4 Matriarchs Tallit: Day one

Day 1: Sketching it out.

It starts with a little brainstorming: I wrote down in a few words the main character traits we associate with each of the ladies and their names.

I like how the names look in Hebrew. I think I will have that incorporated somehow, maybe on each of the 4 corners.

Then I start sketching. I google ideas and use images I find as reference, often piecing together 2 or three photos to get the basic shapes and sensibilities I like.
I started with Sarah:

I found this picture of an old lady, it is really beautiful. I don’t know who the artist is. The lady looks so pleased about something, which is just the right feel for the character. Who wouldn’t be pleased to bear a child after waiting 90 years.

There is much more detail than I am looking for. But I use the sketch as reference anyway… I like this sketch, but there is too much detail in the face… I want the ladies on the tallis to be a little more abstract.

I will use this one on the tallis:

Next I sketch Rebekkah.

I google ladies carrying water jugs and come up with some fantastic images, but this one is most useful. I want a beautiful young woman carrying a water jug on her head. It is how I picture Rebekkah coming and going to the well. I don’t want her facing this way, though…

Photoshop to the rescue: I flip the image… and sketch.

It took a while to get her right, but I like it. A bit Disney cartoonish but I think when it is painted on the silk, that look will go away.

Rachel and Leah took the longest to sketch.

I wanted an image of two sisters who love each other … holding hands…and who are clearly upset with each other… back to back.

I pieced these photos together for reference. Again, I had to flip one of the images in photoshop.

...and here is the sketch of Leah and Rachel.

It might still need a little work. I think Leah looks wounded, rather than pregnant. I tried the image with veils on them, but I just like having the curly hair. Such a Jewish thing, curly hair.


Now comes the fun part.
I scan all my sketches into the computer and manipulate them on a scale drawing of a talit. This way I get an idea of layout… do I want them horizontal across the length of the tallis, or on the corners… where do I want the names or do I get rid of them altogether? I can move the images around and try all kinds of different ways of doing it. I like this layout and especially with the names in Hebrew… I’ll have to check with my more literate friends to be sure I’ve spelled them right!


Here you can see the ladies better:

I’m not thrilled with how they look with the traditional tallit stripes. I think I’ll change that a bit on the silk…something with more movement, like a path or a river… I like the idea of flowing… there is nothing linear about these women.

Stay tuned for the next phase… Sewing the silk for the painting.

How to throw a spectacular prom:

Quiet Corner Homeschoolers' Spring Fling 2008 was a huge success.

Our group of homeschooling teens worked tirelessly for for months folding and re-folding hundreds of paper cranes to turn this:

into this . . .
Our hall of 1000 paper cranes was just beautiful. The cranes were painstakingly folded and refolded by several of our teens. They strung them and added beaded weights. Walking through them was simply magical.

The unexpected heat wave created challenges we had not anticipated, but homeschoolers are a tough lot and we weren't going to let the inside temperatures of over 100 degrees stop us from transforming the Finnish Hall. . .

The hanging carp windsocks droopily adorn our canopy in the heat. Our teens made them from paper and paint at one of our preparatory meetings.

The planning for this event starts months before. Here we are in winter coats scoping our new site. But on Monday June 9th, the transformation began. . .










The pagodas were hand drawn by moi then cut out of corrugated cardboard purchased from stumps prom. We then glued parchment paper to the back and lit them with twinkle lights.The discs were made from giant hula hoops which I sketched the symbols on. One of our moms hand painted the symbols. Being the daughter of a sign-maker really shines through!
The amazing table decorations were orchestrated by our homeschool coordinator. The teens spent hours pinning red ribbons to the chair covers and tying bows to vases and napkins! We couldn't pull this off without the combined efforts of all the hardworking and generous people involved. A minor catastrophe was rescued when a mom drove to get 3 more vases when two of ours broke after a table collapsed. The vases held (mostly) live gold-fish which we then gave away to (mostly) willing homes. To those of you who were upset by the loss of some of the fish, I promise a short, but respectful funeral transpired. We will take your concerns to heart and not have live animals at another event. Our surviving fishy is doing well, her name is "Sprinkling".

Here is a silhouette cut from corrugated paper, and one more disc with lights behind to be our moon.
Our amazingly talented photographer decided to use it as her backdrop. My own pictures aren't as good as hers, but you can see the set-up here:

The photo above is of Aikiko and her husband who were kind enough to join us in traditional Japanese dress and give a blessing in Japanese before the meal.We made a 20 foot dragon from balloons, twinkle lights and recycled materials. One of our previous homeschool moms kindly donated hours of her time in constructing the head.
Here you see our dragon swaying in the oppressive breeze of the industrial fans blowing in a vain attempt at creating some form of respite. Good thing dragons like it hot, because she had the hottest seat in the house!

You can also see our wonderful matre-d' setting adding the minute touches to our tables.




No stone was left un-turned. . .

Our Japanese zen garden had much use outside. Surrounded by hand-painted luminaries, this was a popular refreshing spot throughout the evening.

We even decorated the bathroom!

All this was put together on Monday. Our teens worked tirelessly on rickety ladders hanging yards and yards of "black trash bags" on the walls. The end result looked far from trashy! And Mattie, the wonderful caretaker of the Finnish hall slaved for us all day Tuesday trying to cool the building. He even went as far as hosing down the roof. It worked too! The building was a full 10 degrees cooler than the previous day!

So in spite of the over 90 degree conditions inside, the teens had a blast, dancing long past pick-up time.


And now... for my acceptance speech....

A great big T H A N K Y O U

I cannot get over the generous hearts and spirits of our homeschool group.

To our waitstaff and kitchen staff (all parent volunteers) who ran up and down stairs in 90 degree heat all night. Who were professional and enthusiastic and performed under inhumane conditions for free! (I officially double your salaries for next year) . . .

To our wonderful chaperons tolerated heat and mosquitoes and heat-induced grumpiness with grace and patience. Who volunteer hours of their busy schedules to come and make sure that close to 70 teenagers are safe and respected and respectful. A truly daunting task!

To our amazing chef works literally for days shopping and chopping, all without complaint (OK, maybe one or two, this year) and the gourmet food that ensues. . . the best prime rib in the world. . .

To the mom who took on the unpleasant task of taking home all that trash in her truck. . .

To our dishwasher, (they used to call 'em scullery maids) who can wash dishes faster than anyone I've ever seen. Wanna come to my place? LOL! You have one of the most thankless jobs of the lot of us, so THANK YOU, THANK YOU , THANK YOU.

To everyone who came to take it all down the next day and leave the building better than we found it (always our motto). . .

To my partner in crime, you worked as hard as I did, we make an awesome team! But if you ever suggest changing the theme the day before again, I'll have to kill you ;) . . .

To our loving homeschool coordinator who holds us all together and somehow is perky even after 3 days of no sleep and heat exhaustion and dreams of being trampled by cows. . .


. . . and most of all to each and every one of the teens who gave me a great big hug and thanked me for all the hard work I do and making it the best Spring Fling ever . . .

I LOVE YOU.

. . . now, please stop making me cry!

Guitar

Guitar, originally uploaded by caffaknitted.

This one is amazing. A perfect marriage for me and my DH. He collects guitars... and yep I collect yarn! The little heart at the top is a perfect touch. I must have the pattern. I must! I must!

and look she's an etsy seller too!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5255685

Vårligt underlägg!

Vårligt underlägg!
Originally uploaded by TM - I ♡ crochet!

I was browsing flickr today. I decided I'm going to do a series on some of the amazing knit and crochet sculpture I have found... starting with this one! How fabulous is this spring garden coaster!

A little portfolio of my portraits.

This is for friendly k8. She makes gorgeous fabric paintings like these:
She wants a portrait of her charming niece and I want to make it for her...
so just as a quick portfolio review...


This picture (used here without permission) put the nail in the coffin of a dying friendship. The photographer said that it was copyright infringement and I couldn't sell the painting. Which I haven't done. I immediately removed the piece from Etsy just in case, but I personally felt that my paintings were so far removed from the original that there isn't enough of a degree of similarity for it to be considered substantially similar under copyright law. Verbal license had been given at the time that the painting was created.

So, I must be sure that the photos I'll be using for your piece will be copyright free or with permission. I would not want to be accused of lying and stealing again. (Can you tell I'm still bitter?)

I don't see any harm in posting it here as a portfolio piece, however...



Here is one of the commissions I have done in the past (copyright freely given):

Before....



and



After...






This photo was taken by a good friend (no issues there, she still likes me!)
I blurred out the 2nd girl in this photo, as I don't have her mother's permission, (but I'm sure she'd give it if asked). It is of my daughter and her friend at a Halloween party.

I use a combination of Photoshop and a program called painter to do all of these pictures. You cannot get this effect with Photoshop alone.

This one is of my niece. Isn't she gorgeous!



Well, K8, that should give you enough to go on.... pick me! pick me!

My gnome was on TV!

As seen on Better Connnecticut...



Thanks Audrey!

Today's adventures in homeschooling.

When I read my eloquent friends' blogs and wonder why I am just not anymore... I'm going to get a marble. Make sure my tower don't fall, OK? . . . I can't seem to follow a thought. . . OK mommy? . . . to completion . . .OK mommy? . . . Having children reduces you to 3 word sentences . . . OKAY MOMMY? . . . OK Hetta! . . . Homeschooling them means they are always with you . . . Mom get this off me now! (a note of panick) Mom! Mom! I can't get my shoes off and him (referring to sister) won't help me! . . . A L W A Y S. . . What about these scissors?. . . which has reduced me to complete . . . What about these scissors can we bring these? . . . and utter Why can't they just share these scissors? gibberish! What about these scissors can we bring these? believe it or not Iactually used to write poetry! Pretend you're a bunny hop, hop, hop... laa, dee, laa, dee, hop, hop, hop" . . . oh! cr#% NOT WITH THE SCISSORS! . . . but now my children actually understand me when I tell them to Gigglydiggly doo from the blubububub!" You see, homeschoolers are really good at foreign languages! Mom Hetta left the tops off the markers they're all dried up! Our homeschool craft day meets today. Finding supplies is always a challenge. . .

. . .OH SH%& I just knocked over the tower!