Artist : Marian Bijlenga

I debated about calling this post Conversations on Flikr. We'll call it a subtitle and I'll get to that topic in a moment. I did discover Marian's work through flikr some time ago and was completely drawn in. She's based in Amsterdam and this piece certainly reminds me of a map of the water city.

Untitled by Marian Bijlenda, 2011. Horsehair, fabric,
machine embroidery. 43 x 43 cm

Today as I was doing my usual monthly gasping session perusing BrownGrotta's website rather than doing actual work, I came across Marian's work again. BrownGrotta representation, what a dream!


Untitled by Marian Bijlenda, 2011. Horsehair,
machine embroidery. 46 x 45 cm

Marian is a talented and very prolific artist. Her work is truly hers, unique and clearly all her own. The works are so delicate yet have a strong tie back to nature, using materials such as horsehair and fish scales. Fish scales?

Untitled by Marian Bijlenda, 2010. Fish scales.

There's a lot in that series. All stunning. Her flikr site offers lots more of her work and is well organized. And that gets me to Flikr. Some of my friends refuse to use it, some say it's a tad old but Marian uses it in a unique and beneficial way. As an open dialogue among other artists. The comments become a back and forth visual conversation that evolves and inspires. Go check it out and see what I mean. Thought provoking.



Sampler by Marian Bijlenda, 2011.

Marian Bijlenga's website can be found here. Her flikr page is here. Enjoy the tour!

Artist : Jiseon Lee Isbara

I first came across Jiseon Lee Isbara's artwork last year at the Wrapped in Tradition show at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco. Some of you might remember this stunning piece I shared from the show.

Blueprints, 2010. 25" x 34  1/2" Hand stitched, dyed and inkjet printed

silk fabric.

This one caught my eye in particular and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I tracked down her blog/website and discovered more from her 'meaningless squares' series as well as more recent series that are even more impressive. These are images from her new Embodiment series.

Embodiment, 2011. 5" x 47" x 4" Stitched and drawn,

ramie and cotton.

Her work is about "personal observation and artistic interpretation of her life as an artist, teacher, wife, mother and immigrant".

Embodiment detail, 2011. 5" x 47" x 4" Stitched and drawn,

ramie and cotton.

That really comes through in these pieces. Her mind seems to work like mine which is why I'm drawn to it. Perhaps you see your thought processes displayed here too. We struggle to control the chaos that goes through our minds as we multi-task through life. It's not an easy job. The titles really tell it all.

Accumulated, 2009. 365 pieces, 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"-6" x 6" x 6"

Hand stitched, silk and polyester strings.

Gorgeous work, no?

Accumulated detail, 2009. 365 pieces, 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"-6" x 6" x 6"

Hand stitched, silk and polyester strings.

Here's how a lot of us feel some days ... on autopilot. Who would have thought you could make such a beautiful poignant piece around that idea.

Repeated, 2010. 9"X 45' Woven, screen printed and stitched,

cotton.

Repeated detail, 2010. 9"X 45' Woven, screen printed and stitched,

cotton.

Jiseon Lee Isbara runs the Fibers Department at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. See more of her work here.

Artist : Doug Johnston

Doug Johnston is definitely someone whose work hovers between art and craft. I first learned of his sash cord series when it was featured last week on Remodelista.


Doug Johnston vessels. Photo by Michael Popps

I succumbed immediately and bought the "200" bag. The bags and totes are made to order but they look like they will be worth the wait. His website explains the technique used to make the pieces, which is based on ancient ceramic coiled pots and basketry.

The 200 by Doug Johnston. Photo by Michael Popps.

This is also an example of what a great photographer can do for your work. I come from a family of photographers so I had to slip that little plug in there! A little humor doesn't hurt either.

The Dunce Bag by Doug Johnston. Photo by Michael Popps.

This series is just the latest in a long line of Doug's creative projects that branch out into music as well. Here's a more artistic take on the sash cord series, called rumpleskillskid. The vessels are large enough to fit a person inside.

sash cord series with rumpleskillskid by Doug Johnston. Photo by Michael Popps.

Be sure to check out his website to see other creative ideas he has. And, of course, his shop can be found here.


Photo by Michael Popp

And I'll leave you with a little peek into his studio in Brooklyn, NY.

Foreclosure Quilts and craziness

It's been a weird, wild week for me. Now that New American Paintings came out, I expected some emails and I've had a few. A few good ones in fact. The Cleveland Quilt is now living in a happy home in Denver. I'm going to miss that quilt but so happy it's found a good home.

Cleveland Foreclosure Quilt, 2011.

A few days after I shipped off the quilt, Justine Hand wrote an amazing article on my quilts that was posted on Remodelista.

The funny thing was, I discovered the article by accident. I opened up the website to do some research on kitchen remodeling (I'll get to that part later) and there they were! Overnight, I was bombarded with emails from supporters, collectors, gallery owners, shop owners ... you name it, they called. Needless to say it was an amazing way to start 2012! I'm not sure what the next few months will bring but I expect I will be busy with my art as well as remodeling this and starting this. Am I crazy? Somehow it will all come together. It always does, in the most wonderful way. Happy New Year, everyone!

Artist : Jen Lee

I can't tell you the angst I feel that I can't find out more about Jen Lee and her work. As you know, beautiful images are fluttering around all over the internet, which is great except when you can't find where they came from and give them their proper credit.

Jen Lee, 2011. Image from ArtBlogArtBlog.

 I discovered her work through Pinterest via Maria Bohlin. After a few dead ends and lots of "Jen Lee, artist" searches on Google I came up empty-handed. I'm not alone in that thought, I found a great comment along the same lines just below this piece over at Crude Vessels.

Jen Lee, 2011. Image from Crude Vessels

But I just had to share Jen's stunningly, ethereal work with you anyway in the hopes that someone out there can tell us more and lead us to find her. So if you know anything, please comment below and I'll update the post.

Jen Lee, 2011. Image from ArtBlogArtBlog.

These pieces make one realize that ALL paintings on canvas are just textiles! We forget this once they are wrapped around wood frames. The geometry calls attention to it as well as the obvious fact that they aren't framed (gallery owners across the country would shudder at that thought). Not to mention the pieces celebrate the rawness of the canvas: the texture and color are brought forth.

Jen Lee, 2011. Image from ArtBlogArtBlog.

I know, I know. Calm down, you say. I'm getting all esoteric on you. But really, for something so simple, they are really powerful pieces. Are they not? In the meantime, just enjoy these images. And Jen, if you're out there, let us know where to find you!

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year to everyone! 2011 has been an amazing year for me. So much has happened and I owe you all a huge thank you for your unwavering support of my work.

Foreclosure Quilt Series, all made in 2011.

I've accomplished more quilts than I thought possible, had a wonderful collaboration with Vanessa Filley and starting planning a new series.

Quick study on new series which has since been tossed aside.

But the best part of all was making friends with all of you. It is so nice to know there are other artists out there that have similar struggles making art. There are certainly ups and downs, though it seems a lot of us have had a great year. It was also amazing to realize that some of you live really close by! It was wonderful to have the chance to meet in person and hope we meet more frequently in the new year.

Resolutions? Plans for 2012? I have four. First and foremost, I plan to continue the foreclosure series and spread the word as best I can. Second, I am starting a new series on landgrabbing, hopefully this month. Third, I will continue to write this blog and try to find more amazing artists out there to share with you. And the biggest, craziest plan? To tackle a huge, new garden and blog about that as well. Head over here to see my first post. Wish me luck!  What are your big plans for 2012? I wish you luck as well!

Foreclosure Quilt : Albuquerque, New Mexico

II hope everyone is having a nice holiday break this week! One of the things I think we are losing is the ability to relax and take a few days off every now and then. I managed to squeeze in one more foreclosure quilt before taking this week off and wrapping up a phenomenal year. There has been a sudden jump in foreclosures in the Southwest so my next few pieces will be focused on this region. This piece is of a newer neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt, 2011. 35" x 47"

This is one of my larger pieces at 35" x 47". I chose to zoom out of the neighborhood a bit  so you could see the large scale of foreclosures. You can find neighborhoods that look like this in pretty much any town in the United States these days. Clearly something is wrong but not much is being done about it.

Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt detail, 2011. 35" x 47"

Most of the newer developments of Alburquerque are comprised of large scale arterial roads set up in a grid with smaller neighborhood streets curving around within them. Not the most pedestrian friendly way to live with those busy roads everywhere. The blue areas are either civic (schools, libraries, etc.) or unbuilt right of way (culverts, creeks, etc).

Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt detail, 2011. 35" x 47"

All of the materials I used on this piece were scraps I had lying around in the studio. My next piece, Phoenix, is well under way and should be finished early next month. You might have seen a sneak peek in a recent post. I feel a sudden burst to make more quilts after reading all the news lately around the mortgage crisis.

Thank you Lari for pointing out this recent 60 Minutes segment on Cleveland, Ohio. One of my recent pieces was on Cleveland. Jim Rokakis has spearheaded so many projects there, he's an unsung hero in my book.

Foreclosure Quilts in New American Paintings

My work's in print! My foreclosure quilts are included in New American Paintings: Pacific Coast Issue 97.

Image courtesy of New American Paintings

As some of you know, this is a very popular national competition so it's quite a coup to have your work accepted. Only forty are chosen out of thousands of entries. I almost didn't enter since my work has predominantly fiber. But the entry details said they were looking for any medium as long as it was mostly 2D. I'm glad I went for it.

Image courtesy of New American Paintings

The funny thing is very few mixed media artists are represented which I found a bit strange. I think that actually makes my work stand out more. Alas, no pictures of my pages yet as I have to wait for foggy days to photograph.

Image courtesy of New American Paintings

Check out their blog page to see the full list of artists included. There's quite a lot of talented artists out here on the left, ahem, I mean west coast. The magazine is available in most major bookstores as well as those wonderful small, local bookstores (which is really where you should be shopping anyway!).

work table : Albuquerque and Phoenix

I don't know about you but when December hits, I go full swing in the studio. Something about nearing the year's end sets me off in a panic and I try to finish as many projects as I can before the holiday break. This is also a time of year, like most people, I reflect on what I've done over the past year.

work wall with Phoenix (left) and Albuquerque (right) in progress.

Having had a few sales of my foreclosure quilts (yeah!) means I don't have as many to pieces to enter into shows and galleries and that sets me off in a panic. What is really important to me about these quilts is to create as many as are needed and get them out into the public. This month and next, the foreclosure quilts will be featured in two magazines, Uppercase and New American Paintings. This means I need to have some new work to share with a broader audience.

Albuquerque in progress (detail).

Foreclosures are picking up in the Southwest again so I've spent this December studying New Mexico and Arizona. What I've found is shocking and doesn't take more than a few clicks on the internet to see just how severe foreclosures are there. The foreclosures are incredibly widespread in these cities. No neighborhood has been left unaffected but there are certainly focused pockets of devastation.

Phoenix in progress (detail).

I've discovered more data is being openly published about home sales throughout the US which brings to light even more foreclosures than are obvious on the maps from RealtyTrac.

Phoenix fabric study.

For example, what seems like an honest sale on the map, is really just a flip from one bank to another. Hmmm, is someone making money off of this? Of course! It's still happening and there is no regulation in sight to put a stop to it. To read the latest on the mortgage crisis, head over to my foreclosure series page and find links to the latest articles. Gretchen Morgenson has some new insights that are certainly worth reading.

Artist : Ana Hagopian

I learned of paper artist Ana Hagopian in Handmade Home which I featured last week. Two small images of her work appeared in the book but they instantly caught my eye.

necklace:tulip. Image from Ana Hagopian

Her intricate pieces can barely be called jewelry, they are much more works of art, no? 

necklace:blueberry. Image from Ana Hagopian.

The photography of her work certainly adds to their power. Dark, moody images capturing every texture of the delicate paper and reminding you that this is a designer based in Spain. Can't you just see those bold southern European women wearing her jewelry best?

necklace:snake. Image from Ana Hagopian.

She also has many light-hearted pieces, earings and rings that are so charming and delicate.

earrings:snow white. Image from Ana Hagopian.

The colors are rich and pure. I would love to know where she sources her paper and if she dyes it herself. The mix of blue and purple above is hauntingly beautiful and this coral is so intense.

necklace:coral. Image from Ana Hagopian.

Ana has her atelier in Barcelona and shows her work throughout the rest of Europe. Here's a peek of her space.

Image from Ana Hagopian.

She has many, many more pieces featured on her website (it was SO hard to choose which pieces to include here). She also has a new catalogue of her work available as a pdf here.

Noticed: Fog Linen Work on Handful of Salt

I've got another article over at the amazing Handful of Salt. I just can't get enough Fog Linen Work. Head on over and check it out.

Image courtesy of Fog Linen Work

Also, while you're there, check out the Handful of Salt holiday guide for some quality gift ideas. It's the best guide of quality craft I've seen!

work table : Albuquerque Foreclosure Quilt

Albuquerque was calling me. I kept seeing the name pop up in recent foreclosure articles. Foreclosures are up 151% there in the third quarter among other things. I came across this quick sketch I did last week. You know those sketches? When you make them you see so much more in the drawing than you see a week later?

You look back and wonder what you were thinking. This is often how I draw my initial ideas. I guess I'm a minimalist and anxious to just start making.

I like to piece things together the old fashioned way, with tape. I could do it on the computer but then I'd need a large format printer. I don't have the patience. And yes, that's my cat's tail sneaking in above.

Here was the initial idea, highlighting the large street grids you see as you fly over New Mexico and Arizona. I never understood why they laid the streets out like this. They're SO ugly and force everyone to get into a car to go anywhere. And then I realize I'm taking on way too much so I scale things back a bit, using just a portion of the overall area above.

Now it's coming together. The shaded areas are civic activities: schools, parks, right of ways. Seeing a high school sited in the middle of a foreclosed neighborhood makes me ponder what it must feel like to be a teenager these days. What do they have to look forward to? Not much it seems.

I start to dig around in my messy piles of remnants to look for fabric to use. Something dusty and drab is needed for this quilt. I find all my beiges and pile them into this bowl my mom started to make years ago. She never finished and it's nice to see the marks she made. I remember her as I work. I think she would have liked this one.

And I start piecing. Interesting, I just visualized the layout but hadn't counted up how many 12" x 12" panels there would be. What do you know? Twelve. My brain naturally likes order. I take a little break to finish off a side project.

I like to do a little traditional sewing on the side as it helps keep my sewing machine skills up to par. Now back to handsewing.

Eleven more panels to go and then I will add the other layers to the quilt. I'm really liking this one so far.