Textiles and Tea 100th, Sheila Hicks, gloves, socks and pancakes

Yesterday's Textiles and Tea celebrated its 100th program, with a coup, a visit with internationally renowned painter, weaver and writer, Sheila Hicks. 

Still active in her late eighties, she's still exploring her art. She wrote a book "Weaving as Metaphor" on the theme of the discoveries in thread and fibers, relationships and shapes. She loves to invite people to experience her installations, sometimes even designing them for touching.  I'll just invite you to Google her, and let her work speak for itself.

Back on earth, Christmas has started here chez Boud. First this exquisite cross stitched card complete with Canadian moose, arrived from Mary Anne, whose blog you know as Magpie's Mumblings. It's now a permanent part of the decor, along with other artworks from her.

Then the prospect of fruitcake from dear e. Prospect of Fruitcake sounds like a short story title. Anyway, lovely. Can't wait to have a cup of tea and a slice.

And, back on earth, veggie pancakes. I used the green peppers from Gary's  garden, scallions and onions. Just guessed at the pancake ingredients -- egg, milk, flour, baking powder, no measuring

and had these for lunch. Enough for a few breakfasts or lunches left.

And, speaking of unexpected Christmas gifts happening,  here's a lovely shout out yesterday from the Knitting Ministry, showing the tiny part I get to play in a marvelous program. Turns out the Hope One van is part of a county outreach program, bigger than I had realized. 

They go out three times a week in the streets fully professionally staffed, with medical, social and physical help for addicted people on the street, and my little offerings are in great company as you see from those color-worked hats. I'm glad I have a bigger picture now, all the happier to take part.

Then the jigsaw puzzle turns out to be missing a piece. The top left butterfly has a hole in her wing. Oh well. I searched everywhere in case I'm the culprit, but nope. I guess it's inevitable, in a library borrowing process, . I bet there's a sermon there..but I'll refrain. It was a nice puzzle for a butterfly lover.

Happy day, everyone, we'll accept the missing bits, yes? because the rest is lovely. 

Change of pace needed

After completing what is probably the twentieth pair of socks this year for my Sock Ministry

I thought I needed a change of pace, so here's what I'm trying next

Fingerless gloves. I used to knit these for Handsome Partner to wear all the time in the house when his circulation was poor in later years. They're great for doing all kinds of things without having to take them off, and kind to arthritic joints, too. I have a pair I knitted with the first yarn I spun, very useful for keeping my hands warm while operating keys or a phone.

So I'll send along a pair with the next batch of socks and see if  Sister M thinks they'll be useful. If so, I'll alternate. I'm using the last of the merino from the supply she sent me, and the blue from Joanne. These should be warm. I just hope there's enough yarn. We'll see.

I also need to learn a new skill, since I find this helps ward off the down winter feeling, so I'm planning to improve my continental knitting. I've done it before but didn't get comfortable with it and resumed English flicking style. I still prefer English purling, but maybe I'll incorporate continental for the knit stitch, in these gloves. It might help my shoulder, too, less stress on the right hand. 

And maybe it will help with my outlook, like this gate. Read the description. It's not what it seems. 

And in case you thought people are becoming clueless at the movies, it seems that's nothing new. See the guidelines for early movie goers.

And today's art offering is for glass lovers

Everything old is new again. I used to know a man who dealt in rocks and antiquities, doing business with the Smithsonian, and when we visited his apartment, he had various glass items around, clearly mouth blown, and old. He handed one to me and I noticed how light and thin walled it was. Also how fast it warmed in my hands.

He told me it was authenticated as Roman, as were the other pieces on open shelves. Valuable to collectors, and I asked if he weren't nervous about robbery. He laughed and said no, a usual house breaker wouldn't recognize their value, and if they were stolen he'd know exactly who was behind it, the world of ancient glass being so small!  It's a kind of natural insurance. Like the world of diamonds, where the stones and the people are known and any theft instantly traceable, with the penalty of exclusion always possible.

Happy day,  everyone. Everything isn't the way it looks. Sometimes it's better. 

Modular thinking and soup

The current jigsaw puzzle is one that suits me, because as you see, it's modular

It's a grid of labeled botanical illustrations of butterflies. The subject matter doesn't hurt, either. But modular, creating larger works from small pieces, is definitely my style. The bird by bird approach.

I've made large handmade paper pieces for exhibit using a mold and deckle about 8x10 or less, visualizing as I worked the eventual relationships of the parts into a whole. 

I was encouraged years ago by an account of a Japanese paper maker working in a tiny home studio, her kitchen, because of all the water needed,  producing massive installations for exhibit. 

And even longer ago, when faxing first became a thing, David Hockney sent a huge artwork in faxed pieces to be assembled when received at the gallery, with his instructions about which bit went where. 

I think this is the appeal of piecing in textiles and paper collage, too,  giving small components bigger meaning in a context. 

I did a workshop for middle school students a while back, my agenda being for them to feel their part, and that each of them,  was accepted and belonged in the group project. Middle schoolers rarely feel confident with art, beginning the self doubts and confusion of teen years, so they were a bit sceptical and worried about self exposure. But I wanted them to experience the pleasure of expressing themselves anyway, in a safe way.

Everyone, about 45 kids, yes, I had a teacher and a parent assisting,  got an 8x11 piece of black construction paper, a big stack of collage bits I'd collected,  glue sticks, and pens. They were to create a piece about themselves, favorite color, shapes, draw on it, write important numbers -- a lot of birthday numbers got in here. 

Once finished, we assembled the pieces on the wall, like a paper quilt, huge,  and the kids were amazed to find their piece was hard to find in the finished artwork.  They liked how they seemed to be an important part, at the same time, though. The black exposed edges of the sections locked the design together, and gave contrast to the collages, punching up their effect. Sneaky teacher planning for success. Modular power!

And there's soup. This week it's the rest of the leeks and potatoes, home made stock, and flavored with a big spoonful of plain yogurt, Old Bay seasoning, za'atar and something mysterious from the freezer labeled "Spicy for soup" I added in a can of chickpeas after the blending was done.
 

Seen here with hot biscuit and Thai basil. I do like having soup in the freezer for when I can't think what to have.

Art today from a favorite sculptor, Barbara Hepworth whose curves and air and wire thread lines are unmistakable, and full of suggested ideas and images.

Happy day, everyone, bird by bird does it! What do you like doing in pieces that then come together in a different,  significant whole? Many possible answers here.

Added ed. note: we're talking about modules, not components here. A component is not a module. Got more technical than I realized, so I came back to clarify.

How we met, another story

Mary Moon recently wrote an account of how she and Mr M met, then another blogger followed suit, very different, equally engrossing story. So I thought self, why don't you go and do likewise?

My story's a bit different, since I didn't even know we'd met. I shared a flat as an undergraduate with a science major, and he, a doctoral student, was her lab boss. This was in the late 1950s. She invited him to one of our crowded, noisy parties, where I greeted everyone but didn't single him out beyond being one of Joan's  friends. 

Not surprising, since I was engaged to someone else at the time, and paying more attention there. Years later, Joan told me the man who became Handsome Partner pointed me out in the crowd, asked her my name, and said "I'm going to marry her." She explained I was engaged, and he said quietly "I can wait." Which he did. A determined Scot.

After I ended my engagement, discovering later I'd had a narrow escape, too  boring to go into here, HP started being very evident in my life.

By the time I graduated, both parents had died, and the one sister remaining in England had refused to come to my graduation ceremony, so I would have no-one there to see me graduate. He said I'll pretend to be your Dad, give me a ticket! He was six years older than I, not exactly Dad material. But he spent the whole day with me so I would have someone there. 

I was the first person in the history of my working class family to go to the University, and my degree was was in a  competitive program, so, a lot of glass, and class, ceilings busted. Since he was also the first in his own family, he got it. 

I was determined not to marry and chuck away all the effort the degree had taken, especially after two ended engagements, yes, there was an earlier one. 

That one was busted up by my future mother in law who said no Catholic would be welcome in her family. Lucky escape, since if he had had the nerve to defy her, she'd probably have been unrelenting in her efforts to reclaim him! But the two engagement experiences showed me I'd better not waste more time on relationships, just friendships from now on. 

HP quietly went on being a friend, including me in his curry dinners with friends, and proposing to me many times. Finally I thought self, he's meant for you, don't fight it, and I accepted him. By then we'd known reach other about five years. No sense in rushing things.

Then in 1963, marriage then emigration to the US, no jobs available in the early 60s UK for people with advanced degrees. His doctorate in atomic science, my degree in modern languages, making us prime invitees of the US government trying to increase their science and foreign language strengths after Sputnik. He had a choice of five institutions inviting him to do post doc research. Those were the days. I picked up temp work along with modern language teaching projects.

Another immigrant said to me recently we're the only people she knows who were invited to the US!

Then followed a long life, ups and downs, together and apart, until we were inseparable for the last ten years of his life, till 2011.

Here's a  small drawing in sepia ink, of him sleeping, in old age, with CK Duncan the cat on his sleeve, after HP had become paralyzed.,

So that's us.  Part comedy, part tragedy, never ever dull.

Yesterday's drawing was a charcoal reduction. I covered the page completely  with charcoal,  then used fingers, kneaded eraser and a tortillon to remove parts and create the image.  Ages since I did one of these. They're very nice done with watercolor, too. You use transparent nonstaining colors that can be lifted with a wet brush.

And if at this point, what with sepia and charcoal,  you're longing for color, me, I can do fine without it, here's a bit of color relief

Happy day, everyone, we're all the stars of our own life arc!

Flower pot heater update

I got the cheap tealights yesterday, after plowing through many higher priced fundraising versions, this is a thing, but I can't do it right now. 

There's a special domestic violence tealights fundraiser here for the women's shelter which I encourage everyone who can, to support, but I need cheap tealights.

Years ago I worked secretly, security issues, with the local women's shelter, my office in a different organization being  a remote counseling location where women could come. 

It was a women's organization, so the cover story if necessary for any violent spouse was that she wss signing the kids up for programs. The deal was that I'd vacate the office so the trained dv counselor could meet with the woman needing help.

I also hid at home more than one woman, separately from any program,  known to me, to escape abuse. One got in touch recently, now in a new life, long established happy relationship, never forgot me. That caused a few tears, I can tell you. It's not why I did it, just a huge bonus.

Anyway back to the clay pot heater.

I set it up with three tealights, it ran for four hours, and was too hot to touch. However, the heat didn't travel more than a few inches. I think it needs some sort of fan, but I need to figure out how that won't blow out the tealights. So far so good though. It definitely heats up very well.

And I'm still in drawing mode

Just seemed appropriate. 

Happy day everyone, keep well, stay safe, if you're not safe please try to get help. 

We know the most dangerous time is when you leave, and then you need help and I trust you can find it. A women's shelter or women's organization is usually better than the local police department, sad but true.

Photo AC 

Jigsaw puzzle, beech friends and sea serpents

The current jigsaw puzzle, a layout of labeled butterflies, got an assist the other evening when Gary came over with granddaughter K. 

She spotted the puzzle and instantly started studying the picture, clearly knows what's what. She's seven, and I think she can give me tips. 

She did almost half a butterfly in no time. Gary promised her she could come back and continue at the weekend. So maybe this might be a thing. I'm very pleased she felt fine just diving in, like at an extra grandma's house.  And that Gary's comfortable promising a return visit, too.

Yesterday was a walking day, sunny, in thr fifties f.  and this great old tree, there long before our houses, is like an old friend.

That's a squirrel's messy little nest you see up there. They're great engineers when it comes to raiding bird feeders, not great nest architects.

The socks are coming along, looking more and more like a stripey sea serpent.

As you see, I changed the set-up in the drawing from how it was in reality. Used a soft Ivory pencil here. 

I remember an art teacher assuring dubious students in our painting class that it was fine to reorganize the elements you see, not cheating! She had to convince some people that it's their art, their decision. 

They seemed to feel it was the law or something that you had to reproduce exactly what was visible, no matter how poor a composition it might make. People do tend to create and enforce rules on themselves in other contexts too. There's a sermon there..

And here

Happy day everyone, just be you! It's plenty.

Photo AC 

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for so much, health, long life still going on, the friendship of handsome Son, good neighbors, the ability to walk out in the sun, to make things, so much.

Here on my blog I'm thankful for all of you, your friendship and generosity, especially when you comment and take part, you're wonderful. Take a bow!

 

Textiles and Tea, plant pot experiments, drawing

Yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured a hugely inventive weaver, writer, math major and bilingual experimenter in textiles, clay and printmaking.

Never met a loom she didn't like -- see the inkle loom up there? She's experimenting with inking her weaving to make prints from it too. And as you see, she's interested too in 3D effects. She's Canadian, in Quebec, and a true talent.

Check her website, too.

Meanwhile, at home, experiments were happening, too. I've been wanting to try making a little radiant heater using tealights and clay pots, so I tried it. 

First with one pot, Then two, with hole in the smaller inner one covered with a coin. That worked better.

Now I need tealights, having used the two Diwali ones, and I'm thinking of making a hundred hour candle using Crisco. I'll pick some up this afternoon and we'll see. 

The idea is just to create a little nonelectric radiant heat, though you extinguish the candles when you're not present, don't leave them unattended, usual precaution.  As you see, the fireplace is a safe surface to try this on.

There's a huge range of videos about this, from hellbent engineers with rods and bolts and gantries and flyover hinged flanges snd I dunnowhatelse, all the way to a lovely old English bloke peacefully making a simple two pot one to keep his greenhouse from freezing. All men, I noticed.

The experiment was paused when Gary came over with the latest gleanings from his plants for me.

Now prepped and frozen for future veggie pancakes or something. 

And I did a drawing

Speaking of the weaver who does math above, just a reminder of who taught the west a lot of what we know about math and astronomy

And before I leave you, here's a great cute overload

Happy day everyone, cook on if you're in the midst of Thanksgiving, be relieved if you aren't, but either way, enjoy your day, oops, I'm a poet and I don't noet.