building things

There is nothing I like more than a good challenge! And this week I got myself a great one.. I am playing catch up of course, because it's due next Thursday. But put a challenge AND a deadline in front of me? And well things start happening.

I belong to a group called FANE, spearheaded by our fearless leader Jane Davila and the challenge is this new piece for our exhibit coming up in April. We have to create a piece based on a haiku or a line from a poem, and the piece must have several components. The additional challenge to myself was to make sure that it works with self-imposed personal theme of architecture. And lately I have been working with New York on my mind, so I wanted to stay true to that. Since I am no poet myself and won't even attempt a haiku, I spent time pouring over the poetry books in my library and came up with nothing that spoke to me (heh!). But a quick Google search titled "poems about NYC by women" (yes I decided to add that to the mix) came up with the perfect poem. I especially like the last two lines.

So now we're down to the challenge of components. I decided that layers were the way to go. My first (background) layer is a collage of high rises made out of recycled plastic bags. The second layer is smaller older buildings and here I get to play with my felting machine, an old wool scarf and some wool roving. Weee! There will be a third component, because I like the number three, I am not completely sure of how I will create it yet, but I'd like it to be sheer and light and bold and..... I'll get back to you.

plastic high rises

woolly windows

layered perspectives

Stay tuned for the final product squeezing in just under the deadline...