The End is in Sight

I've been working on a new series over the past year.  It's been a slow process because I've had to fit it in between other obligations.  Most of the pieces have been finished for months, but there were two larger ones that have proven rather elusive.  One piece was so close, but I couldn't determine what else it needed to be complete.  The inspiration finally came on Wednesday, and it turns out it was something very simple. I realized the piece didn't have enough value contrast, so I added some light areas and just a touch of the complementary color. It is amazing what a difference that small change makes. I haven't had a chance to photograph it yet, but I'll show photos once I do.

The other large piece requires a bit more, but I'm determined to finish it by Sunday.  This is a self-imposed deadline, but it is there for two good reasons.  First, I have been invited to exhibit my work at the Creekside Gallery at the Hill Country Arts Foundation.  I have to deliver the work by the end of January. Second, I am spending all next week in a class with Jane Dunnewold, so I won't have time to work on it then. The class is an independent projects class, so I could work on it, but I'd rather move on to something new!

I'll post more info about the exhibit and show photos of the work later this month. Now I have to get back in the studio and start working!

The Art of Layering, Part Two

I had a great time at the demonstration I did for the Kerrville Art Club a few weeks ago.  My presentation focused on the process of layering and showed the transformation of a piece of cloth in ten layers - from plain white cotton to finished art cloth. One aspect I love about layering is the richness it lends to the cloth.  Viewers may not see all the layers, but they all work together to create depth and texture.  I like to think of it as similar to a symphony.  One may not hear each individual instrument, yet they all contribute to the composition.  Likewise, each layer of dye, resist, paint and stitch complete the cloth. Leave out one layer and it just wouldn't be the same. Below is a detail photo of  the finished cloth.

Detail shot of finished cloth

 The following narrative walks through the steps I used to create this cloth. (Action photos are courtesy of Lynn Luukinen. Please excuse the blurs on some of the action photos - I moved too much for Lynn to get a clear shot!)

I use a lot of resists in my work, and they are often the very first step.  I like to begin by creating background texture.  There are lots of options for this - most of the paste resists work well (flour, oats, grits, potato dextrin, mashed potatoes).  I chose flour paste for this cloth. I mixed equal parts of flour and water (this version used bread flour since that was all I had on hand) and spread it over the entire cloth, then let it dry.  Once the flour was  dry, I scrunched the fabric to crack the paste, then applied dye thickened with sodium alginate.

Brushing thickened dye over the dried flour paste

The finished first layer

Before adding background color, I created a layer of my chosen image - a stylized leaf.   The leaf is a stencil I created using Grafix stencil film. (This stuff works great - easier to cut than quilting stencil.  It does require a delicate hand when washing if using an intricate pattern.)  I applied the image using red and yellow-orange thickened dye. 

Adding a stenciled image with thickened dye

The completed second layer

Before adding background color, I reserved some of the white space with another resist.  I didn't want a stark white, so I chose Elmer's Gel Glue.  It is a water-soluble resist that leaves a soft, ghost-like image.

Screen printing with Elmer's Gel Glue Resist

 The next step was to add the background color.  I  chose to apply olive green, blue green and golden brown thickened dyes with a scraper. 

Adding background color with a scraper and thickened dyes

The finished fourth layer - note the soft "drip" pattern created by the gel glue

The resist did not leave enough value contrast, so the next step was to remove color with diluted bleach. I wanted to add texture rather than creating an additional image, so I flicked the bleach on with a brush to create spots.

After completion of the fifth layer

At this point it was time to put away the dyes and add a few additional touches with textile paint.  I started by adding more of the leaf imagery in an opaque yellow orange.

Adding more leaf imagery with paint - layer six

Then I added more value contrast by stippling on dark brown paint with a stencil brush.

Stippling on brown paint - layer seven

 It needed a little something to brighten it up, so I used copper metallic paint. I wanted just a hint of gleam, so I rubbed it on with my finger.

Applying copper paint with a finger - layer eight

 Knowing when to stop is always the difficult part. At this point, I felt I was finished with paint and moved on to the final details. I added some hand-dyed fibers with needle felting and a touch of copper leaf.

Needle felting with hand-dyed fibers - layer nine

Applying metal leaf with acrylic medium - layer ten

Isn't the transformation exciting?

Creating Space to Nurture Your Soul

I'm reading a book called SoulSpace by Xorin Balbes and Marianne Williamson. The subtitle, Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life - Creating a Home that is Free of Clutter, Full of Beauty, Inspired by You, is what drew me in. The clutter part, particularly.  I've been feeling that my life has been taken over by "stuff".  I really like the focus of the book - not only cleaning and de-cluttering, but also on assessing each room in your home to determine if it really reflects you and your life.  Do you have space for the pursuits you are passionate about? Is there a room in your home that is never used?  Maybe that space would be better used on something that feeds your soul.

The transformation of my living spaces will be a long-term process. I started by spending last week deep cleaning, de-cluttering and organizing each room in my home. Four and a half days of this left me exhausted and sore, but the results are worth it! I didn't realize how stressed I was by all that clutter. I feel so much more at peace in my home now.  It's a great way to start the new year. The task is not complete, however enough has been completed to give me the momentum to finish.My studio is still untouched, and I fear that will take a whole week by itself!

The challenge is to keep things looking this way. Another book I've read recently, Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home and Life, by Laura Leist and Adam Weintraub, includes a discussion on maintenance.  (Sensing a trend in my current reading material?) That is a very important step - and one in which many of us fall short.

Time will tell if all of this actually transforms my life. For now I am content, and I breathe a joyful sigh as I spend time in my clean, clutter-free home. Wishing you a satisfying, peace-filled new year!

Taking a Break

I had planned to post photos today from my demonstration Tuesday at the Kerrville Art Club.  However my morning has been spent on website updates and I just don't have the energy to upload the photos today.  I have decided to take some time off. I'm looking forward to curling up on the sofa with my knitting needles, my newly dyed alpaca and my kitties. So, look for photos late next week.

And whatever your holiday persuasion, may you have a pleasant one!

A New Fascination

I started knitting about a year ago.  I haven't made very many things during that time - I got hung up on creating a baby blanket for our newest grandson.  That took about 10 months (only about 4 weeks actual working  - I started in February, but once it got warm in March I didn't have any interest in having a warm blanket on my lap).  I dyed the yarn for the blanket, because I wanted it to be unique.  Now that the blanket is finished and mailed off  (I couldn't start anything else until I finished it), I've been back at work and have finished a scarf and a neckwarmer.

I was given a lifetime supply of yarn by a friend of mine earlier this year.  She had given up knitting and sent me all her projects in process.  It was a wonderful surprise, lots of beautiful yarn - and high quality yarn, too.  Although I love the colors she sent, I decided to overdye a few skeins of alpaca yarn yesterday.  She bought it for a sweater (beyond my abilities at this point), so it's an awful lot of yarn in that color.  The yarn started out a beautiful golden/brown color.

I dyed one skein in bronze, one in olive green and one in red.  Here are the dyed versions.

I can see that dyeing yarn could easily become an obsession.  It's just as exciting as dyeing fabric.  And the additional complexity of over-dyeing the existing colors is too tantalizing. Oh dear, here I go . . .

The Art of Layering

I have come to think of myself as a layerist. When I think about my work and why I like working with this medium, I think of the appeal in creating multiple layers. Any given piece of cloth has 10-20 physical layers and a number of metaphorical layers.  I also see the layers as a metaphor for my life's journey. The transformation that occurs on the cloth reflects the transformation that occurs within me as I create. The white fabric represents unlimited possibilities. As I build layer upon layer of resist, dye, printing, stitching and beading, the cloth becomes rich with depth and texture, just as each experience I have in life adds depth and texture to my being.

This topic is on my mind this week because I've been invited to speak to the Kerrville Art Club next week. I spent a lot of time trying to decide what would appeal to the group. How could I translate what I do to other media? After a lot of thought, I realized that the best approach is to talk about what I know, so I'll be demonstrating the process of layering.  I'll start with white cloth and transform it layer by layer, showing some of the techniques I typically use. The meeting is open to the public, so stop by if you have a chance - I'd love to see you.

Kerrville Art Club
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
1:00 PM
Hill Country Arts Foundation
120 Point Theatre Road, Ingram, TX

A Sneak Peek

Throughout my life, when people spoke about writing a book, it seemed like something that was inaccessible to me.   It wasn't something I ever aspired to, or ever thought I would (or could) do.  Hm.  Funny how life proves you wrong.

Last week I received the final mock-up of my book on water-based resists (scheduled for release next June).    It has been a long process. I started writing last November and finished up in March. The how-to photos were shot in April.  Even though I've read it many times and have seen all the photos, it was pretty amazing to see it all put together. 

I discovered that writing a book isn't as daunting as I thought it would be. Yes, it was a lot of work, but (dare I say?) I actually enjoyed it. Actually, the writing was just a small portion of the work involved.  A lot of time was spent making fabric samples, planning the how-to photos and organizing supplies for the photo shoot.

And I really enjoyed everyone I worked with at C&T Publishing. They have all been helpful, enthusiastic and  encouraging.  They do their job well!

Here's a sneak peek at the cover.  In January I'll post more info about the book and the special incentives I have for those who purchase it directly from me.

Synchronicity

Several weeks ago I had to turn in my workshop descriptions for the classes I'll be teaching next summer at the Southwest School of Art.  I try to come up with new workshops each time, because my classes are a mix of repeat and new students. I decided to teach a workshop using collography on fabric. Rather than taking the time here, I'll leave the description of collography to wikipedia.   I first became aware of the technique last year at a local Art Walk.  I was fascinated by the imagery on paper, but couldn't quite understand how it worked.  I did some research and experimented and have adapted the traditional printmaking techniques for use on fabric.

Now I keep seeing things about collographs everywhere.  Just this week I received an email about using the process on fabric from Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine.  And this morning, as I looked at the blogs I follow, there was another mention of the collograph.  Both have given me additional ideas I can adapt for the class. Isn't it funny how the information turns up just when you need it?

Mixing Your Own, Part 2

I spent last weekend facilitating a workshop focused on mixing dyes from primary colors.  (Yes, that's where my last blog post came from.  I've had color mixing on my mind for the past week.) It's a class that I love to teach and I learn something each time I do.

We used primary colors to make a color wheel in light, medium and dark values.  Then we mixed each color with its complement to obtain a collection of low intensity colors and browns. We also overdyed each of the primary and secondary colors with each of the others.

A finished set of color wheel swatches

The objective was to give artists a good understanding of color mixing with dyes, the effect of using cool vs warm primaries and to train their eyes to really see the undertones in a color. The topic that seemed to generate the most discussion was using mixed colors.  We borrowed Jane Dunnewold's paper towel technique.  You get a paper towel moist and then sprinkle a bit of dye on it.  That allows you to see all the colors that make up a mixed dye color.  The companion set of fabrics (dyed in both silk and cotton) allowed us to also see the difference in color between a protein and cellulose fiber.

You could almost see the flash of a light bulb above everyone's head as they realized why they didn't always get the color they expected when using mixed dyes.

I think I gained a few "mix-your-own" converts. But just as important,  even the non-converts felt that they gained a better understanding of how to work with their pre-mixed colors.

The workshop reminded me how much I love to experiment with color.  It has inspired me to do some more color studies on my own.  As I said last time, working with color is a life-long journey!

Do You Mix Your Own?

I am a strong advocate for using pure primaries to mix dye colors.  When I first started dyeing, I did so mainly for financial reasons.  Buying all those pre-mixed colors can get expensive!  I started with 7 colors - a set of warm primaries, a set of cool primaries and black.  And though I feel that mixed colors do have their place, I still work mostly with primaries.  My palette has changed, though.  Now I use one set of primaries.  After a lot of experimentation, I've found that I can get most of the colors I want by using Sun Yellow (Yellow MX-8G), Mixing Red (Red MX-5B) and Basic Blue (Blue MX-R).  (All names are the ProChemical version.) I also use Turquoise when I want a really vibrant green or violet.

Why do I like to mix my own? I learned so much about color in those first few years by mixing the primaries.  I believe that early foundation has been instrumental in my understanding of color. However I do feel this is a lifelong journey.  I don't think we ever know all there is to know about color. About five years ago I thought I knew it all (or at least all I needed to know) when it came to color.  Ha! Now I realize how wide the field is and I recognize that I'll never know it "all".

 I continue to mix my own colors because I know how to work with those hues to get the color I want. Working with pure colors rather than mixed allows greater predictability.  Mixed colors can break out in unexpected and undesirable ways.  (Of course, sometimes you want that, thus my use of mixed colors on occasion.)

So does this mean I am suggesting you should go buy the colors named above? Not at all.  There are a lot of wonderful books, workshops and resources about color theory and how to mix color. Each of them has merit. However, I have seen people become adamant that a particular approach is the "best". I truly don't believe there is one right way.  We could debate for hours which versions of each color to use as the primary, but  I think the most important thing is that each individual choose a set of colors and work with those. Each of us has a palette to which we are drawn and a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't cut it.  And that applies to those who used pre-mixed colors as well.  By continually working with a finite set of colors, one learns the nuances of how each color responds in different situations and how it works with the other colors in one's palette.

I recognize that not everyone will join the primary bandwagon.  Mixed colors are convenient.  And they can be faster and easier if you haven't built up a knowledge base on color mixing. So, which are you - a mix-your-own or a ready-mixed dyer? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Achieving Balance

For the past ten years (at least), we have been inundated with books, magazine articles and TV shows dedicated to the subject of achieving balance in our lives. A Google search for "achieving life balance" yielded 5,960,000 results. A search on Amazon yielded 697 results. And I have to admit, I have wholeheartedly joined in the balance doctrine.   Ironically, we might be able to have more balance if we didn't spend so much time trying to figure out how to do it!

I had a flash of insight this morning.  (Don't you just love when that happens?!)  I realized that maybe rather than focusing on balance, we should be striving for integration.  So what does that mean?  And what exactly are we integrating? I can't say I have all the answers, since my "flash" just happened 15 minutes ago.  But it is something I plan to ponder a bit.

I suppose it will be different for everyone, just as "balance" is different for each of us. There is work, family, spirituality, health, community, friends, hobbies/interests.  For me,  integration means that my day is seamless. Each component is not discrete. For example, my work and my community often overlap, as does work and spirituality.  Health seems to find its way into all areas of my life in one way or another - whether in the ergonomics of surface design and computer time or a lack of fitness that makes some physical activities uncomfortable.  I am fortunate to have a "job" that is very flexible.  When I am not teaching classes, I can set my own schedule at home and in the studio. That goes a long way to make my life integrated.

I plan to spend some more time thinking about this and how I can continue to make all the pieces into a cohesive whole.  Oh, by the way, I also did a Google search on "achieving life integration" and came up with 36,000,000 results.  I guess my idea is not so new and innovative after all!

 How is your life integrated?  Or how can you make it more so? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Four Days in Albuquerque

We had a great time on our trip to Albuquerque last week.  No, we didn't make it to Santa Fe.  The trip was a nice blend of city time and nature time.  We shopped the unique stores of old town, and got all the Christmas shopping done.  Then we visited two art museums and an anthropology museum.  Since we only had a rental car one day, we did a lot of walking.  I enjoyed walking through the residential areas - that is not something most tourists get to see.

On the nature side, we went to the Rio Grande nature center one day.  Only saw the sandhill cranes flying overhead, but it was a lovely area and we sat on the banks of the river for awhile. We rented a car our last day there and drove to the Petroglyph National Monument.  It was much different than I expected.  Most pictures of petroglyphs are on red rocks.  This part of albuquerque was formed by volcanoes, so the large rocks are black. It is amazing to think of those rock drawings still there after hundreds of years.

As we walked in the nature center, I took a few photos that have design potential.

 

We saw this cutie on our walk to the nature center.  No - it wasn't a rural area.  The center is located right in the midst of a residential area.   They must allow agricultural zoning, because this property had several animals in the fenced yard.

XXI: An exhibit of cloth by Carla Veliz

Artcloth is not only that which we make "pretty".  Sometimes we use destructive processes to make a statement or create meaning on the cloth.  A powerful example of this is an installation by artist Carla Veliz, titled XXI: Who We Are and Who We Could Become.  The exhibit was shown at Gallery Nord in San Antonio this past September. In an effort to represent the abuse humans have inflicted on the planet, each other and themselves over the past 21 centuries, Veliz spent 21 days ripping, burning, burying, cutting and destroying a 16-foot long piece of silk. Then she spent 21 days repairing the damage.

 
She documented this process in a 21 minute video.  Watching the video is an emotional experience - seeing the cloth tattered and damaged and then lovingly cared for and mended. The exhibit included still photos from the video and several assemblages created from the tools she used on her journey with the cloth. 



Read more about Veliz on her website.

View the following links to read more about the exhibit:

http://utsa.edu/today/2011/09/artistsofmo.html

http://glasstire.com/2011/09/09/gallery-nord-21-abusive-centuries-earthly-bodies/

http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/visual_arts/article/Tortured-silk-nudes-in-nature-on-exhibit-2161531.php#photo-1594072

Soy Wax Batik on Paper

I've been playing around with using the techniques from Vibrant Color (mixing soy wax with dyes) on paper instead of fabric.  The look on paper is different than on fabric because the paper is not as absorbent.  I used acid-free, 50# sketch paper for these pieces. The dye and wax mixture was applied to the paper in a variety of ways, then steamed just as you would for fabric. After steaming, the paper is rinsed, dried and ironed.  Each piece is then brushed with several coats of water-soluble varnish.

I used the paper batiks to create a number of miniatures on canvas.  Some of the canvas edges have the added texture of screenprinting, metal leaf and sand. Below are some detail shots of the paper batiks.  You can view the finished miniatures on my website.

If you have tried this on paper, I would love to hear about your results

Contemporary Art Exhibit by 16 Women Artists

I went to the opening reception for the "11.11.11" exhibition at Gallery Nord last Friday.  The exhibit features 16 women who represent a diversity of media. The show truly was awesome.  I can't really do it justice in words.  Some of the highlights:  the ethereal paintings of Greta Gundersen, the strong female forms in Marika Bordes' wood sculpture, the exquisite color and pattern in M. Guadalupe Marmolejo's digital prints and the passion in Vernita N'Cognita's paper sculptures.

The exhibition runs through January 12, 2012.  If you live in San Antonio, or will be visiting, I highly recommend it. Below are a few photos from the exhibit.  You can see more photos and learn more about the exhibition on Gallery Nord's website.

Greta Gundersen

Marika Bordes

M. Guadalupe Marmolejo

Vernita N'Cognita

A Little R & R

I'm going to Albuquerque, New Mexico later this month.  This will be my first real vacation in 11 years. ("Real" meaning it does not involve a visit to family.) I wish I could say that this was a destination of choice, but it is more by chance.  After receiving a promotional email from Southwest Airlines about a big sale,  I looked at the destinations in the lowest price range. Albuquerque seemed the most interesting of the bunch.

I received some interesting reactions after telling people of my planned trip.

"Albuquerque?  Hmmm. Well, you can always take the train to Santa Fe."

"Albuquerque? Oh. You're visiting family?  You're not? Why are you going to Albuquerque? You should go to Santa Fe instead."

"Albuquerque? That's really close to Santa Fe.  You should take a trip to Santa Fe."

I was in Santa Fe many years ago and I enjoyed it, but I looked forward to visiting a new place.  After receiving such a lukewarm response to my destination, I almost considered cancelling the hotel in Albuquerque and finding one in Santa Fe instead. But then my penchant for choosing the underdog kicked in.

So, yes, I am going to Albuquerque. And I am very much looking forward to it. I've done some internet research and have found a number of interesting ways to fill our four days.  Here are some of them: the National Petroglyph Monument, watching the sandhill cranes at the Rio Grande Nature Center, the Anthropology Museum, the Museum of Art and visiting the historical Old Town area. Of course, we can always take the train to Santa Fe if we get bored...

Out With The Old

I left for Quilt Festival with 15 boxes and arrived home with 11. That's the positive side of providing all the class supplies - my load is lighter on the way home!  I know I should just open each box and put the remaining supplies back in their place. But I think that will not happen for at least a week.  My studio is now filled with all the items I am clearing out for the local fiber group's Cobweb Sale on November 14.

A small sampling of what I'll have at the cobweb sale

The Fiber Artists of San Antonio hold the Cobweb Sale each year.  Members empty their studios of the fabric, beads, tools and other fiber art supplies they no longer want.  Many artists also sell their artwork. It is an opportunity to buy some really neat things at great prices! Details and location are on the FASA website. 

I realized yesterday that I have a lot more stuff than will fit on my sale table. I'll be selling

• hand-dyed and printed fabric, both yardage and remnants
• used thermofax screens
• a rolling art tote
• silk scarves and vests 
• artwork miniatures
• rubber stamps
• assorted shells and beads
• white t-shirts, ready for dyeing
• miscellaneous surface design tools

Plus, half of my table will be devoted to items $1 or less.  It's the fiber art dollar store! I also have some freebies - remnants and samples of commercial and upholstery fabrics.

I'm looking forward to getting rid of items I no longer want or use. My studio will seem so open and spacious, although I know it won't take long before it fills up again.  But that's what next year's cobweb sale is for!

Vibrant Color Workshop

I've been invited to teach at the Newark Museum next spring.  They are interested in the Vibrant Color workshop on combining soy wax and dye.  I'm really excited about the opportunity to teach there.  They have a good fiber program and feature workshops with Judy Langille and Jan Myers Newbury, among others.

The workshop features three techniques for combining soy wax with MX dyes.  Crayons, which are great for writing, drawing and rubbings; dye paste, which is great for stencils and brush work; and hot printed wax, which works well with sponge stamps, brushes and dipping. What I love about these techniques is that they produce a color, luminescence and line quality that you just can't get any other way.   Below are photos of some cloth created using the techniques. You can find more information about the workshop on my website.

Silk dupioni with multiple layers of crayon rubbings

Silk habotai with crayon rubbings, immersed

Wax paste, applied through a thermofax

Wax paste applied through a stencil over a crayon rubbing background, immersed

Hot wax and dye applied with a brush and sponge, immersed

Hot wax and dye applied with a sponge, background handpainted with dye

Fifteen Boxes, Two Tubes, Assorted Pails and a Steamer...

That's what I am bringing to Houston for my classes at the Quilt Festival this week. For the past week, my living room and studio have looked like a hurricane swept through.  Open boxes, supplies, fabric everywhere.  When I see it all stacked up neatly, it doesn't look so bad. However, I do have to cart it all to my classrooms!

I'm feeling very pleased with myself, since I finished up with two days to spare. (I'm leaving Thursday morning.) I also learned some things last year, so I've used the same size boxes for all but one.  It's a lot easier to stack and organize when the boxes are the same size.

The other thing I learned from last year is to teach full day classes rather than half day classes.  Last year I taught 5 half day classes, all back-to-back.  I never expected that all of my proposals would be accepted!  It was exhausting, and the set up and clean up time for each meant I didn't have time for meals. One day, I taught two daytime classes and a night time class and was fueled only by four Cokes and some cashews.

This year, I'm teaching three classes and a demo over the course of four days. That is much more manageable!   As of two weeks ago, there are a few spaces left in each of my classes.  If you decide to make a last minute trip, you can check out my workshops on my website. Or maybe I'll see you in the exhibit hall or vendor area.

New Artwork

This summer was supposed to be devoted to studio time. But, if you read my last blog post, you see that it didn't end up that way.  I accomplished a lot in July, finishing up a new body of work. I showed photos of a few of them on my blog in July.  But other than that, I only managed to finish four pieces (and only because I had deadlines looming!) The first two were mounted on canvas.  One piece was all wrapped up and ready to ship before I realized I had not taken a photo.  I just didn't feel like unwrapping, so no photo.

The Edge

This piece incorporates multiple layers of dying, hand painting, acrylic paint and hand needle felting.

The other two are large pieces of artcloth, 72" x 30".  Created on dobby noil (a really nice fabric available from Exotic Silks), they incorporate both rice baby cereal resist and soy wax resist along with multiple layers of dye painting.

Crossing the Line

Between the Lines