Tofu Stories

Tofu Stuffed Toy from Taiwan in Jafabrit's Kitchen

Madsilence did a really nice article titled " The Trouble with Tofu" and how Americans haven't been able to appreciate it. Check it out they have some great links for recipes.
I thought I would share a funny Tofu commercial from Taiwan my son sent me about tofu crying if people don't eat them.

Art House Sketchbook Project
Yesterday marked the first exhibition on the Sketchbook Project tour
Here is a slide show of mine

If you get a chance check out Sheree's video of her sketchbook

Self Indulgent Cuteness

I read a comment on a blog about knit graffiti

"but this also seems a little like littering mixed with self-indulgent cuteness. "

So I couldn't resist sharing these photos of self indulgent cuteness


Okay, so they are painted but heck they are soooooooo cute
and so was the scene beneath out knit knot tree
Photo by c. bayrak of a wedding under the knit knot tree in yellow spring, Ohio

That is what we do as artists, indulge in our need to express ourselves

GUILTY as CHARGED

So what little indulgences are YOU guilty of?

Z is for Zip It

I always grew up saying Zed, not Zee as Americans do.
So for me it is
Z for Zed

"zip it"
canvas, zip, porcelain teeth

And this is the final post for the alphabet soup project
I would like to thank C. Southwell at Laughter Minute for inviting me to participate
It has been an interesting journey and one that has pushed me in a way I hadn't expected
One is having to do a blog entry every day, arg!!!!!!!!!
Hum, I could have used zaftig to describe my self portrait, but oh well, I am stuck with zipper now.

Projects
I signed up for the Landfill Art Project (an artist reclamation project).
check it out, maybe YOU would like to participate.
I am also working on my second piece for the Eclipse Gallery 50/50/50 Show
I am representing Ohio in the embroidery section


errm, for American readers:
Hum! If you wish to say DAYlick, so be it, but please don't try and correct a British person for pronouncing Dalek in its original form DAR lek.
You say tomayto and I say tomahto

Y is for Yarnbombing

Men's Throne Room
(also known as the ChamberPot Gallery)
at the Train Station,Yellow Springs, Ohio
Yep, the Jafagirls don't just yarnbomb, benches, posts and trees hee! hee! hee!

And NOW for something completely different
Food Porn Generates Passion
On the Menu: should you really photograph that food?
Bet you didn't know there was a term Food Porn? or did you? I didn't.
Well check out Food Porn, great photos from amateur to hardcore.
On Banning Photograph from Restaurants by Serious Eats New York

By the way I find this VERY upsetting
Marmite banned from schools"Some think marmite evil'
graphite pencil on paper

"It has a high B-vitamin content, as well as riboflavin and niacin—and as such is very healthy. (The vitamin-B complex helps prevent anemia.)" Marmite FAQ's

BREAKING NEWS
The Foreign Office has denied allegations that British Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay were subjected to Marmite.

Bad Manners

SOME PEOPLE
Are their lives that miserable!
So we are visiting the New Noodle place in the Greenecollective art project by the jafabrit clan
and it's PACKED, but we manage to find a table.
There were only four chairs and we needed one more
Ah hah! the next table has a spare one
So my son asks if we could have it
My goodness, her FACE
As she moved her coat off the chair
she muttered under her breath "jesus christ"
wow
SHE NEEDS a bloody GOOD DOSE OF SKA
from Mr. Bad Manners himself, Buster Bloodvessel
give it to her baby
Lip it up Fatty
coz you is sad

Suffice it to say mrs. misery guts was but a fleeting diversion
The jafabrit clan had more important things to focus on
like making straw paper happy faces as we waited for our
YUMMY noodles

which brings me to the subject of
Food Porn
Coming Next

X is for X-rated

Self Portrait many moons ago
Well, what can I do, my kids read my blog and I don't want to gross them out .

ISSUES

US activists, who were giving a talk in Turkey about the transformative power of art were criticized for naivete. Hurriyet Daily News

In regards to the US activists, their failure perhaps was not showing HOW art can transform by providing international and national examples. In general I find many underestimate the power of imagery until you start bringing up examples and issues of censorship.
Here are a list of photographs that changed the world.
The Art of Persuasion from the PBS series, How Art Made The World.
Free Government Information website shares info about a book highlighting the case of Dorothea Lange's banned photos of Japanese Internment in America.
The power of Advertizing
Here is a GREAT link list of Social Movements and Art Activism

Naivety is not understanding the power of art.

Talking about Activist Art
Bill Evertson did a blog entry about an interesting exhibit using rice and I had to share a photo of graffiti my son took near his campus in Jhongli City,Taiwan.

Not sure what it means other than trying to dispel a stereotype perhaps.
What do YOU think?

AND
Talking about graffiti, it is
and I am off to stick up a bit knitting (which was yesterday)
check out what the knit guerrilla's have been up to on grrl+dog's blog for feb 23 (K)NIT UP, woo hoo!

W is for Window to Winter

winter view by c.bayrak
alphabet soup for W

and for Women ArtistsVideo still from artist Carrie Mae Weems’ “A Woman’s Journey” in 2005

Carrie Mae Weems
"an award winning photographer and artist. Her photographs, films, and videos have been displayed in over 50 exhibitions in the United States and abroad and focus on serious issues that face African Americans today, such as racism, gender relations, politics, and personal identity.."

What a Fallacy
Often you will hear the argument that yarnbombers/knit graffit artists should use yarn for the homeless and its use for anything else is a waste.
It is not only a weak argument it also a false one. Here is a general list about donating to Homeless Shelters which highlights the priority list for donations .
According to Charity guide"Collectively, Americans discard two quadrillion pounds (that's a two with fifteen zeroes) of used clothing and textiles into the landfills each year."
What homeless women/families need, according to charity guide,are professional clothes and shoes, wraps for burial, specialty clothing, not some handmade knitted sweater, or socks or scarves (and frankly how useful are knitted donations in hot weather locations) .
Meanwhile for those in Yellow Springs Ohio who wish to donate clothing and shoes, keep your eyes open for the yellow donation bins located throughout the village.

V is for Vulture

This one was either Huey, luie or duey, and since Turkey Vultures are protected I was advised to harass all three of them ( they had decided to roost on our roof). After months of flinging ping pong balls and using foul metaphors at them daily they finally got the hint.

Beer Flavoured Green Tea Commercial from Taiwan

My son tried it and it didn't make him dance but he loved the commercials in Taiwan.

U is for Under

As in under the acrylic tunnel at
Ripley's Believe It or Not Aquarium of the Smokies
this is a sawfish
alphabet soup U

This is my favourite photo I took there

Photography Issues

you witness something,
photograph it for the student newspaper you are working for and get charged.
For up to date info on censorship issues visit the blog for "The National Coalition Against Censorship" which " is dedicated to protecting rights and principles guaranteed by the First Amendment. We report on incidents of censorship and provide support and resources to people facing challenges to freedom of inquiry and expression."

I saw this on Visual Perspective regarding taking photographs of English bobbies, or rather not taking them unless one wants to find them self in gaol.

T is for Teapot from Taiwan

T is for Teapot from Taiwan

My son gave me this teapot made out of store receipts (not glued or wired together)

T is for Ticked
The New York Post must think people are stupid

No matter what the original intent it is astonishing that given the history of ugly racist propaganda/stereotypes (most recently during the presidential race) this cartoon could be seen as funny or politically astute in some way.
For more information and protest letter please visit Color of Change.
thanks to Impatient Blogger for the info and link

The Art of Propaganda has a long ugly history and it is always the same when racism is confronted. There are protestations of ignorance, of innocence, but sir it was only a cookie, a joke, a right to offend. Ah people shouldn't be so easily offended.
Why not, that is the intent is it not.
Sometimes it isn't a matter of being offended, it's not wanting to empower those who would demean or dehumanize others with our silence.

"State of Mind"
backstory here

The Ranks of Hate Swell-Southern Poverty Law Center

S is for Stone & Stereotypes

photo by c.bayrak

Stone Door Knocker corner of Corry and Xenia Ave, Yellow Springs, Ohio
Alphabet Soup for S

So yesterday I went with a pal who is facing chemo to check out purple wigs at Foys in Fairborn. Her friends, male and female are either going to wear purple wigs or die their hair a shade of purple in support of her during this difficult time. I reckon we should all go wearing our wigs and try out the lavender daquari at The Winds, woo hoo!

County Woman's Quilt of Controversy
I thought it was a clever idea, as well as the title and quite TAME really (especially compared to some of the ads themselves). I am disappointed to learn that JoAnn Fabrics banned the March Issue of the magazine that showed pictures of this and other quilts.
Here is a blog entry by the owner of the Magazine Mark Lipinski
Yes there is a stereotype and it is getting OLD!
TIME TO BREAK THOSE STEREOTYPES

R is for Rock

Graffiti Rock Bike Trail Yellow Springs, Ohio

Hum the need to leave our marks on rocks, walls goes back centuries doesn't it.

Talking about leaving our mark

What is Craftivism

This site describes it as "raising questions about the role and definition of craft and attitudes towards it as well as our relationship to, and implication in, the changing global conditions of trade through everyday consumerism." OR as Wikipedia describes it: a form of activism.

Knit Twits by the Jafagirls
I don't feel like a radical activist, but putting knitting on a tree or a pole fits with craftivism and the idea of redefining how the craft of knitting is seen and used. It is nice to see crafts burst out of the bubble it has been relegated to for so long.

ABOUT ART
Yesterday I mentioned the New York Times article Boom is Over. Long live Art
On the other hand
Tough Times Call for Shrewd Artists

Q is for quilt

As in quilted wood
This is a close up of a full size wooden quilt kimono I made based on a vintage 60's fabric one I bought in Dallas Texas many years ago. I did them in sections on mdf board that were then gessoed, painted, cut out and reassembled and then stitched together with coated wire.

The Boom is Over. Long Live Art.
I read this in the New York Times Sunday and anybody struggling with the current economy and the state of the arts might find it interesting. It was the final paragraph that struck me.

"I’m talking about carving out a place in the larger culture where a condition of abnormality can be sustained, where imagining the unknown and the unknowable — impossible to buy or sell — is the primary enterprise. Crazy! says anyone with an ounce of business sense. Right. Exactly. Crazy. "

Yes, I feel like being crazy!
Whether it will be abnormal or not I haven't a clue, that is an unknown and not knowable.
And anyhow what is abnormal???????
Deviating from a standard?
Whose standard?

meanwhile
I don't know many people that knit poo fairy's, but that is hardly an earth shattering deviation into the unknown. No, I made it for a special person who is struggling with the unknown and known consequences of dealing with cancer and the various treatments.

"When life sucks and hands you lemons,
I say beat the crap out of it and demand some Florida Oranges as well"

Professional News
UK DiY chose one of our textile totems (peace pole) as part of their exhibit at the Turnpike Gallery in Wigan England. I love how they describe it as being "bright, gobsmacking, curious, fun, inspiring and so much more." I wish I could be there and see it, looks fab.

P is for Potato

Repeat entry but I couldn't resist since today's letter is P and this made me laugh.
That is really one very sad looking tattie, potatoe, pitatie, spud, solanum tuberosum.

"Mrs. Neighbour" I says. "why do you have a grumpy potato on the shelf above the stove"? "eeeh, what are you talking about"? says mrs.neighbour. I asked her, "you mean you didn't do that on purpose"?. "no, what"? says mrs.neighbour, "I just put the tattie there for my son so he would remember it for lunch"?

P is for Page in a sketchbook

thought I would cut the paper and stitch it with the same yarn I used on the knit graffiti bench.

P is for Photography
I did the Dirty Footprints blog interview and what fun that was, thanks Connie. Of course Jen's Mimosas helped. Err, yes I know, a shamefully decadent thing to do at 10am Sunday morning. Hum! what has that got to do with photography one wonders. Well, we talked about it on the interview. I am not a photographer but thought it would be fun to take Laughter Minute's alphabet soup challenge. I am not used to planning an image, or trying to find one that fits a theme. It is completely opposite of how I work as an artist. Usually I have an idea that pops into my head and THEN I dip into my art toolbox to see which media will best work to express that idea. So photography is forcing me to work differently and re-see things in a whole new way.
I have to think that is a GOOD thing.

O is for Oops!

I really didn't get a chance to do a photo for O LOL!
so instead you got an oldie pic titled "art snobs do me in"

Meanwhile somewhere in Ohio a new street sticker lurks
A posterized version of my felt anatomy piece

Well, err I am giving a blog radio interview today over at Dirty Footprints, EEK!!! Wish me luck :)

N is for Nacarat

and what the heck is that you are wondering?

It means orange with a tinge of red and is pronounced nak a rat. As in my Nacarat Salwar Kameez

I bought this in Little India (28th Street) New York years ago. My daughter and I stayed at the Gershwin Hotel (I see it has been upgraded a bit since we were there but the prices are still GREAT) which was a blast.

WEll it is V day and not the V-Day you are thinking
A global movement

But for those who are thinking V as in Valentine

"naughty boy"
oil on wood
available at In a Frame

Happy Valentines Day

M is for Mouse

"give me the cheese"

Gosh who knew there were so many felt mice, they are just adorable.
I had two white pet mice once, my gosh what smelly little things, but very useful for releasing and scaring aunties' and babysitters.
My fave kind of mouse is a dormouse.
We had one that used to pop up his head behind the sink and watch mum wash the dishes when we lived in Hetton-le-Hole. Wasn't scared at all, just sat there and watched.

M is for Mum

Sketchbook Project #3

For this page I collaged a photograph of my mother, stitched mum on some felt and soaked the felt with her favourite perfume, Safari by Ralph Lauren.
I have a bottle in the house and take a whiff now and again and then feel sad.
I wish we didn't live so far away from each other.

L is for Lung

"it sucks"

I call it "it sucks" because I used to love smoking and had to quit cold turkey quite a few years ago. Yes, a disgusting habit but one I enjoyed on occasion.
It is a soft sculpture wall hanging and still a work in progress made out of felt (filled with fag ash and rice to weigh it down). At the top I will be adding lips for the felt fag.

Textile Arts
I found this at the Wooster Collective

Anna's Textiles

TRADITIONAL WORK: I learned to sew at a young age ( I think my mum has my first sewing project from kindergarten LOL) and took to embroidery like a duck to water. I learned all the basic stitches and a few of the more complicated ones over the years. I did this piece about 20 years ago and is based on a vintage design kit I got from Dutch Company. I chose to do many of my own stitches rather than follow the pattern (except the wavy stitch on the vase and basket weave on the strawberries). I LOVE doing satin stitch most of all. I can't say I enjoyed the cross stitch as much, not my thing. My favourite style is Elizabethan /Jacobean. Here is a little history of samplers for those that might be interested. Anyway don't be surprised if you see a wee bit embroidery sneak into some of my art in the future.

K is for Knitting (of course)

Knit & Textile Graffiti for Elaine's bench by the Jafagirls
Corry Street, Yellow Springs, Ohio
Nancy did the felt flowers and I did the knitting.
Took us 2 hours to assemble it and during that time we had a lot of folks drop by and ask us about it, share their thoughts and thank us.
Talking to people and seeing their smiles was wonderful.
alphabet soup series K


This is our contribution to grrl+dog (k)nit up

SHE SPUN A YARN
and what a delightful yarn it is too, called "I knit, therefore I am" on a blog called Calamity Kim.
Check it out, she has managed to weave a lot of wonderful knitted images into the story.

Textile Graffiti
Oh and you just have to check out these cool "deeply superficial people" .
They do some really fun, interesting work.
It would be great if a video camera was located near the hand
and see if anyone gives the hand a high five.
Woo Hoo!

J is for Jail

Of course when I was growing up we spelled Jail the British way, Gaol. Not sure if it's still in common usage although I see the BBC still uses that spelling. This is now a private residence (up for sale if anyone is interested) but it was once used as the local jail.

STUFF: Nancy and I put up some knit graffiti (virgil caught us in the act and took a nice pic) stuck an owl in a tree, and saw the cutest little car at the local hardware store.

I is for Icicles

Icicles in Keiths Alley, Yellow Springs

by c.bayrak

"distracted"
oil on canvas sold

I did this painting a few years ago but the title struck a chord with me. For some reason as much as I love painting I just can't seem to get around to it. I have been busy with other things but that isn't an excuse because nothing can stop you from doing something you love or need to do. Perhaps it is just not filling a need at the moment. I look forward to the time it does.

MEANWHILE
Finishing up some knit graffiti for a bench
Plotting and preparing for some embroidery art for an exhibit
Painting a new camo doll
I have been cutting up plastic grocery bags into strips and knitting them.

Okay I am distracted LOL!