Our gallery, Artists' Collaborative Gallery in Old Sac, has an annual member get together and it's happening this coming Thursday, Sept 1 and along with the gathering, we're giving our long time member, Jason Branz and his bride to be, Marni Singer, an "Artful Wedding Shower". Those who want to participate can create art as their gift to Marni and Jason for their new home that they have just purchased and will start living together in as husband/wife. Knowing the Jason is all about photography, I asked him to give me his favorite photo of the two of them, but not to ask what I was going to do with it...as if he didn't know. Anyway, it's all about Marni's hair and the fact that they were on the beach (sunglasses)....and that's what they got. Great fun putting it together and it turned out great...nice a soft color.
My newest adventure is learning to weaving. Purchased three small rigid heddle looms for myself, my daughter and her step daughter, Frankie who is 8...and this is what we have been doing this summer...learning to weave. And we've learned a lot with all of our mistakes and screw up, but we're still all still working on something. The Beka loom we got is your basic loom and the most difficult part for me has been the problem of keeping the warp tight...there is no roller at the front of the loom, just a tight bar and it just doesn't give the tightness needed when wefting the thread/yarn from right to left without some trouble. Above is my current sample...warped in two colors and I'm wefting with red chanelle and two gold threads every so often and it's interested the design that is forming. That's what is so much fun about weaving....you actually think it's going to turn out one way, but it ends up completely different that you planned...I'm sure over time I will be more able to determine the outcome, but I somewhat like not really knowing as I like the element of surprise.
I had a gallery friend mention she had a rigid heddle 20" loom on a floor stand that she will sell me and I'm definitely taking her up on that offer....it's the perfect size and it has the roller in the front and the back for a more secure warp and that was the one thing I wanted to accomplish with my next loom purchase. Good things happen when you just wait.
Personal Life: Coming along fairly well with living alone again. Of course there are those times when I experience loneliness, but I work through it and it's going fairly well. Two of my sisters in law stayed with me four about three weeks while one was having chemo treatment and that was like one long slumber party, but they have left for home in Oregon and now I am on my own. I've had my kitchen flooring changed, having a chair recovered as it was falling apart, had a security system installed,.....taking care of all those things around the house that need to be accomplished to settle in for a long winter season...as if it's hard or anything..rain, but definitely no snow in our area. Anyway, I'm keeping busy with my art work (have four projects working on my table), learning to weave, managing the art gallery (actually worked the customer desk last week), reading, cleaning the house once in a while, working in the garden, bowling with my friends and much more....keeping my chin up and making my way in this crazy mixed up world. The way I look at myself at this point in my life...I don't have a terminal disease, I am healthy at 69 years of age, I have a nice home with a good roof over my head, I can afford to live a nice life, I can financially care for my estranged husband in another facility with no contact and I don't feel one bit of guilt or sorry for myself in any way....life does go on day by day and I intend to live each day to it's fullest.
