Treadle to the metal

The Eldorado Studio Tour is coming right up (May 18-19 in Eldorado, just outside Santa Fe, NM) and I'm weaving my little fingers off trying to get a couple more small pieces finished in time.  I think I'll make it.

Here's the third in my series of small wedge weaves inspired by the skies out here.  It's called Snowrise, and I'm trying to convey the place on winter mornings where the clouds and the snowy mountain tops merge and blend so you can't tell them apart.

detail of Snowrise, in progress.  (c) Molly Elkind 2019

The other series I've been working on is Fences, inspired by our broken-down barbed wire fences in Eldorado, and also by our national conversation about fences, walls and borders. I make that connection explicit in the first two pieces.

Gate, (c) Molly Elkind 2019

Falling, (c) Molly Elkind 2019

In the third piece, still on the loom, I'm using sky colors that look like a nasty bruise.  In fact, the piece is called Bruised.

Molly Elkind, Bruised in progress, (c) 2019

And of course it's not just about getting the weaving done.  There's finishing work--cleaning up the backs and edges of new tapestries, steaming and mounting them on linen-covered stretcher bars.  This part is tedious, but it's amazing how mounting them can really make them look finished, isn't it?

Screwing in those tiny screw eyes for the wire goes easier with a few sharp taps with a hammer.

And as with any show, there's lots of administrivia going on around the edges.  My contribution to the Tour effort is to post the artists' work on Instagram (follow @eldoradoartsandcraftsassoc or #eldoradostudiotour).  And just for my own work, there are prices to determine, labels to make, postcards and brochures to distribute, sponsors to recognize . . . you get the idea.  Plus, since three of us are showing at our house/studio, we need to start thinking about where to put all the art. . . and stow away everything that's not for sale.  Ack!

So, this is a quick post but I wanted you to know I haven't forgotten the blog, and my faithful readers, completely.  If you're in the area, please come see us!  Click here for all the details about the Tour.  If you're not, please send good vibes our way.