my latest "project"

 My second child, a daughter, was born two weeks ago today! Please excuse my lack of posts in the months before she was born (I was big! I was exhausted!) and now in the months after (She's trying to get big! I am the source of milk!).

Despite my lack of recent posts I am still having creative thoughts, ideas, and visions. And projects left over from the list of in-progress endeavors my dear husband had me write out last July.

I will try to get you, my dear blog friends and fans, caught up from the spring happenings and at least post occasionally this summer.

ArtPrize 2010: my favorite in red

ArtPrize is on and Grand Rapids is hopping! It is amazing to watch the city undergo such an amazing transformation within mere days. Murals sprout up on previously unnoticed brick walls, now elevated to canvas status. Strange creatures invade: flying pigs soar, head nodding elephants march, and dragons stand guard. Giant nests are woven, photos are displayed, paintings exhibited, videos shown. Place after place beckons, come, look, see something you've never seen before.

We had the pleasure of heading out on opening night, last Wednesday, for an impromptu adventure. Work clothes and shoes and a toddler who is in the middle of potty training limited us a bit but we still took in quite a bit.

My favorite so far is this piece, Lure/Forest by Beili Liu. My photos hardly do it justice but I am so impressed with the way it fills the empty space of the new UICA, gently dipping up and down, all so delicate and interconnected. In some ways it reminds me of sea creatures underwater, perhaps jellyfish. Considering where my creative interests are taking me as of late, I am not surprised to be attracted to something made with needle and thread either.

Crafty author coming to the Library!

The Library brings in cool people all the time, of course, but this is the first time I have been super excited to meet an author. And it's not because I am a big fan who has read all her books. In fact, I hadn't even heard of her before. But more because I just can't get enough of hearing about people's creative journeys and processes. This is a big part of the reason I am addicted to the CraftSanity podcast.

I got a sneak peek at her book and it is beautiful! Lots of color and fabulous pairings of paper and fabric and sewing. A very interesting idea to me. She showcases a lot of different methods for altering the paper or fabric before using it to create projects.

Here's the official event description:

Stitch Alchemy: Combining Paper and Fabric for Mixed Media Art
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 7:00 pm
Main Library – 111 Library St NE

Kelli Perkins will demonstrate basic stitchpaper techniques from her book Stitch Alchemy, including weaving wonderment, inviting juiciness and casting chance. What happens when we open ourselves to serendipity and let go of pre-determined outcomes? As a mixed media artist, Kelli has had to learn to embrace happy accidents as she ventures into unknown territory. She’ll share what she does when inspiration strikes, what it means to be an art gypsy, and why fear is a natural companion to creativity. Free and open to the public.

So, any fellow West Michigan artists should mark their calendars for 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 3 to be inspired by Kelli Perkins, author of Stitch Alchemy.