Exhibition at Western Carolina University

You may have heard via facebook of word or mouth about this exhibition- a solo exhibition of my artwork at Western Carolina University.  I was unable to be there for the opening.  If any of you make it to see the show, please send a photo or two my way!

James Madison University Solo Show and Trip.....

Earlier this week I was in Virginia, where I had a solo show at the Sawhill Gallery at James Madison University.  I flew down Sunday night and spent the next three days meeting with students, sitting in on fibers classes, and giving a lecture for the University.  It was a lot of fun.  I got to tour the school's soon to be opened art classrooms which are amazing, with top of the line equipment, I met their enthusiastic team of gallery interns, and I was interviewed on college radio. I didn't bring my fancy pants camera, but I think some students were taking good pictures for the gallery.  Hopefully there will be some better shots of the exhibition coming up.

Etsy Soho Timeline....and Bananagrams!

Here's a visual timeline from yesterday's art making adventure at the Etsy Holiday Pop Up Shop in Soho.  I worked all day on this piece in the window at 133 Greene Street, and all day, people stopped by and said Hi and peered through the window at the progress.  Isaac Mizrahi dropped by and peered in for awhile*  Sometimes New York is so weird and cool.

I am currently up to my eyeballs in preparations for Saturday's sale at PS321.  I'll have all the details and some pictures of the brand new Kits tomorrow.  If you're in New York, I hope you can come!  I'll be back first thing tomorrow with the winner of the big contest.  See you then.

 * Katy and I have a code-word for celebrity sitings, and it's bananagrams.  Whenever one of us sees someone famous, we say quietly to the other bananagrams! and keep on walking.  Katy always waits twenty seconds until we passed so that I don't make a fool of myself shouting "where? where?"  Like birdwatchers in the country, we entertain ourselves and our guests by keeping a running list of these sitings on our fridge.  I almost never am the one to spot a bananagram, and when I do, I can never remember who the heck they are or why they are famous, so yesterday, when I spun around and saw Mr.Mizrahi standing there staring in at me, I was triumphant.  I am more shocked that I recognized him that I am shocked that he was there.  Bananagrams!

See you in Soho......

Tomorrow, I'll be in Soho, making art in the window space at Etsy's Pop-Up Holiday Shop.  I spent a long time going around in circles about what exactly I would do there, and came up with a plan I think will look great.  It will be a portrait of Mary Oliver, and a take off on this sampler.  Part of executing that plan involved going to Purl Soho and buying a giant pile of beautiful prints, which was so far my favorite part.   Isn't pattern fun?

If you're in New York, and inclined to come by and say hello, please do!  I'd love to see you.  Beware that you might find yourself with a needle and thread in hand, suddenly wrapped up in stitching.  I will put you to work!  Pack a thimble!  (PS- if you really do want to help, come after lunch when the glue will be dry)

Stay tuned to my instagram feed (or facebook) for updates throughout the day tomorrow.  You can find me as dropcloth in both places....

On a different note- Thank you!  Thank you thank you to all of you who have signed up for Sampler Subscriptions, and thank you for those of you who are signing up for Thursday's giveaway!  If you haven't thrown your name into the hate, please do!  You've got two more days, and if you've already signed up, remember, that there are three ways to do so!  Add a pinterest re-pin or a link to your work in progress on Flickr to up your chances!  Katy and I will draw a name Thursday night.  Good luck!  That's a lot of exclamation points!  Can you tell I am excited?

Art in Annapolis

If you're in Maryland or close by this weekend, perhaps you'd like to join my artwork (I'll still be in Chicago) for the opening reception of Fiber Options, a group show that I'm included in.  The reception is on Sunday, July 29th from 3-6 pm.  If any of you go, please snap a photo for me! Joh Ricci's artwork is on the card, and below is the piece that I'm showing, Adjustment Period.    

Oh, Louise......

At long last, getting in just under the wire of the show closing and me leaving for vacation, I made it to Chelsea this afternoon to see the Louise Bourgeois Show at Cheim and Read.  It was worth the wait.   Just look at these fresh, bold, summery collages of colored cloth:

I love Bourgeois' work so much, and I think about her life as an artist a lot.  She worked until she died, which wasn't until she was 98.

I visited her once in the Chelsea loft she lived in during one of her artist salons in 2005.  At the time, her number was publicly listed and anyone could call and invite themselves, so I did.

I arrived at three in the afternoon and was whisked into her parlor to sit and wait.  The walls were covered in years of warped and peeling exhibition posters, drawings, and notes.  It felt like we were sitting in the living room of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, (remember her?)  and all of us, drinking cognac and coca cola and red wine were completely hushed when out from the decrepit kitchen shuffled the queen herself, in bare feet and leaning on a walker she came and sat down amongst us, and one at a time we all sat next to her and showed her our drawings.

I think I used her powder room three times, not because I had to go, but because from the toilet you could look at the sketches that were drawn right into the wall in the tiny little space.  The whole afternoon felt like a pilgrimage, and I remember thinking, upon my return to Chicago, that anything could happen in New York.  I met Louise Bourgeois and sat in her living room on her ratty old couch, for god's sake.  It was pretty cool.

Show extended, and another announced!

In gallery news, I'm pleased to tell you that the show in Chicago at Packer Schopf, Red Sky at Night, has been extended to June 25th.  I'd love for you to see it if you're in Chicago!  AND- if you're in Michigan, three of my works are up as part of a group show at Trilogy in Three Oaks with  Deborah Baker and Kathy Halper ...wish I could go see it all myself.