Chance's End

(c) 2010 Eric C Carter / Dizzy Pixel

I love music. All kinds. My play list is, shall we say.... diverse. It includes all sorts of classical, a-capella, jazz, folk, world, and classic rock to name just a very, very small slice of the stuff I enjoy. My favorites are often odd combinations like Sagapool (funky klezmer/new age) or Salsa Celtica.

Several months ago I was approached by a musician named Ryan Avery, a talented young violinist who is half of the talented electronica duo named Chance's End. The other half of the duo, Emily Zisman, is a folk singer with the kind of  lovely clear voice I can listen to for hours.

Anyway - through the wonders of the Web he had seen some of my work and the long and short of it is that my artwork is on the cover of their most recent album!

My favorite bits are often the pure and evocative violin introductions to pieces like "The Blue Because" or the ethereal vocal and string combination on "Intro to Superman." I tend to loose interest in some of the more atmospheric electonica interludes but that's me - not the music. I tend to listen very actively to music (as a musician myself) and just like I can't piece a quilt block over and over I need a lot of variety in my music.

"The two members of electronica outfit Chance's End, based in San Francisco, will be the first to admit that electronic music is the last thing you would expect to be heard from a folk singer and a classical violinist. Vocalist Emily Zisman's folk-rooted melodies are awash in Americana, while Ryan Avery's violin seeps into every crevice. But throwing both of them in a room together is like putting Ani DiFranco and Groove Armada into a washing machine set on spin cycle – you get some convoluted metaphor that results in good music"

You can buy a download of

Down the Doors

at CD Baby

And just for fun
I'm giving away a copy! 
Leave a comment (make sure I have a way to get in touch with you) telling me what you listen to when you create. If you have any suggestions for more odd combo type groups tell me those too!  On Friday the 20th I'll pick a winner and ship out your very own copy.  

Collages for ONE Fundraiser

I am so honored to have been invited to participate in Virginia Spiegel's

fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. She is someone who has most certainly made the world a better place and has made it easier for many people to serve in some small way as well.

One Cause - The Fight Against Cancer

One Wednesday - February 16, 2011

One Hundred Collages

FLY: DAUNTLESS

FLY: FEARLESS

FLY: VENTURE

These are three of the collages that I'm donating for the auction.

The other two can be seen here.

They are collaged sheet music and layered paint and screen printing.

Headlong has a little bit of organza thrown in as well.

Each will be mounted onto a 10" x 8" sheet of 140lb watercolor paper ready to frame.

Collages for ONE Fundraiser

I am so honored to have been invited to participate in Virginia Spiegel's

fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. She is someone who has most certainly made the world a better place and has made it easier for many people to serve in some small way as well.

FLY: BRAZEN

One Cause - The Fight Against Cancer

One Wednesday - February 16, 2011

One Hundred Collages

FLY: HEADLONG

These are two of the collages that I'm donating for the auction.

They are collaged sheet music and layered paint and screen printing.

Headlong has a little bit of organza thrown in as well.

Each will be mounted onto a 10" x 8" sheet of 140lb watercolor paper ready to frame.

Sisters: The Shape of Love

I'd like to introduce you to three of my favorite people in the whole, wide, entire, planet.
Maybe the galaxy.

I get to go spend time with them next week and I am beside myself with excitement.

I'm the oldest. Lisa came along a couple of years later. We shared a room our entire childhood. There were times we were best friends and other times we merely coexisted. Pretty much amicably. 

She got married soon after I did and never traveled much so our grown-up relationship depended on a few phone calls here and there. I've always admired her for her bravery, endurance, and her faith. Now she's making up for lost travel time - can't wait until she finally gets to come visit me.

She has the most beautiful voice. She's always been very talented. She could draw, back when I only secretly wished I could. Then again - she practiced and I didn't. Of course she learned to draw. She has always been beautiful. 

She has a smile a mile wide, lets her hairdresser do anything he feels like doing, and loves being just a little bit insane. I love her.

Amber is ten years younger than me. I don't think she was out of elementary school when I went away to college so I didn't really get to know her as a friend until much later when she got to come visit, then live with us for several months.

I've always seen her as someone who thinks and feels things very deeply, who seems to know what she wants and is willing to work to get there. And the things she wants are beautiful - making the world a better place.

She plays piano amazingly well, sings, dances, and just this week earned her masters of music education.

Lindsey was only 6 years old or so when I moved out. She's always been a little nuts - in a good way. Very silly, very confident, very outspoken. Fearless. I think it comes from having nine people doting on you from the time you were born. (Parents, Grandma, five sibs - yup - two brothers in the middle.)

I remember coming home for a visit after a couple of years living across the country (this is pre-e-mail) and being sent to pick her up at school. This gorgeous blond was sitting on her violin case on the curb. I didn't even recognize my own sister. I tried not to cry.

She plays violin, designs and creates beautiful jewelry, and still makes me laugh.

These women are people I admire, respect and love. They live much, much, too far away. Of course I was the first one that took off across the country - far from home. Now we are scattered from coast to coast. Nobody in my family lives closer than 7 hours from each other. 

We've had two "sisters" trips in our adult lives. We always sing. The three of them are involved in musical theater. I'm the hack among 'em but if I do say so - we sound pretty cool. Sometimes we sing goofy camp songs. Sometimes English madrigals. Last time we learned some early american folk songs. I'm bringing along some Andrews Sisters charts.

We always spend a day dressing up and playing with our cameras. This photo is the basis for one of my favorite pieces. Some time soon (which for me is any time in the next five years) I'm going to work up a very long series of artworks based on our relationships.

So you'll understand if I'm a bit distracted. Kind of like a puppy dog with two little tails to wag I'm so giddy with anticipation. I'll try to post some pictures. I am truly blessed to have these women in my life. We talk and skype all the time now but we only get to see each other every few years. It's not enough. 

Sisters: The Shape of Love

51" x 51"

2005 by Lyric Kinard

Psalm to By Beloved by Eunice Tietjens

can be read in its entirety here

It's All About the Attitude

Whistling while you work. Making lemonade from lemons. I'll bet there are a ton of similar metaphors. (I'd love to hear your favorite!)

After a late night of dancing - and what a wonderful night it was - I had to arise in the wee hours of the morning to catch a shuttle to the airport. I had packed the day before so all I really needed to do was to was hop out of bed, brush my teeth and go. It could have been a rotten day.

A little aside on packing. Us traveling quilt teachers do an awful lot of schlepping stuff. I had two maxed out checked bags, a carry-on, and my "small personal item" which is a rolling briefcase that just barely fits under most airline seats. I wear black and wear my black little back-pack purse - hoping they won't count it as a third carry-on. We also end up shipping boxes to venues as well. The baggage fees have raised the costs for guilds to bring us in but the real struggle is being able to get all the lovely quilts and supplies there for you the students. I teach a lot of surface design classes - paint and foil and screen printing and such - to quilters. I like to spare them the time and cost of running around trying to find supplies that aren't readily available or already in their stash. That means I bring a LOT of stuff for my students. In fact - I even prepare kits so that in many of my classes all you have to show up with is a pair of scissors and a notebook! I use this kit for both "Bead It Like You Mean It" and "Surface Design Sampler Platter."

OK - back to the story. So I'm at the gate of the airport by 5am - people trickle in and plunk down and immediately fall asleep. I'm a morning person and a light sleeper so I didn't even try. I had Melanie Testa's book, "Inspired to Quilt" to read and it is an amazingly lovely book! And hey - with as many kids at home as I have, any quiet "alone" time I have is savored - even in an airport at 5am.

It gets better. Two young men and their mother walk in with instrument cases and one of them, instead of falling asleep, pulls out his guitar, and with a lovely soft voice begins to sing and play. I love acoustic music. I can't really read while it's playing because I get caught up in listening. So I pulled out my sketchbook, shifted to a better seat, and began to doodle, and sketch.

This is my rough sketch. I actually pulled out a pencil and worked harder to make a really nice sketch while he played. When I do this I often tear out the sketch and give it to the subject if it turns out decently. It did so I did. (The other sketch is a copy of an amazing drawing from "Inspired To Quilt".)

So check out the Malpass Brothers. Christopher, the young man on the right is the one that sang to all the morning sleepers. The music on their site has much more of an old-time vintage country sound than the airport that morning. It was lovely.

http://www.malpassbrothers.com

Fun, fun, fun

More Screen printing fun.

Discharge printing with Cascade Dishwashing Gel.

 A variation on a theme. Music soaring on dragonfly wings.

Sometimes eye candy is as good as chocolate. 

Um. Well. Maybe not.

I really like chocolate.

You win a little, loose a little ...

So - I finally got the new screens uploaded to my website. Unfortunately I broke the whole site and spend hours trying to fix it. It's mostly better now. At least on the surface. I REALLY need to switch over to dreamweaver - can't afford it.

I had enough fabric to make three shorts, two dresses, and two tops for my little girl. The first skirt/dress combo was a disaster. Ugly, ugly, ugly - but she wore it anyway. I made another attempt today. This time doing the ruffles the old fashioned - pull the basting stitches - way. The out of control skirt was trying to use a fancy ruffling foot on my m

achine. I obviously don't know how to use it well.

Today's attempt was much better. Her favorite part is the button - which she wanted to hold and carry around rather than have me sew it onto her dress. ah well.

New Screens

I'm in the middle of teaching an on-line screen printing course for QuiltUniversity.com. Totally fun. It filled before it opened so we are offering an overflow course beginning on May 15th. $36 for a four week course is a pretty great deal. The discussion forum is open a week or two longer than that so that if "life" gets in the way you can catch up on your own time. I'm there to help with any questions several times a day.

Of course I got a little carried away and started working on a bunch of new thermofax screens. All music related. I should have them up on my website by tomorrow morning. I'm thinking of putting my screens up on Etsy for sale as well. More exposure couldn't hurt. If that part of my business picks up enough I'll turn it over to my very talented and capable daughters who are always in need of more cash. I'm one of those horrifically mean mothers who won't hand out an allowance. I do offer plenty of earning opportunities though.

First I need to make the Easter dress I promised to my youngest daughter. She picked out the fabric - I love it! I haven't sewn a thing other than her blessing gown for her. I still have most of the things I made for her sisters so I haven't needed to. Time to sew!

Salsa in the Studio

I've spent this month working furiously toward another deadline - when am I not? I'm filming next week with Pokey for Quilting Arts TV season 4 as well as a Quilting Arts DVD Workshop.

As usual, I'm not getting enough sleep but better than usual - I'm being fairly productive in the studio. Of course the little ones are enjoying the free reign through the house. A new disaster awaits every time I exit my little enclave of art.

I hate the way my brain feels when I'm tired but I think I've found a cure. Nope - no caffeine for me. Music. Duh!!! you say. Well it's been a long time since I've had music in the studio. This past year I've had to have no music while writing the book. I used to be a musician and find myself much to involved in the music when I listen so I had to have it quiet.

The upbeat music is like caffeine for my brain. Each day seems to have a theme. Classic 50's Rock-N-Roll for a day, Big-Band Swing the next. Today it's Latin. Right now it's "Salsa Celtica." Did you know your feet can dance while your hands draw? Next time I think it's be Newgrass and Folk, then Celtic.