Tracy McCabe Stewart - Contemporary Fiber

I was at the Port Clinton Art Festival yesterday and ran across this completely amazing photographer, Lisa Kristine.  For those of you who know me, I am generally completely bored by artwork of people unless they are abstracted; a beautiful curve of a torso, an interesting pose,etc.  I don’t generally like faces in artwork at all; abstract or realistic.  I think they are too prescriptive for me.  I don’t want to be so directed by a work and faces seem too easy.  I would rather have to find my own way with shape, texture and color.

I normally don’t love this art festival, the artwork is usually all a bit too slick and shiny for me.  I like organic work with a bit less polish.  I go because it’s pretty much the last festival of the year and I generally feel like I haven’t seen enough art over the summer.  This summer was no exception.  This year was much better; I think they may have had a new juror or two because there was much more of the kind of aesthetic that I appreciate this year. 

I had a pretty good pumpkin tamale from Hot Tamalesrestaurant at the fair as well.  I never have tried pumpkin if the had had other flavors handy, but it was pretty darn good.  It’s pretty hard to screw up a tamale in my book.  The are one of nature’s most perfect foods.  I will revisit the actual restaurant another time.  The menu looks good.  Duck tacos?  Yumm!!!

Lisa actually specializes in photographing indigenous people. She has traveled extensively.  I had such a visceral reaction to her work,  and felt so moved by how totally she captured the beautiful spirits of her subjects, and the sensuous colors and textures of both the people and their surroundings.  There is a reverence about her work that spoke deeply to me.  Here’s her site:  http://www.lisakristine.com/images/index.html The little images don’t convey her intention as well as the big prints I got to see, but I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. 

By the way, I love comments.  They make me feel like I’m not talking to myself!  Feel free to leave some on the blog   The comment section is below.

Midnight River (C)2009 Tracy McCabe Stewart

“Midnight River” 2009 by Tracy McCabe Stewart.  Hand dyed silks and cottons, commercial cottons, fabric paint.  Thermofax screened with Lumiere metallic paints, fused, machine quilted.

 I have been working on this commission pretty steadily this summer.  It is finally finished, approved by the client and ready to go to her home.  Yippee!!!

 

I am now moving on to getting small pieces together for various galleries and and the Fine Art of Fiber Show which will take place in Early November at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  My pal Shelley and I are running a  table in the boutique for the first time this year on top of our regular contribution of work to the main show.  This is a truly beautiful show and well worth the trip if you are in the Chicago area this fall. 

Additionally, I am working on a large heron pieces for shows jurying later in the year.   

My daughter leaves early next week for 9 month’s study in Japan.  After I have my emotional meltdown, I will settle down and get some work done. 

Fall always feels like the beginning of the new year for me.  I guess it’s all those years attending and working in the schools. 

 

What projects do you have planned this fall?

Hi all,

I went up to Door County, Wisconsin Friday and Saturday.  We went up with friends and broke into stereotypical groups for the weekend.  The guys all went to the Experimental Aircraft Association Show in Oshkosh, WI, while us girls went and checked out some of the many gorgeous galleries in the area.

 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Door County, it lies on the little pinkie finger of Wisconsin; a skinny little pennisula that is incredibly popular with tourists.  Door County has oodles of galleries, outdoor activities and beautiful scenenry.

Sadly, I completely forgot to bring my camera, but did manage to go to some galleries with lovely websites.  On top of seeing some really first rate artwork, the thing that really stuck with me was the incredible use of space these galleries had.  I saw revamped barns, beautiful trellises over gorgeous patios, incredible gardens that included ponds and sculpture.  They were truly magnificent and I came away feeling incredibly inspired.  Many of these were pretty close to the vision I have for my dream living situation.  Take a look for some artistic inspiration:

Fine Line Designs Gallery Really gorgeous artwork.  A decent sculpture garden.  Definitely worth seeing.

Edgewood Orchard Galleries-Absolutely incredible on all levels.  This is probably the most wonderful gallery experience I have ever had, anywhere.  The buildings were incredible, with lovely patios to sit on in between, the sculpture garden was absolutely incredible, both in the garden itself and the caliber of the sculpture, and the other media were just as first rate.  If I went to one place in all of Door County again, this would be it.

Plum Bottom Pottery-First rate pottery and sculpture.

The Flying Pig-Good artwork and truly lovely gardens.  They had a really unusual selection of plants and a really nice coffe shop in the middle.  It was a really relaxing, lovely end to the day.  If you click on their site, they have a truly lovely video of the space. 

 

All of these were really worth the trip!