Los Talleres - Day 13 (already??) - New Work in Progress

 

I found these natural fiber scrubbing pads the other day at the market and had to get a few.. love their soft white color, and they just seemed to be piles of threads rolled up together and flattened in shape.

They seem to call for some stitching and they've started to morph into a shape of their own:  

It does seem that I'm more and more drawn to work in 3D. The netting has been recurring too - I started collecting nets a couple of years back and now seem to want to make some type of my own, over things or between things.. I think of the weavings on the small branches as netting too.I think I"m going to try to experiment with different kind of stitches too.

Hard to believe I'm almost at half time here..


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Los Talleres - Day 8

I'm still enjoying my time here in Los Talleres, starting to really get used to the slow pace and the heat (it's in the 80's about every day..). Made a quick trip into San Miguel yesterday - which doesn't seem to be as indigenous as Oaxaca yet still very pretty: 

Otherwise, still swaddling and doing these mini weavings:

Still unsure where it's all going but working away...

Merlin Nyakam dancing to Bobby Mc Ferrin

Totally hypnotizing! Absolutely beautiful! Enjoy..

p.s.: Cameroun is now on my list of destinations to go to..

Los Talleres - Day 2

So here I am in Los Talleres, an artist retreat just outside of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. "Retreat" is the key word here, since this is what you see when you turn left and right:

I'm sorry if the photos appear a bit weird (stripes?), they seem to not want to download properly.

Anyhow, once I got past the first "shock" that I was indeed going to be staying in such a remote place for a month (the urban dweller that I am realized I NEVER experienced that :), I find it exciting to finally have the time to do artwork. The last few months have been so busy making leather bags that I am really looking forward to just make art without having to think "product" (by the way, new bags were posted on Etsy last week and I will post a few more by tomorrow, so check it out here).

This is Harriet, one of the two dogs to keep me company (along a with a lovely couple who manages the place, Raleigh and Evan).

And here's the studio:

I a bit wish that I would have an art project already started and felt a bit intimidated at first, thinking of all the time that's available to me and no specific idea.. However,  before I left, I dreamt that I was going to swaddle some trees or bushes in pink yarn  so I started swaddling some thorny dead branches:

Who knows where that will go but it's a start..

Pina by Wim Wenders

I absolutely LOVED the Pina movie by Wim Wenders; I was in total awe of Pina Baush's and her dancers' talent, their love and admiration for her, the impact she obviously had on all of them, the beauty and power of every scene which surely was  emphasized by Wim Wenders' own genius, the dresses, the humor, EVERYTHING...  Here are a couple of extracts but really, everything in the movie is so beautiful and moving, you must try to see it:

I couldn't think of a better tribute to her work. Loved, loved, loved..

In the Studio

Trying to wrap up new Spring groups...

Arizona trip

I thought I'd try the Blogpress app on my phone to post a few pics from our quick trip to Arizona last week. It was the perfect place to recharge our batteries and to put things in perspective..































The last picture is from Montezuma and shows Sinagua Indian dwellings from 1000 years ago, when they thought it was easier to build in the rocks than to build walls...

Simon Shubert: Folded Paper

I have been into whites lately - not that I want to see any snow though...

German artist Simon Schubert made an edition of 100 views of a historic villa (in Germany? not sure as I can't read German but see here), folding paper:

all photos (c) Simon Schubert
found via the French Etsy blog here

Now that I think about it, may be he didn't fold the paper - could it be pressure from the back? Anybody speaks German out there? Help... Anyhow, pretty impressive no matter what.

Snapshots from London

Just got back to London late last night. We had a great time overthere, despite having very limited time to walk around the city, taking care of/ keeping company to some elderly relatives. So we stayed mainly in beautiful Islington where we still encountered a few treasures such as these bird houses:

Also went to the recently opened sewing store / cafe Ray Stitch, ran by some ex Selvedge employees:

Couldn't resist these strips of woven fabric which are in fact selvedges from the weaving shop Wallace + Sewell:

I'll probably turn them into pillow covers at some point.

Also got this postcard to post in my studio:

Voila... on these words, heading back to the studio!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A quick hello from Berlin where we are spending a few days in between two weekends in London. Funny to be in a place where you don't understand a word.. We havent found the alternative Berlin yet but are enjoying exploring the city, eating wurst and kraut, drinking gluhwein, walking around the various holiday markets and visiting a few museums (great Saraceno installation there

Really thankful for the opportunity to see this place... and for all the good things that have happened this year, big and small.. Hope you are all having a good thangsgiving! Thanks for visiting, as ever.

p.s.: free domestic shipping this weekend in the etsy store.

p.s.s.: and check all the great offers from other makers on Poppytalk Handmade there

Pod Brookline & Regine Ramseier Dandelion Installation

So many good things at once.. Last week I had the great suprise to be contacted by Julie of Pod, one of my top top top favorite shops EVER... to show her some of my leather accessories. If you ever come to the Boston area, you must pay her shop a visit, it's really one of the most pleasant shopping experience around. Be warned, you will be tempted to buy the store, from Fog Linen towels

to slightly glittery thigh high's

to lavender filled kantha pillows

and now some Stitch and Tickle clutches which picture would go

there

if I hadn't forgotten the camera at the studio :(

To follow soon...

Well,  not only is the shop fabulous, but Julie also has a most inspiring blog where I found this other German artist, Regine Ramseier:

Yep... I can't tell you much more because I don't speak a word of German but you can see more images on Regine's website  here.. And while you are at it, check her whimsical  bra/bug installation there...

Less than a week til Berlin..

November already?

It seems this fall is just flying by and I haven't had much time to post or follow what's going on out there.

Since I last wrote, my sister came to visit from France for 10 days, we had our first snow storm while trees still have leaves, I went to a great opening at the ICA where my friend Niho Kozuru  had a piece included in their  75th anniversary show,

(note: the piece shown is actually not the one shown in the show but I don't have a good picutre of her work there but that should vouch for the quality of her work..)

 I moved my studio to a slightly larger one & one floor up (photos to follow as soon as I can move around..), and I added a few new items to the shop such as those:

I'm looking forward to be settled in my new space to focus on new groupings.

Oh, and here's some eye candy from yesterday's NY Times:

17th Century Tantric drawings

The book looks amazing -you can order it or see more drawings there.

Ok, gotta to go unpack my boxes.. have a good week everyone!