Category: inspiration

August 2, 2017

The Stolen pattern

Close-up of “Stolen,” hooked by Catherine Kelly. Beautiful, isn’t it? Love the colors, all the tones.

“Wait till you see my new rug, “Stolen,” guild-mate Cathy Kelly e-mailed me. She also said that I had to wait till it was finished before that happened. Okay. Really, I didn’t think too much about it other than I like to see what Cathy comes up with. She’s very creative, that one. In fact, since I’ve moved to New Mexico and joined the Adobe Wool Arts guild, she’s one of the folks who’s really pushed me to go beyond my own comfort level. And she’s done that just by modeling good, artistic experimentation and enthusiasm and encouraging us all to look beyond rug hooking to: 1) influence our rug hooking and 2) try new things.

Cathy also somehow convinced me to act as the guild rep to Albuquerque’s Fiber Arts Council. Sure, sometimes meetings can be a little tedious, but it’s let me meet a whole bunch of people I never would’ve otherwise come to know. Which further led to my joining the board of Susan’s Legacy, a non-profit helping women who suffer co-occurring mental illness and addiction.

So, you see, Cathy’s not just a great artist, but a class-A person and friend. But did that change yesterday when she shared “Stolen” with us at the guild’s usual demo gig at the BioPark? You be the judge. See the pic above of “Stolen.” Definitely an appealing rug.

You might be interested in one of my rugs, hooked years ago (despite the 2014 date); it happens to be hanging in the East Mountain Library in Tijeras, NM. It’s in an exhibit that was offered to Cathy for her work. She generously proposed to hang a couple of my rugs too. Here’s the rug I mentioned:

Stolen patttern — Here’s a close-up of my rug. I designed it as a table runner, and if I gave it a name, for the life of me, I can’t remember it. Guess I’ll call it “Stolen.”

Oh, and did I mention this one that I hooked in 2015, after I arrived in Albuquerque. I think that I was sewing rug binding on it at my very first guild meeting.

Stolen pattern — “Paging Party of Gray” is another table runner, just a little smaller, and it’s definitely not hooked in wool. But perhaps you’re noticing a pattern here? Like it should be called “Stolen”?

Okay, maybe I should mention that several months ago Cathy asked about purchasing the original rug – I use it to cover a small bench in my house. I had to tell her that it’s one of maybe three rugs that I won’t sell, that I actually use in my own house. Then she asked me if I’d draw out the pattern; she’d even try to sell it for me through her own hooking business. I said, “Sure, great idea!” And then I did absolutely NOTHING about it. Even when she reminded me. MY BIG BAD! So, I was thrilled when she hauled out “Stolen” yesterday morning. Laughed my ass off, in fact. Then we fantasized about how rich we could become if we started selling the “Stolen” pattern. Because you all know what a lucrative business rug hooking is. NOT!

That was yesterday’s fun. Regarding the RUG ON THE FRAME this week. I learned a little more about Boucherouite rugs after reading Liz Alpert Fay’s current Textile Art News. In the newsletter she had a story about Kea Carpet and Kilims (New York). The gallery’s Hudson location recently held an exhibit of rugs hooked/tufted by members of the Creative Growth Art Center (Oakland, California). Curious, I clicked on the gallery’s homepage and found…Berber rugs! Including Boucherouites! I learned that these rag rugs only started being made in the mid-20th century, so they’re a new thing. Check them out.

Dog on rug — Tynan presents this week’s **RUG ON THE FRAME**. I’m enjoying the wanna-be Boucherouite. There is **no way** I am capable of being blind to colors and throwing anything in, but it is, after all, a Boucherouite- *influenced* rug, not an actual Boucherouite. ***WHAT’S ON YOUR FRAME TODAY? STOLEN ANY PATTERNS LATELY? 🙂***

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July 26, 2017

Hooking an almost Boucherouite rag rug

Boucherouite rugs are my new passion! Sort of. See, I was going through my Pinterest pins – I put tons of things up on Pinterest for for later use (far more than I’ll ever be able to use) –

looking for inspiration for my next hooked rug and somehow I came across Boucherouite rugs. I must have been in my Indigenous Art folder or something and one thing led to another. Anyway, these rugs are colorful geometrics, very rustic-looking. Right up my alley!

Doing a little research, I found out that the Boucherouite rugs, also called carpets, are woven by Berber women in North Africa (often Morocco). They recycle old textiles and clothing to create one-of-a-kind rugs. Ah…sound familiar? Apparently, they became quite the home decor rage a few years ago. This blog post by Decor8 gave a nice overview back in 2013. (I am sooo behind the times…)

Looking at them, the rugs reminded me of how woven bedsheets hook up, so it seemed a natural extension to draw out something on the monks’ cloth that approximated a Boucherouite. Tynan’s showing you below what I came up with. It’s not a floor rug this time, but a table runner. I’ve got basic colors in mind, and I will use primarily bedsheets, but I plan on making a lot of it up as I go along. Please join Tynan and me on the journey. More next week…

In the meantime, where do you look for artistic inspiration? Favorite sources? Please share them with us in the comment section below.

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July 18, 2017

Target art

Target art, which I use as a noun rather than the imperative that it sounds like: Target art now!

Let me explain. I was doing some monthly shopping in the store called Target this afternoon and was struck by the colors and designs that I could find if I only slowed down to look. I wish I’d gotten a shot of the four or five side-by-side fridges containing Coke. They were pretty retro, and it made for a great display visually at least. (Pity I don’t drink soda or other sugary drinks. Not!) Canisters of different Lysol wipes reminded my of Andy Warhol‘s pop art. No, didn’t get that shot either, as I figured that by then Target’s Loss Prevention department was probably wondering what I was up to.

But all this reminded me of the beauty that’s in life everywhere. And I’m not just talking what we can find in nature. That’s easy. I’m sure many of you have seen Abby Chapple‘s Facebook posts, the ones she always labels “ART EVERYWHERE.” I love them! Just a couple of days ago she had a video up of avocado pit carvings. They were extraordinary. Turns out a woman named Jan Campbell makes them and sells them via her store Avocado Stone Faces.

Avocado stone art by Jan Campbell — “Fionn,” one of Jan Campbell’s “Forest Listeners” who just happens to be carved from an avocado stone. Far out!

Abby’s shown us some great and unusual art since she started sharing her finds in Facebook. Of course, not all of us can afford such beautiful and intriguing pieces. I suppose that’s where Target comes in. Sure, some of their clothes and furniture and such are knock-offs. I once found a blouse than looked soooo like one I’d picked up at J.Jill (or maybe I just wanted to pick up, but it may have been too dear.) Ignoring that aspect for now, what I was really noticing today were the displays, how colors and shapes and textures were put together. I give Target credit for taking the time to do that. Walmart certainly doesn’t bother. And it works; I prefer the shopping experience at Target to Wally World.

Next time you’re out and about looking for toothpaste and what-have-you, take a look at the color combinations, the shapes that are all around you. You might be pleasantly surprised. And you’ll be living in the moment, certainly, something we all should do more of.

Where have you noticed art in unexpected places? Target art!

And in other areas of the world today… Tynan presents what’s just off the frame!

Target art, Tynan! Really he’s lasering in on the treat in between my teeth. “Woof” is hooked in t-shirt and ready to find a new home.

June 21, 2017

The muse of minutiae

Flower is a muse of minutiae — The muse, she’s beautiful close up, yes?

So the muse called yesterday. Not from anywhere far from home, but right in the backyard and even in the house. Fortunately, she called while I was watering the plants and before we hit the jackpot temperatures we’ve been getting lately. Yes, we are “enjoying” that heatwave that’s the talk of the Southwest. But if you stay in the shade and don’t move around too much, it’s not bad. It really is all about the humidity. And the fact that we live in New Mexico, NOT Phoenix with its 119º. Okay, it helps that both of our AC units are back online. Last week we had to limp along with just one of them for several days.

But back to the muse; I’m calling her the muse of minutiae because I was looking at things close-up rather than trying to see the big picture as I often do. Really, I wanted to find something extraordinary in the hum-ho of the yard I look at each day. But who really looks closely at their backyard every day? Guess I need to practice that more, particularly at off times. It is a nice backyard, especially at the end of the day when the hummingbirds visit while you sit out with a glass of wine.

Muse's energy — This is a close-up of a painting by my aunt Pat Croke. Talk about the muse’s energy, people!

I’m a big lover of all things sun – hell, why else would I have chosen to live out here in the desert? This is part of a chiminea that the original owner of our house left. If we touch it, it’ll break. It has to stay.

Taken as I am by the sun on the chiminea, I’d never noticed this almost shadow of a kokopelli hiding down near the ground. Who isn’t inspired by the happy flute-player?

the muse in the shadows — What do you see in the shadows?

What a treat to find a rose like this one blooming during this heatwave!

Muse of touch — Then there’s texture. Who’s not excited by the muse of touch?

Muse of the sun — LIke I said, the god of sunshine is always here in my Albuquerque backyard.

Meanwhile, someone else is not enjoying the heat one iota! Tynan barely agreed to show you “what’s on the frame” this week. He’s barely looking me in the eye to shoot the pic. Instead he insisted that he was too hot to pose, to move even. That is until I got the shot and mentioned the usual treat. He was up like a puppy – not a heat-stricken nine-year old. He’ll feel better when he gets his hair cut tomorrow.

dog muse of rug hooking — Maybe he’s just embarrassed by the shameless commercial nature of this new rug. Even if he was its muse!

A reminder, the blog will be back in a couple of weeks. I think I mentioned that Tom and Tynan and I are off to Pagosa Springs in southern Colorado soon for a little R&R. Nothing big; it’ll be just as warm there. But nothing sounds better than morning hikes and afternoons spent lolling on the patio with books and beverages. Pics to come!

What fun are you up to now that summer’s fully set in?

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April 25, 2017

Meet the Thimbleweeds

I still can’t believe that I got Tom to go to the Thimbleweeds quilt show on Sunday. But it was a beautiful day: blue sky, a breeze, not too warm. And we needed to get out. But what finally got him was “And we can take the dog.” Tynan’s always up for a field trip.

We headed up to Rio Rancho where the Thimbleweed Quilters are based (about 20 minutes from the house). The Great Outdoor Quilt Show is held annually, but that doesn’t mean that it runs annually. If there’s one thing I’ve learned living here in New Mexico, it’s that spring can be a bit tricky. And almost always windy; windy enough to take down a quilt show. But not this year. So off we went.

Enjoy the pics. Sadly, there was no way for me to record the artists.

I would definitely NOT kick this baby off my bed!

I tell myself that I’d like to learn to quilt, but it looks like SO MUCH WORK! Rug hooking is much more “Zen” to me.

In the end, Tom agreed that checking out the Thimbleweeds’ quilts on a sunny, spring afternoon was a pleasant way to pass some time. And Tynan was a rock star! Lots of complements. Who says 9-year old dogs can’t be “cute”?

Now if the weather can just make it a repeat performance this coming weekend when High on Hooking’s 2017 selling season starts up again, this time at the ABQ Recycled Art Fair. If you’re in the area, please stop by and say hi. Mention this blog post and I’ll give you a 10% discount. See you there!

Poser for ABQ Recycled Art Fair