Last night 3 of the "Harlem Girls" got together for a playdate at my place. This was a chance for us to try out a new fabric medium that we had each wondered about and purchased but never used before. With a little salmon spread and some sour dough bread in our bellies we feverously attacked the fabric discharge process using Decolourant in several colors and Jaquard Discharge medium. We let the fabric fly (literally) and a couple of hours later we had learned something new. Ife dove right in y cuuting screening and stamping. Paula meticulously staged a trial and error test with different fabrics to see what the effects would be while I go a late start but did put some work in once the group left. The result: we eached learned someting new to extend our knowledge base when attacking a project not to mention the wine consumption and the laughter.
Grown folks need play dates too. I remember when I was a teen my mother Beverly, godmother Ocie and my friend's mom Miriam would get together and practice belly dancing, playing the recorder... with a glass of sangria somewhere near by. My girlfriend Lisa and I would sit at the top of the stairs laughing our heads off while secretly vowing to never be that insane. Well - over 3o years later there is yet another generation of crazy but still productive. Some thing to think about when arraning your own playdate:
- Keep it small: too much crazy in the room can be dangerous but just the right amount keeps it fun.
- Plan around a particular activity: this gives the play some structure
- Gather like minds: I have many art and quilt friends but for this evening I gathered those that had a similar interest (fiber art and new mediums) and those whose schedule would allow them to break away from there usual routine. Also there was no one thier who had a high anxiety when introduced to omething new or needed their hand to be held.
So get some folks together and learn something new.
issue of Quilters Newsletter from its publisher and there is a very nice picture of my quilt: Terrorism, Tragedy and Tribute. The featured quilt is part of the Fiber Artists for Hope exhibition on racism titled "The Unspoken Truth About Color" curated by Jeanette Thompson. Terrorism, Tragedy and Tribute is inspired by the bombing of the East 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL in 1963 and a painting by my father marking that event. I hope to have both the quilt and the painting on view in my gallery this December.
