Autumn Palette

So after I donned my new specs, I was stunned to discover that in viewing a particular stand of trees, it was no longer just yellow leaves turning against a backdrop of green, but it was a variety of shades and tones of yellows against every kind of green imaginable. Could it be that my blurry vision had smudged all the variety down to a single yellow and green? Or had I just not been paying attention when it was an effort to focus? It made me want to rush home, pull every yellow and green fabric out of my stash to cut up and sew into something. However, sanity prevailed; the last thing I need right now is to turn my studio into what looks like the aftermath of a tornado. And after some thought, I recalled that I already have a grouping of greens, yellows, oranges and rusts set aside for a quilt similar to Wisconsin Memories (upper left in this photo). What I really need to do right now is keep moving forward on Masks.

But this can't stop me from getting the camera out and capturing some colors and sample palettes for future use. Above, another grouping of trees along a vacant lot sporting various yellows and greens and a lean toward orange. Truth be told, the camera was struggling to capture the nuance and proper colors as much as my eyes with the old glasses had. At any rate, these are pretty typical fall colors in this part of the world. Much like I've put in my many fall-themed quilts.

But what about the above pairings?

 
I noted that the maple which I'd seen in another spot looked to be showing leaves in shadow and catching the light, but in truth the actual leaves were either a brighter or deeper red - nearly brown in some cases.

The star of my shoot was a small but brilliant mountain ash. Look at the delicate veining.

It looks like this when run through a color extractor.

Here's a slightly different shot on the same tree and its extraction.

And again, two slightly different shots, not so close up but varied enough for the extractor to come up with slightly different palettes.

I'm still thinking how I could use some of these combinations and I keep coming back to the fall theme, of a jumble of the colors laid down in strips or triangles that would back the elegant curves of towering tree trunks. My afternoon walks of late have taken me back along the loop where my "community" trees stand. I'm seeing evidence that some building might soon take place there - not necessarily taking down the trees, but probably blocking my view of their bases. So even though I have some photos (although not very good), I decided to do a quick sketch. One gets to know one's subject much better sketching it, understand the subtle relationships between sections on a different level, and in this case, ponder ways to render those shapes in fabric now that I know better what they are.

Revelation

My new frames in 2010

Maybe it's been my eyes holding me back....

I've known I needed a stronger prescription in my lenses for over a year. Meant to do something about it last summer but found myself dealing with bigger issues and the thought that if I just waited a little bit longer, those would be resolved...but they wouldn't be until earlier this year. And then it was the bad memories from the previous time I'd gotten new glasses making me reticent. Two optometrists, 3 exams, 6 tries at setting up the lenses properly, months of eye pain, frustration and a lot of arguing later, I finally had a pair of glasses I could see out of. I'd had this happen once before, had even warned the second optometrist, but that office had a very "we know best" attitude, treating me as if I'd never worn glasses before. Finally, their frustration matched mine and they agreed to use the settings of the current lenses as provided by the office I'd got them from before moving half way across the country, even though they informed me they couldn't be correct for the type of lenses I had. And so they were quite embarrassed when I donned this last ditch effort and they were perfect - no adjustments necessary.

Beading done with blurry vision

So I've been dreading the day I'd have to get new lenses. And of course, you seldom can get just new lenses, but also have to pick out new frames. And I can't see how these various frames look without my glasses! But at least I could go get an exam to ease my mind about the general condition of my eyes and worry about getting the new prescription later. I'd had a whole year to scope out another optometrist (someone I'd met during last year's ArtWalk who liked my work - first plus! and who got rave reviews from one of my art group members - second plus!), tamp down my feelings of guilt about switching providers (the problematic office had, in the interim, treated me quickly and soothed my fears when I developed "flashing" in one eye), and budget for the always expensive kind of frames and lenses I prefer (would be making the final payment on a car loan in July).

The thing that made these hard to give up

Yeah - I can't just jump in to do anything. But by May my vision was decidedly worse, I was struggling to focus at every distance, and if I spent too long reading, sewing or at the computer in that shorter range, my eyes simply refused to refocus across the room. There were other things too, enough that I wondered if something other than needing a stronger prescription was going in. Well, I got on well with the new optometrist, was thoroughly impressed with his thorough exam and said I'd be back by the end of summer for those new glasses.

My current new frames

Yeah, right. Life continually intervenes, you know, and suddenly it was September. Time to bite the bullet and get on with it. Really tired of the constant straining and inability to focus in on really small type. The picking out of frames was the usual trying on of many, feeling indecisive, wishing I could see better, wishing this one came in a different color. Wait - that one DOES come in a different color that we can order for you to try! The gal I worked with was so good and accommodating, and I began to feel more confident. Of course, the real test was after the frames were decided upon and the marks made for the lab to use in setting up the prescription.

More blurry vision beading

While I waited for them to come back, I realized I'd gone from wishing I didn't have to give up my current frames that I liked so much (you know how I hate change) to getting really excited about the new look. Yeah, I said, I NEED a new look, need to shake things up a bit. Let's just hope I can see out of them. I got the call that they were in earlier this week, and I swear, the girl was holding her breath as much as I was. But hey, she did a perfect job and I could see at all distances, no adjustments necessary. Now why couldn't those other places do that?

Beading with clear vision

Of course, the proof would be once I got home and moved around in familiar settings. This is when it struck me just how much I'd been straining to see anything. Now everything was sharp and clear without trying. And suddenly, I wanted to get in the studio and continue with the beading. This is when I remembered how I struggled the week before as I added more beads to Masks - I simply could not bring the area I was working on into focus so it was a guessing game about where the needle was going. Could it be that subconsciously I knew how much more work anything in the studio was going to be because I couldn't see clearly and thus lost my enthusiasm for working in there? If how I felt with the new glasses on was any indication, I think perhaps it was indeed a factor.

I can see where to put the needle now

I believe it was Elly Sienkiewicz who, not so tongue in cheek, added getting your eyes checked and if necessary a new pair of glasses to the list of "other materials and supplies" for her projects. The undisputed master of Baltimore Album style applique knew the importance of being able to see easily and clearly when working on the fine detail of needleturn applique. As I sat down this week to test my new prescription with more bead additions on Masks, I was reminded of how very true this is. I am finding joy again in the doing, and many more beads got added on in a session I did not need carrots to prolong.

Wood beads banished for these

It may have helped that I resolved what to do in an area that has failed to feel right in spite of what I thought should go there. Unable to commit, I'd move the loose beads I'd auditioned off the quilt and go to a different section that seemed clearer. I so wanted to use some wood beads as fringe on one hat, but even though my better sense knew they weren't right, I kept auditioning them while trying other things around them that I thought would balance them out. If they stayed, my centerpiece button didn't look right. I couldn't commit to it either. I shoved them all to one side and "fringed" the other hat and was so pleased. Then finished adding beads around the button on that hat. This helped me see how wrong those wooden beads were, and what I should try with the limited amount of green beads left. Oh, I am so much happier now and the button on that hat now looks right. I had another one of those moments when I felt my whole body relax. I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, AND the way to get there.

Now this works - but which orientation?

I'll admit that over the last few weeks I've beaten myself up a bit at how much time I've spent pondering the rightness of the beading choices I lay before me and then try on this project. Goodness, why can't I just jump in? (See above story of glasses) Why do I keep trying the same things over and over, hoping the next time they'll say yes I work, rather than, ehhh I'm not so sure? Why can't I reach that body-relaxed-this-is-right moment sooner? And then as if in answer, this arrives in my mailbox:

Keats called it Negative Capability: the ability to sit with uncertainty and ambiguity without rushing after The Answer.

Need another row of beads down nose

Well well well. I guess I'm a master at negative capability! But let me tell you, it can get pretty uncomfortable sitting with those two.

We be comin' along!

New Along My Route

Not a lot changes along the various routes I take on my daily walks out my door. So I was surprised to see several new attractions last month which had me asking questions. Take this trailer that showed up on the grounds of the animal shelter, for instance. Not in a vacant lot next to it, but in a specially prepared space in the parking lot. Now I understand that food trucks or carts are all the rage, and my area has its share, but you have to admit, setting up a Taco Stand next to the animal shelter building does seem an odd juxtaposition. Maybe even making you wonder where they are getting the meat for the tacos. Not to worry - this is a no-kill shelter! I'm guessing they've made some kind of arrangement for a portion of the sales to be donated to the shelter.

Then there's this plane that appeared, soaring over the top of a group of industrial buildings. From the street, I couldn't tell quite what it was, so walked back in for a closer look.

It sits in front of a welding shop, and on closer inspection, is not a plane at all but a clever fusion of car and other parts to make it look like one. Cleverly named "Fishback Air" - if you click for the larger version of the photos, you can make out the "scales" on the tail section.

Oh, my - someone definitely had too much fun with this!

And then there are the boats sporting for sale signs showing up in the parking lots of unrelated businesses. Apparently this is a thing, as I spotted two instances of this within a few blocks of each other. It's the end of the season, boats are notorious for sucking up money, and perhaps these owners decided it was best to be done with this rather than store the toy for another winter.

Speaking of unrelated items for sale showing up in business parking lots, this mini-trailer has been parked for awhile near a drive-through coffee place, in front of the building that until this summer housed a natural foods cafe.

Cute does not begin to describe this! I was oddly tempted by it, even though camping is not my thing. But somehow, I could see myself pulling it behind my Subaru as I checked out state and national parks.

I think it's the solar power that's making me think I want this. Here are the panels on the back. I wish I could see what it is like on the inside, as I try to imagine the configuration for sleeping and wondering what else you could do in there. Once I saw that, I no doubt would lose interest altogether!

New Acquisitions

Here are some purchases I've made over the last month or so because, you know, I can't help myself. First, this single skein of alpaca yarn, from locally owned alpacas, spun and dyed locally. Not my first skein of this particular alpaca yarn either, purchased at Pedro's. It is incredibly soft, crying out to be used for something that will touch your skin. I haven't figured out what that something will be yet, but since I purchased it with some birthday money, whatever I make will be for me.

And more yarn - actually two skeins of a hand-dyed wool I ran across more recently. My yarn shop carries affordable "mill-end" skeins in hanks from a place in Minnesota, I believe, but it is usually limited to solids and a mohair blend that gives a heathered look. It's a yarn I've used quite a bit before too, but I've never seen it in a variegated hand-dye before and was very taken with this color combination. All the colors of the sea and I was surprised that I was not turned off by that chartreuse suddenly showing up in it. Pretty sure this is going into scarves, perhaps with matching hat and mittens?

Silk ties, because, you know, I can't help myself, and that particular day that I passed the Goodwill store on my walk, I had my wallet with me. Dang - no money on me is about the only thing that keeps me out of there on my daily walks.

Ceremonial Turquoise by Denys Knight - excuse the uneven lighting

But now, the pièce de résistance. I fell in love with the work of Denys Knight when I saw it during ArtWalk early in the summer. This piece in particular, Ceremonial Turquoise, rang all the bells for me: the warm color of the copper metal, the hints of teal patina, the weaving of metal strips, the ends of those strips flying off in different directions and off the folded copper background, the trapping of the turquoise cabochon, and finally the well-considered framing. The only thing holding me back from doing something there and then was the price, not an unfair price, but a bit more than what I would normally allow myself to spend on a piece of art.

So I tucked it away in the back of my mind, revisited it on display several times over the next few months, carefully compared it against the other pieces she grouped with it, and always came away with the ever stronger feeling that it was the one I liked the best and that I wanted to bring home with me.

Finally, I convinced myself that I could afford to purchase it because I have not spent any of the money I set aside each year for travel and entertainment. Nor do I have any travel or major entertainment expenses planned in the near future. Buying this piece, I decided, easily qualified for the entertainment category.

So toward the end of August I made it mine but had to wait for ArtWalk to end a few weeks later before I could bring it home. I'm now auditioning for the perfect place to hang it. (The outer dimension of the frame is 12" x 14" with the metal portion measuring about 6 x 8 and mounted on black board.) You can see more of Denys's work here, but trust me, it is so much more beautiful seen in person.

  

The Other Side of Farragut State Park

Farragut State Park is bisected by a state highway, and so far, my explorations have been limited to the area closest to the lake along South Road. Very wooded and full of campgrounds, trailheads, observation points as well as a day-use area, boat launch and swim area. There's a museum in this section too and I had yet to drive over to it.

The Museum At The Brig is housed in the only remaining building from the Naval Base days. Unfortunately, it is closed for the season. I must admit, it didn't look anything like I expected.

On closer inspection, I could see through the grill on the gate that there is a central courtyard which now made the building make more sense to me. I could just spy an old pick-up truck under a shelter so I'm guessing the yard holds other large items from the Navy days.

In front of the brig is a long expanse of grass encircled with shrubbery, the entrance guarded on either side with one of these.

The centerpiece of this area is this memorial to those who fought in the war. It really looks rather odd but is supposed to represent "whale" boats used to train recruits.

The most interesting thing about the sculpture is all these faces covering both the back and face of the sailor.

On either side of the walkway leading to the memorial are these benches, lovely in their detail. To learn more about the memorial and the museum, see here.

Now it was time to cross over the highway and continue along the North Road. This part of the park is mostly flat and open. Essentially, the government bought up the privately held land they wanted for the base and proceeded to clear and level it for the buildings that would eventually comprise "city" of over 55,000 people. Hard to believe that so little of the original base is in evidence on this side short of an expanse of crumbling concrete, narrow roads shooting off through the wooded area hugging the road and this pump house. Now there are camping areas here too and more trails including those for "horses, llamas or any stock animal." To learn more of the history of the training base including an aerial shot and pic of the whale boats, see this link.

Returning along Monaghan Rd I stopped at this large open area where one finds the amphitheater and Friendship Poles. The mountain backdrop made me wonder what those young recruits from other parts of the country thought when they arrived.

This space is divided by a gravel road, and I wondered about this big tree left standing by it. No signs to say it was left there, or planted, for a specific reason. I was intrigued by its asymmetry. The sun's angle made it difficult to get a shot emphasizing how much farther the branches on the right extend out from the trunk than those on the left. Beautiful shape though.

Tucked at the far end of the field to the right of the tree stands the Friendship Poles, part of an effort of the Boy Scouts of America.

This sign tells part of the story.

There are mounds of large boulders around the base of those poles. Here's a close-up of a particularly interesting one for you texture lovers.

And along the gravel road there was an outbreak of this lovely flower, a hold-out from summer.

A little farther down the road before returning to the highway is a model airplane flying field. Again - look at the view the recruits enjoyed, and that is still enjoyed today.

Yeah, I'm pretty enamored of my mountains...

Well, that certainly filled up the afternoon and it was time to head home. Just a 30 minute zip up the highway. Except...about 10 minutes into it, I am at a standstill in traffic backed up do to an accident. As the minutes stretched on with little movement, I thought to kill a little time with my sketchbook. I really couldn't see beyond these two cars, but I could see how many were piling up behind me.

I got stopped at about point A for an accident at southern tip of that lake

After an hour, we got to moving a bit and my view showed how far ahead of me the traffic had stopped - literally miles! My thought was that it must have been a terrible accident for it to have brought this two-lane stretch to a total standstill. As I got closer to the site, I could see smoke pluming into the sky - now that's puzzling. And then we arrived with no evidence of a wreck save for blackened highway and about a 1/4 mile of ditch and slope of dry grass and pines that had caught fire and was still being mopped up by fire fighters. That must have been some crash, I thought.

But no, THIS is what held up traffic - I ended up following it back to Ponderay where I got this shot. The news said that one of the 5th wheel trailer's tires failed and ignited due to friction. Droplets of molten rubber were then cast off into the brush on the side of the highway starting 3 separate fires and overrunning the trailer before the driver realized what was happening. No wonder they weren't easing traffic around the site and it took so long to clean things up. No one was hurt but now I am thinking, that sure ruined someone's vacation.