Altered Threads ... A Creative Journey

December

"So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering."      

                        - Brenda Ueland

   

Oh my! It's been so long since I last posted to my blog. It's been a very busy time.  Lots of changes. Here are two of my latest pieces:Herr Hiram der Hase and Good Mourning.

Herr Hiram der Hase 

Hiram der Hase, Copyright 2009, Deborah C. Pope (Photo credit:Robert Batey)

Herr Hiram der Hase, 20"H x 12"W x 14"L 

Herr der Hase is hand-felted wool over a wire armature with cloth body. I blended and carded alpaca, merino and other wool to get just the right color and texture for his fur.  His ears are wired to make them posable.  Hiram’s eyes are hand-made and hand painted paperclay. His handmade black leather shoes are complemented by deep purple felt spats with hand-dyed silk trim. Herr der Hase wears an appropriately natty outfit that is tailored to accentuate his elegant, lanky frame. Hiram sits comfortably on a custom designed wingback armchair that is hand-upholstered and covered with whimsical cotton fabric.   Herr der Hase sports a jaunty hand-felted bowler hat embellished with a peafowl feather, antique button and French ribbon. He holds an antique bentwood walking cane. Herr Hiram der Hase rests a custom base painted in a classic checkerboard motif. 

Good Mourning

  

Good Mourning, 2009. 18"H x 9"W x 12"L

Victoria is hand-felted merino wool over a wire armature with cloth body. She has hand-made leather shoes and gloves. Her historically inspired costume features several layers of hand-dyed silk garments including: corset, pantaloons, petticoat and stockings. Her hat is hand-felted with accents of fresh water pearls and French ribbon.  Fresh water pearls also add luster and elegance to the front of her dress and cuffs.  A handmade maple walking stick with brass ferrule and monkey head crown completes her ensemble. Victoria stands on a custom solid black walnut base, with a checkerboard motif on the top. 

NIADA Conference 2009 Arrowmont, TN

The annual conference in September was a whirlwind of creativity, teaching and connecting with friends new and old. As always, the students in my classes were enthusiastic and engaging.  I think I learned as much  as they did. It was great to share ideas and stories.  I've posted some pictures from the classes. 

One of the most exciting books of the year is the masterpiece NIADA Art Dolls... Rich Traditions, New Ideas.      

This is a must have book that is a work of art in itself.  The creativity and design that went into this definitive work is truly inspiring. It makes a great gift. I am honored to have my work included in this  collection of incredibly talented artists and proud to be a NIADA member.

"Lighting one candle

from another -

Winter night"

                                                    -Buson

Piscean March

The Paperwhites bloomed.

When they opened, the Paperwhites filled the room with their heady perfume. They gave us a lovely fragrance to remind us of the promise of the upcoming Spring.

"Dreamfish"

Here is a sample of one of my "Dreamfish."  The image seems appropriate for the Piscean month of March.

Dreamfish  copyright, 2000 Deborah C. Pope

The "Dreamfish" was created when our son Alex was very young and had nightmares. He loved to fish. So I made the first "Dreamfish" to chase away the "bad dreams" and devour them. It worked! 

Feltmaking offers endless possibilities for exploring texture and color. I love the unexpected ways in which the fibers combine to produce complex landscapes of imagination.

 

The sensuous softness and scrumptious colors are delightful.

If you look, there is no limit to imagination.

Dreamfish, copyright 2000,  Deborah C. Pope

Are you interested in creating your own "Dreamfish?"  I offer workshops. Go to my class descriptions page to find out more. 

Bijoux Fleuri

One of my latest classes is called Bijoux Fleuri. The class includes instructions for making three different fleurs. 

Bijoux Fleuri, copyright Deborah C. Pope

I've combined dimensional felt with other fibers, beads and embellishment to create miniature explosions of color that can be worn as a brooch, or incorporated with other pieces to make a personal creative statement.  This class is nice introduction to using the Baby Lock Embellisher. 

As always, your comments are welcome.  Of course, if you have any questions about my work or workshops let me know. You can contact me via email, on Facebook or send me a "tweet" at Twitter.

"The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity."

-Walt Whitman

Winter Warm-up

We are not fooled by February's warm tease.  Oh sure, the temperature may be 50F today, but we know that Spring is only in the air. She is not here to stay.  Still, it's nice to defrost for a while.

Here are some "Paperwhites" that remind us about the promise of Spring.

In addition to some larger pieces, I've been creating some smaller works.

This is a "Doodle Bird." He started from a sketch I made while waiting on the phone for an insurance person to get back to me during my "day job." I find that if you keep your mind open, all sorts of ideas find you.

 

Here he is.  He's a happy little fellow that will be a class.  Check back for more details.

An old Apache storyteller reminds us:
“The plants, rocks, fire, water, all are alive. They watch us and see our needs. They see when we have nothing to protect us, and it is then that they reveal themselves and speak to us."    --  Joseph Campbell


Cheers,
Deborah

The Year of the Ox

January 26, 2009 marks the Year of the Ox in the Chinese calendar. What a great time to update my site.  You'll find images of Oxbow, NY under Snapshots in Time. Oxbow is in Northern NY. It's a wonderful family place that Suzanne and Dean, Michael's mother and stepfather own. It's a summer home that is on the Oswegatchie river. More about that in another post.

I've also included images of my latest piece Rupert. He is inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream.

You'll also find some shots of Washington, DC. Our daughter was interning at the National Women's Health Network.  These pictures were taken in early December. Amazing to compare these images with the crowd shots from the inauguration on TV. 

Life is certainly interesting. More to follow.

Cheers,
Deborah

Teaching Schedule

Here is my current teaching schedule.

NIADA Conference 2009

NIADA Conference 2009 

Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts

NIADA artists

Here are some links to NIADA artists.

Stephanie Blythe

Antonette Cely

Chomick & Meder

Kate Church

Jodi and Richard Creager

Ankie Daanen

Mary Ellen Frank

Lesley Gail Keeble

Diane Keeler

Hennie Koffrie

Pat Lillich

Heather Maciak

Leslie Molen

Ima Naroditskaya

Donna May Robinson

Forest Rogers

Shelley Thornton

Marlaine Verhelst

Annie Wahl

Kathryn Walmsley

Nancy Wiley

 I am proud and honored to have my art included in museum collections.

Susan Quinlan Doll and Teddy Bear Museum and Library

Guilds and Conferences

I'll be adding more links. If you have suggestions, please let me know.

NIADA

Fresno Fiber Arts Guild.org 

CyndysDolls.com (AFIC) 

Alaska Fiber Festival

Genesee Valley Quilt Club

August Memories

    There are so many milestones in our lives. Special moments that seem to add new dimensions to who we are personally and professionally.  The 2008  NIADA Conference in Las Vegas was certainly a significant milestone for me.  On Thursday, July 24, 2008 I was elected as an Artist Member of the National Institute of American Doll Artists, NIADA.  

    What a journey this has been.  It's such an honor to be recognized by people whose work I've so long  admired and to be included among some of the world's finest doll artists. In many ways I feel at home in NIADA.  I've made many friends through past NIADA conferences and shows and this year's annual conference continued the tradition. One of the new people I met was Kate Church, a marvelous doll artist from Nova Scotia who was also elected during the conference.  Congratulations Kate! Check out Kate's wonderful work at her Website: katechurch.com    Our sales tables  were right next to each other.  We had a lot of fun as the NIADA "Newbies!"  Everyone involved with the conference did a spectacular job. Please take a look at some of the pictures from my NIADA 2008 photo album.

    It was my first trip to Vegas. It was hot. I think tourists forget that they are in the middle of the desert. The temperatures routinely hit 106F.  One day it reached 114F. Forget what they say about "dry heat." When you're out on the Vegas Strip, the surface temperature is extreme. Maybe that's why the casinos spray water mist at the entrance and beckon people in with air conditioned slots and gaming tables. 

    The gallery night was simply superb.  Patrons, artists and invited guests mingled and meandered through a delicious landscape of color and creativity. It was a feast for the senses.  Every artist  was warm caring and willing to share ideas, stories and insights. It still hasn't quite kicked in that I am a member of this special group of artists. If you can attend a NIADA conference or exhibit, I urge you to go.  You won't be disappointed.  The next Annual conference is turning out to be amazing.  It will be held at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg,TN in early September 2009.  This will be a teaching conference with incredible classes and programs offered by many NIADA artists.  What an opportunity.  The details aren't yet finalized so keep checking back here and the NIADA website for more information on the 2009 conference and other very exciting news.

As much as I enjoyed the NIADA conference, it was good to get back home. Now I can say I've been to Las Vegas. Though I can't say when I'm going back .

Cheers,

Deborah

NIADA 2008 Las Vegas

We're preparing to attend the annual NIADA Conference in Las Vegas July 24-28.  It's seems like only yesterday we were in Detroit for the 2007 event.  I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  I've never been to Las Vegas, but from what I've heard it should be quite an exciting time with sensory overload from all the lights and activities. The NIADA conference team has really put together a great schedule. Summer is in full swing here in Upstate NY.  Hot, humid and filled with the sounds of cicadas and frogs. I have a new piece that I will share when I get back back from NIADA.

Cheers, Deborah