Posted on Saturday, October 30th, 2010
In this world of email, voicemail, gmail, facebook, and twitter, taking some time for oneself is not as easy as it used to be. Unlike many of my esteemed collectors, I am not a lawyer, a doctor or a high powered executive, but I still have over 900 emails in my inbox, 300 of which are marked “unread.” How is that even possible, and why has life gotten so complex? And did an entire summer go by where nothing happened that was blog worthy? Hm, well lets see.
This summer, five Belgian horses moved in across the street. As I observed these beautiful animals from our front window, I became particularly interested in their behaviour, noticing that not very much would sway them from their main mission, munching on the grasses. Can life be this simple? 
Summer and fall views, Muskoka, Canada
On my last post I shared my interest in learning to weave and after one funny little course, I dove right in, purchased a floor loom, and tackled a number of projects. After the first dozen or so not so inspiring placemats, I found a pattern I liked and created this shawl made of linen, cotton and silk.
From the moment I started this journey I knew it would devour time… and I was right. Winding the warp, dressing the loom, threading the heddles, all became terms I would become very familiar with. It soon became apparent that I would have to make a difficult decision regarding my regular obligations. I opted for a summer of simple living, inspired by the horses, the herons and the wild turkey, to continue this exploration.
I thought I should prepare an apology to my collectors for this, but after re-evaluation, why apologize? Throughout history artists have taken time to reflect, re-energize, stoke the fire of creativity. I have done this in the past with other mediums, sculpture, stained glass, photography…there is so much to explore, here is a small sampling of some stained glass works from the archives.
(above) Limited Edition Stained Glass Pendants (2003) ~ (below) Ristorante Ritorno bottle commission (2007)
Always welcoming the inspiration that inevitably spills into my other work, it will be interesting to see how this fiber art may influence my work in the future. I know stained glass did in it’s own way. I guess only time will tell! This second piece, a table runner, uses the same pattern as the first but it is made of bamboo and shetland wool.
I am very grateful for my life as an artist, an occupation I don’t take lightly. The world can always use more beauty to offset the chaos, and I hope to continue to do my part. But I am also grateful that I am not a production artist that relies on “what works” to make a living. Rather, I rely quite heavily on personal life experiences to inspire my own version of “what works.” Whether it involves time in Italy, lime and pigment, glass and solder, horses, or a whole bunch of colored thread, there is so much joy in creating emotion and connection through art. But for me this needs heart, and sometimes heart needs time for further growth. It is with this in mind that I will live this year simply, observing nature, and creating.
Thank you to my collectors, my husband and my family and friends who have supported me in these past years allowing me the luxury of being able to take this time. Needless to say, I will be taking this year off from exhibiting at the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale and although I will miss it immensely, I look forward to a future that remains fresh and exciting for myself, as well as for my collectors. Thank you all in advance for your support!
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Posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
So anyone that knows me really well knows that I thoroughly enjoy the journey life takes me on through the observation of “signs” usually in the form of animals in our beautiful natural world.
The Mourning Dove is a favorite as they are a reminder of a rite of passage I went through as a young adult. Now 13 years later they have come back and 2 doves have “woven” a nest by my dining room window.
Look closely! Here’s Lucy!! (as I call her) patiently sitting on her clutch within the Bougainvillia. It has been a full week now, and I understand 1 more to go before the tiny eggs hatch….how exciting!!
So here it was, the final sign I needed to follow a dream I have had ever since acquiring my grandmothers hand woven linens a long time ago. “I will try and learn how to weave!”
A humble beginner’s class will be my first foray into this ancient craft. I am unsure of how I will fair so I will begin the journey as a tribute to my heritage, a continuous attempt to forge a stronger connection to my Italian roots, and I will try and just ‘trust’ where it leads. I will trust the path and enjoy the journey…wanna come for the ride??
I am transported back to a trip to Calabria in the summer of 2008 where I was astonished by the quality and abundance of hand woven linens within the drawers and cupboards of this one household consisting of 4 special women.
Carefully preserved in darkness and an abundance of moth balls I was treated by a private viewing and colorful display I will never forget!
I make a new friend, her name is Vittoria after her grandmother. She will be the proud beneficiary of these fine linens as they are part of her trousseau…how lucky is she??!!
As a special treat I was able to watch some linen being woven on an antique loom still in operation.
The linen was not only hand woven, but also, hand picked AND home spun as can be seen below!!
My biggest challenge was how to acquire a small piece for myself, in a culture where money is not of the utmost importance I eventually traded a small fresco for 2 pieces of linen…a fair trade???
The fresco painting on this antique roof tile depicts the ancestral home of my new friend, Vittoria, her mother and aunt. They are all pleased! Although the home is abandoned it is now immortalized in fresco!…Transaction complete!
As always an added bonus to travelling in these quaint Italian villages are the charming photo ‘opps’ that abound…every nook and cranny is full of delight and may make a fine fresco one day! Any takers out there?
So I will see where this journey takes me and I am already inspired and awestruck at the connections that have been made as a result.
So far I have found 4 blogs and 1 website of special interest! My nephew and his girlfriend have been blogging about their travels throughout South America and I found it poignant that they would post about weaving on their blog “Birds of a Feather”. It became even more wonderful when a link was forwarded regarding Calina’s volunteer work with “Threads of Peru” an organization that helps woman improve their quality of life through , what else? …weaving!
I found Mary Tacconi’s writing while “surfing” for references to Italian weaving. Mary is a native to California, but she lived, married and raised 2 children in Umbria. Read her “Reflections on my 40 years in Umbria” for a taste of authentic Italy. I was mesmorized by the writing and the “reflections” as they matched many of my own and they led me to the beautiful works and website of Giuditta Brozzetti a handweaving laboratory in Perugia, as well as Michelle Fabio’s “Bleeding Espresso”. Another gem of a blog…Michelle is an American writer and attorney who left Pennsylvania for her family’s ancestral village of Badolato in Calabria! Inspiring!!
I am sure you will agree, this has already been quite a journey! Could there be more to weaving then just thread? Stay posted!
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Posted on Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Because of a suggestion from a highly respected friend of ours, Frank and I have decided to try out this funny little thing called a “raw food diet” Being non strict vegetarians (fish eggs etc) for over 20 years it wasn’t too much of a stretch but I still could not beleive how delicious meals could be. Example below…I am calling it “Pasta with Pesto in the RAW”
If you love pesto and you love vegetables you are going to love this…really! If you think about it, flour /egg pasta on it’s own really doesn’t have that much flavor, it’s the sauce that you put on it that makes it. So find your favorite pesto recipe…mine is a classic basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and salt. With a mandoline or simpe carrot peeler, thinly slice 1 or 2 yellow zucchini (summer squash) and 1 or 2 carrots depending on how many people you are serving…and toss everything together. Salt it to your own taste, or I guess you can add shredded parmesan?? hm mm! that’s it…done! …talk about EASY!!
Today is our first 90 degree day here in Scottsdale and what a nice lunch for a hot day. Try it, (if you like trying new things)…it’s such a great big beautiful world, isn’t it? Speaking of which, if this whole thing just turns you right off…I found the most lovely blog called “Panini Girl” that features everything Italian…especially food so check it out and Enjoy!!
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