Over the years, when checking to see how my works show up in search engines results, I have become well-acquainted with photos and information about a woman named Cristina - or sometimes Christina Serra, who's husband is apparently a football player, named Pep Guardiola. Apparently she is involved in textiles too - in wearable ones! A quick look at the Serra Claret website of Barcelona, shows that Cristina (without an 'h', reporters! Get it right!) and her sister Judith head the family business, that was started by their musician grandfather in the early 1930s. His name was Serra too. It looks like they offer several different clothing brands for the fashionable people of the city.
It would be nice if the reporters would get the spelling of Cristina's name right, and that the search engines wouldn't automatically assume that their users are looking for top Spanish fashionistas, or their husbands. Sometimes, people are just looking for unknown textile artists. maybe; ) 

I have thought about sending her a little piece of art, as a balm, in case she gets tired of seeing my images/name pop up when she has to do internet things.

Inspired by some medieval tapestries in a historical museum, I designed, embroidered and sewed this bag by hand. The tassels are the latest addition. It still needs twisted rope for the pulls and shoulder strap. I made some other tassels for the other parts.  It is meant to be worn when I dress in dresses, where my leather utility belt would not match the rest of the outfit.  The utility belt also doesn't sit quite right over corsets (a problem to be solved in the future!). You can see approximately how large this bag is, in relation to my hand. It will be enough for my phone, a fan, a thin wallet, lipstick, and probably a small pocket knife.

Construction Zone!
Away with the old, non-responsive design... in with the modern... white space... but responsive... Ach, wellll.... It is always a work in process!  We'll keep working on it, trying to make it a better place for you to enjoy artwork on! 
Thank you for your patience and have a wonderful day!

This is one of the large wool paintings completed in 2020. It is based on one of the Selkie stories, and  is one of my contributions to the passing on/coming into a New Year. Many of us are familiar with the selkie's story. She lived as a seal with her seal family in the sea, until one day, while out in her human form with her sisters, her skin is found and stolen by a fisherman, who will only return the skin some seven years after she's been his wife on land. She has no choice but to marry him and live out on land, out of her sea home. Eventually a child is born. Towards the end of the seven years, she's been on land for too long, weakens, has become sick and ragged. Her seal sisters help her child find its mother's skin. It is returned to her, she cannot stay on land any longer... She will die, if she stays. She doesn't want to part with her child. The child knows the mother must return to the sea, but doesn't want her to leave....

We've all been out of our element this year, even more so than usual. We are haggard, ready to live more freely again. Hopefully we will find our way back to our own 'seas' this New Year. I wish you all the best, in health, happiness, and in learning how to replenish your selves in your own healthy ways:)

This is a new piece, a wool painting, measuring approximately 125x75cm, my largest wool painting so far. It may be part of a trio, if the other two ever come clear in my mind.

A recent work in progress. A watercolor and gouache adventure with a strange (but real!) bird, and a silly little fox. The problem with balancing so many wips, is that the little time available for creating is spread thin for each creative passion. alas;)

New and exciting needle feltings to view at my upcoming art exhibition!  Pictured above is one of the new pieces that will be on exhibit.  Details on the exhibit will be found on my homepage. 

This is the current needle felt project that I have been working on for the past couple of days!  While I have been inspired to felt for many months now, I have not been in the head space to start on a more detailed felted piece.  Finally I got the Supreme Itch!  So I took inventory of The Wool Stash, (including the pile of various stages of completed pieces) got everything out on the table, finished a smaller felting to warm up the muscles, then started working on this piece!  It measures about 53x33cm.   The general shape still has to be moved around in some places, the face and hooves still need to come out, but you can see how the highlights and shadows are starting to play out. Working on this is giving me ideas on what colors I still need to dye and makes me want to try some subjects on pure solid color backgrounds. There are always new ideas bubbling up, begging to be heard and experimented with.  

Hello all!
This is the crazy-busy time of the year!  Crazy-busy making pieces for the upcoming Church street festival in Waynesville, busy preparing for workshops at SAFF, busy with birthdays and family activities, and busy lamenting the lack of time!!!  This is the exciting time of year!
Well, anyway, some of the new feltings are coming along nicely.  As usual, there are interesting ways to play with wool.  Currently, the curly locks have me under a spell, and so they are going wherever I can put them.  Also, there is a very large piece that I'd like to have finished by October 8th, but Time and Reality both tell me that I am crazy.  Well, if I can get it going; it is a grey mamma mare and her little new brown foal having a little gallop on a high field.  We shall see!  In the very least, you will find some very curly sheep and some fall trees on the pieces for Waynesville!

Thank you, and I hope to see you soon! 

Well, technically it's been... but this week it actually feels like summer. It's hot and humid.

A crazy bunch of frenzy remembering that October is only about five seconds from now. Well, no, not really of course, but as soon as I blink, or turn my head... you can bet that it will be!  October is a busy month!  In October I have a lovely fall show in Waynesville to prepare many new feltings for, and the super exciting Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival!!  SO much fun! 

SO many exciting ideas for feltings!  It is difficult to keep up with the themes and images that I want to express in felt. There is the pull of both sides... of realistic subjects vs dreams and imagination worlds. You have probably noticed these two forces at work in all of my past and current works here for display on this site. 

This is also true in my daily interests.  When I have time to read books, I enjoy reading a few at a time. Usually a fantasy/fictional book, and something science/human science, and sometimes a historical fiction. There is a great app on my phone called Librivox (ha! book voice!), where audio versions, read by volunteers, of books in the public domain are available for free listening/download. This has been a great resource for catching up on the classics that I read long ago, never knew about, or neglected to read so far.  Ive listened to a great audio recording of Jane Eyre, read by a wonderful volunteer ( Elizabeth Klett- superb reader!! great accents).  Listening to Jane Eyre now, last having enjoyed the book when I was about 12years old, really was an entirely new story for me. It is immensely enjoyable.  I will admit too, that it is a sort of 'gateway drug' for me, since I have since listened to several other similar novels written in the same time period ( 1800's).  On the actual book side, reading of late, I am satisfying my needs for both fantasy and science through a book written in part by one of my favorite authors, Terry Pratchett. The book is the first of a series, called the Science of Discworld.  There are wizards, magic, - and theories and studies of somewhat 'current' science... in the same book!  It is much slower going because the actual sit down and read time that I have in a month is approximately equivalent to the lifespan of a house fly.  Maybe a fruit fly.  

That's the musings for today:) 

Ah... yes!  Its ALIVE!!!!

Well, there is nothing quite like the Autumn, October, leaves crunching beneath my feet, the wind in the willows, losing daylight and adding layers to make me leap and bound like a little girl deer in the meadow:D 

.....or ramble on for no reason on my blog, whatever;)

I hope that you have had a lovely summer, and that you feel the exhilarating gust of wind beneath your wings this autumn as strongly as I am! 

Someone might have noticed that my website was down... for a couple of months. Well, I slayed THAT beast, and as it were, I am back on line:)

Hope to see everyone this Saturday in Waynesville