Machine Embroidery — A Life Changing Experience!

I had a life-changing experience on Monday evening. I visited my friend, Antonius Wiriadjaja, artist in residence at NYU's ITP program in Manhattan. He took my intro embroidery class at 3rd Ward, and subsequently invited me to check out his computerized embroidery machine.

One visit, and I'm hooked! Using the pen tool in Illustrator, I "drew" one of the phrases I would normally stitch by hand. I decided to treat the text as a line drawing, which is how I think of my embroidery. Antonius then showed me how to use software he downloaded, which takes the Illustrator file and converts it to a format the embroidery machine can use. The funniest part was seeing how the software made a linear drawing out of my "text," inserting long floats, or trails of thread to connect breaks in my drawing. Normally, one would use scissors to cut these floats by hand. I decided to keep them, because I see them as a map of how the embroidery machine works and thinks. They add to the linear quality of the text-drawing.

Below are two images: the machine embroidery, which is considerably larger and has a playful inconsistency, and my hand-stitched rendering, which has a more private and discrete sensibility.

Many thanks to Antonius for opening my eyes and hands to a new potential format for my work. I am now going to search for grant opportunities so that I, too can have an embroidery machine.

My new and improved www.IvivaOlenick.com

Over the past few months, I hired someone to fix my web site: me. I had interviewed a number of competent designers, and despite falling in love with the idea of having one less job to do as an artist, I decided I wanted control over when and how to update my site. I also didn't feel comfortable with the price tag attached to hiring someone...


I have added some fun, new categories, like "Where to Find Me," which lists current exhibits, and "What People Say About Me," with links to reviews.


I'm about to add a section of custom work. In the meantime, here is a sneak peak of a recent piece commissioned by my mom for my cousins' 15th wedding anniversary. To be added to www.IvivaOlenick.com very soon...

Pieced Together

Appliqued and hand-stitched. The places I've been in my own mind lately have been vast and rich and I feel change coming in the form of new professional opportunities, and new love.

Thank you, Mr. X Stitch

Embroidery and needle craft blogger, Mr. X Stitch very generously and unexpectedly reviewed my art this past week. Thank you, Mr. X Stitch, for a write-up, which you can find here.

Art review by dating coach, Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman

A big thanks to Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman for a review of my "Were I So Besotted" artwork on the the New York Love Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2473-NY-Love-Examiner~y2010m2d2-The-Art-of-Dating-Expressing-dating-lessons-through-art.

Paulette is a dating coach and author of "Dating from the Inside Out: How to Use the Law of Attraction in Matters of he Heart."

After seeing my work in Muriel Guepin Gallery in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, Paulette contacted me on Facebook, and we spoke briefly by phone. She then crafted this lovely review.

 

Despite Myself

"I love him despite myself and our B- history."

Love Stains

Last night was my gallery talk at Shop Art Gallery. We had a great turnout, and an engaging audience. Many thanks to friends, neighbors, fellow artists, and new faces who came out in the rain, and stood and listened to me share about why and how I make my work.

I had the opportunity to share some new pieces, including the one at left, "Love Carpet." It reads:

"It can be hard to remove the stain of an old love. No matter how many miles I run, or men I meet, your memory stays, carpeting my apartment."

Artist Talk Thursday night at Shop Art

For those of you in the New York area, I am giving a gallery talk this Thursday night at Shop Art Gallery in Brooklyn. My work is on exhibit there in a 4-person show, "Visual Vernacular," through November 29th. The gallerist, Muriel Guepin, kindly invited me to talk about the process and inspiration behind my work.

My brief talk will be followed by Q and A, so get your questions ready! I like a challenge.

Thursday, 11/19, 7-8pm at Shop Art.

51 Bergen Street, F/G train to Bergen Street station.

Refreshments will be served.

Left Behind on My Run - Smith Street and Third Street

This is where I left my final sign this evening. I had intended to leave more, but somehow lost my packing tape!! 

"I still hope he'll change."

If people do read these, and I very much hope they do, maybe these pieces will inspire more affection among couples, and a great leap forward towards secret crushes...