Los Alamos is the place to be Saturday
Category: hooking
“Memory of Water” is going to a show!
Woohoo! “Memory of Water” is off to another show. Not a fiber arts show, but an exhibit of all kinds of media. Last month I saw that the Fuller Lodge Art Center (FLAC) up in Los Alamos (New Mexico) had a call for artists for “Making Waves,” their August exhibit.
A single stone thrown into the water can create a ripple that will affect the entire pond. Water is a sacred and often misused blessing, especially in the desert landscape of New Mexico. Take on water and all that it means to us personally. Don’t shy away from the controversy water issues can create! We want to see artwork that makes the biggest splash!
–from FLAC’s website
It appears that after spending a year on my hallway wall, “Memory of Water” made another splash with FLAC’s jurists. (You might remember that it was in Albuquerque’s Open Space Visitor Center’s “WATER” exhibit last year.) The show runs August 2-31, so we’re off to Los Alamos this week to deliver the piece. Tynan and new puppy Bowyn will get to take a ride!
Truthfully, we’ll be making three trips up north to Los Alamos this coming month. We’ll have to retrieve the piece after the show. And mid month…we’re back up there for FLAC’s Summer Arts and Crafts Fair! First time High on Hooking’s vended this show. Here’s hoping for a beautifully sunny mountain day. No monsoon rains.
Maybe you’ll show at one of these events, particularly if you’re in the greater northern New Mexican area. If you’re at the Arts and Crafts Fair, mention the blog and get 10% off a rug!
New friends!
So, Fiber Crawl was a bit of a bust but only from a sales standpoint. Okay, that’s the most important standpoint when you’re vending, but you know, there are other things that go into it. For instance, unfortunately, it wasn’t publicized that there were vendors at the Open Space where Cathy and I were hanging. And some of the vendors didn’t even show. In the end, there were only four booths of fiberific goods. So, we had plenty of time to take in the “Earth Threads” exhibit and hook and…meet new friends!
Yes, new friends. I’d had a brief back-and-forth with a gal from the Los Angeles area who was in the area. She’s brand new to hooking and hasn’t yet met like-minded peeps in California. She read the blog here regarding Fiber Crawl, and guess who wanted to come and meet other hookers? Debra! And she brought along David her husband who’s about to start hooking his own rugs. Woohoo! I guess that means that the gospel is indeed being spread from my fingers to others’ ears. Or rather, eyes.
Both Debra and David were great fun, and since we weren’t selling or even entertaining too many potential customers Sunday, we had plenty of time to chat. Debra had brought the rug she’s working on, her very first. Designed and drew it herself. Cows! She’ll have to send a pic to me when she’s done so that we can share it here. She’s going great guns on it. And come July when Cathy teaches her workshop at the Wool Poppies – Hooker Hill Rug Retreat, Debra may be meeting other Bay Area hookers. Lucky lady!
In the meantime, there’s lots of hustle and bustle going on in our final lead-up to the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta 2019. Remember, if you’re in the area next Thursday-Saturday, come on over to Expo and say hi to us – we’re always looking to make new friends! – in the Adobe Wool Arts Guild Rug Hooking booth. We have 27 rugs to hang and 9 friendship rugs making up the 9×9 special exhibit. Almost every fiber art imaginable is on display, and there are over 50 vendors! Hope to see you there!
Lastly, please have a wonderful beginning to summer. Have fun and be safe out there. And don’t forget the reason for this long Memorial Day Weekend.
Notes from the “Big Boucherouite”
“Big Boucherouite” here. Yes, you read that right. I AM the large rug that she’s currerntly hooking. Constantly. At least it feels that way. I hardly ever get alone time. Anyway, as she’s still working on me day and night, I decided to provide a few notes regarding where she’s at in this project.
- She’s been watching a LOT of television during the day. I tried to tell her to get some books on tape, but she goes on and on about having to get through a NOVA back-up, that she’s got to free-up space on the DVR. Fine. Her husband, of course, insists on watching them with her, though I’ve noticed that he tends to use them to catch up on his sleep.
- NOVA sounds nice and erudite, sure, but that wasn’t on till midnight last night. No, that would be…Ice Castles. Yes, the Robby Benson movie from 1978, when she was 13. Apparently, she even read the book back then. It was on some TV station for lost movies. Some movies should remain lost…
- She does take some breaks. It seems to be rather necessary. Hooking so much woven fabric is taking a toll on the joints. As is sitting under me. I’m rather heavy at this point. I tell her to do some yoga. Does she listen to me? Sometimes.
- She’s still going on and on about not having enough orange sheets to fill my background, that she had to breakdown and use t-shirts. Who gives a damn? That they’re used textiles being recycled to a higher purpose – me! – it’s fine. That’s the Boucherouite spirit.
- Her dog keeps sitting on me determined to earn a snack. Someone needs to tell him that she’s barely taking any photographs of me. I deserve a BIG REVEAL and not until I’m properly hooked and hemmed.
- Lastly, regarding actually finishing me in order to enter me into Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Fiesta by the March 1 deadline, let’s hear it for the idea of STRATEGIC PHOTOGRAPHY. And you all make sure that your submissions are in by sometime Friday too.
Look for my debut on Instagram and Facebook in the near future, and I’ll see you May 30 and 31 and June 1 at Fiber Fiesta!
The Big Boucherouite
Good news! More work, but good news!
Good news! How often do we get to yell that? Actually, it’s news I wasn’t ready to share last week, but after hanging out at the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) for awhile today (and shopping, of course), I can reveal: I’m the center’s “Artist of the Month” in February. Yes, really!
The “Artist” will have their fiber creations filling up one of the big windows at the front of the building. And available for sale. 
EVFAC’s just starting the new program this year. They announced it in the January newsletter and asked members to apply. On a lark, I did just that. I mentioned though, because I vend during much of the year, a winter month would be good. They got back to me right quick and offered February. Woohoo!
Yes, I accepted.
Today the High on Hooking helpers – Tom and Tynan – and I took the hour-and-a-half drive up to Española (a half-hour north of Santa Fe) so that I could talk logistics. Then…they asked me to teach an introductory class during the month. And give a little talk. Alrighty! It actually won’t be the first class I’ve taught there. A talk though…
So, that’s my good news. If you’re local and have thought that maybe you’d like to give rug hooking a whirl, this is a great opportunity. The class will be Saturday, February 16, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. We’ll lunch at the table while we hook. After that, we’ll talk more hooking. We’ll have plenty to chat about as it’s still not that well known in these parts – the Southwest – where weaving traditionally dominates. But we’re making great strides, people!
Do you have any good news? 2019 is starting strong here at High on Hooking, and I already have a l-o-n-g queue of rugs just waiting to be hooked. (Truthfully, this is somewhat daunting…) It will be the year of many rugs. And many rug events. Share yours here!
