Family Art Show

At the opening of my family’s art show Animal, Vegetable, Spiritual: A Family View, I was asked if I had any formal art training. I haven’t. But I have a photographer for a father and a ceramicist for a mother, and I don’t know how many art museums I was dragged through as a kid. My sister has been drawing since the day she first picked up a crayon, went on to attend art school, and has become a glass and fiber artist as an adult. I got interested in quilting in 1996, joined the Tompkins County Quilters Guild, and became friends with many brilliant fiber artists. So the answer is: No, I haven’t had any formal training, but I’ve had plenty exposure to both art and artists. My art has been learned through osmosis.

Two years ago, we were discussing the fact that every member of our family is an artist and wondering how unusual that might be. The idea of having a show as a family came up and we all agreed it would be fun to do. In fact, it turned out to be a lot of work, but it all came together nicely in the end. Last weekend, I went to Maryland to attend the opening reception, which I am happy to say was packed with enthusiastic viewers.

The artists at the reception: Don, Cleo, Jane, and Kit Dunsmore (Photo by Russ Poole)

Here are some pictures of the gallery and the artists with their work to give you a flavor of the show.

My father, Don Dunsmore, with his photo "quilt" Morning Glories

My mother, Jane Dunsmore, with her piece Free Ride II

My sister, Cleo Dunsmore, with her necklace Sea Turtle

And me, Kit Dunsmore, with my Quilt for An Inner Child

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: A Family View is on display until November 29, 2009 at The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center in Frederick, Maryland.

More Proof That I’m Crazy

While I was away, a package I had ordered arrived from Knit Picks, and I was excited to find it waiting for me. Then I opened it up, and this is what I found:

East Meets West Satchel kit

This tapestry-style purse is a knitting project with 21 different colors of wool in it. It came in a bunch of colorways, but I went with the blue one. The pattern is really more like a novel with full color illustrations. It uses techniques I’ve heard of but some of which I’ve never done.

My initial reaction after “what was I thinking?” was to wonder if anyone had managed to put this thing together. On Ravelry, I found 30+ posts about this project and none of them said “I am going bald from all the hair pulling” (my guess is that I’ll get to be the first to say that!). A couple of them were super detailed and full of helpful hints and suggestions, so I calmed down and am now a little more eager to give this thing a try. I’m afraid, however, it will not be a relaxing-in-the-evening kind of knit since the entire thing will require lots of counting.

Step one is easy though. I have to knit a gauge swatch to make sure I buy the right size circular needles for this. After that, the real challenge will begin.

Movie of the Week: Lars and the Real Girl

The one-line concept for Lars and the Real Girl borders on revolting: a man orders a life-sized sex doll and introduces it to everyone he knows as his girlfriend.
The reality of this movie is sublime: a man acts out his ideal, loving, and non-physical relationship with another person by interacting with a doll, and the entire community around him supports him as he works through the emotional issues that have been holding him back.
Lars (Ryan Gosling) has a hard time interacting with others. At dinner with his family, he is withdrawn and barely eats. At work he gives everyone the same forced smile and nothing else. Whenever another person touches him, he feels pain. Everyone wishes he had a girlfriend, but Lars knows a relationship with a woman is impossible for him.
Enter Bianca, a life-sized, life-like sex doll. Lars treats her like a living human being. When he first tells his brother and sister-in-law he has a date, he mentions that she is in a wheelchair and on the quiet side.  Gus (Paul Schneider) and Karin (Emily Mortimer) are too delighted to care – until they meet her. Lars holds conversations with Bianca, and interprets her “whispers” for the others. At dinner, he is a lively companion, talking, eating, relaxing to a degree not seen before.
Gus is horrified and convinced that his deluded brother needs to be hospitalized. Karin has other ideas. In the end, they agree to take Lars to the doctor, under the guise of getting Bianca an examination, and the doctor plays along. Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) is a psychologist as well as a doctor, and she believes that mental illness isn’t just a disease, that it can be an opportunity to communicate. She explains that Lars is trying to tell them something, and he needs their help.
Thus begins what becomes a community-wide effort to support Lars as he lives his delusion that Bianca is a real woman. I don’t want to give away any more details for fear of spoiling things, but I can guarantee that this clever script and the delicate performances by the entire cast have memorable results. The magnitude of the love and understanding Lars receives from others is what makes this such a unique and moving film. The word compassion is never mentioned, but the movie drips with it, ultimately showing how compassion towards others leads to healing for all. Charming, optimistic, heart-warming, unpredictable, and full of hope, Lars and the Real Girl is a jewel of a film. Don’t miss it.

Poison Cupcake

When I saw that the theme for Inspire Me Thursday was cupcakes, I was disappointed. I’ve seen candy-colored cupcakes popping up everywhere lately and much as I’d like to love them, I can’t. As someone who used to adore dessert but can no longer eat sugar of any kind, I avoid images of sweet foods, no matter how cute. They no longer have any positive connotations for me. I wasn’t going to do anything for IMT this week, then I decided I really needed to. So here is my take on cupcakes. It won’t be popular and it may offend someone but I gotta be me.

And I admit it: I love the way this turned out.

I Can!

Inspire Me Thursday did just that this week. The theme is “Positivity” and having it in my head as I looked around the last few days has helped me to see lots of positive changes in my life. So I decided to make a page in my journal in honor of the things I have done/am learning to do. Thanks, IMT.