SnowBot

SnowBot

Faces in Places Flickr Pool

I take a pic, post it here, it looks like a robot stuck in a tree, google robot and come up with Roila.

Learn something new everyday.

Sketchbook: Heading into 2011

As I head into the new year I'm reading one of my Xmas pressies:  The Subversive Stitch by Rozsika Parker

A review by Ingrid Mida

Snow Pics

I seem to be seeing things in the snow this winter

Snow Gun

Snow Cat

Happy Holidays

Decorated Yarn bombed tree in Kings Yard Yellow Springs, Ohio

From Millan.Net

Best Of

Best Art Blogs
I know it's a long list, but it's lovely I'm included at Art Sediments, thank you.

Best Art Blogging Info

Katherine Tyrrell has some great observations in her blog entry: Reviewing art in 2010 and art blogging. An excellent read I highly recommend.

Best Christmas Decorating 1963

McCalls
 I like the candle holders AND the fireplace, not sure about the paper roses though.
How to Make Paper Roses

Twin Fibers did a LOVELY retro Christmas Tree & ornaments.

Ugly Christmas Cookies

BUT

they were yummy, and just in case you're wondering, that is supposed to be a fragment of a greek statue, ahem!

Okay, so I didn't really stick to the theme of the life drawing groups cookie bake off.

SO!

Dam, I can't even find any uglier on google.

Humph!

Well, time to stop faffing and indulging in flibbertigibberty, I have STUFF to do.

Toodle Oooo!

Oh Dear

Call that art? No, Dan Flavin's work is just simple light fittings, say EU experts.

Jerry Saltz Answers Your Questions About Bad Art, Good Biographies, and the Smithsonian Controversy (if you have a question for Jerry just send it to artcritic@nymag.com.)

 Hilariously Over-the-Top Trailer for Indian Blockbuster Endhiran (Robot)source

Museum of Bad Art

Meanwhile Back at the Studio

Nothing

Well I am percolating ideas :) that's something, right!

Reseeing Your Painting

Painting of Bani Thani is coming along and I'm so enjoying doing this. Not trying to recreate a masterpiece here, just having fun, but funny how when I see the painting on here I resee it and notice things I need to work on (specifically extending the white sheer of the veil onto the orange at the right). I suppose it's not unlike the mirror effect.

"When you wish to see whether the general effect of your picture corresponds with that of the object presented by nature, take a mirror and set it so that it reflects the actual thing, and then compare the reflection with your picture and consider carefully whether the subject of the two images is in conformity with both, studying especially the mirror." Leonardo DaVinci

About Indian Art

Whoa, here is a classic and do you recognize who is sitting next to Dick Cavett?

Censorship at the Smithsonian

Whether it is good or bad art, or whether I like it or not, is really beside the point. The point is whether we should accept work being censored. 

"Late in November the Smithsonian’s head, G. Wayne Clough", bowed to pressure  from a fringe group and  "ordered the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC to ‘remove’ a video by David Wojnarowicz from a museum show called Hide/Seek. "

An organization  was pulled together called Art Positive, in response to this kind of censorship.



Museums Jump In to Show Video Removed by Smithsonian

National Coalition Against Censorship

Please visit here to read their full joint statement.

"Anybody is entitled to criticize an art show but First Amendment principles bar government officials from suppressing controversial viewpoints and imposing the values held by one religious group on society at large. The National Portrait Gallery cannot and should not tailor its programming to promote the views of certain interest groups at the expense of others. Taxpayer funds go to maintain a vibrant and diverse cultural sphere that serves all Americans not just Republicans or Democrats, conservatives or liberals, Christians or Jews. We may differ on cultural or social issues and argue about these issues - in the press, in public spaces, in galleries and performance spaces, but government officials cannot use financial leverage as a threat to silence those with whom they disagree.” 

Birds!!!!

Came home from the movies (saw Unstoppable) and was greeted near our driveway by all these birds.

I stayed in the car.

I just LOVE this title

Artist’s Consistency versus Kicking Ass

and "I think it’s time to ask if absence of consistency always has to be a flaw."

I don't think it does, but unfortunately many in the art world do.

Oh well, such is life!

Meanwhile I continue to

play and work on odd things.

I finished my St.Michael hand embroidery

 based on a coptic illumination.

About Coptic Embroidery



Process Driven Art

I have learned that allowing myself to play in the studio and do process driven work (such as copying ancient or master painting or using a  pattern for embroidery) give me time to let ideas ferment and keep working on my craft.

Doing things like this

Work in Progress of Bani Thani
Use of images in public domain

 have no agenda other than I enjoy the process. There is a beautiful reverse painted version on glass in the local Indian Restaurant that I always enjoy and examine. Maybe I will try reverse painting it on plexiglass too.

In Places

In The Garden

Winter Berries

In the Studio

Started working on a copy of a illuminated manuscript of St.Michael from the British Musuem.

In The House

This is my fave  Xmas Ornament from Puerto Rico. I came back last December with a suitcase full of them lol!

Snow and MORE Snow

It's a winter wonderland here in Ohio and we are stuck indoors.

Reading: Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

Movie: Brick Lane , and it was  as fabulous as the book. Here is a great review.

Sketchbook: just doodling.

Studio: Time to buzz and sketch out a new embroidery piece, and cut wood and prepare for a new painting.

Keep safe! Keep warm!

Hanging Around the Studio

Jafabrit's Studio Wall

Had these casts of my arm and Nancy's feet up on the wall for almost 6 months now. I keep staring at them and one day, yes one day, I'm sure a spark will ignite an idea.  The holidays are looming and it's hard for me to start implementing major projects. So until then I am just hanging around the studio, playing. I had a need to just "paint" and so did a wee copy based on a coptic icon from the 17th century.

Photographic Image source used with permission by Mountain

Available at IN A FRAME 

in Yellow Springs, Oh

Henna Hand Embroidery

© by Corrine Bayraktaroglu. All Rights Reserved

Yea! finally finished by henna/mehndi style hand embroidery on tea stained linen. I'm really happy with how the design worked out. Sometimes even when I think doodles (or as some call zentangles)in my sketchbook aren't working there is something to be gained from them.

edited to add

I forgot to mention there is one similar for sale at IN A FRAME in town

Patterns OOOOOOOOOOh La La

I love incorporating patterns over photographs and this is one of my favourite photos I took a couple of years ago of my daughter (used adobe to manipulate image and add a pattern).  Of course as soon as I saw Ah Xian's work featured on Art Ravels I was going OOOOOOOOOOOh! Give me a drool cup!

China China series

image from the Coolist Website

To see more pics click on above link

His work is just gorgeous. No adobe overlay for this artist, he sculpts the busts and then paints them. I really love the cultural significance of the patterns too.

Birdies One way or Another

Old Garage Yellow Springs, Ohio

"Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly"

Langston Hughes

and this spuggy

Embroidered Bird

is flying on the wings of dreams.

Now if I could just put them all into some artwork :) Okay, I am still doing the henna embroidery hand so I am tied up.

BUT

© by Corrine Bayraktaroglu. All Rights Reserved

next
I want to do it with black linen.



Snow Kisses



 although I don't think my snow ghost here is sending me a kiss

More like using colourful metaphors, and telling me
 "grrr don't step on me you (*&^%$ b(*&^"!

 

Something from Nothing

It's snowing here, but it's the kind of gentle snowfall that is so pretty to watch.    So, snuggled in the house drinking a cup of tea I doodled a little in my sketchbook.  I wasn't too crazy about the design on the hand, but there were some elements I decided to expand on and use in my next embroidery piece. 

Interviews and Opportunities

What a fun way to end the year

Interview

Nancy and I  did a jafagirl interview for a segment of a show put out by TWC for local Arts & Leisure programming in Ohio. As usual I just blithered on YIKES!  but Nancy and I just LOVE talking about art and the art scene in Yellow Springs, Ohio so hopefully that will come through.

Notes
This month marks the fourth year I've been running the YS Arts council support blog ysarts. It's been three years since I started the jafagirl blog and four years since I started THIS blog.

Opportunities

 One day I said, "err, son will you pose for me and let me put this little spuggy on yer shoulder." He laughed and said, "sure". Little did he know at the time where it would lead!

My son is going to be a calendar boy :)
My street art sticker of him was chosen for a calendar next year. More about that when it comes out wheeeeeeeeeee!

Winter Dreams

"Winter Dreams"
by
Ritsu Katsumata

The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.
~Terri Guillemets

Hope this is true because this doll is watching the snowflakes.

jafabrit wish doll

Not quite mehndi embroidery

I say not quite because I'm not using traditional mehndi patterns. More of a mix of zentangle doodling, some mehndi elements, and including good luck motifs :) such as the nazar boncuk in the palm on this one.

© by Corrine Bayraktaroglu. All Rights Reserved

dmc floss on tea stained linen

 I had two in my "stitch gasp" exhibit and one sold before it got on the wall and the other the day of the reception. Since I have fun doing these and my arm is better and I know of two buyers in waiting I thought I would do some more.

Well gotta go and design some new one's.

More Seasonal Decorating

I know what you're going to say;"why does she have a skeleton in her den wearing a  Xmas hat."  I got her (esqaulita) one christmas and she hangs around all over the place, even in town. Hey, I'm an artist and I can get away with it.

AHEM!