Dick Blick

Monday, December 24, 2007

Cleaning out, de stashing, selling off!

Too much stuff in my barn. It is getting to me! Time to clean out and sell off this stuff.

I just listed a few things on ebay but I have lots and lots to do. Yarn, all new, from a smoke free home, for sweaters, hats, etc. Mostly wool but some silk too.
Cones of chenille yarn to dye. Ephemera! Antique doll carriage. Two sets of X-C skiis with the shoes (size 10 W and 9 M), Books, etc.

Sure you can contact me directly or you can search ebay. I will post some links soon.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Knitting


Finally, some of my many knitting projects are on their way to completion. For several months I have done some artistic freeform knitting and crochet scarves which are on sale at the Cambridge Artists Coop, Cambridge, MA. Soon I can post photos of them.

But I did complete Selbhu mittens this week-end. The Frog Tree alpaca is sooo soft. Of course, I can't follow the directions precisely and if you look closely, the two mittens have some slight variations but that is my life! I love Fair Isle or stranded knitting. Soon I will post a pair of fair isle socks which I will never wear or they wear out!

Oh, by the way, I am teaching FreeForm knitting and Crochet at the Sharon Arts Center this fall. It is 5 consecutive Monday nights.

Hiking in New England



My favorite thing to do in the Fall is to hike the many trails or mountains of New England. The nights are cool, the days are warm, the sky is so blue, it is hard to resist!

Last week I hiked Mt. Sugarloaf in Deerfield, Mass. Look at the views of the Connecticut River!

Last year I climbed Little Monadnock in Fitzwilliam, long after most of the foliage was down. The contrast with the light and dark trees is remarkable.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Labor Day week-end




I flew to Chicago on September 1 to ride with my DD to NYC while she drove the truck with her art for her show opening on September 6.

We could write a book about eating breakfast at 11 PM each night or finding a hotel where the truck would be safe all night. And we always looked for the hotel at 1 am!

The highlight of the week-end was visiting an Art Gallery in Chagrin Falls, OH and eating at the Fish Market. The food was delicious.

I was very happy to see the Lincoln Tunnel on Labor Day! No Gridlock! Hurray!




Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Fiber Arts

In the next few weeks I will post photos of my latest venture into the fiber arts. I love to dye and print fabrics. I also love to knit, crochet and combine the arts. My favorite knitting is fair isle or stranded knitting.


But first, I must travel to Chicago to drive across the country to NYC with my daughter as she transports her work to her next show. And before it gets too cold, I need some more time to kayak a few more lakes in New Hampshire. There is nothing more peaceful than kayaking a fresh water lake among the mountains in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. Fall Foliage is also the perfect time to hike some of the smaller mountains and interesting trails.


Join the Fiber Community





Sunday, August 26, 2007

Floorcloths




Floorcloths are what the Early American Folks used to protect their wooden floors. They didn't have the funds for carpet so they painted with milk or oil paints on the old fashion old cloths. Very few are in today's museums but President Andrew Jackson has one in his home.

Here are some photos of my floorcloths.

Today, I create floorcloths for customers who need to protect a wood or tile floor. Sometimes, folks just want a decorative mat. My floorcloths will outlast any commercial throw rug, if given proper care.

My process is to use a heavy cotton duck canvas, prime it and paint it. It is then protected with lots of coats of water based varnished made for heavy use.

My claim to fame!

I am the mother of Beth Lipman, the well known glass artist.

Beth graduated from Tyler School of Art with a art degree in both glass and fiber. She has truly made a mark for herself in the glass industry. She was Education Director at Urban Glass Studios in Brooklyn, NY. From there, she developed a glass studio for the Worcester Center of Crafts in MA, worked a the Wheaton Village Glass Center and is currently working at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI. All the while, Beth has secured grants and attended artists residencies to further her art career. She also teaches her art.

Recently, the Renwick Gallery in D.C. purchased the large table of glass. Tyler Schoool of Art is inducting Beth into the Gallery of Successful Graduates, an honor bestowed on two graduates per year.

Beth's next show opens September 6 at The Heller Gallery in New York City.

The meaning of Early Lipman Art


Having been an artist for all of my life and creating art to sell for more than 30 years, I am often seeing people who say: "I have an early Lipman piece of art.".

This makes me smile. For many years, I created art which was part of product line sold to Country Magazine, QVC, hundreds of stores, galleries, numerous mail order catalogs, designers etc throughout the world. This product line evolved from Wood Folk Art (remember the Americana revival of the late '70's) to cut and painted folksy tin, to painted furniture and floorcloths.

The floorcloths have been most of my focus for the last 15 years. In fact, I teach Floorcloth painting at the Sharon Art Center in Sharon, NH. and the Fiber Art Center in Amherst, MA.