Space Girl.

Last Saturday was Penland's Halloween party....

Space Girl in Space.

This year I'm in love with my costume, and the related "research" which can be found here.

I think it was on the Imagineering Disney blog that I first ran across images of costumed "characters" in old Tomorrowland at Disneyland. In the 50's and 60's, (so before real astronauts...) these very tall, silver-clad couples would pose for pictures with visitors to Disneyland. If you take a look at my "research," you will see the costumes evolved in time...sometimes Space Girl is sporting a pink-lined cape, often she is without her space helmet...

Source: imagineeringdisney.com

This costume took a lot of thought, but actually not a lot of work. I found the perfect floral-print-synthetic-material-thrift-store dress, cut 11" inches off the bottom, decided that was scandalously short, re-attached about an inch and a half, and spray-painted it silver. As soon as I saw the silver go-go boots on target.com, I knew I couldn't do without them. (and no regrets...although they are not the most comfortable shoes ever, they weren't bad! And pretty well made too.) And yeah, I purchased my space helmet. 'Cause my time available to search for and repurpose plastic domes has been limited lately, and I didn't want it to look clunky, (although it is a bit clunky.) And as craft-school students and staff kept asking me how I made my space helmet, I began feeling a teeny bit guilty of being a sell-out...

Michelle Moode as Space Girl.

I had trouble hearing what people were saying to me, and it was even harder to be heard in the helmet. That suits me fine, as I seldom have much to say at parties. But I could hear the music just fine, and sipped my petite bottle of champagne through a neon green straw.

Where should I wear this next? Dragoncon?

Déjà vu.

Because again I can say to myself and to the whole world, "I wish I was writing more these days." I also wish I had more time at the moment to draw and print and make some books....but not just yet.

Because yet another season is winding down here in the mountains. Fall has been splendid and busy. It smells delicious outside; something like cinnamon, books, and dry leaves. I love when the leaves fall because you can see far, far away. It is quieter, so some sounds are more noticeable...particularly the beautiful spooky sounds of the train.

Because I am moving again. Only a couple of blocks from where I have been living, and I'm doing it slowly, a car load at a time. Even so, I'm finding it isn't much less difficult, tiring, stressful or emotional than moving cross country. Much cheaper, though.

Because I am driving a lot and teaching my little heart out. This semester I am teaching Foundations Drawing and Lithography at Appalachian State. After a year-long break from teaching, I am looking at a lot of things differently, drinking a lot less coffee, but still eating poorly on days I teach. In this post I can't get into how much I've learned, and have yet to learn about Lithography. I have so much renewed admiration for my former professors and litho friends.

Because I took a too-short trip out to California in October. That was brilliant.

Because I am looking ahead to winter travels to visit family. (Texas for sure, and hopefully California again too.) The Gallery is closed from mid-December to March, which allows for travel, which is good.

Because I am again pleased to report that I will be doing a month-long residency at Jentel this winter. I was awarded a residency in 2011, but unfortunately at that time I was unable to go. (It would have been right after I started working at the Penland Gallery.) Very pleased to have the opportunity again. Part of my plan for my month there includes frequent blogging, so stay tuned.

So there it is! Enjoy the remainder of autumn!

Summer looked like this.

My little books in the window of John & Lisa's studio,
during the TRAC tour in June.

A few books. I'm not talking about it as much,
 but I'm still making the hell outta some books. 

Summer is over, folks. Here in Spruce Pine we have had some cold nights and mornings, and more than a few trees are hinting at autumn. At Penland we have just over a week of summer classes remaining, and yesterday was my first day teaching at Appalachian State University in Boone.

Summer gardening was splendid, and my tomatoes did better than I could have hoped. I went swimming on the 4th of July. I found more than a few four-leaf clovers. I watched a meteor shower with Courtney Martin and John Geci. I laughed uncontrollably in the meadow at Penland with Yvonne Cavannah. At the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain, I ate kettle-corn under a leaky easy-up tent in a 45 minute downpour with Kate Boyd. I had some sweet visitors. I walked a lot. I can't complain about summer.....well, maybe I can a bit. This was the first summer ever where I didn't have a big far-away adventure planned...and although in some ways that was wonderful, (the tomatoes!) I also have felt very restless, a little crazy, and at times very sick of ol' Spruce Pine. I had a few little adventures, (including a very short trip to Baltimore!?) and having visitors made summer much much better. 

Summer is the busiest time of year at Penland, and it is exhausting. Mostly good exhausting, but it is a bit of a bummer when you are not participating in a class. It is indeed a bit like working at Disneyland.

Mmm, let's go to Disneyland!

Anyway, books have been made and sold. Drawings have been drawn. I just keep going.

Just a few strawberries. 

Sometimes the sky at Penland looks like this.

Ginger Ale & Bourbon.

Luna Moth & Intern Reflection.

Oh gosh, I shall miss Victoria Fabulous, our gallery intern. 

MYSTERIES.

Mystery Hill near Blowing Rock, NC.

Garden garlic, chilies, tomatoes, basil.

Have I mentioned the tomatoes?

How could I get sick of Spruce Pine? Come on.

I BOUGHT A BICYCLE!

Going to Baltimore for about 30 hours? Folly. 

More piles of words.

A journal won't always do.

spiders & math.

I've been taking notes and circling words since grad-school. Or earlier. It happens all over my journals and sketchbooks, and has appeared in various forms in drawings and prints....but the whole cutting words out and piling them up in boxes and jars is fairly new. And exciting.

better?

Ugh, exciting for Michelle, anyway! Saturday night in the summer! Head cold! Maybe a bit feverish! Cutting out words! Woo!

"I don't understand this..."

is what a woman told me during the TRAC tour. "Explain it to me."

What happened to "tell me about your work," or something a trifle more friendly?

I don't always understand my art either, lady.

I don't think the things I had displayed during the tour weekend were all that far out. Anyway, I sold some work, some journals, had some very pleasant conversations with folks about art, books, printmaking and Eva Hesse, taught some friends how to make origami dahlias, and played two killer games of scrabble!

The weather was perfect, and Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom's studio and garden are lovely.

Thanks, Beth Schaible!

Lisa's cards...

Table with work...

Piles of words.

hmm.

Taking things apart, and putting them back together.

Radish harvest.

I pickled a bunch of them. It was good.

Bread-baking, also.

The TRAC tour is this weekend! I really don't know what to expect. I'm working on getting everything ready today, and we're setting up at Lisa's this evening. I've been working a lot in my studio the past couple of weeks. It is good. Confusing, but mostly good. More photos soon.

THIS is almost something! Again, photos sooner or later.

Hope all is well, all over the place!

May.

O, poor neglected blog.

Here's the news in brief.....

1. The Toe River Arts Council studio tour is sneaking up, and I'll be exhibiting at Lisa Blackburn's studio. I am excited about this weekend-long event, and as always, feel like there's no way I have enough work finished. I'm starting to think I will always feel that way, forever. That could be a motivating factor if it doesn't paralyse me with fear.

2. The same weekend as the TRAC tour, my friend Yvonne will arrive from California! She'll be staying with me and will be participating in a two-week ceramics class at Penland. I am super excited for her. (and have a lot of cleaning to do!)

3. I AM WORKING ON A WEBSITE. I know I've said that before, but really. I am in the midst of a trial membership with "squarespace" and I'm planning on committing in the next few days. It will be pretty simple. ...What would you like to see on my website?

4. In related business news, my pal Beth Schaible is making me business cards! I'm so glad. Last night I ran down to Asheville to attend the grand opening of 7 Ton Letterpress Collective, of which Beth is a member. Way cool.

5. In the Fall I will be teaching Intro to Drawing and Lithography at Appalachian State University, in Boone, NC. That's about an hour north of here. Really, Michelle? Yes, really. It is two days a week, and I'll still be working in the Penland Gallery three days a week. I am already bracing myself. (BTW, you should check out that "gallery" link...we recently did a major revision on the gallery's website.)

6. Gardening. A lot. Maybe I'll take some pictures today. For now, here's a picture of a million radish seeds. A while ago I accidentally left a few partial-packets of seeds out in the rain.....and since they got soaked, I went ahead and planted all of them at once. I have radishes aplenty for a while...

Okay. There's art to finish, a house to clean, a lawn to mow, and tomatoes to stake. Happy Sunday!