"Caravan of Vanities"

10"x12", bleached and overprinted red cotton, four layers of silk and netting, gold metallic embroidery, photo transfer, glass beads.

Caravans have an interesting history. The 'Spice Route' from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel carrying hundreds of pounds of Frankincense on hundreds of camels. The sounds of bells ringing, camels chewing spitting and making whatever other noises they make along with smells of smoke, food and people...would make quite an entrance off the dusty desert sand. Most  caravans carried for trade exotic silks, beads to simple ointments. The photo transfer is just such a jar (NY Metropolitan Museum)of ointment....all of this shopping makes one think of an ancient traveling mall! Most of my fabrics came from my stash but the bottom piece was one of my stamped bleached and overprinted cotton which I'm trying to use in each 'artifact'. I was trying for a look of a colorful tent or a makeshift top on a camels back.

Update: I've changed my preview on my catalog to include all pages. If you would like to view the whole book...click on the sidebar photo!

Desert Wedding Veil

12" x 16" fragment, old curtain, assorted glass beads, silver beads and three large glass turquoise beads, silver metallic embroidery on printed olive shaped leaves, finished with varied shades of fabric paint.

In my book "Walking the Bible" (PBS special), it stated the Pharaohs of Egypt had extensive copper and turquoise mines in the Sinai Desert. This inspired me to consider a few stones stolen out of the mines and onto a desert camel caravan and miles away being traded possibly to a shepherd for wool??! From what I've read this was a colorful time and a bridal veil would have had embroidery as well as beads. I've been composing these pieces on the fly so I'm having such fun with the materials and combining with the dream. I've also ran myself into trouble too but that is just part of art making?! I framed this veil on white with a white metal frame and it holds up nicely. I've gone a few times to the fabric store but most of what I've used has come out of my bottomless fabric and misc boxes. I'm set for the winter and a lot of art making!

I hope everyone is having a great new year. I've been hunting around for a 'word' to carry me through the year and thought I had one several times. I happened upon a blog (india flint) with a post  she titled "Stillness" and I knew right away it was my word for this year. I have "STILLNESS"  taped up on my studio wall and I just know it will remind me how or when to go to my own 'stillness'....a place I'm sure my thoughts and feelings can find a better peace.. Do you have a word that might guide or serve you as a reminder throughout the year?

Wedding (ezor)

12" x 7" bleached, overprinted with black and applied bronze foil with the base being  brown cotton, machine stitched and embroidery, glass beads and metallic threads on black suede/like cloth.
I've added a photo of my stamp plate, an assortment of little cut pieces glued onto a piece of Plexiglas.
My research tells me that biblical clothing consisted of undergarments held in place by an ezor, a belt, sash or even called a girdle. These were made of leather, linen and I understand fine embroidery might have been used for special occasions and for high priests, there was also the addition of a cloak. These fabrics and beads would have been influenced by caravan trade with Syrians, Egyptian empires.On this belt fragment I added glass looking beads which was my first attempt to sew such small little things. No easy task with long needle and little eye but I actually got the hang of it and had some fun adding here and there where beads might still be seen on a worn fragment.This piece was slow to finish but I think I'm finally there. In my dream mind of inspiration I couldn't  help but  recall the story of Jacob marrying Rebekkah.