Lost and Found, One More Necklace

I became fascinated by rope while living in Skagaströnd. There were bins full of rope, piles of rope, and bits and pieces on the ground. I collected some of these and arranged them in my studio to look at and think about. They are like drawings to me. Then I found a long piece in this wonderful seafoam color and knotted it into a long necklace. 

 

More images on Flickr.

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Goodbye Nes, Goodbye Skagaströnd...

I am leaving Nes and Skagaströnd today and it feels like I am tearing myself away. This place has gotten under my skin deeply and I can tell I am not done here or in Iceland. After I've had some time to think about this experience I will write more. In the meantime, here are a few last photos of this incredible little town and surrounding area.

And, I know I will be back...

Please visit my Flickr to see all my Skagaströnd pictures.

Thanks for reading.

Júní Opið Hús

my space

The Nes June Open House happened on Saturday. My fellow residents and I all did something special for the event: Rebeca Mendez and Adam Eeuwens had some film and photographs on view, Yogan Muller created an installation, Marianne Bernstein and John Heron built a 10' x 10' x 10' cube that will move around town as a public art space, and Ellen Mueller showed video of a performance piece. I added new pieces and did some rearranging in my space and tried to create a final presentation to celebrate my time at Nes. I will show more detail views and new work tomorrow...

visitors and artists talking to Rebeca and Adam

Yogan

the cube by Marianne and John

Ellen 

More pics on Flickr.

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Ég var Kennarinn

That title means "I was the teacher..." I taught two hour-long, basic embroidery classes last week, one here in Skagaströnd at the Nes studios and the other in nearby Blönduós at the Icelandic Textiles Center. I started with the running stitch and ended with my personal favorite, the colonial knot, with couching and satin stitch in between. All together I showed nine stitches and also talked about separating and blending thread. It was a challenging experience to teach embroidery for the first time, to have only one hour to do it, and to teach a group of mostly Icelanders, both adults and kids. But, it was so much fun and reminded me just how much I love to teach! I had a palm reading the other day and was delighted to learn my hand says I am "great teacher." I think that's the kind of thing one wants to hear in those moments!

I am looking forward to the teaching gigs I have lined up for when I return to the US...

Thanks for reading.

Teaching in Iceland!

announcement for the class

I just got an unexpected opportunity to teach some classes here in Iceland! On Wednesday and Thursday of next week I will lead a basic embroidery class in Skagaströnd and in Blönduós. I will demonstrate a variety of stitches including line stitches, filling stitches, and knots. I will also introduce a different materials and show how to separate and blend thread. After my demos students will have a chance to try the stitches themselves and work with me individually as needed.  Here's a translation of the announcement:

*Basic Embroidery Class with textile artist Amy Tavern (USA)

www.amytavern.com

Amy Tavern is a textile artist and jewelery maker. Amy is here at Nes

Artist Residency for May and June, during her artist residency she will give

2 classes to teach some basic embroidery to anyone who would like to

join in! The class is free, but you need to bring some things to use.

Please email Amy before Tuesday 18 June to tell her you will come to the

class. Amy will then email you a list of what you need to bring.

The 2 classes will be at Skagaströnd and Blönduós.

Skagaströnd:

Wednesday 19 June

5:30 - 6:30

Nes Artist Residency (Fjörubraut 8)

Blönduós:

Thursday 20 June

6:30 - 7:30

Icelandic Textiles Center

I am so pleased to have this opportunity and look forward to spending time with locals from both communities as well as some of my fellow resident artists. 

Thanks for reading.

Happiness = A Walk with My Camera

I was out for a walk recently after not walking for a few days due to bad weather and a non-functioning camera when I realized just how happy I am when I'm walking and taking pictures. It's one of my favorite things to do and one of my happiest times during the day. I love wandering, seeing new things or the same things in a different way, and then documenting my observations in photographs. I have no technical or aesthetic training in photography and I prefer using a simple point-and-shoot digital camera. I take hundreds, even thousands, of photos and I believe I have gotten better at it through all this looking and shooting. I have also grown to adore taking pictures.

I looked at my Flickr stats the other day and realized I have uploaded over 10,500 photographs: pictures of travel and things that inspire me, pictures of my work and my process, and pictures of teaching and student work, among many other subjects. Over 10,500! I really try to edit my photos and only post the best ones on Flickr and the best of the best on Facebook. I do hope you will take a look!

I am off to Reykjavik tomorrow to go to a number of museums and galleries and to also attend the Icelandic Tattoo Convention. I'll be back Monday with new posts and more photos, of course!

Thanks for reading.

Done

I completed my embroidered piece on Friday. I estimate I worked on it about 28 days and just over 200 hours. This is the longest I've ever worked on one piece and also the first time I've worked on only one piece instead of several things at once. (I did make those wool necklaces in tandem, but I consider those a fun exercise.) I'm happy with the final composition but as per usual I feel detached from the work. This happened after I completed both solo show bodies of work, too. It's a strange feeling and difficult to describe. I wonder if it comes from simply becoming so close to one's work after being with it day in and day out and the deep focus that occurs during the process. I may never figure it out, but now that I am feeling it for the third time, I'm at least beginning to accept it as a natural part of my process. Anyway, as I said, I am happy with the piece and I am also excited that I accomplished my goal for the first month here at Nes. I'm now working on a title and accompanying statement and will post those for you when they are ready.

Take a look at the near daily progression on Flickr here.

Thanks for reading.

Progress Report No. 4

Week Four has come to a close...Today I will begin layering knots and detailing the edges and will complete the piece on Friday when it feels done. I'm really happy with what's happening, very excited, actually...I will show the finished piece on Monday! Let's review the last few weeks...

 end of Day One

 end of Week One

 end of Week Two

 end of Week Three

Progress images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

What I'm Reading

I always read books and listen to podcasts when making a new body of work. They provide inspiration and help me to process, understand, and articulate the meaning behind the pieces. Recently I read Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke and then read it two more times. Rilke writes about being an artist, finding inspiration and motivation, and the importance of solitude, among other topics. This is a favorite quote and the one that brought me to read the letters in their entirety:


"What is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude, vast inner solitude. To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours - that is what you must be able to attain."


I'm enjoying the writings of Agnes Martin, too, as well as an interview with her; her words are appropriate for the very solitary place I'm in both here in remote Iceland and in my mind as I work quietly every day. Also see more Agnes Martin on Artsy.

The Sea by Agnes Martin, 2003

I also just finished the catalogue that accompanied the Běla Kolářová exhibition I saw at Raven Row in London in April. I am particularly interested in the implied duality in Kolářová's work and her interest in the mundane and the small. In addition, the essays in the book have lead me to some research on deconstructivism, but I've only just begun there so I can't speak to it yet.

Finally, I've been reading a variety of short online articles about knots from ones in the brain to others in jewelry and mourning.

the brain and Alzheimer's Disease

As for podcasts I have been listening to lots of TED talks including ones by Brené Brown, Sherry Turkle, Susan Cain, and Julie Bernstein about vulnerability, connection, introversion, and creativity. I recommend all these talks!

Thanks for reading.

Living Here

I am really in love with this place, if one can be in love with a country or an island or a landscape. Everyday I start stitching around 9am, I work, I think, I write, I work some more, I take breaks and look at the sea, I take a walk, I take pictures, I work some more, I eat my dinner, I work some more...That's usually how it goes with each day similar and different at the same time. My walks are one of my favorite parts. I love seeing things for the first time and I also love seeing how my surroundings change throughout the day and night due to the near 24 hours of sun.

This past weekend I went for long walks with two friends/fellow residents. The weather was excellent on Saturday, the warmest it has been so far. I actually wore a t-shirt and had to find my sunscreen so I could protect my tattoos. We walked for five hours on Saturday, all along the coast and then on the highway toward the end. We met up with some horses, sat on the edge of a cliff, and observed three lambs who were curious enough to not run away. The next day we walked into a valley for a few hours, but it was too cold to go much further. We parted toward the end and I went on to explore the local junkyard, loaded with rusty metal and piles of fishing nets. Everything I see is fascinating and makes me look forward to working more.

Progress on my piece is good. I am now down to less than two weeks before I finish it. I am still completely enjoying the process and find myself getting very excited about the finished work, although I am trying very, very hard to not get ahead of myself. I want the final composition to surprise me just as all this new stuff I am seeing every day surprises me. Let's just wait and see how it all reveals itself.

More pictures on Facebook and Flickr.

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Further

More images of things I am looking at here in Skagaströnd that make me want to work...

...and the silhouette of the Westfjords around 1am

See tons more on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

So What's It About?

These new embroidered works will explore opposites and duality, landscape and travel, both literally and figuratively. I will create islands or continents, imaginary places born of things that I experienced in reality. As I intuitively build abstract compositions with needle and thread, I will contemplate ideas of internal and external landscapes as well as maps, all based on actual travel and also emotional or metaphysical travel.

satellite images of places I have been

Greece, France, Belgium, Britain, Italy, Iceland

I am working with white to reference the snow of Iceland, honesty, and the beginning of something new. I am using an embroidered knot for its inherent texture, pattern, and layering possibilities, to reference lichen and other similar Icelandic plant life, and to symbolize the act of not forgetting. I am using only one type of stitch, the Colonial knot, as a way to focus and add to the meditative or contemplative process.

This is what I am able articulate at this early stage in the process. As I work each day, the meaning will become more clear to me and I will be sure to share it with you.

To chart the first week's progress, please visit Flickr. I have posted images from each day of week one and next week I will add more.

Thanks for reading.