Now I can bring the Blahg into the present! Or close. Ragdale is: Ragdale, as superb as always, but spectacularly painted by October. It’s absolutely glorious to be IN autumn every day, not fleetingly observing it from a car or train window in regimented rows of city blocks.
It is odd to only be here for two weeks, and a lesson learned is that it takes virtually the same carload of supplies and equipment as it does for my usual month; the only difference being smaller quantities of brought-in fiber. Already the residency has passed the halfway mark! Probably any other blogs that happen will be photo-only.
I’ve harvested a big batch of milkweed from the Meadow, leaving the seedpods. Half is prepared for pulping, the other half stripped, cleaned and dried for later. The last thing I will do before I leave is harvest autumn dogbane.
I’ve got multiple projects going. This one (the main project, to me) looks like a departure, but really isn’t, all that much; stay tuned. I’m trying to nudge drying times along (the October sun isn’t very effective, but we definitely have wind) to have one completed, situated prototype before I leave. This will eventually become an ongoing project; the prototype will tell me what refinements (if any, she says hopefully) will be needed, and I’ll continue developing it in Vermont.
Sunday, I will open the studio for this event; it won’t be the exhibition-type open studio I’ve done in the past, I’ll just keep working and open the doors. I suspect I’ll be making sheets or will reserve some other relatively neutral activity for that day; I need quiet and privacy when working with color or shaping the final look of a piece. If you’re in Chicago, come on out!
(Earlier) tonight; and now: goodnight.
Both the Ragdale dryers broke down the day before Thanksgiving and I was out of clothes, so Sunday, I was up early, finished the dyeing, packed up my laundry and went home in the afternoon. I had fun with Paul (who made dinner) and Lupe, beat a six-hour load of abaca, drained it and packed up a neat small load of vats, moulds, deckles, felts and my goofy but functional and portable infomercial-based ‘vacuum table’ invention thang. When I went to switch my second (final) load of clothes to the dryer, I discovered that our washing machine had suddenly broken: no spin cycle. ‘Twas the Great Thanksgiving Revolt of the Laundry Machinery, apparently. I wrung everything out by hand and watched a silly movie while it took three cycles to dry, and spent the night.
This morning, shortly after everyone commuted back to work after their long holiday weekend, I commuted back to Ragdale with my clean laundry and pulp. The rest of today I unpacked, set up the studio for the assembly phase and began that, then lost all my fine post-holiday diet intentions to Linda’s melt-in-your mouth homemade gnocci, stayed in and wrote a blog. This blog. The Barnhouse dryer was running.
I can see the end of this piece, and finally, rather than the rather unpleasant brain noise I needed to constantly fight during the last two years’ worth of residencies, while I’m working on these task-phases my head is dancing with images of what might be next. I’m looking forward to two weeks of serious play. It’s all good.
It’s Thanksgiving evening. This was tonight’s sunset beginning. If you celebrate, I hope yours was warm and wonderful; mine surely was. I got to a good stopping point in the studio earlier tonight, and thought it would be great to come back to the house and catch up with a blog. But I’m not feeling wordy; I’m still full from the holiday feast which was at lunchtime! So, here are some shots of what’s been happening the past few days:
Colors have been tested (and tested, and tested) and resolved…
…systems have been devised and implemented…
…patterns have been made…
…and utilized, thanks to a lovely visit to 
Chef Linda SO completely outdid herself! (And that, my friends, is saying something). My new fave: sweet potatoes with chipotle. Some residents had gone to family or friends’ celebrations (I definitely missed mine, but I am thankful for their understanding…I didn’t want to miss this!) But still we were fourteen with many guests; champagne toasts, great talk, the infamous turkey butt (long story), and a game or two…fantastic! (And the fridge is unbelievably loaded).
Some folks went out to second feasts elsewhere; in the late afternoon, I headed to the prairie to try to walk some of mine off…and at the end of the walk I was rewarded with a glorious sunset, and by seeing a fox. (I thought I saw him on two occasions earlier in the week, but was too far away to tell). Today, he crossed my path three times – and ran past the studio. No other creature moves like that, and he had the most gorgeous bushy tail…beautiful. Then, the studio till about 8, with no desire for dinner, whatsoever.
The Thanksgiving sunset turned everything purple-red.
And now I’m all set up for my personal feast of color tomorrow and Saturday…the privacy screen makes a great drying rack (it’ll be protected). Every day at Ragdale is a feast; I feel so very blessed to be here right now for two feasts upon feasts: today, and the holiday party coming up next week…
I realized last night that when I leave, I will have been at Ragdale during every month of the year. Dark November skies are beautiful, the autumn scent of coming snow spicy, bracing, as is the brisk wind. The prairie is deceptive at this time of year, stark and muted in the long view, riotously vivid in detail.
I have my eye on this big gorgeous wasps’ nest: papermakers. It’s waaaaay way high, and if it falls while I’m here and survives, it’s for me.
I’ve begun to occupy that space I covet: I am not thinking in words, though an intense, rich, flowing language is everywhere, a symphony of images, tactility, scents, association.
(And my floor is full of frogs).
