Fabric of Peace

In the midst of all the Christmas craziness I had one last deadline to meet. I finished a quilt square for the Regional Center for Women in the Arts , Fabric of Peace project.

It's a painting on fabric with dyed silk organza sewn over it. I titled it Peaceful Water.

The finished quilt will be displayed across the country and abroad to communicate women's shared interest in world peace. With my nephew being deployed to Iraq 3 days after Christmas this is a project I can get behind. I can't wait to see the finished quilt and hear where it will travel.

Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine restaurant in Chadds Ford is hosting an artist's reception for my work on Sunday, January 3rd, 1-3:30 pm. Appetizers and soft drinks will be served, but you're welcome to bring a bottle. Please rsvp to linda@lindacelestian.com if you're planning to attend. If you've never been to Sweet Basil you're in for a treat and will want to stay for dinner, trust me. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday.

Painting Exhibition at Sweet Basil

I survived the Craft Show at the DCCA, even with bronchitis and major sleep deprivation. The big hit of the evening was my felted rocks

and collage kits. It was a fun night and I made a lot of new connections. Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table to chat. Also, I just want to say that I'm very grateful for my studio artist friends that support me weekly in my artistic endeavors.

I have bracelets and wristlet purses available for gift giving, just drop me an email. I haven't had time to get more in my etsy shop yet. Check back soon.

I hung my paintings this week at Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine in Chadds Ford, PA on 202. Thank you Griselda and Paul, especially Griselda for putting up with me putting so many holes in her walls. The paintings look great there, Griselda thinks I must have painted them for the space. I think we've decided on Sunday, January 3rd for an artist reception. I'll post an update when I have a time. Here's a sneak peek of how it looks. Oh, by the way the restaurant is BYOB and the food is really good!

In the studio I worked a little bit on 2 fiber pieces for a juried show submission.

"Cerulean Water" 91 x 45 inches

"Red and Gold" 15 x 9 inches

Craft Show at DCCA

I think that sale I made 2 weeks ago went to my head. Last week I signed up to do the Craft Show at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts on the evening of Dec. 4th. That gave me 10 days to make product which is now 5 days, yikes. Yes I'm counting Friday, I might even be hand finishing things at my table that night. Nothing like a deadline to get yourself moving. On Wed. I took one of my purse panels cut it in half and made my first wristlet.

Here's my second one, 4 to go.

Putting in zippers isn't exactly fun but I'm crossing my fingers they'll go smoothly because I don't have a lot of time for mistakes. I'm also hoping to whip up a few more bracelets.

In the midst of this craft explosion(and I do mean explosion, you should see my house) we took a family trip to check out Eastern State Petitionary in Philadelphia. This prison was built in 1829 based on the idea that solitary confinement and labor would lead criminals to become pentinent. Each prisoner had a private cell with plumbing and heat and a private exercise yard. After 147 years of consecutive use it was abandoned and left to decay in 1971.

The minute I walked in the door I was snapping pictures. If you live close by you really should go. If you do, make sure you take your allergy meds and be ready for the funkalicious smells. The property has been left to deteriorate naturally and that's what makes it so cool. The history of how and why it was built is fascinating but I was in love with the textures and the crumbling layers of days gone by. How is it that disgusting, disintegrating plaster walls, wooden doors and metal structures can be so beautiful, or at least to me. On top of all that they have invited artists to create installations to compliment the wonder of this place. The installations fit in beautifully and are shown in some of my photos.

Matthew and Jonathan Stemlar : Juxtaposition

Judith Taylor : My Glass House

Linda Brenner : Ghost Cats