Finding Myself Again

The family have graced us with their presence and now we are returning to our life as usual again.  The house is a bit tidier still.  My studio that I transformed for our guests into an apartment, the studio apartment, is slowly returning to studio.  The blow up mattress stands on its end still holding air, the rug is rolled, the dyes are coming back out, silks lay scattered waiting their turn on the dye table, transformation.  I painted with Shannon at her request.  Got out a few dyes and 2 36" squares which we pinned to the back deck table.  We painted in the heat of the day, but the shade crept over us.  We painted side by side, using dyes I mixed at her selection looking for reds, warm and burning bright.  She was coming from Africa where colors are brighter.  Here in New England folks are afraid to wear true colors and stand out from the natural plain.  I, too, am looking for the subtle in my dress, but I did find a new top, stretchy black with brown dots, 1" in diameter, a pattern, and a design by Andrea Miksic of Salaam, that I picked up at Rachael's yard sale yesterday.  I got a black necklace there and a deep dusty purple straw hat which suits my idea of costuming.  I am saving the hat but the shirt and necklace were worn to last night's concert in the Adamant Community Center and today for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Albee at the intimate black box theater at Quarryworks.  Nothing like having a new item of clothing to wear out and feel extanded.  The performance of Who's Afraid...was terrific.  Great acting made it feel so real, that my heart ached for these struggling folks, but much laughter too.  Great lines, incredible timing.  Very special.  It was a rainy afternoon, 2 intermissions, still light, still raining.  Have any of you seen it lately?

Listen to me go on....still in the play perhaps and so happy to be painting again, talking some photos, posting them and making up some words to express some of the captured energy.  This is my dye table with 3 scarf blanks, pinned, drying in the sun.  The raw silk under the scarves is picking up excess dye and transferring some of the color to the next layer of silks to be made.  It is a process of freedom and flow and letting go.

Here's the same back deck with paint table covered with a blue tarp and Will, Courtney, and Bruce hanging out with Fenway and Becket.  My, such large dogs!  Strong and determined to hold the center of attention.  Might change with the birth of baby late October.

Now I need to get ready for the Craft Show in Meredith, NH for next weekend.  Anyone live nearby who might want to stop by and visit....feel the silk, not just see the color through the computer screen?  Would love to meet some of you readers.