A new state, new city

Drove to Ann Arbor today. Here is the art museum on campus. SO WINDY all day.

Made a beeline for the Korean gallery and guess what I found?

This wee phoenix, love. She is funerary ware.

Kozo is soaking in the shower while I wrangle with my computer to prep for tomorrow's lecture at noon at the Center for Japanese Studies. I get very annoyed when computers make my life more difficult. First thing tomorrow, I cook kozo. After that, my lecture and lunch with CJS students. Then I hired a driver to take me to Detroit for my 7pm lecture at Signal-Return. This is my built-in time to sleep, as I am too wound up to do it at night (last night my sleepiness was interrupted because I had to do a phone interview on live Korean radio). And I'll sleep on the way back to Ann Arbor, too, I hope!

A hanji hurricane

These two flags are outside the Korean Cultural Service. I looked for them on Saturday but they come down for the weekend. I think I took a grand total of 14 photos (4 are pictures of my delightful niece) all week. I have lost all ability document every step of my journeys, but this one was so fast-paced that there was no time to do anything but the task at hand.

Right before I my first TV interview for YTN (Korea's version of CNN), I managed to get ONE shot of my artwork in the gallery. There are also two small walls inside the space, each with my hanji videos on loop, and a section of the show outlines the history and process of making hanji (including my tools and materials). The TV interview went right up to the lecture start time, and then I gave my talk, set up for the workshop, inhaled a sandwich, and taught the workshop. Afterwards, I had to give Part 2 of this interview and was fairly certain that my legs were going to fall off of my body.

This is the NYT spread that includes highlights of this year's Asia Week. I had first only seen the online version, and then only the page containing the article during a visit from the wife of the UN Secretary General and her colleagues (this visit was after I gave a talk and hands-on demo to a group of 40 high school students from NJ). But my dad said that there was another duck in an adjacent advertisement.

Do you see it? Hilarious. Someone had fun laying this out. I barely slept that Friday, which saw not only the NYT mention, but a great feature in a major Korean newspaper. This reporter had noted some of the things I said in my talk during the opening, and followed up with an extensive phone interview.

The first workshop on Saturday was full and lively. In two hours, we covered single-sheet texturing, crepe paper, joomchi to fuse papers, making thread on the thigh and with a bobbin winder, cutting strips for cords, and making cords. Stefan came by to pick up my pieces going to Michigan this week so he could shoot them quickly before I flew to Cleveland today. I was not happy about losing an hour of sleep, but was so grateful to my parents for driving me on Sunday, picking up artwork from my photographer, and best of all, bringing my niece to the show one last time to say goodbye!

Sunday's workshop was slightly less frantic, and I had a lot of repeat students from Saturday who were happy to join us again. Ursula Mitra, pictured here, is a book conservator and made a beautiful hanji scarf. I met another conservator who is going to be at Paper Book Intensive this May. Over the week, it was also really touching to meet people who had done research and cited my book, or had researched my work, or otherwise wanted to express their admiration. I am always one to wait for the other shoe to fall, but this visit was fabulous (the only weird incident was being duped by a reporter impersonator who walked off with my book and tricked me into all kinds of photo ops. Note to self: anyone who lunges at you to shove your glasses up your face and touch your hair without asking, more than once, is probably not a real reporter).

This was when I tried to shoot a selfie for the real Korean reporter for her feature, but it apparently missed the print deadline. I don't mind, because I was out of my mind beat when I shot this. This morning's flight was uneventful, and I am so happy to be home for less than 48 hours before my next trip. Tomorrow night, I'll do a live radio interview for KBS World Radio, airing at 10am Korean time this Wednesday. To get coverage from print, TV, and radio all in the span of a week has been surreal, but the best part has been the platform to share my hanji work with friends, family, and a very energetic community. The team at the Korean Cultural Service was outstanding; the University of Michigan and friends have a hard act to follow this week!

I'll leave you with this wonderful short video about the Incan bridge in Peru that is rebuilt each year with cords and ropes of grass that a student shared with me. I absolutely love seeing the women cord grass exactly the way I do hanji.

Bright lights, big city

Wed night's opening was great, so many friends and all my family (even the little one)! We were all a bit hot and sweaty in the space but it was gratifying to finally see the show in person. I only wish that there were tags to label all of the artwork. Today I'll go in to do a talk for a school group and later see Ellen (who took this picture at the opening during my talk!).

Today, the NYT ran a review with highlights from Asia Week NY and my duck made it in! Makes it easier to face the rush hour commute and weekend schedule of lectures and workshops. Visit while I'm there, 11am - 3pm on Saturday and Sunday! The workshops are full but we can always make room at the preceding lectures.

Starting NY hanji week

I got back to my teapot after I finished up everything for my show in Cleveland. The opening was sweet and everyone was really engaged with the stories and the work. The next day, I managed to get kale and a donut from the farmer's market, make kale chips, and see Angela for lunch and a walk. Otherwise, I stayed in bed for most of the daylight hours.

I was sad to not finish this before I head to Michigan next week, but was advised that this would actually be a much more useful teaching aid. Absolutely true! The structure of these weavings make no sense to people who haven't done it before. I left it behind for my week in NY now, though, because I had to pack all the tools and demo materials for my workshops this weekend. It is going to be a crazy time, but I am excited to see friends tomorrow night at the opening. And at this weekend's lectures/workshops (which are full, I think).

I wanted also to share the site of my colleague and paper conservator Minah Song, who recently opened a private practice in D.C. She's incredibly experienced and knowledgeable; we've taught a hanji workshop together, and she knows her stuff inside and out.

My second bobbin winder made it from Sweden yesterday, my paper knives from Japan over a week ago, and I'll look for x-acto blades in town since I couldn't fly with them. I brought extra interfaced hanji in case I had time to find a pattern and sew a new garment. It won't happen for tomorrow but maybe I can pull it off for Saturday. In the meantime, tonight is the most important night: a reunion with my toddler niece!

Show installed!

Tomorrow is my opening for a Cleveland-area show in the Howson Gallery at Judson Park (I'll start with a 15-min artist talk at 4:30pm and then the reception continues until 6pm). Installation yesterday went much more smoothly than I expected, and I had time to have tea and sweets with a friend, do laundry, and catch up on other things. I think it will be a sweet little show and a nice way to start the year's exhibits. Next week I'll be in NYC for the hanji show opening and free lectures/workshops (RSVP to Gallery Korea if you want to join me on Mar 12 or 13!).

Today was a mess of car repairs and shopping during the waiting room, and last night I got back to my teapot. I really want to finish it, or at least the first layer, before I fly on Monday. We'll see what my fingers have to say about that.

Fly ducks

I was so frustrated by the color issues with my last blue and yellow duck that I did a quick dunk and go to make a couple mini ones.

They're wet here from methylcellulose but dried just fine. I did these on a Saturday that was bright and sunny, instead of going outside for a walk.

This new family will be split up very soon (part to a solo show in Cleveland, the rest to a hanji residency in Michigan).

The second flying duck had to get put aside for the last bitty ducks, but I broke my "no work on Sundays" rule last night so that I could finish up the wings a few minutes before midnight.

Then it got the last dregs of methylcellulose and dried overnight in the kitchen.

Whee!! This one is much trimmer than the last, but I love what I've learned in the process. It has been a great gift to have this intense time to make make make. Now my home studio has been turned upside down to prepare for this week's show install/opening, next week's NYC opening and teaching, and the following week's Michigan extravaganza. Solitary time has passed, and it's time to fly back into the world.

Hanji show open in NYC

I forgot to say that yesterday, the hanji show that I am part of opened at Gallery Korea in NYC.

These are most of my 3D pieces.

And a display of the process of making hanji, with some actual materials that the Morgan and I loaned them.

On the left side, you can see a display of how a piece of hanji turns into a basket.

And I finally got her rigged for a better photo! I'm working on a counterpart now, halfway done with the body, then wings. I dyed some more cords blue to attempt a small blue duck after this one, but have a feeling that my teapot will not get very far before I get sucked into my show install and opening next week, lecturing at Oberlin, and packing for NYC. I'll miss these weaving frantically days when I got to stay inside and watch the snow outside.

A new fork

Last week, I went to an interesting ethics lecture on a boat that has been converted into a design firm.

I went with a friend and was so happy to see her again the next day to hike around in a nature preserve that was all muddy. My muck boots were perfect for the task, it was mild and sunny, and we had smoothies afterwards.

Late last week, I started this one. I had a plan for it at first that would make it mimic puppy posture, but realized that a bird doesn't do the same things that dogs do.

So I finally gave in and started wings! My first one. I just finished but it's still drying so I'll wait until I can rig it properly for a good shot. Now, contemplating the next weaving. This week, I started physical therapy at an amazing place with incredibly competent therapists, who have given me reasonable hope for recovery: the first people to assure me that last year's car accident won't keep me down forever. I am beside myself and making changes to help myself—computer ergonomics, weaving habits, and figuring out the tools to make or buy to help me do what I love for as long as I can.

Mostly inside

The snow has been pretty, but it hasn't been really cold. I've been holed up at home for the most part trying to stay on the hamster wheel of applications and weaving.

The bundled strips are dyed (more like stained, since I didn't have the energy to mordant the paper) with leftover plant dyes. I've been feverishly making new cords to keep up with the weaving, but even the weaving isn't keeping up with itself given all I have to produce in the next two weeks or less.

This guy is very, very weirdly proportioned and I have to re-do the tail feathers because I foolishly dyed in dahlia, which is more on the orange side than yellow. Contemplating an indigo dunk, yellow watercolor or gouache, or scrounging around for onion dye. Finished another mini one today and am hoping to finish its mate tonight (I wish I could say I was making more shoes; here are the new pictures of the two that Stefan photographed). Back to work!

Colors for the coldest day

I knew I was being foolish when I proposed a 1-day dye class for the Morgan, because it meant that I would be spending more time on prep than actually teaching (though, really, when is that NOT the case?). The day before the class, I had four pots on the front stove, three pots on the back stove (all the way on the other side of the building, which feels like it's a short city block long), and one double boiler on a portable burner in between.

The avocado pits were very satisfying to cut up, surprisingly. They feel and smell buttery. The class was listed as having only four dyes, but I am always so nervous about people pleasing that I more than doubled the output with extra dyes and mordants.

This my favorite part of dye classes. Though it was so cold that they didn't really dry, so we had an iron and hairdryer on call.

These are a student's samples, only one coat (ideally with paper, you do about three rounds of dye).

The final list: avocado skins, avocado seeds, red onion skins, yellow onion skins with alum and iron mordants, pomegranate, marigold, dahlia, hibiscus, persimmon, cochineal with alum and iron mordants, sumi ink, and an exhausted indigo vat. We were exhausted after playing with 14 colors, too, but I think everyone went home happy. It's a blessing and a curse, being the way I am, but I admit that I spent lots of time the following day admiring this sampler sheet.

One tiny step at a time

Two tiny shoes are done, though they aren't a pair. I feel like I have all this time to work, and work around the clock, yet nothing on my to do list gets crossed off. I am staying relatively calm because of my new attempts at creating better habits (like more regular sleep, doing something nice for myself each day, not spiraling into circular negative thoughts, and walking away from people/places/situations that make me sick/angry/defeatist).

I'm working on the pair for this one, hopefully done tonight. My writing tasks have been going very slowly but they're plodding along. This month is all about steady tortoise work. This weekend I have to teach a dye class, but otherwise things are staying local (AKA, working at home as much as possible!).

Congrats to Mindy Dubansky!

Yesterday, after shipping art to my Gallery Korea show, I read its description on their website, which only went live recently. They advertise hanji dresses, but none were in my original inventory, so I had to wait until morning to dive into the nearby recycling bin. There was almost nothing but a HUGE box, almost exactly the right size. My hair dryer took away some of the dampness as I built a custom housing. Four hours later, I'm back from UPS.

What I really wanted to say is hooray for Mindy! She is a remarkable scholar, teacher, gardener, and all around great person who has worked for years as a conservator for the museum library at the Met in NYC. She has amassed an amazing collection of blooks (objects that look like books), now on display at the Grolier Club. For the task, she painstakingly photographed her collection, curated it, and wrote a comprehensive catalog of the show. During my visits, she showed me blooks and talked about the laborious process of deciding how to publish, print, and disseminate the information. The NYT reviewed the exhibit and I am so glad I'll get to see it before it closes next month.

Mindy is especially important to me because she came to a museum event of mine two years ago with a gift of a 1980s paper exhibition catalog from the Mingei International Museum. She had noticed a couple of Korean woven paper pieces and knew that this book would be more useful to me than it was to her. Amidst the din of the family program behind me, I was totally entranced by this duck! I made my first two that summer, and started my 29th duck late last night.

These are in a private collection and they look remarkably happy together. Thanks to Mindy for her excellent eye and generous heart! Her show is already a huge hit and I hope that any of you who can, will see it.

Shift

I finished this funny little one last night while trying to weave three stages of a basket for the part of the exhibit in NYC where I try to illustrate the journey of a sheet of hanji into a woven piece. Not sure if it will be successful, but at least it's not my job to install it! The show opens at the end of this month, and the majority of the artwork headed to the gallery today. The info about the exhibit and more is finally live!

It took a little while, but I finally found the right hanger for this dress. What would we do without kozo sticks? I spent the weekend doing massive inventory and came to a decision about my future. All signs have been pointing that way, so I'll send my energy in new directions and see what comes of that.