Don’t you hate it when that happens? So confused. Yep, my co-host today is Brooklyn based artist Natalie Baxter. I have loved Natalie’s textile work for years, and I’m sure you’ve seen it because I’ve written about her a bunch of times, she’s in both of my books on women (here and here), and she was on the podcast a few years ago. Natalie has taken quilting to a whole new level by making soft guns, stuffed American flags, and bedazzled eagles among other things. We were planning to tackle the topic of art vs. craft, which we attempted, but that also lead us down some other pretty winding paths like women in art, and mothers as artists. Yeah, big topics. You can listen right up there under her “clearly confused” banner, or subscribe here.

Here’s a little look at a few of the things we talked about. First up, a couple of her “Bloated Flags” and two “ALT CAPS” banners:

Love! And there’s more… how about some bedazzled eagles from her “Squad” series, and a bunch of “Warm Guns”:

Ooh, look at that big guy! So. Good. These guns were the first quilted pieces Natalie ever started making and, clearly, there was no turning back after that!

And finally, a couple of girls who both look fabulous in leopard print:

Ahhhh, so beautiful! I’m so excited to see what’s next for Natalie, ie., as soon as she posts about her “Housecoats”, I will too! Thanks so much to Natalie for taking the time to do this with me; thank you Create Magazine for supporting this episode… don’t forget to submit your work to their International call for women artists > February 2nd is the deadline for submissions; and huge thanks to you for listening… there will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Sheila Hicks, Artist
2. Allison Reimus, Artist
3. Joshua Simpson Photography (Natalie’s husband)
4. Vermont Student Center
5. Gee’s Bend quilts
6. Artist/Mother Podcast
7. Erin M. Riley on AFYE
8. The quilts she made for her sisters
9. Natalie’s Upcoming Shows: FEMMEPHILIA (New York, NY) January 16 – 23, 2020 / DOMESTIC DISPLAYS, Alleghaney College Art Galleries (Meadeville, PA) Opening reception & panel discussion Tuesday Jan 21 6:30pm / MATERIAL ART FAIR (Mexico City) Feb 7-9, 2020 / BARBIE: Dreaming of a Female Future – Birmingham Museum of Art (Birmingham, AL) August 10, 2019 – January 26, 2020

Whoa. I just wrote about American artist Liza Lou a few months ago, but then this! Her installation, titled Kitchen (1991- 1996), is now on display at The Whitney in New York. Beads. So, so, so many tiny glass beads… more than 30 million if you happen to be counting!? No wonder this project took her from 1991 until 1996. I’m going to New York in March and, yes, this will be my first stop {did you see the chips!? LOVE}. Kitchen is part of an exhibit titled, Making Knowing: Craft in Art, 1950–2019, which runs until January 2021. GO!

The softness of fabric and thread, face to face with the harsh devastation of natural disasters. This is the work of American artist Christina T. Carrozza, and these are her words about this series:

“The disaster quilt series … was born from my experience of living through hurricane Sandy, in my new home in Staten Island … I began exploring the theme of natural disasters, using aerial photography as my primary resource. I am currently working on several pieces in this series depicting the earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan, the earthquake in Haiti, as well as hurricane Katrina. On the surface the quilts appeal to the senses with abstract beauty but when examined more closely, the viewer is made to recognize these devastating events as well as question the way in which they have been represented. I hope the viewer will experience a quiet realization as they peel back layers of signification and process.”

So good. And because I have always had a soft spot for artists who use traditional “craft” techniques to create fine art, I also have to include this bit from her artist statement: “I intend to break boundaries between fine art and craft by using embroidery, quilting and painting as an expression of the contemporary experience of women. I am exploring my relationship to craft, gender, style and authenticity.” Love.

I was in the girl scouts when I was a kid. I made A LOT of these “Ojos de Dios” or “God’s Eye” pieces … well, these just put all of them to shame! North Carolina based artist Jay Mohler has been weaving since the 1960’s. Here, in his own words, is a small snippet of Jay’s story:

“I starting making Ojos de Dios in my hippie days, back in the late 60’s, after seeing Ojos sent as part of an exhibit sent by the Dalai Lama of Tibet. These ojos from Tibet were almost exactly the same as ojos I’d seen earlier made by Hucholes in Mexico. Since then I’ve evolved my own work to 12-sided designs that I believe encompass patterns of many beliefs around the world.”

Oh, they make me want to find some sticks, grab some yarn, and put my girl guide sash back on! If you want to try making one, Jay not only sells his work, but he also sells DIY kits for just under $30. Fun!

{via Honestly WTF}

Have you seen these amazing things?!

Amazingly detailed, hand-embroidered Christmas ornaments? No, although they would be perfect on my tree! These are called temari balls. I had never heard of them before, so just in case they are new to you too, here’s a bit of Wikipedia info:

Temari are highly valued and cherished gifts, symbolizing deep friendship and loyalty. Also, the brilliant colors and threads used are symbolic of wishing the recipient a brilliant and happy life. Becoming a temari artist in Japan today requires specific training, and one must be tested on one’s skills and technique before being acknowledged as a crafter of temari.

Traditionally, temari were often given to children from their parents on New Year’s Day. Inside the tightly wrapped layers of each ball, the mother would have placed a small piece of paper with a goodwill wish for her child. The child would never be told what wish his or her mother had made while making the ball.

Lovely. Beautiful on the outside, and so, so sweet on the inside. The temari balls featured in this post are the work of an 88 year old grandmother. Since the 1960s she has literally made hundreds and hundreds of them, and recently her granddaughter, Nana Akua, documented them – thank goodness!

{via Colossal}

Tape and paper and paint, oh my!

This is an exclusive preview of  Jessica Bell‘s brand new mixed media work! Ack – we’re so lucky! They are absolutely gorgeous… and I wish I could show you the scale because they’re HUGE {50″x43″}. Now, on top of being new, gorgeous, and huge, these are also the pieces that landed Jessica a spot as a finalist for Canada’s coveted RBC Prize this year. She, and fourteen other finalists, will have their work shown at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa this October, with the grand prize being awarded at a fancy gala on October 2nd. My fingers and toes are crossed for Jessica. She is an amazing artist {clearly}, and probably the sweetest person you’ll ever meet! Send her winning thoughts, ok? Ready? GO!

I’m not even sure where to begin. I had a girl crush on Shauna Alterio before I got to Philly last Thursday night… but then I met her {and her wonderful husband Stephen!}, and well, I am in complete awe of both of them. They literally are creative geniuses, and their home… my word, it’s like waking up in an artsy heaven! Have a look:

Yeah, I know! We spent Friday setting up for Saturday {and we may have found some time to go out for brunch, and then a delicious dinner in downtown Philly!}. I fell asleep in this gorgeous loft, and woke up bright and early – ready for another GIRL CRUSH to get underway! An amazing group of women arrived {along with a whole bunch of much-needed coffee and plates full of yummy pastries}, and then, the even more amazing conversation got started:

This is GIRL CRUSH No.5, and I am always still so moved by the conversation that springs up during our morning of creative block bashing exercises. There are definite themes that have come up at each event, but the most consistent thing is the open, honest, heart-felt words that each person openly shares. Without getting too mushy on you, it truly does warm my heart.

Ok, so after about five pots of coffee {thank you Stephen!}, it was time for a delicious catered lunch… and then, of course, onto the art!!! Oh. So. Many. Supplies!

Collages on found book covers! Love, love, love! What else do I love while making art? Yes… whoopie pies!

Sugar. An essential part of the art-making process. They were graciously donated by Coco Love {thank you!}… oh, and speaking of graciously donated things, the gift bags were so heavy, I could barely pick them up!!!

Thank you soooo much to our lovely sponsors:

decor : bhldn // gift bag : green market / girls can tell / made by hank / giant dwarf / seed house

Yes. It was an amazing event! My crush on Shauna has definitely grown, but she might have a little competition, living right under her very own roof:

{photo credit: all photos were taken by women at the event. The last two in the post were from Lisa, anything with a little ‘L’ in the bottom right corner was taken by Leslie, and everything else was shot by Shauna & Stephen. Thank you all!}

Yep, I could have done this on my Mac too… but I didn’t, and neither did Auckland based artist & designer Briar Mark. She hand-stitched it all. Hilarious, and an excellent statement on craft vs. technology. LOVE! Speaking of love, check out this time lapse video of her hard at work…

{via Jeannie Jeannie}

Yes, that is exactly how you start talking after you’ve spent a lovely, inspiring, creative day with Tif Fussell {aka Dottie Angel}

Sigh. What an amazing day we had at GIRL CRUSH Seattle this past Saturday, and it all started right here:

I had never been to Assemble Gallery in Seattle before this weekend, and I absolutely loved it! Emily and Andie, the lovely ladies behind Assemble, were amazing and made sure that everything was just right! It was beyond perfect for an art workshop & tea party… so airy, so pretty, and filled with artwork, design objects, & stacks of gorgeous books… including Uppercase Magazine! Thank you so much to Janine from Uppercase for giving each of us the latest issue… so peachy {as Tif would say!} Once we had everything in just the right spot, it was time to say hello…

What an amazing group of women. Lots of locals, and a few that weren’t so local. People came from LA, Boston, and Vancouver! We spent the morning talking… and talking, and talking. I was completely in awe of the transparency, and willingness to share. Tif’s story of her creative journey was so inspiring, and I was totally caught up in the reasons each of the women gave for being there. Painters, photographers, writers, performers, knitters. What we had in common was a passion to create… not to mention a few niggly doubts about what/how we create that have been slowing us down… well, no more!

I have a set of artist block crushing exercises that we spend the morning working through, and I am quite sure that all of us came away from them slightly changed. {There are already a few posts out there if you’d like to see what I mean… Here, here, and here.} We laughed, we cried, and so of course, by mid-afternoon we all desperately needed this:

So good! We had a lovely lunch catered by Macrina Bakery, followed by an afternoon of Dottie Angel inspired deer-adorned treats by Trophy Cupcakes… and our vintage teacups were constantly filled by the generous folks next door at Caffe Vita! Again, I am totally overwhelmed by the generosity that went into making this event happen.

So, after I finished my insanely delicious cupcake, it was time to lick the butter-cream icing off of Bambi’s hooves, and get to work!

Oh my word – I could have snipped, and glued, and painted until midnight! After a morning filled with amazing conversation, things went very quiet, very quickly. We listened to La Vie en Rose, and collaged like there was no tomorrow. It was heaven… and just like that it was over. I have to say, I felt a little sad to say goodbye to all of the beautiful women who I now call “friend”… oh well, at least we have Twitter!

Thank you so much to everyone involved in GIRL CRUSH Seattle… and to my lovely friend Tif ~ you truly are peachy, spiffy, and not at all ‘pants’ xo

ps. GIRL CRUSH Portland is only a few weeks away… if you’d like to come and spend a creative Saturday with me and Lisa Golightly {aka Kiki & Polly} you can sign up right here! If you’re thinking about it, please do come… we can’t make these events happen without you!

*Pants: adjective; British slang. Not good; total crap; nonsense; rubbish; bad; used quite a bit by the lovely Tif Fussell!

………………………………………..

These photographs were all taken by the ladies at the event… what talent! Thanks to Andie, Sandra, and Melanie xo

Um… yeah. It’s pretty much impossible not to be jealous of New York based artist Nicola Ginzel. As you can see, she turns mundane, and in some cases, discarded items into precious works of art through the painstaking application of embroidery thread, a little paint, and the occasional bit of gold leaf.  Yep, anyone that can make an old paper cup {not to mention a piece of toilet paper} look this beautiful, is definitely right up there on my list of “soul-crushers”.

{Nicola is part of a two-man show that opens tonight in New York, at Heskin Contemporary. The other artist is Jazmin Berakha… who I also happen to love! Thanks to Kate at Art Hound for the head’s up on the opening.}