Eye... Hand... Mind!

As you can see, I am playing with making a new header image. I haven't decided if this one will stay yet, or, if it will become something else shortly. In anycase, I had to blog this:

I just got an email from Arlee Barr a new blog friend, and an artist with an amazing eye.... hand... mind! She's a lady with a sassy sense of humor, and reading her blog always perks up my day!

Referring to my previous header image...







she said:

"it just struck me what is also attractive about that photo--did you see the figure in it? the woman with her face turned, a gorgeous snarl of blue hair and intricate earring showing at the hairline--"

Here is the image that she attached to her message:
















By adding that simple outline, she has transformed a scraggy piece of calico and a tangle of DCM embroidery thread into the "magical maiden of the blue hair". Something classical and perhaps a little færie about that, no? Infact, with that single white line she claims the work as hers :) I would never have seen it myself!

Arlee was one of the first textile journalists that I found and loved online, and the first person to follow my blog. Visit her pages. I promise that you won't regret it! With so much gorgeous artwork - just check this out - it's almost impossible to single work out. Currently, however, I love Mitochrondria: Incubation 1 (check out the details of this piece in her slides 2 and 3 as well). this is very similar to what was tumbling around inside my head, but not yet formed by me, whilst I have thinking about gold and repossé metal work, and that cream and black, semi-sheer, fabric remnant featured in one of my posts yesterday, the one with the dots.

Another of my favorites has to be Brain Pan (also check out slides 14 and 15 for detailed views). It entertains me that, in Spanish, pan means bread... and I fondly imagine that the piece is entitled Brain bread How delicious are the variations, conotations and associations that come with that idea! It also appeals to me as I do have a hole in the old grey matter.

Arlee's work is always alive, eloquent, challenging to the mind and eye, inviting a thorough exploration of every millimeter of it's fabulous fiberous detail.

In a word, Inspirational!