More Vertical Lines

Yesterday I received a package in the mail.  It was a piece of artcloth I created in 2007 for the Surface Design Association exhibition.  It's been on the road in a traveling exhibit since then.  I didn't take a photo of the piece before I sent it off, so I had forgotten what it looked like.  It was interesting to have this piece of my past suddenly enter my life. 

In some ways it seems so different from what I am doing now, yet I see some similarities, too. It is from my "screenprinting period".  For about 2-3 years I did no immersion, I only screenprinted with dye. I really enjoy that technique and created some of my favorite pieces during that period.

What I hadn't really noticed before were the vertical lines in the piece. The vertical lines are not as strong of a design element as in some of my current work, but I do see a vertical component.  That made me think that my current focus on vertical lines isn't really new - it's just more of a conscious effort.  And that thought leads to the whole idea of artistic style. I've given a lot of thought to that issue over the past two years.  What is it that defines an artist's work?  What is it that connects two works of art so we know they are created by the same artist?  How do we create a balance between creating fresh, exciting work, yet still maintaining a distinctive style?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Vacations

This year I took two vacations, within two weeks of each other. And I'm here to tell you that vacations are an important part of keeping creative.

I can easily become obsessed with the projects I am working on.  I'll wake up at 3 in the morning, my mind racing with ideas.  Usually when that happens, I just get up and start working - I know I won't get any more sleep!  In my old career in the corporate world, I considered myself somewhat of a workaholic, but that's just who I was.  I figured it would be different once I gave up that lifestyle.  Imagine my surprise when I realized earlier this year that I am just as driven about my art. Hmmm, some things don't change.

I don't believe that type of drive is a bad thing in itself.  It represents a passion for what you do.  I think it becomes detrimental when it takes over your life. When you can't stop the chatter in your brain long enough to enjoy the fall breeze, or the migrating hummingbirds, it's time for a break. 

My vacations were both short - four days each - but I left my work behind.  No email, no deadlines, just enjoying myself with my family.  And I came back with lots of ideas to keep me awake at night!  A lot more ideas than I'll ever have time to act on. 

When was your last vacation?  Is it time for another?
 

The Sacred Art of Altars

Time once again for the Seventh Annual One People, Many Paths: Sacred Art of Altars Exhibit sponsored by the Celebration Circle. The exhibit and silent auction features 55 altars by San Antonio artists. We each started with the same hand-built wooden altar and created our version of the sacred.

The show is on display throughout September inside the lobby of the Bijou Theatre at Crossroads Mall.  The exhibit will end on September 30, with the reception and final bidding from 6 pm to 9:30 pm. You can view the altars and place a bid anytime during normal business hours, 11:00am - 10:00pm.

The altars this year are absolutely fabulous!  If you can't make it to the show, or if you want a sneak preview, look at photos of the altars on flickr.  I used some batiked paper for my altar this year.  I've been experimenting with using soy wax mixed with fiber reactive dyes on paper.  Very interesting results!

For more information about Celebration Circle or the event, visit their website.

Featured Artists Include:

Jane Appleby, M.D., Zet Baer, Michelle Belto, Ana Maria Berry, Laurel Bodinus, Momo Brown, Pam Bryant, David Caris, Massie Center, Hebron Chism, Suchil Coffman, Dinah Coakley, Sue Cooke, Jamie Damon, Susan Damon, David Elizondo, Sheila Fitzpatrick, Dana Fossett, Joan Frederick, Dimitri Garcia, Laurel Gibson, Sam Gonzalez, Kat Gustafson, Rudi Harst, Dale Jenssen, Zach Jewell, Deborah Keller-Rihn, Lisa Kerpoe, Mark Kohnitz, Charmaine LaBold & Keith Creel, Tim Lapping, Sharon Legg, Naomi Leissner, Jaime Martinez, Nancy McGalliard, Jai Medina, Beverly Meyer, Kathleen Messina, Susie Monday, Cindy Palmer, Ray Palmer, Cynthia Phelps, Rachel Rainwater, Thom Ricks, Mark Rue, Regina Sanders, Randy Schwartz, Sharon Shelton-Colangelo, Tirso Sigg, Jodi Stauffer, Daniel Stoneham, Rebecca Coffey, Julie Troilo

I hope to see you at the reception on September 30th!

Fat Quarter Studies, Part 2

I've been working on the rest of the fat quarter studies as part of my artcloth mastery class assignment.  These are a series of 8 pieces in which I am using a similar composition, trying different techniques to decide what I want to do for a series of larger pieces. All of the pieces incorporate the use of resists and handpainting.  All of these need a bit more work - some just a little touch of metal leaf, some a lot more!   But, it's time to put them aside for now and start on the larger pieces.

Below are photos of the remaining five pieces in the series.  I posted photos of the
first three a few weeks ago.   
 

This is my favorite of this batch.  I used a potato dextrin resist on silk/soy fabric, along with handpainting and discharge. I'm planning to add a little metal leaf as well.

This piece started with a sugar resist on silk/soy, painted while wet, followed by a flour resist. To create additional depth in the background,  I added a few layers of handpainting with thickened dye.

This is silk broadcloth, with potato dextrin brushed through a plastic grid, then handpainted.

This is another silk/soy with a sugar resist.

This started with soy wax resist, then several layers of handpainting. This still needs a bit more. I have some ideas, just not enough time!

Vibrant Color is Finally Here!

We had a few production delays, but the new DVD I'm doing with Jane Dunnewold has finally arrived. In it, Jane and I demonstrate three processes for adding MX fiber reactive dyes to soy wax.  It all started a couple of years ago when Jane began to experiment with creating soy wax dye crayons.  I helped her out with the testing, and then we started talking about adding dye to hot wax.  And things just took off from there.

For more info about the DVD or to order, visit the store at artclothstudios.com.

The dye crayons are great for drawing or writing directly on the cloth.  They also work well for rubbings to create unique pattern and texture. 

The hot wax application is one of my favorites.  You get the benefit of the color in the dye and the resist properties of the wax.  After applying the hot wax/dye mixture, it will act as a resist when the cloth is overdyed or handpainted. 

The wax paste is a creamy texture that works perfectly for stenciling or brushing directly on the fabric. The nice thing about the paste is that you can achieve the exact amount of coverage you want.  You can apply it so that it is a solid, opaque image, or you can let some of the underlying fabric show through.  It is also easy to blend multiple colors.

If you've seen the DVD or have experimented with some of the techniques, I'd love to hear about your experiences.

New Work

I just finished two pieces for the latest ArtCloth Network exhibition. Els van Baarle is the juror and we'll know in mid-October which pieces are accepted.

My pieces are inspired by my continuing fascination with humans’ tendency to focus on anything but the present moment. We often spend most of our time either anticipating a date in the future or reliving a day in the past. It may manifest as remembering happy times or feeling regrets over what we did or did not do.  Or we may spend time worrying about something that may (or may not!) happen.  Many of us find it difficult to focus on the current moment – to give our attention to the people and circumstances that currently surround us.  These pieces represent my own journey, my quest to move from marking time until a future event to living in the present and fully enjoying this moment.

My vision was to use two pieces of cloth that complement each other and represent the dichotomy of these two ways of being. I used silk noil and incorporated soy wax resist with multiple layers of dyeing, discharge and overdyeing.  I also added some handstitching and metal leaf.

Marking Time

This Moment

Old Habits Die Hard

If you follow my blog, you'll know that I am trying to reduce my dependence on silkscreens and thermofaxes.  So I didn't plan for any screenprinting on two pieces I am creating for the ArtCloth Network exhibition.  But one of the pieces needed a little something, so my solution was a thermofaxed image.  I had just the image in mind.  I drew it and rushed off to the studio to make the thermofax. 

The machine seemed to be working fine, but the image didn't burn into the screen.  A moment of panic, then I realized I must have had the wrong side against the paper.  Try again.  Still not working!  Hmmm.  It worked fine a few weeks ago. Maybe there isn't enough carbon in the photo copy. Oh no, now what?  I could make a stencil.  I know, I'll draw it with india ink.  That works instead of a copier to burn a thermofax.

So I brushed my design on paper with india ink. Ran it through again.  Still not working.  Panic set in again.  I have to get this finished by tomorrow!  .......Then the irony of it all hit me.  I said I wanted to limit my use of thermofaxes and what is the first thing I turned to under stress?  But the Universe was teaching me a lesson.  "You really want to focus more on painting directly on cloth?  OK, I'll just take care of the temptation from that nasty thermofax machine."

So I steeled my nerves, took out that big beautiful $20 paintbrush I've been saving for something "special", and started painting.  The design was very simple, so why did I even think I needed a thermofax? That old fear that I will screw it up came creeping back in. With a thermofax, one can practice, test it and figure out exactly what it will take to get a perfect image.  But with handpainting, there's a good chance it won't be "perfect".  As I struggle with my perfectionist handcuffs, I am coming to accept and appreciate the "imperfection" of a hand painted image.

I See a Pattern Here...

When I came up with the idea of doing a series of pieces all with a similar vertical line composition, I thought I was doing something very different from my other work.  But then I became more aware of the composition of some of my pieces from earlier this year. 

Hmmm, I guess the vertical lines aren't so new after all.

After I noticed this pattern, I wondered what it was that drew me to the vertical composition. I see the vertical line as a symbol of growth, of a connection between the physical and the spiritual, between the earth and sky.   It also represents the chakras and the energy that moves up through our body, keeping us grounded to the earth and also connected to Spirit.  To me, the vertical line also represents a moment in time - this moment, which is all we really have. 

What does the vertical line represent to you?

Fat Quarter Studies, Part 1

I've been working on fat quarter studies in preparation for my assignment in the ArtCloth Mastery program.  I have about 8 pieces in process right now.  My plan is to use a similar composition style for all of them, incorporate a variety of resists and do color studies with intensity and complements. 

First, I have to say I am having a blast!  This is a whole new world for me - handpainting directly on the cloth  - no silkscreens or thermofaxes.    My original inspiration came from Helen Frankenthaler.  One of our assignments for the last class was to prepare a presentation on an artist.  Then I studied other artists from the same period.  I felt drawn to make marks on cloth with my own hands (and the use of some tools!) rather than relying on stamps, stencils and silkscreens.

I was talking with a friend (and artist) the other day about her current project.  She has been having a difficult time finding just the right imagery for her project. She has spent hours researching and working with photoshop. I know exactly how she feels, because I've gone through that numerous times. As we talked, I realized how free I feel working on this series because that is not an issue. 

Here are photos of the three pieces that are "finished".  Not in the ready-to-hang sense, but in terms of any dyeing, painting, etc.

Zip I

This is silk broadcloth. It was inspired by Barnett Newman.  His work features vertical lines, which he calls "zips".  He tends to use more solid colors, but I wanted to create a softer look. No resists on this one, other than the masking tape.  But I'm thinking of a redo, using sodium alginate as a resist.

Fault Line

This is a silk/soy blend.  Great fabric available from Thai Silks.  The silk side is satin, the soy side is similar to a broadcloth.  Because of the blend, the colors are different on each side.  I started with a flour paste resist, then mixed up red in four intensities and used a credit card to scrape the color onto the cloth. This one is my favorite so far.

Stability Amidst Chaos

This is silk broadcloth.  I started with soy wax to block off the circles in a vertical line.  Then I used flour paste brushed on in circles to create the texture in the background.  Then several layers of hand painting with blue and orange dye and just a touch of copper leaf.

Five more in the works - I'll post more as I finish them.

Everybody Needs a Little Lovin'

Every morning as I work at my computer, our youngest cat, Babs, comes wafting in with a pathetic "eeeyooo".  She walks by, gently brushing my legs with her soft fur. That's my cue that it's time to pick her up and hold her like a baby.  She "assumes the position", with paws up, head back, waiting for me to stroke her face and scratch her chin.

This all started about a year ago.  As she got older and heavier, it hurt my arms to hold her for very long.  So I came up with a new way to hold her - like a baby, with her weight resting on my lap. It quickly changed from something I did on occasion, to something she required daily.  We have come to call this daily ritual "Babs getting her 'mornin' lovin'."

It isn't just limited to the morning, however.  We have learned that if she is acting up and getting into things, she just needs a little lovin'. Babs scratching the sofa- give her some lovin'!  Babs knocking things off the table - give her some lovin'! Problem solved instantly.

The other day, my husband came home complaining about a crabby woman he had encountered that day.  She was yelling at everyone, family, strangers, whoever came into her path.  I jokingly blurted out, "she just needs some lovin'!"  And then I thought maybe there really is something to that.  Doesn't everyone need a bit of attention, to feel loved and respected?   Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all had a little "lovin'"?

Now stop snickering - I'm not talking about anything X-rated.  Just a little attention and affection.  Think about your morning routine.  It's so easy to get caught up in the chaos - rushing around, watching the clock, doing chores, making lunch, etc.  Do we give our loved ones our complete attention?  Do we let them know how important they are to us? Maybe just the simple act of being truly present with another person for just a few minutes could change the course of their day.

So, here's my challenge to you this week, should you choose to accept it.  Make a point of "giving lovin'" throughout the day.  Give people your complete, undivided attention. Let those who are important in your life know how you feel. And let me know what happens!

My Latest Project

I'm a bit behind on the cloth I need to finish for the next ArtCloth Mastery Program session.  We are supposed to create a series of 4-6 pieces of artcloth.  Of course, I have all kinds of good reasons for not starting before now.  One of the main reasons is that, up until 2 weks ago, I did not have a plan.  All I knew was that I wanted to incorporate hand painting.  I finally had a brainstorm as I lay awake one night. 

I've been focusing a lot on design and composition since I started my daily design practice last fall.  (Actually it was more of a weekly practice, but that's another story.)  I've always taken an intuitive approach to composition.  But since I don't have a formal art education, I figured it was time for some "book learning".  I've been reading and doing a variety of small design and composition studies to translate the book learning into experiential learning.  I have also managed to incorporate design concepts into each of the classes I taught this year.

Through my design work and research on other artists (I've focused on the abstract expressionist movement) I find I've been drawn to vertical compositions.  I used that approach for one of the pieces I created for my last series, The Best Season, and I was really pleased with the end result.

So, I decided that I would use a vertical composition for all the pieces in my next series. There are a few other things I want to accomplish with this series, so here's my plan:

• All pieces will have a vertical composition
• All pieces will incorporate the use of resists
• All pieces will be primarily hand painted with minimal to no use of silkscreens
• Each piece will be a color study, incorporating either complements, or some color scheme based on color wheel relationships

I have started doing a series of fat quarter studies and then I will start on the larger pieces.  Stay tuned for photos as I work through the small studies.

Potato Dextrin Resist

I've been working a lot with different resists over the past few years and wanted to revisit potato dextrin.  I first used it about six years ago and loved the crackle pattern it produced. I have also experimented with mashed potato flakes, because they are inexpensive and easy to obtain - no shipping charges!  I've been using flour paste to get a crackle pattern lately, so I wanted to play around with the dextrin again. 

Below are a few photos from my experiment last week.  For the mashed potato flakes I used about 1/2 cup potato flakes to 1 cup hot water.  For the dextrin, I used about 1 1/3 cup dextrin to 1 cup hot water.  I spread the paste on with a squeegee and used the sgraffito technique to scratch into the wet paste.  After the paste had dried, I applied thickened dye.

This shows the mashed potato flakes using the sgraffito technique.  I scratched into it with a bamboo skewer and placed a lace doily, bubble wrap and a rubber rug gripper on for texture.

Another example of mashed potato flakes applied with a squeegee.

This is potato dextrin, applied with a squeegee and then I embedded objects in the moist paste to create pattern and texture.  I didn't get the nice crackling I expected, nor much patterning, but I blame my impatience.  I applied the dextrin while it was still hot.  It needs to cool somewhat before using so it thickens properly. It went on as a very thin coating, which didn't crack much when dried.

This is also potato dextrin. I stamped it on and applied it with a brush.  I had forgotten how well it works as a resist when stamped onto the fabric.

I am currently doing some fat quarter studies, layering different resist techniques.  This is one of the studies using potato dextrin.  I brushed the dextrin through a large plastic grid. I left the grid on until the dextrin had partially dried.  Very interesting!  Today I'll work on the next layer of color.

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