Friday, February 27, 2009

Doorknob art

Safety Pin Studio was open early this morning (5:45!) so I could finish the flag for my Team India students for the Multicultural Fair. I ironed a piece of freezer paper to the center so one of the girls can draw the center motif. You can see my lovely cup of tea in my Hogwarts mug, too.

I'm coming around side three on the baby quilt, but rather than photograph that again, I thought I would show you some "small art"* that I've made for years. Usually, I take one as a gift when we're invited out to eat or as guests at someone's home. One of my friends back in Crawfordsville used to display hers on all of her doorknobs, so my dear husband dubbed them "Doorknob Art". I loved the phrase, so it stuck. Eventually, I found rubber stamps and now I make tags to go on them. I often make these little ornaments for faculty friends, so I use the school colors and embroider the name of the school and crazy piece around it. This is one I did for myself for Skidmore, my undergraduate alma mater.

This one was for my last one woman show, Ancora Imparo ("I am still learning" in Latin).

When I find charms or buttons, I will make a small joy piece. Tea is a very important part of my life, so I also made this one for me.

These are my stamps and several of the tags I've made to go on the doorknob art.

And finally, a hopeful image from my front yard. Sure, some of the leaves got nipped in the last frost, but, they are still trumpeting the arrival of spring!

* "Small art" is a phrase that I first heard in a Judy Collins
song "Bread and Roses." The song lyrics are a poem by James Oppenheim set to music by Mimi Fariña. The poem is incredibly moving. The song just kills. Tissues at the ready. This is the stanza it comes from:
As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for -- but we fight for roses, too!
This site has the entire poem and the story of the Lawrence Textile Mill workers who inspired it.

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