Random Wednesday

Barely unpacked from the last trip, I’m making lists and tying up loose ends and getting ready for Sunday’s drive to New Hampshire, where I’ll be teaching a five day Wearable Extravaganza class in the beautiful historic town of Harrisville, staying in a cottage on the water, and generally enjoying New England in the summer.  Oh, and yes, I’m teaching a five day workshop.  Did I mention that?  So I’m printing handouts, and organizing and packing suitcases that never made it to the attic the whole summer, I just unpack and repack.  I am so longing for the late fall/winter when the traveling will be finished and I can get into some serious studio work, and I can post something other than my airplane escapades (or in this case interstate).

Opportunities are beginning to come in from my last two conferences, inquiries about teaching, inquiries about my books, and a wonderful and unexpected opportunity in the form of Jill Heppenheimer, owner of the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery, probably the most well known gallery of handweaving in the country.  Jill gave a breakfast keynote address at Convergence about getting into a gallery, I attended, not because I every thought I’ve be selling in a gallery again, I did that in the 1980’s (but never managed to make it into Santa Fe Weaving Gallery), I attend things like this because I am an educator and students ask me questions all the time about things unrelated to sewing, and the more knowledge I bring to the table, the better teacher I can be.

Anyway, Jill contacted me after Convergence, and asked to carry my scarves in her gallery.  She had seen the one accepted to the Convergence multimedia exhibit “Eye Dazzlers”, and loved it, and since it was finally returned from the  Convergence exhibit only yesterday, I was able to box it up along with it’s sister, woven from the same warp, and ship it off to her, back to New Mexico.  Can I say I’m thrilled she contacted me?  Can I say I’m already trying to figure out how to weave between 4-5am (about the only time I sleep) because, guess what?  She wants more in different color ways.  I say yes to things like this, even though I know I’m completely nuts, because I’m so busy doing all the things that make a business, that I am losing sight of my looms, and I loved making those scarves, they were so playful and random and fun, that I want to do more, and maybe even expand the idea into yardage for garments, what I do best, and here is a ready encouraging audience.

So if you are in the Santa Fe area, and want one of my scarves, there are only two so far, stop in and take a look.

Last night I had about a half hour to kill before my daughter was ready to curl up with me to watch episode two of Project Runway that we had taped because we were both away.  So I went online to find a tutorial for grafting the toe of handknitted socks, and I found this site.   I love that you can Google something and have the answer instantly.  Anyway, I sat with my almost finished socks, grafted the toe following the terrific photos, and I have now completed my first pair of socks ever.  🙂

The mail came today, and in it was the back to school packet for my daughter, addressed “To the Parents Of…”.  It was her schedule and all the other 37 pages of information from PTA membership to forms for reduced lunches.  In there was the blessed parking decal page reserved for seniors, which she gleefully stole from the packet.  My daughter is a senior this year, and she is my youngest.  So it was sort of bittersweet as I sat down to fill out the pile of Emergency Contact Cards, and Student Information Cards, this is my last time.  For more than 15 years I’ve been filling out those little cards, every start of the new school year, and this is my last.  I plan to grab a glass of wine to celebrate tonight, but I’m not sure if I’m also not mourning the end of the school years…  Nah, definitely time to celebrate, I hate filling out those cards…  Plus after November, she will be 18 and I won’t be allowed to fill anything out for her anymore…  🙂

There were two acceptances to exhibits in my mail/email yesterday.  One was for a show in The Plains, VA, called Live an Artful Life® presents Fashion and Fiber Art 2010.  Three of my garments were accepted, and the show runs October 9-October 23, 2010.  I would love to be at the opening, but I’ll be in Boulder, CO.  🙁  One of my pieces even made the promo page for the show on the Live an Artful Life website!

The other exhibit was sort of a surprise.  I had one of my art pieces accepted, “Survivor” to the National Art Encounter 2010 at The von Liebig Art Center in Naples, FL.  (I’m only giving the link and not posting the photo since it is a pretty graphic piece, and very personal, and many of you read this blog at work.)  The juror Denise Gerson is the Associate Director of the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami.  She has an almost 30 year career in the visual arts.  I am thrilled to have been selected.  The Preview Reception is September 10th, and once again, I won’t be able to attend, since I’ll be giving a keynote address in Syracuse, NY.  Tough to be in two places at the same time.  The show runs September 13-October 30.

It has been a busy eventful reentry, my husband is hopefully at the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ready to board a plane for the trek home, he will be here a week while he gets a new visa.  My son is out on National Guard Drills near Harrisburg, PA, he called in today, regaling me with tales of driving Humvee’s.  He is smitten…  🙂  And my daughter polished off one of her summer assignments, a paper on one of the tragic heroes of King Lear.  It is good to have her back and have her all to myself this week.  Oh, and I managed to clear the drain in the airconditioning unit that backed up while I was in Atlanta, causing water damage in the ceiling in my husband’s office and water to drip down behind the shingles in the front wall of the newly painted house, all over the hood of one of our cars.  Don’t ask…

Stay tuned…