Art Cloth Network calling for new members

The Art Cloth Network is accepting applications for membership now through March 15, 2013. If you're an artist actively engaged in creating art cloth and you're interested in connecting with a vital group of other artists from across the country, please take a look at the link below to learn more about the group's mission and how to apply. ACN has been a wonderful and supportive experience for me. http://artclothnetwork.com/join.html

Opening reception for 24x80 at Palos Verdes

You can read about the opening reception of the show at the Palos Verdes Art Center and see photos of the 24 x 80 portion of the show on the Art Cloth Network blog. http://artclothnetwork.blogspot.com/2013/01/24-x-80-at-fiber-forward-palos-verdes.html

Great fiber art at the Palos Verdes Art Center

If you find yourself in the Los Angeles area in the next 2 months consider a visit to The Palos Verdes Art Center. There's a great exhibit of fiber art being shown from January 18 through March 17. Among the work included in the exhibit is the Art Cloth Network's "24 x 80" show, which was last seen in 2012 during Fiber Philadelphia. I'm really delighted to have my work in this show and to get some exposure on the west coast. 

Sentinel covers Nov Artful Afternoon

Wanda Jackson, a freelance writer, wrote a nice article for the Prince George's Sentinel about my Artful Afternoon workshop in November. (http://www.thesentinel.com/pgs/Search/Artful-Afternoon) The Sentinel 20121114

Studio sale TODAY (Sun, 12/16) 1-4 PM

I'll be at the studio today from 1 - 4 PM for one last afternoon of holiday shopping. I've still got lots of great pieces, including new items such as the scarf shown here. I'm delighted with the way that this turned out. It's a combination of my own hand-dyed silk (the turquoise backing) and a wild textural print that I picked up last weekend at Mood in the Garment District in Manhattan.

Several of the other Artists in Residence will also be in their studios today. It's a great opportunity to shop for original art, meet the artists, and support local small businesspeople by shopping locally.

My studio is located on the 3rd floor of the Greenbelt Community Center at: 15 Crescent Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20770.

Mini buying trip to NYC

Dan and I were in Manhattan last weekend for the wedding of two friends. It was a great excuse to do a little shopping in the garment district. I found some great deals on some basic white dyeable stuff--a wonderful cotton batiste in particular. I also happened upon a wonderful, wild bolt of fabric at Mood. I came home with 2 yards I’m going to use for scarves. Last night I dyed some turquoise blue silk habotai to use for backing. The result should be...well, I’ll post pictures of the finished product and you can decide for yourself. I'm excited I’m hoping to get at least a couple of new things ready for the open studio this weekend.  

Open Studio Sale: Sun, Dec 16, 1-4 pm

I'll be in the studio this Sunday (Dec 16), 1-4 PM for one last holiday shopping opportunity. Stop by for a little light refreshment and a little shopping. My studiomate Celestine will also be there selling her bags, bowls, and other fabric creations. And let's not forget Sherill's wonderful cut paper designs--original compositions, prints, and jewelry. Three artists in one room. That's a whole lot of art!

Our studio is in room 303 on the third floor of the Community Center at 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770. You can't miss us. Hope to see you there.

Cautious optimism?

Well, it looks like the new site might be live. If you asked me right now I'd be hard pressed to explain exactly how I managed to get this to work. It involved changing my GoDaddy DNS settings. Copying a files around on my web host account and making a bunch of WordPress changes. There were times then the site wasn't working and I couldn't figure out why. The worst moment was when I did something that I thought I was supposed to do and completely lost access to the site--and only managed to fix it with a scary little PHP hack. All in all, this stuff is not for the faint of heart. I will be working over the next several days to add content, especially to the portfolio section. Watch for changes and updates.

Festival of Lights craft show was a big success

My booth at the Greenbelt Festival of Lights Art & Craft Fair was a great success. I had quite a few returning customers and lots of new ones. It was great to meet new folks, hang out with fellow artists, and get some ver nice positive feedback on my work.

I have to say though, I just don't know how working artists who sell this way do it week after week. You must develop some serious endurance. My day job is behind a desk. Two solid days on my feet and I was whipped. But I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

A week of color

Guess where I've spent the last week. Well, that's probably not a fair question. The sign will be both familiar and evocative to some, and won't register at all with others.

Mystery solved. Since last Sunday afternoon I've spent most of my waking hours at The Crow Timber Frame Barn in Baltimore, Ohio taking a special 6-day version of Carol Soderlund's "True Colors" workshop.

The workshop was great and, as usual, Carol and my fellow participants were inspiring. I'm on my way home tomorrow morning and ready to get back into the studio so I can apply some of what I've learned this week.

I haven't abandoned my independent study of MX dyes and their behavior, but this class has given me valuable direction that's going to save me lots of time and money. Thanks Carol! Another home run.