Hung...

The Blue Pig Gallery has given me a second space for November and December, to hang some tapestries. Is the phrase 'breaking through the glass ceiling' appropriate? This is the first time fiber has been allowed in the gallery. I don't have room for a lot of work, but the gallery theme for the two months is 'little piggies' (as in miniature work), so I have put smaller pieces in. And at extremely modest prices, I must say, so as to not discourage the gallery from having fiber again.

This is my painting space, with all my miniatures (all under 8x10"). It looks pretty crowded to me, but, hopefully it will thin out a bit before the show is over!

Fiddley bits...

Yesterday I wove a hard-to-decipher area of fiddley bits of weaving.

Today, I have another area that looks much the same. BUT... after these fiddley areas comes about 2 1/2 inches of pretty clear, much simpler weaving, and then this tapestry will be woven! If I don't get the flu and the dog behaves, I may be cutting it off next week. Finally.

Tomorrow I work at the gallery all day. I'm taking a bit of painting to do, but mostly I plan to knit in the quiet times. I hope to finish the Project Linus blanket while there.

It's a shame I can't take the loom to the gallery with me... perhaps I would get the tapestry woven with a no-dog day stretched out before me. But my 6-foot Shannock won't fit into any of my tote bags.

Moon rise...

Did you see the moon last night? It was spectacular! Here's a photo I shot of it, enhanced for my grandkids with the words of a song that I sing them. My oldest grand-daughter would sing it along with me before she was a year old. It's one of my favorite memories, so when I see a huge full moon, I have to sing the song.


I still am not able to get good night shots. My husband looks at the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, and sent me a link to this photo of the moon. Evidently it took two merged shots to create it (yea, Photoshop!). Isn't it lovely?

A bit more progress...

In praise of Photoshop...

I recently saw a call for entry for a big Illustrators and Graphic Design competition, and there was a graphic 'blurb' on the prospectus that said 'No Photoshop?!' I am assuming that was a joke (?) or some other sort of poorly planned 'statement,' as the exhibit does not forbid the use of Photoshop in it's entry requirements. How stupid! Photoshop has become one of the most reliable and best used tools for illustrators, graphic designers, and designers and artists in almost all media! It has been used to amazing and stunning effect for the past 20 years by those who have taken the time to learn how to make the most of it in their studios. It has, I believe, gotten somewhat of a bad rap, due to it's misuse, mainly by amateur photographers. The general public is most aware of Photoshop as it was used by the Iranian government to fake an extra missile to their news photo. Or by those who take a photo like this:

and do something hideous like this to it:
But Photoshop has so many uses for an artist! I have it open on my desktop all the time. I have come to rely on it for so many things, both in my painting, and most especially in my tapestry design. With Photoshop, I can crop photos, rearrange elements and/or make them larger or smaller, more or less significant in the composition. When I design a tapestry that begins with a photo, I can take a somewhat uninteresting photo like this:
and crop it; enhance the contrasts and simplify the shapes, taking out some I don't like and rearranging others, and come up with a design I want to weave, like this:
Then I can even use Photoshop to make my cartoon, by having it 'find the lines.' I then can print it out, actual size on several pieces of paper, and tape it together to stitch behind my warp to weave from.

Before Photoshop, I'd have done all of this by hand, with markers and paint, taking much more time and effort.

When I paint, I use Photoshop to pick the composition from a photo, perhaps combining elements from several photos. I also, when 'stuck' at the easel, will photograph the painting in progress, put it into Photoshop and try different paint effects without having to make a mess of my canvas by experimenting directly on it. When I see what is needed to proceed with the painting, I go back to the easel and can pick the brush up with more confidence.

I have come to consider Photoshop as useful a tool to my art making as my tapestry beaters or my brushes, and I would not like to create without any of these useful tools!

Killing time...

I am killing time, as I print out a bunch of stuff and have to sit here 'supervising' the printing process. I found this site, which uses your computer camera to take photos as if you are in a scratchy old French photo booth. Too fun to pass up!

Exhibits...

I just hung my paintings for the November-December miniatures exhibit at the Blue Pig Gallery. I'll hang the tapestries on Saturday. Here's the front of the invitation I'm sending out. If anyone is nearby, there's an Artists' Reception on Friday, Nov 13 from 5-8 p.m. I'll also be at the gallery all day (9-6) on the first Saturday of both months... probably knitting instead of painting, as I usually do while there! Come say 'hi', if you're in the area!