Author Archives: ehwfram

About ehwfram

I am an artist living in Vermont, inspired by the day-to-day details of life.

Coincidence as Instigator

Don’t you love a good coincidence? Whether or not you really believe in them, the idea of such a thing makes life so much more interesting.

I have a friend I rarely see who, the past couple of times we’ve crossed paths, has mentioned how much she enjoyed The Paper Garden. Written by Molly Peacock, it is a biography of Mary Delany, an eighteenth century woman who first embarked on her artistic career at the age of 72. Delany is credited with being the originator of collage, creating 985 beautifully realistic images of flowers, made of finely cut, exactingly colored paper that she painted herself. Her work, referred to as the Flora Delanica, now resides at the British Museum.

Respecting my friend’s opinion I made a note of the book, but admittedly hadn’t done much to seek it out. However, I happened upon a pristine copy for 50 cents at the library book sale last summer, so how could I resist? I snapped it up, put it in my ever growing to-be-read stack, and then promptly forgot about it.

Last September, during our trip through the Atlantic Provinces, one of the highlights was attending a talk at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design given by visiting artist Zachari Logan. Logan’s work, which I’ve written about before, is a tour de force of draughtsmanship, underpinned with layers of intention that elevate his drawings above and beyond his amazing technical facility. Composed of beautiful tangles of real and imagined flora, often strikingly set on a stark black ground, his pastel drawings of plants are rendered as though scattered on the paper, encircled in wreaths, or woven together in cleverly composed human forms reminiscent of the Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

Crescendo ©2018 Elizabeth Fram, Stitched-resist dye and embroidery on silk. It will be framed to 14 x 11 inches. but this gives you a glimpse into the way the dye bleeds beyond the stitched resist patterning.

As Logan talked about his process, he mentioned that he seeks residencies in countries outside his native Canada, immersing himself in the art and history of that locale while allowing what he finds there to directly inform the work he produces while in residence.

The work in the show we were seeing during his talk in Halifax was the result of a residency in London, inspired by an in-depth study of the paper “mosaicks” (as she called them) of Mary Delany. As he animatedly talked about the beauty and inspiration of these pieces, painstakingly and delicately created by an aging woman in the late 1700’s, it began to dawn on me that she was the same person as the subject of The Paper Garden, sitting on my shelf at home.

The Paper Garden

My friend was right – it is a wonderful book! Part biography, part art book, part memoir , it follows the life of a fascinating and resilient woman whose social circle included nobility and celebrated artists, among them George Frideric Handel and Jonathan Swift. Yet her life had not been easy. Delany’s ability to gracefully meet the often challenging circumstances doled out to her, at a time in history when women had little power or resources beyond those afforded them by the men in their lives, makes for a fascinating read. By interlacing Delany’s life with her art, author Molly Peacock provides an enlightening and contemporary window into the life of an artist who was at her peak in her eighth decade, more than two centuries ago.

Coda for 2017

Having our kids home this week has opened the door to favorite memories, among them the books they remember most vividly from when they were little. I fully own that, as a sucker for picture books myself, I was not above choosing books “for them” that contained illustrations and stories that I personally found irresistible.

Wildwood Cover

I can’t hide behind my kids any longer so this year I openly requested Colin Meloy’s The Wildwood Chronicles boxed set, beautifully illustrated by his wife Carson Ellis. I can’t wait to get lost in their magical pages during the dark evenings ahead. (For more of Ellis’ wonderful illustration work follow her on Instagram).

Wildwood Chronicles

In closing out 2017, (and to set the stage for 2018), enjoy this inspiring NY Times article about the children’s book illustrator Loren Long. It is a down-to-earth, non-preachy, un-saccharine look into how someone is fulfilling his calling by successfully navigating what might be considered an insurmountable obstacle. The story also contains a link to a charming Facebook live art video interview with Mr. Long.

May the new year bring us all plenty of opportunities to enjoy, through image, the fruits of others’ and our own imaginations. Wishing you a healthy and creatively productive new year!

Unwrapping the Intangible

I am especially aware at this time of year that creativity doesn’t live only in the studio, it spreads into all corners of our lives. To name but a few examples, gardens, kitchens, music, etc. are a glorious extension of our fundamental appreciation for not only color and form, but for all the other senses as well — taste, sound, scent, and touch.

Trident Cafe ©2017 Elizabeth Fram, 8.25 x 5.75, Pen in Fabriano sketchbook. I have come to really enjoy sketching in restaurants. It’s a great way to pass the time while waiting for the food to arrive and to get my mind off how hungry I may be. Breakfast is the best because lighting is never an issue and then I can move on with whatever else may be on the agenda, happily knowing I have begun the day with a sketch under my belt.

And “artists” surely don’t have a corner on the market. Creativity is undeniably present in everyone we know. Many don’t make claim to any formal artistry per se, but beyond any doubt it is present – often in intangible form, in the way they move through and live in the world. Brilliance is shared, often without even realizing it.

This week I am thinking about and grateful for the many gifts others have given me in the way they see the world, making it a more beautiful, thought-provoking and richer place to be.

My wish for you this holiday season is these next days be exactly as you would like: festive and filled with the bustle of family and friends; reflective, restorative and quiet; or a mixture of the two.

But above all, may you have an eye for the beauty and moments that make your life brighter, beyond the holidays and throughout the rest of the year.
…And may you find all the art supplies you hoped for under the tree!

Back in the (Drawing Horse) Saddle

It’s pretty shocking when I stop to realize just how many years it’s been since I last devoted several continuous hours to drawing a figure. Lately the urge to get back to it has been really niggling at me, spurred by the growing toehold regular sketching has nurtured. For more than a year I’ve been on the lookout for a figure drawing gathering that would mesh with my schedule.

In Process The majority of my sketchbooks are approximately A4 or A5. Stretching out on an 18 x 24 inch sheet is pure luxury.

Thanks to a couple of friends who tipped me off to a (kinda-sorta) local group, I was able to attend my first life drawing session this past week. I am beyond excited! For 4+ hours I felt like that proverbial clam, snuggled in at high tide, while drawing in the congenial company of a collection of accomplished and welcoming artists who have been meeting regularly for quite some time. The model was superb and there was even jazz playing in the background. Seriously, I was beyond happy.

In Process The model gets regular breaks, which is also a good time to reassess direction. Taking pictures with my phone mid-process is incredibly helpful, allowing for the distance necessary to identify areas that may need to change.

As something of a resource nerd I’m grateful for the library I’ve amassed over the years, pulling the following books/periodicals from my shelf for self-imposed homework. I would recommend any of them if you’re looking for drawing information and inspiration.

The Visual Language of Drawing – James L. McElhinney & the Instructors of The Art Students League of New York

The Natural Way to Draw – Nicolaides

Drawing Atelier: The Figure – Jon de Martin

Drawing magazine

Working larger gives me a greater opportunity to consider how shapes define not just the image, but also the way they support an abstracted definition of the composition. Thinking along those lines as I’ve been stitching this week has made me even more aware of the possible parallels between my drawn and stitched work, and the symbiosis (in my mind, at least) that links both disciplines, which makes working back and forth all the richer.

Instagram continues to be a wonderful resource. Check out @ronniecay, @bobart1937, & @kevinwueste They all regularly post work from their life drawing sessions. The variety of style and interpretation is quite inspiring.

Spoons

There was limited time to write this week, but I was still able squeeze in a daily sketch…and a quick haiku in honor of the ritual.

When was the last time
You really looked at a spoon?
A pen lifts the veil.

Don’t Forget to Check Your Rearview

Well here we are again, sandwiched between the holidays with December promising to be just as hectic as usual, but definitely in a good way. My plan for the next three weeks, in addition to trying to wrap up unfinished work, is to set aside a serious chunk of time, albeit in small segments, to map out my studio goals for 2018 and to reassess the ups and downs of 2017.

One of my goals for 2017 was to reach a wider audience through further publication. While the avenues that I actively approached didn’t pan out, this particular opportunity tapped me on the shoulder unexpectedly. It goes to show you never know. You can read the full feature here

In past years there has been no lack of objectives to reach for, but I know my efforts will be so much more efficient moving forward if I thoughtfully map out a plan now rather than, as has been my habit, hurriedly cobbling together a fuzzy outline of goals during the first week of January.

Every six weeks or so I meet up with three other artists for an informal discussion group. Our topics vary widely but usually hinge on an issue that is relative to all, yet which one of us is grappling with specifically. Because of the variety of experience we each bring to the table, the resulting conversation satisfyingly tends to be wider-reaching than might be expected and is fruitful for each of us in separate ways.

For those of you who may be interested in seeing more, Art Quilting Studio is a semi-annual compendium of visual inspiration. It can be purchased on newsstands, via their website, or even from Amazon.

Appropriately enough, our most recent conversation surrounded productivity in terms of goals and scheduling — on both a micro and a macro level. One aspect that was interesting to discover, although the way we do it differs by individual, is each of us has a system in place for tracking accomplishments throughout the year.

It is so easy to become swept up in the next big project once the previous venture is finished. Unless one makes an effort to record it, that victory can get lost in the shuffle. And celebrating our wins is important fuel for propelling us forward, don’t you think?

Alyson Stanfield, of Art Biz Success, is a huge advocate of setting aside time to close-out each year by reviewing the ups and downs of the previous twelve months. Doing so makes the road ahead both clearer and more directed. Her annual Year-End Review for Artists is a great place to start; she poses some of the hard questions we should all be asking ourselves each December in order to make the most of the following January and beyond.

Now is the time to revisit and acknowledge all you’ve accomplished this past year and to decide how you will mark your achievements in 2018.
…And don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for your hard work!

Follow Up__________________________________________________________________________________________________

After last week’s discussion I cleaned my drawing/fountain pens following these easy instructions. I hadn’t noticed any problems before doing this, but I can tell now that it was a worthwhile tune-up.

Black Beauty

Happy Thanksgiving! Here we are again in the midst of another holiday season…
To put a new spin on the black in Black Friday (and maybe to give you an idea of something to add to your holiday wishlist), I’m saluting one of my trustiest art supplies.

Platinum Carbon Ink

Blacker than black, lightfast, and quick-drying, Platinum Carbon ink has become indispensable to my daily drawing ritual. I have a converter in my Lamy Safari fountain pen which allows me to refill the pen directly from the bottle, a cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative to cartridges. Reviews mention that because this ink is pigment based it contains fine particles of carbon, meaning you should clean your pens frequently.

Hmmm… I haven’t done that. Maybe I’ve escaped any issues because I use my pen pretty much daily, but it would probably be smart for me to follow through on that chore before refilling the next time.

There is a lot to be said for the beauty and deceptive simplicity of a black line. It has the power to sensitively convey weight, value, texture, and gesture while supplying a lifetime of lessons for those willing to delve into its nuances. For a jump-start, explore this link to 10 pen and ink drawing techniques and tips. Also, Alphonso Dunn’s book Pen & Ink Drawing is a terrific beginner’s resource.

As time has passed I’m seeing how much what I’ve learned through my drawings has influenced and benefitted my textile work. Exploring the relationship between marks made with ink and those created via stitches is the fertile ground where discoveries take place.

❖

It wouldn’t be right to let you go without thanking you for continuing to check in with me here week after week, and for letting me know when a point of discussion strikes a chord with you in one way or another. Whether you weigh in publicly or privately, I am always grateful for your thoughts. The greatest reward of this blog has been knowing how much company I have on this journey.

Hard as it is to believe, this marks my 155th uninterrupted week of posts. If you have found Eye of the Needle helpful, please share it! As a special thank you, enjoy this free download of important resources that have been the most fruitful in guiding me in my practice.

Drawing Connections

I know it’s a crazy time of year to suggest it, but if there’s any way you can get to the MFA in Boston before December 10th, do it!

Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of Aeltje Uylenburgh, 1632, oil on panel It’s hard to connect with many centuries-old portraits because they give such a stern and removed impression, making it hard to imagine the subject expressing any emotion beyond stiff disapproval. Yet Rembrandt’s painting of Aeltje Uylenburgh, despite its dark and limited palette, presents an image so approachable that one can feel the warmth of her humanity. I find the blush in her cheeks and the kindliness in her eyes quite endearing.

My main reason for visiting was that I was anxious to see the newly acquired collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings, a grouping that will serve to further distinguish this museum from other major art institutions in the country. Including an assortment of Golden Age still lifes, landscapes, marine paintings, portraits, genre scenes, historical and architectural paintings, the MFA is rightfully proud of this exceptional gift that offers something for virtually every taste.

Yokokawa Takejiro, Fashionable Firefly Hunting, 1860 Kunisada and Kuniyoshi’s woodcuts are spectacular images of detail, pattern, and color. There is so much to be seen in each image that making my way through the 100 prints was almost overwhelming. I am struck by a few basic similarities between this portrait (of a male actor in character for a female role), and Rembrandt’s portrait of Aeltje Uylenburgh above. Both images are relatively dark, yet despite their obvious differences, they share an accessibility that is expressed in both their faces and their clothes (the crisp white cap and collar, and the fur around the neck soften the austerity of Uylenburgh’s environment, while the patterns and colors of the kimono bring life to the stark and minimally defined face in the portrait of the actor Sawaura Tanosuke III).

It was just blind luck that there are several other equally exciting exhibitions simultaneously on view – among them a remarkable collection of one hundred Japanese woodblock prints by rival masters Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Utagawa Kunisada, a series of Rothko paintings, a selection of Inuit art prints, and an eclectic pairing of contemporary painter Takashi Murakami’s bold, cartoon-like works alongside classics of Japanese mastery, handpicked by Murakami and Japanese art historian Professor Nobuo Tsuji from the museum’s permanent collection.

Pieter Claesz, Still Life with Stoneware Jug, Wine Glass, Herring, and Bread, 1642, Oil on panel Pieter Claesz was celebrated for his “breakfast pieces” that present the viewer with an almost literal taste of foods, both local and exotic, during the 17th century. His artfully arranged still lifes have surfaces and textures so articulately described that one can almost smell the display and feel the smooth, cool surface of the glass. Whenever we’re on the road, the one time I can usually count on squeezing in a quick sketch is during breakfast. While the only safe comparison I can make between my sketches and Claesz’ masterpieces is our shared penchant for making images of the first meal of the day, seeing his paintings gives me an enjoyable sense of camaraderie.

As diverse as these exhibitions are, connections between them can’t seem to help but bubble to the surface in hindsight as I’ve let the experience simmer this past week. Perhaps it’s just human nature to try to make sense of what we see by attempting to braid together assorted impressions into a whole, but the sub-conscious must definitely play its own part as well.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Shimosuwa: Yaegaki-hime, No. 30 from the series Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido Road, 1852 Images of animals are very hard for me to resist. These sacred foxes act as protectors for this mythic princess, running ahead of her over the ice to show where she can safely walk.

Kuniyoshi, Hayakawa Ayunosuke from the series Eight Hundred Heroes of the Japanese Shuihuzhuan, about 1830 Although the subject of this piece is the legendary warrior Hayakawa Ayunosuke, it’s the tiger that caught my eye.

Pudlo Pudlat, Proud Hunter, 1987, Stonecut I am always fascinated by pattern. The graphic quality of the marks in this piece create a sense of pattern that is just as striking as the intricate depictions of printed cloth within the Japanese prints.

For years, when traveling I used to try to go to locally owned fabric shops to refresh my “palette”. It became amusingly uncanny that, more often than not, despite choosing fabrics at random with only an eye to diversifying my stash as much as possible, once I had a chance to go over my spoils later, the fabrics seemed to work together in perhaps a deeper and more meaningful way than if I had purposely intended it.

Gerrit Dou, Dog at Rest, 1650, Oil on panel I love this little painting for obvious reasons. But I was also struck by the differing means of convincingly portraying fur in this piece, as well as on Kuniyoshi’s tiger and in the sealskin coat and wild prey in Pudlat’s print, both above.

Much of the fun of experiencing something new is the fact that it is just that: a novel occurrence. But the unexpected connections that arise later enrich and personalize the experience, making it all the more enjoyable while lending an undeniable staying power to any lasting impressions. I don’t doubt that you can think of examples when this has been true for you as well.

Eventually everything connects – people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se. ~ Charles Eames

Sustaining Creativity

One aspect of art that feels like an ‘ace up the sleeve’ is the fact that it is truly a lifetime activity.

While many pursuits are curtailed with the vagaries of age, the desire and ability to bring ideas into physical form can remain undaunted despite advancing years (e.g. Louise Bourgeois, Mary Delany, David Hockney, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe) and even disability (Chuck Close, Frida Kahlo, Henri Matisse).

For inspiration on the subject, check out Paul Stankard’s op/ed “Artistic Risk and the Ticking Clock” from the latest issue of American Craft, in which he discusses the scary prospect of leaving his successful comfort zone for new horizons in his work. It is a wonderful testament to the longevity of artistic growth and the strength of the creative flame.

Last February I recommended Stankard’s book Studio Craft as Career: A Guide to Achieving Excellence in Art Making. As in that book, this latest essay maintains the same unflinching acceptance of reality while accentuating Stankard’s propensity for mentorship as he reaches to pull others up alongside himself, encouraging an unflagging drive for achievement via the pushing of boundaries.

A quick search on the subject of the resilience of creativity into elder years unearthed this NPR interview with Nicholas Delbanco discussing his book Lastingness: The Creative Art of Growing Old which “examines artists who either maintained or advanced their work past the age of 70”. Despite the somewhat mixed reviews, I’m looking forward to borrowing a copy from my library.

I have encountered numerous individuals whose creativity bolstered them in their later years, and I bet you have as well. It makes the future look bright, don’t you think?

On a Different Note______________________________________________________________________________

For a special treat, add the Shelburne Museum’s current exhibit Sweet Tooth: The Art of Dessert to your list of shows to see this winter. Clever and enticing, it’s a calorie-free confection that will leave you smiling. It remains on view through February 18, 2018.

Miniature Sugaring Scene, Artist and Origin Unknown This carved wooden sugaring scene is part of the museum’s permanent collection.

Miniature Sugaring Scene, I found its enchanting details irresistible. Note the dog’s posture, the sugar on snow to the right, and the squirrel climbing up the corner of the sugarhouse.

Too Far or Not Far Enough?

This week has brought with it an unusually large number of deadlines — 4 to be exact. So I have been scrambling to get everything done, and as a result this post gets a bit of short shrift in terms of content and execution. It’s a bonus that I can kill two birds with one stone by writing about one of the other projects I’ve been racing to finish.

The latest prompt for our Journal Project group is “Picasso”. Without all the Instagram tributes last week that marked the 136th anniversary of his birth (October 25th), I wouldn’t have realized how appropriate the timing was.

Last year I read Life with Picasso by Françoise Gilot, and while it was an interesting read in terms of learning more about how Picasso approached his work, it really soured me on the man himself. He may have been a creative genius, but reading Gilot’s recounting of their life together completely affected my thoughts about him as a person. However, personal failings aside, Maria Popova’s excellent Brain Pickings article “Picasso on Intuition, How Creativity Works, and Where Ideas Come From” steers attention back to the profound gifts he shared in terms of his work and his artistic wisdom.

I’ve had fun working on this piece, exploring and pushing the limits of color by playing back and forth between the dye and the thread. The biggest challenge has been to convey a complete image while seeing how much I could leave out — a task I might not have undertaken if time weren’t so short with so much already on my plate. I need to let it be for a bit to decide whether I’ve gone far enough or too far — and also to think about how I might explore this approach in future work. The experience brings to mind and illustrates one of Picasso’s many quotes:

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.”

For a bit of trivia to round out what you may already know about the master, enjoy this list.

On a Different Note________________________________________________________________________________________

I owe a huge thank you to the Essex Art League for inviting me to speak at their monthly meeting this week. They are a wonderfully warm and engaging group of artists who made it a true pleasure to get out of the studio on a rainy day in order to share a taste of the many layers of process my work has progressed through since I first started working with textiles some 25 years (+/-) ago!