2020 & 2021 McKnight Book Artist Fellows
The Minnesota Center for Book Arts, with the McKnight Foundation, offers two fellowships each year to mid-career artists living and working in Minnesota. Following are samples of the work on display in an exhibition closing soon at MCBA. Mary Hark has her studio, HARK! Handmade Paper, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her work is collected by…
Cochiti Pueblo Potter Virgil Ortiz
I have enjoyed learning about Virgil Ortiz from two different sources in the past week. First was from the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and their This Present Moment: Crafting a Better Future exhibition symposium, and the second was from the American Craft Council. From the Smithsonian American Art Museum website: This…
Sanibel Shell Jewelry
I like to make souvenirs from things I find or buy on vacation, even if it takes a year to complete. These are bits of shells that I found on the beach on Sanibel, Florida, about a year ago. These are all pieces of shell from Florida Fighting Conchs. The earrings are the inner part…
A Pyramid of Hand Towels
I wanted to give individual gifts to a group of people. I have given many of them my beadwork in the past. This time, I wanted to give a handwoven item. This is likely the longest warp I have ever created. After weaving, I had 8 1/4 yards of handwoven material. After washing and drying…
Warping the SAORI loom
It’s probably safe to say that for most weavers, getting the warp on the loom and ready to weave is their least favorite part of the experience. To be more specific for me, I don’t like beaming the warp. Weaving in the Saori style is a go-with-the-flow kind of experience in plain weave (two harnesses,…