The dreaded cold is finally starting to abate and I am so grateful. I've been more sick with a cold than I was with this one, but this one was a shape shifter----one day nausea, next day non, one day no voice, ear ache, croupy cough, the next day none, but all through it, incredible fatigue. I really do think I am over it and happy to be past it.About 4 months ago after I fist learned to make the fish with the incredible Pam MacGregor, I was asked to make a bunch for a yacht group in Chicago. Not inclined to be real thrilled with production work, I asked Jone Rakoski to work with me on the project. By the grace of God she said yes!...and we got to work together, in her studio, which I loved.
Jone works primarily with prefelts, where as I work mostly with roving. For this project we used prefelts that Jone had dyed, along with some rovings. Day one was design, then gather prefelts, calculate peices that we needs, begin pattern making, and plan the rest of the project. Day two, we each made three fish, and day three we did as well and day 4 again three fish. Finishing touches, like eyes applied were done by Jone and we breathed a collective sigh at the production being over. What Jone and I find most interesting is that we used the exact same pattern, fibers, soap, water, etc and our fish look so entirely different from each others. It always amazes us that each persons hand to the feltmaking process is uniquely their own. The two fish featured at the top are our faves.
The fish were cast out of the net in front of the clients last night. They loved them! ( oh good!)
I think Jone and I might end up being "fish mongers".
