Memories, Keepsakes, and Talented Friends

We've almost reached the 2nd anniversary of Pooch's passing. While we've enjoyed the freedom from caring for a terminally ill pet, we still miss him something awful. This upcoming anniversary coincides with a fun contest blog buddy and portrait painter, Enzie Shahmiri, was having on her Facebook page last month, titled "Dogs With Attitude". She needed to get some paintings done for a May showing, and asked for photos of dogs. If she chose a photo to paint, the photo's owner would win a prize.

Well, our little Pooch certainly had attitude! We used to refer to him as an 80 pound personality in a 12 pound body. So, I dug around in the photo box and came up with one to send. Enzie loved it and got to work on a painting. She captured his expression perfectly:

... that look he'd get when he was ripping the guts out of a fleece toy. If he could talk he would have been saying, "Oh, so you think you're going to get this away from me? HA!"

I had to have it. And now I do. It's even more charming "in the paint", so to speak.

"Love Them Bones", oil on linen, 6"x 6"

If you aren't familiar with Enzie's wonderful painting style, stop by her website to see what's on her easel. Her blog for Pet Portraits has lots of furry eye candy. There are also gardening, cooking, and Orientalist painting blogs. Where does she find the time? I'd like a sip of what's in her cup...


copyright 2011 Shibori Girl

Surprise!

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting on the couch, doing my blog-hopping thing, when I landed on MadDesigns, the blog of Marcia DeCoster: Right Angle Weaver Extraordinaire. I've been a big fan of her work for years, drooling over pictured projects published in bead magazines. Usually I just lurk when I read her blog. But a recent post showing earrings that a student did in Marcia's class caused me to leave a comment. I admired the earrings design, the colors the student chose, and mentioned that someday I would like to take a class from her.

She wrote back to say she'd like to send me a pair of those earrings I'd admired. They arrived in my mailbox yesterday and they are even more beautiful in person.

This was such a sweet thing to do. They arrived on a dark, chilly, dreary day to deliver some much needed sparkle. Whenever I wear them, I'll think of that bright moment.

I just received her book, Beaded Opulence, and can hardly wait to crack it open and start weaving.

Whenever I visit her blog, I find myself lost in the beautiful photographs she posts.

"Sea Urchin"

Her sense of color and the textural quality of her designs are stunning.

"Under the Mast"

"The Rising Sun"

If you get the urge to learn Right Angle Weave (RAW), I hope you'll consider giving Marcia's MadDesigns a try. She sells kits in addition to her books, which you can find on her website.

"Portico"

Please note: The images posted here of Marcia DeCoster's work are her property, used with her permission. Please respect her copyright.

copyright 2010 Shibori Girl

Meet Jennifer Maestre

"Seethe"

In her Artist Statement, Jennifer Maestre explains the origins of her work:

"My sculptures were originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin. The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the spines draws the touch in spite of the possible consequences. The tension unveiled, we feel push and pull, desire and repulsion. The sections of pencils present aspects of sharp and smooth for two very different textural and aesthetic experiences. Paradox and surprise are integral in my choice of materials. Quantities of industrially manufactured objects are used to create flexible forms reminiscent of the organic shapes of animals and nature. Pencils are common objects, here, these anonymous objects become the structure. There is true a fragility to the sometimes brutal aspect of the sculptures, vulnerability that is belied by the fearsome texture."

"Urchins"

This amazing artist makes her own beads by cutting hundreds of colored pencils into short lengths.

She sharpens each piece, then drills a hole in the unsharpened end for stringing purposes. Finally, she weaves the little pencils together, painstakingly, to create her sculptures.

Jennifer at work

Her pieces are striking,

"Say Ah"

witty,

"Pencil Test"

and gorgeous.

"Ibentina"

Who says a bead has to be glass or plastic and have a hole in it when you buy it at the store? I'll be looking at items around me in a whole new way after seeing Jennifer's work!

Note: All images used in this post are the property of Jennifer Maestre and were used with her written permission. Please honor her copyright.

copyright 2011 Shibori Girl

Polymer Clay As Art: Meet Kathleen Dustin

Since falling head-over-heels with the polymer clay medium, I've been searching the internet for other artists who use it. My friend, Glennis (the other Shibori Girl), sent me to Kathleen Dustin's website. When I got there, my jaw hit the floor for two reasons: 1) the stunning beauty of her handbags and jewelry, and 2) the elegance of her website.

What Kathleen says about her work:

"People often ask me,'Where do your ideas come from?' I feel that part of my job as an artist is to pay attention, and so for 30 years I have been paying attention to the stages in my life and those of women around me, to the lives of women in exotic places where I've lived, and now to the quiet life I live and the natural world around me. The imagery of my work comes form taking a deep look at my life, responding to it, and expressing it so that it strikes a chord in someone else too, encouraging them to pay attention."

What got MY attention was her subtle use of color shading and delicate use of texture. Her pieces are exquisite.

(Click on the images below for information about each piece)

"Opening Seed Pod"

"Blowing Grass Purse"

"Apple and Granite"

"Double Brush"

"Leaf Bracelet"

"Stone Ladder Neckpiece"

Kathleen asked that I mention that by May 1st she will have a shop online at her website. Mother's Day is coming! :)

Kathleen will be exhibiting at the Smithsonian Craft Show, April 21 - 25, 2010, at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. (Metro: Judiciary Square) If you haven't seen this show (the top juried craft show in the country), it's a must. If you are in the area, please stop in for a visit.

Her work is represented in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin, frequently regarded as North America's principal museum of Fine Craft, Ornament magazine, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, and the Wenham Museum, Wenham, Massachusetts.

Now, I'm off to practice some color blending...

Note: All images used in this post are copyright protected and the property of Kathleen Dustin. I used them here with her written permission.


copyright 2010 Shibori Girl

So Proud of Paula!

My sister-in-law, Paula Mandel, is getting ready for her big show opening next Friday:

Snyderman/Works Gallery: Found Objects 2 Invitational
Olde City, Phila
Oct 2 (“First Friday” opening5-9pm) - Nov 15, 2009
~

Paula started as a painter, creating stunning portraits of family members, as well as herself.

"Eminence"
oil on linen

She then moved onto a fascination with pears and other fruit - but mostly pears.

"Crossing To Safety"
Kiln-cast glass, granite, gold leaf, prismacolor

A few years ago she started taking classes in glass and found herself. Now she makes fanciful and thought-provoking sculptures combining her glass work and found objects:

"Wishing Well"
flameworked, fused and coldworked glass, mirror, soup pot, meat grinder handle, door knob, grass, weeds, zippers, eggshells, feathers, bones, tatting, flowers, leaves, copper, leather, rubber grommets


"Baby Steps"
kiln-cast glass, flameworked glass, mirror, clock, artist-wrought chain, clock, grass, roller skate, safety pins, cobbler lasts, rubber grommets


"Mom To The Rescue"
Flameworked and fused glass, vintage toaster, roller skate, hand drill, brass pins, copper, lead

To see more of her remarkable pieces, visit her website.

If any of you are in the Philadelphia area during this showing, you should stop by and check it out.

New Work, Surprises, And An Introduction

For a while now, I've been meaning to write a post to introduce the OTHER Shiborigirl, and this seems like a great time to do it. A few times in the past people have emailed me about comments left under the name shibori girl on my blog posts, thinking it was me who wrote them. But not so...

Glennis Dolce is the owner of Shibori Girl Studios in Long Beach, CA. Apparently we have parallel blogs: I'm on Blogspot and she's at Wordpress. I introduced myself to Glennis during the One World One Heart event last winter, and I was a little nervous, afraid that she'd think I was stomping on her patch. Luckily, she thought it was funny that we had the same internet name and we seem to get along great. We've had some time to get to know each other a little on Facebook, and I'm a true fan of her work. Take a stroll through her shop when you've got some time, or check out her blog.

As well, she's got some videos on youtube where she demonstrates her dye process at a show, and her flickr account shows her beautiful shibori ribbon flowers.

Last month, I posted pictures on Facebook of my new woven beaded beads, and Glennis wrote that she thought I should string them onto some of her silk shibori ribbons. She sent me two yards of ribbons, one yard each of two different colorways, and I am in love!

Gorgeous, shimmery, saturated colors and crisp, tight pleats.

Oh boy, I'm gonna enjoy incorporating this into future pieces. And when I put my newest beaded bead onto the pink and purple piece:

Hazzah... perfection! I still have to work out how to finish off the ends and put a clasp on and then we'll be golden.

Thank you so much, Glennis.

~

Now, I think I heard you ask, "How did Kate make that beautiful bead?" OK, I'll show you...

First, I made a tubular base structure using the right-angle weave method. The barrel shape of the bead is achieved by using three different bead sizes ranging smallest-to-largest-to-smallest.

Then, I embellished this tubular base with several rows of decorative beads, interlocking the rows for strength and beauty.

As a last touch on this particular bead, I added some chartreuse green seed beads for a surprise hint of color. Start to finish, one of these beauties takes at least two hours to complete - some as long as three hours!

Sorry folks, this bead has already sold, but stay tuned to my Etsy shop for new additions coming soon...

There's something so cool about making things I love (beads) from the things I love (BEADS!).

~

Update 9/6/09

I read Glennis' comment on this post this morning and got to work finishing that shibori ribbon necklace shown above.

I stitched the ribbon into a tube, turned it inside out, and finished the ends with silver caps.

I added a chain for adjustable length, and "voila!"...

... a beautiful, lightweight necklace. Thanks again, Glennis!

~

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. What's Cooking Sunday posts will resume next weekend... still dealing with "vacation brain" here!

I Want To Be Shirley Bassey

I've been rediscovering the music of Dame Shirley Bassey. Her powerful and sassy voice lends itself well to jazz and pop, and it's a great sound to work to as I bead in the studio. At the age of 72, she's still belting out beautiful noise, AND she looks both sexy and badass while she does it! I want to be her...

Everybody knows her version of the James Bond Goldfinger lead-in song, but there are so many others too. Like "History Repeating" which she recorded with The Propellerheads back in 1997. This video has an old-timey British feel to it...



Then there's her version of "Let's Get The Party Started"...



The hauntingly beautiful "Without A Word"...



Her wonderful sense of humor comes through in her live performance of "Something" by George Harrison...



She can serenade me anytime.