Pyramid Scheme

I'm loving experimenting with sculptural embroidery. Here is a new piece, small in scale, about 3" high x 5.5" wide and deep. Cut fabric with embroidery on painted fabric.

"your heart is a pyramid scheme"

Your Heart Unfolding into Mine...

Final image - "The gentle unfolding of your heart into mine..."

My Heart, again

Unfolding Heart in process

In experimenting with unconventional books in fabric, I am planning to layer another piece of fabric on top of this one with parts of the heart cut out and then sewn back on as flaps that can be lifted to reveal the stitched heart underneath, which you see here.

Heart to Heart, Hand to Hand

Happy holidays and lots of love to all. My latest embroidery about love and the interweaving of two people is below.

"Heart to Heart, Hand to Hand."
Embroidery on fabric, 2012. 7.75" x 3.25".

Tattoos and embroidery

My brother got married in September, the same weekend as the Brooklyn-Museum sponsored Go Brooklyn open studio weekend. I was in silver heels with my nails done (a twice-a-year event) and an ill-fitting purple-grey dress, while my Brooklyn art friends were career-building. 

One of the wedding highlights for me was seeing one of my brother's friend's amazing tattoo-covered leg. From what I remember, one of her legs is largely adorned, and it looks like she's wearing these celebratory, asymmetrical tights. She and I talked about tattoos (I don't have any even though I admire them on other people all the time), and I've since been heavily dreaming about a tattoo that looks embroidered. 

A Google images search for tattoo fonts and tattoo hearts yielded some pretty fascinating results: I've started embroidering my name in tattoo lettering, and am thinking of embroidering an image of an anatomical heart (yes, people do have tattoos that are this literal!). Maybe a new series is on its way?

Image from http://waktattoos.com/id5973/heart-tattoo-600x799-pixel.html

The start of my name embroidered in a tattoo font with stylized roses.

So excited for Dumbo Arts Festival 2012, and the Embroidered Tweet Confessional!

I received my first confession for my upcoming project at the Dumbo Arts Festival, "Embroidered Tweet/Post-it Note Confessional."

If you are in New York, join me on Saturday and Sunday, September 29-30 in Dumbo, 1-4pm, and share your confession(s) with me.

Or, send me a tweet:
@IvivaOlenick.

At long last, love in Fulton Park

The piece pictured is excerpted from a lovely story about finding love while riding the NYC trains. Who hasn't noticed the cute man or woman on the platform or across a crowded train? In this story, a relationship formed from a subway spotting. Here is the original text:

It was an auspicious Saturday. The MTA had passengers transferring between local and express train lines because of repairs. Once in Brooklyn, I was relieved to finally be en route home. Then, the conductor played the last trick. The train was skipping a few stops, including my destination. I had to walk down a few flights of stairs to board another train. As the next train came to a stop, a striking man would notice me wearing a yellow halter dress. “Beautiful,” he thought. I took a seat in a separate car, unaware of his interest. Peering into the window, I saw the same man that had observe me a few minutes prior. At our destination, we exited onto the platform at the same time. Similar to a screenplay and cliché as it may seem, we saw each other at the same time. It’s one of those moments when other people move in a slow blur. “I’m going to love this man,” I thought. We slowly walked up the stairs, but our distance from each other was a few feet. I would frequently turn around to meet his intense stare. He’ll later joke with friends and family about his initial thoughts of me, “Hold on, baby… I’m coming.” Once outside, he gently tapped my shoulder to politely say, “Excuse me…” We walked through a park to talk about life. Then, he placed a right hand to his chest to say, “My heart… you’re different… my heart feels warm.”

One of the first dinners I made for him was Butternut Squash Ravioli with Shrimp and Ginger Sauce. I remembered this dish, because he said shrimp was a favorite. As we continue to date, he occasionally says, “…I’m enjoying the process of us coming together.” It’s been two years since that auspicious Saturday afternoon. He warms my heart, too.

"He had my heart in his mouth..."

"The whole relationship, he had my heart in his mouth. I handed myself over completely."

My friend in south Park Slope recollected her first love while we sat at a Bergen Street bar a few months ago. I've had this image in my head for months, and finally had an opportunity to realize it in embroidery.

Making a place for you