go easy.... step lightly.... stay free

lacey roberts

last night i went to hear don ed hardy speak at mills college. i happen to know him and his lovely wife from when i worked in galleries. there were 2 things that stuck out to me.... 1. he spoke of your art life being like a tornado. it's active - it's swirling - it feeds upon itself... and if you look down you can see and use bits and pieces of things that have come before. i happen to really love this idea of re-using and re-claiming iconography. of your artlife being something contained and powerful and yet influenced by other forces too... of it starting small and gaining momentum. that's nice. 2. he made a little tile that said "stay free" - yes based on a song - can you name it? [i've used a few more lyrics of it for the title of this post]. he said he made it as a reminder to himself. i could use that tile.

it made me think of lacey's piece - pictured above.... stay warm.... stay free.... it's the basics, right? what it is that you REALLY need to be happy? and if not happy to at least feel sustained?

lisa has been talking about superheros.... people doing what they do in their daily lives... well i have a pic for that too!

mark newport

mark newport's knitted batman costume.... swoon....

more art [from the show "embroidered stories/knitted tales at the bedford gallery ]:

patricia dahlman

by patricia dahlman. i loved this piece from the second i saw it. i had that suck in the air god i want to take it home feeling.... how lucky am i to be in a show with art like this?

mended targets {3 more}

three more mended targets

AND:
it ain't fittin' to be sittin'

this is a piece i made for my MFA show. it's a blanket that i made out of crocheted wire granny squares. you can turn the piece on and off and if you turn it on you get to hear my grandma giving instructions on how to crochet and telling tales of her crafting history.... i'm actually really happy to have this piece see the light of day again. it normally hangs in the lounge area of our studio - but i like it out in the world. it's called "it ain't fittin to be sittin" because my dad would always say to my grandma: it ain't fittin to be sittin with out knittin kitten.

after tomorrow i will have my own "superfriends" adventure to report on.... looking forward to it. teaching has whipped me again. i am beat - my first class starts at 8:40 and i am NOT a morning person. i put my underwear on inside out this morning at 7am. i kid you not.... and i didn't discover it until i went to pee around 10:30. yeah. i rule. ha ha

have a great friday! [and hey - thanks for all the b-day wishes!!!]

Comments

Anonymous said…
ooooooooohhh..im the first here today!..i have to say i have no idea what the song is at 6.00am - it sounds like an advert for tampons!! (SORRY!! :))
I agree ..they are the basics!
And i love your targets more than anything else...beautiful...
I also love the idea of the crocheted wire granny squares and wish i could press the button!!!
Have a great weekend with the supergirls and donk forget your knickers..love julie xxx
Anonymous said…
Lisa,
Your post today is awesome. I love the pics of the art that go with it especially that head piece and your amazing quote "i had that suck in the air god." I love your friend's quote, "artlife being something contained and powerful and yet influenced by other forces too." So many great things.
Thanks!
Anonymous said…
Wait, I totally missed your granny quilt. How could I have missed it. It's so beautiful and a family heirloom to boot. Your Grandma must be very, very proud and happy.
wendy said…
love mr. hardy's tornado idea...such great imagery...and I love the your granny squares pieces...all the history that you have wrapped up and her instructions to hear...I LOVE that...it is really beautiful.
shari said…
love the tornado image but i'm over here completely enamored with the blanket! so fabulous lisa.like julie, i want to press the button and hear your grandma's words. in turn, this has me thinking about documentary studies and recording bits of family history. i wish you were in my classes. heck, i wish you were TEACHING my classes. xoxo s
Anonymous said…
this is a lovely post. so much goodness! but my favorite is when you share some background behind your art. and i really love the name of your quilt and that the piece includes your grandma's voice! i know if i were to create art about my grandfather it would have to include his voice in order to fully capture him. :)
your crocheted wire squares are so cool...then i read on to learn that it plays your grandmas words! how awesome is that!
Jan Halvarson said…
birthday! happy birthday! yikes - can't believe i missed it! (using your words, "swoon" over the crocheted quilt! amazing stuff!
diana fayt said…
nothing is better then when art makes you makes you "suck in your air"...you know it is doing it's job when the reaction is so visceral.
Anonymous said…
No'ha,ha' about it...you DO rule!!

I have been meaning to ask about "it ain't fittin', to be sittin'" since I spyed it in your portfolio; I'm thrilled you have it on display again and decided to give more info about it here. You've created something nostalgic and sentimental from unexpected modern materials. Simply superb, Lisa!
Anonymous said…
How cool! A grandma talking granny square blanket! Love it.
Anonymous said…
Like everyone else I'm completely in love with the idea of that blanket. You are genious!
and besides you make me laugh...I'm not a morning person either, I'm normally picking my own pieces until about 11 am, but never, as far as I can remember, put my underwear inside out. Maybe only socks :)
have a fab weekend
Anonymous said…
Crochet wire? You are blowing my mind, Lisa! That is so awesome...
Anonymous said…
Hi there Lisa,
'Stay Free'... why it's the Clash. A 3 minutes and 38 second wonder...
Are there other songs with the same title too?
take care, grache
(Oh, and it's good luck to accidentally wear your underwear inside out... though not if you do it on purpose... I think that's how the saying goes.)
Anonymous said…
i LOVE your targets!! they are perfect framed like that...wow. hope you are well! sending you hugs! xoxo
Anonymous said…
hope you had a relaxed weekend :)
I just love that crocheted wire piece .. and your grandmother giving instruction ... must be just fabulous!!
Anonymous said…
The Granny squares blanket is such a lovely and meaningful way to acknowledge the blessings that your family has passed along to you. Your parents and grandparents have been blessed to have you, girl!!
Anonymous said…
Woh Lisa, i had not seen this piece "it ain't fittin to be sittin". And I would love to hear your grandma talking and telling stories... such a great idea.

The targets are beautiful like always...ones I hope to see those in real person too :)

haha, your underwear inside out! well, that happens to me ones in a while...mostly when my head is in another place and I dont pay any attention in what I do...it happens to be those mornings too that I can't remember if i turned off the lights, locked my door...you know, stuff like that!

Hope you had a nice weekend!! *daphne
lisa solomon said…
julie... ha ha ha... that is so funny - it's the CLASH - i wonder what they'd think of their song being a tampon ad?xo

hey alyssa... thanks.... :)

wendy... thanks friend

shari... i'll try and make it so you guys can hear the sound.... i wish i was in your classes!

hi risa.... i'm glad you like the background. would love to see what you make for your grandpa

hey erin.... thanks!

hi jan! :D

one black bird... that is the best feeling isn't it??

hi lisa - thank you for such kind words...

nichola :D

hi paula.... i have put on socks inside out too... there's afirst for everything!

karen... glad you ulike it

gracia... yay! you got it! no other songs that i know of.... and i'm glad inside out underwear is good luck! phew

thanks miss jenny!

hi maditi.... xoxo

hi pat. thank you. i'm the one that feels blessed.

daphne... oh yes - i've had those - oh god did i close the back door moments.... one morning i forgot to feed the dogs. poor things. their food was sitting in their bowls.... too high for them to reach.... :)
andrea said…
I love the idea of a person's life in art being like a tornado, I love that. and the way you pay attention to things, lisa-- the way you sort them out in your mind and then put them out there for us all to sort of chew on... I love that too.

and the quilt piece-- LOOOOOOVE.
Di said…
I'm catching up on some very late blog reading, but I'm glad that I am, because this post was just what I was in need of. I love your grandpa's quote- indeed, it is not fitting for me to be sitting watching TV without any knitting in my lap!... Good old fashioned words of wisdom. thanks!

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