Category: fiber arts

June 9, 2021

Time to register for Workshop Week 3!

Workshop Week 3 classes announced; registration is open!

Thanks to Covid, a new type of “camp” was born last year, one that lets folks from all over come together without worrying about the high costs (in money and germs!) of travel and hotels. Those of us involved in In the Studio – brought together by Karen Miller – had such success and fun, that we did it all over again in February and even invited a couple of other artists to join us. We’ve come full circle and are now planning WW3 for the last week of October, 2021. But this time we’ve got FOUR NEW TEACHERS!

Artists participating this time include the usual suspects: Karen; Elizabeth (Beth) Miller; Meryl Cook; Susan Feller, and myself. Guest teachers are: Charlie Dalton (you might know him by his Instagram handle @thehookingcolonel); Lisa Meecham (@woolly_good_hooking); Carmen Bohn (@intheply); and Anastasia Tiller (@frozenpartridgeberry).

Again, all Workshop Week 3 classes will be conducted on Zoom. I know, I know, it’s not the same as being there in person, but how else could you be part of this fabulous line-up? And we’ll have the two bonus sessions again during the week – an evening gathering and a panel discussion.

There’s a wide array of workshops available; some having to do with just rug hooking, others not so much. Scroll through the document below to find your favorite(s). Feel free to take more than one. Email individual instructors for registration and more info. Don’t tarry, as classes filled up pretty quickly last time.

BTW: If you see a workshop that you’d love to take with your guild or other social group, most of us are happy to run our classes again.

WORKSHOP WEEK 3 – Enlarge image by clicking on bottom right symbol.

June 1, 2021

June is already a WHIRLWIND!

Orange whirlwind — Whirlwind pic courtesy of Author: PixelAnarchy / pixabay.com.

WHIRLWIND: a small rotating windstorm of limited extent. At least according to the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

Welcome the whirlwind that is June. So much is going on! But it will be of a limited extent for the most part. In July, we’ll pack up the CR-V and head back east for a couple of weeks. Till then, though…

Unfortunately, Cathy Kelly and I won’t be heading to our first show to vend as expected this coming weekend. When Covid numbers weren’t quite as low as they are now, the Spring & Fiber Festival at El Rancho de las Golondrinas near Santa Fe was canceled for 2021. Bummer, I know. But we subsequently applied for the Harvest Festival in October (during the big Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque); hopefully, that will pan out. The weather will be cooler then too!

CREATE DIY
Thursday, June 11, will find me back on Zoom to lead a Introduction to Rug Hooking – Not so Traditional. This workshop is part of CREATE DIY, an online textile festival from Quiltfest. Would-be students have until June 3 to register! More info can be found by following either of the links above.

Adobe Wool Arts Guild members holding hooked rugs. — Ah, the good. olde days when AWAG could hold our retreats and workshops 3 or 4 times per year. In this pic you’ll find, Liz, myself, Melinda, and Mary R. with our works in progress a few years back.

ADOBE WOOL ARTS GUILD
AWAG, New Mexico’s only rug hooking guild, will hold its first meeting since March of last year this month on June 16! One of our members has graciously offered her lovely backyard (complete with shade and breezes). If you’re a hooker or puncher in the Albuquerque area who’s been looking for company, please contact me at Laura@highonhooking.com. As the President of the group, I can get you in. Really. Plus, we’re a fun group.

GHOST RANCH
June 27-July 2, I’ll be up at Ghost Ranch north of Santa Fe to teach Hook a Rug, Save the Planet. I especially can’t wait because it appears that cell and Internet coverage are lacking up that way. Bummer…NOT! This promises to be a real get-away! We’ll be hooking and punching during this multi day workshop. And, no worries, there will be plenty of time to explore the ranch. My hiking shoes and camera are ready! There are several art-type classes running in June; find them here. (BTW, if you even think about heading to Ghost Ranch, I have one word: SUNSCREEN.)

Clearly, I’ve got a lot of workshop prepping to do! Meanwhile, for those who follow In the Studio and our Workshop Weeks, very soon we’ll be opening up registration for all workshops running during October’s Workshop Week 3. (Make sure you pen – not pencil – October 24-30 into your calendars!) We have more classes this time around -10! – and four new teachers. And, no, not every class is about rug hooking. Keep an eye out for more information! If you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about, email me. We’ll chat. You’re definitely missing something good.

Backside of a hooked rug. — “Abundance” (aka the “automatic hooked rug“) freshly steamed. Yes, she’s upside down. She’s the latest in my HAPPY RUG series. “Whimsy,” there on the wall, was one of the first happy rugs. 2021 can’t get enough HAPPY

The boys and I would love to show you “What’s on the frame” this first week of June, but it’s a surprise till it’s pretty much finished. Saturday, though, I steamed “Abundance,” and am hoping to get to finishing her off today. Or at least starting to. She’s pretty big, and she’s got three holes! Summertime and the sewing will NOT be easy. My arthritic hands ache just thinking about it. But she’s well worth it.

SUMMERTIME AND COVID’S ON THE WANE. What are you planning this June that you couldn’t do last June? Tell us in the comments. And stay safe!

May 24, 2021

IN THE STUDIO – May 26 with Courtney Turner

Courtney Turner’s art as a means of healing and coping

Join Canadian Artist Courtney Turner on In the Studio as she discusses her artistic journey thus far as an emerging artist. She’ll give the audience a glimpse into what her creative process looks like and will share how she uses her art practice as means of healing and coping while living with chronic illness.

Courtney Turner is an emerging contemporary artist currently residing in Canning, Nova Scotia. Her unique combination of abstract rug hooking and representational self-portraiture painting is a direct representation of the connections between her current self and her child self, her healing journey of living with chronic illness, and memories of significant familial textiles that have brought her comfort throughout her life. Courtney graduated from NSCAD University in 2020, majoring in Textiles & Fashion.

You can learn more about Courtney Turner and see her work at www.courtneyturnerart.ca and on Instagram @courtneyturnerart.

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:

The Zoom link for this presentation will be emailed to you the day before the talk (or after you purchase your ticket, if you purchase on the day of the event). If you don’t receive it, you can contact the organizer at info@karendmillerstudio.com.

Tickets will be on sale until 10:00 am Eastern the day of the event. After that time you will no longer be able to purchase tickets.

Please note that the time of the talk is 1:00 pm EASTERN.

Find tickets for this event at Ticketscene.

FAQ’s

* Will this talk be recorded for viewing later?

Unfortunately, no. Due to the logistics involved, we decided some time ago to keep these events live. Hopefully if you can’t make it to this talk, you’ll be able to make it to a future talk.

* It’s the day of the talk and I’m having trouble finding or using the link for the talk. How can I find help?

It is very advisable to LOG INTO THE EVENT A FEW MINUTES EARLY to be sure that you have no trouble with the link, and if you are having trouble the organizer can help you out. You can email or message the event organizer up until one hour before the talk on the day of the talk for help. ONCE THE EVENT STARTS, however, messages and emails are not able to be monitored.

* I’m finding it distracting during the talk seeing all of the other participants on my screen. What can I do?

During the event the organizer will put the screen setting on “spotlight view” so that the presenter is the focus on your screen. Depending on your device, you may still see audience members on your screen and changing your setting from “gallery view” to “speaker view” should help with that.

* What Time Zone is the time of the talk in?

The time indicated on all ‘In the Studio’ talks is the EASTERN (EST) time zone. If you live in a different time zone, be sure to check what time you should tune in to ensure you don’t miss the talk.

*I can no longer make it to the talk. Or, I missed the talk. Can I get a refund?

Unfortunately no- the price of the ticket is so low that it is not cost-effective to refund those amounts. If you are unable to make it to the talk and you already have a ticket, or you forget to attend, please do contact me at info@karendmillerstudio.com. I always offer a ticket to the next talk to make up for it. All of the artist speakers receive a portion of the ticket proceeds so we very much appreciate your contribution to supporting artists!

May 11, 2021

On to Ghost Ranch!

Meet up at Ghost Ranch in June!

You know that old saying “The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away”? Well, indeed He does. Just ten or so days ago, I wrote about how excited I was to be finally attending an in-person fiber festival up at El Rancho de las Golondrinas near Santa Fe. Then, last week, Cathy and I got word that, due to state or county Covid guidelines, they had to cancel it. Not sure why, as that county is opened as much as anything can be here in NM. And I’d gone to a couple of farmers’ markets that were pretty crowded down here in Albuquerque where we aren’t quite as open. I was so anticipating the festival and chatting folks up about hooking and all things fiber…

But there is some good news. Because, I’m fully vaccinated, I taught a lovely 80-year old to punch last Friday. In person! She’s quite the pistol too. I hope to have pics when the yarn I ordered for her comes in, and I can get over to her house again. And I have a student coming this Friday as well! I’m looking forward to spreading the fiber gospel some more. In person! Thank goodness for the vaccines!

Then there’s even better news. I’d alluded earlier to the fact that I was planning to teach at a “special” venue. It’s finally up online so I can spill it. June 27 – July 2, I’ll be teaching at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiú north of here in New Mexico. Having only driven by and never stopped, I can’t wait to spend the better part of a week there. We’ll be working on both hooking and punching, stressing all the while the use of recycled and reclaimed materials in our work. Think old t-shirts, bed sheets, plastic bags, and so on. The workshop is titled HOOK A RUG SAVE THE PLANET! (Click on the link for more info.) There will be plenty of downtime to hike and explore the Ranch and surrounding area.

For those not familiar with Ghost Ranch,

The landscape of Ghost Ranch—made famous by painter Georgia O’Keeffe and the incomparable hospitality of first director, Jim Hall—encompasses 21,000 acres of towering rock walls, vivid colors and vast skies. People from all over the world come to work together in creation care, to paint, write poetry, to hike, ride horseback, to research globally renowned archaeological and fossil quarries or simply to rest and renew their spirits.
-Ghost Ranch website

Photograph by ghostranch.org.

Georgia O’Keeffe is indelibly and colorfully linked to the Ranch though she only owned seven acres of it. More info on that HERE. The actual owners gifted it to the Presbyterian Church who created the Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center. The Center “fosters well-being and spiritual health through this historic, inspiring southwest landscape.” They do that by offering various activities on the land like hiking, camping, and horseback riding as well retreats and workshops. And that, my friends, is where my class comes in. The Ranch values good stewardship of the earth. An art workshop stressing re-use of materials to make something beautiful and maybe even useful falls right in their wheelhouse. And I couldn’t be any happier. I’m thinking of what it can mean for my own art and then just to have that time away from “home” stuff. Time to talk fiber, time to hike and sketch.

Chile pepper hooked rug — “The Ripening” is all New Mexico. (Old t-shirts; 9.5″x9.5″)

If you’re thinking about traveling this summer, maybe a peaceful, fiber retreat in northern New Mexico, a place filled with our special light and color, is the place for you. Chile peppers always available!

April 30, 2021

We’re going to shows – in-person!

In-person events. Can you imagine it after over a year of hiding out from each other? But it’s starting to happen!

High on Hooking and friend Catherine Kelly will be vending our first in-person show since November of 2019! We’ll be at the SPRING & FIBER FESTIVAL at EL RANCHO DE LAS GOLONDRINAS June 5/6. It’s an outdoor venue, so if you’re vaccinated, you probably won’t even need a mask! If you’re in the area then, please stop by to chat and fondle the rugs. Mention this blog post and get a 5% discount on anything you purchase from High on Hooking. (See our other events in the Calendar.)

Spring’s just busting out all over! It’s been a big week here in the HoH house. We entered the modern age when we traded our 2003 Honda Accord in for a much newer “old” car, a 2019 CR-V. All those freaking electronics! Fortunately, I still have my little Fit to tool about town in and keep my gas usage and emissions to a minimum.

Wednesday, Cathy (above) and I took the new vehicle for a spin up to Santa Fe’s Museum of International Folk Art. Other than the need for a mask, it was like pre-Covid times! An in-person museum visit! I was so excited early last year when the museum announced that they’d be having an exhibit of the Afghan War Rugs from summer through the fall. And then the Coronacootie struck! No fears – they were able to extend the exhibit through September of this year. Since I had my second Moderna vaccine last week, it was finally time. And the carpets did not disappoint. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any pics, so I stole the one below from the museum’s website.

Photograph of Afghan War Rug; we were able to go to the museum in person. — Photograph from Museum of International Folk Art

For those who aren’t familiar with the Afghan War Rugs, at first glance some of them look like typical, traditional rugs woven in Afghan and other areas of the Middle East, but when you take a second look, you realize that the Cypress tree motif is a…missile. A “boteh” (paisley) is really a helicopter. Look a little harder and you’ll find pistols, machine guns and grenades. In some of the rugs, though, the artisans went full on war-rug. You can’t miss the tanks.

Afghanistan is known for its rugs, though many of these rugs were created by Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran after Russia and then the US waged war in the country. They offer, certainly, an artistic commentary on what’s happened in (primarily) the last 40 or so years. (Russia invaded in 1979.) But they also demonstrate a commercial response to war in Afghanistan and the effect on its people. The carpets have proven popular with journalists, military personnel, foreign aid workers, and such.

The emergence of war-related imagery in Afghan rug design has clearly aided the economic survival of area weavers and displaced craftspeople through years of armed conflict and cultural disruption. What war rugs mean to individual weavers is less understood. Are war rugs a celebration of modernity or a rejection of war? Are they a witness to shared trauma or a commercialization of violence? Are they testaments to ingenuity and a spirit of survival? Perhaps they are all of these things at once.
(Museum of International Folk Art)

Over 40 rugs hang in the exhibit. Some look brand new; others have clearly been used as…rugs. All are fascinating to view. And, of course, being textiles, we desperately wanted to touch them. To turn them over and examine them. Yeah, that would’ve gotten us booted out. Unfortunately, too, there’s no real info about individual rugs or artists. Though this isn’t surprising.

If you ever get a chance to see this exhibit, make sure that you do. If you’d like to read more about the War Rugs, there’s a great article here. The Museum of International Folk Art has a virtual exhibit available here.

Dogs on hooked rug — This is what happens when you try to take the WHAT’S ON THE FRAME pic too close to the boys’ dinner hour. Just getting them both in the frame was tough enough, then they kept looking over their shoulders as if Daddy was about to make and eat their meals. Still working on the newest in the happy rug series. Her name will be “Abundance.”

What events are you excited to get back to in-person this year?