Inspiration for Fiber Artists: Microscopic Images

Clutch of  butterfly eggs on a raspberry plant

A friend sent me an email with these photos.  I usually roll my eyes when forwarded junk comes in, but I really liked these and thought they would be great inspiration for fiber artists.  They are from the book, "Microcosmos" by Brandon Brill of London.

An ant, Formica fusca, holding a microchip

Eyelash hairs growing from the surface of human skin

The surface of a strawberry

Bacteria on the surface of a human tongue

Human sperm (spermatozoa)

Nylon hooks and loops of Velcro

Household dust: includes long hairs of cat fur, twisted synthetic and woolen fibers,
serrated insect scales, a pollen grain, and plant and insect remains

The weave of nylon stocking fibers

The head of a mosquito

Head louse clinging to a human hair

Mushrooms spores

Inspiration for Fiber Artists: Microscopic Images

Walking in Some Kind of Style

I have bad feet due to a couple of injuries and genetics, so comfort is always my criteria in finding a shoe that I will wear. Yet, I admit to a certain shoe fetish, especially when looking at how ethnic cultures around the world use natural materials to weave, carve, sew or solder footwear. The Field Museum in Chicago has a wall of these shoes, a fascinating exhibit. So, when a friend sent me an email with these shoe photos, I just had to post them. There was no info on the provenance of the photos. If you know where they came from, please leave a comment at the bottom of the post.

Shoes that Hurt

I guess that these shoes just push the limits of design. Your feet affect your back which affects the rest of your body. Wearing high heels on a regular basis shortens your tendons which create all kinds of long term health problems. Why, oh why, subject poor feet to this torture? I know that I would not even be able to stand up straight in them, so I guess something must be said about the acrobatic feat in being mobile in these instruments of torture.








Shoes Inspired by Nature

Most of these actually look potentially comfortable. We often see floral designs on summery shoes and animal slippers have been a favorite kid gift for a long time now. But, these shoes go a step further taking these ideas from cute to realistic, sometimes in a grotesque way.







My Favorite!

Of all of these, the only one that I would even think of trying on is this grassy pair of flip-flops. It's like walking outside without worrying about dog poop...

So, what do you wear? My most comfortable shoe ever is a recent pair of Skechers.
Definitely not sexy or shocking in any way. I'll let other people expand the boundaries of shoe design. My feet may be bad, but they are the only two I have, so I try to pamper them with things that make them feel good.

Walking in Some Kind of Style

Craft Talk: A Knitting Video

A friend posted this on Facebook and I thought it was pretty fun. Enjoy!

Craft Talk: A Knitting Video

Call for Recipes!!!!

Mozer in our kitchen.

My husband's birthday is coming up and I've been stumped as to what to give him. Mohammed (Mozer to me) doesn't want anything, need anything, or wish for anything. At least, not for anything that I could afford. He's a minimalist who married a pack rat.... But, it's his 40th, a biggy, and I want to do something special. (Yep... I caught me a young one!)

So, I came up with an idea and I hope you will participate! Mozer is a chef and loves to cook. That is his art and his career. His training and background make Italian, French and Moroccan cuisine his specialties, but he likes to try new things, too.

Our anniversary a couple of years ago.

I thought I would make him a book with recipes contributed by anyone who wants to participate. This is short notice, so if you would like to join in, do it quick, quick! His birthday is March 12th and I would like to have the book finished by the 8th (that's only 10 days!).

Deadline: March 8, 2009

To participate, either leave a recipe as a comment or e-mail me (the link is at the top right hand corner of this blog). I will post e-mailed recipes here. It would be nice if you included a photo of you, a favorite quote and a sentence or two to make the recipes more personal. Make sure to include your links, too, so that Mohammed and others can visit your sites.

This will not only be a wonderful gift to my dear husband, but all of you will also be able to enjoy each other's favorite dishes! How fun!!! I'll post a photo of the book when it is finished. To all of you who participate, I give you my thanks!

Learning how to play croquet in Wisconsin.

Recipes:

From Morna
"Here is a fabulous recipe to a fabulous friend for a fabulous husband on a fabulous birthday!"

Party Pesto Loaf Appetizer

Serves About 24


3 large cloves garlic, peeled, divided use
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 (8-ounce each) cream cheese, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound provolone cheese, thinly sliced, preferably lengthwise
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into thin strips
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1. Toast pine nuts. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet in 350-degree oven. Bake 2 minutes and then shake pan to turn the nuts. Continue to bake until lightly browned, about 1 more minute. Watch nuts carefully because they can burn quickly.
2. Moisten cheesecloth (about 16-by-16 inches) with cold water. Ring out excess water and line a loaf pan, allowing excess cheesecloth to hang over the sides.
3. Mince in food processor: one large clove garlic and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Add cream cheese and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove mixture from processor.
4. Mince in food processor: two large cloves garlic and 1.5 cups of fresh basil leaves. Add Parmesan cheese and process until blended. Add olive oil in a thin stream and process until blended. Remove mixture from processor.
5. Use about half the provolone cheese to line the loaf pan. Overlap the edges and gently press the seams down; allow to hang over the edge.
6. Add 1/2 of cream cheese mixture and press down into an even layer. Make a layer with sun-dried tomato strips and push down gently to press the tomatoes into the cream cheese. Cover with a layer of provolone cheese.
7. Add half of pesto in an even layer and top with another layer of provolone cheese.
8. Add remaining 1/2 of cream cheese mixture and press down into an even layer. Make a layer with pine nuts and push down gently to press them into the cream cheese. Cover with a layer of provolone cheese.
9. Add remaining pesto and another layer of provolone.
10. Pull over the additional provolone cheese that hangs over the sides.
11. Pull up the cheesecloth that hangs over the sides and place it on top of the loaf. Gently press down loaf. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least two hours.
12. To serve, remove plastic wrap and fold cheesecloth back. Invert onto serving plate or platter and peel off cheesecloth. Can be served as is, or you can cut loaf in half lengthwise, and then cut small squares and arrange artfully on a platter. Garnish with sprigs of fresh basil and edible pesticide-free flowers. Accompany with thin slices of French bread or sturdy crackers. Can be made four days in advance and refrigerated airtight. Can be frozen, airtight, up to two months.
13. Serves about 24. Ingredients can be divided between two small mini-loaf pans, making two small loaves - freeze one for later use.

Note: If you have leftovers, they can be tossed with hot pasta for a delicious dinner.

Call for Recipes!!!!

My Favorite Birthday

Today's my birthday. It's one of those which will go down as just another one, no mess, no fuss, nothing to really remember later on. It's freezing cold here in Paducah and in my house, so I'm bundled in woolens and working on all those endless tasks. Later, I'll head on down to 212 Broadway for the African trunk show we're having there. I've gotten some nice calls, e-cards, and feel happy and calm inside.

I remembered the photo above and dug it up... The quality is worse than I remembered, but I always thought it was such a weird posture for a little girl. Precocious, maybe? I think it's birthday #4, definitely in Brazil, looks like Londrina, but I'd have to ask my mother-caretaker-of-all-memories to be sure... Obviously, I don't remember that birthday at all, so it's not my favorite. I just wanted to share the photo.

The favorite one happened in Chicago, probably close to 20 years ago. I have lots of photos of it in a scrapbook that is in a big metal box full of other scrapbooks. Nope, I'm not going to dig that one out. But, it was a great time and maybe some of you will want to use the idea.

I decided that I didn't want any material gifts. I wanted everyone to bring a gift of talent, and unbelievably, they did! There were probably 60 people crowded into a Chicago apartment, all dressed up. My friend Roberta was the MC. She had a parrot on a stick from Pier 1 that she waved around like a wand as she sped the show on. I've always had wonderfully creative friends (partners in crime?) and they all dug deep and came up with great talent. Several sang (one is an opera singer and she made a spoof on something), there was poetry, clogging, craft demos, interactive art projects and on it went. The beauty of it was that each gift was for me, but also for the all that were gathered. We could all enjoy each other and it was so much fun.

So, if you need a birthday idea, especially now when people are so broke, remember this and look around you. I'm sure that you, too, are surrounded by the gift of talent!

My Favorite Birthday

Uncle Jay Explains: 2008 In the News...

A friend sent me this and I thought it was pretty funny. I hadn't heard of Uncle Jay before, but apparently he comes out with a new "educational" video weekly.

Uncle Jay Explains: 2008 In the News...

A Fiber Artist's New Year's Resolutions...

OK ... So, it's that time of the year when we look back, assess the progress made, get filled with guilt over everything that didn't get done, then look to the next year and make some promises... resolutions.... goals..... hopes.... dreams...

I actually do have some resolutions related to my art and work. I'm not numbering them because they are all things I want to get done, so here goes:

• Finish at least one UFO (UnFinished Object). Every fiber artist has stacks of them. I have a large tin box, filled with unfinished quilts. Ugh. So, one will be pulled out and finished. I promise!
• No new supplies! No fabric, no trim, no buttons, no nothing until I seriously make a dent in what I have. How is YOUR stash? Taking over your house? "Someday I will do something with it...." has arrived. That someday is 2009! OK, so I can replenish something that I need and that I'm out of, like Tiger Tail.... (just ran out)
• Make two new quilts. I already have an idea for my parent's 5oth anniversary and for my dear friend, Tom. (This is a test to see if he really is reading this blog...) Tom is also going to be 50, so that will be my quilt theme this year.
• Learn how to knit. ???? I'm still debating about this. I would like to have that skill, but am afraid it might open a whole new stash need and maybe it's not a good idea...
• Start a new blog.................. groan, oh my!!! Yes, it's a bit nuts, but I think it's a good concept and will be easier than this one. (Many of my posts here take 3-5 hours!) It will be a reference for cultural crafts.

Well, that's enough to keep me occupied for several months. The trick to resolutions is to set goals that are achievable. Then, when the end of the year comes, you can look back and feel good about yourself. There are lots of other things I would like to do, but how realistic are they?

How about you? Any resolutions for this upcoming year? Click on "people with something to say" and leave your goals and dreams! May they all come true!

Happy 2009!!!

A Fiber Artist's New Year's Resolutions...

Me dejas que te toque el Wiwichu? ... A Funny Christmas Song in Spanish

This is an audio file in Spanish. If you don't speak it, you might guess at the innuendos just by the tone of the voice. A chuckler...

Me dejas que te toque el Wiwichu? ... A Funny Christmas Song in Spanish

Baby Fiber Artists

Rachel Biel Taibi, AKA Rayela Art
Campinas, Brazil, 1962

These photos were taken of me when my parents first arrived in Brazil, still unpacking. I think they are my favorite baby photos, partially because they combine three of my great interests: travel, clothing and fabric. A baby is a clean slate. Any doting mother might look at their child and wonder with awe and great trepidation, "Oh, Lord! What will become of this little one?"

"Please! Listen to my prayer!

Anything but an artist!!!!"

Said in jest, but with a grain of truth... Several years ago my mother asked me not to give her anymore art. She would rather get nothing for Christmas than something I made. This comes out of a practical frustration of not having enough room to display all that she already has. And, the cleaning and dusting and clutter effects...

Looking back, I wish that I had a "real" trade, or one that provided a secure income. Some artists are able to make a living from their work, but most of us struggle along, facing poverty or living on the edge. That's fine in your twenties but becomes more difficult with age. Looking back once again, I know that this has been my road, unavoidable and rich in texture. My parents played their part in this, encouraging me at a young age to learn everything that interested me. They paid for painting classes, embroidery tutoring, piano lessons, and gave me an allowance to spend on paints, threads, and other art supplies. I learned how to carve, work with clay, draw, paint, refinish furniture, and finally settled in the fiber arts.


My mother read to us every night, up into my teens. Her voice trained my ear to later indulge in NPR and audio books. Love and care was the signature of my childhood. Creativity, laughter, and tactile experience abounded. These fibers wove themselves into a tapestry of wonder.

I invited members from our Fiber Focus group to submit images of themselves as a baby along with some text. Such tenderness!

Charmaine Manley

"Here's a photo of my mother holding me when I was tiny. I've dabbled in quilting and embroidering, and a little bit of sewing. Mainly, I oggle. I'm very good at appreciating the work of other fiber artists!"

http://charmainemanleydesign.com/
http://etsyhighdesertdiva.blogspot.com/

Catherine Salter Bayar

"November 1961 - Nomad in Training: I'm 9 months old and have just been peeled out of the backseat of our mauve colored, tail-finned Imperial automobile of massive proportions by my Aunt Martha, in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. I've ridden all the way from California with my parents and my grandmother, who apparently complained the entire time. This was the first road trip of many I've taken over decades now - for pleasure, for work, with family, friends or by myself.

I used to travel the world to design and weave textiles for big manufacturers; now I travel Turkey for our handwoven textile shop. I knit, felt and weave...though not as well as those nomad women of years gone by."

http://www.bazaarbayar.etsy.com/
http://www.bazaarbayar.com/

DreamWoven

http://dreamwoven.com/
http://dreamwoven.1000markets.com/
http://dreamwoven.etsy.com/
http://dreamwoven.blogspot.com/
http://thisandthatandtheothertoo.blogspot.com/


Is there a common denominator that grows a baby into a fiber artist? Nature vs. nurture? In my family, my Dad's side is loaded with talented hands, mostly woodworkers and painters. My Mom's side has sprouted literary minds. The four of us here as babies all seem to have had plenty on the nurture side. I am sure that we are the lucky ones and that there are many fiber artists with less fortune in terms of being a happy baby.

In times past, many fiber art traditions came from moms, grandmothers and aunts who made quilts, knitted socks, and sewed curtains, clothing and other functional items. Many of us now have no role models within the family, but look for knowledge through books, the internet and peers. We sometimes embrace function, but often push beyond the scope of what our ancestors would have considered appropriate.

Baby fiber artists! Yarn, straw, felt, fabric, thread, raffia, grass, reeds, wool, silk, and yes, even polyester... Imagine the world without us... Wouldn't that make you feel sad and cold?

Rachel Biel Taibi, Brazil, 1962

Would you like to add your baby face to this post? Use the Contact Me link in the third column of the blog and send a photo (attached as a jpeg), your text and links and I'll add you on!

Baby Fiber Artists

God Save the Queen!

To the citizens of the
United States of America
from
Her Sovereign Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, or most recently to regulate your financial markets, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
(You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy.)

Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').

2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'

3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.

5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).

12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

God Save the Queen!

Note: From an e-mail sent by a friend. This has probably been making the rounds, but I just had to post it! We ALL need a good snicker...

God Save the Queen!

Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand "Earth From Above" To Exhibit in New York

Algae in the Gulf of Morbihan, France. For more than a century, oyster farms have been the privileged sites for the introduction of exotic species. In the 1920s an epidemic decimated Crassostrea angulata, the most widely exploited oyster species in France. A Japanese species, Crassostrea gigas, was then introduced - and, involuntarily along with it, some thirty species of animals and algae that today live in the waters of the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. One example is the Sargasso (Sargassum muticum), a brown algae, seen here in the Gulf of Morbihan, where it has become a part of the local flora. [map] (© Yann Arthus-Bertrand)


A friend of mine sent me a link to this photo exhibit:
"Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand will bring his work back to the United States - to New York City for the first time in 2009. Aiming to inspire people to think globally about sustainable living, Arthus-Bertrand has been photographing unique views of our planet, seen from the sky, since 1994 - and has produced an exhibit of over 150 4-ft. by 6-ft. prints which will be on display in New York City at the World Financial Center Plaza and along the Battery Park City Esplanade from May 1, 2009 to June 28, 2009. When completed in New York City, the Earth From Above exhibit will also move on to California in 2010. Photographs and captions all courtesy of Yann Arthus-Bertrand."

The photos are absolutely stunning. Textures from above contrast with gorgeous colors and patterns, often showing the human impact on nature. Boston.com shows 38 photos from around the world, all looking down on our world with this photographer's bird's eye. You will not regret the visit!

Tea cultivation in Corrientes province, Argentina. The fertility of the red soil and the regular rains of the Corrientes region create the ideal conditions for the cultivation of tea. In an effort to protect the soil against erosion, tea is planted along curved terraces and protected from the wind by hedges. Unlike Asian and African countries, where the young sprouts are handpicked, in Argentina mechanical harvesting is the rule, done mainly with high-clearance tractors that are driven along the straight rows of tea bushes. [map] (© Yann Arthus-Bertrand)

Mountainous countryside near Maelifellssandur, Myrdalsjökull Region, Iceland. Once the young lava fields of Iceland cool down, life begins anew little by little. Ice, wind and water flatten and carve out shapes to begin with, then, during the summer, bacteria, lichen and fungi prepare the soil for plants, in particular mosses which adapt to an environment which remains difficult. These plants colonise the most favourable sites and terrain little by little, forming a new ecosystem. [map] (© Yann Arthus-Bertrand)

I went on over to Yann's website. As expected, more treasures await exploration. These photos are the result of years of work and a fascinating personal history. The website also has many tools available for educators and fun imaging tools like screen savers and posters. The message throughout is a clear cry for sustainable development and protection of earth's biodiversity. The bio below the photo is from the site. As I read the accomplishments of people like Yann, I am always filled with hope for our troubled world's future.

Photo by Antoine Verdet

"Born in 1946, Yann Arthus-Bertrand has always been fond of nature. It was in the late 70s, in Kenya, while studying with his wife Anne the every day life of a pride of lions that, that he truly became a photographer. He understood that he had to tell the facts through images rather than words. He also discovered the beauty of the world seen from above when he became a hot air balloon pilot and began experimenting aerial photography. Upon his return to France, he published in 1981 his first book Lions, first release of a series of 80 books. He also began a career as a reporter-photographer and closely worked with various naturalists including Dian Fossey and her mountain gorillas in Rwanda. His work was published in many internationally known magazines such as Paris Match, Geo, Life or National Geographic.

In 1991, he created Altitude, the first photo agency specialized in aerial photography. In the 90s, under the patronage of UNESCO, he embarked upon his most ambitious project: creating an image bank of the earth seen from above. Yann’s aim was to create a record of the world’s environment for present and future generations. In 1999, his work was published and The Earth from Above, translated in 24 languages, became one of the best selling illustrated books with more than three million copies sold worldwide. The Earth from Above is also an open-air free access exhibition that travels in more than 100 cities around the world and has attracted to this date over 100 million visitors. But it is still a work in progress. Many countries remain to be visited, and geographical coordinates of every shot will allow other photographers and scientists to locate and document the evolution of these sites.

At the same time, Yann Arthus-Bertrand carries on with the systematic inventory of house pets and domestic breeds, photographing the animals in the studio or outdoors against a canvas backdrop. In 2003 he launched "Six Billion Others". Cameramen travel the world to meet and interview people as a mean to portray the planet under a humanistic angle. To date more than 4.000 interviews have been filmed in more than 65 countries. In 2005 Yann Arthus-Bertrand created GoodPlanet, a non-profit organization which is dedicated to the promotion of sustainable development, his leitmotiv, through all his different projects. Yann would like to enable each and every one of us to become a custodian of our planet’s future and consequently of our own future. He also directed a series of four, two hour documentaries entitled Earth From Above – which was shown on French television in 2006-2007 –, and started this year the production of a feature length film on the state of the global environment and the challenges we are facing."

Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand "Earth From Above" To Exhibit in New York

The Artist in Her Space: Creative Essence

Many years ago, my mother gave me a cute ceramic wall plaque that said something like "Creative Minds Mean Messy Spaces". Well, it's true in my case. I tend to let things pile up. And, I have a lot of stuff. Sometimes I think I would find freedom in just walking away from it all. If I did, I know that I would just start accumulating supplies all over again! A quilter needs her stash, a painter needs her paints, and we all find treasures that to someone else might just be trash.

I put the word out that I wanted to see people's creative spaces. I think it's important for everyone who is making things to have a space that is theirs for their work. I was extremely pleased with the response. It's so interesting to see how each woman (these all happen to be women) claim their corner, their room, their studio as her own. Some are neat and tidy. A few are so beautiful I would be afraid to sneeze in them. Others, like me, pile it up to the ceiling!

The photos are interspersed with quotes that have nothing to do with the images before or after them. I just thought it would be interesting to see these words on space and art mixed in, kind of creating a collage of thoughts and places. Visit the studio links to see what the final product is of each space! Can you guess what they make by how the studio looks?

Most of the photos will enlarge if you click on them...

Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
Henry Miller (1891 - 1980)

ART CREATED BY AHNA & JIMI

Although I am no longer in this space, it is one that I loved for 2 years. What you don't see is the view onto my garden that I designed and created as well (rock walls and a small pond). The only down side was that this work space was in my bedroom that I took over for a small studio. I'm still in the process of moving so next time; new picture.

Links: http://ArtCreated.com
Location: Northern California, USA

Art is making something out of nothing
and selling it.
Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)

There ought to be a room in every house
to swear in.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

KATHY MCNEIL

Well, it so happens that we are just finishing my new studio. You can see a large design wall in the back ground. There will be a light table and the cutting table will be on lockable wheels so it can move about the room. I will be teaching classes at home, so there is an outlet in the floor under the large cutting table where everyone can put their machines. Great lighting with track lighting and another wire fabric rack to still come.

Links: www.kathymcneilquilts.com
Location: Marysville, Washington, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

At moments of great enthusiasm it seems to me that no one in the world has ever made something this beautiful and important.
M.C. Escher

CHARMAINE MANLEY DESIGN

As a firm believer in color therapy, I love my work space....bright, happy, and filled with artwork from women I admire. Sadly, it only looked this good for the photoshoot....normally it is chaos. When the desk is actually clear, I use it as my creative work space. Lately I've been messing around with jewelry, trying to figure out a good wire wrapping technique. The computer (an eight year old PC) sits to the right of the chair along with the printer/scanner/copier. Most of my correspondence and other computer work is now done on my MacBook found in the living room next to my favorite chair. With the addition of the laptop, the need to be in my real office has diminished considerably. It still makes me happy though.

Links: http://charmainemanleydesign.com
Location: Central Oregon
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Believe it or not, I can actually draw.
Michelangelo

CATHERINE SALTER BAYAR/BAZAAR BAYAR VINTAGE TEXTILES & JEWELRY

I am definitely NOT a morning person. So, this light-filled, east-facing room with the adjacent outdoor terrace would fabulous to work in - IF I were truly awake and at my creative best! This room doubles as our living room, so imagine a sofa, table and overstuffed bookcases in the opposite corner of this 13' x 18' space. And plastic bins full of fabrics, beads, yarns and such stacked high behind a door in the next room. The old tile floors are great to spread things out on once I roll back the kilim, and that trunk in the corner is not usually that uncluttered! The worst thing about this room is that those double doors are the only source of natural light, so afternoons are too dark to work here. I don't open my shop in town until well after lunch, so I work here at home (along with a BIG pot of coffee) on various textile related projects til then. My Singer sewing machine, purchased here in Turkey about 8 years ago, actually has the option to run without electricity with an old fashioned foot treadle. Very handy if the power's out, or we decide to become real nomads one day and live in a goat hair tent...

Links: www.bazaarbayar.etsy.com
http://fiberfocus.blogspot.com/search/label/Catherine%20Salter%20Bayar
Location: Selcuk/Ephesus, Turkey
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

I see more and more that my work goes infinitely better when I am properly fed, and the paints are there, and the studio and all that. But have I set my heart on my work being a success? A thousand times no. I wish I could manage to make you really understand that when you give money to artists, you are yourself doing an artist's work, and that I only want my pictures to be of such a quality that you will not be too dissatisfied with your work.
Vincent van Gogh

CHRISSIE DAY

After years of finding space by an armchair or on a kitchen table whilst bringing up 2 children who seemed to take over ALL my house during there formative years I promised myself a studio in my garden with room for knitting yarn ,painting table ,etc etc you get the picture.

So now i have the studio in the garden the kids are grown i can Please myself what i do and guess where i do my best work ????? when sitting in my armchair or doodling at the kitchen table so there you go it makes a great store room but i do n ot work in there all the time .having said that i do love to be in there with the buttons ,silks, wools ,cottons, haberdashery bits ,jars of needles, sewing machines ,sketch books, paints and hearing the rain on the roof or the wind making the weeping cedar bang on the window and scare me.

'In truth be careful what you wish for you just might get it'

Links: http://www.chrissieday.wordpress.com
http://www.chrissieday.co.uk
Location: United Kingdom
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.
Twyla Tharp

ARTWORK BY SARAH

I had this studio space for 5 years, here in Melbourne, in the city. It took me those 5 years to get the space looking how you see it in the picture....a collection. Things I have received as gifts from people, things that I have found in junk stores & from my travels. I love opp shops & second hand stores. I collect sculptures from my travels...Mexico, Italy , Indonesia. (I lived in San Miguel De Allende in Mexico for 5 months. I brought back loads of trinkets depicting 'tribe'...papier mache, ceramics, drawings. I also love Bali. You can see the carved wooden flying mermaid suspended from the ceiling in the photo. The studio was a representation of me.... Much of the trinkets, dolls (I collect these too) are depicted in my paintings & drawings.

I had to shut studio in order to move on, to go overseas. I feel a need for new inspiration for my artistic endeavors.

I have an affinity for Mexico...I will be travelling back to San Miguel De Allende. I feel this way because I'm so drawn to the art & culture. I love the richness & opulence of the festivities. I had the priviledge of being part of the Day Of The Dead in Patzcuaro. I sat in the candle lit cemetary with the locals of the island of Janitizio, was incredible. I also took part in the 'Posada De La Navidad' in San Miguel DeAllende...a celebration of Christmas festival.These are the experiences which have influenced my artwork. My work is also very personal. I don't really consider it to be decorative so to speak....even though it may look 'pretty'. Its a depiction or interpretation of my childhood memories...ficticious/fantasy characters such as 'Merman'....I spent much time playing alone as a child, so I would sew & draw by myself. I also depict my loved ones, people in my life, my experience with them, happy or painful. My drawings& paintings depict feelings of happiness, grief, loss, & joy. So there you have it! This may give you some idea what I'm about....

Links: http://artworkbysarah.blogspot.com
www.flickr.com/photos/sarahs_artwork
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Very few people possess true artistic ability. It is therefore both unseemly and unproductive to irritate the situation by making an effort. If you have a burning, restless urge to write or paint, simply eat something sweet and the feeling will pass. Fran Lebowitz

JADED WOLF STUDIOS-CHRISTINA MARTINEZ

This is my humble and crowded studio I refer to it as the wolf den. My little studio is a 10x10 bedroom. I have supplies in here for everything from painting, drawing, digital work, sculpting, shipping, and paper supplies. I somehow managed to fit in a "dorm" sized recliner (which I'm hardly ever in!) and an Elliptical machine. I fit all my electronics like the computer, its equipment, and the TV, DVR, and Stereo into my little closet cove. I wish I had more room of course, a walk-in closet for storage, and larger windows for better light.... but it works!

Links: http://weblog.xanga.com/JadedWolfStudios
JadedWolfStudios.etsy.com
Location: Fresno, California, USA

What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit.
John Updike

PAM HEAVRIN

What I love most about my 12' x 22' studio work space is this very large table that my husband builtfor me 16 years ago. It's 4' by 10', there is a shelf under it the same size and floor space under that. I have concrete floors since it's a converted garage. So, for warmth in the winter months, I need carpet. Next on my wish list is to get new carpet. My other favorite things are the three cushionedmats I bought from a beauty supply business. They have made a difference in how my legs feel at the end of the day.

Location: Paducah, Kentucky, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Art is a kind of illness.
Giacomo Puccini

The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.
Rumi

OLIVE AND OLLIE

We live in a 100+ year old house. It still has so much charm and character, but it's been updated in all the right spots, like the kitchen and baths. My studio is in the dining room right now, so I can get some work done during the day while staying home with my two small children. Most of the time it's pretty messy, with piles of fabric and scraps around because I keep things out while I'm working, since I usually only have a few minutes at a time to jump on projects. But, I think it has just the right mix of traditional and modern, old and new that I instill in my creations.

Links: www.oliveandollie.etsy.com
www.oliveandollie.blogspot.com
Location: I'm just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

I don't believe in total freedom for the artist. Left on his own, free to do anything he likes, the artist ends up doing nothing at all. If there's one thing that's dangerous for an artist, it's precisely this question of total freedom, waiting for inspiration and all the rest of it.
Federico Fellini (1920 - 1993)

ADELE THOMAS TEXTILE ART

I used to have fairies at the bottom of the garden, they lived quite happily with my return to nature corner of the garden along with the butterflies and spiders. I then decided after a very long spell away, to return to textiles after a parenting class had taught me to do what used to make me happy. I had taken over the whole of the living room with all my bits and pieces when it became obvious I needed a separate workplace. So this is my shed at the bottom of the garden with the chaos of too many things being dumped after demonstrations and not enough time to tidy away. I love my own workspace but I have found being in my shed a little isolating from the rest of the family. I have a lovely view across fields to the Exe estuary though, I think I am quite spoilt. I try to post regularly on my blog with my latest creations and discoveries, especially now I have finished the City and Guilds course. Keep stitching , Adele X

Links: adelethomas.blogspot.com
Location: Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

It doesn't matter if people are interested. It's about you taking your stuff and shouting out into the void.
Jadelr and Cristina Cordova, 07-11-2006

LINDA LYNCH

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my studio! I am a compulsive organizer. I get crazed while creating and make a gigantic mess until I complete my project, and then it all gets put away, maybe not right away..... My studio is my "sanity site." I can be me without any holding back. I sew, I paint, I pound on metal, I knit, I collage, I glue, I scrapbook, I embroider, I felt, and so much more!

Links: www.lindalynch.com

http://wwwlindalynch.blogspot.com

http://www.picturetrail.com/lindalynch
Location: Couer D'Alene, Idaho, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

Lord Ronald said nothing; he flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.
Stephen Leacock (1869 - 1944)

DREAMWOVEN

Space.............. the final frontier.

This is a collage of my space. This was prior to the 'big clean up". I had a studio built onto the house at the end of 2006, fully completed (with bamboo flooring, yum) by Feb 2007. Within a period of 3 months, I had outgrown it. Prior to that time, for at least 8 years, I had traveling studio space. It moved wherever I was comfortable, the dining room bearing the brunt of it. This last July I decided to split up my studio.... the real impetus was an 18 year old daughter who had vacated her room. I swooped in and made it mine. Now I have my studio where I do my paperwork and finishing work on my pieces as well as photography and shipping and I have a room for inventory and a wall to display a lot of the hand dyed yarns that I use. I am not a neat worker. In fact, once I cleaned up the studio and the inventory room, I could not create anything. Hence, my 'space' reference in the title. I work well with the "Big Bang Theory". As soon as I started bringing things in and laying them on the table in the studio, hanging them on hooks, placing them on cabinets, draping them on my chair, etc., pieces started to come together. If it is clean and tidy, I can't work. My brain is the same way. It is rarely, if ever, clean and tidy. It moves fast, makes connections on the cuff, searches out specifics and bundles ideas up so that I can use them. My work space is the same way.

Links: http://DreamWoven.blogspot.com
http://DreamWoven.com
http://DreamWoven.Etsy.com
http://DreamWovenSupplies.Etsy.com
Location: (She's in California, USA)
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind,
what is the significance of a clean desk?
Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

VICKI DUNK

I love that i have a space to mostly call my own, but it is too small, especially when the kids are in there with me. My hubby says to ban them from the room, at first I didn't do this, they make me feel so guilty when I don't let them in, but now I really have to - they just make too much mess and take up too much room and distract me way too much (again with the guilt).

My favourite things in the room are my sewing machine and the fold out table that my dad built for me. It is at bench height rather than desk height so I can stand up and work when I want too - I really need a drafting chair as well, but it wouldn't fit in the room.

My dream studio would have a table for the kids, heaps of storage and display space, room to spread out a whole quilt and some nice comfy chairs so that my husband could sit and have a cuppa with me in there. I think my hubby should get me that dream studio for my big 4-0 this year!

Links: http://fiberartsmixedmedia.ning.com/profile/VickiDunk
Location: Townsville, Australia

You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924)

CHRISTINA SILVERIO/HOYDEN DESIGNS

I love my workspace! It's right in the middle of all the family commotion. It's so inspiring for me to be with my family while I'm creating. The house we live in is a 1915 era cottage and all of the wodwork is original. The little table that I keep my newest paintings on is actually my grandmothers old sewing table, with some vintage luggage next to it that I store supplies in, and I have another corner by the window that I've placed a comfy chair and table that I can paint at. I really couldn't ask for more; I love it!

Links: http://www.hoydendesigns.com/
http://www.hoydendesigns.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=59651
http://www.cafepress.com/hoydendesigns
Location: I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (California, USA). It's busy, but there are so many wonderful things close by that you can always find something fun to do.

You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning... a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. Joseph Campbell (1904 - 1987)

WATATU

As we have a web shop you can say our work place is mainly the cyber world. But we have an office, where we have the stock, and also in one corner a show room where our customers can come and try to see how to carry their baby. What we like most is when we go out and meet our customers during trade fairs or special events.

Links: www.watatu.com
Location: Vsterhaninge, Sweden
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.
Carl Jung (1875 - 1961)

CARYL BRYER FALLERT
/BRYERPATCH STUDIO

Caryl didn't submit a statement about her space, but she is a dear friend of mine and I know that this is her dream come true. Visit her website to see the rest of her wonderful space (and her gorgeous work!).

Links: http://www.bryerpatch.com/wkshops/BryerpatchStudioTour.htm
www.bryerpatch.com
Location: Paducah, Kentucky, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

My holy of holies is the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom imaginable, freedom from violence and lies, no matter what form the latter two take. Such is the program I would adhere to if I were a major artist.
Anton Chekhov, 1888

RAYELA ART

Well, finally there is my space. Hmmmm... that phrase has been taken, hasn't it? This photo shows what would have been the dining room in a "normal" house. Ha! This is where I sew and where I pack product from online sales. These plastic bins you see are in every room except kitchen and bath. The computer is in the bedroom. I share my space with four monster dogs. That's Juba, there. It's a constant war against chaos. Unlike DreamWoven, who says she thrives in it, if things get too out of control, I can't think straight. I long for a wall where I can pin up queen size fabrics, for a table big enough to spread a large quilt out and more than anything, a space which I can close the door on. I feel kind of guilty because so many people around the world have so much less and I want so much more. But, on the other hand, the whole state of Kentucky has less people than metro-Chicago, where I came from, so there is room to spread out here. All I know is that home is where my stuff is!

Links: http://www.rayela/etsy.com
http://stores.ebay.com/RayelArt
www. the page you are looking at (Fiber Focus)
Location: Paducah, Kentucky, USA
FIBER FOCUS MEMBER

Note: Whew! This took a lot longer than expected. Please let me know if I made any mistakes. It was a challenge keeping everybody's info straight!

The Artist in Her Space: Creative Essence