Gennifer Birnbach Welcome Barbara Grodin to our #Alembikawomen family. Here are her answers to our 5 questions…
What do you do (or did you do) for work?
I always worked from home, and always in the arts. When my kids were young, I taught piano. My students were all children, who met on Saturdays for theory class, and then during the week for a private lesson. It was a lot of fun, and actually had a waiting list to get in.
Many years later I got involved in fiber arts. I started with contemporary quilting, moved on to natural dyeing and screen printing, and ended up with my most successful business, the making of tallit.
I have a studio in my new home, but I use it less now. I do wonder if I will ever return to the designing that occupied so many years of my life.
What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
My surroundings have always been important to me, and if I don’t know what to do, I change the environment. It revives me. I am a minimalist, and love the feeling of space. You will often see me creating new spaces in my home, simply by changing things around, or getting rid of things I no longer am attached to. When I’m in a low mood, I often clean out my closet, or my kitchen drawers, or my studio. When I do work in my studio, I like to create the unexpected, an element of surprise that would not have appeared if I had a lot of clutter around me.
What would you do if you had the whole day for yourself?
As a recent widow, I do have most days to myself. And finding something that is meaningful is always on my mind. I do love the arts, and would probably choose a theater production or great movie, one that makes me think about it afterward. And of course dining out would make the complete package.
What do you love most about being a woman?
I believe women have an innate ability to experience deeply. We laugh, we cry, we feel. And if we share these feelings with other women, we bond. My sister and I have this type of relationship, and I treasure it.
Also, the clothes.
What is the one piece of clothing you cannot live without?
I love accessories. I bring a black Tekbika outfit when I travel, and can change its appearance every day with a scarf or necklace, bracelet and ring.
