Gifts for Nature Lovers

   

The holiday season is getting dangerously close, and I have been hard at work on small artworks for an upcoming event, the Deluxe Winter Market in downtown Oklahoma City.  This event will take place on November 28th and 29th (the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving) at Leadership Square (211 N Robinson).  Alongside artists with a variety of different media, I will have my fiber sculptures and wall hangings, knitted terrariums and holiday ornaments, knitted staghorn ferns, photo prints, and some winter accessories as well!

For those who do not reside in Oklahoma City or cannot make it to the event, never fear!  As I am finishing products, I am working on listing them in my Etsy shop, where many of them are available for purchase right this moment.  I hope you'll take a look and consider your loved one with an affinity for natural details, your mushroom forager, your wilderness wanderer, or even your horticulture enthusiast with a black thumb.  Hopefully I will see some of you at the event as well - be sure to say hi!  See below for a selection of the items that are already up in my shop.

mycena sculpture

Fiber sculptures on cork bark

 

orange mushroom terrarium

Knitted "terrariums" of different kinds also including mycena and amanita mushrooms, pixie cup lichen, witch's hair lichen and wolf lichen, among others.

false turkey tail wall hanging

Fiber sculptures on cork bark slabs have d-rings installed on the back side for ease of hanging.

mushroom ornament

Holiday ornaments incorporating mycena, orange mushrooms, pixie cup lichen, and amanita.

 

pom pom hat front

Hats and cowls are available in a variety of different colors

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my new web site!  After a few years of having a blog on one service and linking to my portfolio and shop from other hosts, I buckled down this summer and consolidated everything onto one domain.  I hope you'll have a look around the site and see more about my vision, past work, and everything that has connected in making BromeLeighad what it has become here and now. Since I'm done importing old blog posts and teaching myself how to use Wordpress (phew), I'm hoping to get back on a regular posting schedule with some old projects finishing up and some new ones just beginning!  For now my old site and shop will remain live, but in the future I do plan to shut them down and assign the Bromeleighad.com domain to the new blog for those who have bookmarked it before.  If you would like to update your RSS subscription or bookmarks, please use http://www.leighmartinart.com/blog.  I will be sure to let you know once the other site has been taken down, but in the meantime I will continue to post in both places.

Along with this launch, I've posted a whole new collection of work in my new shop, so be sure to have a look!  Thanks for stopping by.

Lichen Collaboration for START Norman

Back in April, I made mention of a collaboration that I worked on with Sarah Hearn for the threshold: the promised land exhibition, part of START Norman.  Sarah is a visual artist who also showed work in Rare Earth at Plug Projects in Kansas City last year.  A kindred nature-inspired artist, much of her work involves lichen -- a group of organisms that has strongly grasped my attention as of late.  I've been in awe of Sarah's beautiful macrophotography of these intriguing life forms, intricate paper cutting, and thought provoking installation since I first saw it.  Clearly, I was all about working on a piece together for our site specific installations in Norman.
I'm excited to share the photos of our collaboration with you now, which Sarah so kindly captured for us.  This work is a colony of two lichen interpretations: Parmotrema perforatum (perforated ruffle lichen) and Peltigera canina (dog-lichen).  My contribution included the moss growing among the dog-lichen, and apothecia and ruffles throughout the perforated ruffle lichen.
In addition to the collaboration, Sarah placed several mini-installations of lichen throughout the site, and designed a scavenger hunt for visitors to use in finding them all!  They blended in quite well to their surroundings.  She added my two Succession installations to the hunt as well.  I loved this engaging concept, and hope it was a fun way for visitors to learn about and connect with nature.
After this project, I've found that I can't stop observing lichen whenever I see it.  I'm captivated by it!  This is a subject matter that you will likely see more of in the future.

Broken Bow Flora

 As I mentioned last week, J and I spent a few days down in southeastern Oklahoma last weekend (where I also did my latest installation for the Decomposition series, "Riot").  It's a beautiful time of year to visit that area -- everything was in bloom: the dogwoods, red buds, wildflowers.  Trees were just starting to leaf out.  A hint of fungus was starting to appear here and there (that's another photo post entirely).  We absolutely loved the scenery, and it was so refreshing to get away from a few days.  You don't realize how much you miss the "sound" of silence until you hear it.  There are few things I love more than the absence of urban noises - cars, voices, industrial sounds... and in its place just the low hum of the wind and a nearby stream.  So peaceful, so revitalizing.  We will definitely be back.
I took so many photos that I will have to break it up into a few posts.  The flora comes first!

52 Forms of Fungi || #7

Enoki mushroom!  We're getting a little culinary this week.  This is the cultivated appearance of the enokitaki mushroom, which is orangey brown in the wild.  I always love looking at them in the grocery store, because just one little clump seems to have hundreds of tiny stalks and caps. For the sake of trying to stay on track with this project, I decided against going full scale... maybe another day.
They're just so neat looking.  I've never eaten them before though, have you?  Can anyone recommend a recipe?
Check out some other posts from the 52 Forms of Fungi project, where I knit a different type of fungi for every week of 2013.   In April, I vow to catch up!

 

On My Needles || Hitchhiker

The Instagram-alongers Ravelry group has been working on Hitchhiker, a shawl by Martina Behm this month.  My progress on it is slow, but since it IS something I've been working on gradually, I thought I would share it.  Partly because I like my progress photos.  The shawl looks complicated, but it's actually a really easy pattern to memorize.  I ended up using some Bare Merino Knit Picks yarn that was in my stash for the project.  Since I do still have an aspiration to knit socks this year I just couldn't let any of my Malabrigo Sock yarn go for this one.  I'm tempted to try dyeing the bare garment once it's finished, but this would be my first dye attempt and who knows how that could turn out?  If anyone has experience with dyeing knitted garments as opposed to roving and has comments on the differences in results, please let me know!

 

January in a Nutshell

Just like the holidays, January flew by in a flash.  Here's a recap of what happened around here during the first month of 2013.

New Feature: 52 Forms of Fungi

I started a new challenge for the year -- knitting a different type of fungi for every week of 2013.  Check out the ones I posted this month:

Introduction  ||  Form #1  ||  Form #2

DIY: I shared a tutorial on how to knit your own silver mushrooms (from 52 Forms of Fungi #1) and turn them into pendants for a necklace!

Finished Projects:  I finished up my cozy Big Herringbone Cowl, made with Malabrigo Worsted yarn.

Inspiration:  I posted about the Blue Trees art installation that I saw in Sacramento last fall.

Mentions:  My Decomposition series was featured on Knit Hacker!  Way cool.

Reflection:  I looked back at the many milestones of 2012 with a highlights post and a day to day photo post.

In the Works:  I shared a little bit about a new collaborative project I'm working on (involving those little succulents up there) and a little about things that make these dark, drab days of winter a little bit brighter:

One  ||  Two  ||  Three

Looking back, I'm already happy with how this year is going.  I've got my hands in a couple of other things that I can't share about just yet, also.  February is looking promising!

Raising Succulents

 Just look at these beauties!  Succulents are by far some of the most striking plants to grow at home.  When we were in the Pacific Northwest this past summer, I collected multiple little bits of succulents that we found while walking about, to bring home.  It's amazing how easy it is to grow a new succulent plant from just a little piece that fell off of another one.  There are so many varied textures and colors with these little guys - any time I go to a nursery that carries them I have to resist leaving with an armful!  Luckily for me, my friend Jo Anne from the Anthaus studio asked me to be a part of one of their group's new design ventures... so she and I went wild at a local nursery the other day and now I'm excited to be the caretaker for these babies as we develop this new art project.  I'm excited to tell you more about all of this eventually, but for now I've got to be just a little bit cryptic (sorry... but haven't I piqued your interest??)  Check back soon for more...
Anthaus is an artist collective in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that "was founded to challenge and inspire artists, designers, and craftsmen to work together using their skills on projects with a unified theme."  They say, "we strive to not only create, but create with a sense of purpose.  Our projects involve those with the same values and are passionate to learn."

 

Glow

The urge arose in me a few nights ago to create some out of focus images of the lights on my Christmas tree.  Simple enough, but I love the halos of color, large circles of light in various hues that remind me of the image you see when you squeeze your eyes shut after looking directly at something that was just a little too bright.  I love getting wrapped up in the holiday traditions that have been stacked upon my nostalgic sense of holding on to happy memories, but a fact of life:  In the thick of it things get busy and stress builds up and it's easy to drone on through your days when it's dark by the time you get home from work and it's too cold to go for a run and all you want to do is eat massive amounts of comfort food and lay on the couch.  That's December in a nutshell, for me.  I guess what I'm saying here is look at those halos!  One of my number one goals in life is to notice the details... Not to get lost in them, per se, but to notice and to see something within you spark from it.  As we have seen demonstrated in events of violence or in friends that are hurting or even our impatience in where our lives are taking us, life is just too short not to.  Happy Holidays, friends, and take the time to be present and feel gratitude.

 

 

 

Sneak Peek || Decomposition: Stacks

This past weekend I had the opportunity to execute the next phase of my Decomposition series, entitled "Stacks".  This phase surrounded the textures of a type of fungi that I see quite frequently on trees in the landscape, typically younger trees or those with thin bark.  Called "split gill fungus", this type colonizes trees that are stressed, either through poor planting practices, inefficient watering, and previous wounding and sun scald.  I am always mesmerized by how split gill fungus looks, and am very excited to include it in my fiber art series.

I used a Japanese maple in my parents' back yard in Tulsa for the setting, which turned out beautifully with the deep red leaves and bright, sunny day.  It added some lovely contrast to the white replicas.

In addition to the photos, I have decided to venture into a new media to provide you with glimpses into my work... video!  My husband was gracious enough to film part of the process for me using the Super 8 app on my iPhone.  I am most excited about it, because this is my first video editing experience ever!

Guys, I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but even though we've had our iMac for the greater part of a year, I still hardly know how to use it.  I FINALLY figured out how to use Command + click to replace the PC right-clicking function, and that was because a friend told me.  So know that it's a BIG DEAL that I just taught myself how to use iMovie in one evening.  A really big deal.  I had a lot of fun with it and am looking forward to making more of these... what kinds of videos would you like to see here on the Bromeleighad blog?

Without further ado, here is a behind the scenes glimpse at the most recent phase of Decomposition.  Check back in a week to see photos of the final product, Decomposition: Stacks!

Sneak Peek - Stacks from Leigh Martin on Vimeo.

Off the Needles || Baudelaire Sock

This week, I finally finished the Baudelaire socks that I began over two years ago.  Checking this project off the list has inspired me to finish seaming a Berrocco top that I've had going for quite a while now, so you may see an update on that pretty soon as well. I'm still not really sure what kept me unmotivated for so long in finishing these up, because the pattern really isn't that hard and is actually pretty simple to  memorize once you get your row counters organized.  I seem to remember messing up the heel initially, and after I rip out rows and rows and then fix them I tend to be annoyed with a project and drop it for a while.  That must be what happened.  In any case, they are done now and are super comfortable (and gratifying) to wear - I will probably wind more yarn today to start a new sock pattern this week!

When I first started the Baudelaire pattern I vowed to knit a pair of socks per month that year, which obviously didn't happen.  Maybe I'll add that to my 29 things before I turn 30 list that I will construct this August.  It will give me an excuse to order some Malabrigo sock yarn!

Have a look... (along with a few garden photos for good measure)

Texture || Oak-Hickory Forest

One of the new features (or categories, anyway) that I have decided to introduce on my blog will cover textures or patterns from every day settings and objects. I am inspired by texture on a daily basis whether it's involving an art installation that I came across on the web, a tree that I am working around during the day, or the combination of urban textures that complement each other in a unique way.
I believe it would be over ambitious to say that this will be a weekly feature. At least for now, let's say it will show up when the mood strikes... Hopefully more often than not.
I decided to include Texture on my blog on my trip to the Ozark National Forest this past weekend. The other new features will include Hues and Light. While I may post on Light less often, I felt that it deserved its own category.
From here, I will leave you with the textures that stood out to me in the oak and hickory forest of northwestern Arkansas. Please let me know what you think about the new content, I'm always looking for ways to improve the blog.

Unravel Exhibition

I realize that I just made a blog post moments ago, but as I was browsing on Yulie Urano's blog afterward I came across this and had to share!  It's pretty interesting, check it out:

The piece in this video was part of a larger exhibition at the MOMU in Antwerp last year.  Here is a description of the exhibition:

"With UNRAVEL. Knitwear in Fashion, MoMu presents an exhibition about a material that is very familiar to all of us: knitwear. The exhibition, whichruns from 16/03 until 14/08, will challenge certain established ideas and show that far from being old-fashioned and dowdy knitting is highly versatile, luxurious and a continuing source of inspiration for high end fashion.
The exhibition will address the important decades of knitwear in fashion, demonstrating knitwear’s popularity both on and off the catwalk and unravelling the changing status of the relationship between knitwear and fashion. UNRAVEL. Knitwear in Fashion will introduce the visitor to a wide variety of exquisite knitted garments and accessories from across the last centuries, with a focus on high fashion pieces and their vernacular interpretations."

Sensory Cues

It's been dry here for so long, I had almost forgotten what humidity felt like.  Last week, the heavy blanket of muggy atmosphere not only wreaked havoc on my frizz sensitive curls, it also threw me into sensory overload.  You know how sometimes a vague tip off a sensory cue will throw you back into the feeling associated with a distant memory?  Since these bouts of nostalgia tend to be associated with pleasant memories for me, I typically welcome them with open arms.  This last week of humid spring weather has placed me inside a bubble of reminiscence over our trip to Costa Rica this past December.  I finally uploaded the photos from my point and shoot digital camera yesterday and thought I would share some photos from the trip again while I wait on some stormy weather to roll in this afternoon.



Whirlwind

I've seen formations like this over the years, using antique keys or type press letters. Now that i think about it, Lindsay Zodrow has a wall of empty wooden thread spools on one wall of her store, Collected Thread. I love it! Wall installations like this one always remind me of those surreal times when you are outside and there are THOUSANDS of birds flying around. Their movements undulate in the sky, like a giant blanket suspended in mid air, composed of tiny, flitting, winged creatures. (If you saw the recent flick, Tree of Life, Mr. Malick portrayed this concept beautifully). Since the first time I saw a similar installation to this one years ago, I've wanted a wall in my house decorated in a like fashion. It's in my thought bank for when we buy a house.. We have too little wall space and control over the appearance of our interior to do anything like it now. I like the keys or type press idea, but now that Lynsie has me thinking about air plants... How cool would it be to have a wall full of those? Hmmmmm... This installation is nothing short of lovely.

source

 

Conceptual Knitting

Knitting, conceptual?  This craft can mean so much more than just a garment or accessory.  I love the term "conceptual knitting", because it lends weight to the fact that knitting is so much more than just a craft... it is an art form.  Rather than just superficial value, pieces can have underlying significance, meaning and beauty.
My mom sent me a link to the Leafcutter Designs web site the other day, and I love this idea: a "conceptual knitting" project which materializes the shade of the sky, every day for a full year.  In the end you have a scarf that represents the full year in weather (which in my mind personally, has affected your well being day by day by day).
It reminds me of the Asian Philosophy course I took in college.  As a science major, humanities courses were far and few between for me and the ones that I did take ended up being some of my favorite courses from my entire college career.  Granted, with the Asian Philosophy class I was pretty smitten with my instructor (mostlyr because the material was so profound and moving to me...) but I was very inspired when it came time for our final projects.  We were to creatively interpret one of the concepts from the duration of the course.  I knitted a scarf representing the concept of "OM"... several different balls of yarn in different shades of blue, all tied together, all knitted in to one garment.  different, yet the same.  I also knitted the "OM" symbol into the garment, using various stitches.  Again, all connected, all part of the same piece, all one.  Maybe I should revive this concept.  The final product up with my instructor as a gift of gratitude for my enjoyment of the class.
In any case, here is a pdf pattern of the "Sky Scarf".  I hope it keeps you present and connected.

This installation blows my mind..

Incredible.  Love it.  http://www.gabrieldawe.com/

I've been absent lately, still.  I know I've got some serious posting to do, especially after our Marfa/Big Bend vacation from last weekend.  It is such a unique, beautiful place; I left there completely inspired.  Aside from all the photos I took there, I also have multiple knitting projects going that I need to get some documentation of. There are so many ideas for fiber art projects in my head right now.  I need to write them down before they get away from me, but hopefully I can find some time soon (once these other projects are out of the way) to start working on some of them.  One of my goals from last year was to produce something for Momentum... but seeing as how this year's show is next weekend and I submitted nothing, that's not going to happen.  Next year...