T14:08:00.003-05:00

Drawing submitted for the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Self Measurement

2008-03-27T22:04:00.004-05:00

Treasure Island, Florida 1962

For a number of years, I made it a point to read Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and found, just as the author of this article did, the lines, phrases and stories that captured my attention in 1975 were very different from those that had meaning twenty five years later. And how I'd love to return to the hotel and beach where we vacationed as children! If, "the regular re-experience of certain buildings can be a kind of emotional or intellectual marathon for the people who come back to experience them" what insight might we gain into Avery's need to visit the same places (store, aisle, and merchandise) each time we are out shopping? It's easy to label that need as obsession, but might she, in fact, be measuring her physical and emotional self?

Avery's World

2008-03-21T17:02:00.003-05:00

For a peek into Avery's corner of the world, where there is a musical production for EVERYTHING, check out this video of impromptu theater.

From my brother Scott

2008-03-09T11:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-13T21:31:00.009-06:00

A number of years ago, my mother found a box at an estate sale: "Material for Making Lace Valentines: Whitneys Valentine Material". The copyright date was 1920 from the Geo. C. Whitney Co. in Worcester, Massachusetts. It also bore the label of Marshall Field and Company, Chicago, Illinois.

Inside the box were three intricate embossed, 3 dimensional valentines in wonderful condition.

I just recently decided to do a little internet research and I'm even more confused than when I started. The box seems to have once held the supplies to make paper valentines, but the illustrations on the box do not seem to represent the ornate cards that were found inside. In fact, the valentine above bears the distinctive stamped, red H suggesting to me that it is a valentine from Esther Howland. Miss Howland, it seems was a competitor of Mr. Whitney. But in 1881, she sold her business to George.

I'm suspecting that the box was used to simple house much older valentines. But I'll keep looking!

Regardless, they are such a treat this time of year.

Yes. We. Can.

2008-02-02T22:04:00.000-06:00

Under Construction

2008-01-26T17:40:00.000-06:00

It was back to the studio this week to play with some ways to incorporate more mapping with a collage process using matte medium and fabric. I saw a piece by Summer Farrar at Fiber Focus in St. Louis this Fall using that technique and it has dominated my imagination since then.

Mimi by Summer Farrar 2006

And more recently, I've been studying these maps by Mary Armstrong. So I have been adhering transfer prints using disperse dyes to a base canvas.

The first two were combined with some of the exhausted transfer papers. The channeling you see was the result of the paper shrinking and distorting when it became wet from the matte medium. The third piece has no paper and there was less distortion and bubbling. I want to be able to use papers, however, and will try the same technique with gel medium to see if the paper responds more favorably.

The next step is to stitch these. I tried a bit and the machine plows right through the layers but I have a feeling it won't be that easy when I try any more extensive "quilting".

There are some large pieces in the works too. I transfered dye from chart paper. It was a bit clumsy to iron, but doable. Stay tuned.

Change

2008-01-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

Photo by Alan Chin

January 5, 2007

Concord New Hampshire

Christmas Eve 2007

2008-01-14T22:41:00.001-06:00

With all the hustle and bustle, there has been little time for blog posting. But we did make time to enjoy a most remarkable full moon right around Christmas. We watched it rise early in the evening, accompanied by Mars and for two mornings in a row, it winked at us through the kitchen window.

Book Covers

2008-01-14T22:34:00.001-06:00

Qassim Sabti

Book Cover & Collage

2004

Absolutely stunning maps

2008-01-14T22:19:00.001-06:00

From Mary Armstrong:

ARTiculate

2007-12-17T20:11:00.000-06:00

One of the most radical things you can do in this culture of the inexact is to finish a sentence. Notice what a vibrant act in the world this can be. Feel the power of finishing a sentence. And yet, it is difficult to finish a sentence. Worlds conspire against it. Listen to people speaking around you. Inarticulate people are not dangerous to any political or societal systems. Political agenda has conspired against a citizen's ability to speak. Words are dangerous and they can be powerful. It takes effort and stubbornness to finish a sentence.

[snip]
Learn to be articulate, discover your own words, and describe what you believe in. Stand up and articulate what you are rather than what you are not. These activities will give greater force to the way your art meets the world; it will alter the way you frame the world and it will help to define and describe what could be. The performance of articulation is a positive action in the world. It will cause change.

--Anne Bogart, And Then, You Act (Routledge, 2007)

Oh my

2007-11-01T20:04:00.000-05:00

Avery thinks this is funny. But she does NOT want one for Christmas.
(thank goodness)

Halloween 2007

2007-10-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

Head on a Platter

The Scullery Maid, the Pirate Jack Sparrow, and the Chef

The Chef and the entree

The Pumpkin House

2007-10-29T17:01:00.000-05:00

Kenova, West Virginia

Compare and Contrast

2007-10-27T16:20:00.001-05:00

Richard Misrach Untitled 696-05m, 2005

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 2007

Time to Wake Up!

2007-10-26T10:40:00.000-05:00

Obsessed!

2007-09-08T22:26:00.001-05:00

The new iMac came with an updated version of iLife that included a program for creating a website. A quick click and your off publishing kind of website. But as usual, I've become obsessed with getting things just right and of course the available templates don't do exactly what I want, and friend Barb who has written her own site in HTML (Yikes) has been providing some great advice. And so instead of sleeping, I've been fiddling and here's what I've come up with. Enjoy!