2023 In Review – Last Half!
This is a continuation of my 2023 Year in Review - July through December.
(See January through March HERE and April through June HERE)
July 2023
The second half of 2023 started out with the opportunity to teach at By Discovery, a children's summer art program. I taught a week of "Weaving Wonder" to kids K-5th grade. Each day had a unique theme for the weaving project. The students explored utilizing salvaged materials, natural materials, color exploration and working with unusual shapes or 3D pieces. The children, as usual inspired me as much as I did them!
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- Weaving Wonder Camp
I also warped two different tapestry looms in my studio to begin weaving with natural colors and materials...
The group exhibit "Windows of Perception" also opened at the Austin Irving Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Each
participating artist was offered a salvaged window frame to create their work within. The art materials included everything from mosaic, painting on glass, salvaged single use plastic (and more) and offered a wide range of creativity utilizing the same base frame. My work titled "Outside In" included a collage on the glass of rice paper, gold paint and pressed flowers and leaves. I then created a floating warp of transparent nylon upon which I wove segments with natural materials, leaves, twigs, seed pods and handspun cordage and yarns. Keep a look out for another exhibit later in 2024 as this show was cut short due to unexpected construction/maintenance work at the library.
I finished July off with a plan for my installation for Terrain Biennial. The theme for 2023's Terrain was "Mycelium". This was my watercolor sketch for Elferingewort, a "fairy or elf ring" as well as a sample mushroom woven from salvaged baler twine and hand spun plastic bags.
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- Elferingewort (c) Pamela Penney 2023
August 2023
Late July into early August offered up a little "artist retreat" for me at my sister's off grid cabin in Northern Michigan. I had the opportunity to continue to weave my mushroom caps, to spin yarn outside while staring into the trees, to take numerous walks with my dogs, and to observe many types of fungi and inspiration found in nature. The highlight of my trip was to return to Rush Lake with my tapestry that was inspired by the sunset there the previous summer!
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- Sunset On Rush Lake (c) Pamela Penney 2023
September 2023
September was a busy time harvesting from my garden, but I did have time to continue to weave on the Terrain mushroom caps as well as take a weekend to drive up to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival and stay at a friend's Lake House. I also finished mounting Sunset On Rush Lake and showed it at the Oak Park Art League's Landscape Exhibit.
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- Elferingewort (in progress)
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- Wisconsin Lake House
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- Oak Park Art League
October 2023
This month brought the opportunity to exhibit my work in both the Terrain Biennial : Mycelium Exhibit and at McCord Gallery's Common Threads : Art & Fiber Exhibit
Terrain Biennial 2023 :
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- Terrain Biennial 2023
Common Threads : Art & Fiber Exhibit:
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- The Spiral Path (c) 2023
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- There Must Be Some Way Outta Here (c) Pamela Penney 2023
My husband and I finished the month of October with a trip to New Orleans to celebrate our wedding anniversary. There was plenty of creative inspiration (and good food) there! I particularly enjoyed the sculpture garden.
November 2023
I exhibited two of my tapestry weavings at the Fine Art of Fiber located at the Chicago Botanic Garden. In the photos below is Bloodlines (lower left) and and Just Keep Swimming (upper right) on the corner column.
Fine Art of Fiber 2023
December 2023
I submitted my salvaged diptych Waste Not, Want Not to the Woman Made Gallery's annual members small works exhibit. This was a piece created earlier in the year during my 100 Day project "weaving wonder".
Woman Made Gallery - Small Works Exhibit
I was also able to take another trip back to Michigan mid-December to spend time with family and enjoy a few more of those beautiful sunrises and sunsets!
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- Sunrise
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- Sunset
Looking back has been fun...and 2023 was a pretty good year. I have several creative projects and teaching opportunities already underway for 2024 and after reflecting back over the past year I look forward to incorporating more of the activities that I enjoyed and that worked well into the coming days. I'm also better prepared to let go and release the efforts that weren't as productive or didn't bring me joy. I look forward to continuing to share my process and hopefully inspire your creative journey.