What Do You See?

I've been intrigued lately with the research indicating that we tend to discount facts and data that contradict our beliefs.  We like to think we are open-minded, but we tend to dig in our heels and stick to our position.  We tend to see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear.  It seems like every few months there is a story on the radio about new research or a new book on the topic. 

I faced it first-hand recently.  A friend of mine uses a different technique for dyeing fabric than I do, and she feels she gets more vibrant colors.  She decided to do a side-by-side comparison of the two methods.  I didn't really feel that I was tied to my way of doing things. I was interested to see the results, to see if it was worth trying her technique.  She showed me the the samples, and just as I was thinking, "Hmm, not really that much difference between the two.  I guess it doesn't really matter."  she said something like,  "So you can really see the difference - how much brighter the colors are with my method."  My first thought was that she  was so attached to her method, she saw what she wanted to see in the samples.  She believed her method produced more vibrant colors, so that's what she saw.  And there probably is some truth in that, but I was doing the same thing.  When I first looked at the samples, I did see a difference, however it didn't seem significant to me.  Not significant enough to change the way I was dyeing.  So then my brain ignored the difference that was there.

It just amazes me that we were both looking at the same "facts", but we each saw something different. I like to think I'm open-minded, but I see how easy it is to get caught up in that way of thinking.  So the question is how to remain open to new information.  I suppose awareness of these tendencies is a good place to start. 

Fear

I had one of those flashes of brilliance a few weeks ago.  You know - you're lying awake at 3 in the morning and all of a sudden you get a great idea.  Lately I have been uninspired as far as creating goes.  I've been putting so much energy into creating and teaching workshops that I haven't made studio time for myself.  And the less time I spend in the studio, the fewer great ideas I seem to have. 

So, after a dry spell, I was excited by my 3 am musings.  I was out of town at the time and couldn't wait to get home to try out my ideas.  But when I got home, there never seemed to be time.  Every day something else seemed more important, or at least more urgent.  It finally hit me that my procrastination wasn't due to lack of time, it was fear.  I know it sounds strange, but I was afraid to try out my idea.  I think it's because it sounded so great and had such interesting possibilities, I was afraid I would try it and it wouldn't live up to my vision.

When I realized what I was doing, I made myself go to the studio and play with my idea.  I had a blast!  I'm not completely pleased with the results, but I think a little tweaking will do the trick.  So, lesson learned.  Sometimes you just have to jump in.  You'll never know if an idea will work unless you do.

Oatmeal on Cloth

Last week I created some samples of cloth using oatmeal resist for a demo I'll be doing later this year.  I've done a lot of work with oatmeal, but I wanted to have a complete set of samples showing how altering the variables affects the cloth.  After creating these samples, I have a renewed enthusiasm for oatmeal. 

I started working with oatmeal as a resist about 5 years ago.  It's a little more involved than flour paste, but it creates a very distinctive pattern.  It is also very versatile.  You can achieve vastly different patterns depending on the ratio of water to oatmeal, whether you let the oatmeal dry or not before handpainting and whether you handpaint or immerse.  Below are photos of a few of my samples.

Oatmeal on silk

Hand painted while the oatmeal was still damp

Oatmeal applied with a spoon.  Looks kind of like popcorn, doesn't it?

Immersed instead of hand painted.  If you look closely you can see the paw prints where my cat

jumped up and did "the slide".

Color Studies

I've been so focused on my summer workshops, I haven't spent much time in the studio working on my assignments for the ArtCloth Mastery Program. The little I have done has been centered on color studies.

I used soy wax and gel glue as a resist, then handpainted on thickened dyes. I'm still intrigued by the low intensity colors you get from mixing a color with its complement, so that was my focus. I worked with the 12 primary, secondary and tertiary colors to create intensity studies with each. Below are a few of my samples.

The Softer Side of Art

A fiber exhibition featuring artists from South Texas and the Hill Country opened Thursday at the Kerrville Arts and Cultural Center. The exhibition features work in a variety of media, including art quilts, figurative sculpture, basketry, weaving, artcloth and stitching. Below are a few photos from the exhibit. Please join us for the reception on Saturday, July 17th from 1-3 pm.

Weaving by Letitia Rogers

Figurative sculpture by Linda Rael

Three dimensional mixed media sculpture by Lana Book

Woven basket by Mary Lee Tennant

Artcloth by Lisa Kerpoe

Just Say No

Looking at my calendar the other day, I was feeling overwhelmed by all the deadlines and obligations. Most of them are things I have already committed to. And most of those are important, either from a financial or potential opportunities perspective, or simply because they are enjoyable. But one stood out. It wasn't something I was looking forward to, it wouldn't really benefit me, and my absence would not have been a detriment to anyone else. I should have said no.

There comes a point when one has to decide which teaching venues, exhibitions and speaking engagements will further one's goals. I have a tendency to say yes to everything that comes along, but I realized I just can't keep it up. (Took me a long time to figure that out!) I had planned to enter a few exhibitions in the fall requiring new work, but I have decided not to. They aren't really that important to me and will only distract me from other, more important activities. My new mantra is "just say no". So if you're thinking of asking me to get involved with something new - you just might want to wait a little while before asking. I've been practicing my "No"!

A Day in a Film Shoot

I spent last Monday in a film shoot for a new DVD collaboration with Jane Dunnewold.

The DVD, Vibrant Color: Combining Soy Wax and Dyes for Brilliant Results, focuses on three techniques for adding MX dyes to soy wax. It was my first experience creating a DVD, but Jane is a pro at this. She makes it look so easy!

I spent the previous week organizing my thoughts and materials. Actually it wasn't too much different from preparing to teach a class. Create an outline, gather supplies, make samples.

The one thing that was different is I found myself obsessing about what to wear. Those of you who know me, know that I am not exactly a fashion maven. I wear pretty grungy clothes when I teach. And even when not teaching, I don't really get too concerned about what to wear. But somehow that didn't seem appropriate on camera! And then the day before the filming, a friend of mine said something about makeup. "Makeup! I need to wear makeup?!!" I haven't worn makeup since leaving the corporate world behind 12 years ago.

Well, those things all sorted themselves out and we were ready to begin. James Sanders, our video producer, was a pleasure to work with. He has filmed a lot of programs for the local PBS station. His easygoing style made me comfortable and I know he's going to do a great job of editing and production.

We hope to have the DVD out by the end of July. I'll post more info and a preview later. Below are some photos from the film shoot.

Jane's makeup session

James and his assistant, Josh, getting the camera and microphone set up

The newest studio cat had a great time playing with the cords and tripods.

Getting the shot just right

Pretty Girl, one of the studio cats, is getting bored. Let's get things moving!

Now we're rolling!

Itty Bitty's all tuckered out with all the excitement.

Economy as a Design Principle

I've been very intrigued lately by the concept of economy in art. It's the idea that a piece of art has only what is necessary to convey the desired message or meaning. No extra lines, colors, shapes, images, layers.

I think I am drawn to it because I tend to keep adding more and more layers to a piece. Sometimes when I'm not really sure what is needed, I just do something. I am good at ignoring that voice of intuition that says, "No! Don't touch it! You're not sure about adding that screenprinted image, so don't do it!" I often do it anyway, and it may not detract from the piece, but it doesn't really move the piece forward, either. And sometimes it turns out to be a disaster (like a piece I worked on last week - more on that later).

I think it also ties back to working with intention. It is easy to lose focus, to be unconscious of how each layer, each step, each printed image or handpainted color effects the final piece. Sometimes it's a matter of being lazy and not wanting to take the time to test an idea first.

That's how I created a disaster last week. It was on a piece that was almost finished. It had been committed to an invitational exhibition and I was just finishing up a few details. I decided to add gold leaf, but didn't have the proper tool to achieve what I wanted. Instead of waiting until I got the tool, I tried something else. Of course, I didn't test it on a scrap to see how it would look. Well, it was really awful. It did detract from the piece. Fortunately I was able to save it with a few additional tweaks and now the piece looks great. The final product actually did accomplish what I had envisioned - I just took a bit of a detour to get there. Sure, I received the end result I wanted, but it was a bit hard on my nerves!

I'm consciously trying to incorporate the idea of economy into my work now. Being intentional with each step, each mark, each color. Being conscious of whether or not it will move the piece forward, or just be extra "noise". Listening when my intuition says, "Stop - come back to it tomorrow." I can't say that it's not challenging. I can easily fall back into old patterns, especially when working under a deadline. But hey, I love a challenge.

A New Acquisition

I recently purchased an encaustic painting by Michelle Belto. Michelle is a local artist who creates her "canvas" with hand-made paper. She then paints on top of it with layers of colored beeswax. I was entranced from the time I first saw her work at The Circle Squared, her solo exhibition last fall. Each piece was beautiful. The layers of wax create a rich surface with a lot of depth.

I loved all the pieces from the exhibition, so I had a hard time choosing one. The one I finally decided on, Mandala, spoke to me with it's simplicity. I also love the texture and dimension. I am so excited to have this beautiful piece in my home!



If you'd like to see more of Michelle's work, check out her website.

"Vibrant Color" Soy Wax Techniques

I'm really excited about some new ways to use soy wax. Jane Dunnewold and I have been experimenting with several techniques that involve mixing fiber reactive dyes with soy wax. For the past year and a half, Jane has worked on a recipe to create dye crayons. I initially got involved last summer by helping her test the crayons.

Jane has perfected the recipe and is marketing a soy wax blend so artists can make their own dye crayons. The soy wax crayons are perfect for drawing, writing and creating rubbings from a variety of textured items. The dye in the wax forms a permanent bond with the fabric and the excess dye easily washes out in the washing machine.

We also experimented with adding fiber reactive dyes to hot wax. I am particularly intrigued with the dye/hot wax mix. The color in the wax penetrates the fabric and the wax acts as a resist for overpainting with dye. It results in vibrant color and creates a look that is not possible with any other technique.

We have also formulated a recipe for a soy wax paste that is perfect for stenciling. It gives a softer look and allows greater control than applying thickened dye through a stencil. Refining these techniques took a lot of experimentation. Just mixing the powdered dyes with the wax gave unsatisfactory results. Now, after perfecting the techniques, we have collaborated on a DVD and workshop to introduce the process. Our first workshop was last weekend in San Antonio. Below are some photos.

The next workshop will be in San Antonio in October and the DVD is scheduled for release in July. Stay tuned for more photos as we continue to refine these techniques.

Update 6/1/11 - We now have both a book and a DVD available on the techniques. See my website for more information.

Working with Intention....Or Not

I've been in a number of conversations this year with other artists, talking about the variety of ways in which we work. A subtle thread that I have noticed is that most people think the way they do it is the "right" way. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised - don't most of us think our way is best?

I have always been a strong believer in setting an intention for a body of work and then working toward that intention. Usually my intention revolves around a theme or creating a certain feeling. I don't usually draw sketches or plan the entire piece - I have a general idea where I want to go and then let the cloth and my intuition guide me as it evolves. It was easy for me to think that my way was superior, because I was working with intention rather than just letting it happen. And someone who works in a more spontaneous approach could easily feel their way is superior because it is more intuitive and free.

Earlier this year I came to realize the value of working in a more spontaneous manner. I worked on several pieces that did not start with a theme or focus- I was playing with color and technique. I realized how freeing that was and how much I enjoyed it. I found that working more loosely helped bring out my creativity and led to inspiration on my "intentional" pieces. It brought me back to my watercolor days, when my favorite way to paint was to put on music, grab some brushes and just paint.

I used to see it in a black and white way - some people work with intention, others don't. I have come to see it as more of a continuum with those who work very serendipitously with no "plan" at one end and those who draw sketches, make mock-ups, etc. at the other end. And many of us fall somewhere in between. I guess I have come to value all ways of working. No way is better than another. And I now like to vary my approach, depending on the project. It is up to us to find the approach that brings out our creativity and honor others, whatever their approach.

Fiber: A Closer Look

Laura Ann Beehler and I are curating a fiber exhibition this month at the San Antonio Visual Artists' (SAVA) gallery. The invitational exhibit of Texas fiber artists represents a range of artforms including art quilts, wearable and functional art, 3 dimensional sculpted fiber, artcloth, basketry and weaving. Fourteen Texas artists are featured, including Jane Bishop, Laurie Brainerd, Jane Dunnewold, Martha K. Grant, Caryl Gaubatz, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Lisa Mittler, Susie Monday, Susan Oaks, Linda Rael, Letitia Rogers, Linda Sura, Laura and I.

I hope you will join us for the opening reception on Thursday, May 6. The reception is from 6 to 8 pm and the gallery is located at the RiverCenter Mall, Suite 205 (near the Commerce Street entrance).

Below is a sneak preview of some of the items in the exhibition.

Making Marks

This week I started experimenting with making marks. I chose a variety of brushes and other tools and played around to see what kind of marks they would produce. I was inspired by a friend of mine who took a strip of rubber and was able to come up with 15 different types of marks. This is all part of my desire to work directly on the cloth, rather than relying on screenprinting.

This concept of making marks isn't completely new to me. I have used it often with black paint on paper to come up with images that I could turn into a silkscreen, stencil or thermofax. This time, I am using thickened dye on fabric, to get a better understanding of what each tool can do.

I started with some basic brushes - a large round watercolor brush and a large square brush.

Then I moved on to a paint roller and some ice tongs.

A spring whisk and window chamois make interesting marks.

My favorites are a putty knife...

a rubber spatula...

and a wire whisk.

I'm running out of tools to try - time for a trip to the thrift shop!