Published on
July 29, 2008 in
Fibers.
I’m camping here in the french countryside which is a delight. The campgrounds in France are in general quite nice.  I wake up to the sounds of the birds, hop out of the tent and make my cup of cafe with a mini French presse. 
This area is known for the elaborate dovecotes that were created in the 1700’s called Pigeonniers. Pigeons were so valuable that these castles were built to house them. You can drive around the countryside here and spot them in fields. Beautiful and fanciful! Perhaps ideas for a new series of architectural inspired brooches?
Published on
July 19, 2008 in
Fibers.
My second workshop has come and gone and we had a fine time going to the markets, Albi, the local monastery, the flea market and a brocante (antiques) show. And of course studio time- the work created was really top notch and very exciting for me to watch it develop over the week.
I want to thank all the lovely ladies who made the long trip over to experience my little slice of life in a French village. 
This is one of my favorite fountains in the village of Revel- five minutes from the workshop. Revel is a center of furniture making, especially marquetry work, and there are alot of working artists in the area.
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Published on
July 10, 2008 in
Fibers.
My second workshop has arrived as of yesterday and I’ll write about what we are up to in a few days but while waiting I thought you would like to meet the wonderful artist and my friend Veronique who is a hat-maker extraordinaire using recycled materials.
Her creations are sought after all over France and she was profiled in January 2005 issue of Belle Armoire. That’s me getting a hat made.Enjoy!
Published on
July 3, 2008 in
Fibers.
Bonjour! I’ve been camping down in the Pyrenees inbetween workshops and besides my achy bones, it has
been a wonderful experience. We have hiked to several Cathar castles- look close at the picture and you can see Monsegur- one of the first castles we hiked to, perched way way up on top. Once there, the view is exhilarating and the feeling of history and the accomplishments of humans surrounds you and is literally awesome.
I’ll be back posting more about art and creativity next week. I’m looking forward to the arrival of the next workshop on Wednesday.
Published on
June 21, 2008 in
Fibers.
After taking my workshop ladies to the wonderful Saturday market in Revel, we hopped in the cars and took off for Albi, about an hour away. Along the way we pulled off to a picnic site and had a most wonderful pique-nique from the market- olives, cheese, bread, apricots, tomatoes,almond, spicy radishes and other delights.
Albi is a magnificent small city. The astounding fortress-like cathedral presides over a delightful pedestrian only city centre, filled with shops, boutiques, cafes, and beautiful architecture from the 14 and
15C. The cathedral itself is literally jaw-dropping. I am designing – or at least sketching- some new jewelry inspired by the magnificent gargoyles.
On top of this, the Toulouse Lautrec Museum is right around the corner and houses not only the fabulous posters, but his early drawings and paintings.
If one needs a rest, the small boats cruise- old wooden boats- are right there at the river behind the Cathedral to give a unique perspective of this magnificent city.
Published on
June 14, 2008 in
Fibers.
We started off the workshop by visiting our neighbor village Soreze- a medieval village filled
with photo-ops and inspiration. Many doors in the village have exquisite and unusual door knockers that I think can lead to some interesting ideas to link, hinge or combine parts together. Hmmnnn….. I need to get my journal out and start sketching some ideas.
I photographed several peeling paint doors- the look of the faded and deteriorating paint and patinas is a rich source of ideas for color and surface textures. We also visited the nearby monastery, En Calcat, which has an incredible bookstore filled with art books, icons and even jazz CD’s!
Published on
June 6, 2008 in
Fibers.
The Saturday market here in Revel has been going on since the 14th Century. Just like pictures you have seen in books and magazines, it is a dazzling display of fruits and vegetables providing potent inspiration for gorgeous color combinations.
I’m taking with me my journal and colored pencils to try to capture the beautiful colorways. Also at the market are buttons, ribbons and trims, colorful woven baskets, trendy fashions and the Provencal fabrics, tablecloths, dishcloths and napkins. I bought six Jacquard dishcloths to turn into seat cushions for my dining room chairs. My first groups arrives on Wednesday- I’m very excited!
Published on
May 28, 2008 in
Fibers.
I’ve arrived at beautiful La Cascade where I’ll be teaching workshops this summer (info on France page). After landing in Paris we went straight to Versailles for a day of exploration.
The chateau and gardens are a feast for the senses. I was particularly inspired by the sumptuous wallpapers and upholstery fabrics- glorious color combinations that I can see will lead to a new series of brocade brooches.
And the hundreds of beautiful statues throughout the gardens and fountains got my imagination going on a new approach for a series of Renaissance figures.
Today was spent here in the garden at La Cascade, weeding and pruning a path to the beautiful river and waterfall (la cascade).
Published on
May 15, 2008 in
Fibers.
Bonjour! I’m off to France in a few days and my goal is to “journal” from there evey week (depending of course on finding cyber cafes along the way) to show you how I’m using what I see as a “creative spark” and inspiration. 
I’ll be joined in June and July by my students- adventuresome and talented- who will be coming for my workshops in southern France. The area is so rich with medieval villages, artists, flea markets- I’m excited to share it all with you.Â
So please check in every now and then- I’ll begin about June 1st- and join me on this adventure!
Published on
April 26, 2008 in
Fibers.
I’m home from teaching the polymer clay guild in Colorado Springs and was really inspired by the joy and sense of adventure these ladies brought to the class. On reflecting, I can see that a sense of adventure has been an important theme in my life and art. I can remember backing out the driveway in the station wagon with my mom, dad, and three siblings- my dad would turn to my mom and say with glee, “We’re off on a great adventure!”. Even now as soon as I get in the car for a trip, I have that same feeling. And I think that is also why I am so inspired by the art and artisans of faraway countries and ancient cultures!
I decided to sew fabric “homes” for the Africa mask pins to live on (See previous post). They are collaged pieces of fabric 
combined with muslin that has a black mask image transferred onto the cloth. The polymer mask pins “lives” on or near the mask image. I enjoyed creating an environment for the polymer clay pin and this seems to be the direction I am VERY interested in now- combining textiles and polymer clay.
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