dogs

six feet of drawing.

quilts

that quilt

Self Portrait with Grandmother's Quilt

26 x 40"

Embroidery, Colored Pencil, Graphite on BFK

the timid dog, the aggresive dog

little mule

The House, The Dog

I grew up with

Cat on the Couch

this is Tinks the cat

Getting Back on the Embroidery Express

Just a wee lil thang

the best odcasts I listened to while making this:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/360/switched-at-birth

what it means to find out you've been switched at birth when you are 40 years old

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/359/life-after-death

stories about those who remain after experiencing someone elses death

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/04/144319352/pamela-adlon-from-hill-kid-to-californication

interview with Pamela Adlon- so good when she goes into her Bobby Hill voice.

Horse Rider

latest image. First really, since winter break started

no embroidery in this one but I am hoping to get back to it when school starts back up and I have a bonified studio

a few of the many podcasts I listened to while working on this:

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/09/144319530/rin-tin-tin-a-silent-film-star-on-four-legs

great story on the original Rin Tin Tin

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/259/promised-land

couple of fun stories up in here- interesting bit on fasting

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/373/the-new-boss

GREAT stories on what it means to be the new boss- what it means to be in a place where you are in charge but no one thinks you belong. so good.

HOLIDAY LETTER

The Wilson/ Roberts family left you all last year with hope for the quiet, comfortable, year of the Rabbit (according to the Chinese Zodiac). Now we are all left wondering if there is such a thing as three hundred and sixty five days of quiet, calm comfort.

We find Holly in her studio, where we left her last year wresting with a new material with which to carry out her artistic vision- plastic, photographic paper transparencies to overlay her paintings. Through much trial and much error, she finally devised her top-secret solution to adhering her transparencies to their respective backgrounds. And she was able to carry on, as she once had, creating loaded visual narratives with no concrete beginning middle or end. These new works were displayed at exhibits in Santa Fe and Las Vegas. Crowds cheered and cried and laughed and yelled Holly’s name at the sight of her new work. “The struggle” she tearfully told reporters, “was worth the product. I am just so thankful for everyone who has supported me.”

Pretty big achievement, you might be saying to yourself as you picture Holly surrounded by the paparazzi. But Holly’s biggest achievement this year was her booming internet presence. Facebook and a website could not house Holly’s wonder web potential, so she started a blog. Now she is constantly bombarded by her internet friends to give them the latest update. They drool like sleepy babies over their iphones and pc desktops, their ipads and dells alike, demanding more, more! It’s tough to maintain internet celebrity but Holly handles it with grace, ensuring consistency yet moderation. If you seriously haven’t heard about this already, you are way behind. But have no fear, you always have time to catch up. Simply visit http://hollyrobertsonepaintingatatime.blogspot.com/

As Holly enters the virtual world of fame, Bob made his own huge step towards demanding the public’s attention. After months upon months of precise angles, wandering aisles of paint sample, dragging hunks of metal across the backyard, etc. his piece, Flyway, was finally installed and completed by August. The final product was more than Bob could’ve dreamed. Every moment with the piece, from simply driving by to standing near to walking through brought a new, pleasurable and unexpected experience for the viewer. It exceeded far beyond its expectation of those who doubted Bob’s capability, those who laughed and called the proposal “that porcupine thing.” Those who tried to squash the existence of the piece by making outrageous claims like “building code violations” and “inadequate funds”. Those dubious fellows, upon standing before the completed piece, could only nod their heads and shrug with shame regarding the shadow they had tried to cast over the project. The project, in its finality, is inarguably stunning. And you thought Bob was a doctor.

Just as you thought Clark Kent was just a shy and quiet journalist.

And speaking of super powers, Bob emerged (or should I say submerged) onto the swimming scene, blowing his competitors out of the water. His swimming went beyond the pool, extending into the ocean, across lakes. He took the world of masters swimming by surprise, dominating every 60+ year old in his path. He swam in Sarasota, Florida, where he lapped his competitors twice; doubling the distance he was required to swim, and still managed to take the lead. When asked who his inspirations were, Bob told them, “My daughters, my wife, but mostly Jack LaLanne, may he rest in peace.” He tore through the pools in Arizona, creating a tremendous dust storm in his wake. You may have seen it on the news.

Ramey was promoted at NEXTAFF into sales and business development. That’s right, big promotion because she is absolutely the best at what she does. No wonder she had to turn down so many suitors! As a recruiter, she acted as a shepherd, she organized and ensured the well-being of the employees she hired for different companies. No sheep were preyed on by any predator on Ramey’s watch. Now she brings in whole companies by selling the recruiting/ staffing product that NEXTAFF provides. Her plot of land grows bigger as she takes in whole companies under her gentle yet firm wing to become her clients. Instead of guiding employees like helpless lambs, she fosters relationships with her clients who are only the cream of the crop top decision makers of the companies she works with, forever building a bond of trust and understanding. She is the connecting force of NEXTAFF to the companies who use NEXTAFF resources. Without her, there would be no sheep to heard, there would not even be the plot of land on which to stand.

Teal spent the summer working in Fort Collins for a summer camp. She was promoted (because as we know the Wilson girls are the very best at what they do) to head counselor for the 7 to 9 year old room, also known as “the crazy room” and “the loud room”. She aptly decorated the space with circus and amusement park imagery. They called themselves “Camp Circus,” and Teal became the ringmaster. She knew her pack of fifty 7 to 9-year-olds were feared by the other rooms (the 5 to 6-year-olds and the mopey pre-teens), but she loved them like her own. In a way, both the girls got a chance to play the role of shepherd, Teal maybe more literally because letting a herd of 7 to 9-year-olds loose in a field requires sharp eyes and large crook.

In her last year of school, Teal began embroidering, mainly because it was something she could do at home with the dog curled up next to her on the couch. But her interest in the medium grew, and now, for her senior thesis show that will be exhibited in May, she will present works on paper mixing graphite and embroidery. To catch a sneak peak, check out her blog at http://tealrobertswilson.tumblr.com/

The True Life of the Wilson/Roberts family will continue its next season in 2012. For now, you’ll just have to sit tight and enjoy your own family. We hope you have a safe, semi-uneventful-reality TV-worthy Holidays and a very happy New Year.