Monday, February 27, 2012

Sleeping Inside Our Bodies

February, you existed? I hardly noticed.

A mini length month filled with Sign Painter book edits, writing the foreward for a book to be published by Smithsonian Books (August 2012), making work for Sleeping Inside Our Bodies group exhibit and oh yeah..... we leave for Ireland tomorrow followed by a week in Sweden where I'm lecturing & giving a workshop. Exhale.

I'm not going to lie. I love it. I've always worked best with tight deadlines. I also struggle daily to pace myself.

Upper half: Sleeping inside Our Bodies

Lower half: Sleeping inside Our Bodies
Upper & lower parts of my work I installed today at UW Union Art Gallery

I was really excited and nervous when University of Wisconsin Union Art Gallery curator Andrea Avery invited me to be a part of this Sleeping Inside Our Bodies exhibit. It's been a very long time since I have shown any of my own work and to be in the same show as Swoon, Della Wells, Mequitta Ahuja, Lesley Dill, Dana Hoey and Peregrine Honig is really an honor. I wasn't sure what direction I was going to go in but it ended up coming together as a 3 part installation. If you are in the Milwaukee area between March 2-30 please go check it out.

Some quick insider details about my work for this show:

The hanging assemblage piece was reconstructed from an old deconstructed macrame piece salvaged from a thrift store, Lake Michigan drift wood and found objects and textiles from near and far.

The table top element includes a vintage crochet tablecloth that has been adorned with mohair free form stitching, double sided cards with 2 photographs are piled in the center--- one side shows a painting of a pregnant woman from an island temple and the other a painting of a multi- headed serpent from a temple in Bangkok.

The crochet runner was commissioned by a master craftswomen I've worked with a number of times. The quote "WHAT HAS STARTED AS MAKE BELIEVE IS NOW VERY REAL" is from one of my favorite children's books everyone should read The Phantom Tollbooth.

You can make up what it all means.

I can't wait to share Ireland photos with you next week. I have to go pack.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

He's Mine!

From me to you from the archives for Valentines day.

Be Mine
Milwaukee, WI Neighbors Gallery (RIP) February 2007

hearts
Los Angeles, CA July 2008

IMG_3446.JPG
Pittsburgh, PA April 2007

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Long Beach Unwind

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Long Beach: FEB 2012

Nothing like a cashing in some frequent flyer miles to go warm up and unwind for a few days. My mom rents a beach cottage every winter to escape the Seattle gray. Lucky for me she just happen to mention she would be gone for a week and offered me the space. I arrived welcomed with 70 degree Long Beach weather and kept an eye on the sandpipers, waves and seashells. Most of my time was spent walking on the beach, scouring local thrift spots and working on some upcoming projects including a foreward for a book being published in 2012 by the Smithsonian and a photo zine for Hamburger Eyes.