Thinking and Refocussing.

A while ago I came across a blog that caught my attention.  I bookmarked it and from time to time I check it out to see what's new. It is not a textile site but certainly relates to thinking, creativity and productivity which of course,in turn, relates to our artistic endeavours.
At first glance I rather saw it as kind of a " new age" type of site but in fact the couple who run it do come up with some very stimulating and thought provoking topics and ideas and I find myself heading back to their site a little more often.
Their most recent post, " 40 Photo Illustrated Questions to Refocus Your Mind"
proved to be quite interesting .  For me personally, I didn't find the photos as fascinating as I did the actual questions which really do give one food for thought. I found myself answering the questions out loud as I scrolled down the offering, which is something I rarely do. It set some wheels in motion which of course, is what was intended!
I'm sharing the link for what it might be worth to you:

http://www.marcandangel.com/2012/02/23/40-photo-illustrated-questions/#more-416

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Making mistakes!

                                           
" A man's errors are his portals of discovery." .....James Joyce


Do you remember being in school where you were chastised for making mistakes, sometimes to a point of embarrassment and feeling guilt ridden about them?  If you did not make the grade on a test, you were considered a failure? There was a fear of criticism and being " centred out"?  NAH, didn't think you did!  (-:

This fear of failure was engrained in many of us as kids and yes, this fear still haunts us as adults.  Many are still reticent to try anything new or to take risks in our work because of that dreaded feeling of " failure". 

To make mistakes is human and normal.  It lets us know we are alive and kicking and to address them and face them is an act of maturity. It takes self-confidence and courage to admit to our mistakes.  Even brilliant men like Einstein made stupid mistakes.  Yes, even the stupid one like I made last week.  It was the ultimate case of taking a stupid pill on an empty stomach!

After finishing all of the embellishing on the Olympic pennant, only the construction work remained.  Oh be joy - I was so happy to finally be at that stage.  I decided I needed a lining and carefully measured and precision cut a flannel lining and backing for the pennant.  It was very late night and I was overtired but I was feeling pretty cocky at this point and anxious to get this baby done and off to the UK.  So, I laid out all three pieces carefully and hearing the immortal words of my Mother ringing in my ears, " Baste, baste, baste" - I proceeded to baste the living hell out of it, dodging the photos and embellishments in the process.   There was no way after all that work there would be any signs of slippage or crooked seams - it would be perfection!  I went to the machine and carefuly stitched all around the outsides in a steady rhythm.  Voila - lovely.  I was so pleased that I went around it a second time to reinforce it as I knew these pennants would be handled a lot. I was so proud of how it looked, I trimmed the flannel lining and clipped my curved seams etc. so it would turn inside out beautifully and lay flat.

Baste, Baste, Baste !

I then proceeded to turn the pennant inside out and about halfway through the process, my heart sank to my ankles. This couldn't be! But yes, as that sickening feeling grew stronger, I realized that the lining was now on the outside of the back panel of the pennant and not neatly inside where it was supposed to be. I sat for a few minutes in stunned silence, absolutely gobsmacked that I could have done something so inanely stupid. I then stood up quietly and walked out of the studio into the sunroom and just plunked myself down in a big easy chair and stared into space for about 15 minutes. That was the smartest thing I did all night, for if I had stayed in the studio that mistake would have snowballed into even more panicked stupidity. I wisely turned off the lights and went to bed.  I went into the studio next morning refreshed and meticulously unpicked all the stitching and rebasted the notched edges and clipped lining as I went - it took me ages and was enough to turn a purist's hair grey.  However, I faced my demons,  rectified my mistakes and all turned out well. This indeed was a personal learning experience, one I know will sit with me for a long time. William Jordan once stated " Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom" and I think I grew about a foot last week!

OK, now that was a stupid mistake to which I admitted.  What about mistakes that can be stepping stones and oppportunities?  Well, Janet Jo Smith, a seasoned dye artist who creates exquisite fabrics, commented recently about what she initially referred to as a " failure" but which actually turned out to be a bit of a triumph and in her words " it could be a whole new direction ".  With my theme this week already in the works, I asked Janet if I could link to the post on her site and she graciously agreed.  Read how Janet had a positive outcome from her " mistake"  http://dyesmithy.com/what-to-do-when-the-project-fails/

Mistakes or failures are an essential part of personal learning, significant changes and sometimes a pre-requisite for innovation.  So, what have we learned? 
Admit the mistake.
Don't beat yourself up.
Rectify the mistake if you can
If not, accept it and learn from it.
MOVE ON !

Don't fear trying something new or taking risks, especially in your art.  When we make mistakes, we grow.

Impressive ! FFAC Scores Big Time !

Foto/Fiber 2012 has now concluded and I am happy to report that our goal of $ 7,000. US has been met and surpassed!  I understand the total tally will be over $ 7,700. raised in just two days ( in fact incredulously just over ten hours - 10 to 3 the first day and a little over that limit the second day ).  Fiberart for a Cause has now donated in total, more than  $220,000.  to the American Cancer Society. What an amazing feat, thanks to the generosity of a fantastic team of artists,  but moreso a credit to our founder and tireless leader, Virginia Spiegel.

    

 Virginia Spiegel - photo credit - Nancy j. Spiegel Rosman

Behind that smiling face and creative hands lies an organizer extraordinaire.  I have long admired Virginia for her self discipline in the studio, her professionalism,

 her dedication to the arts and her encouragement and support to her peers.

  However, my respect  for her has increased a hundred fold after working with her on the Foto/Fiber 2012 campaign.  I saw first hand just how much this generous lady gives of herself to the Fiberart For a Cause campaigns.  She is mega organized,  relentless in pursuing  advertising and exposure for the cause, draws on her network of highly talented and generous artists and spends hours setting up interviews, " rallying the troops", and double checking details to ensure that everything is in place for the big day.   She treats everyone with respect and fairness and sets an example for us all to look up to.

  Congratulations Virginia on another highly successful campaign and thank you for inviting me to participate in Foto/Fiber 2012.  It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with you and your incredible team!

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Knowing When to Stop

" When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt ". - Henry J. Kaiser

   Wise words - enough said! LHH

                                                                 

                                                                 

Remembering Your Roots - the Olympic Pennant

After an intense few sessions in the studio and staring down a deadline, I am happy to say the pennant for the Cultural Olympiad,  part of the London 2012 Summer Olympics has been completed and is currently winging its way to England. The title of the pennant was taken from the beautiful metal leaf created for me by Jenny Friske- Baer of Divine Spark Designs in Arizona, USA.  Jenny is a very talented lampworker and metal artist whose work I have purchased for some time now and she was gracious in allowing me to use her work and name in this exciting project. 

When I see so many dedicated, enthusiastic athletes competing in Olympic events, I often think of their families and the love, sacrifices and unwaivering support they receive from them.  Also, I think of the countries they represent, their sponsors who have such faith in them, and whose expectations of them are high.
I wanted this pennant to be a reminder to all, that whatever country one may be representing, be it their native land or an adopted country, to remember their roots and to recognize, respect and be proud of their cultural backgrounds and family ties.  I think the majority of athletes feel this way and this is what I wished to represent through my offering.  This pennant was created by me to honour my own family history and the love and respect I have for my Mother and late Father.  As I was born in London, England and my family roots are there, it was even more of an honour for me to partcipate in this project.  Now living in London, Canada, it was fitting to send my gift from London to London:

What would a gift from Canada be without our crimson Maple Leaves front and centre?  Our more youthful Canadian flag and Britain's old faithful Union Jack are represented, along with the everloving emblems of the British bull dog and the Canadian beaver.  The beaver picture also features the Canadian Red Ensign, our former flag, which was flying on Canadian shores when my family first landed here.  The central photo is of my beautiful Mum, quite pale and wan, although bravely smiling, while still grieving for the loss of her beloved Mother, killed in the London blitz of WW11 and my loving, optimistic Dad, holding a tiny, bewildered Léonie, as they waited to disembark from the Empress of Canada decks to our new homeland.
It is with a sense of pride for my British roots and a deep love and loyalty to my Canadian citizenship, that I honour all the participants of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Beginning in early March, the pennants will travel around England to several museums, galleries and textile events where they will be displayed.  They will return to London in July and hang in various Olympic venues and then once the games are declared officially over, the pennants will be distributed to individual athletes and delegations as a lasting and meaningful souvenir of the 2012 summer games.
As more information becomes available, I will give you updates as to where the pennants are being displayed and hopefully, we will find out where  " RememberYour Roots" will finally call home.

Thank you to these two dear souls who have given me such a wonderful life filled with endless opportunities, unconditional love, encouragement and support.

 I am forever grateful.

Foto/Fiber 2012 Starting Tomorrow !

Don't forget to head to the Foto/Fiberart 2012 site to pick out photos and bonus packs you may have your heart set on. There is a fantastic selection to pique the most eclectic tastes!
Tomorrow is the big day we kick off this FUNdraiser!  Two days only, Feb.15th and 16th.  Here's a link to find out how to participate and view all the goodies:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/FotoFiber2012Directions.html

So many tempting choices and still time to look them all over before the sales start.

Thanks for your interest and support in this very worthwhile project.  LHH

*** On another note, the completed Olympic pennant will be featured on this blog Thursday,Feb.16th

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - friendships

" In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.  It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.  We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle our inner spirit. " Albert Schweitzer

AND who rekindles your spirit more than the love, consideration and thoughtfulness of friends?
Friends,who read you so well, sometimes when you cannot read yourself.  On a dreary February afternoon last week, frustrated with work, struggling with a health issue and generally just having " one of those days" that we all get from time to time,  my life was brightened by the beauty, goodness and sweet thoughts of two dear friends.  Out of the blue, a ring on the door bell brought a box of unbelievable joy from my friend Stephanie Novatski.  In the plain brown box, was another beautiful hand made box with my name on it.  When I opened it, there lay the most incredible work of her hands.  An amazing journal filled with loving thoughts and memories of our friendship and the time we spent together working on the Art Bra projects. The hours of work designing meticulous embellishments, delightful sayings and photo holders boggled my mind and I was overwhelmed to think she would invest so much time in creating such a delightful gift for me. Each page I turned brought such joy and heartfelt emotion.  Such talent she possesses!

 As I gently leafed through her book a second time taking in all the intricate details, the door bell rang once again.  When I answered, there stood a delivery man holding a box of flowers.  Not being a holiday, or special occasion, I could not imagine who would be sending me a gift of flowers?  As I carefully removed the wrapping, with the help of my two feline studio assistants (-:  a card dropped out, " Love Vic ".  This gorgeous breath of fresh air was sent from my friend Victoria Adams Brown, " just because", as she explained. Another spirit lifter of the highest order, most unexpected and deeply appreciated.

 I am amazed, pleased, grateful, delighted - my spirits lifted and my soul nourished. To say, the least, I am feeling loved and most appreciative that art has brought two such beautiful, intuitive women and their loyal and loving friendships into my life.  I am truly blessed.

" The sincere friends of this world are as ship lights in the stormiest of nights."

 - Giotto di Bondone

More Auditions & Aggro of Olympic Proportions!

Fortunately, by the time of this writing, I have passed this stage and I'm now well into stitching the lettering on the Olympic pennant.  What it all boils down to is some self-discipline and the ability to pace oneself under pressure.  It's easy enough to create when you personally set the parameters, if there are any, and you can merrily fly along changing things as you go to your heart's desire.  However, it is an entirely different matter, when sizes, conditions, limitations and deadlines are set by an outside source. The finished pennant must be 12 " x 16" on completion and we were given a variety of pennant shapes we could use.  I did not want one too angular as I wished to add some photos on fabric which would be very difficult to re-shape.  I decided on a fairly simple shape and then found that I could not find my large sketch pad to rough it out on.  ( Still sorting boxes from our house move ). I had an " aha" moment as I walked into my supply room and saw some old Art Bra calendars, now out of date. Perfect  - they were 12 inches wide and ready to be recycled into my Archway pennant pattern. 

Having my roughed out pattern in the exact size I required, I then prepared my blue  fabric, backed it with a stabilizer, and basted the pattern shape from the back with red thread so I had a clear outline on the front.  More auditions, measuring and spacing of photos and embellishments. It's the measuring that always give me the willies.  I remember the old adage "measure twice, cut once "!  How about measure half a dozen times and make damned sure, which is what I tend to do, especially where lettering is concerned.  Once those letters are beaded, believe me I don't want to have to pick them out and move them!  Once the measuring was as accurate as I hoped it could be, then it was time to print out some letters.  However, a battle with a leaky marker frustrated the efforts further.  I finished up with a black ball point instead and then laid on the flags to see how the overall layout looked size wise.  I think this is going to work.......

Now, a little teaser as to what will go under the last line of lettering:

                                          

Whatever could this have to do with the British Summer Olympics?  Stay tuned........                                                           

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Divine Sleep

 Flight into Fantasy  ( in progress)

"The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep." --E. Joseph Cossman

I often work late into the night in my studio - how about you?  How often have you been working on a creation and hit a brick wall?  That disheartening moment when things just don't look right or won't fall into place?  You think you've tried all the angles, you move fabrics around, you re-stitch and unpick threads - you're stymied -  frustrated to hell! You want to keep going but you are weary of it all.  You finally say   "ENOUGH"  - I just can't look at this another minute and I'm getting no where fast.  You tidy up a little, head toward the light switch and yes, you do take that one last glance over your shoulder at the demon piece, before closing up for the night.  Perhaps, like me, you lay in bed still mentally trying to fathom out what either went wrong or what needs to be done, until you finally give in, drifting off into the arms of Morpheus.
Morning - you walk into the studio, still in your jammies - you look on the work wall or the table,  and as sure as the sun rises - there's a " eureka moment" and it all falls into place.
Ah, sweet sleep, how it nourishes our bodies and souls.

Tip of the Hat !

A big thank you to Denise Felton of the Needlework News and Craft Gossip site who did a small feature on Love You to the Moon and Back on today's news.

http://needlework.craftgossip.com/love-you-to-the-moon-to-fight-cancer/2012/02/02/

Much appreciated Denise and I'll have to come up with a proper name for that technique
however, tentatively, I think it's called " Flying by the Seat of your Pants" !!!   (-:

Time is winding down, so please take a few minutes to check out all the wonderful bonuses and draw opportunities for Foto/Fiber 2012:
                 http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/FotoFiberHowItWorks.html