My School House Gallery and Some Changes at the Open House

I am focused.   My studio has made the turn into gallery.  Rachel Barlow dropped off her work this morning.  She was in the June Open House, but everything about her work has changed since then.  Her magnets are now round,  and shiny.  She has original watercolors and prints for sale.  And she has a new booklet out,  Disturbed and Dieting, a compilation of her diet cartoons. (very funny)

I set up the latest of Jane McMillen’s Pincushions.  All with Jane’s exquisite hand stitching and stuffed with crushed walnut shells to keep your needles sharp.  Although you don’t have to sew to want Jane’s work.  Each one is a soft sculpture to be appreciated even if you don’t stick pins in it.  I have four myself.  Three that I use all the time and one, a pot of flowers, that sits on my window just so I can look at it.

Hanging an exhibit is like creating one bit piece of art.  Last October when I hung Kathleen’s necklaces, some people didn’t see them where I hung them.  So this time I hung them on a piece of off white roughly woven fabric. On each side I hung Kathleen’s earrings,  from an old square nail. I think it looks kinda beautiful and I don’t think anyone will miss them this time.

Suzy hand spun and knit three shawls for the show.  This one is made with natural colored,  lambs wool, mohair, and angora (from her angora bunny Wendy).  It’s incredibly soft.  Suzy reminded me of how I hung her shawl in the window of the Pig Barn Gallery during one of our first Open Houses on Old Bedlam Farm.  I thought it was a good idea so, I’m doing it again.

I lined my Intuition Dolls up on top of the bookcase.  I’m selling some of Jon’s books, but you can get a better selection from Connie at  Battenkill Books.  Either way, Jon will be happy to sign them throughout the day.   I’m also selling Kate Rantilla’s first poetry book,  Dancer in the Mist, along with Mary Kellogg, Doug Anderson and Tom Adkin’s new poetry books.  They’ll all be at the Open House to  a few of their poems.

I started getting Intuition Dolls in the mail.   I put a call out to anyone who would like to make their own Intuition Doll and bring it to the Open House where I’d display it on the barn.  So far I have three and I know more will be coming as people arrive over the weekend.   And whoever didn’t make their own can buy one that I made if they want.

There a couple of  more changes to the Bedlam Farm Open House schedule.

Jim McRae, our shearer, will be coming to Bedlam Farm on Saturday morning at 11am to shear the sheep.  So if you’re interested in seeing some sheep shearing get to the Open House early.  Deb Foster will be working with Jim to keep each sheep’s wool in its own labeled bag to be taken to the mill and made into yarn.  I’ll be selling the yarn in the spring.

Also, I’m sad to say  Artist Karen Heenan will not be showing her work this October.   She put her upcycled mittens and soft dog toys in the mail on Friday and got them back today.  The box as she said “looked like the wolves got to it”.   Only one pair of mittens was missing but the rest were soaking wet.  I’m disappointed not to have her work in the show, but hope she’ll try again next October.  If you were interested in any of her mittens, made from sweaters (very warm and pretty, I know I have two pairs) or one of her soft dog toys (a big hit with Fate) you can check out her work here.