Today's Feature: Cold Cave

The final installment of Today's Feature spotlights "Cold Cave", a work based on numerous visits one of the largest tectonic caves in the eastern U.S. A cool wind blows up from the narrow cleft in the rock at the mouth of the cave even on the hottest summer day, and the brave and/or slightly foolhardy can venture in some distance and experience the utter and total darkness. Experienced cavers can explore the extensive labyrinth and despair at the graffiti left by the disrespectful. I went in once years ago, but today consider discretion the better part of valor, and now just content myself with a peak inside and the appreciation of the surrounding woodsy terrain.

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The center (blue) image has been manipulated in a photo program, then printed on silk satin. The two pale images on the sides were printed on cotton, as were the two leaf panels. Other panels are from fabric I handpainted, and the fabulous bit of vintage damask on the upper right was sugar-dyed by my friend Deb Lacativa. The borders on the left and bottom are from a piece of ikat rayon I brought back from India in the 70's and have been hoarding for just the right moment, which finally came. It is embellished with couched yarns and handbeading with seed beads and larger glass beads . You can read more about it as a work-in-progress by clicking on "Cold Cave" under Labels in the right sidebar.

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On the face of it, this work contains a lot of seemingly disparate elements, but I feel they all work well together and contribute to a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts, and that it successfully conveys the concept of a cold cave in the woods.

"Cold Cave" was selected to be exhibited as part of Images 2009 at the Robeson Gallery, Penn State University this past summer. Starting today, you can see it at the Isadore Gallery in Lancaster, PA.

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I hope you've enjoyed my in depth look over the past few weeks at the work for this exhibit, and I especially hope that if you are in the area you will stop in and say hello at the opening reception tomorrow, November 6th, from 5 - 9 p.m. And my thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my posts and comment or email me--I greatly appreciate your encouragement and support!