Yikes!

Three days in

Today the 3rd day of retreat (should that be in "quotes"? since I'm not really sequestered?). It's a good thing the last post is here–so easy to lose track of all the threads. Like the quilt patches. Reading & studying The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry and getting the gist of how one might apply this information. Would like to do a building model, for example, to see if I understand. It is so utterly cool that the Greeks were designing SPACE, not "buildings." Buildings house the space. That is so far out.

In-Town Retreat

Tomorrow, the new moon, in-town retreat begins. It will go from new moon to new moon–a lunation. This lunation in the Celtic tree calendar is the month of the reed, ngetal, the Celtic translation. See Nancy Passmore's Lunar Calendar for a description and get yourself one!
Retreat theme: SIMPLY NOT IGNORING. Aspirations: revitalize drawing & painting fluency; restore the connection to meditation; engage the aesthetic life; discover how The Art of War, African American quilts, improvisation, dynamic symmetry, Greek architecture affect understanding space>pictorial space; practice writing, another fluency practice.


Already dynamic symmetry (see works by Jay Hambidge from early 1900s) is influencing the quilt patch project. Above the Tents of Armageddon square is supplemented with another small rectangle in the proportion of the "rectangle of the whirling squares." The diagram of the rectangle (above) is from The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry by Hambidge.

The smaller rectangles of cloth are from another supply of fabric that has been around the studio for years. Here they are:


A question: will all the fabric patterns one collects & really likes work together? Stay tuned.

The Fire Fades

'40s Vintage

Cool old wallets. The brass one is engraved "Charge Plate," made to hold the metal predecessors of the plastic credit card. Love the clasp on the red change purse. What to use them for now? Charge Plate is lined in red–good for sewing needles. What about the smooth brown leather wallet? What new purpose?

Just How Many Possibilities Are There?

Ten patches made and a possible configuration arises on the ironing board. Hadn't thought of this possibility–large central diamonds. Further improvisations. Will see how it comes together.

Cover Design