That’s what I told a friend last Friday night at the opening reception for PROTEST: SEE Something, Say Something at Fusionin downtown Albuquerque. (More info HERE.) It’s a good, meaningful show, filled with all kinds of media and messages. Rightly so, with protesting as a theme, they aren’t always pretty.
Sheela Na Gig is a Celtic symbol. I’ll let you read about her and how she was and now is used for protests HERE. (Hooked on cotton monk’s cloth with mostly old t-shirts and a bit of silk sari ribbon; embellished with glass beads.)
As I mentioned on social media after posting pics of my two pieces, I was sorry not to get more and better photographs, but I had to leave early. All Friday I’d battled a migraine; finally, the nausea and fatigue got the best of me. I didn’t feel better till Monday/Tuesday. Nonetheless, I encourage all the local readers to make their way to Fusion one afternoon or evening to see what the (protesting) artwork really looks like and to see it all.
Later every year, I create an angel for the following year. This was THE MIGHTY ONE, THE ANGEL OF 2022. (Hooked with old t-shirts, repurposed gold lamé, and plastic bags.)
TURTLE ISLAND SIEGE by Patricia Halloran (Patricia had some cool things in the FABRIC OF NEW MEXICO SHOW.)
THE HISTORY OF BEARING CHILDREN, text by Jacqueline Murray Long, visual art by Martin Terry
This is a more easily read photo of the text by Jacqueline Murray Loring. Another piece by a different artist accompanied this artwork. Visit the show to see it. (My photo didn’t come out.)
If you’re looking for a thought-provoking show, one that will let you see the outrage, the anger about so many things going on in our world today, come see the work by artists who are protesting at Fusion in Albuquerque. Maybe we all need to start protesting.
I know, I know, I’ve been gone a few weeks, but with all the fiber-phernalia going on in the Albuquerque area, you can’t blame me.
All the guilds participating in our BIG FIBER ARTS FIESTA are busy preparing their booths and volunteers. And, of course, the hundreds of masterpieces that will be on display for those three days. Let me remind you: Thursday-Saturday, May 30, 31 and June 1; hours are 10-5; at Expo New Mexico. There will also be: classes; over 50 vendors; Betty Busby as featured artist; five different special exhibits (including the Adobe Wool Arts Guild‘s friendship rugs!); demonstrations, and a free craft – good for the kids…and you!
Before we can even get to Expo and the Fiesta, we’ve got the New Mexico’s second annual fiber adventure: FIBER CRAWL! High on Hooking will be participating again this year as a vendor/demonstrator; we’ll be at the Open Space Visitors’ Center (conveniently close to home!) for the three days. The whole thing is organized by the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center. As pulled from the website:
The New Mexico Fiber Crawl is an opportunity to explore fiber studios and farms, experience fiber demonstrations, attend special gallery and museum events, win prizes, and visit fiber arts shops.
Whether you are a fiber enthusiast, a visitor, a friend or a collector, the 2019 New Mexico Fiber Crawl is a great way to discover and enjoy the world of fiber arts in Northern New Mexico. You’ll meet the weavers, knitters, spinners, felters, embroiderers and new media artists who are sharing their love of the fiber arts at this event. Plus, you’ll have a great time!
Members of the Adobe Wool Arts Guild surround Donna Hrkman to learn her technique for enlarging an image to be used as a pattern.
Lastly and most fun, a couple of weeks ago, the esteemed rug hooking teacher DONNA HRKMAN was here in Albuquerque sharing tips of the trade with and instilling self-confidence into members of the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG). We cannot gush enough about her class, the exquisite rugs she shared, the patterns she drew, the wool and other goodies she brought to us. Not only that, she was just plain fun to be with. Unfortunately, her plane came in almost a full day late, so sight-seeing was limited, but we all rolled with the punches. We got cozy with one another at a meet-and-greet supper here at High on Hooking’s crib with plenty of vittles left for Tuesday’s lunch. Dinner’s out included margaritas and New Mexican food along with excellent conversation. For any hooking group or guild looking for a teacher, we at AWAG can’t recommend Donna enough.
Donna Hrkman describes how she created the hooked words in her “Alzheimer’s Rug.”
And lastly, I wanted to show you what being a busy hooking bee finally did for me. Maybe you saw it on our Instagram post.
“Big Boucherouite” is finally done! Tynan and I celebrate. Tom’s margarita completed our little party.
I started this rug over a year ago, worked on it sporadically till late November of 2018. (Because I’m not involved in enough stuff as it is.) After my vending year was over, I started hooking in earnest, finally finishing the hooking maybe a month or so ago. After giving my arthritic hands a break, I started the finish work. Everything was done and the High on Hooking tag sewn on this Sunday afternoon. Did you hear my sigh on relief?
Snow on Albuquerque’s Sandia Mountains! Our tiny bit over here on the west side of town melted early this morning.
So, we move from Massachusetts to New Mexico for the weather. At least that was one reason. Today (tomorrow by the time I post this) it was 60 degrees back home in Franklin. And the sun was shining. In Albuquerque it started out at about 46 and went downhill from there. It’s 33 now. Rain and then, yes, then snow. Sure, it was only showers and it melted off the fake grass pretty quickly, but still. Damn El Niño.
Meet Leah the Red Tailed Hawk. We did. She’s not a sandhill crane, but she was absolutely magnificent. After a rescue, she couldn’t be released back into the wild because she’d lost an eye.
Saturday, though, like most here, was a beautiful fall day. The trees have been changing, the sky’s a deep blue, and the sandhill cranes have returned to their winter playground. Tom and I headed off to Albuquerque’s Open Space Visitor Center – just down the road from our new house! – to attend the Return of the Sandhill Crane Celebration. There were presentations, talks, viewings and…art!
I knew they had gallery space at the visitor center, but I hadn’t realized that there were fiber artists represented in the current exhibit. It’s called “PARCH” and promo materials described the show as:
…through fiber, ceramic, and paint, six local artists masterfully express their unique relationship with water in the desert.
“Fracture,” a quilt by Betty Busby was on display at the PARCH art exhibit in Albuquerque. One word: intricacy. Okay, and fabulous too.
Betty Busby is a quilt artist who had two pieces in the exhibit. Even Tom was moved by the detail and the work involved not to mention the representations themselves.
Joshua Willis’s “Blue Circle” also appeared in the PARCH show.
Joshua Willis was another artist with work in the gallery.
Unfortunately, the sandhill cranes were no-shows while Tom and I were visiting the center. We did manage to visit with experts on the birds which was good as I learned that the bird the dog and I had been hearing on our morning walks in the Bosque (forest along the Rio Grande) was none other than a…sandhill crane!
Clearly, it’s got a distinctive call. In fact, the guy told me – and I’m dating myself and him here – that they used the crane’s call on the old 1960’s Johnny Quest cartoon to stand in for a pterodactyl’s cry. And believe you me, it sounds like a dinosaur.
But we saw other things. Check out the carving in one of the outdoor spaces. Unfortunately, I couldn’t determine the artist.
Carving close-up.
It was another great day in our newly adopted city where there are plenty of art and critters to be seen most every day. There’s certainly no lack of inspiration for hooking, painting, writing, or whatever art anyone might be practicing.One of my goals in moving here is to get my ass out the door to explore everything the area has to offer especially now that I have some time.
Raising a family, working full-time always makes it hard to visit and easy to overlook the special attractions and places in one’s community. Do you go out of your way to see these things? Where do you find your inspirations? What’s your “sandhill crane,” as it were?
