Restructured Circles #11

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Big studio changes coming

After 5 wonderful years as an Artist in Residence at the Greenbelt Community Center, I've decided not to apply for another year of residency. At the end of June I'll be moving out of my studio. It was a hard decision to make. In the end it came down to some soul searching about how best to manage my time and create a little more balance in my life. (Let's check back in a year and see how THAT works out!). As it stands now, I divide my time between my home studio--where all of the quilting and sewing for wearable stuff talkes place--and my Greenbelt studio, which is where I do almost all of my dyeing, printing, and piecing. Add to that a full time job and a marriage and you'll start to get the picture. I'm trying to be in too many places at once. My residency comes with a commitment to spend at least 30 hours per month in the studio. Some months I come close, but more often not.

So, I'm moving into new quarters located conveniently about 8 feet below my kitchen and dining room. We're currently in the process of building a bright, clean, well lit, and soon-to-be well equipped studio in our basement.

The renovation project began on April 8th and we're hoping to be done by the end of next week--about 4 weeks start to finish. Insulation, drywall, recessed lights, track lighting for the design wall, new windows, and laminate floors: It's going to be great. There's also a full bath and walk-in closet, and the utility room, though a bit more sparten than the main room, will soon be sporting a beautiful new commercial stainless steel mop sink with a drain board. Funny how excited you can get about a sink!

The new studio will open a number of possibilities including more short work sessions on week nights, better organization from having everything in one place, and the potential for some small group and one-on-one teaching.

New "How to" content added

I've started creating some posts containing instructions and advice on various technical art subjects. You can find them listed under the Resources menu above or by following this link: http://russlittlefiberartist.net/how-to-posts/. I'll be adding more posts in the future.

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.