Life Is Good!

In a sea of reality shows, negative news and political spin headlines it can be a real challenge to stay creative. It seems like it's always times like these that yield the best music and most incredible art. I suppose it's much like the way cream rises to the top of fresh whole milk. Is it from looking at things differently... with an open mind and asking ourselves..."what would be better?" Or is it from a deeper place within? Does it originate from our collective conscienceness... our SPIRIT? Whatever the source...LET IT RISE! Today I shall create with abandon. Ahhhh, Life is GOOD!

Summer's End

Songs and poems have been written about it, movies have been produced about it. The end of summer is such a bittersweet time. Last night as I was driving to the final Art Market in downtown Friday Harbor I had a feeling of melancholy..."why does it have to end?" I asked myself. It was the final Thursday night Art Market and after four weeks,I was beginning to really enjoy this little island event. For the past 16 years in Florida I had forgotten what "change of season" really is. I'm now reminded that it's a chance to shift thinking, clean closets, and start new ventures. It's a cycle of life...for nature and humans. Part of me wants to collect firewood and the other part wants to wear sandals just a bit longer. The cooler nights bring thoughts of wood fires and snugly clothing...hey, maybe North westerners will be open to the idea of my woolys now. All Summer I have been told at shows that they just are not ready to think about this. Again, I had forgotten how the change of seasons affect people. Summer is so short here...the message is to live in the season! But for now I shall continue spinning and felting in anticipation of the cool breezes coming our way.

First Things First....

Moving is stressful. Make it a 3500 mile move and I think you can multiply the stress. Alas, we all made it safely. Bear was amazingly well behaved...Huey, too! Rex was a trooper when the chips were down. It is all a distant memory by now, as we explore our new and strangely foreign surroundings. San Juan Island,WA is a magical place and our cabin and property is very special. Since arriving, we've seen deer nearly every day...we have a resident bald eagle that visits our highest tree. We have seen loads of Canadian geese, a red fox (simply gorgeous) and some little grouse-type bird with blue fans on top of their heads. There is so much exploring to do we hardly know where to begin. We have been to the beach and I've started a new rock collection, we started to uncover the raised limestone gardens which are overgrown by blackberry brambles. I'm happy to report that my fiber art didn't miss a beat. The best way to handle the stress of moving? GET SPUN! My second day here the weather was simply amazing so I sat on the cabin porch with my wheel and spun up some very colorful art yarn. I enjoyed it so much I made another skein soon after. Look for new postings on Etsy and Ralvery very soon.

To Create or Produce? THAT is the question.

Can you be successful at fine art shows and still be true to your original design style? As a rookie on the show circuit, I've come to realize that what the public buys can sometimes influence future designs. In a perfect world, we would continue to design what our creative genius wills us to make. How does one balance these two influences if they are far apart? Is it like yin and yang in life where sometimes you mass produce and other times let the creative flow? I wonder if there's a happy median. If you spend too much time producing product, will your creative juice stop flowing? For now I shall stay with the flow and see where my new designs take me. Afterall, if the many crafty people who come into my booth and ask exactly how I made something actually went home and copied my work than I would have nothing new to share with the world.

Fiberholics

Hello, my name is Patti Barker and I'm a fiberholic. I must say, I used to think of that term as a coin phrase, or slang for the day. Now my relationship with fiber is crazy. I totally understand. I get it. If I'm away for any length of time I begin to miss it. It occupies my mind until I return to play. I am so happily reunited with renewed inspiration. It's not just fiber. It's all the things you can DO with it. Dye it...blend, spin, weave, felt it, etc. Inventing new ways to pull it all together, using ideas from all directions of life. The creative exploring has me obsessed. I'm taking it one day at a time.

Spinning Art Yarn

Unfortunately, my first attempts at spinning met with failure. It was one of the most frustrating things I've tried to learn. Recently I began to incorporate purchased art yarn into my nuno felt pieces with fabulous results. I've been buying the art yarn from Picasso's Moon yarn shop in downtown Sarasota. Since Rex and I are planning to relocate to the Pacific Northwest in about 6 weeks, I have been wondering where I'll find art yarn. Debra from Picasso's Moon invited me to the Destin Spin In with the positive notion that THIS TIME I'll get it...I will come home spinning my own art yarn. I had my doubts, but tried to stay positive. I had heard about this event for several years. It was an incredible experience. It didn't take long for me to simply "let go" and let the wheel do the work. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm thrilled with my new yarns. Thanks Debra!