German Felt Magazine- The big picture

Okay, I know my installation "Harvest" will be featured in three magazines the month of December...FeltMatters (the journal of the International Feltmakers Association), the Dutch felt magazine and the German Felt Magazine (pictured above). I was so excited to find the envelope in my mail box, not sure what I would find. I opened page 14/15 and "Whoa, that's a big picture!". I did not expect the images (taken by photographer Tracy Olan) to be printed so large, but I am obviously very happy as they look amazing on the page of this fine magazine.

I just love this magazine (they sell it at New England Felting Supply if you are looking for it). I have just glanced through it and cannot wait to sit down and slowly pour over it. Too bad I do not speak German! I do, however, love a good schnitzel. One thing I did notice is a new book by Annette Quentin-Stoll that I must, and I mean must, add to my library. I am going to seek it out now!

On another note, our family is having a very tough time and more tough times to follow as we see the heartbreaking decline and imminent passing of a very, very dear member of our family. Please keep us in your thoughts and hold your loved ones close. Peace.
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Scarves!

Not a great picture, but give me a break...it is early and I have only had one cup of coffee. Aren't they purdy? I am working away, as my current schedule permits, to get a dozen scarves to one of my galleries, the Ontario Crafts Council Guild Shop. Thye have the most amazing selection of fine craft, it knocks my alpaca socks off. These collage scarves are what some would call "nuno", perhaps, (I prefer the tern "Laminate" ) but these ones are my fall/winter (and spring in Canada) weight. The green one is wider and a cross between a wrap and a scarf. I have 2 more laid out ready to felt. I can't wait to get to them! Unfortunately the deal with the buyer of my other business has fallen through so the search begins for another buyer. It will happen when the time is right! Have a great day, all and felt something, will ya'?!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Exposed

This is my piece for the Connections fibre group exhibit titled "Naked"at the Dundas Carnegie Gallery in February. My piece is titled "Exposed". It is made with superfine white merino. It is still a little wet and the felted spheres are very firmly felted and quite heavy.
I have now cleaned off my table and I am going to lay out some scarves. I have tons of work to do for my solo show, but I want to get several scarves to the guild shop for holiday shopping time! I did get my grant report done and an entry for a juried show...so, progress is being made!!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Fairy Grant-Mother

Whew! As membership dues become due (has it been a year already?), giving campaigns begin and show fees and expenses roll, in my bank account counts down. I picture a digital counter with the bleeping and blipping sound from the show "24" not far from self destruct. Just in the nick of time, I receive notification that I have been "recommended" for an exhibition grant. The process involves applying to a recommender designated by the Ontario Arts Council (in this case) and then the ball is in their court to send a cheque. I am so relieved that I can now order invitations and budget for my hanging expenses in March.

On the go:
"Naked"- group exhibition at the Carnegie gallery in Dundas (March)
"Body + Object"- invitational group exhibit at the OCC gallery, Toronto (Jan)
"Inspiration and Exploration"- group exhibit, Kingston (March)
"Fiberart International"- Juried exhibition, Pittsburgh (April)
"Adaptations"-solo show, John Parrott gallery, Belleville, Ontario (March)

and...gallery committments. Yikes. can you say overwhelmed!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Sweet and Sour

The ying and the yang, the good and the bad, the sweet and the sour. That was my day in Toronto.

The sour: leaving a meeting in downtown Toronto, child by my side, in the dark, to find where I parked completely devoid of vehicle. No tire marks, no stray hubcap, just tumbleweeds. Crap. Towed. A phone call to the parking authority and impound, bank machine, hail cab, drive to a lovely neighbourhood to leave wearing a barrel with suspenders to drive home.

The sweet: Adding a gallery to my list of places that carry my work (the Ontario Crafts Council Guild Shop) and being asked to be part of a group exhibition at the Crafts Council Gallery on Queen in January.

Now the sweet and sour of being back home in the studio...making the work!



Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

I'm IN!

"Liberatio Captivus"

Happy dance here!

As I was racing from place to place this summer teaching all over, I had to pick and choose what juried shows I was going to enter as putting these things together takes so much time and all the deadlines seemed to come at once. I have been feeling disappointed that I did not enter Ontario Craft '09. This biennial event highlights the best craft in the province and, as someone who was juried in for '07, I felt it was something I should have entered, but just did not have the time. However, I did opt to enter Fiberart International I have entered before and did not get in. I now know that over 700 artists entered with 1600 pieces of work for only 87 places in the exhibition. This show travels for a couple of years to some pretty prestigious venues. In any case, I made it in with the piece above, "Liberatio Captivus". Pretty happy. This one will look good on the resume and I can look forward to possibly taking a trip to Pittsburgh for the opening.

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Cake

Okay, this image has nothing to do with my day, but I find it so disturbingly funny. Not sure why it makes me laugh. Perhaps it is my mood. I have had the occasion recently where I have been really tired and something sets me off and I can't stop laughing. It is like when you could go either way...laughing or crying over nothing. Wow, how random!

I did spend the day felting. I even fed the kids lunch, which often does not happen on a Saturday if I am in the studio. I finished the last of a 3 pod collection. Of course, my entire exhibit will be pods, at this point, but these 3 will hang together. The theme for my "Connections" group show is "Naked". I have an idea for a piece I will title "exposed" and I plan on starting tomorrow with some superfine merino and maybe some silk. I will post images of it in progress and when it is done!
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

What's New and the Wall of Yum

What's new...
I have not felted the last couple of days, but NO this does not mean I have not been working. I am always working...I eat, sleep and live felt. Today I sat for a while and sketched and planned, which morphed into something else. I have a meeting tomorrow and am not in the studio Friday, so the idea will percolate a little longer before I drive into the soapy water. I have actually been organizing my space, going through baskets of long forgotten fibres and odds and ends that just take up space in my head that I do not have to spare.

Wall of Yum
I organized my wool wall and even with all this, I have a "need to buy list" once I have some cash flow. Thinking of selling a kidney for some more Karakul.

The wool wall divides 2 spaces. Behind the wall is my "store", Acorn's Journey, and on *this* side is the studio with my big custom table, another tall long table and my other shelves. I am having a sink put in very soon (the plumber has been too busy to make little ol' me a priority) and, once I claim the store space in March (I am selling), a counter and storage will run along the wall under my window. Well, enough dreaming..back to work.

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Inspiration

There ya' go. Simple form. Monochrome. Organic. Wow.

I was teaching last spring at one of my favorite places, New England Felting Supply, and wonderful felt friend, Jess, created a resist feature on her pod/pillow that I knew struck a familiar chord with me. Soon after, I found this image in my inspiration file and it was such an example of how we can create from a place inside and it is like we are channeling another world. Just love it. I plan on my own twist, taking inspiration from this beautiful form and then making it my own.

Tomorrow is also a big day. I find out if the person I am hoping to buy my business is going to proceed. I hope she does as it would be such a good fit with so much potential. Baby steps.

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

A Woman's Perogative...

...is to change her mind, right?
Well, I am too excited about my pods so decided to show a sampling! I am not pleased with the 2d piece in the works (previously posted) I was trying to create stuff to fill walls instead of following my heart and just letting things happen. I need to not be inside my head when I enter the studio and not over think my composition before I get there. When starting new work, I like to purge my studio walls of all reminders of past happenings...no scraps, no pieces waiting to be finished, no photographs of a landscape I might like to get to "some day". I have printed out images from my inspiration file that deal only with the direction of this exhibit and put them on the wall I can see from my table. I also did a few simple sketches and will just allow my creative self to take over. Year before last, I had a show every month of the year (although not solo shows) and I remind myself that I just "made" without considering what had to go where and trusted it would all fit together in the time it needed to, and it did. With the task ahead, I think the same approach may be the best plan!
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Making more sense?

Sorry it is sideways...in a rush this morning!

I am looking forward to finishing the layout of this piece and will start to wet it out this morning. The wool is on the course side of medium. The base is a batt of mixed breed wool from Birkeland Bros. I like it because it felts well, once it wets out, and it is inexpensive! I think I will give them a call today and order some more. It is perfect for wall pieces and home decor stuff. Note the stormy grey sky? It's because I am out of blue! I am expecting it any day. The landscape in the centre will have more detail and the "plates" will have another few steps. The silverware will be stitched on after and I need to go to Value Village and find another old tarnished set like the one shown. I am feeling better about the piece since yesterday and am excited to get the boys to school and come back home to work!
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

New Piece in progress

Exciting, Huh!? Believe it or not, this will be a landscape! I am working on pieces for my March exhibition "Harvest/Adaptations". I might rename the exhibit..have not decided yet as I still have a bit of time and not sure how the pieces will evolve. I have just completed a set of 9 pods and would love to post images, but all pieces that will be for the show will not be shown on my blog until they hang, I have decided. I will show images of work in progress and may show little snips here and there, but really want the show to be a special "unveiling" of this body of work. I do have 2 other group shows and will share that work once I get some ideas and get things started! The theme for my Connections fibre group exhibit at the Carnegie Gallery in Dundas is "Naked", so have been trying to cook up some ideas. I concentrated before I went to sleep hoping something would come to me in the night as it often does, but no dice. Will have to try again!
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com