Wednesday, November 3, 2010 — Creativity abounds

This has been day three for our five day braiding workshop with Makiko Tada from Japan. This is one of the most diverse groups of braiders we have ever had at Henhouse Studio. We have people using marudais, takadais, ayetakedais, kakudais, karakumidais and everyone is using both round and square disks. Makiko has written many books on kumihimo including a very recent one on disks. What you can do with one of these little foam devices is absolutely amazing. Makiko enjoys challenging all of us with new and trickier things to make with them. Our "homework" each night has something to do with using the disk to make any number of shapes, relief forms both flat and sculptural or interesting lineal progressions.

As most of you know by now, I make a different soup for the participants each day of the workshop and that never ceases to be a challenge. I love to make soups, so the first chore is to narrow the possible selections down to five for the season. This year I have chosen to start with a chicken/tortilla and follow that with carrot/ginger, tomato with turkey burger and vegetables, corn with roasted peppers and turkey bacon and we'll finish on Friday with a rich lentil/pumpkin and curry soup with coconut milk. My friend Ann has been staying with me here in the house and she has made unbelievable baked creations for breakfast each morning. We've been covering the town eating out at some of my favorite spots for dinner so that we can get back to the studio and do a little more work before resting for the next day. I've been trying to enter something in the blog each day to keep friends posted and let everybody know that I'm doing well and still receiving much comfort from a number of friends and family for which I am very grateful. Thanks so much for your emails and calls.

The workshop is one of the most exhilarating diversions I could possibly have from my sadness. The creative process is so endorphin producing and contributes greatly to my overall well being. One of our participants lost her husband some ten years ago. She is still, and probably will always be going through some sort of grieving process. Yet she enters into the fray with enthusiasm and has a rich and meaningful experience while contributing enormously to the dynamics of this fertile learning experience. There is much to be learned from each friend I have who has undergone this kind of loss before me.

One new friend of mine has, with the help of his step daughter, created a beautiful slide presentation — a tribute to his diseased wife. She has been gone for two years but she lives on in this amazing series of photos backed by perfectly chosen music. They've placed this collection on her website. I showed the slideshow to some of the braiders today and they were overwhelmed by its beauty. The photos trace this lovely woman's life from an early age when she was gorgeous and obviously a multi-talented force to be reckoned with. In the later photos her playful personality continues to shine and she becomes even more beautiful as she ages.

Tomorrow we are holding open house at 4:30 and doing a pot-luck dinner at about 6:00. All friends are welcome and Makiko will do a slide presentation after dinner. If there are some who can't make it at those times, you are welcome to drop by and see what's going on during any time on Thursday or Friday before the workshop ends at 4:00 Friday. Braiders love to show their beautiful creations to the outside world, so don't be shy. Remember also that I'm posting pictures at our Pacific Textile Arts website each day. pacifictextilearts.org