A rose by any other name---

So, okay--I'm now accepting the idea of re-naming Lucifer's Tears.The original concept was the idea that not all apparent remorse is genuine--that remorse has to come from the heart and soul--and how important it is to be able to recongize the difference.  So--have I actually expressed this concept?  Or have I just produced an image of hellfire?  Any suggestions for a name change?

time passes

Between  an unexpected, slow but steady, painting of my kitchen, and some time-consuming, and not completely resolved problems with my desk top computer, it's been awhile.  There hasn't been a lot going on in the studio, but, finally, yesterday, I finished the thread work on Lucifer's Tears.  Comments from friends have been mixed.  Some appear interested, and anxious to see the finished product, while another doesn't like it--no discussion, no constructive critique-- just doesn't like it.  This sort of response is hard to deal with, ranging from acceptance, to luke warm to dislike.  I have to really examine my emotional investment in it, and separate that emotion from my technical investment.  The result is 50/50.  This was a technical challenge, and that sort of challenge has always driven much of my work.  But I experience a sense of emotional discomfort, in response to the name, as much as the actual image.  (There was a lot of thought behind both the name and the image.) And isn't art supposed to evoke an emotional response in the viewer?  Maybe it's this subconscious response that is behind the reaction of my friends.

In any case, I'm having second thoughts about entering it in a mainstream show.  It should be finished in the next couple of days,and I'll post a picture then.

Prairie Moon

Here is the very basic starting point of Prairie Moon. Taking a picture is so useful.  Already I know that the moon is too small, and that I need to make another one--about twice the size.  No, this one isn't on permanently.  The only further changes will be to do a lot of FMQ'g to turn the chaos into prairie grasses.  The only thread that seems to blend in well, is grey!  Go figure! I had picked out pale lemon yellow, but it was just too strong against the navy.  I'll have to play with it a bit, but I may have ot use dark bleu to define the grasses and then the grey for texture.  The pale lemon yellow may end up being useful in the very highly discharged areas.  I have a feeling that there will be some crystal beads along the edges of some of the blades of grass, as well.  It's a good things that I have a "doodle" cloth to try things out on.

Still dreaming

Some of my fibre art friends were over on Friday afternoon for a bit of casual stitching, and they took a look at my discharged moons. Neither of them could come up with any sort of clear idea of what it could be, any more than I could.  Later I went back to the idea of bamboo and translated that into grass.  If I reduce the number of moons to one ( Duh!) I think I may have a prairie moonscape.

But Lucifer's Tears is still trudging along.  The re-vamping of the background is not yet finished, although I put several hours into it yesterday.  Now that I have an idea for the Prairie Moon piece, there is incentive to finish Lucifer's Tears.

One of my goals for this year of sabbatical was to try to develop a body of work, so that I'm not always scrambling to catch up with myself.  I have two pieces (Silken Blossoms and Inua: Spirit in the Wind)away for the Mancuso show in New Hampshire in August, followed by the Pennsyvania show in September.  My Twilight Snowfall is still travelling with Canadian Content. ( This one can be seen on the Fibre Art Network website  http://www.fibreartnetwork.com/ )That show was supposed to be a one off, at the Remarkable Symposium in Queenston New Zealand, in May, but has now been booked for three exhibitions here in Canada over the next few months, and may possibly travel to Houston later in the year.  As well, I'll be assisting with the organization for a fibre art exhibition at Gwen Fox Gallery in Selkirk, for November.  While I can't be part of the exhibition, I can have a piece mounted, as part of my bio, being one of the organizers.  I was hoping to use Lucifer's Tears for that, but maybe, I can come up with something better, in the meantime.

There is also a show on the horizon for 2012, in Saskatchewan.  I am considering a new box to enter there.  It's been awhile since I made a box, but I've been gathering bits and pieces to use in one that may ended up being called Silver Seas.

And, of course, there are still at least three UFO's lurking around the studio.  One of those is a major piece, and I had hoped to have it finished before I go the my fibre art retreat at the end of September.  I had it critiqued at last year's retreat, and received a suggestion about a lot ( read a lot) of thread work on it, but now I'm considering using paint for some of the shading, or maybe even Inktense pencils, as I've had such success with those.