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Friday, June 17, 2005  
So it begins. My ironing board is covered with fabric, organized in a general way. Some of the stash fabric has been taken out, auditioned, refolded and put back more neatly. Some small bits lie around looking like rubble.

Today's email brought the "twice-weekly letter" from Robert Genn. These often give me a lot to think about and I'm grateful that he provides this great service to keep my brain thinking about bigger things.

Today's letter says:

As I looked back into my studio, I realized that paintings ought to work in the almost-dark as well as in the full light of galleries or on home walls. Almost-dark is similar to what we do when we half-close our eyes. Areas of incongruity pop out, spindly and weak elements beg to be strengthened, woolliness is exposed as major-woolly. You notice funny things in the almost-dark--odd things, ghostly things, apparitions, things that look like something else. That evening I made a mental inventory of what needed to be dealt with in the morning.
Go and read the rest here.

Taking a last look at my current work with some of the lights turned off is a frequent late night, just-on-my-way-to-bed-really! activity. When you've stopped for the night, hung it up if it's hangable, it's great to take a few moments to sit and enjoy and ponder your work so far. I think it helps me figure out what needs to be done - borders, quilting ideas, binding, etc.

I enjoy those quiet minutes not working on, but being with my piece. As Robert Genn points out, sometimes you see things that do need fixing, but you've already decided that working is for tomorrow, so there's no angst. It's for tomorrow.

And the next best thing to that late night communing is that first look in the morning, even if only a quick glance on the way to the day job. Sometimes what looked iffy last night is clearly good or bad in the morning, but that's ok. I know it will be there waiting for me when I get home.

Written at: 1:05:00 PM


Sunday, June 12, 2005  
The tweenies

I'm sort of inbetween again. I've got some ideas perking around in my head but nothing that I'm ready to start on quite yet. Or is it just the heat? I guess I can't use that excuse really since last night, in a desperate act to be sewing something I made curtains for the living room. And gentle reader, I'm here to tell you in oh so not humble terms that I not only serged the top and bottom edges but I actually blind hemmed them on my sewing machine. Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

These already come with a good dose of virtue since I bought the fabric for like a dollar or two a yard tops in NYC. Ralph Lauren fabric baby. Oh yeah. I'm enjoying the moment while it lasts!.

Getting back to the heat for a moment, it sure is hot. Left the cellar door open for the cats, but of course an open door holds no blipping appeal for any self-respecting cat. We already knew that.

And on a quilting note, my quilt Shine will be off to Vermont tomorrow for the Vermont Quilt Festival. The slides turned out quite respectable. I was going to shoot another quilt but lighting things when it's this hot? I think not.

I had made some fabric purchases from Hancock's Memorial Day sale and well, it's just fabulous. One was a set of 10 yard pieces of batiks. $2.50 a yard. These have gold over printing which is fine. I can't decide which I like better on some, the front or the back. In any case a stack of new fabric is always good for a) making you put away some of the old I mean "aged" fabric so the rest will fit, and b) getting the juices going.

Finally two interesting food-related links.

The first from Fortune "I guess it's the iced coffee that makes me perky not the heat" Elkins: a study that shows that food odors in the car impacts driver behavior.

And finally an interview of Eric Ripert, chef at Le Bernadin. When asked to name his guilty pleasure:

Guilty pleasure: Eating dark chocolate. I do it every day, a few times a day. I am the nightmare of the pastry chefs. I steal from them all the time. And I always have chocolate in the house.
Amen.

Written at: 11:25:00 AM


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