Many people look at my embroidered tapestries and have difficulty imagining how such realism is achieved.  However, I feel that if people of any age or ability genuinely want to learn, I don't mind teaching. 

October 10th and 11, Diane Williams hosted a seminar in Ridgeland, MS, where the participants learned my process from A to Z.  Three of them were experienced needleworkers and one an experienced painter so I felt free to cover a lot of ground.  We started with a show-and-tell session (see photos below).  Later we drew from life and reference photographs and learned how to correct our drawings until we achieved an accurate likeness.  We assembled canvas stretchers and transferred the images from one surface to another.  Threads were chosen and the stitching began.

Aside from being the consummate host, Diane Williams creates fiber art every chance she gets and sells it widely.  She's also a professional storyteller.  In reality, she should more accurately be described as a therapist, a minister or a shaman who uses craft, art and, most importantly, speech as tools to repair her own psyche and the collective soul of the community.  I feel extremely lucky to have met her.  Like CCH Pounder, she is constantly on the lookout for ways to support artists.  Here's DeSha with Diane during the drawing segment of the seminar.

I've been living the artist's life rather than recording it, so let me back up in order to catch you up.

On September 21st, CCH Pounder, award-winning actor and warm, loving human being, dropped by the studio.  Currently starring in "N.C.I.S. - New Orleans", she was able to dash over during a weekend break in filming.

CC, who owns two of my pieces, was the driving force behind the Los Angeles gallery, Pounder-Kone Artspace.  She's been collecting art and nurturing artists for a long time.  In fact, it was partly due to her advice that I moved my studio to Mississippi.  She felt that a one-woman show of my art should have at least 10 pieces.  Most of my pieces take in the neighborhood of a year to complete and building up a collection requires real focus.  Mississippi seemed like a place where I could live cheaply and work without distraction.

Well... one out of two ain't bad.  Actually, it turned out to be a good move.  I can keep in touch with art goings-on via the internet, there are beautiful trees and blue skies visible from every window (beats a brick wall with a close-up of the neighbors' windows) and there's more support for the arts than I expected.  In fact, once artists get hip to the warm southern life-style, it might get crowded here!  Now CC says that, since then, she's come across a show that highlighted a single work of art.  But it's a done-deal now.
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10/3/14
Lately, I've been on YouTube listening to audiobooks while I stitch because all the audios I own have been heard more than twice and I can't seem to get to the library.  Who knew YouTube had audiobooks?

They have lots of books that are in the public domain (some extremely quaint but some quite useful.)  The other day I listened to the life and teachings of J. Krishnamurti and before that all kinds of lectures on diet.  There's a wide range there that's worth a listen.  Since I stitch sitting down, I was glad to learn about weight-loss without exercise (deep breathing... and the explanation made sense).  I'll let you know how it goes.