Well Lit

Today the exhibit New Year = New Yearnings at the Watchung Arts Center in Watchung, New Jersey, is coming down. My work was included with that of 11 other New Jersey fiber artists including Rayna Gillman, Diane Savona, Judy Langille, Joanie San Chirico, Hollie Heller, and Joan Dreyer. (These are the ones who have websites.) Luckily I managed to get to the opening earlier this month to see everyone and savor the art (and the good food).

One of the most important things about any exhibit is the lighting. We were all pleased with the space and the lighting at the WAC. As you can see from this photo, my piece Imperial Palace was well lit and closely scrutinized.

Last week I was able to go to a gala performance of Elisa Monte Dance at the Joyce Theater in NYC. It has been so long since I've been into the city, let alone for a fascinating performance and lively reception afterward. At the reception, I sat next to the lighting director and it was interesting to talk with someone who was so knowledgeable about lighting. This is not a great photo--I used my phone--but, yes, that's the Empire State Building in the background. I would say it's pretty well lit. I had a good time and even though I had my first martini in months, I did not get well lit myself. And the service was so sneaky that my glass was cleared from the table before I could get to the olives--the best part.

I hope you noticed that I have managed to post twice in the same month--just barely. The knee is finally making progress. Now if it would just stop snowing/sleeting/raining every few days I could start to make my way around town more often.

Although I haven't done much fiber art work lately, I have updated my website, so please take a look.

There's Nothing Like a Good Damask

For those of you who subscribe to the zen of ironing, you will understand that I have had quite a meditative morning. I started out at the ironing board with the fabrics my daughter used to wrap her Christmas presents. And I got to keep everyone's wrapping. Yes, that's actual sheen on the fabric, not the flash. I think most of these are from Mali as she spent some time there as a vacation from her Peace Corps post in The Gambia.

This was what was wrapped in one of the fabrics: more fabric! Could I be happier? It's a wise daughter who knows her mother. Isn't it spectacular? The color is really more of a deep brown, which shows better in the detail below.

Here is a close-up. On one selvedge it says, "Guaranteed Real Wax Damask Dadawa"; on the other, "Veritable Wax Bazinrich Dadawa."



Ironing those fabrics and seeing the word "damask" reminded me that it was about time to iron all the cloth napkins awaiting attention. I won't tell you for how long they've been waiting, but they had at least been washed and were clean. As I sorted through them--to bleach, starch and iron--a few more fell by the wayside into the ragbag. I am always sad when they "graduate" because the damask designs are so lovely, and I get a bit nostalgic about the meals they accompanied. I realized that while the napkins I bought nearly forty years ago have all graduated, some of the really old ones are still going strong. One of my favorites has the most wonderful monogram (see above) and is a heavy damask.


I only get as far as ironing my damask napkins, but if you want to see the remarkable things one artist does with them and with other household objects, please take a look at and enjoy my friend Diane Savona's work.


Now, to more ironing . . .er, meditation.