out with the trash

I continue to try to make my life lighter. The destash projects continue. I consciously don't collect as much as I used to; I haven't even gone shopping for clothes in like over a month. Today, I deleted my myspace account. I feel like the majority of the people I know on there are my friends on facebook too, or know how to reach me anyway. I never use it, and the only messages I ever get the occasional invite to a party in a country I no longer live in. It feels good. One less password to have taking up space in my head.

when you can't toss it

I found the perfect place to put all the stuff I've been holding on to for silly reasons but can't give away or throw out--art pieces!

Three pairs of worn out jeans --> trivet that I'll never use ---> breast!

I'd like this piece to spin, I'm thinking there's something about it being a wheel of fortune...

I decided to make a massive floor piece, titled Fresh Kills after the landfill on Staten Island. I've started the nipple and thus far I'm really happy with it. It's a massive de-stash project--absolutely covered with stuff and eye-popping candy colored tidbits. I'm going to make the body of the piece out of yarn. I love love love it. I can't wait to start crocheting the main part of it.

you reek

I came across this in my uncle's office. Apparently my uncle, the math professor, wrote a note, commenting on the quality of the text, in a math book. When my grandfather found it, he thought it deserved a response.

phea jean

 

My new favorite person of the week is Amber Zaraza, designer and creator of phea jean (pronounced fee-ah jean, jean as in blue jeans that you wear). From the moment I saw her I wanted to know more about her. Amber's sassy/funky style and light-hearted easy going vibe spills over into her designs and gives them a truly unique edge.

Though she proclaims, "Fashion is so not serious," it is clear that her creative process and the materials she chooses to work with make her hats and bags more than just accessories. Most of her 22 designs were created as a result of a person close to her requesting a certain type of bag, and then she names the style after them. The Addy, for example, was made for her brother Adam. This bag, like many others, is reversible, so you get two bags out of one.  I love the handle, the pockets all over and the boxy shape.

One of the most interesting elements of her pieces is the wild combination of fabrics, colors and textures she mixes together. This is the show-stopping characteristic that makes people ask, "Where did you get that bag?" When asked where she buys her fabric, she replied that she hasn't really bought fabric in years as a result of the many donations she receives and the fact that she likes to work with deconstructed vintage garments. Bag patterns don't require a lot of fabric, so it's easy for Amber to turn just about anything--from an old frock with a hole to fabric shower curtains--into fabulous funky accessories. Phea jean bags take upcycling to a whole new out-of-control level; you might find grandma's vintage tablecloth with a leopard trim!

The reuse of materials is what draws in most of Amber's custom orders. Clients give Amber clothing they love but can't wear anymore for whatever reason and she creates something new for them. For me, someone who gets unnaturally attached to objects for the memory and history they hold, this was the most brilliant part about what Amber does. I loved that the energy, memories, and stories woven into the fabrics could be kept in tact, sewn together to create a new life that could be useful and go out and collect more adventures.

Memory, experiences, and their relationship with objects come up a lot in my own work, so Amber and I had a lot to discuss when we met up at a cafe this past week. She was willing to give me great sewing tips, and shared a lot about her crafty history with me. As she dumped her 5th pack of sugar, followed by yet another half & half, into her coffee, we talked about the great craft community of Philly. My attention trailed off for a moment as I thought about how fortunate we are to have a designer who is willing to share stories and teach tidbits of what she knows. I giggled about how she likes it light and really sweet. I had no concept of time but wanted to talk about everything and ask a million questions. Our conversation went on for hours, but ended too soon. So... if you see her at a craft fair or trunk show definitely go chat her up and ask about her bags. Every one seems to have a fascinating story and she's pretty fabulous as well.

For more phea jean, check out the website, www.pheajean.com, and a selection of Amber's designs at her etsy shop. If you're interested in having a custom bag or hat made, contact Amber at pheajean@gmail.com.  Updates on what phea jean, and other members of the Philly etsy team, are up to can be found on the team blog: http://phillyetsy.blogspot.com

getting peeped

Well, well, well, look who got peeped on the street AGAIN, Ms. Eleni in her ELENI VLAHAKIS sweater. I'm quite proud to say that I had some little part in the creation of that piece. That means this is the second fashion blog with Eleni, in that sweater. Here she is at Seoul Fashion Week:


And for all of you wishing you had her sweater, she takes special orders for her couture knits, but be ready to pay high fashion boutique prices.

Eleni you have so much style. Keep workin' it lady!

recipe #2: matzo ball soup

My dad has some kind of cold or flu.  He's sick, so that means it's time to make matzo ball soup. For every recipe in my mother's arsenal there's a story that goes along with it.  This dish on the other hand seems to have a whole chapter, volumes of tales.  For now, here's my mom's recipe. 

Roll over Notes for details on each photo.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH MATZO BALLS

1 chicken (cut up)
low fat, low sodium, chicken stock (32. oz.)
1 whole onion
2 stalks celery cut in large chunks
4 carrots, sliced in similar sized pieces
3-4 cloves garlic
a few sprinkles of hot red pepper flakes
fresh parsley
fresh dill
Salt & pepper
4 eggs
matzo meal


In the midst of all this, which took about 2 hours to make, she some how also managed to make meatballs and bbq chicken.  I used to be mostly a vegetarian.

fluid

I'm dreaming about water again. Slick calm pools, unwavering, beckoning me to disturb their surfaces. I'm too taken by their beauty to dare to touch. And the next minute I'm swimming with friends and brief loves I haven't seen since a tropical time that seems ages ago.

Underwater. I'm breathing. The water is like a thick cool breeze, invisible, but there and felt going over and past me. I'm warm, it's quiet, I feel bliss. There are no thoughts, no voice reminding me to appreciate that this is a wonderful time, just a feeling that I'm so happy. I'm not thinking of where I am, what I'm doing, or what I'm wearing. Just me in the water.

And then I staged daydreams to the soundtrack of snow and rain hitting the window of the train taking me home. A fascination of the day: droplets.

And then I feel in love with Twice, and the clever way they make water in the shadow puppet video, and the amazing sound of Yukimi Nagano, who sang with Koop (another of my favorites, thanks to Charles). Mmmm... dreamy, I float in this.

I'm dreaming of water again. What's that supposed to mean?

mail art

 

Three things I love: journals, boxes, and letters. They often hold secrets and surprises. 

Art clash is organizing a mail art project. To participate, you send your name and address via snail mail to 4535 Larchwood Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143 by March 14, and they will send you the names and addresses of 4 other participants. I sent off a letter to them today (in a handmade envelope cut from a menu, of course). So excited.

I also sent a nipple off to Free-for-all-mail-call.  I found a posting about this on craigslist. You send something, they will send you something back.  Fun stuff.

artsy folk

For the first time in my life, I love being in Philadelphia. On top of being close to my friends and family, there are great real communities of crafters and artists collaborating and helping each other work towards common goals.

On the crafty front, I've joined the Philadelphia Etsy Team. I'm looking forward to spring so we can do a few fairs together. I'll probably leave with more work from other people than profits from selling my own work. If I had all the tea in China...

I'm updating my link bar to include some of the shops and sites of the etsy team members. I love Mattson's paintings. They are are so adorable and funny. They make me smile and I love how he turns anything, from mustard to a teacup, into a character. There are a bunch of jewelers in the group who make great stuff and I'm going to do a bit of an exclusive in the next week or so with Amber Zaraza (fabulous name!), the creator of phea jean. She makes funky fabulous hats and bags.

In the world of fine art, I've been going to more galleries and museums and having more arty discussions. My two new favorite artists to spent time with are Katharine Loxley and Corey Armpriester. Katharine and I have big plans for the future, BIG PLANS. We have a lot of things in common (drinking, obsessions with certain body parts, interests in interactive art and community art projects, and we often have to deal with crazy artists), so we have lots to talk about. And she color coordinates her outfits really well. And she does collage work, some where doves are fucking. Love her!
Corey does great photo work and he's quite an inspiration. He's the older brother I wish I had. Corey's doing a great piece on the Patriot Act. He's wrapping people's heads in the flag and then taking pictures while they leave "a trail" of some sort--either making a phone call, sending a text message, on the internet, etc. He's having some difficultly finding people to sit for his project, which I'm actually quite surprised by, so if you're up for it, send me a message and I'll put you in touch with him. You get a print of your portrait. Love him!

So, things are going well in my universe--it's filled with cultural events, creative meetings, and days filled with making art.

Saturday night we had a benefit at the gallery to help Foyer of Philadelphia raise funds to get their organization started. FOP's mission is to facilitate LGBTQ young adults transition from foster care and/or homelessness to self-sufficiency and independence. My favorite piece in the gallery at the moment sold to a Frenchman named Pascal. Ah well, you can't keep them all.

Today I started working with a group of very cool people on a short film project, and my fiber pieces are coming along nicely. I'm so in love with this new body of work I want to make, it's all I can think about. I can't sleep, I don't want to go out sometimes, eating takes too much time away from being able to use my hands to make things. Next I just need the right venue (a gallery/institution/event or two, or three) to show the work at. Some funding would be nice too.

Here's an update on my big red experiment. I'm going to make the center beaded part light up when you poke it. Most of it is hand sewn. The beading took forever. I still need to sew the back and stuff it. I'm not sure it's flashy enough yet. This is about a week of work--about 5 movies, 3 episodes of Project Runway, and a couple long train rides. For the first one, I'm pretty pleased with it. I haven't sewn anything in years and I'm teaching myself a lot along the way. Stay posted to see what happened when I cut up a couple of pairs of jeans and found my glue gun.

Bata Shoe Museum

OMG SHOES!

Toronto is melting

Today's fascination: a mix of mud, puddles, dirty snow, sludge, and icy bits.

I loved the temperature, but my faux-suede boots weren't exactly the right choice to stand up to the massive thaw. Sitting on the subway, grumbling at the mud on my toes, I found myself deeply envious of this woman's funky rubber boots.

I love looking at the way women deal with the weather and create fun fashion solutions. My sister says as a result of coming home with wet pants hems on far too many cold nights she has resorted to wearing skinny jeans--only skinny jeans. Wandering the streets of Toronto, I spotted a lot of great examples of rubber boots expertly combined with leggings and skirts, over pants, or with jeans tucked in. Heels are just completely impractical if you are walking anywhere in this weather.

big red in progress

Good Times in Ottawa

I'm taking a bit of a mini-North American tour. I haven't seen Matthew since St. Petersburg in August 2006, so I spent a few days in Ottawa. I'm happy to report that Matt is the same awesome, funny guy... except now he has a rat tail and kinda scary facial hair. He's getting a kick out of creeping people out.

Regardless of the style he's sporting, it was really nice to just relax and spend some time together. It was super nice to eat things Matt whipped up in the kitchen.

Salmon pasta with rose sauce, zucchini, olives, and dill.

Matt made the best curry carrot ginger soup I've ever had. The basic recipe was something like this:
*1 diced medium onion
* 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
* 4 Tbsp of minced fresh ginger
* 2-3 cloves finely minced garlic
* 1½ c. chopped carrots
* 3 c. vegetable broth
* Matt's crazy special mix of curry, cinnamon, and ???

Heat olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of stockpot. Add onions and cook until soft. Add ginger, garlic, spices, and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Add carrots and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until carrots are exceedingly tender, about 20-30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender.

Thin with additional broth as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

It was cold and snowing in Ottawa, so we didn't go ice skating, but we did go to the National Gallery. They have a nice Contemporary Art collection. Two sculptural pieces left an impression on us. I really liked BGL’s The Discourse of Elements. There were secret spaces to explore. Matt totally loved watching The Way Things Go, by Peter Fischli and David Weiss. It's one of my favorites too.



Till next time Mr. Pops Locks & Bagels...

boobies in progress

I've started working on a series of large fiber nipple/breast works. I want them to look like pasties for mother nature.

I started out with a tape form. I used instructions from tapesculpture.org

Step 2. Fabric experiments.