Archive | January, 2011

I miss “Joy”

16 Jan


Well, it’s January, it’s a few weeks since my last MFTA class and boy to I miss it. Not for the reasons you might imagine. By the end of the class I was so exhausted and stressed out from work that I really did not put my best foot, or shall I say, effort forward. And now I am too tired and too lazy to get anything done. Lets face it, it’s laziness!

To anyone who is looking for a class to take for credit or for fun, go to Material for the Arts. Joy knows her craft and many others but it’s not for the instruction (which is fantastic) but for the energy, the motivation, the inspiration… It’s kind of like yoga, Joy brings meditation and cleansing to art, craft and teaching.

I really don’t have much else to say. This morning I woke up and looked for throw pillows online. (I just bought my first real piece of furniture, a couch that is as comfortable as a bed) I wasn’t happy with anything I found and horrified by the prices. Realistically, I should not buy anything for many months (couches are expensive!) I remembered all the wonderful fabrics I bought with nothing in mind. I got out of bed and just made 3 pillow shams for my new couch. It felt like a minor project when I was doing it, but now, as I look at how great they are, I am really happy. Even though it isn’t a complex, fabulous, artistic project, I made 3 pillow shams today!

Anyhow, it reminded me of my MFTA class because I stumbled across something I made there and it made me smile. I cannot wait til the summer, until my next class. Until then, there are pillow shams apparently…

Olek, “Kiss Me I Crochet” experience…

16 Jan

Living in Astoria and working in Bay Ridge means I spend 3 hours on the N Train on average. The Metro (the free newspaper) is a wonderful treat at 6 am every morning. I usually read the gossip column, the horoscope and sometimes to actual “news” the have available. Once in a while they have articles about art and I LOVE them. They are usually straight to the point and interesting.

When I read the article about Olek, I immediately added that clipping to my other “free art news” clippings I have up in my classroom. The show was only going to be up for a week and I felt this sudden guilt at the idea of being too lazy to go… I am a crazy needlework freak and this show just seemed like a visit I had to see as opposed to wanted to see. I was so excited at the idea of enormous crocheted anything, let alone out of recyclable.

I made it a whole day trip, it was an excuse to catch up with one of my favorites Brooklynites, go to Juniors (across the street from the show) eat tasty and calorific treats and then make it to the show.

As we arrived at Long Island University, the guard told us it was closed on week-ends and there was no way of seeing it from outside the building. I was so bummed but we went on with our visit to double-check. Well, the security guard was wrong on all counts and we got to see the show from outside and from within. Horray, again, the excitement just overwhelmed me at the idea of seeing work I would never be able to accomplish, at work that seemed monumental on all the articles I managed to find.


We walked into a modern building with large plated glass, and saw what looked like a depleted donkey framed by glass walls. The show was so disappointing. I was so happy not to be alone and yet so embarrassed to have dragged my friend there. Within seconds I was laughing. This was one of those works that just didn’t withstand the test of time. And yet the concept and the effort was so awesome!

We hung out there for a few minutes, not a soul was present. It looked like wet laundry hanging in strange animal like shapes. It totally reminded me of Don Quixote for some reason. It felt like I was an under-grad again, you know, in an empty classroom building on the week-end, trying to broaden my horizons and actually learn something on a Sunday. It was kind of cool to be disguised as a student for a few minutes before we left with such a random experience.

It was fun. It didn’t feel like a gallery or museum show, it felt like college.

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