Friday, the 27th, was my birthday. As I was to spend the day alone, and not looking forward to this, I decided to travel to Seattle to see an exhibit that I had read about and knew was ending soon. So I made the drive on the 26th, spent the night and took in the museum the next day. It was absolutely AMAZING!! And I am so happy that I made the effort to go see it. Sometimes in life, it takes extra effort and inconvenience to do something, but if it is rare and special and promises inspiration, I will often go to the trouble to engage myself.

Let me tell you about the artist, Nick Cave who is responsible for these creations and this exhibit of “Soundsuits”. He calls himself “trans-artist working between sculpture, installation, performance, video, designed objects and fashion.” Since 1989 he has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently Chairman of the Fashion Department. His vision, talent, deep and ever-evolving insight and self-expression is so impressive and for me, very touching and real and absolutely magical.

Nick has performed around the world in his Soundsuits, and in one room of the museum are three screens showing Nick dancing and performing in his creations. I had a hard time sitting still. I wanted to get up and dance around with him in my common and boring street clothes. If only I could have donned one of his Soundsuits and let go of all inhibitions and just been truly my dancing, hidden vibrant self for one moment in time!

We were not allowed to take photographs, so disappointing as the Soundsuits were beyond anything you could ever imagine, spectacular! But as I sat on a bench in this one room, trying to not get up and join the dance on the screens, I took out my cell phone and clicked a few images of that moment in time……that very, very special moment in time.

Here is what Nick Cave says about the Soundsuits: “What is interesting about wearing these pieces is that your identity is erased. The sense of freedom and independence is so extraordinary – and the sense of allowing yourself to be that much more expressive.”

Of course, I have always known what is wrapped up in the clothes we wear, how we present ourselves to the world, what we convey. Are we sheep? Are we original? Are we in touch with exactly who we are? And if we know who we are, do we know from one day to the next how this idea will or can change? If only I owned a variety of Soundsuits!

But for Nick Cave, the embodiment of a Soundsuit is a magnification of so much more than any transitory experience. He says, “I am interested in working with objects that are taken for granted, laughed at or deemed less precious, yet have a certain insignificance in themselves….I was raised with a single mother and seven brothers; we all had hand-me-downs, there was not a lot in terms of surplus or art supplies.” He goes on to say, “I was always working with found materials….somehow you have to create your own identity through dress—-I might cut off the sleeves of a shirt or make a substitute for a pair of pants. You have to find your own voice in an environment that is limited in terms of resources.”

I spent nearly four hours watching, reflecting, going back viewing, and writing in this notebook thoughts I had, things I was reading, and quotes from Nick Cave. To say I was moved and caught up in the whole stage and theater of it is an understatement. It was, for me, an interactive exhibit. I could not tear myself away. When I went to the gift shop to buy the catalog of the exhibit, I was told that it had already sold out. Later, when I tried to order it from Amazon, I was informed that they were having to do another printing. I am not the only one with strong emotions over this art by Nick Cave. I think we all want to dance in the streets in our own unique Soundsuits, although many, maybe the majority, would never want to admit this fantasy. I think we would all be healthier human beings if we could embrace this individual dance of life.

When I was getting my degree in English, I had to take a literary criticism course and was introduced to the writings of Michel Foucault, the French philosopher. In the exhibit was a quote from him that seems to explain why people are so drawn to the fantastic elements and drama of this exhibit. Foucault says, “I dream of a new age of curiosity. We have the technical means for it; the desire is there; the things to be known are infinite; the people who can employ themselves at this task exist. Why do we suffer? From too little – from channels that are too narrow, skimpy, quasi-monopolistic, insufficient. There is no point in adopting a protectionist attitude, to prevent ‘bad’ information from invading and suffocating the ‘good’. Rather we must multiply the paths and the possibility of comings and goings.”

These Soundsuits are described as “full-body masks that release the wearer (actual or illusory) from his day-to-day reality, allowing him [or her sic] to inhabit another, very different one.”

Essentially Nick Cave “invites us to dance, play, and to dream with the empowerment of expressive transformation.”

I finally decided to name this piece “Weathering Hearts”. I have been watching and listening to Jude with her mini-series “Whispering Hearts”. Recently, I listened to two audio books on my walks, Wuthering Heights by Jane Austen and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. So in keeping with a literary theme, and for one I feel deeply connected, I thought my hearts and this piece might make a good combination coupled with this appropriate title.

Ebby has also been growing fur, very, very slowly. I am finding this process a bit difficult in terms of the sewing and the angle, but I like the look. I won’t cover the entire body with this as I intend to use other pieces that I dyed, but I think the effect is good.

As I was downloading my photos, I realized I had taken a photo of Mt Shasta in Northern California on our trip back to Oregon last week. I never get used to seeing this spectacular mountain. It is always so breathtaking and spectacular. I think that I will climb it….someday. If my knees hold up, it might just be possible.

I have been gone for a week visiting grandchildren and, now, missing them so much. I have other loves waiting for me, though, and that is the plus side of walking into the house.

Cats do not greet you like dogs, but the subtlety is something to treasure especially when you crawl into bed at night and they snuggle up beside you for the entire night unwilling to move or change positions. And in the morning the routine of the food and the treats and the same expected rubs makes you feel as if you had never been away. I find this so comforting and stabilizing.

I have been working on this piece while the baby naps and finding the stitching and its endless path like a good book that I hope will never end. And then in the car, there has been the stitching of Ebenezer who seems to be coming along quite nicely. I will post a few photos of Ebby soon.

This was the inspiration for Tigi, my collage kitty in lace and softness…..

And this is Ebenezer, soon to be found in the best way I know how.

The tail was a good beginning.

The fur will be a long but fun process.

There is a potential for grace here, and that is how I envision Ebenezer.

Gray cats have various tones of color, so in this tub I dumped many whites and cream and ecru tones to see if I could get some nice variations. I also did two other tubs of color and ended with a nice assortment.

Ebenezer has stolen my heart. I have spent the last two and a half days on his tail alone because tails are so important to cats, especially Ebby. There will be a lot more manipulation of fabric in this cat so it has more of a sculptural quality in its fur. I am doing a lot of tearing and gathering and forming. There is no end to the results that one can create with lots of playing and hand stitching. I think Ebby will find a nice new make believe home here with lots of love and devotion.

I will post a few pieces here and there as I work in the days ahead. I have a trip to see my grandchildren next week, but I am hoping to take Ebenezer with me. His tail will be finished today.

Tigi was named for a cat that I met through a missing cat sign on a telephone pole. The name and the personality stayed with me until it became a kind of spiritual entity, a remembrance, as many of these cats are never found.

Throughout the creation of Tigi, the word “tender” captured the mood, and therefore, the lace, muted tones, and fragile pieces became the guiding design elements.

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The pieces are collaged, and some of the them were made in strips with lots of stitching holding them together. All of it is made with old laces and textiles, some quite fragile.

I basically let the laces and textiles dictate intuitively where they should be placed.

I started with some heads and paws…..

And then to create the body and legs and tail, I formed the remainder by looking at my cats and measuring and cutting.

If I create another, I would hope for it to be less cartoon-like and more realistic.

For the last several weeks now, I have been diligently working on a project that is so close to my heart. I am thinking a series of these projects, for starters, will be a good thing. I have spent so much time on this, hour after hour but loving every bit and piece and stitch.

Of course my work table is covered end-to-end and side-to-side with lots of things, but tidy is not on my list of priorities for the moment.

I have been quietly working on a weaving for a class project for Jude. Often my life is spent away from home, so the idea of taking a piece with me and being able to work on it is not only convenient, it is becoming more imperative if I want to accomplish and finish anything. I started out with a weaving of creams and whites and slowly added soft colors bit by bit. Initially I thought I would make an all creamy monochromatic piece, but I am so compelled by color that it eventually began to weave its way in. Yet, I am still tying to not go any stronger than a subdued brick tone.

In this piece one of the whites can still be seen. It is a dotted Swiss cotton that I have had for some time and decided its texture of dots would be nice, but it looked too new, the design and the color too stark, so I am gradually covering it with other worn and richer tones. I also have used various silk velvets and these have become a favorite because when they are stitched they reveal great character and texture.

Inspired by Ann Wood about whom I recently wrote a post, I decided to take these worn Victorian silks and use them in this piece. Touching and stitching these is really just another part of the enjoyment and richness that I am striving to create. I love the tactile quality as well as the worn appearance that they evoke.

This section reveals pieces from the silk chiffon garment. On the right side the silk chiffon can be seen slightly curling, and I have let ragged pieces lap over other parts and simply stitched over them to give the piece a transparent look in parts. The silk satin is a dream to stitch over too, and I love the way it wants to curl as if it has its own life and energy.

This is the piece taken for the silk chiffon. At first I thought it might fall apart as I stitched it, but it is actually quite sturdy in its new unfolding transformation.

This section shows the other garment that I used. It is a jacquard silk and some of it is quite delicate. I like that and decided to give it space to be what it is. I wanted to accentuate the delicacy while allowing it the honor of new life, a chance to be present in an altogether different form.

It is true that when one is working on a project, everything one sees becomes an inspiration or a connection to the ideas. The creation is always with you taking on another form and coming back as something else. On my morning walk, I saw this moss-covered wall and loved the way the moss grew leaving spots that showed the wall beneath but at the same time becoming the dominant part of the design similar to some of the worn and delicate textiles I am using in this piece.

About a week ago, I was roaming around the internet viewing blogs and allowing myself simple entertainment. I came across the blog of Ann Wood. It is worth a visit when you have time. In November, Ann visited the Fortuny Showroom in NYC, and she may collaborate with this company and use their incredible fabrics to make some of her designs. How exciting for her and what a perfect match for her creations and the textiles. I am hoping this becomes a reality. I would greatly anticipate Fortuny in her designs.

I have featured these pieces in another post, but while I talk about Ann I thought I would show them again in order for you to connect with her inspiration. Unfortunately, I do not have any photos that I could share with you or articles about her, but if you go to her site you will be so amazed. She uses old and shredded and worn antique clothing, deconstructs them and saves what she can to use in her birds, spiders, and owls. On one post, she hung one of the most beautiful antique dresses and featured the fragility and beauty of its state before she cut into it to salvage the elements, buttons, lace, trims, and other silks and cottons and linens. These photos are works of art in her suggestion of ephemeral beauty and a once elegant past.

I believe she lives near NYC and has the most amazing apartment that she shares photos of in one of her posts. I love the fact that she uses old bits and pieces of clothing and gives them new life in the most creative and wonderful way. She is certainly one to watch in the future.

The gift arrived this afternoon from Jude. What a thrill to actually see and touch her creation. There is so much of her magical, generous, intelligent, and loving spirit in this piece. I have watched Jude for a long time create these pieces, but to actually be able to hold and see her work, firsthand, is simply amazing and inspiring at the same time. This piece will be cherished, not just at Christmas, but all through the year. Thank you Jude!