Todays Title is...

I have joined in on a team blog. Today's Title is.. http://todaystitle.blogspot.com/ This seems like fun. A way to spark an idea. Each week a new title is posted and we are to do the first thing that comes to mind from it. I had fun with this one titled Blue Chair. My little quick computer sketch may well someday become a fabric piece. Who can tell! Hit the link to see mine and the others versions of the blue chair.

Crows

This is a detail of the work in progress. Title for now is A murder of crows. I am at the point where it will be basted to the batting for quilting. The main embroideries are done but there will most likely be some more details added once it is quilted. I am thinking that I will be doing hand quilting to bring out more of the details for the symbols. This is the only photo so far. It is difficult to get the detail of the black on black. It is coming along slowly. I am enjoying this one.
Funny thing, there is much superstition involving crows and ravens. For the first time I counted how many crows there are on this piece. Thirteen. When I drew them I didn't stop to count them or even give it much thought. Just drew until it felt right. So, oddly, it is thirteen. Not being superstitious I will leave it at that.

coiled fabric baskets

I have been busy making theses and playing with functional craft art

yellow to turquoise with burgundy brown sides and a turquoise stripe.

small round fabric basket in bright batik with glass beads

shades of sage greens with turquoise nuggets and a fossil shell.

baskets are all about 7 inches in length and 5 inches wide. four inches or so high. more or less.

for the love of crows

Wheatfield with Crows by Vincent Van Gogh

Crows.

Did you know that a flock of crows is referred to as a Murder of crows?

That crows are the most social of birds?

They mate for life.

They will steal.

Use tools.

They play.

Young stay with parents for five years and help to raise siblings.

In groups there will be one who acts as sentinel while feeding, warning of impending dangers.

Crows show up in literature and movies. In mythology. In art.

Van Goghs Wheatfield with Crows was long rumored to be his last painting before he committed suicide. Though this is most likely not at all true.

Now, why all the talk about Crows? Because I like them? Well, yes, there is that. However, the main reason is to post my current in progress work. But, you say, there is not a photo here of it!

No, there isn't. I have been working on this one for many months. This is the one I was going to send off to be juried etc etc.

I changed my mind.

Why.

My main reason goes back to not wanting to pay to have it considered. I just don't want to be a part of that. I suppose to some that seems like cutting off my nose to spite my face. I mean, really, how will I ever get exposure if I don't submit work!?

After many conversations with myself going this way then that, I have to just do what feels right for me. I find it absurd that an artist should shell out money to a venue that may or may not want said work in a show where the viewing public will shell out more money to see it. Thus giving the venue even more profit off the artists work. So. I have decided to just do what I want for me. Blog about it at my whims. Enjoy it in my home. Gift some of it to others. Sell when and if it comes up...knowing full well how easy it is for me to part with something. ( snickering here because I DON'T part with my work well!).

So all that said and done I don't expect to get much in the way of exposure that leads to sales etc.

I would love to hear from you readers what your feelings about submitting artwork are. Good or bad, even indifferent!

Stay tuned for the crow work to be blogged about. I need to take photos so I can show it.

CYBER FYBER EXHIBITION

Cyber Fyber opens January 8th at Gallery 80808/Vista studios in Columbia South Carolina. http://cyberfyberexhibition.blogspot.com/ I am very pleased to be one of the over two hundred participants who traded post cards with Susan Lenz. below are some of the photos of the postcards as they will be seen during the show.

There is also a best of show award for the best ATC and Postcard. Not an undertaking I would want to tackle! Also there will be a prize for the ATC and Postcard that gets the most comments on the cyber fyber blog.

this is my postcard. It is number 147. click this link to leave a comment http://cyberfyberonlinepostcards.blogspot.com/2008/12/postcard-147.html
and then have a look at all the other amazing cards and ATCs leave loads of comments there too.

Susan of Art in Stitches blog http://artbysusanlenz.blogspot.com/ is the driving force behind this exhibit. She has done an amazing job, putting all of it together and gathering so many different people together via the Internet to do this. She deserves many many thanks! I love how this has brought together so many fiber artists from all over, The power of the Internet is truly an awesome thing! Now, start clicking those links!! There is so much to see!