Joy Murray
I found out today that 15 bags of poly fiber fill fit under the bed (I stored 2 more under each dresser and two in the closet — I got a good deal on a case). I’m getting all kinds of cool storage containers and organizers but making a mess is the prerogative of any artist, even those in small spaces. If you work in a small space, give us some hints on how you organize, create and live in your teeny space.
I took these Father’s Day week-end at the open Studio of Katy Mcfadden. Her work is so stunning displayed in her garden. She does this studio tour once a year. Link up to her website for better pictures and more info on her unique work.
I’m still getting used to my smart phone. I wanted to use it to take pictures of art (especially fabric and figural art) and share them here on my blog. I can load them immediately onto my facebook page but I haven’t figured out how to put captions on them. I figured out how to download these — not perfect but you get the idea. These three I just took at the Tapalaya New Orleans Style restaurant here in Portland, Oregon. They have lots of cool art with a real New Orleans feel, but I liked the dolls in the bathroom best.
I stepped outside my usual perimeters to make this fish. It was a “medicine doll,” a gift commissioned by a friend for another friend who had been stricken with a devastating disease. They shared a bond around the Finding Nemo movie, and turned the “keep swimming” motto into “keep smiling.” This Fish was designed with her love of shiny and tactile things in mind, and also with ideas from folklore about fish who grant wishes. She is from Laos and fish mean good luck. She is having good luck in her fight against illness and is about ready to return to work after several months and some life changing events. All I know is that the loving and well thought out input from her friends allowed me to be playful and thoughtful about life and disease and transformation. And a little fish brightened her already radiant life.
joy murray art~stories~life 