New Mouse for Pain Relief

In the past year I have been spending even more time at a computer (picking up more hours at the office along with staying on top of my blog, marketing, social media, emails and applications for my artwork) and in the past few months been having some paint in my wrist and elbow.  I am aware of the many issues with my type of work from growing up around other fiber artists.  I pay attention to my gangleion cycst, and I try to always stretch to keep carpal tunnel and tendonitis away.

I must have been stretching or rubbing my right arm while standing in line at the UP Beerfest because the lady next to me inquired.  I told her about the recent shooting pain into my elbow and she told me her story.... She works at a computer and had hit a point where her tendonitis was so bad, she was wearing a sling for a year...it still didn't help. She said that a more erginomic mouse was suggested, a vertical mouse.  So I dropped one into my Amazon wishlist while waiting in line so that i wouldn't forget what it was called.

I am at a computer at work most of the time (4 days a week), so I ordered one from Staples for the office computer.  It's been a few weeks and I have had zero pain shooting up into my elbow. My wrist is still a little sore, but that could be from all the beading. (I have 2 new show spaces for November/December, gotta get on that.)

UP Vacation and a Revisit to the Porkies

It's been two years since I have made it back up to the Upper Peninsula, or taken a week of vacation for that matter.  this was the trip I've been needing.  It's a bit of a trek to do alone and I feel very fortunate to have been invited up to the UP Beerfest in Marquette with Isaac.

We visted the brewing site of Blackrocks Brewery 

(any beer they put lavender into is my favoite!)

Isaac and his dad.

I agree with this statement, I feel this way about my artwork.

The Cabin, handbuilt, lots of stories here.

I finally understand Saunas....I wonder if the city would notice if I built one...

Ore dock behind us walking into Beerfest.

Lansing represents! Found Lisa amongst the rain and 5,000 people

Rainbow over Marquette

Then more rain.

This is me being sad that my favorite bead store in Marquette has closed (building behind me)

Blackrocks

Isaac cliff-jumping...maybe next year for me.

He's a bit drier by this photo.

It was an extra trek, but I really wanted to get back to the Pocupine Mountains (and Isaac had never been).  I found out that you can't book the rustic camping sites over by Dan's cabin online or over the phone, so I booked it over there to get our camping site.

The waterfall outside Dan's Cabin (the cabin I lived in for the Porkies Residency in 2014) 

Dan's Cabin

I also had to book it over to the Porkies to see my weaving hanging in the Porkies Visitor's Center

This guy is great.

Lake of the Clouds, it's the first I've seen it grey.

Ahhh, the amazing bark up here

Lake Superior Beach 

On the way home we visited Kitch-iti-kipi Spring, the boat allows you to see straight to the bottom and allll the huge fish. 

Cut River Bridge and the hike down is absolutly worth the stop.

And the sunset at Cut River

It was really hard to leave this time, Eventually I'll stay.

Pac-Man Bangle 2

It seems like so long ago when I designed the first Pac Man bangle as a commission for Betsy.  I had started playing with conductive thread and this particular bracelet held a coin battery, has 4 led lights and snaps together.  I have been meaning to revisit this design (in a more simple manner), there was a call for art for a games exhibit, thus making me pull this pattern out of my archives.

This was fun to get back to. I do have to admit that I miss-counted on the yellow Pac-Man himself thus having to cut the glass seed beads out of an entire vertical row and going in to stitch the yellow in properly.  You can only see the thread from the back (inside) of the bangle when I do this (see below).

My Artwork at HGA Convergence Conference 2016, Milwaukee

If you had told 17-year-old me that I would have had two of my pieces of artwork in city Art Museums before I turn 35, I would have blown you off.  I was hoping to just go to college and get a general business degree and try to get a 9-5 job that would pay for my beading and weaving "hobbies"

Fortunately, when it came down to actually looking at and thinking about colleges, I had (and still do have) many people in my life who saw my potential and nudged me toward following my passion.  I said yes to many opportunities along the way, and my first Small Expressions exhibit through the Handweavers Guild of America was hosted the Long Beach Museum of Art.  I was ecstatic to get in, and to boot, the Museum used the image of my Bamboozled Bangle on their website for the show.

The Milwaukee Museum of Art is currently hosting the Small Expressions 2016 show, and what an amazing museum (pictured behind me).  I'm still just amazing that Gypsy Leaf is spending a few months in the same building as Rembrandts, Warhols, Chihuly, Nick Cave....   I also really appreciate how the curator positioned my piece, only one pearl clasped and the bottom flared out.  I will definitely be getting better photos of it displayed like that.

I add to my excitement, I am very pleased to announce that Gypsy Leaf also received the Edith Whiteman Award.  This is the first time one of my pieces has won an award at an HGA exhibit.  If you happen to be close, I not only encourage you to check out the museum and Small Expressions, but the retrospective that they have on Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood is really amazing.

Uprooted 2 also took a short trip over to Milwaukee for the exhibits helding during Convergence.  It was accepted into the all-media exhibit: "Mixed Bag"

Outside the Milwaukee Museum of Art

Interior overlooking Lake Michigan

Upper entrance bridge walking up to the museum.