Miriam Badyrka is The Doodler

Grrrrr....

Well, Computer Hell continues for me. I hate it that I can't post any doodles for you! Here are some things that have caught my attention recently to tide you over. Lots of links:

I love Megan Bogonovich's witty ceramics (via Artstream). This one is called Recconoitering. They just make me smile. I like the way her little characters are  exploring wonderful organic forms, and the casual way she presents the man made  as part of the natural world, like in her piece Colonial Subdivision

Yesterday, I went downtown. I was supposedly on a mission, but I couldn't resist detouring to a gallery and Powell's. I saw some lovely work by Catherine Foster at Bella Perla Gallery. Foster works in paint, polymers and resin on metal which she might weave or collage different metals together. Because she works on metal, the surface she works on can be curved away from the wall, which alters the way light hits the surface.

I have been embroidering (which I will show you as soon as I can) a version of one of the rectangular doodles. I am experimenting a bit here, but I think it is successful. I think the doodles translate to stitchery very well.

Naturally, I have been looking at embroidery, both historical and modern. The Museum of Arts and Design had an exhibit called Extreme Embroidery. The show has closed, so, unfortunately,they have taken it off their website. Here are links to the websites of some of my favorites from the show.

Kate Krentz works with human hair. This is an old tradition, but her imagery is all modern. While you are at her site, be sure to click through the Art World Truths embroidered on overalls. So true!

Benji Whalen has embroidered tatoos on stuffed arms. The image of a guy sitting and sewing all this manly man stuff is quite amusing. Embroidery has such a girly connotations in the modern world.

Ke-Sook Lee makes work of such delicate and quiet beauty, I want to be in the place these works take me to.

I liked work by David Willburn and Annet Couenberg as well.

(Image lifted from Megan Bogonovich )

Books and a Few Other Things

I had an appointment downtown this morning. It was just a couple of blocks from Powell's City of Books. I was unable to resist it's siren song. While I am very proud of myself for getting out of there without spending a dime, I am now consumed with book lust.

I am pining away for Russian Textiles: Printed Cloths for the Bazaars of Central Asia by Susan Meller. I have lots of textile books because I love patterns, and I find there is lots of overlap between books. This book is full of designs I have never seen before. Plus, there is a nice essay by Robert Kushner, describing how these textiles have inspired and informed his work.

Here is a lovely book, Vintage Textured Barkcloth by Margaret Meier. I love barkcloth! There lots of images in the book, and the author has a nice chatty style. The book also tells you how to tell vintage from reproduction barkcloth and how to care for your vintage pieces. I can't think of a single reason why I need to know any of this, but I like these sort of details.

Saving the best for last: Tribal & Village Rugs: The Definitive Guide to Design, Pattern, and Motif by Peter F. Stone. I absolutely must have this book! The only reason I didn't buy it on the spot was because I didn't have my Powell's store credit with me. I am not even going to give you a description, just click the link.

Paper shoes! (via the always entertaining Atypical Shoes).

Look at these lovely Kantha embroidery pieces. They are part of a gallery of Indian crafts. I think this is my favorite, but I am fickle.

While we are on the subject of embroidery, check out the modern embroidered artwork of Takashi Iwasaki. I find this work incredibly inspiring. I am going to be working on some all embroidery pieces of my own  in the near future. 

Don't Know What I Have Been Doing...

... but it takes all my time.

That is one of those things that I say a lot. Probably one of my top 10 phrases.

This is what I managed to come up with to work on while the photographer, Jason,  was shooting yesterday.

My problem has been scale. I am trying to work on small pieces for Open Studios and the small works benefit. But, truth be told I love to work large.

This canvas is 30x40 inches, and I want to go even bigger. Drawing this piece has unleashed the flood. I am bubbling, bursting with images!

Here is the quilt top for a quilt I am making for my pal, Julie. It is all pieced by hand. I am a Luddite. God gave me fingers for a reason, and I like to use them.

I am excited to get to making the sandwich and doing the quilting on this one. Hours and hours of stitching fun, and a nice warm quilt to be under as the evening get chilly. A gal should always have a nice warm project for the winter.