RUGS: A NIGHT ON THE TOWN

Since I've been working hard getting ready for the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Show in Raleigh over Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to take a few breaks this week.  In addition to a town revitalization meeting and a visit from my aunt and uncle, I received an invitation from friends Laurey Masterton and Alicia Keshishian.  Alicia was in town giving a presentation on her rugs at Laurey's restaurant in Asheville. 

Those who know me know if rugs are around, I want to be there.  For those who could not attend, here are some photos of a wonderful evening.

 When I saw this rug hanging up, I recognized it right away.  It is gorgeous and was purchased by Laurey when Alicia had it on display in the Penland Gallery in Penland, N.C.  You can see the depth it has when light hits it.

 The two samples above have beautiful shades of red in them with one minimalistic and one full of color. 

A closer look at one of the samples in the previous photo.  Alicia is a color expert and it shows in the way she puts various hues together.  This design makes me want to dance.

This piece, draped over a tabletop, garnered plenty of attention.  It was woven using bamboo silk giving it a luxurious feel both visually and to the touch.  Very rich looking.  Yum!

Samples with a touch of silk to add sheen.  I feel a great sense of movement in the left piece and a sense of peacefulness in the right sample.  A great example of how important design is and how rugs can bring a certain feeling to the room they are in.

  A closer look at one of the above rug samples.  I love the calming background color with the wicked bright line through it.

Those who attended had the opportunity to learn about the dyeing and weaving process during a slide show presentation.

A table with articles about Alicia and her rugs.  Color, color, color!

More socializing after the presentation. 

Alicia discussing rugs with one of many interested attendees.

A few of the many great treats Laurey had out for us.  Needless to say, I had to have more than one! 

Look out for events happening in your area and have a great day. 

ASHEVILLE GALLERY SHOW AND PENLAND CLASS

This past week included a drive to Asheville to deliver two pieces juried into the show "The Cutting Edge: The Language of Textiles and Fiber Art" at the Desert Moon Design Gallery. Upon entering the gallery my husband and I were greeted by the gallery director, Julie Spalla, who could not have made us feel more welcome. The show will run from April 4-May 5. It was a pleasant surprise to see one of my pieces pictured in the advertisement for the show.

My piece is on the lower right.  Love the use of complimentary blue and orange in the ad.  I hope you will get the chance to go view the contemporary fiber works in the show and meet Julie, who can share her love of the arts with you.

This coming week will be a busy one as I will be taking a class at Penland. Penland is known as a national center at which one can experience immersion in their choice of craft courses. The course on my agenda for the week is "Chromalicious: Color Liberation" with Alicia Keshishian.

Just like back to school shopping!

Besides absolutely loving the name of this class, it appealed to me due to Alicia's experience in rug design. I have been keeping a digital sketchbook full of larger rug design ideas , but with the time-consuming nature of rug hooking I will be lucky if I ever complete a quarter of them.

I find myself both excited and nervous about this class, excited to have a full week to play with color, nervous as I do not view myself as having the best of painting skills and paints and painting paper are on the materials list. I have no idea what is in store for me, but will let you know all about it, with plenty of photos, next week.

Enjoy whatever is in store for you this week and have a great day.

NAVAHO, ZAPOTEC, CHIMAYAN, OH MY!

While recently continuing the feat of cleaning out my studio, I came upon some photos of a trip my husband and I took to Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico a while back.

Monument Valley. We signed up for a special tour to view weavers working in their hogans. Here I am getting a close-up look at the weaving process and enjoying every second.

  While the weaver knew no English and my knowledge of the Navaho language is nonexistent, we were able to share our love of textiles through gestures. She is carding wool.

 A Yei rug in progress. The Yei are supernatural Holy People who make it possible for the Navaho and their gods to communicate.  They also possess the ability to restore health.  I found it fascinating to watch someone weave a pattern out of their head. There was no drawing or cartoon to follow.

 I could not resist purchasing these Zapotec rugs in Sedona. The Zapotec Indians live near the Oaxacan plateau in Mexico. The rugs were created with sheep raised by the Indians.  The wool was cleaned, carded, hand-spun and woven. The rugs hang on a railing in our home where I can enjoy them everyday.

Taos had an amazing book store I couldn't resist. I'm sure the salespeople loved me.

I had a chance to meet the weaver of this great little keychain I purchased.

We stopped at a local weaving shop in Chimaya and purchased some placemats and coasters. My husband has this coaster on his desk to this day. We were told we had just missed seeing Caroline Kennedy who had made a purchase at the shop. The day before, in Taos, we had just missed seeing Muhammad Ali, who we were told purchased a large Indian drum. I guess our timing was slightly off those two days.

Enjoy memories of your trips and have a great day!