Advent Commission - Stretching/Growing Pains!

Ever have that feeling that it's time to move on from the old to something new and not know exactly what that is?  This year has been all about that feeling in the life of Judy Connor Jones. In March I began a process of taking a look at what I have done for 27 years with the business of Judy Connor Jones and pondering (more like searching) where I am going next. It's a daunting task to move from the familiar to the unknown and yet all the while knowing something new needs to happen. I've been working through Jane Dunnewold's on-line Creative Strength Training class which has given me the freedom to play, explore, and process the next step. It also has given me the encouragement to step out and create new work in new areas. One of those areas is Ecclesiastical Installations. I've dabbled in this off and on for around 10 years.

This Advent season I had the chance to create work for First Congregational Church in Madison, CT.  This was the first time I have ever been approached to do this type of work on a commission basis in a church where I am not a member or attend. This was HUGE! They were actually going to pay me! So early in the year when I was contacted and asked if I would create 2 panels with a contemporary looking star on them for Advent, I said "Yes. I can do that!" OK! Excited? YES! Did I know how I was going to achieve this? NO! But I was excited to begin the process of discovering how it was going to happen.

In July I took a trip to Madison to check out the sanctuary and where these panels were going to be hung. They were going to be installed in the front of the sanctuary and would be 4 feet wide by 15 feet long. Yikes! All of a sudden the enormity of the project hit me! How was I going to do this? Where was I going to do this?  How was I going to get the right prospective on the size of the star?

I wandered around the church and took lots of photos from all angles of the space where they would hang. I took photos from the front, sides, and back of the sanctuary to see how they might be viewed. Then I went home to figure out how this was going to happen!

The easy job was ordering supplies, fabric and paint. The hard part was finding a space to create the work. After some thought and measuring my studio space, I moved my looms and a few other equipment pieces to the side so I would have enough space to work in my studio. This proved to be more valuable than I thought. Naively I thought I would just prepare the fabric, lay it out on a table and paint the star! Presto done! Maybe two days to paint the stars, 2 days to prepare my studio, 2 days drying/curing time and another day to do finishes, hanging devices and instructions, along with other incidental work that needed to be done to complete the project. Boy, was I wrong!  It wasn't quite that easy.

 

I started making drawings from my photos, setting up the studio, and washing and ironing 30 feet of fabric on October 21. the project was completed on November15.  Granted I didn't work every waking hour but it took that long to work out all the steps I needed to go through to create the work. I was thinking and re-thinking each step. For instance, after the first panel was done it became a challenge to figure out how to create the second so it looked similar to the first. Since these were hand painted they couldn't possibly be exactly the same. I made that happen by using a carbon pencil, tracing the first star, then transferring the carbon markings to the second panel. It worked!!

                                                          

The greatest challenge was creating the star proportionally to the 4' x 15' dimensions of the panel and proportionally to the sanctuary size. Keep in mind that the largest panel I have ever done in a church was 2.5 feet x 11 feet. This project was double that size. And there were two of them! Also keep in mind that I am only 5 feet 3.5 inches tall! With the work flat on a very long extended table and having to walk around the table to paint across 4 feet of fabric, I soon discovered that it was hard to see the full prospective of how things were looking and if everything was going straight. I needed to figure out a way to see the full prospective. So periodically I moved the panels to view them draped down my studio steps.  This was the largest space in my house that could give me a better look at where I needed to extend, add, and/or in some cases, straighten rays.

Once both panels were painted, the dowels were prepared for hanging the work. Installation directions were written and off to Madison they went. I held my breath and hoped that everything would look good when installed.

Last weekend, the second weekend in Advent, my husband and I traveled back to Madison to see the panels in their new home. My wish was that they would inspire and in some way bring new light to the congregation's experiences during the Advent season. From the response I received when worshiping there last weekend, I would say my wish was fulfilled.

I'd like to close this blog post with a quote from the minister of the First Congregational Church, The Reverend Todd Vetter. I love the idea that the Star is reaching down touch and meet each of us.

"The Star has become synonymous with the Advent and Christmas seasons. We know the story of the Wise Men following it from the East, in search of a king newly born and carrying the promise of God with him. The light of the Star symbolizes more as well. The rays on the banner serve as a sign and reminder this season that God's light reaches down to meet us where we are and as we are, and to dwell among as Immanuel, God-with-us, God-forgive-us, and God-in-us.

Despite all the turmoil in the world today, May this Star be your Light this Holiday Season.

  

Weaving an Advent Art Journey - Week 2

What does weaving have to do with an Advent art journey? If you missed the answer to this and week one, I encourage you to check out the previous post, http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/2014/12/weaving-advent-art-journey.html .  This will give you some background info for this week's post.

Week Two in our Advent theme at Pilgrim Church was "Prepare the Way for Peace". We thought about ways we see signs of preparing the way for peace in our lives and the world.  Pretty current topic as we are bombarded everyday in the news with non-peaceful happenings around us. Are there things happening that are working toward Peace? Do we see signs of it in our lives? What ways are we working for Peace?  These are important and valid questions to reflect on. In thinking about these questions we are also preparing the way for the Christ Child.

Our thoughts were written on "paper straw" and then added to the manger as a symbol of the comfort and peace we both seek and find in this season of Advent.

As our journey continues, after coffee hour, we worked on getting the next elements ready.  Here's a few pictures of preparing the cloth which will be used on Sunday, December 14 as we think about "Preparing the Way for Joy".

Each week in Advent we will add to the installation as we think about preparing the way for Joy, and Love. The completion of the installation will be Christmas Eve.  Keep checking back to my blog and follow along on your own journey of preparation. Better yet, if you live near Duxbury, MA come join us! http://pilgrimchurchofduxbury.org

Weaving an Advent Art Journey

What does weaving have to do with an Advent art journey?  As an artist and a person of faith, I believe that a God who created humans in his/her image would also give each and everyone of us the ability to create.  I know what you're thinking, "I don't have a creative bone in my body! What is she talking about!" Too often I hear this from people as they admire my woven work or quickly respond to my suggestion that they might be creative also. However, I believe that everyone has this ability.  You may not be able to do what I do, but somewhere in the depths of your being there is a creative spot.  It just needs to be brought out.  That's where community comes in.

One very important community for me is within the church.  Several years ago as I sat in worship I thought about how art is used in churches. It seemed to be all visual, if there even was any art, and the design and implementation was relegated to the "Artists".  That bothered me and I began to think how art could be more than just something we look at while sitting in the pews.  So I developed what I call "Participatory Art in Worship".  At the church where I was a member at the time, the minister, music director, and myself formed a worship team. Together we led the worship attendees through a new creative involvement. It would be too lengthy to go into details in this post of the many installations we led but you can read more about them if you click on the side label Ecclesiastical Installations.  Here is one link but there are several others, http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/2010/03/ecclesiastical-installation.html. From these posts you can get an idea of how this art form developed over several years.

So that leads me to today and the work we are doing at Pilgrim Church in Duxbury, MA.  Advent is a time of preparation. Over the four weeks of Advent to help us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child we are using participatory art as a way to "Prepare the Way for Hope, Peace, Joy and Love" in our lives and the world. We are weaving (get the connection?!) a journey through word, thought, music, and art.

The first Sunday in Advent was Sunday, November 30.  The theme for our Advent Journey is "Prepare the Way of the Lord".  During the service, we reflected on where we see signs of HOPE as we prepare the way for hope in our lives and the world. In preparation of the Christ Child's arrival we are building a manger as the centerpiece of our installation. Each person in worship was asked to write their reflective word or phrase on a paper log which later we added to the manger.  The children during the Children's Time brought  driftwood (since Duxbury is an ocean town) as a symbol of building the manger.

After worship during the coffee hour our paper logs were added to the manger frame.  These written reflective thoughts are prayers which are offered as part of the manger. All were welcome to help attach the logs and the driftwood to the manger frame.

Each week in Advent we will add to the installation as we think about preparing the way for Peace, Joy, and Love. The completion of the installation will be Christmas Eve. I'll share pictures of the process and each week's installation.  Keep checking back to my blog and follow along on your own journey of preparation. Better yet, if you live near Duxbury, MA come join us! http://pilgrimchurchofduxbury.org

Mad River Valley Craft Fair

It's been over a year since I've done a craft fair.  I've had to deal with repetitive motion pain issues for the last two years.  I finally had to cut back on my work and then learn how to redirect the way I work and how I sell.  After physical therapy, a chiropractor, exercises, and being kind to my body I am able to return to the Mad River Valley Craft Fair this weekend.

This is one of my favorite places to go for a show.  The valley is always beautiful, no matter what the weather. Although I'm hoping for gorgeous days! The show is a fund raiser for the Valley Theater Players of Waitsfield.  It has a down home kind of feel, a throw back to the early days of craft shows. The quality of work is very good with many accomplished artists.

So if you are traveling in VT this weekend, stop by and visit the show.  I know you'll have a good time.  Visit me at booth T. See what new items I have, spice up your wardrobe for fall and winter, and get an early start on holiday shopping.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

See you at the Fair! I'll be outside enjoying the VT air!

Reflection, New Beginnings, and Possibilities

Close up of Triangular Shawl by Judy Connor Jones
Photographer - Mike Ritter, Ritterbin Photography

This year has been a year of reflection and new beginnings for me and my business.  It has been a year of growth and new directions.  The funny thing is, many times this happens as a result of struggle and disappointment.  Believe me, 2011 brought plenty of that!  But if it hadn't happened I would still be doing the "same old thing" and wondering why the business was struggling.  Taking this year, 2012, to rethink how I do things has been a blessing.  It hasn't all been easy as I tried new markets and shows  not knowing if they would be successful or not.  Financially I worried whether I would make enough to handle all the ongoing business expenses.  The economy didn't help as my costs rose and my buyers had their own financial concerns to worry about.

A friend reminded me that I have "Dwell in Possibilities" stenciled across my studio steps.  (Sometimes we need to be reminded of our own mantras!) So I returned to that mantra and realized, once again, that there are loads of possibilities out there.  I just have to grab on!

So 2012 has been a year of grabbing onto possibilities. Sometimes they work and other times they don't and may even fail miserably.  But think about it.  A failed possibility can be turned into a learning experience which then leads to another possibility. Hope abounds! I am the eternal optimist!

As a result of  my reflecting, rethinking, taking risks, and looking for the possibilities 2012 has turned out pretty good.  I took the financial risk to develop my website to be more than a "splash page".  I had new photography done. I designed new woven items.  I worked on my social media presence. And I approached a friend to produce some videos which I will be able to use on my website.  I began to think about other ways to sell my work and as a result I have representation in four galleries in different parts of the country.  As an artist I am learning how to partner with these galleries and new relationships are forming.  You can visit the websites of these galleries by going to my website, www.JudyConnorJones.com, and clicking on the  Shows and Events page. If you live in or visit any of those places please support these small businesses. They work very hard to display and sell artist's work. Many of them have Facebook pages so you can Like them and get news feeds about what's happen in their gallery.

Artist Exposure Gallery in Plymouth, MA

Next week is Thanksgiving and I have much to be thankful for.  As I look to 2013, I am full of possibilities for new designs and am thankful for the time I have had to rejuvenate my creative soul.  Most of all I am thankful that "Possibilities" always exist.  I ask for the wisdom to recognize them!

Wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and the gift of seeing the "Possibilities" around you.

Off to Another Show

Looking forward to heading north to VT for one of my favorite shows, Mad River Valley Craft Fair, www.madrivercraftfair.com.  Weather is looking good for this weekend.  Yeah! (Maybe I won't have to dry my canopy out in the back yard after I get back!)  The valley is beautiful this time of year.  VT has done a great job of recovering from Hurricane Irene which hit this time last year. Roads are in great shape and mud and debris has been removed.

The Craft Fair is the end event of Vermont's 2 week long Arts Festival. It is always well attended and a fun time for all ages - lots of food, good music, and of course, wonderful crafts made by talented artists.

So if you are looking for something to do over Labor Day Weekend, head north to VT and visit the show. Stop by my booth and tell me that you read my blog.  It's great to meet the people who follow me.

See you in Waitsfield at the Mad River Valley Craft Fair

New "Ruffled Scarf" design by Judy Connor Jones

Nature's Inspiration

The colors of sand, water, and the setting sun always inspire.
Siesta Key has some of the most beautiful sand in the world. It is made from white quartz which somehow year after year gets dumped in this spot. I am always awed by it's beauty. These are perfect colors to inspire me for my next round of work.

Vacation Inspirations

While on vacation, I try to include visiting local weaving shops, local fiber art galleries, and any thing art that might inspire me. I also am very observant of the colors around me and think about incorporating those colors in my weaving. After all, nature does color better than anyone! Visit my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/JCJonesFiberArt, to see the lovely yarns I bought while exploring a new yarn shop on vacation. I can't wait to use them with a new idea I have. Trouble with inspiration on vacation is I have to wait till I get home to do it! With new technology, I also spend time looking up inspiring links on the Internet. Having an I-Pad enables me to do this anywhere I go. Is that a blessing or a curse?! So in my perusing, I came across this video. I share it with you as a reminder of how women have played a significant role in the field of art throughout time. Hope it inspires all the women reading this to cherish the woman you are and all the men to love the women in their lives for all the contributions they make to a better world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUDIoN-_Hxs&feature=youtube_gdata_player May all your vacations be inspiring!

The Dog On the Loom Part 2

A few months ago I wrote about "the dog on the loom", http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/search?q=The+dog+on+the+loom, and explained what that meant. I was weaving a liturgical stole for my husband for the 40th year celebration of his ordination.  Well the day came and went and the stole was not completed. The celebration was in May and since we were entering the common time in the liturgical calendar he was not going to need the white stole until later in the year. Much later in the year - Christmas Eve!  Guess what! He needed it for tonight!  I am happy to say that the "dog on the loom" became the beautiful white and gold stole that my husband wore tonight. It was transformed - like magic (with a lot of patience and help from me)! Kinda like the transformation that happens on Christmas Eve.  To put it simply, a baby comes into the world in a lowly state and transforms it.  What a mystifiying and magical night! May the world and all who live in it be transformed once again.  O Holy Night!


Handwoven Stole - Christmas Eve



Sweden on the 4th of July

I had the experience of being out of the country on the 4th of July. It's a strange experience to be away on a special national holiday. The funny thing was we did celebrate in a very special way.  We have friends who live in Sweden and they have been our hosts while here.  Our families have stayed connected through the years. We have visited with each other (they have come to the US more times than we have gone to Sweden). We have met their friends and learned about each other's lives.  So on the 4th of July we had a picnic!  One of Ingemar and Kristina's friends is a transplanted American who is married to a Swede.  We went to their house and had a little touch of America in Sweden!  We had grilled hamburgers, chips, and strawberries along with some wonderful elderberry juice that they made from the flowers on the elderberry tree in their yard (that's the Swedish touch).  We played Bocci (not quite an American game) and had a great time.  What a special time to remember.

One of the highlights for me was seeing our Swedish friend's loom and her weaving. Elisabeth has a large (maybe 60") countremarche loom and she was weaving a beautiful blanket of yarn's she had hand dyed with natural dyes. It's interesting to me that weaver's share a common language and it doesn't take long to begin to talk pattern design, thread counts, and yarn diameters. (The world is not so big!) A weaver's signature is always there in the weaving hand of each person and is what makes each weaver's work special. It's so much fun to see another weaver's work and learn about their process.

So I share here some pictures from my wonderful 4th of July.  Hoping that you can share special holidays in new and interesting ways.

Elisabeth's Loom

Close up of Elisabeth's blanket

International Friends Celebrating

An Easter Art Journey

I wanted to share once again the post I wrote last Easter.  It was based on an Easter Art Installation at  First Baptist Church in Plymouth.  It's about journeys.  I share it again with hopes that your life journey will be fulfilling and blessed.
http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/2010/04/alleluia.html

First Snow Fall

The first snowfall of the season happened today and is still happening as I write!  The wind is blowing and the snow is coming down.  It looks so beautiful with all the Christmas lights lit on the houses along our street.

I was finishing up an order for a customer today and it was so nice to be warm inside looking out on the beautiful sight as I worked.  there is a peacefulness about falling snow.

Here are a few pictures from my studio window taken this morning.

Later this afternoon I took this picture from our kitchen, looking out our back deck.  You can see the snow flakes.



So it's really "beginning to look a lot like Christmas"!  Just in time for my family from Florida to arrive!

 Wishing you the Peacefulness of New Fallen Snow!

The Old Tavern

My husband and I spent Thanksgiving at The Old Tavern in Grafton, VT.  This has been a favorite place of ours for over 25 years.  When our family could not come for Turkey dinner this year, we decided not to sit around and have a pity party but instead headed up to Vermont.  It was just what we needed. The innkeepers were fabulous hosts.  We watched the parade in the Phelps Barn sitting by the fire and relaxing on the couches just as if it was our own home.  Jeff offered to tend the fire making it feel even more like home! We had the added bonus of being surrounded by a wonderful art exhibit that was hung in the barn.  One of the artists was a quilt artist who uses repurposed items and embellishes, embellishes, embellishes!!!!! Her work was a feast for the fiber artist's eyes!  Could life get any better, sitting by a fire, sourrounded by art work, having someone else cook the turkey, and being in quaint and charming Grafton, VT.

On our way back we stopped at a tree farm and cut down our Christmas tree.  Believe me this is the earliest we have ever gotten our tree. Most years we are frantic trying to find the time to go get our tree. Since we moved to Plymouth we have yet to find a good tree farm where you can cut your own.  So it was really special to end our Thanksgiving adventure by cutting down our tree and diving back with wonderful pine smells in the car. 

                                            

Last stop was King Arthur Flour Co.  Who knew that this spot would be where everyone in Norwich, VT goes on Black Friday!!!!  It was mobbed!  We persevered and stocked up on our Christmas baking supplies. It's really starting to look a lot like Christmas! 

So if you are looking for a great get away in the middle of all the hecticness, I highly recommend The Old Tavern at Grafton.  Check them out at http://www.oldtavern.com/. Wander around the area, check out The Old Country Store in Weston , and if you make it to King Arthur Flour Co, just make sure it's not Black Friday!