New Pods

These are almost ready to send off to New Mexico for a show in October. Still need to figure out how they will hang and attach appropriate things to do so.

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Love this picture

My lovely student, Carmella, sent this to me. Thanks! This is Eva and I working on one of her pods. Nice to look back and recall our time together. I really do enjoy having students here and and fortunate to be able to do so. In fact, I will have 4 students here next week. I thought that the summer would be long, lazy days, but not so much with my busy family added in.

Things on the go:
-3 pods for New Mexico
-agenda to do for Ontario Crafts Council meeting (tomorrow!)
-short article to write (for tomorrow or before)
-create a couple of pieces for a show in B.C.
-tax forms (argh)

You gotta take the good with the "bad"...and even that is not so bad at all.

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

What's Gnu...

A Gnu.
No connection to felting whatsoever, just a lame pun. Although, now that I consider it, that chin fibre has me intrigued.

Pod sketches for piece in the works...although, they have evolved somewhat in translation


A (sideways, if you had not noticed) image of the feature article on "Moi", In "A Needle Pulling Thread" mag. The article is attributed to someone who mostly took things off my website...Oh, well. 10 more images to contribute to my share of the copyright collective, at least.

The last 2 days I have had a lovely woman, Barb, visit from Sioux Lookout, Ontario. She made 2 vessels and they turned out great. She is a natural, for sure. I did have an image here, but the click of the wrong button and it has disappeared. The first was the learning curve piece (albeit, very nice) and the second a shapely, green vessel with a 3d leaf.

The studio sits in silence with wet towels and bags of delicious wool strewn about and it shall remain so until later tomorrow. Saturday brings tournament-soccer-mom duties, grocery shopping and the like. I will hopefully steal away at some point to work on those pods. You know I will keep you posted....

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Love for Sale...Liberatio Captivus

Well, one of my "loves". This piece has just arrived home after being in the prestigious show "FiberArt International". 1600 entries, 84 successful. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked. I attended the openings in Pittsburgh and Rochester and the show was, indeed, extraordinary.
This piece was also in the Ontario Crafts Council exhibit, Masterworks East.

all this being said, it can be yours for $750 (Canadian) + shipping. Yes, unusual for me to offer work "for sale" here, but I am living on the edge and in the mood to break from convention ;o).

Email me if you are interested or have an offer.




Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Oh, Canada. On the horizon for me...

Over the next couple of months I have a few challenges. First and foremost, trying to keep 3 teen/tween boys amused all summer. Additionally, I am finishing work for the show "SEEDS 3" to be sent to Taos, New Mexico and... (sooo exciting-drum roll, trumpets, victory dance, fist pump)

... mulling over ideas for a show of Canadian work to be exhibited in the invitational show "Oh, Canada", curated by Sandra Dupret, to be held at the glorious, above pictured, gallery at Wayne State University in Detroit. This is going to be fun/nerve racking/art craziness that makes me love/wonder why I do what I do!

it feels like I have lots of time, but with some August travel to spend (oh, ya) grant money (merci, OAC!), and amusing afore mentioned young folks, I am passively aware of the days passing.

So much of my "art" occurs within my head. Hours of fleeting ideas, either dismissed outright, or perhaps quickly sketched on a scrap of paper. Some come back time and time again in either waking hours or as I drift in and out of sleep. Logistics of hanging, shipping, colour for the space...time... all being considered and sometimes those difficulties ignored until they must be addressed. Let the games begin.

visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Wisdom

When is wisdom a bad thing? When they come in the form of teeth within a jaw with no room for them. The next few days will be spent making jello, smoothies and pudding for (I anticipate) an unhappy, rightfully grumpy teen. I hope he will heal quickly and not be in pain for too long, the big sweetie.

I will likely position him in the room outside the studio and get some work done, which I have come to the point that I am ready to do. There is the ebb and flow of creative energy. I have these jags where I need to percolate and rest and ponder and procrastinate and then I can feel it bubbling up and simmering. I am ready!

p.s. my email is not working. If you need me, send me a message on FB :o)
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Wonderful Two Days...

I really enjoy having students in my home studio and having a semi-private class is my favorite. They get to learn from each other and explore different things, have another person to get to know and build connections. Eva came from what has become my home-away-from-home, Massachusetts, and Carmella from Quebec. They were well matched skill-wise and we had a wonderful time...
for Carmella's second piece, she made a vessel with pure pelsull...a wonderful wool in lovely heathered greys. This, along with the red c-1/pelsull, was the perfect compliment. Combined with Carmella's skill and you have a winning combo, as you can see! This wool is available at New England Felting Supply by special request (ask Vanessa!)

Eva above working away on her second pod with lots of resists inside :o)
Carmella gently fulling her vessel and some completed pods from the day before in the background.
They learned that ropes take at least an hour of rolling!
Eva's pod after some cutting...

We had such a nice time and I really enjoyed having them and making the connections. I will see Eva again in August while in Massachusetts and hope to see Carmella again too. It was also nice to actually BE in my studio after a change of focus the last couple of weeks.

Today I will have a bit of family time, tidy the studio and get ready to start some piece for a show. You know I will keep you posted!
Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Awaiting...

I have lunch ready, studio tidy and the coffee is ready. I am just waiting for 2 students. Eva arrived last night from Massachusetts and is just up the road at the wee motel. Carmella either did the same or will arrive from Montreal this morning. We will spend 2 days working on pods and 3D forms. Teaching/learning in my studio is always interesting...boys occasionally peeking in, sequestered dog barking, felted things and other art scattered about. I look forward to welcoming them and will post later!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com

Neglected

Things I have neglected the last 2 weeks:
My housework
My studio
My art
My Blog (sorry!)

Things I have not neglected:
The boys
Myself
The cooking
Being a soccer mom

I am often asked how I "do it all", well...I don't :o). Ahh, yes, it all gets done and I meet deadlines and don't disappoint (I am careful not to over-commit), but there are things that temporarily fall by the wayside just simply out of necessity.
It is Canada Day today. Happy Birthday Canada! We will watch a movie and do family fireworks and hang out. Later this weekend I will take my youngest to see the musical Billy Elliot in Toronto. I cannot wait. Nothing compares to live theatre in a real big city theatre!
Next week I will seriously tidy the studio and get ready to have 2 students traveling here from a bit of a distance to have a semi-private 2 day "PODS" workshop. Looking at the summer schedule, I know it will go by quickly. I will update you!

Visit my site www.andrea-graham.com