spinnin'

 So much to think about at the moment! Coupla things on the burner, in the melting pot, standing in the wings, peeping out of boxes..well, you get it!

The current Fibre and Stitch challenge is a choice of things, one being  Fabric Paper. Waaay back in November of last year, i did a pile of these "bases"; one has been sitting like this for awhile:

 

(The original is in the archives, here: http://arleebarr.squarespace.com/designjournal/2006/11/6/ooo-oooo-ooooooo-oooooooo-.html There's also a Tutorial http://arleebarr.squarespace.com/designjournal/2006/11/7/making-fabric-paper.html) 

Now normally if i use another artist's work as inspiration, it's in the form of the feeling it gives me, or the colours or a particular motif. This time though i am actually "interpreting" this:

 

This is an illustration by Leon Bakst, for the Ballet Russe.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Bakst I've always loved the styles and fashions of this era, and thought this one would be well suited to this background. I haven't found any more information about this drawing, except that it was for the Narcisse ballet, titled "Costume for a Boetian", done in pencil, watercolour and gouache on paper. There will also be copper added :}

In other notes: A little  BIG slap to those of you who insist on having Arty Colour Schemes on your blog--i cannot read blue on red, pale lavender on black, chartreuse on forest---especially when your damned font is so tiny. Yeah, you're exclusively read by a few then, those with 20/20 eyes-- but i'll pass you by though no matter how great your art is. You want more of an audience? Be user friendly. If you're not interested in reaching more readers, delete the whole damn thing and go live in Upper Slobovia where the natives "understand" you. PFFFFFFFFFt. I moved on fast from four today, one being a favourite artist of mine, but i can't read what he's saying!!!

I'm having a mental day, you may have noticed. On one hand i'm happy to do the routine domestiky crap that needs doing, on the other hand i need a rest from the studio and on the third hand, i'm fomenting stuff in the vasty spaces in my head--good stuff , mind you. Good stuff for a change. 

I am also ashamed to admit that despite all the reminders i posted with online popups and emails, and calendars, that i missed the meeting last night for the Victoria Dollaholics.  Interesting that personal satisfaction with the days work can make you forget all else, no matter how hard you try to remember. Self-sabotage, i suppose. TRYING to get past that. I had an email this morning that considerably changed some stumbling i've been doing and am now going to DO. Part of that is involved in the fomenting as well :}

Word of the day--though i use it often, people thinking i mean Ferment. I do not. And i use it in the sense of good:

foment \foh-MENT; FOH-ment\, transitive verb:
1. To nurse to life or activity; to incite; to abet; to instigate; -- often in a bad sense. _{blah blah blah}

noun:
1. Fomentation; the act of fomenting.
2. State of excitation.

Comes from reading a thousand or so books a year during my formative years:} (For decades i thought "picturesque" was "picture-skew"--all those little picture-skew villages and willowedged ponds....brings to mind a crooked painting on a wall!) Yes, i did read a thousand or more per year---750-900 words a minute, a skill i and my brothers learned trying to get a book finished before Dad disappeared into the "library" for three hours with said book.  Never fought about what show to watch--we had no TV--but the house was STACKED with books, every one of which we all wanted to read at the same time! Sigh.

 Okay, time to pop things in the dryer, turn down the crockpot, get out the pens and paper, clear off the worktable...............................................

DO. 

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/do 

Learn something new everyday and you know you're not dead. 

Comments

[Mary Anne]

Read, did you mention read? Books have to be the best, best thing in the world. I didn't grow up with a tv either and really think I am better for it. Being an only child, it sure helped to put in the hours. I used to rush through my schoolwork so I could read, which lead to one teacher being quite sure I was dumb. Had she even bothered to check my work, she would have realized how wrong she was.

As for the artsy colour schemes on blogs...they drive me mental too. I've been toying with the idea of changing mine to plain ol' b&w. Let me know what you think?

And...can't wait to see what you do with the inspiration in the photo...

[Dianne]

Oh Arlee, I keep coming back to your blog over and over and why oh why can't I see your pictures? Some of them I click on the cross and the picture will come up, and others I just can't get at all. I do love to see what wonderful, creative things you've been up to.........

[Fiona]

love the third hand! How useful would that be :-). I love the way that work is looking on the paper background.

[Midge]

That really cracked me up - picture skew! I may have told you this story already, but in one of my incarnations I was store manager in a fashion chain. One of the managers of another store rang me shortly after a new range arrived in grey (sorry I know it is IN BUT I loathe that colour in its pale version). She was about as intelligent as a house brick and I think just over 13. She asked me if I had any of the "new suits in a size 10 - you know those subtitle grey ones." I said nothing, checked my stock and came back to her with "No - sorry I don't but I do have a size 10 in subtle grey."

[Mairead]

Hi I am so inspired by your work. I am in Ireland and found your work. I am changing my direction and have been playing around with paper and stitch.
I have a new project to do and have been trying to find a satisfactory way to do the background. I cannot wait to give this a go. It fits in perfectly with what I want to do. I will send you a pic of the finished product.!!