Old School Geometry

There's a school in my neighborhood that is about to be torn down.  A crew is disassembling the place. It's been there since 1955 but now they say it needs fixing and that's too expensive.  The solution is to build new.  I know there are advantages to building new, better energy efficiency, state of the art classrooms and all that.   I'm hoping they put old-fashioned blackboards into the new school classrooms instead of those awful white boards and that they don't carpet the floors.   I am lamenting it's demise.  Artistry and craftsmanship is evident, apparent time and thought was put into styling this building.  New schools don't have that same vitality or soul. This post is a record of this place, dedicated to those who built it and inhabited the hallways over the years.

It's coming down so, of course, the kids got to decorate the walls and the floors.

Inset tile on the risers.

The geometry of straight lines and symmetry attracts and inspires me.

Prairie Reppweaves have geometric lines and symmetry --- like the tiled walls of the school.

Bursting Green

I love those red rocks and the inspiration that came from them but, now I'm singing  praises of the green all around.  It is glorious. Outside the trees, the grass, the plants are bursting green this year.  We are swimming in a rain soaked world.  From the orange, reds and purples of the rock wilderness that conjures hot and dry to soft, saturated shades of green everywhere.

The marsh along the bike path to downtown.  Last year the cracked earth showed, this year 

the brown water has been close to the banks all spring, the trees standing in water.  

Toad and Turtle heaven.

The path along the marsh to downtown.  

Setting up a new Rips warp.  Love the way the color fibers wrap around the back beam.  

This orchid, found abandoned in an alley last fall, has bloomed!  Magical.

Singing Praises of Southwest Canyon Lands

We took a trip in mid-March to the National Parks of U.S. Southwest.  Our first stop was Needles District of Canyonlands in Utah.  Wondrous sights were impressed upon my soul forever there. Grand, giant, awe-inspiring wild rock dessert glory.  One is humbled by this landscape.

When we were back home I had to put colors swimming in my head on the loom. 

I'm sharing some of the grandeur in these photos and results from the loom.

A painter paints these scenes, a fiber artist has to weave them.

Happy travels where ever you are going.

Puddle Worlds

I get lost in puddle worlds while walking on the sidewalks.  

Secret worlds appearing only when weather is such that puddles are made.  No matter how small the puddle there is a world inside.  If you could fall into one of these usually hidden worlds where would you go and what would you find. 

Rooms

We moved into a house built in the 1940's.  I love it because it's old and it's in a neighborhood.  We moved from rural to a home in smaller mid-size city.  I was looking through photos we took before purchasing and taking photos of the way it is now.
Colors make a difference, so does sunshine.  I love looking at befores and afters.

Before:

           Now

There's that black linoleum floor that we uncovered with much effort - does anyone put black linoleum on their kitchen floor these days?   

We are coming out of dark days, there's more light and the day is longer, through those winter days the color on the walls and all around kept me healthier (I think) both mentally and emotionally.

This is a total indulgence and just for my pleasure, if you're looking though I hope you enjoy.

  Just had to put this in -- I made it and it makes me happier when I look at it!

Gallery of Work

Handwoven design originals from Riverweave Studio.  The vests are constructed with fiber combinations of silks, Tencel, stainless merino wool, alpaca and other wools.  The tapestry woven longer vest has leather at the sides and collar.  

I Love Winter When It SNOWS

Blizzard walking in the neighborhood this morning.  School's on though - much to my grandson's chagrin - he says, 'the world  could be ending and we'd still have school'  --- such is life in the 'city'.  If he lived anywhere in the surrounding area towns he would have had the day off...

Nothing like a snowy day to spice up life -- right kitty?