Art Sunday, Marta

Marta, oil pastel and india ink on gessoed paper, 8 x 11, Suzanne Deal-Fitzgerald, 1994

 

 

You know what?  I'm going to try a little harder. 

 

I'm going to start trying to share my work a little more, and maybe with some pokes and prods, I'll be a little more productive and I'll bring more recent work to my blog.

 

This Sunday, I'm going to share a couple of pieces done with a wax resist sort of technique that you might be familiar with from elementary school using crayons and black paint. 

 

These were done with oil pastels and india ink. 

 

This one is of Marta, named by her previous owner because she was found at the Lenox Square MARTA Station.  I re-rescued her, when her owner had a stroke and could no longer care for her.  She appeared to be part collie and part golden, and she had this wonderful way of splaying herself across the floor.   She lived to be about 10 and died about 5 years ago.  She was quite the companion, opinionated and stubborn, but sweet and protective. 

Art Sunday, Smiley

Smiley, oil pastel, india ink on gessoed paper, 11"x17", Suzanne Deal-Fitzgerald, 1994

 

 

My dear Smiley, I adopted Smiley when she was about 6 months old, at the Newton County Animal Shelter.  I had to put her down in January of this year, she had just worn completely out.  She probably was a purebred Golden.  She wouldn't roll over ever.  Ever.  I couldn't roll her over.  I sometimes hear "dog people" say that's a sign of a dog that might not be sociable. 

 

But, when I first met her, she rolled her lips back, all the way around, and showed her teeth, all the way around, and rolled her eyes, and nodded her head.  Now, how can anyone say a dog that smiles, really smiles, and sometimes acted like she was LOL think she's not sociable?  She was sociable enough for me, and she stayed here for nearly 16 years.  Smiley was a hell of a dog. 

 

So, Art Sunday, a little art, and a little personal history.  That's what this is all about, isn't it?

 

 

Entry for November 18, 2006

Crocheted bag, antique silk threads, 5" x 9" --Suzanne Deal-Fitzgerald, 1994

 

Bill and a few other folks have asked that I show what kind of work I do, when I do art.  Wouldn't you know, I love textiles?

 

I've got lots of beaded work around here, but I need to take a toothbrush and brush the dog hair, dust, and red clay out from around the beads.  Y'all know how it is down here in the South. 

 

Here's a piece that I've kept wrapped in tissue paper.  It's a small bag made from some antique silk thread that I found at an estate sale.  There are at least 40 hours of work in this, and much more if you count the "thinking about it" time.  I love color, and while I was sort of restricted by the colors that I found at the estate sale, I think I did okay making them play together.

 

Entry for November 18, 2006

Crocheted bag, antique silk threads, 5" x 9" --Suzanne Deal-Fitzgerald, 1994

 

Bill and a few other folks have asked that I show what kind of work I do, when I do art.  Wouldn't you know, I love textiles?

 

I've got lots of beaded work around here, but I need to take a toothbrush and brush the dog hair, dust, and red clay out from around the beads.  Y'all know how it is down here in the South. 

 

Here's a piece that I've kept wrapped in tissue paper.  It's a small bag made from some antique silk thread that I found at an estate sale.  There are at least 40 hours of work in this, and much more if you count the "thinking about it" time.  I love color, and while I was sort of restricted by the colors that I found at the estate sale, I think I did okay making them play together.

 

Art Sunday, Sweater Weather

These sweaters are from Kaffe Fassette's book, "Glorious Knits"  Trust me, they really are!

 

 

OOh, it's getting cooler outside, time to bring out the sweaters!

You guys might have figured out I like the knitters.  Kaffe Fassett is known for brilliant color in knits, fabrics, quilts, mosaics, and in his paintings.  

 

I picked Fassette for Art Sunday  because he said this really nice thing in VOGUEknitting (Holiday 2006), as part of an article called, "The Rainbow Connection" by Daryl Brower:   

"...My day to day life is brim-full of color.  I perceive it everywhere, even in the dabbest settings.  What when I see what a lot of young people are wearing these days--beige, gray, black--I sense a fear of color commitment.

"...I love older women who dare to wear shocking pink or brilliant purple, lighting up every room they enter.  Wearing unusual colors is like giving a  gift to the street.  I often follow a good outfit, studying just what makes it so noticeable.

 

There is a biography on his website if you'd like to read more.  At least go there to look at the pictures!

 

Meanwhile, I'll be getting out my double points, my reds, yellows, shocking pinks, and brilliant purples...

 

Gonna Get Some Answers...

Lis had this on her blog, and had hot tea at hand, and I got in a generous mood, and filled it out for her.  If you want to see my answers,  you gotta go over there and look.  Lis has several fruity hot tea blends, and is being pretty sociable with it, so go sit a spell.

 

I'm gonna repost it just so Lis can fill it out here...if anyone else wants to, have at it!

 

Your Middle Name:

Age: 

Single or Taken:

Favorite Movie:

Favorite Song:

Favorite Band/Artist:

Tattoos and/or Piercings:

Do we know each other outside of Y!360?  

Watst's your philosophy on life?

Would you have my back in a fight?

Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?

What is your favorite memory of us?

Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:

Would you take care of me when I'm sick?

Can we get together and make a cake?

Have you heard any rumors of me lately? 

Do you think I'm a good person?

Would you drive across country with me?

Do you think I'm attractive? I think you're lovely.

If you could change anything about me, would you?

What do you wear to sleep?

Would you come over for no reason just to hang out?

Would you go on a date with me if I asked you?

If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?

Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?

Are you on my friend list or are you a lurker?

In My Little Hometown

Jerry Wolford/ Greensboro News & Record  Eastern Guilford High School as seen from the air Thursday Afternoon 11/2/2006

 

 

I come from this little community called McLeansville, NC.  I grew up there, and my mother's family has been there or within a 25 mile radius since before the Revolutionary War.   You might have heard about it earlier this year when Chris Daughtry came real close to being an American Idol.

 

When my mom was a student at McLeansville School, the school burnt to the ground.  Her's was the first class to graduate  from the new school. 

 

Yesterday, Eastern Guilford High School in Gibsonville (not too far at all from what there is of McLeansville), burnt to the ground.  It opened my junior year in high school, but I was given the option to stay put and graduate with my class.  My brothers both graduated from Eastern Guilford, and both of my nieces were juniors there, and were well on the road to preparing for graduation  in 2008.   My sister-in-law was a teacher there, from what my mom said, her biology classroom was just a few doors down from the chemistry lab where the fire started. 

 

Hindsight is 20-20.  There were no sprinklers in the school, it was built just prior to those requirements.  The ceilings had been installed so that fire was able to build up through the small space, become superheated, and fly through the building. 

 

Demolition has already started, the building is a total loss.  Kids lost musical equipment, school work, projects, extracurricular activities like the yearbook.   I think about how hard it is sometimes for some families to gather school supplies together for their children once a year, and now some will have to do it all over again. 

UNC-G, AT&T, Guilford Tech, all are coming together offering assistance to the students and facility, offering space and support.

 

My niece Jessica Deal, who's a regular contributor to the Greensboro News-Record wrote about the loss .  You will find it here.