Tag Archives: Art

Sock Upgrade

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I was shopping for a new pair of running shoes at Rogue Running. I was specifically interested in the Mizuno Wave Sayonara. I considered them my future Zentangle shoes.

Mizuno running shoes: pink with black Zentangle decoration

Mizuno Wave Sayonara

I brought my own socks, but when Chuck, the salesman, saw them he noticed they were cotton. He suggested a true running sock and brought me a pair to use and then went to get the Mizunos.

Rogue Running had the white version of the Mizunos, not the pink, so I started out with them to check the size and fit. The size was good, but I was not having any luck with the fit. I laced them three different ways, but that didn’t help; the shoes slipped on my heels no matter what. I was heartbroken to let go of the idea of pink shoes with black Zentangles.

Reluctantly, I tried on other shoes only to find that the problem continued. I jogged up and down the hall, always returning with the disheartening statement, “No, these are slipping on my heel.”

Chuck and I both thought it was a little odd that all the shoes were slipping on my heel. Being the professional that he is, Chuck suggested that I try a different brand of sock. Ooh. Aah. That made all the difference: the shoes didn’t slip on my heel anymore. Chuck retrieved the white Mizunos for me to retry. Success!

Chuck ordered the pink Mizunos for me and I shopped for socks. I left with four different brands, as they were having a sale: buy three pair and get the fourth pair free. What a deal!

Each day for the next four days, when I got home from work and changed, I wore a different pair of socks. The first three pair were okay, but the fourth pair, they were “just right.” Yippee! Upgraded running socks, worthy of being matched with a good running shoe. All I have to do now is wait for my Mizuno (Zentangle) shoes to arrive.

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That sequence of events seems simple enough as to how I bought new socks, but here’s the back story, in reverse chronology.

I ended up with new socks because I was looking for the Mizuno (Zentangle) shoes. I had called around town, trying to find them locally. When I was on the phone with Rogue Running, I forgot to ask which color they had in stock. I didn’t find out that they only had the white until I showed up at the store, thus the new socks.

I was looking for the Mizuno Wave Sayonara shoes because a recent Zentangle newsletter showcased them (with a photo) as a happy example of Zentangle art.

I subscribed to the Zentangle newsletter because I had seen a Zentangle fiber art piece at a gallery show with work from my Austin Fiber Artists group. That one Zentangle fiber art piece was enough to get me hooked. Before I went home, I stopped at Staples and bought some Sharpie pens to start my own Zentangles.

I joined the Austin Fiber Artists group because I had taken my thread painted Eagle for show and tell for a meeting of the Austin chapter of the American Sewing Guild. After the meeting, Pam Farley came up to me and gave me a card for the Austin Fiber Artists. I went to one meeting as a guest, fell in love with everyone’s work, and joined.

Miniature art quilt, thread painted eagle

Eagle, thread painted. Based on a photo by Jack Marshall (Austin, Texas)

I came across the Austin chapter of the American Sewing Guild at the Austin Area Quilt Guild show one year. I picked up a membership form and joined. (I’m now also a member of the quilt guild and entered my Eagle quilt in one of their shows.)

I created the Eagle miniature art quilt after taking a Photo to Finish (thread painting) class at my local sewing store, Sew Much More, where I take a lot of classes. I made a few other thread paintings, including a Grizzly Bear for my brother’s birthday present. I showed it to MaryKay at Sew Much More who put me in touch with the photographer Jack Marshall and he gave me permission to use his eagle photograph. Ta-da! The Eagle was my fourth miniature art quilt thread painting.

Grizzly Bear, thread painted

Grizzly Bear, thread painted

(I can now say that I have art work in a private collection. That’s stretching it a bit, considering that I’m referring to my brother’s living room, but as an artist, I’ve got to start somewhere, right?)

I wandered into Sew Much More when I was shopping for a serger. They invited me to their Serger Club as a guest. I showed up, loved their demonstrations and joined. (I’m starting to see a pattern here.)

I was looking for a serger because a some years earlier I decided to learn how to sew and bought my first sewing machine. Later I discovered that some garment finishing tasks are easier on a serger.

So, long story long, the reason I have new socks in July 2013 is because I bought my very first sewing machine in July 1991 with the intent of making my own clothes. (I’m still working on that.)

I don’t remember where I got the idea to learn to sew, so I will stop the background trail here and consider the sewing machine purchase the beginning of this story. The new socks are not the end of the story, even though I don’t know how it will continue; I just know that it will. I’ll keep you posted.

Cherry Blossoms

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Judy and I celebrated her birthday with a session at Painting with a Twist in College Station, Texas. Thanks to instructors Kelly and McCall, our latest masterpieces, Cherry Blossoms, are ready to add to our collection.

Just imagine what we could do if we owned a Subaru Outback. Judy’s previous vehicle was a Subaru and I’ve ridden in one, so maybe that counts?

Two paintings of cherry blossoms

Cherry Blossom Masterpieces

The Envelope, Please

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A favorite activity of mine is to write letters and postcards. Over the years, I’ve discovered I have definite preferences for pens, paper and envelopes. For pens, a ball point works best for me; fine or extra fine point, in three or four different colors, of course. I like rollerball pens, but my handwriting gets just a little too free form and my hand has a tendency to zoom off the page when I least expect it. (Now that’s an odd phrase: “when I least expect it” as I’m never expecting it, whatever “it” is.)

A sample of a letter with the handwriting directions going up and right on the page

Up and to the right

My handwriting has a tendency to go up on the right side of the page. It’s a strange looking letter that my friends and family would receive from me, with each line ending up at almost the same point, near the upper right hand corner. I’m sure that means something, handwriting-wise, but I’m not sure what. For years graph paper was my paper of choice, correcting this directional problem by providing me with horizontal and vertical structures. Eventually I created a document with only lines on it that I could use as a guide under regular writing paper. Over time I adjusted the spacing so that the lines fit my specific up-and-down looping letter sizes.

That takes care of my pen and paper needs, leaving me to search for envelopes. A long time ago, I found a couple of local paper product warehouses. I walked in and time slowed down for me: there were aisles and aisles of paper and envelopes of all different sizes, colors and weights. I was in heaven. When I emerged several hours later, I had a box of 250 A6 gray envelopes with a square flap (very important, that) and a ream of matching paper. I felt practically . . . stylish.

An envelope decorated with a Zentangle design

Zentangles go everywhere!

When I ran low on my gray envelope supplies, I decided to change colors and spent another couple of hours oohing and aahing over all the beautiful rainbow options. I ended up with Goldenrod paper and envelopes. Now when my letters arrived at their destination, the color would announce their arrival. Everyone would know they were getting a letter and not just junk mail. I also began to consider the backs of envelopes as art canvases and started decorating them. (Zentangles for everyone!) When I was about to run out of the Goldenrod envelopes, I tried to return to the paper warehouses where I had spent many a happy afternoon.

Gasp! They were gone! A combined effect of the economy tanking and growth of Internet shopping caused the large paper warehouses, the ones open to the public — to me — to disappear.

Backs of envelopes decorated with Zentangles

Zentangle Envelopes

I spent hours and hours searching online for my former envelope suppliers. I tracked down the headquarters for the last company where I bought my envelopes and called them to see if their warehouse in Houston was open to the public. Unfortunately, no. Rats!

I checked the local office supply stores for A6 envelopes. Yes, what colors? White. And more white. Occasionally an off-white. No baby blue, no sunflower, no pale green? No, no and no. Square flaps? No, again.

Looking online, I found several web sites selling A6 envelopes in lots of colors. But I couldn’t see them in person. I know that colors on one monitor may look different than an item’s actual color. Some had square flaps, some did not. Some were matte finish, some metallic, some cotton, some linen. But I couldn’t touch them. How was I supposed to decide?

Finally I caught onto the trail of stationery shops. I actually found one that stocked A6 envelopes with square flaps in different colors: The Paper Place. I showed up the following day. Even though it wasn’t a warehouse and didn’t have aisles and aisles of paper and envelopes, it had a decent selection for me to look at and touch.

Almost immediately I was drawn to the Colonial White Linen paper and envelopes. Now white is not usually my choice for envelopes, as it doesn’t particularly stand out in a pile of mail. However, I considered how well that off-white would show my art. Colonial White Linen it was, then, for my current paper and envelope choice. These were not sold by the box, so I left the shop with 25 envelopes and one pound of paper.

Envelopes decorated with Zentangles

Can you tell I bought a protractor?

Do you know how long 25 envelopes lasts? Not very long, with me. Soon I was back at the shop, purchasing another 25. Hardly any time went by when I returned for a third time, as my envelope count was diminishing yet again.

Gasp! The envelope bin was empty. Oh, no! My precious A6 Colonial White Linen envelopes with a square flap! What could have happened?!

Wedding invitation month, that’s what happened. It was May and the saleswoman, after searching high and low as well as in the drawers and in the back, explained to me that these envelopes were very popular for wedding invitations.

Curses, foiled again!

An envelope back decorated with Zentangles

Always unique

I left my name and phone number with a request for them to contact me when a new shipment arrived. As a stopgap measure, I bought 25 envelopes from another bin, in a slightly different shade of white, with speckles. I used them, but it just wasn’t the same. I was so happy when they called a couple weeks later with the news that they were holding my 25 envelopes for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I can rest easy now, knowing that I have a well-stocked supply of my precious envelopes. Tomorrow morning, I’ll set down to another envelope art session. And when I write my next letter, I’ll be able to choose its mailing counterpart. “The envelope, please.”

On Tour

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A couple of years ago, I drove to Houston to see author Patti Digh at a bookstore. She was on tour, promoting her book, Creative is a Verb. Although not what I usually consider “in the area,” Houston was the closest tour stop and so I decided to head on out to the Big City (as I call Houston) to see Patti. I picked up my friend, Judy, in Brenham and off we went.

I have three pieces of artwork in two of Patti’s books (Four Word Self Help and Creative is a Verb), and she had requested that people bring their artwork so she could see them in person. Woo-hoo! This meant that I was also “on tour” with my artwork.

Actually, I go “on tour” all the time. My tours are nothing like Patti’s (or any other author or artist, for that matter). I don’t go out of town and I don’t have anything for sale. My tours are self-arranged and self-promoted and are limited to the people I can hunt down at the office work with.

I’m an early bird and often the first one to park in the garage and the first one in the office (sometimes before 6:00 a.m.). But as a true artist, I don’t let that little detail get in my way. I start my tour right away, before I even get to my desk. First stop is the security officer. “Ben,” I say, “look what I have!”

Quilt top blocks for the Carpenter's Star pattern, arranged on top of my bed

Carpenter’s Star, arranged

No matter what I bring in, a 4×6 quilted postcard, a watercolor or acrylic painting, a quilt top, Zentangle envelopes, pillowcases, table runners, miniature art quilts, pencil drawings, blouses, wallets, or tote bags, Ben is appropriately appreciate. I cannot tell you how good it is to start a tour with a positive reception; it makes all the difference in the world.

I then have a break in my tour schedule, as I wait for my office mates to trickle in over the next few hours. I check the clock regularly, gauging how much time they need to settle in before I show up at their cubicle with my stock statement, “I have show and tell!”

My first watercolor painting: sunflowers in a terra cotta vase

Look! I’m an artist!

When it’s time, I announce — to no one in particular — that I’m going “on tour.” My scheduled stops include my division director, several department heads, all the administrative assistants on my floor, the credit union lady, a few more security officers, as well as my quilting block-of-the-month cohorts.

Once I’ve exhausted the captive audiences in my building, I head on over to the annex for three more floors of potential artwork admirers. I usually take the catwalk between the main and annex buildings and anyone standing in the catwalk taking a break gets drawn involuntarily into my showing and telling. The same goes for anyone who gets on an elevator with me: I consider them fair game.

A fabric postcard, crazy quilt with a dragonfly in the center

Dragonfly postcard

It has happened, on occasion, that I’ve been on tour right before a meeting and didn’t have time to take that day’s masterpiece back to my desk. No problem — for me, at least — as I take the artwork with me. Ah, a new audience. As they arrive, I tell the meeting attendees, “This will only take a minute,” and then I show them.

Sometimes I’ve been lucky enough to have appointments away from work on show-and-tell days. After I sign in, I bring out my artwork to share. My dentist’s office (the receptionist, dentist, dental assistant and hygienist), my physical therapist and his assistants, I make sure to include them all.

No one, but no one, is safe from me when I have show and tell.