Inspired By… Natural Dyes

Natural dyes from kola nuts and indigo have been used to make tie-dye in Gambia for generations. But more and more artisans have been replacing these traditional ingredients with imported chemical dyes. Today, Musa Jaiteh is the last artisan in his town in Gambia still using only natural dyes and traditional techniques. For more information on Musa’s fabrics, check out: https://www.africanfabric.co.uk/fabri…

Knotless Netting

I love when the uniform repetition of diamonds or squares of fishing nets has been torn and darned. The more haphazardly the net is repaired the better, especially if a garish color has been used to sew two nets together.

I have been using half hitches and looping in my work for years to build cordage. Recently I have been wondering what would happen if I start to use my own cordage to make my own nets?

Thanks to YouTube University, I am get a little inspiration as part of my virtual “sketching” and learning process…

Inspired by… Ann Hamilton

I have been interacting with Ann Hamilton’s white marble raised text installation at World Trade Center 1 train stop, to and from Governors Island all year long, before I even realized it was her work.

Before I was aware of the vast scope of Ann’s work, I was fascinated by images of her installation work circling the interwebs for years, which make this opportunity to watch an interview with her even most precious.

Inspired by…. Sissel Tolaas

In the course of a single day, each of us breathes in and out around 24,000 times. With each breath, irresistible signals are sent straight to the brain—including smells, which in a matter of nanoseconds trigger emotions and memories, stirring up the subconscious in turn.

For Norwegian-born Sissel Tolaas, smell is a vital yet often overlooked tool for communication, and one she has been exploring through her work for more than three decades. She has devoted her research-based artistic practice to the olfactory rather than the visual or the auditory, thereby appealing to a different type of sensory experience with her projects. As Tolaas has noted, “My nose is more advanced than my eyes.”

As a wino, I can attest this is true.