Irene Schlesinger

Sixty Shades in Progress

It felt so good to drop off the piece I made for the “What is Art For?”. I made it just for this annual member of the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art exhibition. I checked it into the museum and then brought it to the exhibit rooms. When I turned to give it one more look, the mirrors were sparkling and all the little reflections of light poured across the floor. I had to smile. You know how I love glass and light and orbs and rainbows. Next week, I deliver the little Lit Ladies series to the senior housing next to the museum, The Villas. My original Fabulous Femmes are still in the Castro district in San Francisco’s premier yarn store, Imaginknit!
Before I start with the yarn review, Here’s a glimpse of where I am in my next big canvas, the 60 Janes.

This was the first face of Jane, and the first sketch of my first idea. Still designing the imagery to go with the Janes.
I think that’s more than 60 Janes?
As I have so many 12″ canvases, I am stitching the janes on them. I can fit 5-7 Janes on each, so there I go.
It’s been about a week since I half thought this up. I have 20 completed faces, All the faces have been outlined- Aunt Lydia’s size #10 black crochet yarn. For stitching details in the eyes, I’m using black DNC Size #8 embroidery thread.

There are some challenges to work thru with this. Mainly, what is the background going to be, and is it to be personal or political (60 Janes). Maybe I’ll leave it to the viewer to decide?
YARN
I was very disappointed when that yarn from Minnesota didn’t arrive on Friday. It did get here yesterday, though.

Not good picture, the colors are actually really nice, bright, and distinct.

Aside from a very delayed arrival, I think this cotton yarn is perfect for my needles. Each skein holds 180 yards. The feel is soft, nice. So, I might have more to say about after I use it but I can see ordering more because it comes in 57 colors and the price is sensible.
I had company over for the weekend. Not much stitching was done but we went to San Rafael to retrieve a canvas from Art Works Downtown. While there, we walked a few blocks over in search of a yarn store I had heard of. I had the biggest, funnest, and happiest surprise! I didn’t make it to that yarn store because, lo and behold, there was (the iconic store to fiber artists) https://www.dharmatrading.com/! Which I thought was located in Santa Rosa (Big town North of Marin in Sonoma)!!! The happy employees were happily telling me only the warehouse moved. The retail outlet remained in San Rafael. I promise to do an entire blog regarding Dharma Trading in the future. If you are doing any fiber thing from silk painting & batik to needle
arts, you want to browse that website link. I am so happy to know I’m just a 15-minute smart train ride to return to Dharma. Please go look at the fun craft supplies they offer.|

Thanks for coming by the blog!

Published by Irene Schlesinger

Hey There! My book "Artful Embroidery On Canvas!", was published in 2020. Thanks for checking out my blog! It's a mix of projects, reports on creativity and whatever else I may have to say. I'm a San Francisco Bay Area-based mixed medium artist who is especially interested in embroidery, installations and all that’ll art for art’s sake! UPDATE: My embroidery has been on hiatus since February 2023 which was when my husband started to feel ill. Sadly, he passed in March 2023 and so, the blog veered into a more personal direction. I'm ending my art hiatus later this September. Life has become a bit complicated but I will be back to blogging more on art and still describing my daily life as an artist, a woman, a mother, a daughter and struggling widow. Thanks for reading along.

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