New horizons

After dumping a substantial amount of liquid gelatin all over the stove and myself yesterday, I took my industrial-strength gelatin plate to the Big Studio today. We printed quantities of fabric, wild and crazy time.
Back at home I've pushed a smaller projects back into action. This piece has been bugging me for quite a while. Yesterday I stitched on it again, etching some dark and contrast in:
I took out my acrylic paints and worked over a piece which felt way too sweet for me. Now it will be the base for new ideas: Years ago a colleague told me, if you don't like something, don't throw it out. Use it to try something new. If you already hate it, you can't ruin it, her logic ran. And you might learn something. I've been reading some good books about acrylics and just signed up for a course, Painting Without Parameters, which I hope will push/lead me to new places.

Progress-ish

The goal for the week was to get to the Big Studio, but the reality was I crossed the threshold of my Little Studio upstairs, cleaned off my table, and made some cards. It felt good to move color around again.
Hours on the phone working the way through mom's bills have also improved my ability to cut through those endless automated phone trees. Next comes 2009 taxes.

Our chair arrived. This was a piece my mom bought decades ago. I brought it home when we closed her house: it was already "shot" from my dad loving it. We wore it right through. The bottom was dragging on the floor. After months of thinking and budgeting, I took it and my favorite upholstery scraps to the same upholsterer who donated fabric to Lowell Fiber Studios almost two years ago.
He was surprised, but charmed, I think, by the trust. I've had waves of doubt since then. But look: it's a work of art! They used symmetry to balance the onslaught of pattern. I especially love the way the cording changes from place to place. And if you flip the cushion over, it's different on the other side. Wonderful.

Art and Alzheimers

From the blog of John Zeisel, author of I'm Still Here, a book I recommend for anyone with Alzheimer's in their life. Watch this clip to see how theater reaches these "unresponsive" people: