Tuesday was a warm and lovely day, and the walking was easy. I saw the first duck and drake pair of the year at the pond. They swam away when they saw me, to wait quietly in the grasses. I wonder if they're nesting there
It was very warm and windy, and the maiden voyage of the hat I made a while back. I'm pleased with it.
It fits and stayed on fine in the gusts of wind. My sunglasses complete the international spy cosplay.
And since my rescued azalea struggles with the pachysandra, I brought in a branch to try forcing.
In less successful vein, I struggled with the sock and the totally confusing and contradictory pattern. I did succeed with the heel flap, then heel turn, then gusset then picked-up stitches. It's a hell of a fuss for what can be a simple short row pattern. But since the other sock was done I needed to replicate the pattern.
It's now at an easier place to continue. I definitely needed to be alone with this one.
Gary rushed in to borrow my visitor's parking pass for his plumber, who spent all day failing to fix the upstairs leak. Then later, water all off, he came dashing in to use the bathroom. Then later arranged to move a table and plant temporarily in to my living room while he packs boxes in that space.
Lunch, afternoon tea and dinner all served on the deck, to the accompaniment of birds dashing about building nests and singing and drumming for partners.
A chickadee came and studied my dinner sandwich probably hoping for crumbs. Or maybe hoping I'd fall asleep again and he'd seize his chance.
Textiles and Tea with Patricia Martin was a feast of natural dyes, weaving and mixed media art, with political and environmental messages.
She also organizes environmental art in her California beachfront community. She teaches regularly and does residencies.
She teaches color theory too and the wheel below is a project students can create un a three hour workshop.
Happy day everyone, enjoy whatever comes of your day if you can.
I'm exhausted just hearing about Gary's escapades. But a spring stroll to the pond and tea and supper on the deck - heaven!
ReplyDeletePatricia Martin sounds like an excellent teacher as well as making wonderful and meaningful art. T&T find such interesting presenters!
Chris from Boise
She's also such an intentional and happy person, great to see her. Yes, they do find great presenters. No lack of talent.
DeleteOoooh wearables - love wearable art. Those dresses are gorgeous. Your hat worked well didn't it (laughed at the international spy, incognito image... the Audrey Hepburn look perhaps.)
ReplyDeleteI love my reflection in this hat! And Martin's art is all kinds of things, wearable, political, astute.
DeleteBeautiful views and creations. I need these right now.
ReplyDeleteHappy to provide.
DeleteOur frozen pond was unfrozen but duckless and gooseless, but there are plenty around the river.
ReplyDeleteSpring's a bit later for you.
DeleteIt sounds a busy day, inside and out. It's good to be able to sit outside again, even if only for a short while.
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely to be out. All those bitter winter days I'd wonder when this would happen, and it's here.
DeleteI love that colour wheel! And FYI, my post on the early music concert will now appear on Saturday (not Thursday).
ReplyDeleteI'll keep checking!
DeleteGreat dye colors in the color-wheel. I tend nowadays for brightness, where I used to like more neutral colors. I've had my cataracts removed, which may or may not have influence on other people choices of colors.
ReplyDeleteI wonder about color perception, too. I wear sunglasses much more now, post surgery, so much more light getting in.
DeleteYour hat stayed on in the wind? Now that is a good hat! Patricia Martin seems versatile in her work. My eye was attached to the purple-ish weaving sort of folded up on something wooden. The one that looks like an American flag with barbed wire was evocative. Well, all of it was interesting! I thought I saw a post of yours that seems like it's now disappeared on my end of things -- it included a quotation by Mariame Kaba. I was going to comment that I read a book of hers last year (Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba), and then she spoke to my book group by Zoom. She is a very impressive person.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that post should have vanished! Try again, maybe it was down if I was editing later. She's really a great thinker and explainer. The Martin piece, the post with flag and barbed wire from the area she lives in is called Border. It's about her work with refugees crossing the California border from Mexico.
DeleteHow lovely to eat al fresco. No such luck here yet. But there will be opportunities when we are in Greece later this month.
ReplyDeleteYour spring is a bit later than here.
DeleteYour going to have a much quieter life once Gary moves. I’m sure you’ll miss his popping in
ReplyDeleteIn fact I hate it, the endless interruptions to meals, work, quiet. Yesterday I made it very clear to him at one point that I was available only because I'd got to a good place to stop knitting! I expect he'll text and call all the time instead! He's a great guy but too much for me at times.
DeleteI love how the colors she works with do indeed span the entire color wheel. A large palette!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me happy to think of you spending most of your day outside. I am sure your body and mind both love that after the long winter's hibernation indoors.
She's a definite lover of color, though subtle with natural dyes. Outdoors is lovely. Today handsome son is over, tea on the deck.
Deleteah - outdoors without a winter coat is but a dream at the moment. 1C and snow flurries again.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow we're back into the 40s f. Layers back on!
DeleteOh, Gary! You have opened a new world for me. I never really thought of textile art until I met you. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think you mean I introduced textiles. Not Gary. He was trying to understand the concept of a knitting pattern yesterday, couldn't get it!
DeleteBut I'm happy you're enjoying material that's new to you.
BTW, you look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThank you, that's lovely to hear.
DeleteYour warm day does sound lovely!
ReplyDeleteIt's a day to treasure. Soon it will be hot and buggy.
DeleteInstruction on a colour wheel would be so helpful for quilting. Perhaps I need to study this.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a lovely day. I love the photo of your reflection:)
You might really enjoy learning more, there's always more, about color, for all kinds of reasons including quilting. Go for it. You might want to try to get the paperback of Albers' Interaction of Color, which teaches how color reacts to its context
DeleteOur weather is so up and down. If it's nicely warm, then it is raining. If the sun is out, it is too chilly. I'm hoping for sunny Spring weather soon!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope it makes up its mind.
DeleteIt seems like not long ago you were having snow, so it's nice to see some warmth returning! There's nothing I like better than an al fresco meal.
ReplyDeleteNo time since I couldn't think of sitting outside. Food seems better outdoors. And the birds get very alert in case of crumbs.
DeleteI imagine textiles are much less predictable to mix colors and dye for. Like your high tea set up.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are many moving parts in dyeing textiles. Quite different from mixing for paint. I love natural dyeing and you have to give up the notion of control!
DeleteThe hat looks very suitable for our summer sun.
ReplyDeleteLet's call your deck an outdoor living space, or maybe for brevity, your terrace. It probably doesn't meet the definition of lanai, but you could use that anyway.
Interested options. Since deck is how this is known here, maybe I'll stick with it.
Delete