When I was hiding in my two coats in the wet fog, alone in this uneasy industrial area with its ancient clay and dark sand (husbandguy went to explore and shoot his shots), realizing I could find dinosaur bones and shark teeth digging and shaping this heavy mud, placing heavy rocks, hearing the windmills and warning sounds of the energy plant and the soft sounds of the ships,  I understood how this work is my voice.

.. and yes it is occurs to me that in this political climate you must be mental to continue working as an artist. but héy, someone has to do it. ;)

Sigur Rós went home to Iceland, the 97 minutes long dvd made of the in- and outdoor concerts is called Heima. One of the best music dvd’s around. (..I think.:))

And talking about sidetracks, I bought some  new plates.. rather old plates actually.. and delightfully thin old, cups to add to the collection. You know, the collection to make sure that when you set the table no cup or plate is the same..;)And to brake that rule, because what are rules for anyway, some new white teacups.. well not new either, 2nd hand for 50 ct old French (happy memories) cups.

How about Shirts for old times sake?

Next to 2012 is stack of portfolio’s, freshly printed at a small printers in town, and envelopes, as spotless as the year. On the other side; my agenda with a note that I have to plan my trips, with my trip wish list which I wrote safely back in 2011. ..And now I feel I am actually hesitant to start…to decide. ‘Why complicate when I could just as easily lay on the bloody beach for the entire year, or snuggle up in husbandguys arms!’, I ask myself… :)

Two links to prove the point that you really have to dream.. and step forward and maybe take off your shoes and start climbing. 1 and 2. enjoy.   and the photo? yes, handmade.

This is the year where I will not teach nor focus on vedible objects, but on material knowledge, installations pieces, exhibits, the global burrow project, growth. A logical step. ( The whole story is at the Dreamer post)

but first its time for a video creatrix Lynne Brunning shared. it made me laugh and also well up.. grinning.. such a woos.. but it does say it all.  Hope to go there one day. but in the meantime, try to do good to yourself and others me dearies, and get on your way! :)

There is no spring-tide until next week but windforce10 or 9  is spectacular and good to blow away cobwebs and dusty thoughts and I went to the beach to make a Burrow. The first of 2012. The wind blew me off my feet twice, partly because that big bag of felt on my back was such a good wind catcher :). When I sat down after digging the burrow and making the first photo’s I watched how the sand covered the felt quickly untill only the longer fibers were visible from under a thick heavy blanket of sand. It surprised me that watching the felt being covered was almost painful, although I also felt a bit like Pooh.:)

lots to learn.:)

More photo’s here and music on this blustery day is something completely relaxed, IAM.

Lives change and friendships change, and some friends become acquaintances and what remains are the good memories, the shared love. So, thank you old friends, for spending your time with us, hope life will treat you well. Some people we just carefully started calling friend, and with the gathered knowledge we say again, thank you for spending time with us. And a ’thank you’ to friends we know for so long, it’s good to walk with you.

Family are the ultimate friends, (and not just because they cannot..not really.. escape you.:)) With them the biggest part of my heart and mind dwells.  A huge hug and thank you to my clan. A special thank you, goes to me mom, the ultimate well wisher and supporter.

Husbandguy, 38/45 is all I say :). x

And thank you everyone who spends time here, hope this year brings you the really good stuff. Let’s beat the crap out of the bad stuff.

We have had an incredible amount of guests and out of towners last month and I saw little of my studio, I did see a lot of home and kitchen…grinning.. and I have been listening to him a lót.. Ben Howard. (again..)

Music link; Rachelkid is studying for graphic designer and she made a video with Mom and Dad about why our relationship is so strong and Donovan’s Hey Gyp, the song husbandguy sang to woo me. (still waiting for the mustang..:))

Do stay safe!

We hope to see you, preferably in person and otherwise on the www, again in 2012.

And before you sit down after all the hard work, warm 300 ml (full fat )milk with 90 grams of pure chocolate, one spoon sugar, less than a pinch of chili-powder and pour into two pre-warmed mugs, top with whipped cream, put on Nightmares on wax with Les Nuits then sit down and breathe.

take care.

ps, last three posts @ jane’s place are about our place. :)

In between working on the new installation (in carefull steps not to make the body complain too much,)  I make sketches and write down ideas, work on small stuff and I clean,. Really I am, it just sééms to be bit of a mess. I do major cleaning and throwing away stuff in between different projects.. which is just not now.. :)

So this is how the studio looks now at the end of 2011.  I use good size bubble wrap and sheets to secure the big pieces of felt when I roll, which I leave hanging in front of the windows to dry. The wool I use for the new installation are hard felters like Shetland ao, mixed with different raw fleeces from milkbreeds.  One of my collective colleagues told me that some of the raw fleeces in my studio smell as if I just opened a húge bottle of a really good wine. ‘That wild deep smell..’    :) Sounds good to me.

In the meanwhile Irish Artist Caroline Schofield  staying here to talk work and ideas. These ideas also have wild deep smells:).

Music? Emilie Lund.

Jane  is a photographer and she made a gazillion photo’s of our home and our area and ( importantly) for a portfolio shots of my studio. She already posted ‘Zen and the art of pie making’ on her site. A pie made with organic apples and the blackberries husbandguy picked in the summer and put in the freezer for a rainy day.

She walked around our home and asked; ‘Why don’t you do a book?’ and ‘Have you never thought about making a book?’ or  ’A book about your work and mix it with home photo’s, you guys have such good stuff..’. ‘What about a book about life and work..’.

I promised her I would think about it.. in 2013:)

Also easy-going is Helios to accompany the sweet apple pie and photo’s of the visit.

:) But also sometimes the emails are so funny and open and if you now all promise not to use these photo’s (yes, you can repost the link to the blog:)) and give credit where credit is due, I will post here and some here, the phototurotial which was made in the old studio on the ‘How to, tell me and yes it is possible.’  A picture paints a thousand words.:)  Some of these photo’s you can find somewhere else on this blog some’ we never used.

It is cold outside so here some to warm the inside. Ben Howard’s Fire.

(In finding the right words and directions we had some help from artists at Kipvis. I never wrote about those who form the collective. In coming weeks I will tell you a bit about the different artists there, about the artist in residency we have, about the exhibits and opportunities. )

Anyway, husbandguy and I figured it best if I made a radical decision for next year. And it’s decided  that I will not teach or try to earn any money this coming year.

Teaching or try to figure out how to make money, asks for a lot of energy. Energy needed for finding inspiration and development, for finding open doors in mind and heart. Energy needed for my body as my work takes a huge proportion out of the energy levels. It is physically hard work, especially realized in periods like this where I just started working on a new installation.

So, wide open spaces? Not completely,:) but I will do my utmost best to push the boundaries. and I bow my head to love and generosity.

Not sure if I used this music here before, dárn its good. Ben Woods.; Rebuild in silence. Stay safe guys!

* think I will call this piece ‘Where the heart is’ :)

Some time ago I told you that I was working on feet. I still am and dreaming about them.

I now made three feet. The first one you saw on this blog and I like it. The 2nd one was humungous.. so heavy to make and such a pain in the.. Nr two stands, in all its glory, on the floor of my studio. I have no photo of nr two as I know it has potential but cannot figure out what the potential is.:)

The 3rd one is the smallest with its 75 cm, it is hanging high on a wall and I am smitten with it. Will miss them for sure when someone else wants them on his wall.

So..the feet quest is not yet over and I made some evening and day feet-photo’s for you. (Sweet dreams.:))

Some of Dufflefolks‘ music for this post? Nice video.

ps. If you would like (even more..:)) info about my work just click and like.  And before you get sick of all that clicking dó click on this one. His name is Filthy Luker. He is the one who made the octopus creeping out of the building. Brilliant.

Click to view slideshow.
Filed under: blog, work Tagged: Elis Vermeulen, feet, felt, filz, vilt, visual artist ]]> http://elisvermeulen.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/feet-2-or-123/feed/ 8 elisvermeulen 'feet' 3 by Elis Vermeulen http://elisvermeulen.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/a-b-c/ http://elisvermeulen.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/a-b-c/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:33:01 +0000 Elis Vermeulen http://elisvermeulen.wordpress.com/?p=4228 ]]> This whole aabeecee stuff started with  A dutch art magazine has a column by Robbert Dijkgraaf. B, He wrote about Synesthesia. and he asks the quesiton what the colour is of the letter A… :) (No C here.)

A photographer came to see if our home is glossy magazine material. B, We talked for hours about work and stuff. Some of her work can be found on her site. C, If and when the photographer, and the stylist she works with, agree on the matter there will be a photo shoot in our home and in the studio. You bet ya’ I will tell you when and how. :)

A journalist with who(m) I had a skype interview asked; ‘On the Global Burrows blog you recently wrote that you were creating a burrow in a woods that hardly exist in the Netherlands any more.  Is part of the goal for this project to connect with endangered landscapes?’  B. What a significant question amongst a lot of good questions about the project and my work in general. Made me realize things.. afterwards. C, Her name is Misty Ericson and the skype interview is for Her Circle Enzine. Interview is due to come out in beginning dec.

A graphic designer asked if I wanted to become part of her second book about Dutch Felt when I was in the States. B, More  felt books are being produced these days. For this one also came the question if the book could contain photo’s of my work . There is no C here either but maybe I can give you a C  in the shape of phone photo’s of the newest hats I made last week to sell ànd some home stuff (now we are on the subject..) ànd the music Parov Stelar featuring Max the Sax. Soo much C for nought.:)

Take care guys, treat yourself on a moment where you realize (your) life is precious.

So for rest; Husbandguy is one of the most supportive amongst the males around the world and I kinda :) like spending time with the guy, he is the one that makes my heart do that soft thmb…thmb… and the fast thm.thm.thm… (Pleased to say I have the same effect on his heart:)). Our family is kinda cool (read; awesome:)), and we love the; talk, eat, walk, rest together, with them. …Eating well is part of the downtime deal anyway, so lots (lots) of good veggies, lots of tea.

But, before I went to London I already knew I wanted to bring some order back into a neglected home, and work related things as in; writing, talking, drawing and studio time is as normal. Just minus the travelling for now.

When we came home from London the UnitedFelt Gallery 2011 went online. If you have not seen it, make yourself a cup of something and click and click. In London Cynthia Reynolds and I talked about the future of Feltunited. From setting up, it was clear that our friendship and combined view was and is what makes or breaks Feltunited. And we now agreed; it is time to change things. We will ofcourse tell all as soon as we can.

So, although days are still filled,  pace is a bit slower and I am happy.

Today music by Sigur Ros. A heartmoving song and clip. Their music somehow makes me feel normal.. .:) Talking about which, help me remember to tell you about how it is to wear a hat in the area..:)

(lots of tea)

For the opening we decided on not doing a serious talk but do things our way and serve good wiskey, herbal tea and feed the hungry mob with filled (best ever) bread, and we had a good time, both proud of our work and the set up and really happy with the folk who came.

Carolina and I put up different pieces who do mix well and I made the installation in the window I so loved making. it is a strong piece and the lights and sun, the building and atmosphere.. see for yourself.( link to invite with Gallery opening times.)  I thought about names for this piece, but all I could come up with was.. ahh.. maybe best not tell you.. I really do not have a clue where it came from so I am still debating on it..:)

Okay my friends, take care, stay safe, I am off to London and then off to silent mode. Maybe you need some Paper kites today, easy going sounds.

Okay, doing the queen thing here; ‘We’ are tired..

I have been working and travelling almost non stop since August, and I am now getting ready to set up the exhibit at the Revolution 100.000 etc. Gallery, the duo exhibit with Carolina Apolonia. After the opening I have to pack stuff for a short work and talk and yes also fun stay in London next week with my friend Cynthia Reynolds, but after London, my friends, it has to be down time.

I am in need of rest and some sitting and drawing new ideas and brain stuff in slow mo’ . Figuring out what I learned in these last 9 months I have been working on the Global Burrow project and how I want to proceed. Do some concentrate and process-thing and take care of my body.

So, next post will be the ‘How did that exhibit at the Revolution 100.000 etc Gallery turn out.’ and that one will be followed by some radio..herm.. computer silence.. But first a photo from work and thoughts of work I have been.. herm.. working on.:) After working with rope in some installations and learning more about it,  I loved making this piece. Seeing the character in shape and light, realizing the strenght. Yep, very pleased with this one.

Bon Iver is the music link today, do click, the music is great but  also this video is mmm.

Someone ordered the best weather and night air all the artists, musicians, dancers, performers (ánd public) could wish for. Bars and restaurants were open and the centre off Middelburg smelled of the woodfires. The streets were filled with kids who were dragged out of their comfy beds  by their parents and taken on the walks,  and with elderly who were freaked out in the darkness and sure enough with youngsters who giggled as only youngsters do.

I have just a small sample of what was on offer, but you will get the drift won’t you?

I thought about a link to some easy music for a sleepy day but think Parov Stelar is better. (thanks for that one Rachel;))

Photo-credits Studio 59.

Carolina and I have been talking about a collaboration almost for as long as we have known each other and now is the time. There is not much I can tell you about it.. well.. I could.. but better do that after the vernissage. Hope to see you there on saturday the 5th of November.

Spinvis is the choise the music link today. Stay safe.

Artists would not be artists if they did not see more than one advantage in playing outside after dark, so when the collective was asked to participate a couple of us jumped for joy…

So, if you dare (and your mom lets you) come over and spend some time with us on a walking tour through the dark alleys and back streets of Middelburg where you will find art and performances with dancing fingers, scary guys, a black film and a fishing queen, from 21.00 until 23.30 on saturday the 29th of October. The tour will take you about 30 minutes, more or less and starts at ‘De Vriendschap’. Bars are open for hot cocoa or a beer and the weather forcast (no small bonus) is good.

Music today; ‘Gravity’ or ‘Where the light is’.  Stand in the middle of your room and play it loud my friends!

photo credits; studio 59