The Shadow Knows

Satellites

Aluminum and Steel

My latest mobile is sans color, but the shadows make up for it.
 © Christie Minchew 2014

Wired for the Holidays!

Wire and hand dyed fiber Wreath

 Just finished this wire wreath.  

Aluminum and copper wire with hand dyed silk and synthetic fiber and twisted and curled and ready to celebrate :)!

Wire and hand dyed fiber Wreath 

Right now there is just one but hopefully more will be ready before the Chatham Studio Tour, December 6th and 7th, 13th and 14th (two weekends) from 10am-5pm each day. Head for Stop #12 to see what I've been having fun with lately.  

But first, Happy Thanksgiving!

 © Christie Minchew 2014

Butterflies or Dragonflies? That is the question!

  Anisoptera Flamboyantus © Christie Minchew 2014

6"x 6"

At my last show, the Alamance Studio Tour, I had my most recent creations. During the show, someone asked if I ever do dragonflies.  I do now!

So what do you think: Butterflies or Dragonflies? 
And, whichever gets the most votes (Butter or Dragon) will be at Stop #12 on the Chatham Studio Tour!

Anisoptera Colorfulus © Christie Minchew 2014

6"x 6"

My Latest: Papilio Series

 Papilio jubilee © Christie Minchew 2014

6"x 6"

I decided to do some needle felting and do a butterfly (Papilio) series.  There are five 6"x6" shadow box framed butterflies. They were fun to do...especially the antennae ...and the tutu (see bottom) :)

Papilio polkadotus © Christie Minchew 2014

6"x 6"

Papilio graffitius © Christie Minchew 2014

6"x 6"

Papilio winter wood © Christie Minchew 2014

6"x 6"

Papilio ballerinus 'Degas' © Christie Minchew 2014

6"x 6"

They are $50 each and you can see them at the Alamance Studio Tour this weekend - Stop 10.  There are 5 other artists at Jill Troutman's home and the place looks fantastic!

In my studio...purses!

Santa Fe © Christie Minchew 2014

wool, ribbon, wet-felting

I took the advice of a fellow artist and made some purses this week.  I dusted off my wet-felting skills, and we had the perfect weather for playing in water!

Peacock © Christie Minchew 2014

wool, ribbon, wet-felting

Glasses not included :)

Come see them (and me) at the Alamance Studio Tour, October 11 and 12.

Dog Kisses and Sweet Words

 

Dog Kisses © Christie Minchew 2014

fiber rush, bamboo skewers, cardboard, paper, tuille and joomchi (mulberry paper)

I had a get together with my college roommate and her daughter a couple of weeks ago and made these prototypes for them.

Dog Kisses © Christie Minchew 2014

I wanted to experiment with a couple of things: odd shapes, variations of height on the sides and adding a bit of a surprise when you looked into the basket.

Sweet Words © Christie Minchew 2014

fiber rush, bamboo skewers, cardboard, paper, and joomchi (mulberry paper)

I learned a lot from these little experiments.

Sweet Words © Christie Minchew 2014

And Kim and Suzy were willing guinea pigs :).

Penland School of Crafts - How I spent...

My first attempt at coiling - oh the possibilities! © Christie Minchew 2014

How I spent my summer vacation?

At least 2 weeks of it was at the Penland School of Crafts and it was fabulous!  I took Sculptural Weaving with Nathalie Miebach and my head is still spinning with all the new techniques and materials I now have to draw from.

© Christie Minchew 2014

I spent countless hours with my fellow classmates in the Lily Loom House (above)

burning the midnight oil (ok, I only lasted until 10pm on a good night!)

My Final Project: My Penland Experience (unfnished) with a curvy, roller coastery road leading to a random-weave world of Penland © Christie Minchew 2014

and making very odd objects that both frustrated and exhilarated me.

Nathalie Miebach was a wonderful teacher of the unconventional (using conventional basket weaving techniques), and my classmates were the greatest group of artists to learn from as well.

Top that off with a filled-to-capacity campus of like-minded artists to chat with, yummy (and plentiful) food and 3 wonderful roommates and I hated to say goodbye.  But alas...

Playing with my food (and other things)

Playing With My Food © Christie Minchew 2014

 I've been working on (ok, playing with) this piece for about 2 years off-and-on (mostly off).  Finally, after ArtBrake! was over, I allowed myself to pull it back out and finish it.  This was a real commitment.  It's about 7 feet high, so it took the majority of floor space in my studio.  And there was stuff, lots of stuff, alllll over the floor around it.  In other words, it wasn't something I wanted to put away and take out too many times.  

Playing With My Food © Christie Minchew 2014

When we put it up over the fireplace, I realized just what a ...statement it made.  The other 3 components I had planned to put with it were, understandably, sacked.  I think this is all the statement I can take in our living room.

Playing With My Food, detail © Christie Minchew 2014

What is in it, you might ask?

Store bags, Chiobani yogurt cups and lids and box pieces, twist ties/labels from organic produce (purple), twist ties from other produce (yellow), fuschia helium balloons, green foil from pointsetta plants, a couple of shower/spray nozzles and hoses, white and yellow plastic spears from a couple of fruit gift arrangements, the green plastic casing from around electrical wire, pieces of creative experiments gone wrong, wood flower stems whose flower heads had detached long ago, and, the only not-used-before ingredient, orange and pink surveying tape.

 Playing With My Food, detail © Christie Minchew 2014

Ahhhh, I finally have my studio floor back!  And my back and knees are much happier, too.

Thank You!

© Christie Minchew 2014

 Thank You to everyone who came to ArtBrake! and made it such a fun and successful weekend.  The travelled-farthest award went to an Arizonian. It was great having friends and family stop by and wonderful to meet new folks who were here for the first time.  We really appreciate it.

© Christie Minchew 2014

Whew!  Now to kick back for a few days :).

T'was the week before ArtBrake!

© Christie Minchew 2014

T'was the week before ArtBrake! and all through the house

Everyone is working, even the mouse!

The "Jellies" are all hung by the woodwork with care

In hopes that art lovers soon will be there.

The "gallery" is almost finished, Chuck is working on four drop-dead gorgeous cutting boards and final touches are being applied all around. The area around Frosty's is reverberating with the sound of creativity (and maybe a little bit of panic)!

We hope to see you next weekend - April 26 and 27.  What a great way to spend a spring day!

For a map and information on the eleven (yes, 11!) Artists, go to www.ArtBrake.net.

Frilly-Funk necklace - the 1st!

© Christie Minchew 2014

I'm having fun with all of the silk I've dyed plus all of the miscellaneous bits I've been saving for just the right project.  A few beads for a little spark...it's coming.

I hope to have a few of these made in different color combinations for ArtBrake!, April 26,27 from 10-5.  Hope you can come.

All the fun colors and shapes, None of the sting!

 

Jelly No2 © Christie Minchew 2014

aluminum wire, hand dyed silk and synthetic cloth, mulberry paper, beads, waxed linen and polyester threads

I finished "Jelly" No2 just a while ago.  This one has silk that I dyed (blue) plus some really interesting synthetic cloth I dyed (green).  Those two are layered and stitched with salmon colored waxed linen thread and fuschia colored thread.  Hard to see all of that in the photos.... Guess you'll just have to come by :).

What's up in the studio

I started getting components ready for Flower Hat Jelly No2.  Sixty four 'stems' of wire... 

and 1,472 beads later!  The blue silk organza in the background was dyed this week, too.  My fingernails are finally looking a little more normal :).

Just the Beginning

Ta Daaaa....

 Flower Hat Jelly I © Christie Minchew 2014

wire, beads, mulberry paper, joomchi technique

I finished...and I'm on to the next!

And if you're in town, come see it at ArtBrake!, April 26 and 27.

Mobiles and Jelly fish

Working on a new mobile inspired by a photo I have of a "Flower Hat Jelly" fish...

©Christie Minchew 2014

I'm having fun...stay tuned.

By the way, the Third Annual ArtBrake! is coming April 26 and 27 - yippee!