Random Thoughts

The title of this post is hilarious, all of my thoughts are random.

The New York Times has an article on Desiree Rogers and her new job as editor in chief at Johnson Publications, home of Ebony and Jet magazines and Fashion Fair cosmetics. Reading the article reminded me of the great warmth and sense of homecoming Chicago offers. I can't think of another large city (I've lived in New York, Atlanta, Houston, and now San Diego) where the welcome is so warm.

As a young artist returning to the city I grew up in, Chicago welcomed me with open arms. Artists rep, gallery shows, free studio space, advice on stretching, framing, shipping work to national exhibits. Great friendships with other textile artists who frequently dropped by my studio to work, talk and share their lives. Young folks who volunteered to intern. Life crammed full with art, music, dance and theater. What a wonderful experience.

I'm pretty sure that after the brutal and high powered life in the glass bowl of the White House, Desiree is feeling like she's just had the best massage ever and so glad to be home.

I've been working in the studio for over a year now. Took me time to get grounded. I started with what I knew. Did some block printing, dyed lots of fabric, started sewing again. Several people suggested that it was time to finish something and get stuff to the market. I did create some scarves and cards that I sold through Etsy and, of course, to that essential group of folks who have supported my work for over 40 years. Still I knew I wasn't in a groove.

Nothing really captured my fancy. You know that point you get to where you wake up in the middle of the night and jump out of bed to find a sketch pad, before the image disappears from your mind. Dreams of color and shapes take over nightmares of daily life.

I knew from past experience that reaching the point of free flowing creativity was just a matter of time, discipline and daily work. But along the way I wondered when my creative voice would begin to sing, instead of just stuttering along.

Yesterday stuff jelled. It may have been organizing the yards of hand dyed fabric- being able to see what I had to work with. Or perhaps my subconscious decided to take the negative of my recently ended diastrous collaborative project and turn it into a positive. Certainly two weeks of a class with master quilters contributed.

I have eight 24 X 36 panels of hand dyed cloth hanging around my bed. I dyed these piece seven times using random folds, and then over dyed them all in black. I've been thinking of the next step - discharging, and then all of the following ten dye and print processes I want to use on this series. The working title for the series is "Triangular Trade."

But the point is really not these pieces, but the being surrounded by them is stimulating, even as I sleep.

Yesterday's break through was a combination of all of this and more. I began by selecting a group of dyed fabric in almost black purples, roses and grey (all 4 step gradients). Next I randomly cut the pieces into strips from half an inch to two inches wide. Then I cut a square of heavy white cotton 30 inches wide, and handed sewed the strips top and bottom ends to the white cotton. I selected a bunch of rust through pale butter yellow pieces, and strip cut them. I was on my way to weaving.

I stayed up until 2am finishing the weaving. Boy do I like this work. Even better I thought through a process I can't wait to get started on. What happens if two pieces of white fabric are basted together? Then hand painted or block printed or wrapped, clamped, dyed and/and or discharged. Now take the pieces apart and cut one piece of fabric in strips vertically and the other horizontally and hand weave the strips.

Well we'll see as I get started on the first piece.

Don't know about you about I get overloaded very easily. Sometimes, folks invite me to go to church with them. I see what's coming. One Sunday with good manners is never enough. The truth is if the sermon is truly good and inspiring I can live off of it for years. TD Jakes has a sermon on "Cutting the Cord." The sermon is like a jazz riff as many of Bishop Jakes' sermons are. However this sermon has resonated with me for years. The good reverend minister is not talking about the umbilical cord, but the invisible cords we all have attaching us to negative people, behaviors, environments, lifestyles. The man says just cut the cord, move on, seek your best life. There will be rewards in heaven and here on earth.

Same thing happens to me with visual input, audio input, taking classes, reading books. I don't need a lot, just one or two profoundly moving bits of insight. So don't invite me to attend your church, event, exhibit, concert or anything else for a while. I am on overload inside my own head. Cutting cords and moving forward.

This means I will probably not see the Zandra Rhodes exhibit this month. But if you live in San Diego and you're not on overload, don't miss it. How often do we get to see an over 40 year retrospective of the work of a textile designer?

Whew, long post. Yes, I know you are asking Yasmin do you ever intend to post any images of your work? Coming up, stay tuned.