Hooked Purse - Finally Done!

The hooking part was so much fun, but I kept putting off the assembling and sewing part. I realized I don't really like to sew much... it is too tedious, and you don't get to think about color the way you do when you are hooking. But the purse is done now, and I think it looks pretty good.

SOLO SHOW - opens 1 month from today!

And that's no April Fools joke. I've got the postcards ordered, frames ordered, and the prints are being mounted.

If you want to receive a postcard invite, email your address to me.

HI

Just thought I'd say hi to those of you that actually read my blog - I'm still alive but super-duper busy, so no time for blogging lately. Hope to post some new photographs and new pictures of my hooked purse soon!

Happy almost-Spring!

SOLO EXHIBITION!!

So I was offered a solo exhibition at Woman Made Gallery here in Chicago! I have been in a couple of group shows at the gallery. The gallery director Beate Minkovski and the gallery coordinator Amy Galpin thought that my Intimate Distance photographs would compliment an upcoming group exhibition entitled, The Emotional Body. I couldn't agree more, since I was considering submitting works for the group exhibition!

Woman Made is such a great gallery space. They have an upper floor where they usually install the group shows and works for the artisan gallery. They also have a lower floor where they install solo exhibitions. My work will be in the rear space on the lower level.

Below is a map of the space where my work will be installed. You can click on the image for a larger view.

The exhibition will run from May 1 - June 11 2009. The opening will be Friday May 1 from 6-9 pm. I'll send out reminders when the date gets closer. Yay!!!

Choices
On a side note, I was beginning to feel a sore throat coming on, so I began to prepare some tea made by one of my favorite tea companies, Traditional Medicinals. As I waited for the tea kettle's whistle, I noticed the little note printed on the tag of the teabag. The words just screamed out at me (see above photo). It's so true - the choices YOU make, even the little teeny ones, can create change. In fact, they probably have a more serious effect than you may realize. And it seems to me that it is a conscious and continual effort to make choices that create the change you want in the world, the choices that fight against maintaining the status quo.

Are you recycling? You should. Click here to find a recycling drop-off location in Chicago. There really is no good reason to throw away so much of the stuff you buy.

Are you listening to, reading, viewing and/or supporting works by women? No? You should.

YOUR CHOICES WILL CHANGE THE WORLD

The hooked purse is done. Now I just have to finish off the edges and sew it up! I'm really happy with the colors, can't wait to use it!

Returning to Normal Life after a mini-vacay in North Carolina

We returned last week from our Christmas mini-vacation in North Carolina. We stayed in a cabin in Saluda, about 30 miles south of Asheville. Particularly memorable moments were: enjoying a Christmas feast on the deck in the sunshine, coffee in a hot tub with a mountain view, dense mountain fog, wine in a hot tub with a mountain view, playing disc golf in Asheville. Here's a few photos taken along our journey.

On our way out of town... about to embark on our 11 hour (plus) journey, as it rained the ENTIRE day... yes the ENTIRE day... through 6 states

A North Carolina winter landscape

Jesse searching for rocks in the creek

North Carolina Fog


Happy New Year!

The hooked purse is coming along...






Fig gives her approval

Snow

Here's a few photos I took the other day right in between snowstorms. There's a lot of snow on the ground. And more coming down steadily outside the window right now. Looks like Chicago will have a white Christmas.





Peace and Joy

New Project: Hooked Purse


Here's some photos of my new rug-hooking project. Thanks Dulcy for the pattern. And thanks Tammy for the the beautifully hand-dyed wools!


It has two sides that will be stitched up the side. It will have a deep aquamarine green background which should make the colors of the flowers pop.


More photos soon!

Bob

I found out today that one of my brother's close friends died in September. He came along with us to Costa Rica last summer. I spent a week with him in Pavones. It's so strange that he is now gone. I took a few good photos of him. Here they are.

Two New Images of Jesse

These were taken on Thanksgiving Day at my Dad's house in Springfield, MO. I love the deep reds of this room and thought that Jesse's milky white skin might look nice in there. Plus it was beautiful, warm day and the light was amazing.


I think I like the vertical one better because it gives you more of a sense of place - there's more of the room visible. Plus, I like his gesture - his fist propping himself up on the bed. But I'm still mulling it over - I like the horizontal one too.

These were taken with my digital camera. I can't help but imagine how much more detail I would get with my 4x5 camera. I just bought a Schneider 210 mm lens and I'm really itching to use it! Only 11 more days of grading and teaching left for me - then maybe I can focus more time on my own work. I can't wait!

Icons exhibition at Woman Made Gallery
opening reception Friday Nov. 21, 6-9 pm
juried by Margaret Denny
Nov. 21 - Dec. 18 2008
685 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
click here to see more works in the ICONS exhibition

I have 2 pieces in this upcoming exhibition. These works are from a series entitled Signs of Women. In 2005, while working on a research paper I found myself looking for synonyms of the word “woman”. I was shocked to discover that so many of the so-called synonyms were both completely offensive and belittling (such as prostitute or cupcake) or they referred to the ways in which women served or related to others (wife, maid, etc.). I realized that there aren’t many synonyms for women that are positive or that don’t involve subservience to others. So what do these synonyms for women say about the representation, status, and iconography of women today?

Signs of Women presents silhouetted figures along with “synonyms” of women. This project questions the way both language and imagery determines our understanding of women. The images are engraved on plastic plaques reminiscent of the signs we see on bathroom doors, everyday icons that reduce us to, and sort us into, symbols.

Icons at Woman Made Gallery features 3 other Columbia alumni/students: Liz Chilsen, Mary Farmilant, and Niki Grangruth. The exhibition was juried by Columbia faculty, Margaret Denny. I'm proud to be part of this exhibition, which adds some much needed, and sorely missed, female perspectives to contemporary photography. I hope YOU will see the exhibition and support women artists, and Woman Made Gallery!

La Ponderosa Beach, Pavones, Costa Rica

So the election is over... and I'm ecstatic about the results!! Maybe now I can get back to my own work.

The above image is one of my rare landscape photos. Rare in that I don't show many of them. I shoot a lot of landscapes, but I never feel like I quite capture the place. It always feels like the photograph needs something else - like a person within the space. Maybe it is just my personal bias toward portraiture. I think another problem is that this place, Pavones, pictured above is just so vastly beautiful and amazing in so many different ways that I find it difficult to capture it within the limited space of the frame. When I look at this photograph, I am also thinking of and feeling the expanse of the space around and behind me, which is not shown within the frame.

I realize that a photographer obviously cannot capture every aspect of a person in a photograph either, but somehow the physical space of Pavones seems to allude me and my camera much more than the faces of the people I come across.

I guess this challenge will be part of my next task whenever I return to Pavones.

So I haven't blogged in quite a long time. I've been swamped with the classes I'm teaching and also getting ready for... Around the Coyote 2008 Fall Festival. It is just around the corner... October 17-19. I will be there all weekend long, so stop by and see me! Check the website for more information aroundthecoyote.org

For a feminist's views on Sarah Palin, read the following article by Gloria Steinem:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7541303.story?track=ntothtml

This election is crucial... make sure you know who and what you are voting for!

Se Vende

The handmade signs in this photograph read, "Se Vende Palmas" and "Se Vende Este Lote". For those of you who are not Spanish speakers, the signs read, "Palms For Sale" and "This Lot For Sale". These signs kept catching my eye as we were driving, walking, or riding bikes down the road. Both signs signal the growing tourism-based economy in the area. Prices for land have increased tremendously over the years. A lot of tourists come to the area looking to purchase land. The fact that they are selling palms is a bit humorous since there is such an abundance of palms everywhere. But some tourists buy land that was cleared for farming, and may be looking to re-establish palms and other plants on their land.

The photograph above will be on display at:

The Women's Caucus for Art

Midwest Regional Exhibition

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, September 5, 6-9 pm

Juried and curated by Beate Minkovski, co-founder and Executive Director of Woman Made Gallery, this exhibition includes artists chosen from 13 midwestern states, and the featured work includes painting, sculpture, photography, video and mixed media collage. Educated in Germany and the US, Beate is a recognized presence in the Chicago art world, particularly through Woman Made Gallery, a notable forum for women artists.

Participating artists include: ATYL, Barbara Aubin, Wanrudee Buranakorn, Pritika Chowdry, Patricia Delker, Ellen Roth Deutsch, Teresa Dick, Janet Gerske, Magadalene Gorecki, Susan Grace, Judy Gregurich, Jodie Hardy, Leslie Hirshfield, Sara Holwerda, Cydney M. Lewis,
Lily Mayfield, Monika Meler, Sheila Oettinger, Marivi Ortiz, Corinne D. Peterson, Judith Roth, Maura Schaffer, Victoria Senn, S. Gayle Stevens, and Rena Zaid.

Exhibition runs from Sept 3- 27. Come and check it out!!

ARC Gallery
832 W. Superior St. #204
Chicago, IL 60622
www.arcgallery.org

Trina

This is Trina standing in the doorway of her house. She is a seamstress and her husband Carlos does carpentry and construction in the area. Carlos does a lot of work for La Ponderosa.

Grandchildren

These are the grandchildren of the woman that sells Guayami crafts.