88 Hours of Heat, Dreams, and Vented Spleens

They say reality informs your dreams. That your subconscious mind uses those hours spent in deep sleep to process the information and experiences from the day and then twist them into crazy metaphors and literal extremes; vivid movies in our minds from which we often awake thinking, “What the heck was THAT?”

I’ve never understood why, but even the most ridiculous situations in dreams seem completely rational at the time you’re dreaming them. I often have extremely traumatic, oddly horrible dreams during which it seems perfectly normal for me to, say, throw babies into a ravine. During the dream, I am completely convinced that throwing the babies into a ravine is necessary and good for the babies and serves some noble purpose. But then I suddenly realize that what I’m doing is terrible and wrong! And I instantly wake up, horrified, and wish, as I do every time I wake up, that bad dreams weren’t a side effect of one of my medications. I have them almost every time I sleep.

Earlier this week Hurricane Irma came blowing through our neck of the woods. It had been downgraded to a category one by the time it reached us, so, aside from having to dodge a few broken tree limbs while driving, we didn’t have to contend with any major damage in our area. The power grid was another story! We lost electric service on Sunday, just before midnight, and it wasn’t restored until just before 4:00 p.m. Thursday, a total of 88 hours. (Oh yes, indeed; I counted every one of those hours!) At the same time, our phone and broadband service also disappeared.

Because we live “out in the sticks” and have a well that runs on an electric pump, no electricity means no water. We had prepared beforehand by filling the tub and buckets and jars and bottles so we could flush the toilets and have drinking water. Our small electric generator kept the refrigerator going, as well as the TV and a lamp in the living room. But there was no air-conditioning and no way to shower, and by Day 3, it was over 90 degrees in the house and we were starting to get…hmmm…a little ripe! We coaxed the generator into powering a small box fan, and spent most of the time sprawled in front of it, red-faced and sweaty, watching reports on the Weather channel of those in the southern part of the state struggling with total destruction of their homes and feeling grateful we still had a place to live. (Things can always get worse, can’t they? A little perspective never hurts.)

Thursday morning, there was no sign of electricity, but suddenly our phone and broadband service was restored. Hooray! It was just in the nick of time, because I was scheduled that morning to take a lengthy phone and computer survey, for which I would earn a nice check. The manufacturer of one of my medications was soliciting opinions about their website: how easy it is to use, whether the information is clear, what improvements could be made. While I spoke on the phone with the survey representative, he remotely connected to my computer so he could watch how I interacted with the website.

Things went well with the survey, and I was enjoying it…that is, until a certain point. The main purpose of the site is to inform people how to get financial help in order to afford their medication. They also provide an overview of various treatments available for cancer and other conditions, and resources for help with things like shopping, transportation, etc for those who struggle with medical issues. I had been exploring the site for about 20 minutes and was very impressed, until I came to a page that seemed completely out of place and completely unnecessary: a list of “alternative treatments.”

::sigh::

As I perused the list, I was confused and then annoyed. “Well,” I said to the survey rep, “this is disappointing.” He asked me to explain.  I muttered angrily, “It looks like a bunch of woo-woo stuff here!”

(Definition of woo-woo: “Dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural, or unscientific.”)

“I was so impressed,” I told him, “with the science-based, factual information on this site regarding medical conditions, treatments and medications. And now this? Listing ‘alternative’ treatments on this site gives them a legitimacy they do not deserve. They have no place here. It makes me doubt the veracity of everything else on the site.

“It makes me angry that someone with cancer could find this list on an otherwise reputable site and be led to believe that any of these so-called remedies could help them. It gets their hopes up, it robs them of their time and money, and it can’t deliver. Worse, people waste their precious time pursuing these quack remedies when they could be getting real help from science-based, clinically proven treatments. I strongly suggest this section be deleted from this site.”

The survey rep said my comments were “very helpful” and that he personally tended to agree. (I may or may not have reiterated several times that I “felt very strongly” about the alternative medicine section!)

(Well worth a watch: The Amazing Randi’s highly entertaining Ted Talk about quackery and fraud, during which he ingests an entire bottle of homeopathic sleeping pills, allegedly a “fatal” dose.)

So the survey was still very much on my mind when I went to sleep a few hours later. As usual, my subconscious mind twisted the experience into a nightmare. This time I was doing something horrible to one of my cats, which I won’t describe because it was so heinous. In the dream, I explained to my husband what I was doing as if it made perfect sense: “I’m removing the bad parts of her, leaving only the healthy parts behind. If I keep doing this, eventually she will be cured and completely healthy!”

Clearly I was still dwelling on the evils of “alternative” medicine; which causes so much harm while claiming to do good! Eventually I realized I was actually hurting my poor cat, and suddenly woke up. I noted the alarm clock was still dark, so the power hadn’t come back on, and eventually I shook it off and fell asleep again. Sometime later, I gradually woke up from another dream. This time, remarkably, it was a good one! A man, whose face I couldn’t see, was holding a paper on a clipboard that contained a list of names. He pointed to a spot on the list and said, “Congratulations! You qualify to win a prize today!”

I thought, “That’s weird. I almost never have good dreams!” As I got out of bed, I noticed the clock was still dark. I walked out into the living room, glanced at the battery clock and realized I’d been asleep less than five hours, yet I felt wide awake. Just then, a nightlight plugged into the wall lit up and the ceiling fan began to turn! The power was back on and I had woken up just in time for it. I did win a prize after all! (Still pretty hot in here, though. My husband tells me it takes a full hour of air conditioning to lower the temperature by one degree!)

Advertisements

Mysterious Happenings

The September/October issue of Somerset Studio is here and I was pleased to find three pieces I’d submitted in their “Expressions” section. The challenge for their Halloween issue had been to create artwork based on the young-adult novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The author, Ransom Riggs, had been inspired by highly unusual (and slightly disturbing) photographs of people on Victorian cabinet cards, and photographs of the actual cards are sprinkled throughout the book.

I love all things related to Halloween, especially as it was celebrated in the distant past, when things were just a bit more serious and a bit more…creepy. I searched for old photos on the internet and found a couple that could easily be construed as a bit odd or menacing, given the right context. After creating two pieces called “Secrets” and “Poison,” I decided to go in search of a real cabinet card to add authenticity to my next effort.

Within a few days, I was pawing through a shoe box full of vintage photographs at a favorite day-trip destination, the Webster flea market. My lucky find was a prim Victorian lady, all buttoned up in a long-sleeved frock, her unruly hair pulled severely back and pinned into submission. She sits very still for the photograph, but her expression hints at thoughts that are somewhere else entirely. What could be going on behind those pale, unfocused eyes?

Clearly what I had here was the portrait of a Victorian serial killer! Her victims? A string of ailing dowagers, each of whom had entrusted her with their care, and none of whom suspected she was after their money. She was extremely kind and caring (all faked), and came with excellent references (all forged) from well-respected members of society (now all deceased). What’s a girl to do when she wants a new frock, but the old gal hasn’t popped off yet? She tells herself her actions are “merciful,” but her eyes reveal the truth! And thus do the eyes of her victims, which haunt her wherever she goes…

Not content with confining themselves to haunting our deadly caretaker, these vengeful ghosts played tricks with my instructions for the piece as well! Where I had written “ink,” “tissue paper,” “paper napkins”, “white china marker” and “cardstock,” those naughty gremlins substituted “paint”, “paper towel”, “decorate tape”, “tissue paper”, “white crayon” and “cardboard”! Worse, they changed the title from “Haunted” to “Strychnine! Poison.” So don’t be fooled, gentle readers, and never let your guard down when it comes to those you have wronged!

Bwaaaaa-hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa…

Project Runway Fan Art, Week 3

The designers this past week were shown a new kids’ film, Leap!, about a girl who dreams of becoming a dancer. They were to create a garment inspired by dance, movement and innovation.

While Ayana didn’t make it to the top, I adored her flowy black garment with hand-painted white stars. I think it could have been improved by ditching the tiers on the pants and instead making them very wide, but the stars were a really cool touch, and the veil made the model look mysteriously lovely.

My homage to this “out of this world” fashion is a torn-paper galaxy and a model made of stars. Wait until midnight and look to the east, and maybe you’ll spot the elusive Ayana constellation!

Project Runway Fan Art, Week 2

What a great episode this past week! Not only an unconventional materials challenge, but also a team challenge! The designers were taken to a recycling center and had to create high fashion from literal garbage. Fortunately the stuff they chose was relatively clean, and consisted mostly of plastic waste of one kind or another. Team 1 called themselves “Wabi Sabi” and focused on a Japanese aesthetic. They had some great looks!

Team 3 used “sea glass” colors and called themselves “Team Tsunami.” Unfortunately, this name was prophetic, as their collection was a bit of a disaster.

Team 2, which included my favorite designer, Kenya, envisioned their client as a lady who loves to party but has to use recycled materials because she can’t afford new clothes. Their team name? “Ballin’ on a Budget.” (Yeah…I know.) They were the clear winners, and Ayana’s beautiful gown (on the far right) was chosen as the best of the best.

When contemplating this week’s fan art, I knew I wanted to emphasize hand-painted elements, newsprint, and the same burnt orange/tan/brown palette. The path to take wasn’t as obvious as last week’s mermaid dress becoming a mermaid, but I eventually decided on a hot-air balloon, to celebrate Team 2’s rise to new heights of excellence! I call it “Balloonin’ on a Budget.” (Yeah…I know.)

Re-Make It Work!

I’ve been a fan of Project Runway, the fashion design competition show, for years; stumbled across it one day during an episode of Season 3 and just couldn’t look away. I may or may not have immediately ordered DVDs of the previous seasons and added the show to the tippy-top of my DVR list! Mostly because Tim Gunn (LURVE HIM), but Heidi is pretty awesome, too. (I could listen to her accent all day.) And I wish Michael Kors were still around; I lived for his blistering, yet hilarious, critiques.

Season 16 just started and there’s a new twist: the designers are clothing models of all shapes and sizes this time, from 2 to 22! The designers themselves are a pretty eclectic bunch as well and I already have a couple of favorites. Aaaaaaaand a couple – and I do mean couple – that I could definitely live without. (Indeed.)

One aspect of the show this season has me very excited. We can submit fan art each week, honoring the previous week’s fashions, for a chance to have it featured on the show! I’ve always loved a challenge, especially when it involves creativity, and this is right up my alley.

A lot of fans are electing to sketch the models wearing their favorite fashion, and there are some amazingly talented artists doing just that. But because I’m not by any means capable of beautiful, lifelike drawings, I’ve elected to submit painted paper collages (my latest obsession) and, rather than just make a straight-forward “copy” of a model wearing a dress, I’m creating whimsical “re-imaginations” of my favorite designs.

In the first episode, the designers were sent to Mood fabric store with $300 and got to choose their own fabric to make a “red carpet” look. My favorite of these was designed by Kenya (LURVE HER); this sleek, beautiful mermaid gown:

Well, it was a simple enough leap to reimagine this mermaid gown as an actual mermaid! I call it “Making Waves on the Red Carpet.”

As I type this, I’m waiting for some newly-painted papers to dry so I can create a submission for the second episode. The designers broke into teams of three for the Unconventional Challenge (always a favorite for tension and drama), in which they had to create fashion from recycled trash! The winning team’s outfits were amazing and gorgeous. I wracked my brain to come up with a way to reimagine them, without much luck, but woke up later from a two-hour nap with the perfect idea. (I must have been dreaming about it the entire time!)

Painted Paper Pet Portraits

My newest obsession started after a few marathon sessions of making prints on a Gelli plate. Which I may or may not have mentioned is fairly addictive. But what to do with all those yummy painted papers?

I started by making pretty pictures using stained glass patterns. It’s a simple process: trace the pattern onto a canvas, then trace the individual “pieces” onto painted papers. Cut them out, glue them down, outline with a heavy black pen, shade with charcoal and voila!

Fun! So much fun I went on to make several more pieces using stained glass patterns. Eventually, though, I wanted to be more creative; to have more personal input into the final product. So why couldn’t I create my own designs?

My cat, Taz, is one of my favorite subjects to immortalize in my art. Awhile back, I decided to try tracing a photo and adding my own embellishments for the Gelli paper method. Using stained glass patterns was fun, but this took it to the next level!

Recently I took up the obsession again, this time using the papers for the background as well as the main subject, and I think they look much better that way. Of course I had to do another portrait of Taz!

My next subject was Chloe, my dad’s cat. She’s very elegant and beautiful, albeit a little tired of being photographed all the time! I added lots of pretty details and changed her expression to a slightly more amenable one.

Of course I couldn’t neglect Eloise, the kitten I rescued from a McDonald’s parking lot back in February. She’s so adorable it was easy to make a cute portrait.

But I needed more subjects! Since you can’t just go swiping images off the internet, I solicited friends for photos and hit the jackpot with Sharlene, who works for the Humane Society. Hooray! She loaned me a photo of her own sweet kitten, Ozcar Wild, who ended up dressed like a clown. (She claims this is an accurate depiction.)

Aspen, the adorable puppy of a volunteer at the Humane Society:

This is the unfortunately-named Cheeto, whose cuteness got her adopted very quickly! (Hopefully her new family has given her a better name.)

A friend at work let me use a photo of her chow/lab mix, Trixie. She needed a ball.

And here’s my favorite doggie of all, Stella, who belongs to my BFF, Terri. (Hi, Terri! Are you surprised?)

Currently I’m working on a bunny – yes, a cute lil’ bunny! – and have several more critters in the pipeline. (Unfortunately, my stash of Gelli printed papers hasn’t been reduced by much; probably because I keep making more!)

Only a Year Early

I am an art retreat freak. I love the excitement generated when you’re among like-minded people, learning new techniques straight from the artists, creating and trading artful trinkets, shopping for unique supplies…all that added to the thrill of packing a bag and heading somewhere new. Really gets you out of that daily rut, and you come home refreshed and creatively recharged!

Back when rubber stamping and scrapbooking were reaching their peak of popularity, mixed media conventions and art retreats were seemingly everywhere. I could easily attend two or three a year and not have to drive more than 100 miles. Now it seems there are only a handful left, but those that survived are the best of the best. Art Unraveled, held every summer in Phoenix, has been on my “wish I may, wish I might” list for years. Unfortunately, I could never justify the cost; something else always had priority at the time, and I couldn’t justify spending that much all at once.

They say the definition of crazy is performing the same action over and over again and expecting different results. Hoping and dreaming wasn’t getting me anywhere. Planning and saving are what will make this happen! Starting this month, I’m going to put money into the savings account specifically to be used for attending Art Unraveled in 2018. I added up the cost of travel, accommodations, workshop fees and miscellaneous expenses and have worked out how much I need to save to make this happen. At this time next year, I’ll be ready on Day One to sign up, and it won’t be just wishful thinking!

I’m using a small notebook to keep track of deposits and for travel checklists, resources, ideas for trades, etc. One page is devoted to ideas I jotted down for creating a travel journal. True to form (see my yearly journals that I started in the middle of the year before), I got a bee in my bonnet and made it already! I decided to go with a fabric book so it will travel well. (Easily squished into a suitcase and no sharp corners.)

Art Unraveled doesn’t seem to have a logo of any kind (not one I could find, anyway), so I made up my own! I combined a beautiful watercolor of the Phoenix skyline with clipart of a large half sun, and typed “Art Unraveled” in the space between them. This was printed onto fabric and sewed onto the cover.

I sewed a heart on the back because I put hearts on pretty much everything – and because I’m going to love being there! Canson heavy mixed media paper comprises the inside pages, so I’ll be able to paint, draw, etc. I have a small photo printer to bring along so I can journal daily and have it completed by the time my plane lands back in Florida!

Is This Meta?

So I’ve been wanting a sewing machine cover for a very long time. Dude asked me, “Why, is your sewing machine too dusty?” I told him I’d read that dust is fatal to sewing machines, so it was, of course, a purely practical desire. Secretly, though, I wanted to make something for my studio that would be unique, colorful and awesome, and because I already have too many impractical things stuffed in there, a sewing machine cover seemed like the perfect project.

Also, it will keep the dust off.

(I had to take photos on the front porch because it’s too dark in the studio and my outdoor photo booth isn’t big enough!)

The idea was planted a couple of months ago, when I watched a video about using a Gelli plate to print on muslin. The ultimate project in the video was a book cover, but I got to thinking, why couldn’t I make any fabric item I wanted to with Gelli prints?

After spending a couple of hours happily Gelli printing a yard of muslin, I used several different rubber stamps to add more detail to the designs. I had measured my sewing machine and added an inch on each side for good measure; this came to 11″ wide, 13″ high and 17″ long. (This allowed space to keep the thread spool on the top, as I didn’t want to keep removing and replacing it.) Using those measurements, I cut five panels from Pellon fusible Flex Foam interfacing; this stuff is great for making sturdy fabric items that will hold their shape.

The printed muslin was torn into smaller “patches” and ironed onto the Flex Foam, then I sewed various decorative stitches along the edges of each patch. Because I love hearts, I also used leftover printed muslin to create layered heart patches to sew on at random spots.

Black and white fabric with a tiny flower design was cut into one-inch strips, wrapped and stitched around the edge of each Flex Foam panel, then the panels were sewn together to form the cover. It fits perfectly, pops right off when I need to use the machine, adds a fun splash of color to my sewing area, and, the best part: it’s unique!

So, is it meta that I used the sewing machine to make a cover for the sewing machine?

Scrappy Tag Books

What a thrill it was to open my mailbox today to find an advanced artist’s copy of my favorite magazine, Somerset Studio! They had put out a call for tag art a few months ago, and, because I have approximately 900 tags (this is no exaggeration), I thought it would be fun to make a few tag books to send along. I hadn’t sent anything for publication in a very long time, and I missed the excitement of being published.

They did a great job editing my article and the photography is breathtaking (as always). One thing did disappoint me a teeny bit: I had sent three books in, and you can see all three stacked up in one photo, but they did not show the cover of the third book, which happens to be my favorite.

But as Dude very practically pointed out, “They liked the other two best.” And he’s right; I can’t complain. I love how the article turned out. I’ve always said, it’s wonderful – and essential – that everyone is different with their unique likes and dislikes. Thank you, Stampington!

Spring…with an Edge

One of my favorite teams on Etsy is having an ATC swap. I love me some ATCs! The theme is “spring…with an edge,” to be interpreted any way we please.

Spring has come extremely early to north central Florida this year; with temps in the upper 90’s today (I think we broke some records!) and the flowers have been blooming for a few weeks. My swap partner lives in Oregon, so I’m hoping to send her some of this summer-like weather and maybe spring will come to her part of the country, too.

I made two fabric ATCs (please note they each have a literal edge) and couldn’t decide which I liked best…so I sent both!

(Yes, there is glitter.)