Category Archives: Resources

Real Life Shangri-La

A change of scene is good for the soul and for the art practice.
There’s no better souvenir than the refreshed outlook one brings back to the studio after time away.

One of the highlights of our recent vacation was a visit to Shangri La, Doris Duke’s Honolulu home / now museum that is dedicated to her massive collection of Islamic art.

Below are just a few of the many gems that caught my eye.

Diamond Head from the museum’s lawn

A mirrored ceiling within what had once been a dressing room

Heavily carved and intricately painted doors embellished with gold leaf

Outdoor stairs leading to an open-air patio on the roof of one of the galleries. Can you imagine the parties?!

While vividly-colored tilework dominates the collection, this embroidered tapestry stood out for its textural detail and subtle use of teal blue.

The abundance of rich details – paint work, tiles and the perforated lantern – made this little alcove sparkle

The museum’s galleries branch off a central, open-air courtyard. This spectacular tile wall and the metal grillwork above it anchor one side of that space.

Heavenly blue

The elaborate details of a mother of pearl inlaid bureau

This beautiful recreation of a Mughal Garden is inspired by the Shalimar Gardens built in 1637 CE in Lahore, Pakistan, which were constructed during reign of the Mughal Empire.

Who knows how or when all this inspiration may resurface. The main thing is, it’s now in the “vault”.

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A couple of irresistible, sea-related visual treats spotted at other Oahu locations…

Jellyfish

Octopus

And despite the on-again, off-again rain – there was still an opportunity to walk (and sketch) along the beach.

I brought along my new travel palette (5-5/16″ x 3-3/8″ x 1/4″) from Art Toolkit. It was a huge success. I left room for a couple of extra mixing pans on the right, and still was able to fit plenty of paint colors.

I took this shot before we left so I would remember what colors I brought with me. The stainless steel pans are all removable and can be switched around. The variety of available pan sizes gives one a lot of flexibility according to which colors you want to bring, and how much of each. They all rest on a magnet that is built into the palette bottom – so there’s no fear that anything will fall out.

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Now that I’m back I’ve been hard at work, mostly following various ideas to see where they lead. I’m pleased with the direction the stitching is taking on this piece that I showed you last time.

And one final thing to share:
I am really excited to have stumbled upon Northern Kentucky University’s Drawing Database. on YouTube. The bite-size art history videos lured me in, but I will be back for some of the longer sessions. Hope you enjoy it too.

Out and About

Now that February has arrived, it’s been a lovely change to emerge from January’s hibernation to spend time catching up with friends and getting out and about to see art beyond my studio walls.

Susan, detail ©2026 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor and Graphite on paper, 16.5″ x 18″ Drawing alongside like-minded souls is such a pleasure. Last week our model brought her fiddle and played while we drew/painted her. It was the essence of community.

Last week, three of us went to AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH where we caught a terrific “two-fer”.
First was Eva Sturm-Gross’s exhibition “Beasts of Eden”.

The Watchers, Eva Sturm-Gross, Carved basswood

Representing a fragmented symbolic world, her sculptural and printed pieces refer to Biblical narratives expressed through the animals that dwell near her childhood home in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont.

The Thief, Eva Sturm-Gross, Carved basswood, Relief print, Gold leaf and beeswax on paper

She often merges reality with myth.

Behold, Eva Sturm-Gross, Carved basswood, Relief print and beeswax on paper

According to the gallery notes, animal-headed figures are a common motif in medieval Jewish aesthetic culture. Sturm-Gross uses that device to convey a sense of the sacred found within the local landscape.

What Does the Lover Want From Love, Eva Sturm-Gross, Carved basswood, Relief print and beeswax on paper

This quality in her work speaks directly and convincingly to those of us who also find ourselves living in daily pace with the land and the creatures who surround us.

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Juni Van Dyke, These Beautiful Hands: A Tribute to Our Elders

Next, I felt a huge sense of connection with Juni Van Dyke’s installation “These Beautiful Hands: A Tribute to Our Elders”. Similar to my Full Bloom series of stitched portraits, her pieces directly challenge this country’s sadly all-too common attitude that value and beauty are diminished with age.

Juni Van Dyke, Plaster cast hands and hand-made paper: “Handholding. You do a lot of that when you raise children. When my daughter was eight and in the hospital with appendicitis, she held my hand and begged me not to leave. ‘When are you coming back?’ she pleaded. Now, somedays here (in the nursing home) I sit by my window and I know exactly how she felt.”

This series of cast-plaster hands, in conjunction with brief anecdotes gleaned in conversation during the casting process, represent, in Van Dyke’s words, a soul and a life well-lived.

Juni Van Dyke, Plaster cast hands and hand-made paper: “Heaven and Hell. I don’t care if there is or there isn’t. I’ve been through hell. Heaven is where I am right now. My doctor says ‘Keep doing whatever you’re doing’. I drink vinegar and pickle juice every day. I’m old and I feel great!”

Accompanying her installation of hands and quotes are a series of small oil paintings that Van Dyke created as a gesture of gratitude to the elderly — made for and about people she has known and loved, and for those who participated in her Beautiful Hands project.

Juni Van Dyke, The Gratitude Series, oil on board

Both exhibits are only open through February 14th, so you’d better hurry if you want to go.

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Finally, I have a must-see documentary recommendation.
Porcelain War, which can be streamed on PBS (expiring on March 1), is an incredibly moving portrayal of three artists who have chosen to remain in Ukraine “armed with their art, their cameras, and for the first time in their lives, their guns. A stunning tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, embodying the enduring hope and passion of ordinary people living through extraordinary circumstances.”

Porcelain War Poster

Here’s a link to the trailer.
I can’t use enough superlatives about this stunning piece. It is gorgeously filmed, absolutely heart-rending, yet simultaneously uplifting. Don’t miss it!

Take Advantage of this Resource

If you aren’t already aware of the PBS series Craft in America, check it out. All episodes are free and available to stream.

I am rewatching them one by one while I work out in the morning, grateful not just for the inspiring jumpstart to my day, but for the introduction to artists I was previously unfamiliar with — along with becoming better acquainted with the practices of some I already know. Wisdom, technique, process — it’s all there. Beautifully filmed and layered with contextual information; it’s an amazing resource.

Each episode is centered on a specific concept, delving into the practices of several artists, their ideas and stories. Many segments shine a spotlight on the treasure that is embodied in cultural diversity, knowledge and history, eloquently expressed through the lens of these artists’ work and words while focusing attention on legacies we should – no need – to be mindful of nurturing and protecting — especially considering our current political climate. In the words of master weaver and dyer J. Isaac Vásquez García in the espisode “Borders”, “Art is universal, there are no borders”.

J. Isaac Vásquez García

If I had to single out any specific episode to start you off, should you choose not to go chronologically, I’d say “Visionaries”. It’s a touchstone with the value of the groundbreakers who have paved our paths and will surely inspire you to explore other chapters in the series.

With all this in mind, I’ve seen a number of fascinating exhibitions over the past 3 months by artists whose cultural vantage points, however different from a potential viewer’s, offer the sense of connection we all crave and which art can deliver.

At the Art Institute of Chicago:

Raquib Shaw’s Paradise Lost
This monumental wall installation (more than 100′ wide) is an allegorical and autobiographical telling of Shaw’s journey through life. Dense with supernatural symbolism, it alludes to Milton’s poem of the same name and is a reflection of the many paradises lost across a lifetime. Shaw notes, “This is not just my story. It is the story of each of us, and the story of our times”.

Paradise Lost, Raquib Shaw, 2009-25, as installed in the Art Institute’s galleries. Photo from the website of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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South African artist Jane Alexander’s Infantry with beast
Situated within a dark and cavernous room, adorned only with the red carpet they march upon, an army of life-size fiberglass, lockstep “humanimals” are foreboding and unsettling.

Infantry with beast, Jane Alexander, 2012

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Many of the drawings, prints and sculptures of revolutionary artist Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), in an eponymously named retrospective at the Art Institute, centered on the lives of black women in the American South. Her powerful work was an ongoing challenge to social injustices.

Tired, Elizabeth Catlett, 1946, terracotta, 13 1/2 x 6 x 7 inches

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And at our local Fleming Museum:

Fuji and Woodland in Fog, Itchiku Kubota

Fuji and Woodland Covered in Fog, Itchiku Kubota, 1994, Tie-dye, ink painting, and embroidery on chirimen, silk crepe with gold wefts

The now-closed exhibition “Kimono” was a grand display of shimmering 20th and 21st century pieces, including a spectacular hand-dyed kimono by the Shibori master Itchiku Kubota. More contemporary works, such as the one below by Na Omi Shintani, were inspired by the form of kimono as well as its historical and cultural significance.

Deconstructed Kimono 7, Na Omi Shintani, 2024, Silk kimono, alter of ceramic vessel and wood, bamboo

Shaken, Not Stirred

I mentioned in a previous post, that I’ve been following children’s book illustrator Emma Carlisle on Patreon since the first of the year. Doing so has opened a whole new world for me in my sketchbook by shaking up my approach rather than just stirring around what already works.

I am being introduced to all sorts of different portable drawing/painting media, such as acrylic markers and Neocolor II water-soluble crayons. What I enjoy most, and am trying to learn to push further, are the diverse range of textures and marks that can be achieved.

©2024 Elizabeth Fram, Brush pen, Colored pencil, Acrylic marker, Gouache. I’ve written before about how much light and color represent any locale. When pulling together an art kit before traveling, practice drawings from photos of a specific destination help with deciding on a color palette.

In general, I love the effect of seeing the hand of an artist in their work. And now I feel armed to push against my natural inclination for polish in favor of letting those marks shine. I also can’t help but enjoy the similarities with hand stitching.

What feels most enlightening is that Carlisle drills home by example the notion that there’s practically no limit on the ways that media can be layered and combined. Because I never learned much about the specifics of art materials beyond the basics in school, I am loving this opportunity to explore how they perform and interact, backed up by outside direction.

I have a trip coming up, so have been sorting through what I want to bring with me. Some of you will understand how much fun that can be. Ultimately, it’s involved a lot of paring down and then paring down again, but at this point I think I’m pretty well set.

I made a sketchbook from a piece of 19.5 x 18 inch Fabriano Artistico paper using this method: accordion-sketchbook-folding-pattern. My little book is about 5″ x 6″ & has 22-pages. It fits easily into my purse. I swatched all the colors/materials I’m bringing on the front cover, making for easy reference both while I’m away and after I get back.

I have a selection of watercolors, colored pencils, gouache and, in an act of supreme self-restraint, only one brush marker. That may sound like a lot, but my kit is pretty compact. As an FYI, I’m leaving acrylic markers at home for fear that TSA might confiscate them.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing how it works out. I’ll get back to you.

Re-Balancing

One of the things I most enjoy, and am very grateful for in my day-to-day, is that my well of projects never runs dry. Still, balance is necessary to keep things in sync and moving forward smoothly. January was packed with administrative chores and various commitments, both art-related and otherwise, which took me away from studio work more days than I would have preferred — and I’m feeling the pinch.

Let’s hear it for sketchbooks – a space to work through ideas, experiment with materials (as with the Tombow brush pens used above), and to find sanity when computer chores feel overwhelming.

However, for the month of February I’m shifting weight, so to speak, and will spend less time on outreach and more hours just making work. That includes here at Eye of the Needle too. Rather than writing and rewriting as usual, I’ll just share a few recommendations below that I’m sure you’ll enjoy, and then will turn away from the computer in favor of my needles and brushes.

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Trichromancy Poster

Last Saturday the group show Trichromancy: Color Divination opened at the Chandler Gallery in Randolph, VT. I have three pieces on view, including “Poseidon’s Garden”, shown in the upper left of this announcement, The event was well attended and spirits were high. I was having such a good time with friends, meeting new people and running into folks I haven’t seen for a long while that I never even thought to bring out my phone to take pictures of the work on display. Bad form for a blogger, but a lovely indication of the convivial evening, and perhaps an impetus for you to go see the show for yourself.

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I really enjoyed this interview with Sandi Hester on Maria Stoljar’s “Talking With Painters” podcast.

Hester, whom I’ve recommended before, is a hoot. She always shares generously about her practice and, in this particular case, talks about approaching it with joy, authenticity and especially without taking herself too seriously. Wise words for all of us. Consider giving it a watch — there’s something in there for just about anyone.

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Finally, good art writing is hard to find. Quite often it’s a slog through erudite art-speak that encourages napping rather than digging deeper to learn more.
Not so with Dian Parker! Parker is a Vermont artist who has written extensively about color and contributes to a wide assortment of art publications. Her reviews and essays about individual artists are succinct and enlightening, always encouraging a desire to look further. Check out her review of Celia Paul ; I can almost guarantee you’ll be Googling to find out more as soon as you finish.

I sketched SDA conference presenter Nnenna Okore while she spoke about her use of bioplastics in her efforts to bring awareness to sustainable practices in art. There is a theory, which I believe whole-heartedly is true, that one hears better while drawing.

That’s it for this week. And here’s to finding that sweet spot of balance in all our practices!

Empowerment

Looking to feel uplifted? Read on.

First, check out artist Denise Gasser on the April 18th episode of the Art Juice podcast. Even better, if you know a creative young mom who’s at a stage where she feels like she can’t keep her head above her parenting duties long enough to create the work she wants & needs to make, share it with her. Then go one step further and include the link to Gasser’s blog post “A Love Letter to Every Busy, Tired, Creative Mom“.

#215 ©2020 Denise Gasser, Mixed Media on wood panel, 7″ x 5″, from “Art After: Reconciling Art and Motherhood” I bought this painting for several reasons: First, its simplicity – only 3 elements, yet they speak volumes. Similar to a formal garden, I love the stark combination of geometric and organic shapes. And more sentimentally, it reminds me of the light and the sky in Hawaii, where we were living when I was at the stage of life when motherhood was all-consuming — with the added significance that it was during those years that I first happened upon working with textiles as a way of balancing creativity with motherhood.

While the gist of the podcast discussion surrounded social media and ways that it may be impacting and influencing our art, it wasn’t that aspect that caught my attention so much as when Gasser talked about her work as a facilitator. She mentors and inspires artist/mothers to continue with their art after motherhood despite feeling like there is no time (let alone an extra ounce of energy) for anything beyond being a parent.

In the video above, Denise shares how she worked through that issue herself with her series “Art After: Reconciling Art and Motherhood”. As a mother of four boys, the series was begun as a way to bring together, acknowledge and honor her dual roles as artist and as mom. Leaning into reality, she began making 5″ x 7″ paintings, working on each only until she was interrupted by her kids. On the back of each piece she documents the time spent on the painting and what interrupted her, as well as the number of the painting in the series.

More than 200 works later, she had the makings of a solo show. It’s such a great example of the empowering wisdom that taking even just one step a day will get you a lot farther after a week, a month, a year than not taking any steps at all.

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And then, looking at the other end of the age spectrum, I happened upon the Legendary Grannie Gang on Instagram last week and was absolutely smitten. Lovers of knitting, superheroes and fearless grannies: you too will find photographer Susanne Krauss‘ irrepressibly joyful portraits irresistible. I think we could all benefit from a bit of Granny Power these days.

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Springhouse ©2023 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor, graphite and embroidery on paper, 5 x 5 inches. Spring may have been slow to come this year but the colors in the hills as the trees leafed out have been spectacular, more than making up for the delay.

Southern Venture

Ready for a quick trip to the South?
Last week we visited Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA and, as on most travels, there was plenty of art to enjoy in the moment and to think about after coming home. Here are a few highlights from The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, my favorite of the various art venues we visited.

Imagined Boundaries ©2017 – present, Raheleh Filsoofi, Multimedia Installation. In this striking wall installation, Filsoofi asks viewers to consider — What is a limit? What is a border? Who is on the other side? Her aim is to interrupt cultural preconceptions and to create dialogue around socio-political issues such as borders, immigration and community building by creating boxes that act as portals communicating shared humanity.

These are still shots from a video within one of Filsoofi’s boxes. The viewer becomes participant in that the video subjects appear to be checking us out as closely as we are observing them.

Self Portrait Emma ©2002 Alison Saar, Oil on Skillet. Saar’s work frequently focuses on societal notions regarding the positioning of African Americans and women in domestic realms. This oil portrait of a domestic worker on the bottom of a frying pan is intentionally faint, (I have drastically over-exposed my photo to make it visible to you) invoking the relative invisibility of a typical household cook or kitchen maid.

Never Again ©Mary Jackson, Sweetgrass and palmetto. Mary Jackson is an internationally recognized master of sweetgrass basketry. This piece took 3 years to complete.

What attracted me to The Gibbes Museum in the first place was their collection of miniature portraits. According to the museum’s literature, the first-ever American miniatures were painted in Charleston and the Gibbes collection holds over 600 works spanning from early colonial examples of the 18th century to the Revival Period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
They are remarkable!

H.F. Plowden Weston, by Charles Fraser, 1824

Miss Reynolds of Fenwick Hall, by Charles Fraser, 1835

Christopher Gustavus Memminger, by Charles Fraser, 1823 This gentleman looks so familiar to me! I think I’ve watched way too many Masterpiece period dramas.

Actor Jack Farthing

How wonderful to see Joseph Jackson’s sketchbook which held preliminary portraits that he may have used to impress perspective clients.

Moving on, there’s nothing quite like an independent bookstore for providing a sense of grounding when visiting a new locale. Curated shelves that reflect local pride in the history, authors and artists of a place reveal the rich undercurrent of a city in a way that generic travel books can’t begin to match.
If you’re willing to snoop around a bit, you never know what you might discover. A visit to Buxton Books in Charleston opened a couple of interesting doors for me.

I loved the art on the cover of this book of poetry by South Carolinian Marlanda Dekine, and had to find out more about Fletcher Williams III, the artist who created it. The piece is named “Westward”.

It turns out that Williams has a resume that extends far beyond book cover illustration. He is a multi-media artist living and working in Charleston, making identity-based art and is a rising star. With an academic foundation in psychology and anthropology, his artwork speaks to the history of Charleston and the culture of the Lowcountry, but not in the way one might expect.

Taking time to follow the interview links on Williams’ website gave me a much deeper understanding of both his artistic aims and the challenges he confronts. He is incredibly thoughtful and articulate. His discussion regarding having to navigate the complexities of feeling pressured to speak to the Black experience, while coping with narratives thrust upon him and his artwork that are not his own, was enlightening. While I don’t think one can ever fully grasp the underlying dynamics of a specific place unless one is a native, I found it fascinating (and important) to get a glimpse, via his interviews, beyond the usual tropes and assumptions.

And for those more interested in textiles, the other book that caught my attention was Embroidery: Threads and Stories from Alabama Chanin and the School of Making by Natalie Chanin. It was way too fat and heavy to bring home in my carry-on, but I snagged a Kindle edition and am looking forward to reading, rather than just flipping through this part autobiography, part “exploration into how sewing and embroidery relate to wider concerns of sustainability, community and women’s empowerment”.

If you go, other bookstores to explore in both cities:
Blue Bicycle Books, Charleston
E. Shaver, Bookseller, Savannah

Two museums to check out in Savannah:
Telfair Academy (The first museum in the US founded by a woman), and
The Jepson Art Center
Oh, and there’s a Blick store in Savannah too!

And now, it’s nice to be home.

Inspiration Over Perspiration

It was a relatively quiet Thanksgiving here on our hill, so for once, with less kitchen duties to tend to, artistic inspiration won out over culinary perspiration. Having the time to immerse myself in and to reflect upon the creativity of others was a gift.

Here are several recommendations I think worth passing along:

If you haven’t already seen them, be sure to check out the two new episodes of “Craft in America”: Inspiration and Home.
How have I not been aware of Diedrick Bracken’s spectacular woven tapestries before now?! Brackens is featured in the Inspiration episode.

Because I have always been attracted to clay objects (little known fact: my first real job was potter’s apprentice), I was riveted by the segment on Syd Carpenter’s ceramic pieces in the Home episode.

Carpenter’s three sculptural series: Places of Our Own, Farm Bowls and Mother Pins resonate deeply, despite the vast differences between our heritages. I find her exploration of home and garden through the lens of African American owners and stewards of the land, interlaced with the connection between the land and strong female figures, quite moving. The forms she creates are absolutely lovely.

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Not a new book, but new to me, Ann Patchett’s series of personal essays in This is the Story of a Happy Marriage are outstanding. Her piece “The Getaway Car”, (also available as a stand-alone book), is a must-read for any creative. Reassuring and invigorating, this essay recounts her persistent life adjustments toward the goal of carving out room for the one thing that mattered most to her: writing. Eschewing inspiration, Patchett humbly credits her success to hard work and devotedly putting in the hours — on both good days and bad. Her insights ring true for any artist, regardless of medium. And she’s not too proud to remind us that doubts and worries come with the territory, no matter how far your practice takes you. Ultimately, as she so eloquently puts it, “the pleasure is the practice — to touch the hem of the gown that is art itself”.

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I also had time over the weekend to plow through to the end of this latest piece in my post-Roe suite. I’m not sure yet whether or not it will be the last. Frankly, the three pieces have been emotionally exhausting.

Eroded Boundaries, detail ©2022 Elizabeth Fram By stitching first and letting the paint flow over those stitches, then adding another sewn layer after the painting is complete, I’ve tried to straddle a space where the stitching adds another dimension, without overpowering the image. In the end, I really love the textural quality of the paint and the stitches working together.

The iconic “No Trespassing” warning fades, underscoring the fact that with the overturn of Roe a conservative Supreme Court has dictated the erosion a woman’s right to physical autonomy in this country.

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Finally, I invite you to check out Pigeon Pages, an online literary journal featuring prose, poetry, author interviews and more. Each written piece is paired with an artwork. It’s a wonderful online rabbit hole of creative diversion. I am so pleased and gratified to have been contacted by their art editor who requested the use of an image of “Isolation”, one of my sheltering-in-place houses, to accompany Rachel Lloyd’s recent award-winning piece, “Unraveling”. Both pieces can be seen/read in their entirety, here.

Unraveling Header

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, December will sweep by in a flurry. Wishing you a creative season of inspiration and perspiration before January arrives.

Two Necessary Ingredients

I can’t think of a better way to end one year and to begin another than by acknowledging and giving thanks to the two constants of any art practice: the hard-to-define, yet oh-so-necessary element of “inspiration” – which (hopefully) hovers over one shoulder — accompanied on the other shoulder by its requisite companion, “hard work”. You can’t have one without the other, but the truth is, the former most reliably shows up as a result of the latter.

I will be thinking of both as I sit down this weekend to finish outlining my overall plan and goals for 2022. How about you?

3 Daughters of Maine ©2021 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor and pencil on paper, 6 x 15 inches. Now that Christmas is past and the cat is officially out of the bag, I can share the portrait commission I was working on in Oct/Nov. Its significance to this post is that my dear friend, on the far right, exemplifies the essence of inspiration and hard work for many people. Especially those who look up to her in the running world, the state of Maine and beyond.

Below is a handful of the many guiding lights I’ve gleaned inspiration from this past year — some for their artwork, some for their business acumen, a few for both qualities. But without a doubt, hard work is an ingredient common to all. As my parting gift for 2021, I hope that one or two of these resources might prove insightful for you as well.

Lissa Hunter
Linda Clark Johnson
Gimena Romero
Maru Godas
Felix Scheinberger
Making it as a Maker – Rebecca Haas and Becca Webb
Anita Fields
Lois Dodd
Takahiko Hayashi
Joe Ciardiello
Pascale Simon
Tom McKendrick

Finally, I’ll sign off with a quote Lissa Hunter offered during a talk she gave last March — wise words from her former drawing instructor, Larry Thomas:

“Don’t look for something important to draw, make it important by drawing it.”

See you in two weeks…
Happy New Year!

“Cape Elizabeth Supper”

When I was growing up, my mother used to save leftovers, no matter how small, and freeze them for later. Eventually there would come a night when she would pull them all out, reheat and serve with a green salad. It was another way she avoided waste and, perhaps more importantly, got a night off from cooking. She jokingly called the culinary mélange “Cape Elizabeth Supper,” in honor of our public high school fundraising potlucks.
In that spirit, I’ve been saving up an assortment of links and announcements to share with you all at once. Think of it as a mid-summer break for both of us.

First the announcements:

A view of “Hidden Messages” Photo: Rosalind Daniels

Many ‘calls for entry’ rely on themes. I generally tend to skip over them since that’s not how I prefer to approach my work and meeting their parameters is often a stretch. However, the premise of Hidden Messages: Old and New at the Chandler Center for the Arts’ Gallery in Randolph, VT was a different story, offering a platform that resonates strongly with both the intention behind several of my pieces – the idea of something “hidden in plain sight” – and the process I used to create them.

Espresso & Peanut Butter ©2018 Elizabeth Fram, Stitched-resist dye and embroidery on silk, 14 x 11 inches. This work is something of an ode to the hidden and often unsung beauty of the quotidian, a fact of life that I have come to more fully appreciate through my regular drawing practice. Photo: Paul Rogers

In coordination with the Surface Design Association, this exhibition features the work of 15 Vermont textile artists who break the boundaries of traditional fiber processes and techniques, infusing their work with underlying layers of meaning. You can view a sampling of the show online but I also hope you’ll consider going to see it in person. It’s a disappointment that I won’t be able to attend the opening reception due to an eagerly anticipated family commitment, but if you go, many of the artists will be there, keen to speak with you about their pieces and the ideas behind them.

The Secrets She Keeps ©2020 Elizabeth Fram, Stitched-resist dye and embroidery on silk, 24 x 18 inches In this reimagined portrait of Barbara van Vlaederberch after a painting by Hans Memling, both the subject and the process used to create it address the idea of unrecognized identity. The sad fact of being visible, yet invisible is something that intrigues me. Unfortunately, it has been a reality for women throughout history. I could find very little information about van Vlaederberch, only that she was married to a prominent citizen of Bruges and had given birth to 18(!) children. You can’t convince me she didn’t have a story to tell. Photo: Paul Rogers

The three works I have on view allude to the idea of “hidden” in different ways conceptually, two of them emphasizing the theme through a multi-step process that involves “losing” a white-on-white stitched drawing within a field of stitched-resist dye and pattern, and then bringing the image back to the surface via a second layer of embroidery using threads in colors that contrast with the dyed background.

House Divided (Mitch and Nancy) ©2021 Elizabeth Fram, Stitched-resist dye and embroidery on silk, 18 x 24 inches. This piece relies on visual metaphor to communicate my point, while navigating between the superficially obvious and hidden layers of meaning through imagery that is symbolic of a deeper idea. Photo: Paul Rogers

Here are the show details:
Hidden Messages: Old and New
July 10 – September 5, 2021
Chandler Gallery at the Chandler Center for the Arts
71 N Main St. Randolph, VT 05060
Opening reception: Saturday July 17th, from 4-7pm
Gallery Hours: Saturdays 12-5, Tues-Fri 11-4 when Chandler Offices are open (look for the Open flag or call 802.728.9878 and press 2), and during Chandler events.

And please note, as part of Hidden Messages, an exhibit of traditional and contemporary quilts are concurrently on display at the White River Craft Center, also in Randolph.

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I recently learned that my piece Until the Bitterness Passes was selected to appear in “From Confrontation to Catharsis”, the 2021 SDA International Exhibition in Print. The full exhibition will be featured in the Fall 2021 issue of the Surface Design Journal.

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Last week I finished my contribution for The Violet Protest, which you may remember was a call, created by Ann Morton, for 8″ square works of equal parts red and blue to encourage thought about bringing our differing political factions together rather than continuing to separate them more widely. My square will appear in stack G-3 in the ongoing exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum through September 5. If you will be in Phoenix at some point this summer, I encourage you to go to the museum to view the project before the squares are sent to members of Congress at the end of the year. Or, if that’s not possible, you can get a feel for the scope of the undertaking at @thevioletprotest on Instagram. (My Instagram recommendation for the week).

And now for the promised links:

“The Woman Who Made van Gogh”, a NY Times story by Russell Shorto reveals how Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law is finally recognized as the force who opened the world’s eyes to his genius. If you prefer, you can listen to the full story on The Daily podcast.
Here’s a new take on eco-friendly art restoration. “Send in the Bugs. The Michelangelos Need Cleaning” by Jason Horowitz. Read how scientists and restorers completed a secret experiment by unleashing grime-eating bacteria on the master’s marble masterpieces to remove centuries of filth.
If, like me you are an Alice Neel fan, you will enjoy Erica Ackerberg’s article about the fascinating people who sat for her portraits.
And lastly, in the process of encouraging a friend to visit Benozzo Gozzoli’s fresco Procession of the Magi in the tiny but spectacular Medici Chapel within the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, I came across a wonderful podcast: Rebuilding the Renaissance by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero. In each episode he explores the development of art, architecture, culture and history in Italy. Have your device nearby while you listen so you can look at the works while he discusses them in detail. (In the mood for some armchair travel? Read more about this jewel box chapel and other visual delights in Florence in my 2018 post L’Arte di Firenze).