Category: inspiration

April 21, 2022

Earth Day 2022

Earth Day exhortation - recycled art

At High on Hooking we try to remember the Earth every day, not just on Earth Day. It’s not difficult, really. Since we moved to New Mexico almost seven years ago (my mind is blown every time I think of that!), the summer temperatures and number of days above 100 degrees F have steadily increased. Hell, when we made our plans to relocate to the high desert from Massachusetts, average summer temperatures here were less than 95! And while we were aware of the drought, no one thought that it would go on this long. Now it’s considered a megadrought, the worst in 1200 years! On my walks in the Bosque, I’ve witnessed the Rio Grande dribble itself into a Rio “Pequeño.” If I didn’t worry about the mud and the potentially toxic crap in the mud, I might venture to walk across it.

Between smog and wild weather and drought and fires, I understand why young folks have anxiety about their future. My own kid is pretty cynical and depressed about it all. Yesterday’s headline in the Boston Globe certainly didn’t help my own mood: “As Earth’s temperature rises, Massachusetts residents’ sense of urgency on climate change declines.” We’re all tired of the doom and gloom, but I think the most terrible thing is that we seem to have lost hope. The past couple of months have demonstrated Americans’ inability to give up our gas-guzzling ways. A couple of weeks ago, city councilors in Albuquerque rolled back a single use plastic bag ban that had barely been in play since the mayor had put it on hold during much of the pandemic. They couldn’t even wait till June for the study to determine if it was effective was completed. Now, in addition to dirty, used masks, I’ve started seeing plastic bags again on roadsides and caught up in trees. Shit, if we can’t even get the mostly surface level stuff right, if we’re so short-sighted about garbage in our streets, how can we ever be serious about righting our sinking Earth, our only home?

Clearly, the adults of the world don’t care much about what we’re leaving for our kids. Just look at how so many treat Greta Thurnberg of Sweden.

Others diminish Greta Thunberg’s work because of her age. Ever since Greta first made headlines a few years ago and she delivered her now-famous “How dare you” speech, her age has been leveraged against her words. As Thunberg points out in her speech, her detractors are right in a sense. Thunberg shouldn’t have to stand before world leaders, telling them the obvious, which is that we’re being led directly into the jaws of the greatest threat to humanity we have ever known. Climate change.

It’s shameful that Thunberg has to do what she does, but the adults of the world are failing to ensure a future for the next generation. So it’s up to people like Thunberg to try to do something to save the world that the youth will inherit.

–https://www.yourtango.com/news/why-do-people-hate-greta-thunberg

_________

Part of the reason she inspires such rage, of course, is blindingly obvious. Climate change is terrifying. The Amazon is burning. So too is the Savannah. Parts of the Arctic are on fire. Sea levels are rising. There are more vicious storms and wildfires and droughts and floods. Denial is easier than confronting the terrifying truth.

–https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/why-is-greta-thunberg-so-triggering-for-certain-men-1.4002264

_________

Laura Ingraham, the Fox News host, called Ms. Thunberg’s United Nations speech “chilling” on her Monday night show, and ran a segment about how climate change “hysteria” is changing American youth.

–https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/climate/greta-thunberg-un.html

Climate change has been caused by human activity. And no one likes being told that their actions have contributed to a freaking calamity, but at some point, we have to own up to it and make it so that human and other life can go on. So that the lives of our kids and their kids can go on. That’s what being an adult is about, isn’t it?

Thunberg has already had a demonstrated impact on how her generation views the climate crisis, with one recent survey showing that nearly 70 percent of people under the age of 18 believe that climate change is a global emergency compared with 58 percent of people over the age of 60. …Thunberg isn’t daunted by her status. The way she sees it, the demonization is a diversion from clmate science, to which skeptics have few answers.

–https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/08/greta-thunberg-far-right-climate/619748/

Much of High on Hooking's art is recycled art — We try to use mostly recycled or reclaimed materials in the art at High on Hooking every day, not just on Earth Day. But we can’t always resist virgin wool yarns like in that sunflower.

At High on Hooking, I know that I need to do more to care for my and our environment: take shorter showers; buy way less crap; mend more; drive my little Honda Fit rather than the CRV when I’m cruising around Albuquerque; and really be more aware of how my actions affect it all. We can’t buy our way out of this problem. We have to change. In my art, I already already work hard to hook with materials that others might just discard. But it’s not enough. If I can’t adjust what I do, how can I expect others to do anything?

Earth Day 2022 is Friday. Will you mark the day as crucial for our home?

April 7, 2022

Fiber Arts Fiesta is almost upon us!

Poster for Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta 2022

A few reminders about the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta!

It starts next Thursday, April 14, and runs through Saturday. Make sure you stop by the Adobe Wool Arts Guild booth to say hello and check out the hooked art made by our members.
I have two spots in my Introduction to Punch Needle Rug Hooking workshop on Friday. Contact me directly if interested, or you can go through the Fiesta online registration.
Parking at Expo only takes cash now, so don’t try to hand them a credit card. Vendors, of course, will take pretty much anything. Bring a tote bag!

See you next week at Fiber Arts Fiesta!

April 5, 2022

Instructor Call for Entry

If you’re a fiber arts teacher of any kind, you’re in luck. In the Studio (Online) has just put out an Instructor Call for Entry for our next two online Workshop Weeks (WW). The dates are:

Workshop Week 5 October 23-30, 2022

Workshop Week 6 February 18-23, 2023

The original teachers of In the Studio (Online) include: Susan Feller, Karen Miller, Meryl Cook, Beth Miller, and myself. In order to keep our class offerings fresh, before WW2 we began looking for others to join us. We’ve had workshops in: rug hooking with alternative fibers; braiding; finishing your art; combining paints and hooking; design; felting wool sachets; weaving; Chakra color play; pet portraits; needle punch rug hooking; abstract work; landscapes; watercolors;and so on. We are NOT looking for all hooking classes; rather we’d like to see most any type of fiber art and creativity workshops (that work well online) in addition to subject matter and skills that can inform our hooking and other art practices.

While we began WW to fill a need during Covid lock-downs, we’ve found that they remain popular and that our students want us to continue. Workshops Weeks have allowed students to take classes without the expenses of travel. As well, students get the chance to work with teachers and artists who might otherwise be unavailable to them. Workshop Week 4 happened in mid-winter. There were nine classes. Eighty students participated with many taking more than one workshop.

(If you search using the words “Workshop Week” here on site, you can see what classes we’ve provided in the past.)

Advertising photo for Workshop Week — Our first In the Studio Workshop Week poster.

If you think you might be interested in joining our group of teachers for WW 5 and/or 6, we invite you to submit a proposal. If you have any questions about the coming or past events, please email me at Laura@highonhooking.com. We’ll be accepting proposals until May 15. You can find the prospectus below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Laura, Susan, Karen, Meryl, and Beth

Click to see In the Studio’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

INSTRUCTOR CALL FOR ENTRY

Teacher Proposals for In the Studio
Workshop Weeks 5 and 6

Deadline: May 15, 2022

In the Studio (Online) announces that its next two workshop weeks will be held:

Workshop Week 5 October 23-30, 2022
Workshop Week 6 February 18-23, 2023

As the last two years have shown, affordable, online instruction is here to stay. In the Studio’s online Workshop Weeks (WWs) have allowed students the chance to take classes without the expense of travel. The students are also able to work with teachers and artists who might otherwise be unavailable to them.

Starting with 2021’s WW2, we began to bring in additional instructors who could offer something – not necessarily rug hooking or even a textile art – beyond the expertise of the original In the Studio artists. We look for complimentary/ancillary/supporting arts and skills.

We are now planning WW5 and 6 and again looking to diversify our workshop offerings. We are specifically looking for teachers who conform to our overarching tenet:

Art by artists responding to contemporary events in the world. We invite you to reflect on these responses and consider creating your own art that reacts to our current times.

FYI
WW1 attracted 36 students in five classes. Eighty participated in WW4’s nine workshops. Many took advantage of our non-overlapping schedule to take multiple classes. They “come from” the US, Canada, and even Europe.

PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING

Workshop sessions typically last 2-4 hours but are set by individual instructors.
Workshops are standardized to begin at 1:00 PM or 6:00 PM Eastern.
Fees for all classes are: $50 US for one-session classes and $75 US for two-session classes. Teachers may set additional costs for kits, other materials, etc.
Teachers are responsible for collecting payment from their students and keeping in contact with them regarding classes and other WW information.
Teachers are required to submit their class lists to the WW administrator.
All teachers are required to promote all WW classes in their social media, newsletters, etc. Promotion by every teacher is what makes the week successful. Each teacher will also be required to take over In the Studio’s Instagram account for a day in the weeks leading up to WW5 and/or 6.
There are two additional bonus events (a social gathering midweek evening and a panel discussion) that teachers are expected to attend (dates to be determined).
Teachers must have their own Zoom account to use to hold their class.
New for WW5 and 6! An administrative fee of $50 US will be collected once a teacher agrees to teach with In the Studio (Online). We’ve realized that there’s a need for one person to coordinate social media announcements and calendars, send out group emails, maintain the mailing list, etc.
Participation in one WW does not guarantee that one will teach in subsequent WWs.

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE

The benefit of promotion amongst a collection of well-known teachers. Instructors will receive a “brochure” detailing the WW and all classes that should be shared to their networks.
Support from the other teachers in how to run an online class particularly if this is your first time.
The Workshop Week administrator will send out links to all students for bonus events.

TO APPLY

Applicants should indicate if they prefer to teach during WW5 or WW6. If you don’t, we will assume that you are available for either. (We will plan classes for each WW depending on both subject matter and teacher availability.) Because we schedule WW classes so that they don’t overlap, also indicate if you are unavailable on certain days of the week or dates. Let us know too if you have a preference regarding a 1:00 or 6:00 start time. We strive to schedule everyone to their liking.
Provide a detailed class description of the online class you propose to teach. Please include the following: title; length of class; minimum and maximum numbers of students; materials that students will need (will they have to purchase from you?); what will be covered in the class, experience level of students required; and anything else pertinent to the class. Will it require more than one session?
Include a short bio that includes your experience teaching (if any) and any references.
Please send the above information to Laura@highonhooking.com by May 15, 2022.

PLEASE NOTE

If selected, you will be expected to attend at least one online meeting of all teachers (date to be determined).

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Salamy at Laura@highonhooking.com.

March 31, 2022

Beyond Van Gogh – Albuquerque

The first display of Beyond Van Gogh — What you see as you enter the Beyond Van Gogh show.

After waiting for what seemed like a lifetime (thank you for that, Covid), Tom and I managed to attend the Beyond Van Gogh “experience” yesterday here in Albuquerque. Actually, we tried to go last week but found the building shut down due to some kind of permitting problem. Interesting, as it opened on March 2, weeks earlier. Given that the general manager told us we could come back any time once they reopened, it was no biggie – to us. For those folks who’d come down from Santa Fe or, worse, out of town or even out of state, it was a pisser since they weren’t issuing ticket refunds. I hope it worked out for them all. The tickets weren’t cheap at $40 per person.

I was a tad skeptical given that one friend had gone a few weeks ago and pronounced it MEH. Worse, Tuesday I read a review on some New Mexican art blog. The guy wasn’t particularly impressed, though he mentioned that when the show hit, it hit. I thought it wise not to mention any of this to Tom before we went in. We’d already spent the money. In the end that was a good strategy, because the start of the whole “experience” lacks. But at least I was prepped for that and could then assuage the husband.

Text from initial display of Beyond Van Gogh — Reading in the conga line…

You walk into the darkened building. They check your ticket, and you get into a conga line that snakes its way through backlit panels covered with lots of writing. Well, it looks like lots of writing, but since it’s in both English and Spanish, it’s less than you think at first glance. BTW, New Mexico has two official languages, so I’m not sure if this is the case in all places.

So, you’re walking very s-l-o-w-l-y while people read all these things about Van Gogh and bits and pieces of his correspondence with his brother Theo. (You’re also very aware that you forgot your mask in the car, hence you’re not getting too close to those in front of or behind you. And you wonder why they don’t mention Theo’s widow Jo who is very much responsible for making Vincent as known as he is today.)

Tom and I in Amsterdam at the Van Gogh Museum — Proof that Tom and I were in Amsterdam back in 2019. The Van Gogh Museum entrance is right behind us.

Tom’s getting a little agitated by the slow walkers and readers, AND you can see that there are at least four or five rows of reading material. Will the whole freaking show be like this? I eventually come clean that I read that review and tell him that it’s supposed to get better. (Please, God, let it be so.)

At this point, I have to say that Tom and I were lucky enough to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam back in 2019. So, we’re reading about only a few of the things we learned during that visit…where we also saw the actual paintings that Van Gogh did. If you don’t know much about Van Gogh before you go to Beyond VG, you aren’t going to come away a VG scholar. At all.

Van Gogh's sketches slowly being filled in with color. — Van Gogh’s sketches slowly being filled in with color and music.

Finally, we make it to the…”experience.” It’s a really BIG room. Music is playing: soft jazz, a little French something or other, and a couple versions of Don McLean’s Vincent, all stuff I like. Now and again someone speaks in French, but it’s a little garbled given the sound system. Still – it’s French, and I have a French degree, so it’s all GOOD. Then you start taking in the changing walls. There must be dozens of projectors in the ceiling aimed at the walls and the floor. First there are artist sketches, Vincent’s; moments later color starts to fill them in. For about a half-hour we watch his paintings and color wash over us on the floor and the walls to music that I would listen to at home. No, it’s not like the thrill of seeing his actual work in Amsterdam, but it’s entrancing nonetheless. It’s an…”experience.”

View of Beyond Van Gogh There seems to be a crescendo of art, music, and quotes on the walls. Is it over? After Vincent’s self portraits surround us, the sketching we entered to starts again. Clearly, it’s a loop that will play over and over throughout the day. Tom’s ready to leave, and I suppose I am too. The novelty had captivated me, but it wouldn’t for too long especially since I’m not yet comfortable around many people who aren’t masked. (NM’s numbers are quite low right now, thank goodness.)

View of Beyond Van Gogh

Scenes from Beyond Van Gogh

Scene from Beyond Van Gogh

Scenes from Beyond Van Gogh

The exit dumps you into the “shop.” We are NOT impressed. Many of the goods available are of rather shoddy quality and are far more expensive than the things we saw and bought in Amsterdam! I don’t need a t-shirt for $36 or socks for $19. Really. That left a bad taste in our mouths.

Chatting on the way home, I said that, while the conga line might have dimmed our expectations for Beyond Van Gogh, I enjoyed the actual show. Tom admitted that he would spend the $40 over again. Drop me over with a feather! This is not a man who opens his wallet for too many art events. If you’re considering going, I’d say that you should. Don’t expect that you’ll learn too much about Van Gogh, but you will appreciate the show and him a lot more if you do a little research before you get there. Then just…revel in the music and the experience.

Self portrait of Vincent Van Gogh at Beyond Vincent — The artist himself. My favorite portrait of him.

If you’ve attended Beyond Van Gogh or any of the similar shows they’ve created, what were your impressions?

March 28, 2022

IN THE STUDIO – Kirsten Chursinoff on April 13

Kirsten Chusinoff talks art quilts

Kirsten Chursinoff to talk art quilts on In the Studio

Take a colourful journey with textile artist Kirsten Chursinoff as she shares the inspiration, creativity, and design, behind her art quilts that have appeared in galleries and magazines. Celebrating the beauty of the world through stitching, the quilts combine embroidery, felting, beadwork, and quilting.

You can find tickets for this talk HERE.

About Kirsten Chursinoff:

Kirsten Chursinoff is a textile artist working in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Her main focus is creating art by combining embroidery and quilting techniques. Some of her recent themes include marine life and colourful garden embroideries.

Kirsten holds a Diploma in Textile Art from Capilano University. She has written articles for magazines such as Quilting Arts and Art Quilting Studio. She receives invitations to lecture at quilting and embroidery guilds, and has exhibited in solo and group shows. In 2006 she received the Visual Arts Development Award (VADA) presented by the Contemporary Art Gallery and the Vancouver Foundation. She is a member of the Craft Council of British Columbia.

Learn more about Kirsten and her work at www.chursinoff.com, or find her on Instagram @kirsten_chursinoff, or on Facebook at Kirsten Chursinoff, Textile Artist.

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 am 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.

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!