Featured on Additions Style blog

I was asked to guest-blog. Thanks Additions Style!

http://additionsstyle.blogspot.com/2010/03/artist-to-inspire-flying-haystacks.html

Black in Progress

Ahh, black fabric. I been waitin' for this!.....

Ah yes, the majesty of black fabric.....

(can't make up my mind how to start this post).....

How about -

Black fabric - it doesn't suck...... metallic thread will pop on this......the contrast, the glistening, the joy! The continuing problem of difficulty photographing, hurrah!.....

Some time back I was coveting a book of African peoples who had their faces and bodies adorned with beautiful pigments and leaves, etc. A friend bought it for me (thanks friend!). I used that book as a reference for some of the faces (I think they are more than obvious).

To the far left (when looking at the entire hoop) is the Fertility Goddess, or Idol (not sure which exactly). I was trying to make an overtly sexual female image, but the 'Goddess/Idol' came out instead, putting me in my place, as if to teach me not to take the concept of human female sexuality so frivolously. I'm humbled.

The 'ghost-like' face in the middle was sewn on top of other stitches. I wanted to have an even more transparent, layered effect than what resulted. Maybe next time, if possible. Hey - can I get transparent floss anywhere?

The rule to this hoop was 'if I feel trapped, stop and do something else'. Now I feel so free, I'm losing my momentum. Well, I wanted to play more with cutting and re-assembling sections together. I think that's what I'll do next, or maybe just make a bunch of smaller images like I did with the other large hoop.

The face on the far right, made with lots of tiny metallic stitches looks like its made of shiny beads. Its not very 'sharp', even when looking at it up close and in person. The facial features do not clearly define themselves. Of course, the photograph is even more muddled. Sometimes I feel like giving the ole' heave-ho to this blog because the images don't come close to the experience of the originals. But alas, that's the problem lots of artists have. did I just call myself an artist? Oops!