Week 14 - in the Studio

This past week has been about finishing some work, I'm not sure why the latest in my Industrial shoreline series took so long to put the facings on...I just procrastinated too much!

It is smaller than recent work at 27" x 43", but the size seemed to work for the topic. It was a photo I had taken when we travelled to the north end of Vancouver Island and spent time around Port McNeill and Cormorant and Malcolm islands - a beautiful area I'd love to visit again. I was loving the linear aspects of a log booming area and took a few photos. 

The challenges of logging, clear cuts, forestry management and sustainable practises are part of my series - there are no right answers. I don't support clear cuts and tearing down old growth but we do need long term employment, especially for first nations in these remote areas, and properly managed, forestry can be part of this approach.

No title yet but it's 27" x 43"

I finished several collages that incorporate mark making and collage on vintage pages. I ordered packs of paper from Etsy and used them with white paint, acrylic inks, asemic text and marks...I love these! I'll be framing them soon and have them for sale - stay tuned!

Speaking of Etsy - I ordered some ultra suede labels from a vendor on Alberta - super quick service and very well made: Spotted Zebra and used them on my Art to Carry Textile Totes:

And I have a few available now HERE

I framed a little piece that my grand daughter had made a couple weeks ago:

And I took a monoprinting workshop today via Zoom, a different approach from what I have been doing but I learned several useful techniques that I can incorporate into my work. I'm taking a two day workshop on gel printing in June and looking forward to learning even more!

If you are yearning for an inperson workshop, have a look at the Gathering the Threads Conference in Cowichan Valley: https://gatheringthethreads.ecwid.com

Week 12 - in the Studio

 I missed a week in there somewhere, but with good reason! We took a trip to Tofino with our granddaughter during an unusually gloriously sunny week. I hadn't been there for about 15 years and we had a marvellous time, walking beaches and trails, enjoying seafood and just exploring!

Our granddaughter had a surfing lesson!

But then last week it was back in the studio....I spent one morning with a dear friend doing monoprints on a gel plate and channeling my "inner Rothko"! The simplicity of the lines and experimenting with layering and blending colours was so appealing...as a textile artist its harder to get those same effects on fabric but I've pulled out some linens that I would like to try with the idea of using them in collage.

Many years ago I used to teach monoprinting and haven't touched the gel plates for quite some time. Back then it was all about using stencils and creating "pictures" but the ideas have developed and ideas of layering and using just small sections as well as for backgrounds and landscapes have been really pushed the boundaries! One artist I follow on YouTube has done some very interesting work that shows how subtle the ideas can be... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLevLGxPAwoAvcAzb-u9CbKOX9JkOz8CY

I've also signed up for a monoprinting online workshop with the Vancouver Island School of Art: https://www.vancouverislandschoolart.com/workshops_wi22det.html#MMEDw182-3

Here's the Rothko work: 

I find these oddly appealing - simple and yet there's more complexity than I expected....then I had the idea to cut slits into the back and add some weaving with narrow strips. That wasn't as simple as I had expected but I think this show some promise as I consider how I might show shapes on the front. I'm thinking of circles or crescents ...

I started the slits too low down on this one, they could be closer together.

This one is my favourite, I was trying for a circle but realized that it was more effort than I had time for that day.

I like that the shapes seem to float on the surface. I am wondering if I can use my Scan n Cut for cutting  the slits and I found its easier to work from the back for the cutting. And I need to work on the registration of the prints...I have some ideas about that!

And I got the lines stitched down for the boom on my new piece. The front is all finished and I have cut and pressed the facing strips ready for sewing down this week. I am happy with the size of this one, more manageable and still visually effective. I'll have a final, frontal image soon!