SistahCraft

Harlem Blossoms In 2012!

(No shrinking violets here! All pics enlarge)

Despite fewer entries this year, the exhibition that too place last weekend in the plaza at St. Nicholas Park did not wilt –– the floral sculptures were standout! With the exception of knitting, all other manipulations of fabric, fiber and yarn were represented: applique, beaded embellishment, crochet, embroidery, felt, printed, stitched, sculpted, sewn, spun.  One visitor's sentiment for the hand-worked plants was, it allowed her to get up close and personal to the blooms without inflaming her allergies –– how cool was that?

Taking Time To Smell The Roses

(My cacti was awarded 3rd place! Coryphantha Elongata Verus of the Bronx. Hand-spun yarn, crochet, felted, dyed, airbrushed.)

Saturday's heat brought a trickling of visitors. The city was still staggering from the left hook of the heat wave knocking us down for three days straight, but the embracing breeze of Sunday had people buzzing around the blooms.

"Gorgeous", was the proclamation on seeing Harlem Renaissance Bouquet, right, a wildly exotic nuno felted, lily-esque work by Omi Gray, from my friend and collaborator Jennifer Tee. She came through with her handsome husband, the writer Huan Shu. Look for her show of crystalline floor-pieces, knitted by yours truly next Friday; details to come.

Ancestors! I was elated to finally meet Soleo, the copiously talented media personality and columnist (On The "A") for Harlem World, my go to mag for real Harlem news. Do get to the exhibit he's co-curating with Lisa D. Hayes, Esq. at Strivers Gardens Gallery.  And then Lisa Shepard Stewart came on by! Her knockout Africa-Contemporary designs, books and projects are accessorizing the homes of the happening! She hit us with brochures for her SewJourn to Ghana in 2013. Imagine that –– twelve days of artisan workshops from the masters in the motherland. Folks who've been said it was life changing. My travel bug has been chomped!

This Is Flower Power Baby!

(Congrats to the winning artist Dindga McCannon's A Rose In Spanish Harlem. Quilted. Fabric, beads, various embellishments. I just adore the nighttime scene that makes up the interior of this abstract floral. Fantastic!)

If you know me, you'll know how I feel about faux silk plants perplexedly overworked to mimic reality –– right down to the acrylic water drop. Owning them says that you don't like real flowers and plants because they die (or you inadvertently kill them). Why not just accept the reality that fake is fake, and go for the sculpture?

(Katrina Jeffries's crowd pleasing Mother Tongue, below left. Quilted. Hand dyed nylon, rayon ribbon, cotton thread and trim, wire)

Represent! Who WE Are

A big shout out to my gurl Michelle Bishop, President of Harlem Needle Arts and curator for the show!

 

 

 

 

(Gifted hands, unified hearts; sisters from the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle and friends.)

                                                                                 And by the way, I was chillin' too, giving yarn spinning demos on my 'Lil Louet. The fiber of the day was stainless steel (yes folks, the metal). I spun up a coupla' 2-ply finger weight samples. Yo, the tensile strength was awesome! Knitted fencing anyone?

The show and weekend ended with everyone jumping in for our famous group shot. Thanks to all my fellow artists, artisans, and supporters for a fabu show and happening!

 

PEACE AND SHEEP FLEECE YA'LL!

 

 

The Mothership Has Landed!

(Crystalline Octogonal Floorpiece, machine knit, hand and machine sewn, hand dyed. This rug doubles as a spiritual launch pad; all pics enlarge).

And people, it's been an expedition. Damn, where to start? Basically I've been just laughin' and cryin', living, loving and most definitely learnin', in the now; 'cause now's the time and there's no time like the present.

So That's Where I'll Pick Up...

Part of my being M.I.A was reluctance to write in detail about my commissions before they became public. Hey, I respect the client/artisan relationship. And the remainder of my life's travails? Well, they just weren't as interesting. But there'll be other posts for that –– no, really; trust me, I'm having a cathartic moment. Why?

...And Fly Away!

(Jennifer here with final lab dips and octagon series).

The good news is, my beloved artist and collaborator, Jennifer Tee, has been, and will be in residency here in The Apple until December!                                                      

The featured sculpture, was the centerpiece for A Woman's Mind May Resemble A Room, Jennifer's installation presented at the seemingly esoteric ISCP in Bushwick, Brooklyn in May.  In the performance segment, the crystalline series floor-piece morphed into a jetty for the ether showcasing Miri Lee's New York debut of her choreography depicting an interior, psychological space. 

My fabrication of this conveyor to the psyche was no joke. It was knitted in 32 sections, dyed using an airbrush (some sections requiring several sprays) then invisibly sewn to the non-dyed parts before its machine sewn finish. FEH, to the discouraging folks of the dye community who told me airbrushing would be an impossible pain in the ass to do –– it was a possible pain in the wrist instead. But I give thanks to Robin of Aljo Dyes, Tribeca's temple to tint for the talented, for her advice and encouragement. Sis', you rock!

And I'm sendin a huge shout out and thanks to my assistant and the one to look out for, Whitney Harris. Her hands matched mine stitch for stitch, in perfection. And finally a major thanks to Sam, Luis and all the folks at Rug Pad Corner. Their Ultra Premium Pad has elevated all of my knitted textiles to function as a carpet/sculpture. Miri could ascend into the spiritual realm, confident of a solid landing.

 

(photo credit: Nezu In New York. Thanks!)

Wish I Was Back Here.

 (Rockaway Beach, immortalized by the Kings of Punk, The Ramones.   Mr. K and I were here, the day the temperature hit 104º F / 40º C; all pics enlarge).

 

I won't embark on an explanation regarding my lassitude in posting; suffice to stay, I staggered around in the heat most of July, while preparing for a project that would take me from the urban postcard above––

To this:

(Thanks to the ancestors for Pandora, and Audible. I also want to thank my neighbor and friend, Valerie L., all the neighborhood dog owners, Rawal Ravail Restaurant, Pizza Express, No. 8 Chinese Restaurant,  Go Green Light Cuisine, the vendors of Arthur Avenue, in particular Cerrini Coffee, ––I'll see you tomorrow––who have been keeping me going).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  NO JOKE!

On the paper taped to the wall is the diagram of a very large stage, 9' x 12' (2.7m x 3.6m) defined by a hallucinogenic stripe layout.  I have to achieve this by machine knitting in the Intarsia or Tapestry method. If you don't understand the aformentioned link site, this is what came from my machine. I have to knit a damn lot of some huge sections! I don't want to tell you what the deadline is. Or how my yarn order got caught up in the Mercury retrograde, and arrived very late!

(Section 1)

The yarn is Brown Sheep Wool's Bulky. The mat is Wondermat!

Now, I have taken a long enough break. See you soon, and if you need to get in touch with me, you know where I am––for a while. Will post again shortly––for real!

Peace and Sheep Fleece,

Sahara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this, is blocking! Right Nicole?

 

 

 

I'm Invading City College In The Fall!

(Any closer and it'll choke you out too. All pics enlarge).

Or at least my invasive vine is. I'm a bit giddy about my entry in the exhibition The Blossom of Fiber Art, scoring high enough to be included in the inaugural exhibition The City College of New York's community gallery. Ancestors!

 What Happened?

I'm fascinated by flora that we allow to take over whole landscapes and wreak havoc, because we think they're pretty.  My research of invasive species, particularly in our city parks, led me to the idea of constucting this vine. Folks love them for privacy fences and the elegant look (think ivy league) they give to buildings.  But like a jealous lover, it soon becomes dominating, wiping out its competition by snuffing their growth.

My goal? To present this piece as a fantasy vine; one that could be enjoyed without causing damage to the landscape.

How Did It Happen?

As my research ate into my creation time, I needed be able to construct the vine quickly, using both found and made elements combined with a fast, but effective method of formation. Mixed media elements were the answer, and I utilized my spinning wheel as the fastest way to permanently combine them. I am ever grateful for taking the workshop of the copiously talented Jacey Boggs, to learn the spinning techniques enabling me to create this piece. Jacey, I now think of my wheel as a vehicle for construction, as opposed to just a spinner of fiber.

 

Here is a slide show of the development of Ampelopsis Agripeta Amor "Veni, Vedi, Vici". Now this is a fantasy vine with a Latin identification I made up, but its roots are in reality.  Ampelopsis is the genus of vine. Agripeta means one who seizes land––a squatter. Amor is love. "Veni, Vedi, Vici", the common name, means I came, I saw, I conquered; apropriate, I thought for an invasive species. Enjoy!