Faces

Another face in my installation. Sure its a big corny, a bit cliche, but it worked and though I am not usually result orientated, I am sure glad it did. It allows room to move on.

Faces

I did alot of faces last year in Sculpture for my installation "Humpty Dumpty meets Waldorf" This one hung on the wall in a picture frame, many others hung from chains attached to the ceiling. It is so hard to photograph an installation, especially one done in a room with black walls. It was my way and for me it was good. It had Die Behauptung by the Toten Hosen blaring from my I- pod. I often wished my fellow students would have understood the words better as they had so much meaning for me. Many of the faces weren't pretty as I view them today I wonder what I was thinking, though I know. I even put one in the washing machine and shrunk it even more, it turned out bizarre. Sometimes it isn't always the time for pretty things.

Felting Slippers

The slipper class I taught in September was lots of fun. I am always amazed at how well the slippers turn out considering its the first time felting for most of the ladies. Its great because everyone adds their own design and artistic component to the project. In my Waldorf school training, we taught the children to make something that was useful. I still think it's important to make something you can use, whether it be for clothing or decoration or for the shear pleasure of the colour and design.

Sculpture 3rd Year

I took the advice of my professor and left out the metal this time. I made a small piece that looked very body like and Byron suggested I try a body part. So I thought about it and decided I would try and make a bust. It was a little more difficult than I thought and I ran out of flesh coloured wool, so the inside is hot pink. I decided to do a mastectomy. My mother died of breast cancer when I was 19 and though I am not attached to the concept of breast cancer, it is what came to my mind when I decided to do a body part.
I liked the piece, but I missed the metal

School's On

School's on again, and so is the stress. I guess I can't complain, though I do, because I choose to do this. I love the opportunity to explore my ideas, to improve my welding skills and combine them with my felting talents.
This is my first piece of the year and I am not quite sure whether or not it is completely resolved. It isn't that easy to combine the two mediums of steel and wool. Steel still appears to be the carrying material. This is my 4th or 5th attempt and each one is different. I wanted to explore the idea of vessels and originally my steel was to be the ultimate vessel. That was really too boring, so I learned how to use the torch and was able to manipulate the steel.
I think I am moving in a direction I like.

Spinning Away

I have a stash of plant dyed fibre. I was absolutely fascinated by the process of plant dying: the gathering of the plant material, the mordanting, the dyeing, the crafting of things with it. I planted dye gardens, gathered as I walked, I bought more stuff than I probably needed and made numerous things out of it. It was all part of my being a Waldorf School Handwork teacher. But alas, I am no longer that, my kids are grown up and I no longer need hair for fairies, beards for gnomes or a really itchy handspun hat that my son Joshua did lovingly wear.
In the meantime I have discovered that there is life beyond plant dyed fibre and have moved into that world. So what do I do with my stash?. Well, I decided to transform it and have been spinning it into skeins that I dream I will knit up into a blanket. Everyone needs a blanket.

Summer is passing

Well, here in the Okanagan the summer seems to be waning and I think that the days of swimming in the lake are numbered. In the yarn store I work, the Art of Yarn, people seem to be thinking about knitting again. I sure am, though I never really stop, and while camping I knit 2 cowls. The first one was knit in Malabrigo's Rasta which is a super bulky merino wool. It was soft and will be beautiful to wear. I'm not sure I like working with such big needles, though I may make another one since the yarn was so much fun and I loved the effect. The second one was knit also in Malabrigo but the Twist. It was easy and quick to make and almost as soft