Friday, June 25, 2010

This big blue planet ~ wild and wooly!

I am back from my travels to Bali! I had an amazing adventure with many photos and stories to share. This is a photo of me with Widi, a young woman who sold us some ikat sarongs. I gave her a Woven Voices prayer flag. What a beautiful smile!!


I also met Keduk, a traditional double ikat weaver from a small village on the eastern shoreline of Bali. Here she is at her loom which was made by her grandfather.













I purchased a small double ikat, which I decided that I will share with my husband Ben. He can wear it as a ministerial stole, I can enjoy looking at it!












The people of Bali are so happy, their smiles will melt any apprehensions you might have about being in a foreign land. Here is Wayan, the beach cabana boy from Bali Kana Resort on the Gili Islands, near Lombock. I gave him a prayer flag....love that smile!.





I came home and immediately went off to work on Cape Cod, here's the Mandala Community Weaving that we created at K.C.Coombs School in Mashpee.

But real life has invaded my immediate world. Our home was hit by a micro-burst squall yesterday evening. We lost many trees, have holes in the roof, power/phone/Internet lines all down. So for now I am unable to answer my house phone. I have posted my cell phone as my new contact number.  207-475-7083
Please be patient, I will get back to folks as best I can given the upset to my home/studio. And I promise more stories and photos from Indonesia!

Sumpai Jumpa!
Sarah
new contact # 207-475-7083

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Casting out the nets and casting off for awhile!

I know that you know that I live in Maine. In fact my house is about one quarter of a mile from the water. I live in a VERY beautiful place on this earth. But I love to travel and I have found ways to do it on an artist's budget. Leaving the routine and safety of my home offer me the opportunity to experience the beauty and wisdom of another culture.

This month I have the incredible good fortune to be traveling to Bali in Indonesia. My husband and I have old friends who live in Bali part of the year and we will be visiting them for a bit over two weeks.



We hope to visit several Hindu temples, cultural sites, traditional weaving workshops, as well as snorkel and relax!




STUDIO NEWS ~~ Earlier this month I completed a small commission of a ministerial stole for a friend who is being ordained. I hand dyed and wove the line/rayon fabric.

She collected prayers on paper that was later twisted into thread. I couched the thread onto the sewn stole, and tah dah!



Here is Becky modeling her new stole, embedded with the spiritual guidance and love from her friends, family and colleagues.

And then later this month I was away from my loom working on a public art installation for the city of Portsmouth NH as part of the city's OverNight Art Projects. Today it was installed. The piece is called "Caught Between US" and is made from recycled fish and shrimp netting, rope, mono-filament, shrimp replacement lures and measures 22' by 10'.




It was inspired by the Piscataqua River that separates Maine from New Hampshire. The piece pays homage to the men and women who work on the Piscataqua River, the marine life that inhabits these waters and the Memorial Bridge, which connects the Seacoast communities.




 The title "Caught Between Us" evokes the uncertain future of the Memorial Bridge as well as the fragility of the marine environment. This piece was ironically conceived prior to the catastrophic environmental disaster that is continuing to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico.








So hang on to those orders and questions.
 I will be back on June 20th.
Until then, as they say in Bali ~~ Sampai jumpa lagi 
         See you later!
Sarah

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