Barbara Smith

An update on my finger, which is now less trigger happy. After a few days of splinting, taping, and taking advil like it was my job, I am now down to a band aid around the joint to prevent some movement and prevent aggravating the injury. I was finally able to work on my sewing yesterday without any hand pain. I will set to work on the page again today, since I have fallen short of my lofty goal to have all 6 pages together by August 1.

Why August 1? Well, there seem to be a few shows with submission deadlines set for the 1st of August, such as From Our Perspective. I was in this show last year and had a great experience working with the people who organized it. I wanted to enter this year, but I’m still working on that.

I other news, I went to a tractor show. Well, a tractor show with a huge flea market full of tools. Old tools, new tools, and weird bits. I managed to pick up some file handles, dental tools, tool steel, 600 grit sandpaper, and a small hand drill for a relatively small amount of money. I also managed to not get sunburned, which is a feat in and of itself. The “funny” part was the reactions the old guys had to me buying tools. I felt like they were patting my on the head when they said, “ahhhh, now are you sure that is what you need?” Jokes on you, dude.

I just finished reading the catalog for a show that was at the Museum of Arts and Design awhile back called Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting. (soon, they will be having an embroidery show, which I am excited to see). I absolutely loved most of the work in the catalog. I was specifically taken with Hildur Bjarnadottir’s “doodles”.

Doodling 2005.
Tatting, cotton thread.
12 by 15″

This piece was dyed with the ink from a blue pen; then she basically “doodled” with the thread. I guess when you think about tatting in general, one usually follows a pattern of some sort. This is more of a free drawing. This coupled with her use of materials is what I find interesting. (not to mention that these are quite beautiful in and of themselves)

I am also reminded of some of Lulu Smith’s work; specifically her scribble pendant (a.k.a. a drawing translated into metal).

Hand-pigmented resin inlayed into pendant of cast sterling silver with sterling cable.

Drawing is a very important, fundamental part of art making. When I taught the beginning drawing class at Purdue, I was astounded at how many students didn’t think they needed the course and could not wrap their minds around how drawing would come into play for them later. Photo students were by far the worst. They would say that they chose photography because they couldn’t draw and they didn’t understand why they had to actually take drawing, not to mention pass the class. I had a one word answer for that: composition. Then again, I am amazed at how many metals students I see who can’t (or won’t) utilize the skills they learned in design and drawing. These things are not separate, they are quite intertwined! Not only can you use drawing techniques in and on metal, but if you can’t draw, it can be really hard to work out a design, must less come up with a good one! It is, really, like pulling teeth.

But I digress….

Time for coffee.

~ by borderlinebarbie on July 30, 2007.