Mary Ramsey Keasler
textile art and beaded jewelry
LOST AND FOUND
Back with more beads!
After making the decision that I must do something with all these beaded earrings, bracelets and necklaces, my problem is taking the time to photography, edit, then take the time to sit down and bang out a blog post. Then I must pull out my smartphone to post this latest offering on a couple more apps. I must admit that using a smartphone to accomplish this is a challenge to me. I am always battling with that sweet little old teacher somewhere out in cyberspace, who wants to correct my spelling and grammar. Then I have to mess with the photos to be sure they fit correctly within the parameters of the appropriated space allowed. It inevitably happens that some of my photos get cropped inappropriately. By that time, I give up and move on. Anyways, I decided to open up the old blogger and work for here. Here I do have a little more control.
In selling a product there needs to be descriptions, dimensions, pricing and if you're lucky enough to sell something, packaging, invoicing, mailing and so it goes. The older I get, the longer it takes me to accomplish anything. Plus the fact that I am a bit lazy and not at all driven to be a successful business woman. After all, I am retired and I just wanna do what I wanna do whenever I wanna do it. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it all.
By now you are probably tired of reading. If you have gotten this far. So without further ado, I'll wrangle some photos onto this post. I have also posted these on Instagram and Facebook. I hope you will enjoy seeing them here!
These are a collection of earrings that I made following a pattern written by a very talented Gwen Fisher You may also find her on Instagram @gwenbeads. I would love to sell you a pair of these cuties for $55.00 which includes shipping within the continental USA. Let me know if a pair might appeal to you or if I could create a pair in a colorway that you might like. Or if you would like to have a closeup of a specific color. I will be happy to oblige.
The next pair are a 1 off original design. This means that I won't make another pair like this. So if you are sporting one of these pair out and about (now that we are able to get out and about much more these days), you will not see someone else with earrings like yours. Ever!
You might notice the design is slightly different on each piece but the colors tie them together: teal, soft white. light rose, grape, blush on a copper background. They are 1 1/4 " x 1" not including the earwires.
$55.00 + $5.00 shipping and handling
BACK AGAIN
portrait play
before and after.
Searching for a new direction
"Just Thinking Out Loud"
I am so frequently inspired after reading blog posts from Elizabeth Barton and Kathleen Loomis. They are able to compose their thoughts eloquently. Often it seems to coincide with issues that I might be struggling with in my mind. Do and don't. Can or can't. Why or why not. These ladies are brilliant. It seems all I have to do is think of the questions, wait a few days and voila! The answers are given in their blogs. Waiting for me to take that inspiration and go with it.
The great thing about statements coming from Elizabeth, is that she does her research. She gives so much food for thought and makes me feel as if I am justified in questioning the grand world of art. The great thing about Kathleen is that she has has such a grand way with words. I would never challenge her to a debate even on the color of a schoolbus. She can drive home a point so that you can't help but see it her way. The are intelligent, talented ladies. I can hardly wait to see what they have to say next. And what piece of art they might have to show next.
Just when I wrote my last post about my experiences in Nancy Crow's workshop, feeling that pull between creating and processing in my own way rather than strictly following another method. Just when I am really pulled between continuing to push to find my voice in representational (quilt) art or give that up to try my hand at abstract (quilt) art. Why can I not just do both? Hey, I scored well in both literary and geometry topics while in school. Opposites, to my way of thinking. Left brain, right brain stuff, correct? I enjoy both representational or geometric. So why not do both. I have seen so much geometric, abstract quilt art on the web, that frankly, as I actually said out loud (can't believe I did that) to Nancy in front of the whole workshop, that I have become, yet again, bored with most of it. There is so much out "there" that it all begins to look alike. But then, I am not a learned art scholar, so who am I to judge anyone else's art. I am only looking through eyes connected to my brain and that is the way I view it. I continue to struggle to find something new, different, exciting.
I feel that each and every person is an individual with many facets. I learned that from my two children. They are so much alike, yet so different. Each one, as a child, learned by totally different educational methods. Both of them are very talented and creative, but go about it in totally different ways. Both of them are also very grounded and sensible. They can both do many different activities quite well. Okay, enough Mom talk, but you get my drift? Mankind has been debating the questions for eons. "Beauty in things exist merely in the mind which contemplates them" said David Hume in his essays, Moral and Political, in 1742.
What began my conflict is something that Nancy Crow told me. I was merrily creating pieced, landscapes, trees, flowers, which I presented in the workshop for her critique. She said that I should decide what I wanted to do before I die. She felt that I need to go home and do the work. Stop taking classes. She said that I should decide whether I want to make representational (flower) or be a real artist creating abstract quilts. I should just get to work and find my voice or style. I interpreted her words as the pressure to create quilts in an abstracted, non representational manner. Yet, I don't want to be in one box. I have been struggling to get out of the freakin' box and be what I am in the moment. And be okay with doing that. I want to learn all I can about all types of artistic expression that I can translate into quilt art.
So around 2014-ish, I joined the Chattanooga Modern Quilt guild. I learned about minimalism, abstraction, negative space, updating traditional quilt blocks into contemporary quilt blocks, etc. After being distracted for quite some years in that style, I have realized that this would not be something I want to continue. As much as I want to be included in the current trends, it is not what I really want to do. It is just not my style, as much as I want to be liked or recognized by those who appreciate that style. I keep saying that out loud. To my friends. To myself. But I haven't had the strength to venture away.
May I not have more than one voice, Nancy? I feel that I have 2 fairly strong voices in the representational and also, a bit of the geometric. Having strayed for too long from this, I now feel a bit more justified in deciding to express myself with these 2 voices. Here, a bit of soprano and there, a bit of alto. Or in my case, I should say a bit of bluegrass and a bit of jazz. I hope to continue to learn more and become better expressing my vision with each try. Here's to hoping that 2018 will bring a final end to this struggle. And discovery of what is really hidden inside me, waiting to kick that box wide open.
Does anyone else have this struggle going on? Why or why not?
Blogger gone rogue
Improv Month
This is Mary Ann with a small piece that she put together during those 3 days. I feel that these women and their family members were instrumental in bringing art quilting and the modern, improvisational look to the forefront in the quilting world. I will always be grateful to them and thrilled that their art was discovered.
What an amazing woman |
Inspired by these women and by my local (Chattanooga) Modern Quilt Guild to try my hand at a modern look, I took a break from patterning and had some fun!
small improv 1 11'"x 11 1/2" |
small improv 3 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" |
small improv 5 11 1/2" x 16" |
small improv 8 27" x 26" |
Playing catch up
sample to explore raw edge quilting on the pasted pieces 15 X 27 |
completed piece began on day 2 of the workshop 27 X 46 |
more playtime 36 x 54 soon to be quilted |
We are so excited ~ having a burger at the airport ~ ready to go |
View from our hotel in Sorrento |
Positano |
the beach at Sorrrento |
Trevi Fountain ~ I tossed in lots of coins to assure my return |
the highlight of the trip seeing the Pope Francis up close and hearing his sermon in St. Peter's square |
the Mediterranean Sea ~ ahhhhhh |
Back to Tennessee again, for a couple of weeks and I was off to Arrowmont. I attended a workshop on shape resist and natural dyeing taught by Joan Morris. I really can't say enough about this class. Joan is a fabulous teacher and a world class artist. She has been working with shibori/shape resist and dyeing for 30 years, and made it look sooooo easy. And, all of the folks in the class were a delight to play with. A hugely talented group, I must say. I was so inspired and can't wait to do more. Unfortunately, I was so engrossed in the class that I failed to take many photos of the class. But here are a few of my results.
my karamatsu design cotton backed silk, with tannin and mordent |
Pulled and tied off then dyed in natural indigo |
the stitches are cut and pulled |
cotton side of the design after being ironed ~ a soft indigo color |
the silk side of the design after being ironed ~ a shimmering blue green ~ silk does not take natural indigo dye as well |
more karamatsu ~ not yet ironed |
Kumo |
mokome on silk not ironed. |