Alma Stoller

I am staying in today. This year, I am watching the fireworks from my window and the Twilight Zone marathon on the SCI-FI channel.  I am what you call, a 'home girl'. I like to be home....painting, sewing, reading....and when I am not at home, you can probably find me at a museum or bookstore, where I am headed now. Happy 4th everyone.

Fabric Candy

A few of these fiberlicious confections are available on my Etsy Shop.

Art Fiber Fest 2009

AFF was great. It has taken me two days to adjust from the trip and the time change. I didn't get to take a lot of pictures, but here is a quick and random look inside this art retreat.

This is the piece I created in Syd's class.

It was so nice to meet Rice and Earl and to meet up with Ruth Rae again at vendor night.

Art pieces created in my class by Lori, Teri and Nancy.

around here

I am packing supplies,

a journal 

Van Gogh to go,

beads for my Stitch, Meditate, Om class,

a few oddities for vendor night and that is that.

I am closing my Etsy Shop tomorrow.

See you when I get back from Portland.

Portland, here I come

This Year, Art Fiber Fest will be held at Reed College in Portland OR, from June 24th through June 28th. Teesha Moore, the host of Art Fiber Fest is now offering a One-Day-Pass for this super fantastic art retreat. With this One-Day-Pass you can take ONE class for only 160.00 dollars.

If you would like to come and take my Fabric Oddities class, e-mail Teesha Moore as soon as possible. There are still spots open for this class. Sign up for my Fabric Oddities class on Thursday June 25th OR my Stitch, Meditate, OM class on Saturday June 27th.

As always, I will be bringing an assortment of goodies to share and some FaBu-licious handmade fabric beads, oddities, fiber candies, fabric jewelry and thingamajigs.

TO SIGN UP:

E-mail Teesha Moore as soon as possible at:

artgirl777@aol.com

Put Art Fiber Fest on the subject line. I hope to see you there.

I am looking forward to going to the various zine shops in Portland and getting lost around town. I am sure there is much more to do, but point me to the nearest fabric store and I am good. But now I am off to finish packaging my latest orders and check on the chilli cooking on the stove.

Stop by, I hope to see you there.

The Renegade Craft Fair

The Renegade craft fair was great. Soooo many great artists to shop from.

While there, I came across Claudine Hellmuth. I never met her before but recognized her face from one of her books I have. What a small world.

That's New York City for you.

Fabric Sculptures

These beaded fabric oddities are part of a towering sculpture I am working on.

Up Movie gets two thumbs up from Julian. It is funny, sad, exciting, interesting and most importantly appropriate for kids. No inappropriate suggestions, questionable language or innuendos as often seen in a lot of 'kids' movies.

Fashioning Felt

The Fashioning Felt exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt Museum. 

Let me, visually take you there.

Enjoy!

The cover on the wrap-around bench covered in felt.

 

An entire room in felt. The huge curtains, all made out of felt.

Felted sculptures

And beautifully designed dresses

felted rugs

and felt knitting.

WOW!

In Dreams, she comes undone

In Dreams is a piece I created last year, as a charity piece for The All Kids Foundation. (more on that later) This is what it originally looked like.

I never got around to posting it in the shop, primarily because I wasn't all that happy with it. So I altered it. A little bit of paynes gray with white after a layer of gesso works great.

  

  

And this is the final result. In Dreams, She comes undone is the new title.

Possession

My daily work is unexpected...sometimes it is all about the fiber, the fabric art.

Sometimes it is all about the zines. Today it was all about painting and collage.

The visual chaos says it all. As well as the dirty breakfast dishes still in the sink...but that is a different story. That will have to wait....so will the laundry.

But this piece.....goodness, this work-in-progress painting, demanded my attention a good part of the day. She wants to be complete, to exist....Whole. 

With layers upon layers of texture and paint, I cut part of the canvas out, revealing a gaping hole in the center similar to the piece I created last year.

As I paint, there is something very Catholic about it. Though I am not trying to create a religious piece, it is somehow speaking to me in that tone...as in Sacred Heart or Mother Mary. But that might change as I go along.

Needless to say, she will continue to battle for my attention the remainder of the day. She will force me into fixing a quick dinner, trick me into washing only what I will NEED for the week, and instend of loading the diswasher in an organized fashion, she will convince me it's just fine to let it all go to hell. As she ensnares and possesses my thoughts, maybe she's not as angelic as I originally thought. 

At the moment, the battle wages on.....but by the end of the day, I know she will have won. Victoriously.