Sugreeva Sujata (Suga)

Meet Suga
Suga means "well born, noble, fine, with a beautiful neck Nancy Strahle

Suga was a delight from every angle, she arrived at the beginning of the project and was received with an childlike sigh issuing many lips. Not only had Nancy brought a unique idea for her stool but she had researched a name and it's meaning She created a small delta with it's own palm tree for her to reside under and a wooden platform created by Nancy's talented husband who creates beautiful cabinets for a living. I was stunned by this piece to begin with there was a spirit of quiet playfulness and dignity already wrapped around this wee piece.


We begin with the back view or the tail end as Joey Meyer created Suga's tail in her words.....

I think this was destined for me because amoung my numerous piles of collected "stuff'," I have the tippy-tip of a squirral tailtha I had hope to incorparate into one of the stools. Fortunately, when I found this portion of the tail in the street, I never saw the rest of the squirrel.
It makes me think that the poor guy had a close call with a car tire, but hopefully survived with a slightly shorter tail........

Postscript... A little time after finishing with Suga's tail, Joey met a squirrel on her street with the tip of it's tail missing. They both stopped and looked at each other! Do you think he knew?

Control was a word banned about the room at our first meeting and the very important reminder that their would be no controlling the path your stool took after leaving your hands at our first exchange. I thought my stool would worry me and nag at me what was happening to it and where it was going next. But that did not every occur. My thoughts so released my stool that I completely forgot about it and it never crossed my mind again until the reveal. I was surprised at how each stool became a puzzle piece and clicked into place when my part was complete.

Many times a new stool would begin it's turn at my house and I would spend days gazing at the gorgeous work the last artist had completed. It was like being at an bead show but being able to touch the art,caress the supple bead work marvel at the ideas that burst forth for each person.

Inside I feel so lucky to spend time with each artist to wonder at the craftsmanship executed, the attention to detail, the subtle wash of color or the brilliant splash of color brought forth in such exquisite detail.

Many a time I wept at the beauty sitting in my little corner of the world. I felt so lucky to be included in this astounding group of women. My hat is off to each and everyone of them and the friendship they each offered. I was looking forward to getting to know each of them better and here was a fabulous way through the path of their creative ideas.

Close up Tracy Stanley's Stool

The snail proved true to it's nature as a pest by tangling my thread in it's antennae to many times to count So that the snail won't munch on those lovely flowers and fruits, it is nestled in a bed of leaves. No fair putting out snail/slug bait... Sandra Jaech

So how does your garden grow? with wisteria, grape vines and

strawberries.....Kathy Dannerbeck

Garden sign by Tracy

Grow with spirit became my mantra. Spirit of joy, spirit of beauty spirit of friendship. My garden addition is of the small almost missed spirits... those small quick glances we encounter which are magical. My Nature Spirit guards this peaceful place and adds a bit of magic for all who visit .....Peg Gyldenege

These are some excerpts and close ups of several artists work in Tracy's journal.

After I add a new stool I will then add details at the next posting.

I feel like I have fallen back into the time warp of working on this projects. I can still feel the anticipation and dread of what am I going to do for this stool to the bang of the idea exploding into the grey matter between my ears and pushing me to begin to create. I can not imagine my life if I was unable to make things from the time I could hold a pencil in my hand I have been fascinated in the act of creation. I began to embroider simple cross stitch tablecloths at the age of 5. My mother believed busy hands are happy hands especially if I was making something for her. I always looked at the world with a different viewpoint than anyone in my family,church or neighborhood.

I was called weird, goofy and strange so often that I began to embrace it. My mind is always at work seeing color and design where my family only saw weeds or the pleasing combination of salad greens and fresh tomatoes with that wee bit of carrot to make the red color pop off your plate. Mixing colors in paint and seeing what mixed together to create new exciting colors.

At my house pink was the color that ruled the universe. My mother wore only 3 colors red, pink and more pink. The entire house was decorated in on shade of pink or another. Except my room and my brothers rooms. They received the traditional blue and I chose Lavender I wanted deep dark purple the Royal deep dark blue purple of twilight. My favorite at the time. But alas I had to settle for lavender. I thought I would choke on pink and I hated the color with a passion and still refuse to wear it. Perhaps it is that which placed me firmly on the path of color exploration In my work I always push my self to explore different colors many of which I am uncomfortable working until I become entranced with the possibilities of combinations and the way color seems to lead me down a wonderful path of seeing the world in a new way.

Enjoy your color experiences peek out at the world through the new brilliant green which is slowly merging forth at the beginning of our spring season and the enchanting blooms of our snowdrops,daffodils & tulips.

Forces of Natures

"So, How does your garden grow?" Tracy Stanley
Here in not particular order I will begin to show you our work of 2 years from Jan 03 to Dec 04. This was our collaborative Beaded art project. It began with a dream from Cindy Bowers. and off we flew into the great unknown. The Following Artists beaded,painted,sewed,wired, cut glass,fired in kilns,and created their fannies off for this delightful, insane, joyful, sorrowful, exciting project.
Roll Call please Sandy Avenell, Cindy Bowers, Janice Berebile, Kathy Dannerbeck,
Peg Gyldenege, Sandra Jaech, Joey Meyer Tracy Stanley Nancy Strahle
Each artist was asked to bring a stool to the next gathering and begin a theme of sorts to launch our project. It became know as the stool project and a plethora of jokes and smirks and giggles soon followed by the rest of the world. Husbands especially found the title fodder for many ongoing puns and grade school humor.
As the pictures go up I will add the artists titles and show several photos more as time permits.
Our rules were few and as Sandra often remarked getting us to some kind of order was like herding cats.
Stools were to remain secret you did not see your stool till the end of the project, all arrived at each meeting covered up in a box or garbage bags turned upside down or in a box.
You could use any art technique we chose. We all had a journal which traveled with the stool and each artist wrote a bit about their experience and creative ideas as well as photos. We kept each stool for 2 months to live with it and get a sense of where it was going. For my experience I found that in preplanned idea, it never worked out.
I found by living with the stool putting in place where I could observe it daily it always told me what it wanted and where to place it. Although I must admit sometimes it do not speak until down to the wire for time. I burned the midnight hour to get some projects finished on time.
Another rule was no talking about the project except with an artist who had already worked on the stool. For me that was agony but I found it built up an greater creative force for the project.
More later

Journey

I love color. I have tried for many years to curb this often overwhelming part of my personality. I have tried to be neutral and live with gray and beige but even on the grayest of days Some where a bit of color will catch my eye and send me off on a journey thru color. ai happen to live in a special place when often in the deepest part of winter we have a sweet but brief time of false spring. the buds of the snow drops burst open winter pansy wink at me in splendid vibrant color while green takes on so many varieties as to stagger the mind.

Just for the moment the air feels like velvet and deep breaths almost make me dizzy being filled with so many soothing promises of spring on the way. But do nit be fooled Winter is far from over and we will feel the lash of winter again.

this picture is a beaded evening I created called Journey. It represents a journey I encountered with my collection of vintage beads and a 1920's purse frame.

Rose queen & Bead Brain masks by Peg

Masks

Creating masks are one of my favorite ways to try out new ideas I have always loved Halloween because of the ability to transform oneself into some thing else. Over the years I have collected masked and in the last 10 years began to create my own. The picture is of my Rose Queen mask. I will be adding more pictures as time permits.
Masks let us tell the world to see us in a new light and wonder at the workings of our minds and how thoughts are translated into art.

This is also to introduce The Stool Project or as we came to call it FORCES OF NATURE a collective group of North West Artists began a shared art experience and created delightful pieces with 2 years of time and many different materials. It all began when we met on cold cloudy winter day and began the challenge.

Snow day

What a surprise to wake up at the wee hours of the morning and see a winter wonderland. The night takes on a pearly glow and a special quiet descends. The trees are full and lush with their sparkling coat of crystal snow. All of the ugly parts of winter are smoothed out and replaced with the secret joys of childhood. Snow day ...a bit of a sigh in a high speed world. A moment to reflect and simply enjoy the moment. It also seems to add a bit of magic to a dreary grey week of wind rain and cold.
Yes yes I know there are a million things to do extra work in removing the snow from my car and the sidewalks taking extra time to drive and watching out for all of those other drivers. But just for now I will take this precious time to breath deep and dream.

New Year New Ideas

2007 started out in a flurry of slanting rain and grey morning turning into a grey afternoon. A day to make you glad in be inside and warm curled up with the aftermath of Christmas clutter.

Everyone had returned home after a busy Holiday and a renewing of family relationships glad to be back in their own beds and not having to share a bathroom.
Cats were happy to have undisturbed naps again and the hum of everyday life return,
this year begins a new program of self care and returning to better health. Sleep has become a requirement of a happy me. The pain of RA has taken a big toll on my general life and experiencing several months of meltdown is an experience I do not care to repeat. I have been tracking the progress of meds, food and sleep and can see a pattern emerge I am writing these down so when in the mist of a melt down begining I can get a handle on it and get back to taking better care of my health. For Many years I have placed all others wants needs and desires before my own and have taken the road to make do with what was left over for my self. It have circled down to less and less time for me until I could no longer carry the load.

The body has very definate ways to stop you in your tracks and cause a detour. When one is younger the thoughts of you not being strong enough to handle things is a joke. But as you gain experience and travel thru the years many things become glaringly apparent that were hidden to younger eyes. And it turns out sometimes the joke is on you. Though not nearly as funny from the other side.

So this year is a year of caring for me and recreating my studio and losing myself in time to create and discover what ideas are ready to emerge and wild hairs.

Already wool pods are forming around vinatge crystals baling wires are wrapped in flowing colors of muted jewel tones. The box project is winding down only three more exchanges until the final gathering at the beach in July. Can't wait to see them all gleaming and glowing emerging from the secret travels of the past 2 years

Feb Organizing

At last the clutter is beginning to be a thing of the past. For the last few weeks this queen has been pulling apart the rat's nest of glitch ,boxes,journals, bags from various shopping trips, special mementoes pretty bits of glass, paper to nice to throw away ( perhaps I will find a use for it!) Bills, receipts bobbie pins, beads,silver,beads,pearls, art supplies.......................... Anyway you get the idea. It has been such a freeing experience.
Being raised by depression era parents with phobias of never enough I am being hit with the cold slap of reality of a different nature. It is possible to have too many choices and materials causing the inability to make any decisions about using things. The clutter causes a sort of brain freeze. Had a great idea going in the studio to pull need supplies, instead seeing the mountain of clutter and turning around and leaving.
Finally I snapped and have been rearranging,giving way,throwing away,putting away and generally cleansing my studio of things that no longer reflect who I am now.
It has been a long and sometime scary project but I do see light at the end of the tunnel
Hurrah.... It has also been wonderful seeing my supplies in a new way.
I was lucky enough to find an old metal map cabinet painted it black lined the drawers in that new mesh rubber drawer liner so everything stays in place. I discovered those lovely tins with glass tops to put all of the wee bits and pieces in and I can view all of the goodies in each drawer. Still have a ways to go to finish but things are progressing. Any one else have ideas for organizing supplies?
Of course it would be much easier if I only had one or two interests. HA

I work in warm glass, mettlesome, metalclay artist & teacher, seed bead weaver, enamel artist.
whew also love knitting, sewing and fabric painter. The world is full of so many interesting things how can I choose just one.

tata more to come later

Welcome to wild hair studio

Hello this is my first blog. What you may ask is Wild Hair Studio? It is a creative space one I feel free to design and create my art. It 's name comes from a stream of ideas which flow thru my brain. In dreams and in often the worst times when a pencil and paper are no where to be found some of my best ideas occur. But they are like Wild Hair tickling and poking my spirit until I surrender and write them down or draw the dream. Often they niggle and remind me time is short and time to create is now. Dinner will wait just a few moments more. I happen to be blessed with a wonderful family and sisters by choice. One of whom is my business partner. We have a small company of delightful goodies for the creative beaders,doll makers and quilters as well as metalsmiths.
She and I have traveled around collecting vintage beads,sequins,buttons,rosemontee`s and my favorite mmmmmmm vintage swarovski crystals. Our newest collection are the rhinestones that actually need to be set. The colors are so vibrant you could almost fall into them and spend the afternoon's I have seen them beaded and was delighted with the wonderful effect. My friends and fellow artists have created some beautiful pieces. When I get this blog figured out I will post photos of them .
So the point of Wild Hair Studio is not about having wild hair but from getting some.
Then taking your dreams to creation Some times the wildest ideas have turned into my favorite things.
Let's save How I became the Queen of Possibilities for another post
Keep dreaming
Peg