textural awakening

center and chaos, Paula Kovarik, 2012

Came into the studio after a battle with roaches this morning. Seems they decided to invade the basement. No worries though, they were not German roaches (the hardest to fight) but brown-banded roaches who normally live outside. Seems these 2 guys had lost their way.

Upon entering the studio the sun streaked across the Center and Chaos piece and reminded me to breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

 

always have to be a little different

We harvested some of our first tomatoes on Sunday. That large one on the left is called a Mortgage Lifter (named by the farmer who developed the breed who claimed that they saved him from losing his farm) and the two smaller ones are delicious Cherokee Purples. Had to laugh at the guy in the front though. It has a cupie-doll insolence that delights.

Breaking Silence

My friend, Pat Pauly, is in the Textiles in a Tube show in Greenville, SC at the Riverworks Gallery. I wish I could take the time to drive over there and see it. Her piece, Breaking Silence, is a manic mix of hand-dyed, printed and discharged fabrics that noone but Pat can handle. Her deft manipulation of the fabric she creates is phenomenal. The piece looks vibrant, dark and explosive as if breaking silence would create a cataclysmic event (and, of course, we know that can be true).

This innovative show challenges fiber artists to create work that will fit into a standard 36" x 3" mailing tube. Works as varied as an umbrella with a pieced top to a series of hand-dyed and printed 3" circles (1008 of them!) were accepted.  Kathleen Loomis, a highly respected, award-winning quilt artist and the judge for the show, has posted a photo and comments about Pat's quilt here: Pat Pauly, Breaking Silence. Take a look at what many fine quilt artists are doing with their work on Kathleen's blog.