Pins and Needlework

I took a tour of Philly's Fairmont Park and Woodford Mansion, a holiday treat. The children's room displayed a pillow that looked like needlework, but it's botanical design was straight pins, a gift for a mother-to-be. This one, still unused, was 'inscribed' with pins WELCOME LITTLE NEW BORN.
 

Light for What Needs It

A trip through upper Philadelphia had us stumble into this wonderful park-like set of lights that were courtesy of the American Heritage Bank. End of a fine day, and yes, needed a bit of light!
 

Leaves in the Heart of the City

                                        
Philly can grow stupendously large weeds, like this tree sized one. Google helped me identify it, but I've quickly forgotten its name. But I'll add it to my collection of photographed leaves. Love leaves! 

The Fabric Workshop Tour

A brief stop in Philadelphia had me in a tour of the printing facility used for their program of study for intermediate and advanced students. Get a sense of the length of the padded print table they use for fabric with repeated patterning. Tour also included screen prep, dye mixing, and sample print. Sample books also.
 

Take an Airport Walk

Philadelphia pioneered the 1% for art (of the total building costs, used for public art) in 1959. I'm not sure this glass wall installation is considered "art" or part of the PDA, but I loved passing it on my way to terminal F. I think if was terminal F. Days ago, far away.

Mark Making Art

Michael Delgado's work -- prints made of photos of gum spots seen on the pavement -- stopped me in my track. On view (above: "My Tribe Only Whispers", 2014) at the Philadelphia airport, these works take abstract marks and create a story in caricature. The black is the gum/print, the color is his creation. Marvelous.

Getting Naked in the Park

Passed a group of ladies in Fairmount Park in Philly today, and had to commend them on their form, and their good sense to dress lightly for this summer's heat. Not that I would follow suit.

Colored Light

Warren Seelig's work Shadowfield/Colored Light #2 was in Philadelphia at the Snyderman Works Gallery last month. The color and glow play on the wall. I love the interwoven armature.

Fishtown

After the city center, it was time to see another part of Philadelphia. Tiles in the floor of the cafe let me know I was in Fishtown, and the patterning hints to a bygone era. The layering of the two, with the circle cut, makes is modern.

As We See Ourselves

Being part of a conference (SAQA in Philadelphia) means meeting others who are as passionate (or not) as you are about a topic. So, it may be that you see yourself in others, or they in you. And that is enough to break the ice.

Enough is Not Enough

today was a visit to Isaiah Zagar's work at the Magic Gardens in Philadelphia, where means bits and bits combine to make a whole. This picture doesn't even start to encompass the scope of the work he's done to form his mosaic art in this "installation".

Sunlight in the Underground

It interested me that there are beautiful mosaics at the Jefferson Station in Philadelphia. When I notice that there was sunlight, I knew someone took care to make this space human.

Signing Your Work

Louis Kahn and Warton Esherick together designed and built this building on Esherick's property outside of Philadelphia. Kahn was teaching at the University of Philadelphia at the time, and this inscription is etched in the block construction. It really is that color, and the signature is graphically beautiful. The Esherick site is http://www.whartonesherickmuseum.org/index.html

The Big E

Back to opening night, March 30th, in Philadelphia at the ArtQuiltElements exhibition is E3: Parallax by Bev Kondolf (here whited out by my flash) and her piece in the background with a crowd of folks. Great to see this travel and get the exposure it deserves. And to see Bev get the recognition, too.

Fabric Workshop and Museum

While in Philadelphia last week I visited the Fabric Workshop and Museum's new digs. I can't say I like it better, as I would like to see more of the workshop part of the works. Exhibits were interesting enough, but kinda wanted to see how they worked with visiting artists. Oh, well.

Another You

Donna Rosenthal's piece "There will never be another you / You are all the world to me" is made of sheet music and is part of the exhibitions seen in FiberPhiladelphia. What food for thought. Wish I could have seen more/all/most/again the works throughout the city.

Philly and Art Cloth

Art Cloth Network, a group of surface design wizards, had an exhibition at the Crane Art Building's Old School in Philadelphia. A wonderful space to exhibit these thoughtful works on cloth.