Folklife

My family has gone to Folklife every year. Sometimes we performed there and we always had a fabulous time (right, mom?). Jonathan and I are continuing the tradition. This was our fifth year at Folklife together. His desire to take me there even while we were dating was one more reason for me to think that this is my kind of guy.

It was quite a toasty day. This picture was taken early in the day and there were already a number of extremely wet children and sundry playing in the fountain.

As the heat of the day progressed, it got more and more crowded. I dressed to fit in rather than keep cool and rather wished that my attire allowed me to join them.

I enjoy looking at the beautiful art and crafts that people have brought to sell. The rising interest both in personal embellishment and 3rd world craft cooperatives is bringing over some incredible work. I saw embroidery from a school in India and a women's group in Kenya that was charming and meticulously executed. Part of what makes it so interesting is the motifs and stitches that are used. When I design embroidery patterns, there are certain lines, shapes and colors that I seem to gravitate towards. I am at home with curves and botanicals expressed in very fluid lines. Even the abstract designs have only minimal straight lines. I use the colors of my Northwest--blues and greens with touches of yellows and reds. This work expressed such exuberance in the very (to me) limited media of straight lines and circles and with a preponderance of those bright colors that I have such a hard time incorporating into my own work. There was also the work of some Japanese needle painters that was utterly exquisite.

They were not the only artists at work:

The beginnings of the crowd on Bagley lawn early in the day:


We listened to several enthusiastic marimba groups in the course of the day. Jonathan was mostly interested in the rymthmic complexities of the pieces being performed but there were plenty of others jigging to the beat. We also heard some chromaticism that was new to us.

Later in the day, Jonathan's parents decided to join us to enjoy the hot weather.

Recycled kitchen implements=BUG EYES!