Inspiring Artist

Naoko Serino

Aroused

Naoko Serino is a Japanese artists sculpting jute fiber into beautiful forms. Her website calls her work "Three-dimensional expression using jute that contains light and air." I call it, wow!

The Ball You Blow

Generating 5-B

Generating 8-A

GoggleWorks Opening

A funny thing happened at the GoggleWorks opening on Friday night. My friend Marilyn and I decided to go to the opening since it might be our only chance to see the other work. Great turnout, great work.

I was really interested in meeting Lyn Godley, one of the jurors. She's an amazing artist and designer of interiors, product, furniture, lighting, and jewelry. She does work with fiber optic lights that you can see in the images from her show at the GoggleWorks here.

I was actually standing next to her and chatting her up about my piece when they started to announce the awards. She tapped me and said "Aren't you getting one of these?" When she saw I had no idea what she was talking about she back peddled and said "Well I put my vote in but I don't really know what they decided." 3rd place was announced, then 2nd, then 1st and I thought oh I guess I'm not getting an award. I saw that Lauralynn wasn't leaving the podium and there was one more award and she said something about this person is winning because of the 3 pieces she has in the show and then I knew. I won Best in Show and the award is a solo show, March 9 - April 14, 2013 in the Cohen Gallery which is a massive section of the first floor gallery space. I went up to get my award and turned around to find people snapping pictures of me. A reporter and photographer from the local paper the Reading Eagle were there and asked to interview me for an upcoming article. I really didn't see this coming and was in complete shock.

The funny part is I had some postcards of my paintings that I whipped out to show Lyn and Laralynn. They didn't even know I painted and said they can't wait to see my show. I can't wait to get to work.

Installing Sculpture

I installed my fiber sculpture, The Ocean's Whisper to Me at the GoggleWorks in Reading, Pa. I want to thank Lauralynn for her help and for allowing me to pick the very best spot in the gallery to hang my large piece. I was concerned that it would only look good from the front since that's how I had worked on it in my studio so I chose a spot in front of a wall.

I worked out a new hanging system with curtain rods and felted magnets with fishing line sewn to them. After I arranged and rearranged it in my studio I numbered and color coded the magnets and their placement on the rods. I'm so glad I did all this because I wasn't allowed to get up on a ladder in the gallery. I worked with a very patient gallery helper on the ladder. Handing each numbered magnet to him, he placed it to the corresponding number on the rod. It went up easily and quickly.

Lauralynn loved it and said let's see how it looks without the wall behind it. The walls in the gallery are moveable and viola. We liked it from every angle. This was an unexpected bonus so I took some pictures right before my camera battery went dead.

The opening is on Friday, May 4, 5:30 - 7:30. I can't wait to see the rest of the show. The show runs through June 3rd.

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts

I will have 3 silk sculptures at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, in Reading PA
in the show VANITY FARE: Art inspired by Fashion.

May 4-June 3, 2012 | Cohen Gallery

Opening Reception: First Friday | May 4 | 5:30-7:30pm

Fashion has woven its way into the fabric of our culture. Following in the footsteps of Philadelphia Museum of Art´s Summer 2011 Roberto Capucci exhibit and the Metropolitan Museum of Art´s posthumous Alexander McQueen exhibit, GoggleWorks presents its 2012 juried exhibition VANITY FARE: ART Inspired by FASHION. This show features 80+ works by more than 40 artists and includes painting, sculpture, fiber art, couture, decor and installations.

Jurors: Lyn Godley, pioneer in transforming fine art
designs into everyday products, and Pam Ptak of
Season 7 of Project Runway.

My friend Marilyn Mitchell will be joining me with her beautiful sculptural piece pictured here.

Natural Rhythm

More Fiber

I went back to the Crane Arts Building to revisit the show Outside/Inside the Box last week with some friends. This time I remembered my camera and I took pictures of a lot of my favorite pieces.

Andrea Noeske-Porada,
Inside is Outside,
100% Merino wool fibers
9.06in x 7.87in x 15.75in

Emily DuBois,
Naga (1-5),
Polynesian tapa (bark cloth), sumi, acrylic medium, bamboo rods
70in x 30in x 1in

Arlé Sklar-Weinstein
Ice River Vine Bound,
Free floating organza panels, wood dowels, monofiliment thread stitching
36in x 72in x 3.5in

Magali Rizzo,So bitter were my feelings,
Linen cloth, cotton thread
53in x 34in

Tamryn McDermott,
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow,
Silk organza, matt medium, fabric dye, aluminum rings
174in x 96in x 96in

Ann Wessmann,
Words Unspoken Series: 37,499 days - June 9, 1932 - December 31, 1941,
Text on vellum on foam board
96in x 96in x 4in

April Dauscha,
Exposed: An Armory of Physical Longings,
Muslin, boning, grommets, ribbon & dress form
72in x 18in x 18in (Close up views)

Brigitte Amarger,
Humanoids,
Bones, organs, prostheses X rays, scanners and magnetic resonance imagery, transparent nylon and color cotton threads
84in x 25in x 0.039in

Picture taken at bahdeebahdu, Warren Muller, lighting sculpture

Kim Kamens, Ken, 5 ft. x 7 ft. thread, nails and wood

FiberPhiladelphia

FiberPhiladelphia 2012 is an international biennial and regional festival that celebrates textile and fiber arts. The opening was on Saturday and I was kicking myself that I didn't bring my camera. The show is outstanding. I was unsuccessful in grabbing photos from the website so you'll have to follow the link and see for yourself Outside/Inside the Box

My husband snapped this picture of my daughter and her friend standing next to my piece.

Sea Foam, silk and dye

If you're local it's worth seeing in person. Pictures can be deceiving some things I thought were large are actually small and others are surprisingly large and commanding. I think there's something for everyone to love in this show. Fiber art is alive and kicking and it's not your Grandma's knitting.


If you go don't miss stopping in on Warren and R.J. at bahdeebahdu a working studio for design and the development of art, sculpture and furnishings at 1522 N. American St. I featured on my blog here. You will find beautiful art, beautiful furnishings, and amazing trash to treasure light fixtures and sculptures. It's only a block away from the Crane Arts Building.

FiberPhiladelphia 2012

My new silk piece titled Sea Foam will be included in Fiber Philadelphia 2012 Juried exhibition.

The show titled Outside/Inside the Box will be at the
Gray Area, in the Crane Arts Building, 1400 N American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
March 2 - April 15, 2012 with 2 openings, March and April.


The exhibition showcases innovative fiber/textile art that transcends disciplines and combines historic concepts with contemporary perspectives. This juried exhibition represents 68 artists working in media with fiber/textile reference. 516 artists from 15 countries applied with 1,316 pieces of work. Countries represented are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Sweden,Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.(excerpted from the website)

I've been checking out the accepted artist's websites and I'm so excited to see their work and hopefully meet some of them.