I used to say

 don't play with your food to my children

but they didn't listen!

My son and girlfriend did this to my breakfast plate

Embroidery Progress Report

 bear is wearing what is considered a british icon,

a knotted hanky that my son wore as a baby one hot sunny day in Texas

Slow and Tedious

 That black area is long and short stitch (except I am not keeping all my stitches the same length). Chair bear is coming unravelled just looking at it. The chair cover is pure vintage:it's my dear Nana's ♥ embroidery she did over 50 years ago.

Bits and Bobs

Jafaradio show Tuesday at 2pm.

Info & links from show at Jafagirls website

I am in heaven with this new upscale thrift shop in town, got me a nifty crochet (70's style) tote.

It's decided, I'm going to do another 

 pub alley panel

and do this

I'm itching to paint and I LOVE this pic I took of local artist, Pierre and his beloved Beetoe.

Bits & Bobs from Jafabrit's Hoose

Bits
 From ArtDaily
 Jasper Johns receives 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom

The Critic Sees by Jasper Johns

Bobs
My jafapal Nancy and I have started a blogtalk radio show (eeeeeek) called
 Bits & Bobs with the Jafagirls

Origin of Bits & Bobs

 Work In Progress

linen, paint, fabric markers

dmc embroidery floss

This is based on the painting I did for the Pub Alley Project

obviously my plea

for sunshine

didn't work

 it's SNOWING

Slow

arg! that is the word of the month.

Border for knit knot tree embroidery panel

embroidery stitch dictionary

I would like to claim life has distracted me from doing my usual load of art, but I always feel if you really want to do it you would.  I can only conclude my muse wants me to take it slow.

Well, err, I have to blame someone besides myself, ahem!

 Willis 'Bing' Davis

My friend and I wandered into his studio/EboNia gallery in Dayton a few years ago and what a lovely person. We were astonished at how much time he took out of his day to talk to us, show us around and share his thoughts about various issues. His work and sense of community is truly inspiring.

Bing Davis Reach Conference 2009

photo by jafabrit

Saturday Snapshots

Near jafabrit's house

I, Lord of the trees, are tooooooooo majestic to notice your lowly presence, why you can't even fly and sit in a tree. humph!



A peek at Yinka Shonibare and others at Art Babble

 Art Babble

Art Babble Facebook Page

"This trailer spotlights the artists Mary Heilmann, William Kentridge, and Yinka Shonibare MBE, offering brief glimpses of an additional eleven, dynamic and engaging contemporary artists."

Yinka Shonibare Website

wiki bio

 Black Gold II by Yinka Shonibare Stephen White/James Cohan Gallery

So inpsiring!

Back to planet Jafabrit

Valentine Rose in a Bunny Vase

Doing the bottom of the knit knot tree embroidery panel, and practicing drawing with my non dominant hand (frees you from "thinking" too much about what you're drawing).

Drawing Exercises that every Artist Should Practice 

George Condo is BIG but

why?

George Condo

 Jerry Saltz shares why on Ask an Art Critic 

Not sure what I think of his work. Wish I could see it in the real and get a better sense of it's impact aesthetically and technically. I felt this when I saw Jackson Pollock's painting for the first time in a museum. The size and grandeur and beauty can't possibly be shared in an image in a book or magazine. It did give me an different understanding and appreciation of why his work had such an impact.  Talking about Jackson Pollock, check this out  Bill Proposed to Force Sale of University of Iowa's Pollock Painting

 

back in my little corner of the world

 Nancy (and her dear husband Steven) & I took mr.plato to the Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus.  More about here if you're interested.

Blog Anniversary: First Post 2006

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

First Post

I created this blog so I could blabber on about art and general opinions that most people probably don't give a rat's bottom about. Now that I have created it I am lost for words (that tremble is the shock wave of disbelief coming from my friends and family). Yes, believe it or not I can be caught in the throes of being gobsmacked now and again. And it is true: I can be shy sometimes, or is it that British reserve.

  oil on wood
sold

Wow! 5 years. I didn't think I would be doing it this long, but hey here I am,. Yep! still blabbering on, and I'm sure there are many who still don't give a rat's bottom, but oh well, here's what I think! I was so new to it that it was a  couple of years before I noticed someone had left a really nasty comment on my very first post. Something about my work being crap and I should quit bothering etc etc.  I peed myself laughing.

It warms the cockles of me heart to know that some care, and I appreciate your support, your kind comments, and your visits.
thank you

graffiti is vandalism BUT

how could this wall look any worse. The graffiti/street art (not talking about gang tagging) is not just a bright spot of colour on a drab delapidated building but it is touching people's hearts and points to an unpleasant reality.

Street Art and Reality on Hanbury Street, London. from Shafiur Rahman on Vimeo.


 My street art with the Jafagirls isn't quite as grand but nevertheless touches hearts,just in a more whimsical way. Wida at  Missing Amsie felt the Hippie Love when visiting Yellow Springs.

meanwhile back in the studio

eeeeeek experimenting

I am mixing stitch and paint/fabric markers even more in this embroidery of my street art panel.

Yarnbombed Tree in Children's Book

What fun to see two of our Jafagirl yarnbombing photos used in this absolutely charming children's book: How do I Survive (Wild Knitting) by the most popular and successful author of children’s books in the Netherlands Francine Oomen.   I love all the directions, patterns and illustrations by Annet Schaap, just wish I could read it lol!

 Knit Knot Tree Two by the jafagirls and jafa cohorts

 

" How to Survive...-series (Hoe overleef ik…). In the thirteen volumes published so far, we follow the lives of Rosa and her friends. Rosa (11 in the first book, almost 17 by now) struggles with growing up, her parents and - most of all - love. Rosa and her friends extensively e-mail, text and chat online about all their ups and downs." source

shopdropping in Columbus Ohio

about shopdropping

I was perusing a book store in Columbus Ohio and decided to leave a sticker pic of my bad bunny wheatpaste in a graffiti book.

Don't ask me why, spur of the moment thing.

I also can't explain why I LOVE this  bad bad bunny wheatpaste so much, but oh well!

Some of my Guerilla Art Mischief

Photography here and there in a square

Here in Ohio

doll chair by mark greenwalt

at the Columbus Craft Musuem

It was really hard to choose which chairs I liked most in this really cool exhibit. Talk about intersecting craft & art.
I was fascinated with the shadows as much as the doll chair :)

There in Egypt

 From  (social network aquaintance) Ahmed Mokhtar 

Tahrir Square

 Egypt Twitter Updates

Love this quote on his website
"And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible."

Richard Avedon, 1970.

For me though it's something related to creating art.

why

do I have to have a hand stitched blue sky

it's going to take me FOREVER to do this couching for the sky portion of my knit knot tree panel. Okay, I told myself that this panel might take a few months, and this is why. It's got to be worth it, yes :)

Sometimes old things come in really useful.

And this present from jafapal Nancy was one such item. When we lost power during the ice storm we lost power to all our modern telephones. Only problem is that I couldn't press for extension numbers, but hey, I still could call local (couldn't call long distance due to time running out dialing all the flipping numbers lol)

For the Jafagirl Public Art Box
Yellow Springs, Ohio

mixed media embroidery heart

View Jafagirls Art Yellow Springs, Ohio in a larger map

Icy Aria in Yellow Springs

Ice storm cometh, leaving destructive path Yellow Springs News

Ice coated branches 

As the night crept upon us the wind cackled,
 and nature sang it's song of woe.

Icy arias boomed in  the night, and we began to lose our light.

Windows rattle, transformers blow

Trees and branches tossed to and fro

Rain lashes out like a spiteful tongue

joining a chorus still unsung

by jafabrit

What a night,our whole village lost power. As I listened to nature wreak it's havoc I scribbled down my thoughts by candlelight.

Boo Hoo

I miss my family miles away

A little too close to home



I go into the studio and emerge hours later wondering why I don't have anything to show for it lol!

yes, it's warm lol!

talking about home

the ice is sweeping our doorstep

 the branches crackle with icy coatings

and

 we are all staying indoors