Today dawned sunny and a little warmer, so we decided to "get out of Dodge" and drive up the mountain to Asheville. First stop was the North Carolina Arboretum to take a look at the Blue Ridge Fiber Show. Here's a view of the entrance area with an unusual striped shadow pattern on the trees. This picture is a complete stripe laboratory in itself!
I have always found the Blue Ridge Show to be intriguing as it is unjuried, and one has the opportunity to see the work of new weavers and emerging artists, not just the old hands. The quality of this year's show was unusually good, and the show committee did a fine job of displaying the large variety of work tastefully. Photography was difficult because of the close quarters and some very large windows, so unfortunately I wasn't able to take a lot of photos. But there were many show-stoppers, by some familiar names and also some new people. If you are in the area and have a chance to see the show, it is up until January 7. Here's an unusual piece that caught my eye: Ruth Howe's potholder combo! Now folks, this is a delightful demo of color & weave effects in two colors in plain weave. This says it all. Not flashy or showy, perhaps a little tongue in cheek.
After lunch at Pomodoro's we checked out the Members's Show, Southern Highlands Guild, at the Folk Art Center. The theme was Small World, and all the works had to fit within a 6x6x6 matrix. There was a great range of media, including fiber and books. I was pleased to see the red "sold" dot on the label for my piece, a book with jacquard woven cover and pages made of recycled brown bags from Trader Joe's. Unfortunately no photography allowed here. Another nice show, and plenty of good shopping opportunities on the main level of the Folk Art Center. Show up until January 18.