Category Archives: Arts and crafts

The MAC

22 Tuesday Apr 2025

Posted by in Art in Arizona, Arts and crafts, Uncategorized

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Every month or two a small group of friends meets to eat mid-day. Yes! We are the Ladies Who Lunch, and we offer no apologies.

Recently we have taken ourselves to the Mesa Arts Center for a look at the exhibits in the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum (we prefer to think of it as ‘the MAC’ rather than the MCAM; our way rolls more happily off the tongue). As museums go it’s small, intimate even, with just a few exhibit rooms. The shows lean towards local and regional artists, though the Museum casts a wide net when seeking exhibitors. What amazes me every time I go is how many very talented artists there are, producing interesting and stimulating pieces, year in, year out.

A couple of weeks ago we caught the end of the 46th Annual Contemporary Craft exhibit. These are not crafts the way you see them at the local Craft Fair, these are more along the lines of the Arts part of Arts and Crafts. We did not see a single gourd bird-feeder or framed photo of the Superstitions (no shade on gourd art, that’s just not what the MAC exhibits). Instead we found glass, fabric and ceramic pieces that demanded attention and, if you’ll excuse some artsy-fartsy talk, dialog with the viewer. Here, in no particular order is some of what we saw. If I’ve erred on titles, I apologize in advance to the artists.

This piece cracked me up – at first I thought it was a bunch of bananas, but no. It is 81 porcelain cactuses, suspended from the ceiling over a representation of ground. Titled What Comes After, most of the cactuses are illuminated by LED lights. It was made by Tucson artist Joseph Sivilli in 2024.

Roisan Rubio’s Breaking the Social Contract, 2022 was another quite large installation:

The artist, in his statement, said, “This installation reflects on the broken social contract between society and its instututions, focusing on the often overlooked epidemic of violence within Black communities. Each ceramic bullet represents a life lost to violence in a single year in cities like Detroit, St. Louis or Baltimore.” This work made me feel sad and helpless.

Heidi Dauphin used paper lists, thread, watercolor and fabric in Circle Squares with Lists, 2023.

I make my lists on my phone now. How much more fun it would be to stitch up a quilt of lists before heading out to the grocery store! How envious the other shoppers would be.

Jim S. Smoote II from Chicago showed several works in quilted textiles. Damon portrays a ‘typical young man,’ through painting and traditional quilting techniques.

I wish I could quilt so well! The above is from another of his quilted and appliqued works:

Richard Ansaldi, from Tucson, used clay and horse hair rope to make Roping Skills and Pot Sherds Beneath the Fabled Red “Sipapu,” 2023. And no, I don’t understand the title fully. A sipapu is a small hole or indentation in the floor of a kiva. Pueblo mythology (Hopi, Zuni, Acuma) suggests that people first emerged onto earth from the sipapu.

John Randall Nelson had us all chuckling again with his Bellhop to Bishop, 2024:

What are these beings? The are, “manifestations of the Fool and Trickster figures of deep-rooted mythos.” As the artist statement and the printing on one of the figures suggests, “The artist sees himself in them and winces with recognition.” This piece won the 2025 Juror’s Award.

Two of the smaller pieces captured my heart the moment I saw them. Steve Hagan’s pithily titled Lime Wedge, 2024 is a glass creation that simultaneously made my mouth water and my gullet crave a margherita. How does a glassmaker achieve such detail??

I’ve saved my favorite of the exhibit for last. I can’t tell you exactly why I like it so much, perhaps because of its simplicity. It is made of handwoven linen, cochineal dye, cactus spikes and a found object. It is called 31 over 110, 2023, and refers to the summer of 2023 when those of us in the Valley survived 31 days with temperatures exceeding 110 F, a result of the climate change that is affecting the entire planet. As Ann Morton, the artist, cheerfully concludes, ” Our days are numbered.”

There were many, many more objects in this excellent juried exhibit; in fact, I have tons more photos on my phone of pieces that appealed to me, but I fear your patience may be wearing thin.

Yes, these pieces were made of materials that are frequently associated with the more homely ‘crafts,’ but they transcend merely pleasing objects. They invited us to engage with them, to think about what they represent, and to react, viscerally and intellectually. It was a delightful exhibit in the true sense of the word, and I came away invigorated and… delighted. Of course it didn’t hurt that I was with congenial friends and that lunch awaited, just around the corner.

Every journey…

06 Sunday Sep 2020

Posted by in Arts and crafts, Uncategorized

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Recently I was lucky enough to enjoy a week at the beach with dear friends (and even a sister!). Higgins Beach, Maine, has a very shallow beach, so at low tide there is what feels like a mile of sand between the high tide mark and the water.

I was charmed by the art left in the sand by many hands. It reminded me a bit of the street art my friend E likes to chase, but this sand art is so much more ephemeral. The next high tide will erase the messages and castles. True, most of this work was not done with a great deal of forethought or attention to detail (we’re on the beach, after all, the waves are calling), but the human urge to communicate through words and images is universal. And you never know when an eight-year-old will fall in love with the medium and do ever more sophisticated art.

Things that begin like this:

May someday develop into something like this:

Edmond Stanbury, Cornwall, UK (courtesy of Hakai magazine)
Made by Angela DeRoy-Jones in Wales

Made by Andras Amador, San Francisco

And something like this:

Can lead eventually to this:

Artist and location unknown

Artist and location unknown

From a sand sculpture event in Australia, artist unknown

Speaking of sand sculpture events, there are many held every year. This site lists ten, but there are many more, perhaps even one near you. As well, there are a million images of sand art on the web, and a bunch of Pinterest groups showcasing the ‘best’ some-high-number of sand creations.

They say every journey begins with the first step, and I have to believe that every serious sand artist begins by drawing with a stick in the sand at the beach. I can’t wait to go back to Maine next year and see what the local artists have made.

The Answer

02 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Arts and crafts, Italian style, Mystery Photo, Uncategorized

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The question was, What is it?

mysteryReader Jay was correct.  This is one in the large bank of umbrella holders in the Palazzo Reale (unfortunately their calendar is not up to date and does not advertise the exhibit we went to see, Jackson Pollock and the Irascibles. Largely borrowed from the Whitney Museum, it was a quite interesting show about the New York School of avant garde artists in the 1940’s, ’50’s and early ’60’s.

Anyway, here is what the whole umbrella ‘stand’ looks like:

umbrella stand Palazzo Reale

The fact that there are few keys and no umbrellas suggests to me that perhaps this was something that seemed like a good idea once, but proved not to be.  In any case, I thought it was interesting, and, in its way, lovely (or at least rhythmic). It certainly seemed appropriate to stare at it for a while after seeing the Pollock exhibit. So I did.

Pizzo Tombolo

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Arts and crafts, Italian arts and crafts, Liguria, Rapallo, Uncategorized

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Photo courtesy of piazzacavour.it

Ah, the old ladies of Italy.  They are in a class of their own.  Once one reaches ‘a certain age,’ it seems, one can go to the front of any line.

We were in a very crowded ice cream shop a while back in Santa Margherita, and a lady of just that age came through and scusami-ed her way to the very front.  Two seconds another lady appeared and announced to one and all, ‘that’s my friend,’ which of course entitled her to move up to the front.  Then came another, then another and another – all with the same excuse – ‘those are my friends.’  Finally Speedy asked, in very good humor, ‘how many of you sisters are there?’  Everyone got a chuckle, the ladies (there were six finally) got their ice-creams and the line began a more organized movement.

When we went outside we were so happy we had not been grumpy.  All the ice-cream ladies were demonstrating Pizzo Tombolo, an incomprehensible cross between crochet, embroidery and knot-tying.  If you’re like me a bobbin always makes you laugh (that and banana peels on the side walk, sorry, I just can’t help it, they are hilarious).  So I was chuckling away when I approached the group and asked about their work.

Meet Giuseppina (note the ice cream).  Why she is not blind I can’t imagine.  She doesn’t even seem to need glasses. She is working on a pizzo, also known as ‘merletto.’ The Tombolo is the pillow on which the work is done.

The ancient art of making a delicate and lacy adornment for clothing and furnishings has existed in Rapallo for centuries.   Archaeologists have discovered bits and pieces from as early as the 13th century.  A shop inventory from Genoa in 1600 mentions articles made from ‘filo di Rapallo’ (thread of Rapallo), suggesting that the ornate handwork was well known and appreciated outside the town.

There is a lovely story about how one of the styles of lace-making in Rapallo, known as Bella Nina, got its name.  In the 1500’s the dreaded pirate Dragut made a raid on Rapallo.  All the townspeople fled in terror.  But upon entering the home of a fisherman, one of the pirates who had stayed behind found two women poorly hidden behind a pile of nets.  One was very old and couldn’t move; one was young and beautiful, and was working lace on a pillow.

‘Why didn’t you leave with the others?’ he asked.  The young woman replied that her grandmother was paralyzed and she did not wish to abandon her. When asked their names, the young woman replied they were both called Nina, as women’s names were handed down from mother to daughter.

The pirate asked what the young woman was doing, and she showed him her delicate handwork.  When asked what it was called, Nina said that it had no name, it was just the work that women of Rapallo did.  The pirate was so impressed with Nina’s beauty and fidelity that he said he would not harm either of the women and that henceforth the work she was doing should be known as ‘Bella Nina.’

How is the work done?  I can’t begin to tell you!

As you can see in the enlarged photo above, Giuseppina attaches a pattern to her tombolo, then uses a million straight pins as anchors for her weaving and knotting.  Now you know as much as I do, which isn’t nearly enough to undertake the craft.  However, if you do want to learn how to do this, you can sign up at the Scuola di Tombolo “Le amiche del ‘Merletto’ in Santa, or, come winter, at the Accademia Culturale in Rapallo.

If you’d like to know more about Pizzo Tombolo, there is a lot of information here and here.

And if you’re in Rapallo and you’d like to see a panoply of examples of Pizzo Tombolo, you can visit the Museo del Merletto.  I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t been there yet, but writing this has aroused my curiosity and I think a visit is order.  I wonder… am I old enough now to go to the front of the line?

Italian at Bronze statue of woman doing Pizzo Tombolo courtesy of merlettoitaliano.it

 

 

Il Marinaio

28 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Arts and crafts, Italian men, Rapallo, Uncategorized

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Well, it just drove me crazy not to know who was responsible for the sea cairns shown in the last post.  My source had told me that the artist was probably one of the members of the Associazione which has its headquarters next to the castello. So I went back there and hung around the club grounds for a while until someone turned up I could speak to.  I asked a few questions and was lucky enough to be invited in.

This Friends of the Castello group is a gang of men (I think all men, though I’m not sure, and they didn’t ask me to join), mostly retired, who enjoy boating and fishing.  And, as it turned out, making cairns in the sea.

I asked if the life-saving ring really was from the Titanic, but no one knew for sure.  It is very old, they said, and was given to them by an English friend a long, long time ago.  Nice to think, in this centenary year of the tragedy, that a relic of the great ship resides in Rapallo.  Being a sceptic, I doubt it… but it could be.

Now I know you’re just eaten up with curiosity, so without further chat, allow me to introduce Il Marinaio, creator of the ever-changing exhibit of sculptures in the sea:

His name is Michele (no last name offered and I didn’t like to ask).  He ‘fessed up to being the artist, and admitted that some of his work gets washed away by the tide every day.  When I asked him if he had a special reason for making these lovely sculptures he replied, “Beh! Passa tempo.”   But a friend tells me he likes to walk in the water to improve the circulation in his feet.  They both sound like good reasons to me.

Sea Sculpture

24 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in Arts and crafts, Liguria, Rapallo

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In the bay along the Lungomare, next to the Castello, an informal grouping of stone sculptures has sprung up.  They add zest to a visit to town because the display changes with every tide.

I asked who was responsible, but my sources would only say, ‘un marinaio,’ that is, a seaman.  There is a club of such who hang out right near the exhibit, so I expect it’s one (or more?) of them.

The sculptures are delicate, amusing and temporary – performance art at its best.  Thank you, Il Marinaio, for livening up greater downtown Rapallo.  Here are some more shots of the sculptures as they were several days ago:

(This one I found particularly amusing for its obvious reference to fishing.)

I’m not sure how these two remained upright for as long as they did.  Superb balance, I guess.

While art above the waves is accessible to all, that below the waves is harder to visit.  Underwater sculpture, mostly of a religious nature, is a common theme along the Riviera.  At San Frutuoso you can find (if you’re lucky) the submerged Cristo degli Abissi:

Photo courtesy of Francesca at scubakix.blogspot.com

In Zoagli, a bit to the south, the 1997 sculpture Madonna del Mare, made by artist Marian Hastianatte, is resting nine meters down:

Not all the underwater art here is, or has been, sacred. On the first day of summer, 2008, local artist Rick Gush submerged  Rapmaster Pinocchio in the waters off San Michele, between Rapallo and Santa Margherita. Because the sculpture was an outlaw, it did not remain long; like the cairns of Il Maranaio, it was fleeting, and all the more interesting for that.

Photo courtesy of rickgush.it

If you are particularly interested in underwater sculpture, you can see some more of it here and here. If not, I’ll meet you on the Lungomare, we can get an ice cream at Fridgedarium, and admire the evolving work of Il Maranaio.

Not Your Nana’s Quilt

31 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Arizona, Arts and crafts, Photographs, Uncategorized

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Rooster Blues by Deobrah Osborne

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a quilt I think of a very cozy bedcover, perhaps blocks of colored fabric stitched together and then attached to a bottom with some fluffy  filling between.  I think of cups of hot chocolate and snuggling on cold nights. I think of a bed.  I think wrong.

Havasu Stitchers Truck Quilt, 2003

A couple of weeks ago my friend Mrs. S, about whom you’ve read in these pages, and her friend M invited me to accompany them to a quilt show.  Not just any show, this was the annual exhibit of the Arizona Quilters Guild, this year titled “Our Heritage 2012: Copper, Cotton and Culture.”  I learned more about quilting and quilters in one day than I had in my entire previous life; and I learned that what I learned  is but a drop in the bucket of what there is to know.

My notion that quilting was a crafty sometimes occupation, something to while away a snowy afternoon, for instance, was laid to rest in the parking lot, before we ever went into the show itself.


These ladies are serious; and yes, they are mostly ladies.  I did see one gentleman at the exhibit:

My gut instinct is that he was not a quilter himself.

Anyway, the exhibit took up several very large rooms of the Mesa Convention Center.  Three hundred and twenty quilts were exhibited in seventeen different categories and thirty-five vendors were eager to sell  us  items from  $  .10 to $10,000.  Actually I didn’t see anything for $.10, but there must have been something.  A short length of thread, perhaps.

In my innocent universe, quilts are made by people with some leftover fabric, batting for the filling, and a needle and thread.  In essence this is still true, but of the quilts we saw, only thirty-seven were hand-quilted.  Most quilting is done by machine these days, either by an item that looks like a home sewing machine and will sit comfortably on your home work-table , or by what’s called a long-arm machine, which will set you back a minimum of $7,000 and requires  about fifteen feet of arm room:

These computer-driven machines can take a particular quilting stitch design and scale it up or down to fit the specific quilt’s spacing, and they can do quilting that would give the hand-quilter nightmares.

Look at the density of stitches in this close-up:

Jerome I by Margot McDonnell

The hand-quilted pieces look different; to my eye they are gentler and softer, a bit plumper.  But the quilting is every bit as complex and dense as some of the machine work.  The difference is how long it takes to do it by hand – several years compared to several days or weeks.  Here are two quilts that are hand-stitched:

Opus Tulipa: Consummatum est, Deo Gratia! (Tulip Opus: It's Finished, Thank God!) by Maggie Keller

The World is More than Just Black and White, by Julianne Dodds

This one took Julianne Dodds more than four years to make.  I’m surprised it took less than forty.

So much more than mere stitchery goes into making a quilt.  Each begins with the design or concept which will dictate the fabric chosen.  Nowadays quilts are not cloth alone; buttons, sequins and all manner of things are added.

Cedar Forest by Trudy Cowan

Trudy Cowan used applique, thread painting, free-motion lacework, fabric-wrapped wire, heat-melted felt and fusibles to create her Cedar Forest. (I can’t even tell you what some of those things are!)

There were two ‘challenges’ that really illustrated for me the amount of creativity that goes into modern quilt-making.  One challenge was called Quilting  Makes the Quilt; entrants had to make the same quilt from the same fabric. The creativity came only through how they quilted it.

American Eagle, by Amy Monahan

Can you see the eagle in the center of the quilt above?

Quilting Makes the Quilt - Susie, by Susie Seckel

They look quite different, considering they’re made from the same cloth and are pieced into the same design.

In another challenge, which I particularly liked, the quilters were given the same fabric and could make whatever they wished.  Here are a few of the results:

Venus Fly Traps by Janet Grant

Life is a Beach, by Fran Pritzl

O, Peacock Brilliant, by Lynnita Knoch

Hard to imagine curling up with a cup of tea and a good mystery with this last one, but isn’t it fun??!

There were so many quilts I fell in love with, I can’t possibly show them all to you.  There were four that especially caught my imagination, though.    The first I liked because the sentiment is so dear.  Danielle Mariani transferred photographs and hand-written messages from paper to fabric (the magic of technology!) and pieced a memory quilt for her father’s 60th birthday.

Linda Marley used a bunch of her son’s old tee-shirts to make him an amusing  quilt:

His Early Years by Linda Marley

I loved the tranquility of the egret, and the way the colors moved from one to another. There are also some other fun pond animals to be found in the details here.

Sanctuary by Dennie Sullivan

Arizona celebrated her centennial this year, and this did not go unnoticed by the state’s quilters, many of whom paid tribute to the youngest continental state in the union.

Arizona Valentine by Vicki Bohnhoff

This amusing quilt features Betty Boop driving across the Arizona map.  There are quilted flaps that lift up with information about the location underneath.

All Roads Lead to a Quilt Show, by Alicia French

There are some more photos of quilts in this web-album (but I promise, all three hundred and twenty are not there).

The exhibit opened my eyes to modern quilt-making – it is definitely not what it used to be.  It also made me realize that I will never, ever, in a million years have the patience to be any kind of quilter. My non-quilted hat is off to the ladies who are.