I’ve been working feverishly in the studio this weekend on my super secret collaboration– I can’t wait to fill you in on the details… But, for now, here are the latest mail goodies. I bought these used letterpress type blocks from the type junkie. I may stamp with them– I’ve been thinking of ways to get more hand worked imagery in my collages.

I am totally thrilled that Zolton at Lost at E Minor mentioned me on their blog of pop culture! Thank you Zolton! Check out the blog. Where else can I read about the mathematical properties of river lengths and giant toys!? While you’re there, be sure to check out Lost at E Minor’s banner gallery.

I’m spending the evening in the studio working on new images and sorting through photographs. Since I’m not ready to share the new work… or tell you about the super exciting, top secret collaboration in which I’ve been invited to participate, I’m hoping a bunny photo will suffice for a blog post. This rabbit was in the NC State Fair a couple of years back. Aren’t those the craziest markings?

bird in digital shibori landscape, 18″h x 36″w, fiber, 2006
digital prints on silk of altered shibori imagery, cardinal photograph, & other images, hand & machine quilted

I shipped this quilt off yesterday to the C&T Publishing special exhibition “Innovative Fabric Imagery: A Digital Exploration in Quilting” at the 2007 Fall International Quilt Market & Quilt Festival (Houston, Oct 27- Nov 4). This work is featured in the companion book “Innovative Fabric Imagery for Quilts.”

You can see more of my quilts here.

More goodies in the mail! Another old book I bought off ebay. This one is the Patent Office Report of 1868, Volume III. Hundreds of pages of gadgets, contraptions, dreams, plans, schemes, machines…

Saturday I hit the jackpot. I got 3, yes 3, really cool things in the mail all in one day and boy does that feel good! It reminded me of being at summer camp and the excitement from getting good mail…

The envelope and postcard are from Thailand and I’m the proud owner of Thai fisherman pants. The pants aren’t in the photo– I’m wearing them, they’re orange. You can see Thai fisherman pants at thaidreams.etsy.com.

I ordered the butterfly to photograph for some new collages. It’s an Idea blanchardi. Lovely!

And I got a check from Artspace (also not in the photo). One of my shibori scarves sold in the gift shop.

Life is good.

My show in Chapel Hill was hung today…. whew! A really big thanks goes out to Marni Goldshlag and Delores Hamilton for hooking me up with this opportunity!

unlikely + beautiful
digital & textile collages
by Tricia McKellar

at the Community Church of Chapel Hill, Unitarian Universalist
106 Purefoy Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27510
919-942-2050

September 15 - October 26, 2007

*** Artist’s Reception: Sunday, September 23, 1-3pm ***

It’s a quiet Friday night in the studio. I’m doing some last minute printing & framing for pieces that will be hung tomorrow in Chapel Hill.

I’ve been working on a new digital collage series– well, actually, several ideas for new series are stewing in my head at various stages, but I’m thinking of one in particular now. Each collage in the Plans & Diagrams series uses a photo of a linen sheet as the background image. I’m planning to do something similiar with this new series. The background images will be from a 19th century engineering book– here’s a tiny preview:

Just touching base– I’ve got a busy weekend in the studio ahead of me.

I’m getting ready to hang my exhibition at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Chapel Hill next weekend. More details on this coming soon! If you’re going to be in the Chapel Hill area, mark your calendar for the reception: Sunday, Sept 23, 1-3pm.

I’m also continuing work on some NEW series that I hope will be ready by November!

[Image above: detail from Five Birds with Nest print available from my etsy shop]

Yesterday, one of my luna moth prints, Insect Machine #7, was on the etsy front page with some other lovely moth inspired art!

Update:  I was thrilled to be in another treasury selected for the front page the same week:

Yippee! A three day weekend! I’ve been photographing shells and working on a new series… just a few images are ready. They’re on flickr now; when I get the series more fleshed out, I’ll start adding the prints to my etsy shop. Life is good!