Marci Senders

It's Hot...Think Cool!

So it is hot...really hot! Crazy me, I am working a two crochet sweaters. Why? I have really have know idea, other than I have been obsessed with fashion lately. So it's perfect times since the next Textile Study Group of NY lecture is vintage stylist, Tziporah Salamon. Salamon is a collector who assembles her garment and accessory “finds” into stunning outfits and shows others how to avoid fashion victimization and look fabulous without spending a fortune. Just look at the pictures! I was really excited. Now that I have spent the night reading blogs and articles about her, I am "through the roof" excited! There is a nice buzz about her and I think it will be a great night.

Here is the info:

DATE:
Wednesday, June 18, 7 pm

LOCATION:
Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist
40 E. 35th St. (betw. Park and Madison), NYC.  
(Entrance at street level on the far right of the church itself; doorway marked #40.)
Closest buses: Southbound— M2, M3, M4, M5 to 34th & Fifth; Northbound—M2, M3, M4 from 34th & Madison; M5 from 34th & Sixth; 34th St. Crosstown—M34, M16 to/from 34th & Fifth.
Closest subway station: #6 to/from 33rd St. & Park Avenue South.

ADMISSION:
Free for TSGNY’s Full, Donor, Benefactor, and Student members.  
$5.00 for members of other textile organizations.  
$10.00 for Newsletter Subscription members and unaffiliated guests.  
(Fees support TSGNY’s Nancy and Harry Koenigsberg Award.)

www.tsgny.or

Mixed Nuts Anyone?

Yeah, Mixed Nut Project! I was approached by Kirsty, I think it was the end of last year to participate in a project that she was fashioning. She said she was going to send out "to be determined" shapes, with "to be determined rules" with a "to be determined" due date. Maybe there was going to be a publisher involved and there maybe a show. She wasn't sure about the details but she wanted me to participate. I said "Sure!". I'm always game for a challenge and was very excited! (I'm such a sucker for group projects like this.) Then I saw the list of all the other people involved and I was absolutely honored that she included me. It's a really impressive list.
I can only talk about it and we were all asked to not show any pictures. The show opens the end of this week so if you are on that side of the planet, check it out. My piece sat on my windowsill for awhile. I had so many ideas at first but was extremely hesitant.  I was so overloaded with ideas, that I just froze. I had a deadline pending so I stuck to what I know and I kept it really simple and my reoccurring theme of princess fairy tale came into play. I have been told it is "very you" so I'll take their word for it. Hopefully it will be well received at the show!
What a great idea...what a great project!!!!

Ann Clarke Knits Lecture

I have been posting about The Textile Study Group of  New York all over the internet and I haven't yet really posted about it here...duh. It's tomorrow and I am really excited about it...I think we are going to get a great turn out. Here is the info:

Anne Clark, a knitter who creates one-of-a-kind wearable art—primarily coats, jackets, and hats—using wool yarns that are knitted, felted, pieced together with hand stitching, and embellished with needlepoint details, will speak about her work at the March meeting of the Textile Study Group of New York.

Location:  Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist, 40 E. 35th St. betw. Park and Madison, New York City

Date: Wednesday, March 19, 7 pm

Fee: $10 for non-members and $5 for members of another textile organization

After finishing her art degree and no longer having access to a large studio space she started to “shrink” her work and began incorporating handwork and stitching as a drawing technique. This allowed her work to fit into her life both in scale and in portability—she could cram it into a bag and do it everywhere. She then learned to knit and started making one-of-a-kind garments.

Anne tells stories with her work using image and color in the form of heavy wool garments. Her main themes are family history, nature, literary references and the news.

Ann is interested in teaching students to see fiber as the vehicle for their communication. Knitting utilizes the vocabularies of surface design and weaving. It is a language of pattern, a language of color, or hand, of surface.

Hope to see you there!

 

What Comes First...

the button or the button flower?

This button bouquet was created for a swap. I am not sure if I joined the swap to get the bouquet or for an excuse  get the buttons to make the bouquet. I really did need to restore my stash. It should take me a while to use up all the buttons I got...don't you love Ebay? I did get obsessed with finding coll Bakelite buttons, the cool multi-colored ones aren't that easy to come by.

I love the bouquet I received in return. As soon as I find the perfect vase for them, I will post pics. They are too small for my white vase, I am thinking about putting them in a tin can with an interesting label. I am going to take a look at my local international grocery store...they have all sorts of great things in there. But I did make extra larger flowers that I will have a similar arrangement as above. Doesn't my window let in the light nicely? Perfect for making my flowers bloom!

Here are other buttons that I sent along as well...

Open Arms

Happy Valentines Day!
I received two awards from  Flora and thought this was as good a day as any to send out my blog love. I am going to combine the two and just list five blogs that love and that make my day:

1. Pink Chalk Studio She's always the first on my list!
2. Happy Doodle Land (of course, right back at you))
3. Chicken Girl Design
4. Kim from I'm with Sully
5. Christine Clemmensen  Her altered book project is amazing!

I also have to say that  Bloesem has recently come into my life and inspires me daily!!

A New New Year's Mantra

Instead of coming up with New Year's resolutions every year, I come up with a theme or a mantra for the year. So for 2008, its going to be "Keep on Truckin'". This year I even will have a logo and the t-shirt should be here any day now...that I will probably make into a pillow. Resolutions become too stressful and you end up breaking them. I am good about deciding to make changes throughout the year. If I feel the need to change something, I don't hold off till the new year, that's just me.
Last year's theme was "Structure" and I think I did a pretty good job of getting settled in my new structure and I created structure to life which included creating. (I was having a hard time feeling "artistic" when I first moved.) I also rejoined a gym and have even started running (well run/walk, heavy on the walking) and my apartment now is set up for proper space to create. My life seems like it is back up and running so "Keep on Truckin'" seems to fit the direction I want my life to go for the next year.
Happy 2008!

How Cool is this?

Check out this ad showcasing art by Su Blackwell. I love it...I can't stop watching it. It's just incredible!
While I am giving out links...Check out artist, Brian Dettmer.

Hit and Run

Yesterday, I had all these plans and wasn't sure if I could do everything I wanted to. It was a little crazy running around this city that seems to be pack to its gills right now with tourists. Then I had the ultimate New York moment when I literally ran into the MET as they were about the close. I asked the guy at the information desk if I had time to see the Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendor exhibit and asked where it was. It said in a very caring and understanding voice "You have 15 minutes, you can do it, its upstairs to the left!" And I had just the right amount of time, I could have stayed longer and that place scares me and I am always afraid I will loose my way and will be lost in the museum forever! Above is my favorite piece from the show, its ginormous and I had to remind myself several times that it wasn't a painting.
To contrast that show, tonight I went to the Museum of Art and Design to see Pricked:Extreme Embroidery. I am still overwhelmed to talk about it. I am going to go back when I am not tired and with a friend. There was just so many amazing things to see, my head is still spinning!

The Night Before...

This is typical of what my bed looks like as I create each week's Illustration Friday piece. The topic is "Little Things" which is so open ended, you would think it would be easy. But I have been thinking about it all day and my head is like a dried up well. Right now, I am too exhausted to come up with something...I have been piddling around all night. Laying scraps out on my bed has become part of "my process". So I am packing up my scraps, going to watch a movie and re-group tomorrow.
Good night!

Always on the Lookout for Inspiration

I was looking through my old photos looking for some pics that I have not yet shown. I came across these two pictures are of the entrance way in my apartment. And I realized that I am always needing to surround myself with things that inspire in. When I feel over whelmed I take everything down and start from scratch. It's like a cleansing. I keep a box of my old inspirations and sometimes they do get recycled and go back up....but for some reason that's rare.
I have a three week vacation coming up in a week. I bought an apartment and a lot of new furniture this year so I am not going anywhere. I am going to stay here and enjoy my apartment and the city. I am planning a lot of little outtings, mostly to museums and I am very excited to have so much time off with very few obligations.
One of the things I am really going to do is try to make my apartment feel like a working art space. When I moved into this studio, I really wanted to keep everything clean and organized. I divided my apartment into defined "rooms" and try very hard not to cross contaminate. It's my way of trying to have a "grown-up" apartment in a one room studio. It's working since it is very nice and comfortable in here and you don't think your in a post-college apartment. Since I have been trying so hard to keep everything clean and organized, it has been hard to get the inspiration flowing. Everything get's put away and I feel like my ideas get "put away" as well. So I have buckled...I am going to have to create good working spaces where ever I can. Here is what I have been thinking...

This corkboard will go behind my tv cart really for my WIPs to hang up and look at since it is so important to "live" with your art. I haven't been doing that and I think it shows. Also...

this will go under my window and will work as my new work space. I love that it's clear so hopefully it won't look like it takes up too much space. I think its a good solution for my issue. I have been tossing around the idea for a while and tried to talk myself out of buying new furniture but I can't be doing my artwork on my coffee table anymore...I need to spreadout and be able to keep things out but still out of the way.
Oh, this has become such a long, venting post and really didn'y come out how I intended. I guess that's the point of posting everyday for a month...it takes on a more diary format. And, one more thing, I love, love, love this apartment.