GETTING READY FOR SHOW TIME

Time seems to be going by fast and it is only a week and a half until the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Show in Raleigh, N.C.  There will be clay, jewelry, metal, wood and, of course, fiber artists displaying their new work.  I am now in the process of finishing up some pieces and reconfiguring my usual booth set-up as I will have a corner booth this year.  Here is the weekly run-down of preparation so far:

"Not Like the Others" was hooked a while ago, but I could not quite put my finger on why I was not happy with it.  I finally replaced the outline on the three similar figures with a darker textured gold and it made all the difference in the world.  I love this piece now.  The gold wood backing and frame make a  great finish.  I also attached two lock plates on the sides of the work.

"Deception of Beauty" received a whipped edge this week.  During the work process, I often hook multiple pieces at a time and then whip the edges on them later.

The new shelving for my ProPanel booth set-up arrived this past week.  These were needed to display the rock rugs and table rugs made for the show.  I have been using ProPanels for a while now and love them.  They are easy to set up and give a professional look to a display.  This past year they have offered new products to their line such as lighting and adjustable stiffeners for holding the top of the panels together.

Here is the process of setting up.  I am doing the set-up down in the rec room of the house so when I arrive at the show I will know exactly where everything goes and set-up there will be easier.  One of the four new shelves is attached.  The shelves have to be attached before the walls are put together.  (I learned this the hard way!) The ladder is necessary as I have the eight foot walls.

All the walls and lighting are up now.  The area on the right side will be partially open (only two wall sections up) as it will face an aisle way and I want open space for people to view the booth from.

A view of how the new shelving looks with work displayed.  

I still have some work to do, but this is where I ended this week.  The open area in the back will have a curtain over it and will be used to place items needed during the show such as receipt books, tool box, extra lights, etc.  The new configuration seems to be working well and is probably the one I will use for the show.  The convenience of Propanels lets you change things around quite easily so you can play with the design before shows. 

This seems to be a busy time of year for everyone.  I have been trying to take a break once in a while and usually read a magazine related to art or decor during that time.  Make sure to give yourself the breaks you deserve 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.

WORKS JURIED INTO "THE CUTTING EDGE"

I am pleased to be a part of an upcoming fiber art show in Asheville, NC. Desert Moon Designs Gallery is presenting "The Cutting Edge: The Language of Textiles and Fiber Art" from April 4 - May 5, 2012 with an artist reception from 5-8 pm on April 14. This particular show caught my attention as the call for artists encouraged the use of non-traditional materials and techniques with the primary material being fiber. The show is also looking at what a piece of fiber art says about the artist.

"Diamond Road"  Lori LaBerge  2012

When I create a piece I need to see a reason for it to be done in fiber, otherwise the drawn design sits in a work file and never gets transferred to backing fabric. I love to see how the textures and colors add to the meaning of a piece and how other materials can be blended into a fiber design in a complimentary fashion.

"Free Passage"  Lori LaBerge  2012

Rug hooking is not a widely shown medium and I enjoy peoples' reactions when they see it in a contemporary venue. The call for this show came at a great time as I have not yet shown any of my mixed-media pieces outside of my own studio and this blog. It is always a little scary when you change your work and veer into new territory. An artist is never quite sure how previous collectors will react and how people new to the artist's work will receive it. It is always encouraging to have new work juried into a show and I look forward to seeing other fiber artists' work there and having the chance to converse with them.

Take chances, believe in yourself and your art and have a great day.