stories stitched and sewn...

Each of the figures in this painting is stitched into their own little pocket of humanity. A few are in it together and some are in places where the stitches are frayed and worn but still holding strong none the less. All are surrounded by magically continuous but broken lines that intersect over and over. I've been giving lots of thought to the things that hold us. In my work over the past few weeks the perfect simplicity of the stitches and the beautiful complexity of the sewing machine are helping me to express complete thoughts about strength and fluidity (two things i've been trying to reconcile lately). But enough about me...what are you trying to make sense of these days?

"Oh, it's the awesome bread!"

"Yes, T it is the awesome bread (formerly know as the Tartine country loaf)." I just stopped in to let you know the second attempt was twice as good and I'm loving the new moniker!

oh and-

Happy Sunday!

They arrived!

A huge thank you for all the collective finger crossing which I'm sure helped my lost parcels find their way to Nahcotta. One package arrived Wednesday and the other just yesterday morning. My pieces are up on their site and the show officially opens next Friday. I am so happy to be a part of this celebration of original art and encourage you to check out the deep and wide assortment of tiny goodness! I'm spending the weekend in the studio and will have a few things to share with you on Monday. Have a lovely weekend and thanks again : )

Wednesday...

the endless cycle of thought::two in the woods::bee 1::the silent commotion of the sea

Hello from the middle of the week. I had planned on taking a few days away from the studio to allow my dry, cracked hands to heal. But I needed to paint. Needed the calmness of the colors and beauty of the ideas spilling out onto the proverbial canvas. So here are a few small blocks I finished up last night. Today I'm working on the sewing machine silhouette piece from last week. I overworked the piece and had to start over on the bottom portion because the figures had become too muddled. I need them to be obscured but clear (i'll let you know how it goes). The two boxes I sent to Nahcotta with my eleven tiny paintings were misrouted and although it looks like one will arrive today the other is still on a magic postal adventure. Keep your fingers crossed for their safe arrival...thanks : )

slow food....

Bread at a snail's pace. Twenty nine days, two failed starters, lots of trial and error, a tenuous relationship, evening prep, 8 hours rising and two glorious loves of singing bread. Well actually, one was glorious the other was just ok. I learned lots about shaping and creating tension to get a good oven rise and I am totally going to be making two more loaves later in the week. Now that my starter and I have come to understand one another the process is still going to be slow but it's the kind of slow that you can fit into a day of doing other things. It turns out that a super old house in the middle of winter (when the temps outside hover in the teens) is not the best place to keep a starter alive. I found after moving the girls to a few different places in my house that on a small table directly over a heating vent in my office worked perfectly and if i shut the door at night it stayed very toasty and the girls were very lively at their morning feeding (i had two starters going as a kind of experiment and did not want to name them or get too attached so i just refer to them as the girls). These two loaves are the result of a long and rewarding journey Chad Robertson led me on and in case you are interested "Tartine Bread" has an insane number of photos and very detailed instructions (which I read and re-read many times during this process). So there you have it. As this week begins my paintings should be arriving at Nahcotta and my bread is baked so I am taking a big long breath out...what are you up to this Monday morning?

ps: i also came across an article on chad and the recipe for the country loaf in the last issue of martha stewart.

And they're off....

Here's a sneak peek at the 11 paintings I just shipped off to Nahcotta for The Enormous Tiny Art Show. It's been a crazy-mad-busy couple of weeks getting these pieces finished up and I am truly in love with all of them. I'm not sure when they'll be up on their site but the show opens Friday February 3rd. If you're anywhere near Portsmouth New Hampshire be sure to stop in and check all the tiny goodness!

Peace and warmth this cold winter weekend...

Small versions of big ideas...

the thread set out like a lone traveler (and soon a bond was formed)

dwelling in running stitches

when i am lost (the water holds my shifting weight)

I'm sure you've heard the saying "big things sometimes come in small packages". Well on Friday night as I painted into the wee hours to finish up a few pieces already in the works these three little block paintings were created from scratch. The images and ideas came quickly and I went to bed knowing I loved them. When I had another look at them the next morning I was struck by the story they told and came to the conclusion that art is most definitely a form of therapy. Anyways, I really felt these images could be expressed in a slightly larger size and so I am going list these little blocks in my shop and work on slightly larger versions for the ETA 9 show.

Wishes for peace, tolerance, patience and understanding on this special Monday...

A little sumpin' sumpin'...

I'd like to take a moment here to thank my brother-in-law Dave (who drew my name in the family holiday exchange) for the Anthropologie gift card. I'm sure Dave could have picked out something really lovely that would have suited me but after a long and trying week it was really nice to wander through the inspirational store of lovely displays and racks of clothing and pick out a little sumpin' sumpin' for myself. It was a much appreciated treat which is becoming fast friends with my old jeans and white t.

Warm wishes on this chilly Sunday...

On the table today...

Happy Friday you lovelies! These are two pieces I am working on in the studio today. I'll have more to say about these two (and all of the other pieces I've been working on) in just a few days. So thanks for stopping in, for your patience with my lack of words lately and your quiet encouragement...

In the works...

Here's a peek at a few more pieces I've been working on since I saw you last. I have about 15 paintings at different stages and I am really enjoying the process of watching them unfold. A few of them are still plain blocks with bits of this and that fluttering on top, some are waxed but colorless and one or two are even complete (and i'm sure a few will end up being recycled). Once they all find their way to completion I'll be sure to share them here. In other news, my first starter went nowhere and I had to scrap it. I'm sure part of it must be the chilly winter temps so I'm trying a new location with #2 (thanks for all the bread starter loveand if you have any tips i'd love to hear them). Snow is falling outside for the first time since Christmas and it looks so lovely. But now, I'm off to Bikram Yoga to warm up, stretch out and melt away. I hope your Tuesday is filled with warmth and beauty...

they called it cookie heaven...

Chocolate chip w/sea salt and lacey oatmeal. I made the cookies big thinking it would take less time but the dough seemed to replenish itself after each tray went into the oven and so there you have it: cookie heaven. See you Monday with some new work.

She's ready...

This is my starter for the Basic Country Loaf from "Tartine Bread". I'm trying not too get too attached and have put off naming her until she proves herself. I took the book to my parents over the holidays and created what seemed to be a successful starter but it didn't survive the trip home and so I waited until the New Year to give it another go. It looks likes she's ready to feed as she has a brown bubbled crust and has the aroma of stinky cheese and a sharply acidic taste. So today is time for the first feeding....wish me luck : )

In the beginning...

In the beginning of creating a collection images mix and mingle. Subjects interact or reject one another and a constant stream of words and ideas take shape on my brown paper covered work tables. This is the part I love. The part that seems magic. Where it all begins to make sense. These few pieces are just about ready for wax and color. It's the part where they grow up and become who they were meant to be ( i love that part too).

What do you love about the creative process?

rough around the edges...

That's how the New Year feels so far. I've got my blocks cut to start painting for the ETA 9 show (which i'm thrilled to be a part of again) but I'm out of sandpaper to smooth out the edges before I can get started. Sending the kids off to school today felt a little rough, the weather feels raw and there are some personal things which are being negotiated as the 2011 begins. I could go on and on with the metaphor but I'm sure you get the picture. It's good to be at the beginning of something but good and smooth are two very different things, aren't they? I'm off to pick up a few sheets of superfine sandpaper and then I'll spend the afternoon smoothing out some edges....see you tomorrow.