desertsong studio

solstice soliloquy

 

the perceptive experience

or the act of being perceptive is one of

      projecting the self energy to   that out there

           the objective world within which we move

        identifying with

          becoming

          the thing perceived

      it is not a gathering of or possessing of the thing

 

perceiving is the act of becoming

it is expansion

not contraction

 

perceiving is

     beyond the realm of prejudice

     an uncluttered world to explore

     a solitary meaning that LEADS to

            other meanings

     a dawning of unfamiliar ideas

        to reincarnate familiar ideas

 

this experience comes home to ignite the consciousness

ann o’hanlon

 

The winter solstice, for me, is a time for contemplation. Remembering what has occurred during the year now nearing its end, thinking about what will come in the new one. Looking back, looking forward. Thinking about the fragility of our planet to which we are so very connected, yet also in our current culture, so very removed from.

 

Much has happened in the time since I lasted posted about my journey with this tapestry… my visit with Silvia Heyden in late September was simple, yet multi-faceted. Our friendship deepened on a more personal level as did my evolving ability to understand her creative aesthetic. I viewed her newest tapestries & was able to see more in them. My mind is still feasting on our discussions. I became involved in helping Kenny Dalsheimer, the producer of her film, solicit endorsements for it, helping fulfill my desire to promote it however I am able to. Silvia’s view of creativity & the manner in which she pursues it, in my mind is unprecedented & must be shared.

 

After returning home from Silvia’s, I made the decision to become vegan. A vegan diet is a plant based diet… no animal products are eaten. More simply put, vegans eat nothing that has a face or a mother. This choice was precipitated by several factors—watching both Food, Inc. & The Last Heart Attack, & my belief that changing one’s lifestyle to achieve better health is wiser than relying on drugs which have other unwanted effects-- & sustained by an inner desire that has existed within me for some time to live a more healthy & compassionate lifestyle. So far I have taken to the change like a cow to grass, & my journey was helped along a great deal by two books: The 30-Day Vegan Challenge & Vegan For Life. Not only has a whole new tasty wonderful world opened up for me, in the process I discovered that I am not gluten sensitive. I have come to see that a vegan diet is much easier to maintain than a gluten free one. And although Dennis & I jokingly refer to him as an “involuntary vegan” since all foods I prepare for us to eat are vegan, he has supported my decision with no complaints. My sweet & wonderful man!

 

Along with a respite from the burning heat of summer, October brought many other enjoyable things… Kelsey W., a Fiber Art grad student at Arizona State University, came to my studio to interview me for her thesis which will examine the art and stories of women from the American Southwest. It is an extraordinary feeling to know that I will be part of that! My mother was here during the latter part of the month for a visit & was able to spend time in my studio with me while I worked on the condor tapestry. It was fun to see how interested she was in the process & to field her questions about it. I began to play the cello again after getting a smaller 3/4 size by trading in my 4/4 full size one at the suggestion of my teacher. This newest member to the studio is an old girl, a restored 1929 German cello made in Munich, & she is beautiful in every way. My playing has already improved with no pain, even after not playing all summer, & my teacher says it is the best sounding 3/4 cello she has ever heard. I still can’t believe this jewel is mine & that I am playing again.

 

 

November brought brief visits to the studio from tapestry friends as they were passing through Tucson at different times for various reasons-- DY, Peg, Therese, Janie & Don – how wonderful it was to have you all in my studio & for me to hear your thoughts & impressions about my condor tapestry! A very welcome stoking of my weaving fire!

 

An unexpected treat was had in early December when DY, Janie, & I had a chance to spend several days together at DY’s home in Phoenix. A mini retreat where we shared weaving thoughts, ideas, plans, great meals, & several glasses of wine! And rain, glorious rain… November & December have brought more consistent rain than I can remember having in at least 5 years or more. I have heard people complaining both about the rain down in the deserts & the snow in the higher elevations; I wish they would stop, remember how hot & dry the summer was, & take a good look around at the number of native plants that are dying from the extended drought we have been having. Instead of complaining, be grateful for the precious gift of water!

 

Condor 27 has me in her tender grip. The tapestry is now at a height of 4.5 feet on the left side & 4 feet on the right.

 

Her bottom wing has been completed,

 

the bottom half of her tail is complete,

 

& after much deliberation I recently started weaving the silky feathers of her body…

 

The second butte has been finished with a glowing, sun-gilded crown,

 

& the deep shadows of the third butte frame the condor’s body as she soars through the air…

 

The weaving of the fourth butte has just begun, & it will be given a bluish grey cast to represent its distance.

 

And here, via the magic of Photoshop layers, is what the entire tapestry would look like if I could unroll all of the previously woven areas from the loom…

 

Visit my “On The Loom Now” album to read more in depth descriptions of these latest images.

 

As the Earth wobbles in her orbit to bring us to the longest night of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere, the end of December will bring me to a full year of weaving this tapestry that has taught me so much & has so much more to teach me in the coming year. Thank you for sharing my journey… my very best to all of you in the coming year!

thankful

 

"To laugh often and love much;

to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;

to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty;

to find the best in others;

to give of one's self;

to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived -

this is to have succeeded."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

I am working on all of the above & I am so thankful for it.

Stay tuned for a condor update coming soon…

north rim redux

Dennis & I took a lovely trip to the Grand Canyon near the end of August; I had good intentions of posting before now, but the two weeks since we’ve been back were filled with numerous appointments & engagements for car, canines, & self… twelve to be exact. Add in the final proofing of the review I wrote about Silvia Heyden’s soon to be released documentary, & another birthday (51!)… poof! Like magic, time has just evaporated. Needless to say, not a ton of weaving has occurred during this time, but I am anticipating settling back into more productive loom time after I return from another trip I am heading out on tomorrow to visit Silvia Heyden for several days at her home in North Carolina.  Even though this last couple of weeks have been frustrating, some very important issues were resolved during our time at the Canyon & it has given me a renewed sense of the importance of this tapestry, & for that I am grateful. I know that my time with Silvia will allow me to return home fresh for the loom.

 

Our visit to the North Rim was wonderful, allowing us a chance to escape the heat of Tucson, celebrate a birthday for Dennis & get in some good hiking time. I have come to realize that my creativity is so locked up in this tapestry that I am unable to dabble in any other artistic pursuits, with the exception of shooting photos, which always seems to be effortless. And I have realized that is ok. Even though I carted along a bunch of drawing & painting supplies on the trip, I didn’t lift a brush or a pencil. Dennis was the artist on this trip! The only things I lifted were my pack, camera, wine glass, fork, & my own two feet on our many hikes…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dennis & I also had the opportunity to listen to very interesting Ranger talks & programs, like the sobering “Death in the Grand Canyon” & the informative “Condor Talk”, which was given the night we attended by Ranger Jeremy… have a look at this incredible condor flight feather!

 

I was able to spend some very important time with two of the Rangers I met during my residency last year— Gaelyn, also known as the “Condor Ranger” & now also involved in the AiR program (the photo below is of she & I in the Visitor Center)…

 

& with Robin, the Ranger who oversees the AiR program (& the other interpretive rangers). Robin & I had quite a discussion regarding the placement of the tapestry in the Visitor Center.

 

The tapestry will be hung suspended from the rafters, in a similar location as the currently displayed life-sized plywood condor (which the tapestry will replace), but the tapestry will hang closer to the wall; the top edge of the tapestry will be angled slightly down towards viewers. In the second photo below, you can just barely see the end of the plywood condor’s tail feathers at the top left of the photo, just to give you an idea of the height of the rafters.

 

We want it to be visible & make an impact when people walk in, yet not be accessible to the hundreds of thousands of hands that will be tempted to touch it. The North Rim gets close to 800,000 visitors a year, so things on display have to be bomb-proof, covered, or out of reach because no matter in how many languages a sign proclaims “Do Not Touch”, everyone thinks just one little touch won’t hurt, will it? A special frame will be constructed to attach the tapestry to. The Park has an employee who is a woodworker artist & can build it to my specs. Thanks to the loan of old ITNET tapestry journals from Janie Hoffman earlier this year, I was able to research the conservation articles on how best to prepare large tapestries for display to prevent distortion. During discussions about this topic that Janie & I had when Dennis & I were visiting her Blue River Retreat in May, she & I also devised a design for a frame to hang the tapestry from. Thanks, Janie!

 

Most importantly, I now have a “due date” for my beautiful diva… she is to fly to her home at the North Rim Visitor Center around the last of September or beginning of October in 2012. I had thought that the Park would want her to arrive at the beginning of their season, but Robin told me that time is too frantic & crazy… near the end of the season, everyone is in their groove & used to the routine of NPS life which will make for a more enjoyable experience of hanging the tapestry. I will bring the tapestry there myself & I am planning to spend as many days there as needed to help them in any way I can.

 

As we drove down off the Rim to head for home, I found myself daydreaming about what it will be like to bring the tapestry back next year & what it will be like to see it hanging there. I can hardly imagine it. As I stared out across the desert that stretches from the Vermilion Cliffs to the Echo Cliffs like a red sea studded with silver green sage, I drifted back in my mind, remembering how it felt when I first found out I had been selected as a North Rim Artist in Residence. All of a sudden, through my open window I noticed a lone bird, flying low enough to suddenly make me snap out of my reverie, yet just high enough to not be quite sure what I was seeing… too big for a raven… um… the flight is too solid & steady to be a turkey vulture… OMG! “A CONDOR!!! Stop the truck NOW!!!”. Thanks to Dennis not having a heart attack & instead quickly following my “suggestion”, we piled out of the truck with just enough time to get a decent look through binoculars as the lone condor circled ever higher in the sky. A sign.

gaining altitude

Summer melts on here in Tucson, also known as the Old Pueblo or sometimes The Baked Apple, which seems a more appropriate name right now since our monsoons have been very disappointing. I cannot even bear to listen to my weather radio tell me how far behind we are in our rainfall amounts, but all I have to do is look out at the surrounding desert to know we are not getting enough!

 

I did not realize that my last “real” post about the condor tapestry’s progress was way back in May! I have posted one or two update photos on Facebook (which, yes, I have finally succumbed to, but only after finding out that there are tons of tapestry & fiber related posts going on out there… I swear I don’t post about what I have for lunch every day!).

 

Much has happened since that last post… the weaving is now above 3 feet & the 4 foot mark on the cartoon is in sight. Those first 3 feet have been marked by many events that will now always be linked in my memory to weaving the first part of the tapestry: James Koehler’s untimely death; the Tselani retreat with DY, Janie, & Rebecca; Dennis’ car accident that totaled his vehicle (he was, luckily, uninjured); a dog bite; a couple of illnesses, one of which I’m recovering from now; a couple of dog illnesses; the massive Wallow Fire; taking on the role as ATA’s Online Educational Articles editor.

So, what follows are photos of the weaving progression since that long ago post. The last photo I posted was when I was just beginning to weave the tips of her primary feathers. She & I have come a long way together since then…

 

5-22-11

The weaving is now at 2 feet; I have the tool tray off the loom & perched on top of a footstool & the shuttles are stuck into the warp above the weaving in order to see the weaving more clearly. A photo of Condor 27 is attached to the top of the loom so she can keep an eye on things. I am just reaching the point where I will begin weaving the secondary feathers, which also meant I had to decide on another shading scheme. Secondary feathers have a different function & therefore take on a different shape in flight; they will reflect light differently.

A detail of the primaries.

The gorge gradations are coming along nicely & beginning to transition from the deeper blue violet into the greyed red violet as the weaving progresses to where the butte is not in such deep shadow. Although it is hard to see here, the texture on this butte is not as pronounced as on the foreground butte (look at the first 5/22 photo again). I have done this purposefully to create a sense of distance. Landscape objects that are further away tend to lose detail & become more grey in coloration.

A closer look at the gradations.

 

6-11-11

Via the magic of Photoshop’s layer function, this is an approximation of the total progress of the tapestry at this point as if I had unrolled all of the previously woven footage from the bottom beam. The colors in the different layers do not match since the photographs were taken at different times of the day. The woven textures of the foreground buttes do not show up well in this version, but I am happy with how the eroded areas appear & how the gorge gradation appears.

 

6-19-11

The primaries are complete & you can see that the tips of them are now beginning to wrap around the bottom beam. Since I didn’t sew up the massive slits along their edges as I wove, I had to take great care when I advanced the warp to make sure they were flat on the beam as they rolled around. I have now begun the secondaries, which are long flight feathers with rounded tips. Unlike the primary feathers, which are used for “steering”, secondaries serve to provide lift for the wing & so are shaped differently & packed more closely together. You can see that their highlighted areas are a bit more subdued.

Just above the primaries are the first covert feathers, which are dark. They are small, rounded feathers that cover the shafts of the major flight feathers where they insert into the wing; coverts provide a smooth surface for the wind to move over & are arranged in several layers: greater primary coverts, greater secondary coverts, median secondary coverts, lesser secondary coverts, & marginal coverts. Coverts are also softer than the main flight feathers. Again, another fiber, color, & shading scheme to decide upon. It is important to differentiate the many types of feathers on the wing in subtle ways without causing the wing to look multi-colored or appear to be a giant black mass.

The gorge gradations continue to proceed into a greyed red violet; now the edge of this butte has appeared & behind it is another butte that will also be in deep shadow. Another butte, another decision to be made.

 

6-21-11

I am now well into the secondaries, the dark coverts, the white coverts, & the very black marginal coverts which cover the leading edge of the wing.

The white coverts were very tricky & took several experiments with different colors until I was satisfied… pure white was much too bright & harsh. The yarns that ended up working best are actually several values of grey, from light to medium in a mix of wool & linen. Viewed at a distance, they look very white against the dark wing. The marginal coverts on the leading edge of the wing are very black & softer still; they are composed of a mix of slub rayon, linen, & alpaca. The slub rayon that has been the workhorse for most of the feathers is Earth Guild’s Dragon Tale in black; it has a tiny, shiny blue thread that wraps around it.

 

7-20-11

On the left the weaving is at the 3 foot mark; I reached that point during the 4th of July weekend & at this point almost have 3 feet in height woven across the entire 6 foot width. The first deep gorge butte is almost completely woven up to where it meets her wing & I have started on the next gorge butte which will be working its way into a more greyed version of the first one. Whenever I see this photo, I am thrilled with how the wing appears. It looks more magnificent than I ever dreamed I would be able to weave it.

Wing details…

And gorge detail.

 

8-2-11

Now at just over 3 feet in height across the entire width. Dennis I had a little vacation at Janie’s retreat the last part of July & so here there is little progress since the 7/20 photos.

With the warp & cartoon advanced, her lower body, tail, & feet have come into view, an exciting moment!

 

8-15-11

I am now moving into the vertical cliffs of the foreground butte, more of the secondaries are woven, & the weaving on the second gorge butte has reached her lower tail feathers. Here you can see the interesting effect the lazy lines are creating in the gorge shading.

Detail of the foreground butte cliff. I am transitioning into a brighter orange because the tops of the cliffs throughout the canyon are brightly lit by the sun. The weave structure is changing to random areas of pick & pick, shading, & lines to represent the sheer cliff face slabs, cracks, & crevices which are visually & physically quite different from the more eroded, sloped bajadas that form the butte’s base. I don’t need anything to guide me here… I have spent so much time staring at these types of formations when I’ve been in canyon environments that all I have to do is close my eyes to see it.

Here is another roughly layered version of the total progress…

 

I am extremely happy with the progression of the buttes & the appearance of my condor’s bottom wing & have been making copious notations & taking many photos to help me remember what I did when I reach her top wing. By the time I reach that area in the weaving, most if not all of her bottom wing will be wrapped around the bottom beam of the loom & I will have just finished weaving her body.

Recently, I have had to make a couple of important decisions regarding my body. I had to figure out a new seating arrangement as the bench I was using was beginning to cause me a great deal of pain. Even though it has a woven top & was padded with two sheepskins, my fibromyalgia afflicted hip joints began to make it feel like I was sitting on concrete. Now I have a fitness ball chair which provides flexible support & it is topped with a thinner lambskin. It was a little tricky at first getting on & off it & figuring out how to treadle the loom, but all kinetic activity is now under control. Don’t try this seating method at home unless you are agile! I have also had to make the decision to abandon my quest to learn to play the cello. After three years, it has become apparent that my shoulder & wrist joints just are not going to make it possible & it came down to a choice between the cello or my loom, which was not hard to make. Lastly, after returning from our trip to Janie’s I found out that I am anemic, which was a relief as I thought I was suffering from burn out & lack of motivation; plans are now underway to remedy that issue.

Dennis & I will be headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon very soon for a hiking vacation. While there, I am also hoping to meet with the Ranger who is my liaison for the condor tapestry so I can update her in person on its progress & share photos & fiber samples with her. Since the tapestry’s height could be anywhere between 9 to 10 feet, I also need to check the height of the Visitor Center wall space to help me make that decision. We will be stopping at Navajo Bridge on the way there in the hopes of seeing condors hanging out & during our time on the Rim I hope to be able to visit with Gaelyn, one of the Rangers I met during my artist residency last year.

I have also just finished writing a review of  A Weaverly Path, the new documentary film about Silvia Heyden. The review will be published on the ATA Online Ed page the beginning of September, & plans are in place to include it in the next issue of ATA’s Tapestry Topics as well an issue of Canadian Tapestry Alliance’s newsletter. The film is outstanding & I think every serious weaver ought to & needs to have a copy! You can see a trailer for the film & put your name on the list to be notified when it goes on sale to the public here: http://aweaverlypath.com/see-the-film/ . I will be going to visit Silvia in September, & I am looking forward to seeing her again. I have been updating her on the progress of my weaving & she has been a great source of encouragment for me.

What will the next 3 feet bring? Hopefully, good weaving progress & more frequent blog posts!

janie is home!

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.
~Robert Montgomery

The Wallow Fire, now the largest in Arizona’s history, has so far consumed 532,086 acres but is 61% contained as of this writing.

A giant sigh of relief is what I breathed when I received this email yesterday from my friend, Janie:

 

Hello from the Blue River!

On Monday, 15 days after I was evacuated on June 6,  I left Scottsdale and drove home! It is so great to be here. Don kept all my plants that I started from seed alive. Yesterday, I put them out on the porch to harden off and also planted more seeds in the garden.

I am so relieved that our home and the retreat stayed safe thanks to Don and the fire crews that have been protecting our property from the Wallow Fire. Our place is very green due to vigilant drenching from sprinklers and water hoses. The house has a faint odor of smoke, and we can see a faint haze to the west. I was afraid that we would be faced with lots of ash and soot, but there is none here.

Technically we are still under evacuation and not supposed to leave our property, but we have plenty of food. We have had power and phone for a few days now. The crews come in and out, and now most of their firefighting is taking place on the lower Blue where the fire is still active. So far, no homes have been lost.

For those of you who have not heard from me until now, I did not have access to my computer and email addresses. While I was staying with friends, I was able to gather email addresses from people who had emailed me. I also asked people to share my emails. Our kids, Karl and Gretchen, are doing a great job reaching out to everyone through our website www.blueriverretreat.com and email sharing. They keep everyone up-to-date through daily posts.

The Wallow Fire has not been completely contained, but we are hopeful. The fire in the upper Blue has quieted down. Now we must wait and watch for the many fire crews to get a handle on the fire in the lower Blue. I am so grateful for all their hard work.

Again, our riparian along the river is still lush and green. Yes, it has burned up some slopes and down some canyons, but thankfully the Blue still feels very much like Home.

Forgive me if I do not respond right away to your personal emails. Eventually, I hope to get caught up to the huge response and best wishes from all our friends and family.

Love,

Janie

 

Dennis & I have rescheduled our trip to Janie’s Retreat for later in July when hopefully the monsoons will have started & the fire will be completely out. I have recently reached the 2.5 foot mark on the condor tapestry & hope to hit 3 feet & post again with more photos very soon…