In Simple Things

Made by hands

Across

The Miles

Thinking of All of You!

XOXOXOX

Behind The Scene

Oh Honey It Is Cold Outside
The Snow
The Lights
The Tree Still Stands
Crazy Baby Kitty
Pats My Face

 G R A C E 

May You Have A Blessed Day, Too!

Some Things In Common

 

 

Where Am I Am

I see this.

Christmas

is

almost.

Between

is

where 

I

AM.

Monday Morning Table

Thinking and planning what is next on my list of want to do's on this Monday morning a week before Christmas. This is a busy week coming up where I can grab a few minutes between have to do's and want to do's. Winter is almost here which is a good thing because I seem to have a lot of time to work in the studio. Snow days come along when I am not able to get out. 

As long as I do not turn on the news I think I can think about being creative. What a sad time it has been for so many. It seems silly to think about a wish list.

See Chihuly

Dale Chihuly at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts at Richmond, Virginia until February 2013 is a must see!
Glass is so now. I collect small pieces. It seems relevant to our time and space.
I see the glass in the chandeliers at a hotel in Atlantic City. It is nice that these art pieces are available to view on the East Coast. I saw them first when I lived on the West Coast. See the video above and then go the VMFA to view them with your own eyes. Amazing.
Have a great weekend! xoxox

Sha Sha Higby

Sha Sha Higby's performance art is something you must see. Attending one of her shows is something I look forward to experiencing. It takes her 2 or so years to complete a costume.  Every detail is done with utmost technique masterfully done. The sets are simply created to magnify the ethereal feeling of the performance. Audience participation is encouraged with the use of some sort of small sound making device. I have been blessed with these experiences many times. Knowing her work and process fits well with the Process Pledge ideal. I enjoy the visual feast and I hope this clip of one of her shows will inspire you. If you ever have the opportunity this is a must see.

Embroidery IS What I am Talking About Here

Influence. . being open. . .acceptance: these are things I think about. Picasso is a great mentor if you are searching for someone to make sense of the struggle of being true to yourself. From him I receive encouragement to go with the flow.
If you live on a mountaintop, isolated from all you have ever known, all of the support systems you cultivated over the years, the question is. . .where is there nourishment for your soul? The art spirit that lives inside one, somewhere,  needs sustenance. Yes, the reasons for choosing to live this way are valid and worthy. You know this intellectually. The layers added on top of the previous existence are worth everything, to me. The people I know now are lovely. The children I work with teach me more than I teach them. The natural beauty surrounding here is breathtaking and full of wonder. Nourishment is here and now.
I am thinking about what is real. What is illusion. I worry that I will not need a physical body if I live to be 400 years old.
I attended a local art show a while back. It is not what I am normally viewing at major galleries and museums around the world. It is local What happened to local?
I saw something in this that set me on a new path. I find this interesting. The influence of seeing one piece in the show sparked something inside that carries me forward, today.
Years ago, I was in a show of narrative pieces by three women, a painter, a photographer, and myself as the sculptural person. We all tell stories. I worked in porcelain and fiber rescued at flea markets, I will call that my cocoon period because the figures I created were cocoons with objects wrapped inside that no one will ever see. The faces were of porcelain clay sculpted by hand. I always had the feeling that I was meeting someone new when the face appeared. The wrappings were of antique or vintage lace and linen. I would embellish with beaded work and embroidery. I smile inside when I think that these pieces are all over the place and wonder if they like their homes?

Embroidery is what I am really talking about here. That show that I saw recently sent me looking for techniques to add to my bag of tricks, using a machine as a paintbrush. Thread painting is what I call this method of madness.  It is something to use my machines this way. My computer and the painting and graphics programs I use and the camera and other techie tools allow me the opportunity to play and make decisions about the images I feel would be worth the time and effort involved in doing a thread painting.
I am writing this off of the top of my head (interesting phrase if you stop to think about it) :) therefore
improvisation is crude, at least in this. The good part is that I am sharing my random thoughts with all of the art spirits out here in our virtual community. That is a good thing for me to do, a bit like yodeling across the alps, what you send out. . . your hear back,  but it is only your own voice.
In this is where the problem lives. or not.

So anyway, embroidery, thread painting, beading, seems to be my thing right now, along with knitting but that is a practical thing, you know, clothing to wear.

I hope all of you are well and working.

Laurie Anderson - Flow & Lolabell

You already know how I love to tell stories. . .

This is one of the best from Laurie Anderson.

I had a Jack Russell Terrier, She died last year.

Her name was Jill.  She would understand this story, perfectly.

God Jul!

God Jul !

For all of my friends I wish the happiest of Holidays for you.

May you be blessed in all that you are.

Love,

Bobbie

I've Lost My Voice

Hello

Photographs taken with my phone

complicated 2

complicated 2, a photo by filamental2011 on Flickr.

complicated life

complicated life, a photo by filamental2011 on Flickr.

Just an EGG in someones else's nest

There are so many things that I notice when I drive through the country side and so many things I say without knowing the true meaning of what I say. I have contemplated being silent.
How do you shut it off?
I think about how much I like to see large black and white polka dots; not really polka dots but dotted areas of color, as in, a dairy cow, or a herd of geese. Or is that a gaggle? I notice that all of the cows are pointing in the very same direction. I try to use common sense to answer the questions which come from my overly sensitive vision. If I must, I Google for the answers. Once in a while, it is more interesting to contemplate many reasons why this may be so or that may be so. . .Fodder for yet another story, perhaps? Maybe, my answer is more interesting even if not true. Maybe, just entertaining?
Well, I talked to my little sis today and my new French Pantaloons came up in our conversation which sparked one of the curious moments that stop me cold. She asked if I really I planned to wear these out in public, I said of course, I will. I think they are wonderful. I might photograph them on myself and put that onto my blog, first, Droopy Drawers and all.

Droopy Drawers: these are the words. . .How many times have you said or thought that? Just what did you mean when you said or thought that? I always think of a baby in diapers. . .full diapers. But, what if the saying comes from an earlier time when pantaloons were the favored wear? They are made so that there is a lot of room in the back to drop them. This whole topic is making me laugh.

This is a story of a little part of the day in my life.

Do you know about cowbird?

Johnathan Harris: Cowbird This is a great thing to do.

What about your day?

xoxoxo

CowBird Sweetheart

I have related a story before about how I would tap dance and sing at 6:00 A.M. "I want to be a cowboys sweetheart." This I told you was when I was about 4 years old.

Well, I am singing a new song and doing a new dance. . .

I want to be a cowbird's sweetheart. Or maybe, I want to be just me, be nobody's sweetheart. Just be the cowbird?

Do you know what I am talking about?

Dusty Trails to you,
until we meet again,

Bobbie

French Couture Vintage

Couture

Isn't that such a pretty word?

Yesterday I spent the day on a quest, a quest to find something

worth keeping, not just another thing, while I tromped up and down

the hills and valleys of Hillsville, Virginia, in sweltering heat all by myself,

at the yearly flea-market that is held on Labor Day Weekend.

A million people were doing the same thing. Well, I am sure they

were on some kind of quest, not necessarily like mine.

I found a wonderful pair of French pantaloons. One of the buttons is worn away

to the point it is noticeable. But that is OK

These are truly beautiful in the way they are styled and stitched;

to perfection.

Even though they ARE darned in a few places with matching linen thread

I will wear these, not as an undergarment but over a ballet leotard along

with a nice camisole top of black knitted fabric with some sort of

great jewelry.

There are even two monogrammed letters which are perfectly

executed,

There are two side plackets which button. The stitching is so perfect.

French seams the way they should be done.

Darts to make them fit about the waist without bulk in the front.

They tie in the back and the seat drops down I suppose as they

were intended.

Beautiful embroidery cutwork going down both sides of the legs which is also

executed with great perfection.

The seams are sewn by machine, which is probably a singer.

I read somewhere recently that the singer sewing machine

was the very most important invention to change the world.

It made it possible for cloth to be sewn into garments so quickly

that it is known as one of the great liberators of human beings.

I also think about the sweatshops where children worked sewing.

Everything has two sides.

These photographs are from  my cell phone, so they are what they are.

A vintage wooden spool of thread that is a mauve color which (the dye

stuff) is derived from Coal.

It was a wonderful day where I saw many interesting things and people.

Have a wonderful LABOR DAY!

Wish you were here!

XOXO

Some Solace With Summer Ending Soon

They say

it is cards

they play

origami

birds

fly

away

at 

sunset

spray

the sea

it comes

at 

thee

this

memory

Of what

you

do

or

don't.

Textures from Kim Klaussen

layers on layers

of photographs.

I have an old, very old

rubber stamp of someone

folding the Crane

I play with this image all the time.

The photograph above of the doll is one in my collection

Her dress is silk and it is shattering.

Hope you have a very nice Wednesday 

Underneath Everything Is. . .

Duct Tape

Holds up

A

Tree

Ravels

over 

Seasons

and 

Seasons

Underneath everything

you find the fiber

of your life.

Lemon Ice Cream with Shawl and Shibori on top

The shawl I made with Camilla's  Twist and Twine Yarn 

I am wearing as I snap a photo of myself into the mirror over my

kitchen stove. You ask why I have a mirror in my kitchen?

My grandmother told me, when I was about to be married, to always hang a 

mirror in my kitchen to remind me that this is what my husband sees when he

looks at me, and if I want a long marriage. . . be happy with what I see.

I love this shawl. It makes me like a little of what I see.

For a real treat visit Camilla's blog to see her new restaurant

and all of the beauty of Montana at

http://www.freerangechik.blogspot.com/

just because she is really a nice person.

From my garden the above dahlia shines in my kitchen. 

My cup runneth over! The new cup I bought in Asheville.

Remember? This is the photo I showed you before.

Here is another shot of the shawl in progress.

I swatched the yarn so many ways to see what I would do with it.

The color is lovely and it is different with unusual stitches. Here it pools

into larger areas of  color. I like this a lot and will do something with this, soon.

I love the sense of color Camilla chooses to express. I have enjoyed her

Magnolia Handspun for the past couple of years. She is discontinuing this

yarn. I am practically out of stock of this, myself. Sad. It was so much fun to use. 

I made Lemon Ice Cream from the China Moon Cookbook.

It takes 1 1/8 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice,

the zest from all of the lemons (I used a special zester tool)

2 cups sugar and 4 cups of half and half plus

a pinch or two of kosher salt.

You grind the sugar with the zest in a food processor or blender for a few minutes,

then add the juice and blend well. Stir in the cream in a large bowl.

That is all!

It is the most delicious Ice Cream Ever!

I served this in green carnival glass with a Pepperidge Farm

Milano chocolate cookie.

Yum 

Barbara Tropp really knows her stuff.

I love this cookbook 

which was out it 1992.

I visited her bistro China Moon when I lived in SF

The recipes are amazing.

On Indigo Shibori Day:

We had chicken with cranberries and pecan salad 

on lettuce in croissants sandwiches

Caesars Salad

a huge tray of fresh summer Melon

Lemon Ice Cream and Milano Cookies

drinks

and way too much fun

outside under the umbrellas on the deck.

Just before you ad this into the ice cream maker you let it sit and

stir for a little while to mingle the ingredients.

Freezing. . .

Frozen and ready to eat. I like it right away after freezing rather

than containing it and putting it in the regular refrigerator freezer. It gets

too hard and the texture is not as nice.

Shibori Indigo dyeing was the activity of the day.

We had a great time and can you believe this???

I forgot to take pics because I was having so much fun.