Studio Open House

The Open House was a success! The theme for the opening was "Dwell in Possibilities". I am thankful to all who came and shared this day with me. It was a wonderful feeling to officially say that the studio was fully operating. Having a formal opening gave it a solid grounding and I feel like I can finally begin again and see all the Possibilities before me.


Weavers were here, the architect was here, the people from First Baptist Church in Plymouth were here, artists from the Plymouth Art guild were here, and friends were here.

It was a joy to know that these have been the people who have cared and helped me get re-established in my new setting. They are an important part of my life and I thank them.
We had budding young weavers here as I pulled out my pot holder looms and helped them learn the basics of weaving, over and under.

As part of the celebration I gave away a handwoven scarf as a door prize. It was won by Carole Raymond who is a friend from the art guild. Wear it in good health Carole!

A dear friend of mine has taught me that in any endeavor the gift of giving and passing on the blessings received is a blessing in and of itself. As part of my gratitude for this space and passing the blessing along I presented a handwoven shawl to The South Shore Women's Resource Center. First Baptist Church has a active ministry of giving shawls to individuals as an expressions of God's Love. It can be for a celebration or as a comfort to someone in need. My hope and blessing in passing this on is that some woman may find strength, courage, and hope and dwell in the possibilities that will help her to be the person she is meant to be.

Marilyn Gentry received this on behalf of the Women's Center.

So I'll end this entry with an excerpt from the blessing time for those of you who read this and could not make the Open House.


"So, this is a Celebration!

It is a Celebration of New Life, of the Gifts the Creator has Bestowed on me and everyone here (or reading this blog). It is a Celebration of the use of those gifts. It is a Celebration of the act of Creating. It is a Celebration of "Dwelling in Possibilities".


It is a Celebration of the Blessings the Creator has Bestowed. May the studio Dwell not only in Possibilities but also in Blessings."

Dwell in Possibilities

I'm having a Studio Open House this week. It is a celebration of the completion of the construction and all the finishes that needed to be done. It is also a celebration of the new life that is starting in this studio in this new area of living for me. It represents so much of who I am and who I shall be. My gift of the use of my hands in order to weave and work with fibers comes only from the Great Creator. My gift to see and understand the use of color comes only from the Great Creator. I am created in God's image and therefore I create. My theme for this studio is "Dwell in Possibilities". I even stencilled it on the stairs to the studio to remind me everyday that possibilities are everywhere.


The ground breaking for the studio was on Pentecost, 2006.


It is only fitting that the celebration for the official opening of the studio is one week before Pentecost, 2008. Pentecost being the celebration of the beginning of the church. New beginnings are always to be celebrated and blessings for the gifts we receive are in abundance.

As I celebrate and thank God for the gifts that I have received, I hope all of you will consider all the gifts in your life and feel blessed by them. And remember to "Dwell in Possibilities"!

Shrug Update

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to show you the completed "Tribute to the Women of Jane Austen" shrug.


I added the surprise elements of butterflies and spiral fringe with a flower at the end. The butterflies denote the ever evolving awareness of Jane's heroines and their surprise and delight in the outcomes of their situations. The spirals indicate the twists and turns that the heroines take before they become totally aware of the true nature of those around them. They are then able to recognize the blossoming of a faithful relationship. It also gives that element of fun!

Creating Work

I seem to be going along on the "Shrug" road these days. I've had fun looking through my extra handwoven fabric and seeing how I can combine the pieces into an acceptable garment. The Shrug is an interesting garment. It has been around for a very long time. Some fashion historian can probably tell you how long. It is a very easy garment to make in that it is a basic rectangle that is sewn together to make a "pseudo" sleeve closing.

When I began making these they started out very simple. As usually happens to me, they get more complex in design as I develop each one. It seems I can never go back to just the simple design. Of course this means more hours of work. So what started out as an easy inexpensive, less time consuming project becomes more labor intensive with every new piece. This of course increases the price. Can you ever go back for the sake of producing an item that is more affordable? I think many of the fashion designers are trying to do that by having more affordable lines selling in places like Kohl's and Target. But how do you make your creative mind stop and say, "It's enough!".

My husband and I have been watching the Jane Austen series on PBS. The six episodes have been wonderful. Of course I can't help but notice the fashions! They too have been wonderful. But have you noticed that the fashions of Jane Austen's day are being repeated today? The empire waist has returned. The little cropped jacket has returned. And the shawl/shrug has also returned!


Voila!!!!!!

My new creation is a tribute to the women of Jane Austen. I "dare say" that it required a very delicate hand and I hand knit the trim on size 2 needles to reflect that. Here's a preview. It is not finished yet. Just as the women in Austen's novels always surprise us with their understanding of the truth, it will have a few design surprises also. I just haven't come up with them yet! I'll let the work speak for itself!

Discerning

So I've been thinking a lot about how you decide what selling venues will work for you. I've been struggling lately with that dilemma. When do you give up on a possibility and when do you persevere?

I've been struggling with the prejudices that are placed on Fine Craft. More specifically, Fiber Art and even more specifically, Wearable Art. How do you keep from letting it become a personal matter when the venue does not understand the art form? When do you know that it will not work no matter what the possibilities seem to be?

My palate is my shelves of yarn. My work is with color and blending the colors to form other colors. My goal is to put color together so that when you are at a distance it reads as one but upon closer inspection you see the blending of many colors. Is this not a painterly effect?

Should the work be treated any differently than a painting? How do you handle it when it repeatedly is?

This is not Elmo, Alaska and I am not Marin Frist (you have to be a "Men In Trees" fan) but I am just asking the questions. How about it artists? Do you stick with it or when you think you can't change anything do you move on? I have trouble giving up the possibility, but at what emotional sacrifice? What are the reasons to stick with it? Just wondering!

Russell Gallery

The opening for the Russell Gallery of the Plymouth Art Guild was March 14th. The Russell Gallery is in the Old Plymouth Library which is now the Plymouth Arts Center. I have 2 pieces in the show. You can visit the work at 11 North Street in Plymouth, MA until April 25. The Gallery is open on M,W,F from 10-4.

Here are a few pictures of the Gallery and the 2 pieces I have exhibited.

Both pieces are 8 shaft weaves and the fiber used is Tencel.

If you live in or near Plymouth, stop in and see the show.

Creative Juices

Well the creative juices have started to flow again! I've been inspired by looking at my extra woven fabrics and my stash of beads, trims, buttons, etc. I've been working with creating one of a kind shrugs as I pictured in my last entry. This is allowing me to use up some fabric and get it out of it's box and into a design.

Here's my latest creation:



In looking through my stash, I rediscovered a beautiful woven trim that was made in Japan. I've used it once before on a purse but have just treasured it's beauty. I decided to hand crochet chain stitch it and add it as the trim on the shrug. I think it gives it an elegant look.



I added beads and designer buttons:


















and Voila, a finished product!






















I recently was invited to be one of the Signature Gallery Artists at the new Russell Gallery in Plymouth, MA. The opening for the Gallery is this Friday night. Sometimes it takes the pressure of getting ready for a show or exhibit that gets me going. I tend to be a deadline artist! That can be good when you are under the pressure to produce work but when the dry times come and there are no shows or exhibits it can be a curse! That's when I need to look at all the wonderful materials around me and hear their cry to be put to use.

If you live in Plymouth or near by stop by the Russell Gallery in the Old Russell Library at 11 North Street and join me Friday night at the opening from 6 - 9 pm. I have 2 handwoven pieces in the exhibit, a tencel scarf and a tencel shawl.


I hope the creative juices flow in your life!

The challenge of Adversity

Thank you to those who shared their responses to being unstuck. It is interesting to hear what works for others. Some of you are having trouble getting logged into the comment site. You need to create a user name and password before it will publish the comment. Don't forget to write it down so you can use it the next time you wish to write a comment.

One of my friends sent me this as an addition to the discussion:

"Judy - it's the same when I work with my music. I think we need to accept - and even enjoy (!) our "dry" periods. See the beauty of the desert. Only keep our eyes and our ears and our senses open during that time. Can't be creative without a pause. Even God "rested on the seventh day" (Ha - wonder where that came from!)Looks like your unstuck, judging from your latest creations!"

Good point, Ingemar!

Last night we attended the Boston Symphony Orchestra. They were superb! The guest artist was pianist Leon Fleisher who played Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat, Opus 73. I had to use the program guide to write that! Leon Fleisher has overcome some physical adversities in his career. He started piano lessons at age 4 and by age 16 he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic. He was developing a wonderful career as a concert pianist when he was struck with Focal Dystonia which is a neurological affliction that rendered 2 fingers on his right hand to become immobile. He "retired" from concert playing at 37! His focus then became teaching and conducting until recently when new treatments have relieved the immobility of his fingers. He is once again playing with 2 hands.

As I think about Mr Fleisher I am struck with the thought of what it takes to overcome such adversity to continue on with a passion and talent that you have. The determination to not give up and wait out the "dry periods" can sometimes be a long road. In Mr Fleisher's case he stayed connected to his music through his teaching and conducting. But what a joy to return to his initial career when he thought it had been taken away for good! And believe me he was GREAT!!!!!!

No matter what adversities you face or dry periods that develop, here's hoping that you can carry on through those times. New things do happen even in the lost and barren times.

Getting Unstuck!

It's sometimes very hard to get unstuck. I have found that to be true in the last few weeks. The weather in New England has not been nice and I find that my creative spirit gets lost in the dreariness. Some of you may feel the same way from time to time. One of my weaving friends says that if you are stuck, wind a bobbin! The point being just do anything in your studio to get moving! Well I took her advice and straightened up my desk, sorted out some magazine clippings, and began to tackle the last of the painting that needs to be done in the studio.

Last weekend my husband and I got the window frames and the baseboards painted. Now all that is left are the skylight frames, a shelf, and the door to the attic space. Just getting some more things done helped me begin to do some creating. As a result I pulled out my extra handwoven fabric and designed a one-of-a-kind Shrug.

Here are the results:

Close up of the details:



















Here's hoping that this is the beginning of being unstuck!

Renewal

It's always good to give yourself a time for renewal and replenishment. The last couple of years my husband and I have been able to travel to Florida in January and spend a few days on Siesta Key near Sarasota. What a wonderful respite from the winter cold of the North! Not only the cold but it is a refreshing return to color! I write this as I am now back in New England under grey wet clouds. It's easy to forget that somewhere else it is blue skies and emerald waters. I hope that my 10 days soaking up the sun and blue/green waters will get me through the rest of winter under grey skies.

(View from our condo. Sorry about the screen lines!)

Our time there was wonderful as we connected with friends and family, walked the beach, and enjoyed the 60 - 70 degree weather. We managed to fit in a craft show or 2. The one on St Armands was excellent. I couldn't get away without purchasing some art work. Like I don't have enough on the walls already! I purchased a mixed media piece done by a husband and wife team. He writes poetry and makes assemblages that have a petroglyphic quality to them. The one I purchased is "The Whirlwind Dance". I thought it was perfect for the my studio. After I get it hung I'll do a studio tour of the artwork that inspires me when I go to work.

I came back inspired to do new work. As long as I can remember the blues, greens, and tans of the sky, water, and sand I'll be able to forge ahead. Here's hoping that these pictures give you some renewal and respite from the cold and grey winter. Remember the spring will come whether in the work that is produced or the song of the first spring bird or the showing of the new grass!!!! It will come!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

It's that time again to reflect on the old and dream about the new. I am thankful for so many things that happened in 2007 but I am looking forward to many new things in 2008. I see new challenges as I want to develop some new work. I have been harboring more ideas then I can possibly create but I am determined to bring some of them to fruition in 2008. Oh my, that rhymed!!

I wish all of you a Happy New Year full of creative ideas, and here's hoping some of them come to completion!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Felt Beads

I've been playing around with making felt beads. Using merino wool roving, water, and soap I've had fun creating beads and buttons. Here are my early attempts:

This is an asortment of round and cylinder beads. The orange and brown one in the left corner is a button. I plan on embellishing it. It started out with a better shape but as I kept adding to it the shape become a little mis-shapen! Embellishments should take care of that.
Three of the beads I made became a necklace.

The center bead was felted around the necklace cord. The shiny area is silk roving that was added for texture and interest
Here's the whole necklace with glass beads added.


Look for more of these in my work, maybe on a hat or a purse or whatever inspires me!

Anatomy of a Hat

As I was working on a Hat order the other day I thought you might like to see pictures of how my hats are made. They are one of a kind and totally designed as I go. Here is one being made.

They begin like a crazy quilt. Pieces of my handwoven fabric are sewn to a muslin backing until the whole square is filled.

The whole piece is then stitched in a free motion patterning with rayon thread.

The pattern is pinned on and the crown is cut out. The brim is cut out of ultra suede, interfacing is added and the embellishments are sewn on.

The brim is then sewn to the crown.




The lining is sewn together and then added to the hat.















Buckram is sewn onto the bottom edge of the brim to keep it from stretching and a grosgrain band is added to the inner edge. Lastly the label, Judy Connor Jones, is added.

And the finished product........................