This is a difficult post to create because I forgot my camera in a store in Galveston Texas (it is being returned to me this week). So these photos are thanks to Jamie Fingal, Leslie Tucker Jennison and Sharon Hyll. Thanks gals!
This is a photo of me at my lecture. My first true lecture, where I created a set of slides to project and spoke for 50 minutes straight. It took a good three days to put the Powerpoint presentation together, fuss with the word prompts, read it to the empty apartment and worry it wasn't long enough.
But I counseled myself to read slowly, ad-lib and riff off topic as it felt right to do so and sip water throughout. And I did well. I had about 50 participants and spoke for about 50 minutes.
I even bought myself a new skirt, which you can't really see in this photo but which I am in love with! I plan to work on recreating the pattern for myself so I can make fabric and new renditions of the skirt. I know I feel as though too many people wear black here in the city. It is like a uniform. It is pretty but over used.
Beside I am a textile designer.
I did a couple of Open Studios at the MIU booth. Since the book has had some time to percolate, it is interesting to see what people think of it and what they say about it. All the Interweave booth's books sold out by Friday, so I went to other booths that carried my book and made sure to direct new readers there for copies. (Like Robin).
I truly hope that my focus on using thickened dyes doesn't turn folks away from my book. That is my main fear.
But Festival is full of surprises! A member of my very first guild sat in on the monoprinting presentation I gave at a Mixed Media sampler, one of the women at my lecture came up to me later that day at Open Studios and I noticed she was from NYC. I told her I was actively seeking friends and yesterday I spent a delightful afternoon at her house making hard covered books into watercolor journals! Recycled books! And tonight I will meet up with Iris Karp of Misty Fuse to go to an opening in Chelsea. I know I don't NEED to go all the way to Houston to meet New Yorkers, but it sure does help to narrow the focus and hone in on mutual interests!
I spent some great time with Leslie, and Judy, among others.
And Surviving the Runway was great fun this time around. Maybe it was the music. Maybe it was helping to make a corset out of craft foam, pipe cleaners, pom poms, fabric and duct tape. Goovy-ness like that just can't be beat and with Pokey's signature music tracks in the background to dance to?
Perfect.