May 24, 2011
My Last Rya Rug: Tree of Life
This winter/spring, a lot has been happening with my involvement with rya rug making. For those of you who don’t know, my grandparents, Bill and Angelina Lundgren began Lundgren Rya the year I was born. They supplied thousands of customers across the country with high quality rya backings and yarn. I worked with them for years designing rugs and promoting the Scandinavian craft.
When the business as transferred to a new owner back in the 80’s, all production of supplies and promotion ceased. It became very difficult for people to find the supplies in the United States. My career had developed in the environmental education field and I could not fret over what was happening –or not happening– with the rya business. I have continued to use the supplies I had and to find occasional wool Scandinavian backings so I could make a rug every couple of years. Several years ago, I taught about 7 women the craft at the Carroll Arts Center. But sadly, I can no longer find a solid source for the supplies.
Ken Koons, photojournalist for the Carroll County Times, is passionate about documenting traditional arts before they are forgotten. So Ken asked me to let him photodocument me designing and making my “last rya rug.” Since February we have had weekly photo-sessions videoing and still-shooting the process. The video is almost complete. Very soon a reporter from the Carroll County Times will come to interview me for an article which will accompany Ken’s photos. I’ll post a link for the video which will be on youtube.com soon.
This morning I took this photo of the finished rug to share with you. You are the very first to see it. Stay tuned for …the rest of the story…
Melinda
PS Ironically, I received an email from a woman in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago wanting to “talk rya” with me. She works in the fiberarts field and is interested in bringing quality rya supplies back into production through manufacturing to her specifications to provide for rya rug makers in need. Could it be coincidence when she asked where I lived in Maryland since she is coming to visit her inlaws who live in…get this…Woodbine, MD! So I believe the stars have lined up perfectly. She and I will meet in my studio and I will help her all I can to revive this wonderful Scandinavian craft. Unbelievable! Maybe this won’t be my last rya…
Apr 27, 2011
At this moment, three items are on my bulletin board: a photo of my grandparents, a watercolor painting I bought in Ecuador, and a painted quote by Pythagorus: Choices are the Hinges of Destiny
For several years I have tacked to my studio bulletin board the gems of the day, things to be remembered, newspaper clippings, shopping lists for various paint stores and online supply companies. I know this is my pattern because today–on a whim–not on my To-Do list, I stripped the bulletin board layering every slip of paper and photo in a pile–like an archaeologist. Who was the woman who treasured this motley collection of trivia?
Interestingly the collection said a lot about me. I value thank you notes; especially those from school children with pictures. I must have an ego since every newspaper or magazine article about me or my work was at one time prominently displayed. I found many of my “first sketches” of designs that I later carved in wood or linoleum. (Nice to have them for posterity so someone can present them on Antique Roadshow in 100 years.) There were many postcards from Art Shows I’ve attended over the years, addresses of friends I wanted to keep in touch with, and a poem I began about having seen Georgia O’Keeffe in Woodbine two years ago.
Another pattern emerged–my quest to organize my activities in various forms: “Things I Must do – March 2009”, “Happy New Year Goals 2010”, and multiple lists entitled “To-Do.” Most of the goals I eventually completed– or they simply weren’t worth doing. One goal I wrote on every list was UPDATE BYRDCALL WEB SITE! Well, that one was always tough–so much to add, so much to delete. April 2011 was the month. I’m almost done labeling every photo, listing shows on a calendar, and starting a blog. It’s like turning over a new leaf. I welcome you to check it out! A whole new look–and I love it. (Thank you, Jeannine Morber.)
Back to the bulletin board, sometimes we don’t realize how far we have come until we dig through history a little. I wonder what you will find on your bulletin board. I recommend the b.b. excavation if you are ready to reveal your patterns and see what’s on your old to-do lists.
Apr 1, 2011
Oscar Portrait
Hello, friends… I am really excited to be restarting my web site anew. Now I am able to add and subtract images and text whenever I wish. I am learning this month, so bear with me. Just wait and see where we go together! Stay tuned…
Here is a portrait of Oscar, my friends, Kara and Dave’s kitty. Just finished it last week. This week, aside from learning all the website maintenance skills, I completed what might be my last hand-knotted rya rug. Backings are nearly impossible to find these days. My grandparents, the Lundgrens, imported the fine craft supplies for many years, then had them made in the USA, but alas, they can no longer be found. A local photojournalist, Ken Koons, has been documenting my work in photographs and video for the past month showing every step of my progress from design inception to completion. Stay tuned for the link to youtube.com once it is complete.
I hope you will sign up to receive my occasional blogs, and share the link with friends who might be interested. I plan on making it worth your while. I will post a new photo of my projects each time. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think of my work.
Enjoy the day!
Melinda
Oct 11, 2010
Original Photo of “the Woolie”
For over a decade (maybe two!) I have looked forward to getting the catalog for the Maryland Sheep amp; Wool Festival. The cover always has such beautiful and interesting sheep–or wool–related art. First time I saw the catalog, I said, “I am going to have my art on the cover some day.” Every year I say that. Last year, just as I was about to create a blockprint carving to submit, I pulled a muscle in my back and couldn’t do much in the month before the deadline. This year, I have been crazy busy writing an instructional booklet (on rya rug making) and almost said to myself, “Guess this isn’t the year to submit a new art piece for the Sheep amp; Wool Fest.” Then I stopped and realized that every year I wanted to do something, but always made an excuse as to why I couldn’t. That is a bad habit.
So a couple of weeks ago, I set aside about 30 minutes a day to design and carve the Woolie. I’m not going to show you the finished piece here, just a step in the process. But I will tell you that the design is nearly done and win or not, I am proud to have not procrastinated or forgotten to submit a piece. If it wins the poster competition, it will be printed on thousands of T-shirts, maybe coffee mugs, tote bags, and of course the catalog. If it is not selected, well, heck, the design will be mine to print as I like–maybe on a T-shirt for you. It’s win-win either way. Check out the Sheep amp; Wool Festival here: http://www.sheepandwool.org/index.php And now, back to writing the book…..
Cheers, Melinda Byrd
My drawingboard with linocut in progress (center in gray) and resources
Oct 11, 2010
I use my linocuts and woodcuts to make awesome hand-printed shirts, but occasionally I will have a image silkscreen printed–which is the “normal” way most people have shirts printed. My selection is limited to about 10 designs, but it is easier to have multiple shirts of selected colors to meet the demands of some of my retailers or on-line purchases where uniformity of product is a good thing.
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Oct 11, 2010
Browsing Jerry DeWitt’s paintings in the Carroll Community College Atrium gallery a year ago, little did Virginia and I know that we would be in the Carroll County Times the next day. And we suspected even less that our photo would be chosen among a dozen other photos to get a page on the Times’ calendar for the month of March. Guess that makes us Calendar Girls! Happy March. (Times photo by Dylan Slagle.)
