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Hanging and hooking with friends, a retreat

Ram hooked rug at retreat.
Melinda finished her ram – hurray! It’s based on a pic her photographer-husband Gary took when they were on vacation last year. She started it last spring when Cheryl Bollenbach was here for a workshop.

 

Thank goodness that the illness I wrote about last week abated enough for me to attend our guild’s three-day retreat Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I’d have hated to miss it; all the hooking and chatting and snacking with friends, that is. We try to hold a retreat three or four times each year now, and visitors are welcome should you be in the area. You don’t even have to be a hooker!

Luckily, we have a venue available to us at no cost. Yes, absolutely free. It is, ironically, a police substation in the Sandia foothills here in Albuquerque. Yes, the hookers have taken over the cops’ joint. Actually, it’s a rather inactive substation these days. Rarely any folks in uniform in residence. But it’s a fabulous room – plenty of tables and space, big windows letting in lots of natural light. This winter the heat’s even worked!

 

Enjoy some pics of Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) members at play with their rugs.

Bird rug hooking at retreat
Can you believe that Nan‘s been hooking for less than two years??? She designed this; it’ll be a chair pad.
Rug hooking retreat
At the same time Nan’s hooking her mom-in-law’s dog. He’ll be a pillow soon.

 

 

Working on rug at hooking retreat
Mary S. was doing penance whipping the edges of this original rug for her granddaughter. This is not her first rug for a granddaughter by any means. Check out those eyes!

 

 

Hooking at retreat
Liz has been using each retreat to get a lot of work done on a rug of her and her husband fishing. This time it was all about the water.
Working at ooking retreat
Nancy Pierce was hard at work on a piece that she’ll have ready for sale at next month’s Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival in Albuquerque. Find her rugs and other pieces at her website and in this prior post.

 

Hooking retreat.
Linda’s got the Celtic thing going on in  this rug. Check out the matching ring!
Rug hooking retreat
Meanwhile Ruth’s playing with all the colors in the crayon box. See the gold? It’s sexy jersey from Deanne Fitzpatrick. I really wanted to steal it from her.

 

At the hooking retreat.
Nancy made this little bag to carry her scissors and things. Like very much!
Hooked rug retreat.
And I think that I finally finished hooking the mystery rug. I say “I think” because I need to look at it some more to determine if it needs editing. Then there’s the framing. But I’m glad to be moving back to real fibers this week.
Hooked rug retreat.
Lastly, I share a modified Deanne Fitzpatrick pattern hooked by Cathy. I LOVE this little rug. The colors are so vibrant. Of course, because Cathy dyed the wool!

 

 

 

 

If you’re in the area, AWAG’s next retreat will be May 9-11.

Hope you can make it!

 

 

 

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Cool new art!

Cool new art at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Show.
One of Scott Palmer’s engaging pieces, a painting on copper. But the copper is so much more than the “canvas.”

 

How often do you find cool new art? In the case of Albuquerque’s Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festivals, three times each year if you choose. I usually hit up two of them, but the show held annually on Thanksgiving weekend is by far the best. Last week was no exception. Not only did I “re-connect” with some of the art I discovered in 2015 and ’16, but I found new stuff! (Okay, new for me; just go with it.) I simply must share it with you. Of course.

 

One of the first “very cool new art” booths I came across, Copper Phoenix Studio, belonged to artist Scott Palmer. Make sure you check out his website which says:

“…a unique combination of solid copper, impressionistic painting style, natural patinas and flame painting to form hand – crafted one of a kind works of art… With Copper as his canvas; Palmer reignites his passion for impressionistic works of art. “Copper can simply be the background that provides luminescence to a painting or it can play a major role in the actual work.”

Cool new art at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival.
And like many artists who are looking to offer lower priced, introductory pieces to would-be customers — most of us rug hookers who sell have made rug mugs, right? — Palmer came up with these babies. I believe that he told me they are actually prints of his pieces under Plexi-glass. Very nice!
Cool new art at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival.
This one had more of a sheen. The colors are so “en fuego” and so very exciting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I mosied away from Palmer’s booth, I came across…wire animals! Gary Chaffin of ArtWire Graphics sculpts his creatures with wire!

“The experimental use of negative space has been the focus of my sculptures. Each of my three-dimensional designs are spontaneous impressions. I begin with a loose image in my mind. Then as I develop the idea in wire, the finished design takes on its own personality. There are no patterns or drawings beforehand. Each complex design is created totally freehand, sometimes from a continuous wire. My only tools are a pair of pliers and cutters.”

I love how he begins with a “loose image” in his mind and that the designs take on their own personalities. Raise your hand, hookers, if you understand that perfectly. (I’m not sure if, in my case, that’s always for the good. 🙂 )

Cool new arts at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival
This being New Mexico, Chaffin’s roadrunner drew me into the booth first. So cool!
Cool new art at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival.
A deep sea anglerfish! You know, the one that tried to eat Nemo and Ellen Degeneres Dory. How much fun is that?

 

 

I don’t have too much info on the next artist, but I was overwhelmed with his work, especially on this chest. The graphics got me – love that kind of work. I mean, you could make a matching rug from his design easy-peasy. And then store any leftover wool or t-shirts or whatever in it.

Cool new art at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival.
The chest was carved and painted by Tim Lockwood of Hand Crafted Wood Works out of Utah. If you’re interested in his work, comment, and I’ll give you his contact info.

So, I didn’t actually get to meet the next artist; her husband was manning the booth. And I warn you ahead of time, I an a tile-maniac. Love tiles! Have several in my house. Some in drawers because I don’t have enough room for all of them, and I do like to display other media. The artist is Debora Duran-Geiger of Tucan Tiles. If I eavesdropped correctly, she lives and works in both Santa Fe and Boquete, Panama. That latter bit really showed in her hummingbird art, not that I got a good pic of it. 🙁 But I got the ones you see here!

According to a card her husband gave me:

“…All designs are created by Debora Duran-Geiger using Cuerda Seca technique (wax resist linework). Each tile is individually hand painted using opaque and translucent glazes. Other techniques utilized…are: Slip trailing, Sgraffiato, and Majolica. Tiles are fired in an electric kiln to…1840 degrees. …They make fabulous trivets or may be inset directly into walls.”

Cool new art at Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival.
I am NOT putting a hot pot on these tiles!
Cool new art from the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival.
You know I had to include this chick. Happy Day of the Dead!
Cool new art at the RIo Grande Arts and Crafts Festival/
The colors! Yes, again. Color is a BIG THING with me. And you must admit that this would make a fabulous rug design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the spirit of reuse and recycling, I have to share this artist’s work. Came across her just before I left the show. Meg Harper‘s COLOR-FILLED animal portraits grabbed me. That she paints them on old signs, discarded cabinet doors, and tin roofs took me over the top. (Me who prefers to hook with old t-shirts and bed-sheets and such.)

Uh huh, another road runner. He’s just a little more filled-in than Gary Chaffin’s above!

Lastly, I present to you a gorgeous rug by Nancy Pierce of Artisan on the cul-de-sac. Like me, Nancy is a newish member of the Adobe Wool Arts Guild who moved to New Mexico within the last couple of years. I spied this rug in a promotional email from the Rio Grande Festival and asked her if I photograph and share it.

Cool new art at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival.
I love everything about this rug by Nancy Pierce. The colors, the geometrics in the background, the sculpting. Wish my lighting was better, but I’m sure you get the idea.

I suppose that you’ve indulged me enough. One of the big reasons I actually get dressed and leave my house the day after Thanksgiving for this show is that it leaves me with a desire to go home and to make my own art. INSPIRATION is the word. I hope that you’re feeling some after seeing the pics here.

Tynan will be back next week with “What’s on the frame.” Frankly, there’s absolutely nothing on it. I haven’t hooked a loop since the Santa Fe Fiber Festival the weekend before Thanksgiving. It’s unusual for me, but everyone needs to take a break even from the things they love to do. Besides it let me pick up my crochet hook again. For the first time since last winter. It takes so much more concentration to make sure that those rows are straight! You have no idea how many I pulled out last night as I tried to multitask to “Stranger Things.” (Tom hates it when I ask him to rewind because I missed something important doing needlework.) But Tomorrow the guild starts a three-day retreat. It’s back to the frame for me, to the piece I started in May when Cheryl Bollenbach was here teaching again. Bet it’ll look familiar when I finally show it off.

Have a great week. Get those Christmas trees up!

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Damn, you found me…spreading the gospel…of hooking

CHeryl Bollenbach's workshop where she shared the gospel of hooking.
Me presenting my piece at the end of our workshop with Cheryl Bollenbach. Those with sharp eyes and a Rug Hooking Magazine subscription will recognize the pattern I used. Thank you for sharing this with the hooking world, Brigitte Webb! I hope to do it justice.

 

It’s been almost a month, and I’m a day or two late, but I had to come back sometime. Not going to apologize for loving time off from the blog, but logging into WordPress for the first time in weeks, I realize how much updating I have to do on the entire freakin’ site. Along with some other electronic “toilette.” Sigh. Work is never done.

Note, I may not have been blogging, but I have been hooking. That is rarely a chore. Oh, maybe it is for those of you who whip-stitch. Yeah, I hardly ever do that crap.

What have I been doing? Funny you should ask.

 

  • May started with a bang. The Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) invited Cheryl Bollenbach back to conduct a three-day workshop. As usual we learned a lot and bought even more…wool. My project was unusual, though only for me. It’s very…traditional. I’m working with wool strips – no t-shirts! I’m trying out linen for the first time. And see in the picture – no rug binding sewn on before hooking commenced. Don’t get too excited. There will be no whip-stitching. I’ll have it framed when I’m done. A girl can only go so traditional. Grimace
AWAG's booth at Fiesta 2017 where we share the gospel of rug hooking.
A view of our guild booth at Fiber Arts Fiesta.
  • Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta went down May 19-21. Of course, there was A LOT of work to be done before that. AWAG ran a successful booth. We had many visitors and several ladies who signed up for more information. In fact, I just gave a lesson this week to one of them. Ah, to spread the gospel of hooking. Below is a montage of pics taken by Melinda’s husband Gary of Gary Lamott Photography. Enjoy! And thank you again, Gary!!!
  • https://garylamott.smugmug.com/Fiber-Arts-517/n-phKqGb/#
  • Albuquerque's Rail Yards Market where we share the gospel of hooking.
    Our “shop” at the Rail Yards is open. Here we share the gospel of hooking with folks who have never seen the art form. Others tell me tales of parents and grandparents who hooked. Come on down! Great fruits and veggies, plus arts, music, and yummy food.

    High on Hooking started our selling season at Albuquerque’s Rail Yards. Despite it being Memorial Day weekend (holidays are notorious for slow sales) and thanks to a woman visiting from Las Cruces who loves textiles, we had a good day. Come visit; we’re there every other weekend till mid-October.

 

  • Sadly, those of us from AWAG who do demos at the Biopark’s Botanical Garden gave our last spiel till August. We had over a hundred kids in talking about what we do and trying their little hands at hooking. The park kicks us out for two months to use the Heritage farmhouse for summer camp programs. I guess it’s a good enough reason. In the meantime, in addition to our guild meetings, we’re meeting at members’ homes because we refuse to give up that whole social thing.

 

  • Finally had the chance to do all the planting and potting that I’d been putting off till after Fiesta. Now I’m just waiting for my first crop of basil. I make A LOT of pesto to freeze for winter, but there’s nothing that says summer’s arrived like the aroma of basil.

    Summertime and the living is easy. If you have a floatie. And a big rubber duckie.

 

  • And the pool’s up! I’ve even had a chance to chill in it on my floatie. Which pretty much takes up most of the pool when you add in my bulk-ritude. It is only 10 feet in diameter. But it works, especially for the hot flashes.

 

Then there were visits from family members back east. And this and that. You know, the usual life “stuff.” You remember John Lennon saying how life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. (Actually, any number of people may have said that. You can read all about that here.) Actually, I’m already planning another week off from the blog in a few weeks when Tom and I and the dog motor up to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, for some R&R (read: hiking and hanging on the patio with a beverage or three and a book or five).

 

What are your plans this summer? Do they involve hooking or other kinds of fun? Some form of escape? Travel? Getting together with friends? Share what you’re up to and make me jealous!

 

Sharing the gospel of hooking with a winning rug.
Congratulations, Melinda Lamott on receiving the Peoples’ Choice Award for rug hooking at Fiesta 2017!
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Where’s High on Hooking today?

Woman demonstrating rug hooking.
Mary Ramsey, AWAG president, indoctrinating, I mean, sharing rug hooking, specifically her “Chicken Cha,” with visitors to Heritage Farm in Albuquerque’s Botanic Garden.

 

Where’s High on Hooking? Like Waldo we could be almost anywhere. Though yesterday we were with other members of the Adobe Wool Arts Guild (AWAG) at Albuquerque’s BioPark for our twice monthly demo gig. After last week’s news, though, we really could be almost anywhere.in the coming months.

 

 

Poster advertising Albuquerque's Recycled Art Fair 2017.

 

Like Lauren at Rugs and Pugs, last week was spent suffering through all kinds of nasty sinus issues and such. And we’re still on the mend! But life looked a hell of a lot better when one day’s email brought news of High on Hooking being juried into Albuquerque’s 8th Annual Recycled Art Fair. That’s the last weekend of April and conveniently located only a couple of miles down the road from my house at the Open Space Visitor Center. Besides vendors, there will be food, live music, and all kinds of good stuff.

Another email finally green-lighted me into this year’s Rail Yard’s Market downtown. Woohoo! I loved doing the market last year: tasty food, music, fabulous people-watching, and the chance to spread the gospel of rug hooking to new believers.

The first two Saturdays in April, we’ll be north of Santa Fe, up in Española at the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center teaching a beginners’ class using up-cycled t-shirts. Should be a fun time.

There are other irons in the fire. AWAG’s got Cheryl Bollenbach motoring down from Colorado to teach another class in early May. Fiber Arts Fiesta comes up a couple of weeks later. Lots of work going on with that! (It being my first Fiesta ever – having moved here only a year and a half ago – I feel like I’m about to be hit by a beautiful and handmade freight train. A freight train nonetheless.) Oh, we’ve got company coming twice! in May before Fiesta starts.

Life’s busy and that’s a really good thing. I mean, who wants to be bored? Not me. I can play “Where’s High on Hooking” all year long.

Keeping busy: This is a problem that you’re glad to have.
–American actor Michael Winslow

Dog on hooked rug.
Tynan presents this week’s “Current Rug.” Actually, there are three on the frame, all mug rugs as we get ready for the 2017 selling season. No, he’s not particularly interested in the mats; Tom was in the kitchen making “food” sounds. That was soooo much more compelling.

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