Holiday Announcement: Egyptian Quilts

For all those in the Knoxville, TN area, a friend will be selling Egyptian Quilts at the "Shopping With Santa" event at the Knoxville Expo Center from November 22-24. A new shipment from Egypt contains some amazing pieces to see (I saw them via skype). Here's the info site: http://www.shoppingwithsanta.com/ 

My daughter will be helping out on Friday and Saturday and she will have her iphone to skype with me so feel free to introduce yourself (tell her Nadia sent you) and maybe we can chat!

When Two Worlds Meet

Lately, I've been playing around with the small sketchbook that I carry in my purse. Black and white sketches cover the pages to the end. Nothing spectacular, no expectations, just scratching around. However, the combination of black and white pleases me much more when associated with color. So out came the watercolors and colored pencils. A few minutes here, a few minutes there... 

Working back over the pages, I realized that I had a small record of some events in Tunisia over the past year and a half. Because I occasionally attend academic conferences at an American research center in Tunis (CEMAT), I scribble notes and information in my sketchbook--and doodle around. In January 2012, everyone seemed optimistic (except me), citing Tunisia as a model for revolution and political change. Skeptical then, I'm really laughing my head off now.

January's page shows a beautiful old hand embroidered women's cape that was framed and hanging on the wall of the conference room. I added the watercolors recently.

In May 2012, researchers called Tunisia a model for transition. A backpack and chair occupied me at first, 

then, I remember thinking "Hmmmfff!" as I doodled around on a zentangle. I must have been really annoyed because I don't usually do zentangles as they bore me silly. Coming back and adding a colored pencil spectrum to frame it made the design more appealing to me.

By December 2012, foreign researchers were beginning to get it. A conference about opinion polls and the accompanying methodology showed more realistic results. Briefly put, the ruling religious party was losing voters, but maintaining a majority at that time.
December's sketch is a typical brick and cement construction seen along the way; it houses electrical I-don't-know-what.

I've given up on academic conferences for the moment. Unchartered waters are difficult to analyze, and research requires some distance. In the meantime, I'm beginning to see intersections of my work thanks to blog posts--points at which my different worlds cross, overlap, and integrate into a whole. 

Nevertheless, I remain the Reluctant Sketcher....

A Gift

Thanks to a beautiful, warm Indian summer, garage cleanup/clean-out continues to occupy me as I attempt to find uses for everything and downsize. 

The underlying idea, of course, is to not accumulate anything new, either. However, a horse's head in an antique store caught my eye. It originated in Germany and was made around a hundred years ago.

When a friend wanted to present me with a gift, she knew what I liked. I thought a spot outside in the garden would show off the horse's head, so I let it sit in the sun for a few days to see how it held up. Bad place; it seemed more fragile than I realized at first because of the repairs that had been done on it. Having a healthy respect for finely crafted, old things (including my husband), I added it to my copper collection, where it is in good company.

Since the walls are cement, my husband kindly drilled two holes to screw it onto the wall.



The artisan in me wants to paint it black to return it to it's original glory, however, the patina of age seems lovely as well.

And so the collection grows. I admire it every day...

The Pen Revisited

When one feels the noose of repression tightening, one must not remain silent, and so I bring back The Pen (previously here and here) because it continues to be pertinent and actual.




The problem: Journalists are under attack as Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press--the only good that resulted from the Revolution in my opinion--slip away. Examples are numerous--a small sampling follows.

1. The well-known owner of a TV news station was summoned to appear before an attorney general (juge d'instruction), was then arrested and only released because of the large crowd waiting for him in the street. Several serious accusations have been leveled at this daring journalist/station owner, including betrayal of national security--which carries a death penalty. Although released, the lawsuits against him continue.

2. A militant journalist, who did prison time during the dictatorship, was summoned, arrested and spent two days in prison before he paid bail, which is unheard of because the bail system does not exist in Tunisia. Lawsuits against him continue.

3. A blogger who did some investigative reporting and revealed the "Sheraton-gate" scandal concerning large sums of money diverted by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs (son-in-law of the religious party's leader) had her passport confiscated and cannot leave the country.

4. Fortunately, "le ridicule ne tue pas" ("the ridiculous does not kill"). The government threw a lawsuit against a journalist with a radio program. His program was live and a caller criticized the government. That lawsuit is ongoing as well. 

And so, I salute the courageous journalists, writers, and media professionals who continue to risk their lives in order to maintain Freedom of Expression. 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
In the meantime, after two years of the ruling religious party's government, whose mandate ended October 23, 2012, Tunisia is on the edge of bankruptcy. Persistent rumors whisper that currency is evaporating rapidly and that there may be nothing left in a couple of months to pay salaries and pensions. The ruling religious party has begun negotiations with the major trade union and opposition parties to create a transitional government, now that they have bled the country dry and international banks refuse to consider dealing with the ruling party. However, skepticism reigns--will they leave or will they hang on until nothing is left to pick over but dry bones? Ah, yes, this is all about money....

A Sea Monster in My Pocket

Clothing has required more attention since I returned to teaching after a long hiatus. At the same time, I remain committed to recycling and upcycling. Sooooo...
One white shirt 

with a hole in a strategic place

and a pretty fabric






inspired an appliqué design that looked like a sea monster at first.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding--it's meant to be worn.














The owner of the shirt in front of a pomegranate tree.

Maybe it's a multi-headed sea monster or a plant from another planet? In any case, I'm certain there will be more appliqués added on because white is so treacherous.

I'm not sure this is the "Professional Look" students are expecting....ahhhhh, but now that I am old I can wear purple with a red hat.....

Linked to Nina Marie's "Off the Wall Friday".

Round 'n Round We Go

Just as I was getting to my textile journal page for the third political assassination of last July, Mohamed Brahmi's death came to the fore again, adding to the long list of tragic scandals and scandalous tragedies that characterize the religious party's rule.

And so, one sunny, summer day...

Toward the beginning of July, information came to the authorities about a possible political assassination to happen the month of July. The 14th of July, the CIA sent a message to the Tunisian authorities warning of an assassination plot against Mohamed Brahmi, an opposition member in the Constitutional Assembly. The PM was informed the 15th, but, not the Minister of the Interior...for some reason. In any case, nothing was done and Brahmi was gunned down in front of his house July 25th.

The plot thickens.

At the beginning of September, the CIA note was leaked to the press, creating a furor. A government spokesman said the note had required verification.

Well, verified it was a week and a half later.

This reads like a cheap, barely plausible, espionage or detective novel. Except that a popular novel ends with some kind of resolution: problem solved, even if a big stretch of the imagination is required.

However, guess what?

No problems solved for Tunisians. The government has made no effort to conduct a serious, non-partisan investigation to determine responsibility. A number of criminals have been arrested, however, judges have become notorious for acquitting extreme right militant thugs and the assassins will probably be set free. All this smacks of duplicity and complicity. 

July 25, 2013, Mohamed Brahmi assassinated.
They knew, and did nothing.

Is anyone surprised?

And yet, a shred of hope remains. A courageous group of lawyers, called "Initiative for the Search for the Truth about Chokri Belaïd's Assassination," is taking the Tunisian government to court in France for State crime (crime d'Etat). Thus, they hope to bring international attention to this affair. If the French courts should determine responsibility, then it could go to the international court at The Hague.

That should be interesting.

Will Tunisians remember all this? Certainly, yet because the Tunisian government goes from scandal to scandal, one scandal will erase another. 

Already another scandal is in the making.......

Process photos here.

An Open Letter

Dear Blogging Friends,

      First of all, I would like to thank all those who left a comment about comments over at MulticoloredSnippets. As I explained, my work load has increased due to family circumstances and a teaching job that starts tomorrow, and I had debated about shutting down the comments section since I am simply unable to respond to comments. I truly appreciated the feed-back and so I have been able to decide (without feeling guilty) that I will leave the comments section open with the understanding that I won't be able to respond for the time being except to specific questions, which I will try to answer immediately in the comments section. Like everyone else, I enjoy getting comments and on certain rough days I live for those comments. I appreciate the recognition of my work and this is the only place I get it, for the time being. Now I will look forward to visiting your blogs and leaving comments during vacations--this is such a creative community of which I want to be a part. 

      Secondly, I went to Tunis today to see my dentist (you needed to know this, right?). Wouldn't you know, two days before classes start, I had a sharp broken filling that wounded my tongue. Tomorrow I have to talk all day [my husband says I talk too much. I say it's lucky I got a job that pays me to talk] and how do you do that when you can't move your tongue? Thus, the visit to the dentist. 

       The point of all this is that I was thoroughly horrified by the filth of all kinds in the big city. Street vendors have taken over quite a number of streets--the word "rabble" comes to mind. The police seem totally overwhelmed (or else they're not getting orders to keep order), the situation is chaotic. My dentist, who owns a lovely apartment for his office in an old colonial building is now seeking another location--mind you, this is prime real estate in downtown Tunis. I've never seen the capital like this and I feel so sorry for all the Tunisians I know. They are just as horrified. And, of course, the state of the streets reflects the state of the State.

      Suddenly, I didn't want to be here anymore. Like in so many other countries, the city is moving out to engulf the agricultural regions. Our farm will not be able to resist much longer, especially with the total lack of local authority and rampant, uncontrolled construction taking place. Maybe I can face changes with more detachment, now. Or maybe the status quo will continue, but we will entrench ourselves and not go into the city unless necessary. My artwork will probably reflect this more and more--a terrible, wrenching cry from the guts.

      Today was a hard day. And yet, the sun shines, a warm breeze rustles the leaves, I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and loved ones around me. Tomorrow will be a better day. Thank you for listening and understanding. Thank you for your virtual presence and encouragement. Thank you for clicking and taking the time to read.

best, 

nadia