1/24/09 at Ragdale

Probably the best thing about today was the red wine and the nap in the recliner! Nothing like reading in your sleep. It's not been a bad day, just a slow and sleepy one. I made good progress (and may make more this evening) on the next triptych. I figured out how I wanted the inset "Lisa" to be enveloped. But my fingers got tired of being dried out by the pastels. So I went for a delightful sub-zero walk in the sun. When I got back I remembered that I had planned to film the process. So I went through my tapes from last year and began to put it into the computer so I could see what I have: TOO MUCH! I kept getting this signal. I stripped out the sound, trashed it, and began again. Got the message over and over. Removed sound over and over. Filed my giant thumb drive ( Which had more room than my internal hard drive) to over flowing and did not get it all on there. Oh well. I hate video editing anyways. I have to decide if I am filming more of the process. Not sure there is much more to be seen, except the emerging Lisa's. Maybe I will just shoot tape of the completed pieces. Stay tuned...I guess.

Ragdale 2009 day 1

The first full day at Ragdale, 2009. I perfected the Triptych I did in December. You probably cannot see the difference, but I pumped up the lights and darks. I began the next one with an inset drawing. Much crawling on the floor to do that, but at least I have floor space and many pillows to kneel on. I did not know that my knees could do that! Then I began a picture of the lovely Lisa that will be inset later. She will be sitting atop a suit, newly born, wearing the pattern pieces that will build her own power suit.

Ragdale residency 2009 begins

It is getting late. I arrived just before dinner. An uneventful drive through surprising ice fog in much of Wisconsin. The trees and bushes were elegantly shrouded in the most delicate frost. My room is on the first floor of the Barnhouse. It is the handicapper room, which means I have a private bathroom! No tub, but a giant shower. I have a wall of windows looking out on the grounds. I have hung the last completed drawing and across the room, the sheets to begin the next. To my horror, in good light, I realize I have more work to do on the last drawing. Sigh. So it goes. Tomorrow is soon enough.

The masked woman appears

Another series has been wandering around my sketch books...it is a series of masked women, older, naked, dancing with abandon, sometimes they are insecure, sometimes fearless and fierce, sometimes fearfilled. It appears that when you wear a mask, you can do anything. It also appears that they may hide in a series of valises. Stay tuned.

Hirsute again

His Suit, Hirsute, Power Suit continues. This piece might be done. I will know when I return to the Northrup King studio next week and see it with fresh eyes.

Work continues on Hirsute & Fiber

The third in the "landed" part of the series was begun yesterday. It is about halfway done. There was a significant delay in returning to the drawings: much fiber had to be processed for winter sales. Right now, all the fiber is on exhibit at Gallery 406 in the Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson St. in Northeast Minneapolis. The gallery will be open Saturdays, Dec 6, Dec 13 & Dec 20, noon-5. BUT, Heads-up!, nearly all the fiber will be removed on Dec 13. It will be on sale at the Womens Art Festival, Dec 13, 10-5, in the Midtown YWCA, 2121 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. New colorways in roving and mohair, Brand New Crazy Batts, Shibori Silk Scarves, and, as always, handspun yarn.

3-d suits?

Work this week was slow and perhaps minor. I roled up the most recent phoenix/suit. That took a full hour to unstaple, untape and roll safely. Then I began the experiment of taking a suit jacket, painting on it and stiffening it with Golden GAC 400 so it can hang on the wall. So, you see the beginning. Initially I stapled the sleeves out of the way for convenience. Now I think that forming a daisy chain of rigid suit coats crusted with paint and chalk might be very cool. Stay tuned. I work on these things on Thursdays in the Northrup King Building studio. As it happened, this was First Thursday open studio night and the night of the vice presidential debate. Not too many people attended . They were all at home watching the spectacle. We were watching the spectacle on our imported TV .