I Love Detroit

Those who know me, know that I can be very vocal about my love for my adopted city.  I live in a beautiful old Tudor in Sherwood Forest -- no kidding  -- that's the name of the sub, but no Robin Hood.  We are just around the corner from Palmer Woods, just north of University District and the University of Detroit Mercy and south of Green Acres -- no not that Green Acres. Over the months, I will be sharing more of my favorite places, businesses, etc all within the city limits. As I have been searching for topics and inspiration for my fiber art I had a ah ha moment and I decided to base my new art around my passion for this city.  I will use photographs taken in locations around the city which meet the topic of my Sketchbook Project -- lines and grids. Photographs of rows of flowers in the gardens, storm drains, doorways and windows etc -- as the basis for the art.  Realistic or abstract?  Don't know, maybe both.  I also see a different series -- more of a social/political statement -- about the condition of some the structures.  One which stands out in my mind is the old train station which looms near Michigan Avenue, just past the field that was once Tiger Stadium.  I am appalled at the number of structures which have been abandoned, stripped and left to decay.  A tentative title --  Benign? Neglect.  To counter this series I will create one which celebrates the good things about the city -- places, events, people wherever it takes me. As I create new pieces I will post progress or the finished piece and share informaition about the place/person/event that inspired it.  Again, real or abstract?  Only time will tell.

Joined the Sketchbook Project

My goal is to write at least once a week on this blog and who knows what the subject will be. For my first, I want to announce that I have joined the Sketchbook Project thanks to the announcement by Lynn, whose blog keeps me inspired and often laughing. I have chosen the lines and grids subject matter with which to fill my blue book. It arrived yesterday, but it will be some time before I actually put anything into it. I have been mulling around about how to interpret this subject. The possibilities seem endless, so I am definitely in a quandary. My ultimate goal is to use this project to compose positive images of my city. I don't know if I will include fabric, a passion of mine, or stick to more paper and multimedia techniques. I can envision photos printed on fabric and enhancement with any number of techniques, perhaps some that fold out. i see photos on organza with an ethereal quality, perhaps ghostly images of new construction, not yet finished. More as I progress with this project.