Well, "Chanteuse" has sat staring at me since last November and I have finally decided that there is nothing further that this beautiful hat needs. I did create a hatpin to go with it, as it seems apropos and any hat that is worn at this dramatic an angle should have one.
It seems I can not help myself! For me, that is a good thing. It is what makes me my most creative.
This is a work in progress. She has been named "Chanteuse". She is delicious and I have seen her on several different shaped heads and everyone of them can pull it off.
These are freeform sculptures. Not sure if she is done yet, but she does feel 'done' (except for final shaping/cutting/combs, etc.). Maybe it is the color or the curves, but I really can't imagine anything else on her. Your suggestions? veil? feather pin?
I always go back to this shape. You can see it in many of my pieces. Not only does it fit the head but it is attractive on everyone. This is the same for clothing. Cloth that drapes and curves around a body is much more attractive to me than hard lines.
Though I do find some of the austere and moderne lines attractive in furnishings, my emotions always go to the curve. Soft edges, natural movement.
This piece is called "Celeste" and is one of the Art For Your Head hats. She is delicious on everyone who has tried it on. More pictures can be seen here: http://DreamWoven.com/AFYHCeleste.htm She is available for purchase.
It has been a whirlwind for the last two weeks. The opening of the Fine Craft Studios at Studios on the Park has been nothing short of exhilarating!
I have currently been devoting my energy to re-creating some knitted hats that have been my bread and butter for many years. I had gotten tired of making them so I stopped. When I picked up the needles again, my fingers remembered what my brain had forgotten. The joy of seeing a knitted piece, no matter how simple, come to fruition, was something I had lost in the last couple of years.
For me, one of the best parts of selling out of a brick and mortar shop is that I get to see my customers face (yes... their real live face!) as they try on their hats, primp in front of a mirror and decide whether the hat is for them. There is nothing quite like a woman with hat attitude. When she knows she looks good. When it makes her happy to have a hat sitting on her head. When she knows eyes are turned to see what she is wearing. and for me..., this is something I rarely get to see because I was primarily selling online. There is also the little added joy of not having to package a beautiful hat up for shipping.
Here are some pics of recent purchases by women that were happy. Did their purchase make them happy? You bet it did! Black & White Pigtail hat!
Inca "Fields" finds a beautiful head!
My brooch has found a new home!
Another PigTail Hat!
Art For Your Head "Lys Noir" - Look at that smile!
Last year I had started a blog regarding Hats and their history and last night, while we were watching the 1998 film "Frank Lloyd Wright", I was reminded of it by every photograph of Mr. Wright, looking extremely dapper in his Pork Pie Hat.
I think Pork Pie Hats are sexy. Sexy on a man, sexy on a woman. There is just something about the attitude that goes a long with the Pork Pie. (I also dislike saying "Pork Pie". Sounds kind of slippery, greasy, not quite edible, but I will deal with it).
Pork Pies have been around since the mid-19th century. It is a round hat with a turned-up brim and a flat crown. Both men and women have worn versions of the Pork Pie. Women wore tiny Pork Pies, tipped forward over the forehead because of elaborate hairdos. Men sometimes wore them with ribbons flowing down the back. It gets it's name from its resemblance to a 'pork pie'.
Songs have been written about the Pork Pie (thank you Charlie Mingus)...here's a version of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat by Jeff Beck (Listen to this while you read the rest... it is very very good)
Buster Keaton would not have been Buster Keaton without his Pork Pie Hat....(and he made his very own hats too)!
Two more reasons why it is so good that Pork Pie Hats are still around today :) (They are cute, aren't they?)
This is an exquisite headpiece of hand dyed and hand felted wool, embellished with vintage art deco buttons, matching glass beads and tassel.
Azure is perfect for the woman who wishes to make a statement. Her colorway is rich in blues/greens/violets . Reminiscent of turban style hats, she has folds and ridges. She is a regal and dramatic piece. She is one of a kind and perfectly suitable for your special days as well as a blustery day in the cold. More pictures can be seen here: DreamWoven
I received an Honorable Mention at the reception on Tuesday night!
I view this as a very big deal since Fiber/Textile artists usually get shunted to the bottom of the pile, especially when juried with Fine Art and Photography. So score another one for Fiber/Textile artists everywhere!
I have always been enamored of costume and culture and I am hoping that 2010 is my year for doing alot more of these 'mixed' pieces. This is my niche, this is what makes my heart soar. Don't get me wrong... I love creating the 'more wearable' of my pieces, but it is these wild and exciting pieces that bring me to a completely different plane.
"Tin Hinan" - Her name is from the Tuareg and she is a famous ancestress of the Taureg people. The queen mother; a mythical ancestor and founder of the Tuareg language and culture. The Tuareg consider women to be the repository of culture, and a guarantor of the unity and honor of the community.
"Tin Hinan" will be on exhibit at the Studios on the Park, PRAA 1/21/10-2/21/10
