Unplanned Plans

Oh no! I almost completely let my posting fall by the wayside these past few weeks. This thing called life kind of got in the way of making (have you heard of this happening before, anyone??)...

Sarcasm aside, I've been busy busy busy making things for my Etsy shop and for Art Star Craft Bazaar at the end of the month. I wanted to take some time and refocus on art-making instead of craft-making lately so I have been reworking and fiddling around in my sketchbook/on random book pages a lot lately. Here's my latest, india ink on found book page...

On teaching myself to knit (Harry Potter-themed scarf)

In preparation for the talks I'm giving at a Harry Potter conference this summer, I've been delivering shorter talks at Potterdelphia's monthly meetings, including April's about reading the series as the mother of a one-year-old.

I've also given in to the knitting craze that is widespread throughout Potter fandom. Knitting is mentioned frequently in the books, and many fans knit scarves, socks, and sweaters such as the ones that appear in the series. I decided to teach myself knitting through such a scarf, in queer-themed rainbow colors, the whole 10" x 70" length in garter stitch for discipline and practice.

As human nature would have it, I quickly lost interest in unvarying garter stitch. Sort of reminded me of being 7 years old and having to play interminable Hanon finger exercises every day before anything melodic or fun. Once I gave myself permission to experiment with different stitches, my speed and eagerness picked up dramatically. I kept wanting to do another row, and another, to see how the pattern would resolve.

I thought, oh, this is like writing. Word by word, stitch by stitch, line by line, patiently, until the motifs come around and build on each other and repeat until you can see the picture, and whether it works. I never thought this in my 19 years of quiltmaking because quiltmaking isn't linear. The construction of quilts is always modular, with lots of diagonal thinking, even if what you're making involves rows. You can work on something for a long time and then have a sudden moment when the project moves into the next phase, all comes together, pays off. But working a rectangular scarf row by row is a lot more like writing a story.

Red Cyclops Monster

Pigeons and Rainbows

In most cities pigeons are despised, but they are truly amazing creatures. Pigeons are smart, sweet birds that engage in monogamous relationships and take equal responsibility for sitting on their eggs and feeding and raising their young. They are social birds and live in flocks that usually encompass several generations of a family.

When I took this photo I was actually shooting the rainbow. In my old neighborhood I only saw rainbows a few times a year, but now I see them a few times a month. I believe it’s because my house is close to the Delaware River so there’s always a lot of moisture in the air.

This particular rainbow was a double, but the second one faded as I was taking the picture. Still, this is my favorite shot because of the pigeons. I was pleasantly surprised to catch them in flight, especially since I have an inexpensive 2.0 megapixel camera. The pigeon on the left reminds me of an angel.

Creating ~ A Little Differently

So apart from papercrafting, my real life is spent as a professional singer. What I created that debuted this week (actually on my birthday) was a CD with my fellow friends entitled Vespers. Vespers is a piece written by my dear friend Kile Smith, whom you may know from WRTI. Kile is a first-rate composer. He wrote this piece for Piffaro and they asked us, The Crossing, to collaborate with them. The Crossing choir is made up of all professional singers and is conducted by Donald Nally who is now living in Chicago and working for Chicago Lyric Opera. Donald flies in to work with us and program a full season dedicated only to the performing of new works. This is a special group. A group that relishes the process and a group that embraces their audiences as if they were a part of the ensemble. It was an absolute joy making music with my friends, and would love it if you watched this video to get just a glimpse into the amazing people involved with this project! ***I am the one wearing the peach peasant top*** ;)

Flower Pins

Finally!
Just in time for Mother's Day.
A couple of flower pins.

Bridge (version 2)

Sometimes you just have to know when to quit. I originally posted this image a couple of weeks ago, and have been fiddling with the sky. I think I'm finally happy with it- a little less flat. The photo isn't very good, but it's still too wet to scan!