Riveting Mission: From a County Fair to Alpaca Farm in Quest for Rug Hooking Success

The little five-year-olds were fearlessly bouncing pogo-stick-like on top of these horses. It was riveting.

Confucius says, “We insist on making it complicated”

The boardwalk is floating over a bog. So it is a marsh below and surrounding the walkway…but it would easily swallow any brush, bag, or cell phone that happened to slip toward the edge.

Magic wands. Tools of the Trade?

When the brushes used for calligraphy were completely worn out, artists wrapped them in silk and buried them in a beautiful place.

A Cut of Silhouette History

It was almost a “hair-stand-on-end” moment …the boisterous crowd, talking and jostling, and then the passion of the French peasants, laborers, and countrymen captivated by the animated storytelling of the narrator.

When Shape is the Thing… from Matisse’s Cut-outs to Silhouettes

And, just so we are clear…. she doesn’t draw anything…She “freehands” by holding the paper and the scissors in the air while looking at her subject.

Courage and Creativity: Clashing on the Journey

Being an artist takes courage. To really get into the deep muck of being an artist you have to conquer your fears and allow yourself to be put out there—by your own doing. You have to grapple with challenging the conventions of normalcy. The creative process might involve the sometimes brutal slamming together of unknowing, […]

Rug Hooking: Fine Craft, Originally Created from Worn-out Wool

Traditional crafts tend to grow from a functional basis as well as incorporating culturally influenced symbols and art. They often convey a naive or untrained sense of design. One of my favorite fine crafts is rug hooking. Originally, rug hooking recycled fabrics to create rugs, wall hangings or other textiles to warm up rooms in […]