I had started various parts of this figure before our move, but she came together in my Taos studio.  I had built the shadow box "skirt" earlier this spring.  Usually this type of project is very frustrating due to my minimal woodworking skills, but this came together quickly!  (That magical moment was more than compensated for by the difficulty I had making the ladder!)  I had made the head in 2014 when I was working on "Caught by a Butterfly" and "Bug Man". Her collar is part of a vintage collar for a child's dress that I have save for years.  Anyway, here are 5 children climbing through the chunky clouds so typical in northern New Mexico to reach a welcoming mother figure who looks to have her head in a cloud.  I hope to have a name for this piece before I take to my show at the La Veta Gallery at the end of August.

My first visit to the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last Sunday was the high light of the week!  I am sorry that I didn't have the presence of mind to take a photo or two to post here.  I was overwhelmed and humbled to see so much beautiful work in one day!  My experiences in museum retail introduced me to arts and crafts of many world cultures as I met vendors and selected store merchandise. But, I've been isolated from that exposure for awhile now.  This was a wonderful review full of new surprises.  

Take a few moments to explore the International Folk Art Market website to see colorful images and get a better idea of the remarkable scope of this project. 

I was overwhelmed, too, by the crush of visitors, shoppers and volunteers!  I'll need a more aggressive strategy as well as deeper pockets when I go next year!

Then, back to the studio this week, where I completed a project that has been in the works for a few months. It is just a little drop in a world-sized bucket of creativity.  Photos next week!

I am still thinking about fabric chenille, or a version of it, anyway, and experimenting with a few things.
My idea this week was to make 9 pieces of fabric "chenille", each 6 inches square.  When I am finished each square will be mounted on a 6" x 6" stretched canvas.  All 9 pieces could be hung together, or displayed individually, or in groups of 2, 3, 4 or 6.  I selected and sewed each stack of fabric individually to develop as much variety as possible.  I then washed everything, roughed up the surface with my fingers and dried them flat.  I brushed some fabric paint on the wet fabric to add more variety and blend corners.

The horizontal orientation makes an image that reminds me of a landscape with layered clouds - a little bit like the sunset we saw last night.  

It is beginning to look like I can get to work in my new studio space!

We are moved into our new home in Taos, New Mexico, and the studio is shaping up.  I have taken over two thirds of a finished, fully heated double garage. There is a utility sink and a work bench not in view, as well as some garage stuff - but no cars.  In time i will know where every little thing is stored!

We put our house in Littleton, Colorado, on the market in mid March, ending most of the activity in my work room.  It looked dismal enough to prospective buyers without also being messy!  Twelve weeks is a long break and I have to realize that it may take me a little while to get up to speed.

I plan to resume my weekly blog schedule.  It is a LOT like talking to myself, but I have found the process helpful.