Week 8 1/2 in the Studio

 Well, those days just whizzed right on by! A couple trips into the city took up the better part of a couple days....even if its just there and back, it still takes several hours. 

But I was able to spend a good chunk of time in the studio and was so pleased to finish up the top of my latest Industrial Shoreline piece. It's smaller than some of my more recent ones and went together in a well behaved fashion! There's still lots of work but I need to get into the city(again) to get the batting, though Ive just finished dyeing the backing. Once its sandwiched then I'll add more details with stitch and couched lines.

Here it is and the photo that inspired it, taken at Port McNeill, in the northern part of Vancouver Island:

I spent a day filming a new segment for my Cloth to Codex Workshop, the lesson was focused on "vessels and structures" such a difference working in 3D! I made several different prototypes, trying different shapes and cuts to see how units might fit together. My plan is to develop another workshop that focuses on just this topic, there's so many possibilities to explore! But the number #1 rule it to always create a prototype to see how it can work (ask me about all the paper failures on the floor!)

I'm also working on a group of bowls/plates/vessels to submit to a local exhibition. The theme is Food and I'm creating three that will be Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner with collage, painted papers and text.

First one is Breakfast and will be bright and sunny with eggs scattered over the surface....here are the first steps...

Painted tissue paper, cut out and ready...

The circles are glued to painted watercolour paper...

I've also made a stack of sketchbooks, ready for my Etsy Shop and local vendors....

So that was fun!

Week 5 in the Studio

Either I didn't get much done or I just didn't take many pictures! I think it was a week of finishing loose ends and tidying up - I keep the studio pretty organized, there's little room for storage but I think its time to purge a few things - maybe next week!

First off, I made more of my Shibori Shiraz fabrics - I have another piece I want to work on and I need LOTS of water fabrics...

Each colour requires a new dye bath, so while it takes a while each step is fairly quick. Here they are drying on a rack....

They get washed and rinsed by hand and then ironed before putting back on the bottles. The top one is finished, the others will need at least one more dye bath.

Week 3 in My Studio

Welcome back to the studio - it was energizing to be back at work, visiting family and celebrating Christmas was so special - even with an "unusual to us" snowfall....that kept me at home for a couple days. But we kept the fire burning, hummingbirds fed and just enjoyed the rest!

I'm working on creating small vessels that combine paper and fabric with a bit of stitch - its been challenging to figure out the sizing and where to cut - lots of paper mockups were made and destroyed! I have a busy week as some of these will be going into the next exhibition at our local gallery.

I'm planning on a video tutorial on the process soon. With a bit of research I also discovered many other shapes that can be made - endless possibilities!

Last week I showed some images of painted sweeps of black across some vintage linen, I had cut them up and was playing with the arrangement. I got one that I was totally happy with and sewed it together. I am planning to "quilt" it with small x stitches across the surface rather than using more traditional machine or hand quilting.

The other pieces have not played well together and still require some work....we will see!

 I'm happy with this one, the hint of a large X in the middle is appealing and it seems well balanced.

This one is not behaving and I have already made adjustments from this image, it will end up smaller and may even be smaller still.....coasters, anyone?

I have some new Art to Carry Textile Totes set up in my Etsy Shop - they are so much fun to make, each one is different and its a great way to experiment with surface design ideas...

You can check them out here: Art to Carry

There's still time to register for my Cloth to Codex Workshop, I would love to share my ideas and inspirations with you....here's a little video that explains what you'll be learning: 

https://vimeo.com/658057548

You can sign up HERE

By Any Other Name....

A few days ago I was asked to write up the description for a new course that I'll be teaching this spring. It began with an email and then a Facebook conversation about some word choices and how we react to using different words. Although there was no final "right" answer, it showed me how each of us define what we do as artists and what we call the materials we use!

The title of the course will be: "Cloth, Collage and Composition" and although the alliteration works well, the word "cloth" seemed not to be a good description of the materials we use.... in the write-up I use the word "fabric" to help clarify how and what we'll be creating.

Then I went to my Facebook friends with the question:  

I'm wondering about the use of "cloth" or "fabric" when describing what we do as artists. Do you use one and not the other, or interchangeably? Does one conjure up different meanings than the other...

....and I was happily chatting with friends over the following few days about the choices we use. 

Here are some of the replies:

• I use "fabric" consistently.

•  I just say I'm a quilter. It's almost like a badge of honor, sometimes I'm almost daring them to say "how quaint" lol.

•  It's a conundrum. My textile instructor used the term Cloth Constructions to describe her work. I tend to use Textile. To me, fabric sounds like something unrelated to art, as in sewing clothing. Each of us has a history of the word I think.

• I think there is a place for each of these words. There are subtle differences in meaning. The best word choice likely depends on your message and your audience. For example, I'll call myself an art quilter when I'm speaking to a guild, but use the term fiber artist or textile artist when I speak to gallerists or museum directors. It's a guessing game to decide which term has the right meaning for the listener.

•  I use cloth when it is exceptional. Fabric when it is merely fabulous.

•  Fiber is so much more chic, you get more people enthused about fiber or textile art than cloth art. Hmmmmmm, something to think about.

•  I think it depends on where you come from also, and your background! Growing up, we called it "material" in the 60's, i didn't hear the word "fabric" until i was in my 20's, and started using "cloth" in the last eight years. All are applicable in my vocabulary, but for whatever reason, "Cloth" sounds more intimate.

•  I don't think I've ever used the word cloth to describe anything I do. When I was growing up, my mother always said material. But now, I use the word fabric mostly.

• Fibre to me is the material from which we construct the threads, yarns, fabrics, whether they be natural or man made etc. textiles always sounds so industrial to me textile mills, schools of textiles etc.

•  I like your use of 'cloth' and don't see it used often enough! I have moved to describing my work as mixed media, a term that seems more widely accepted by the art world and the general public.

•  Here you go: Cloth is a fabric used to make a garment or anything that has a specific purpose. Thus cloth is just a type of woven fabric. All cloths are fabrics, while all fabrics are not cloths.

•  Very interesting question that made me think...I use both fabric and cloth depending on what I'm doing with them...I dye fabric and probably use the word fabric most of the time...I use the word cloth if I'm making what I call complex cloth...to say I dye cloth or that something I layered is complex fabric just feels all wrong to me...

•  Fabric is just more open-ended in terms of meaning. Cloth also carries a religious connotation as in "man of the cloth". I agree that textile is a good word as well.

•  To me, cloth is related to clothing. I refer to what I purchase off the bolt, fat quarters, whatever, as fabric.

•   I don't use the word, textiles, very often. I think of it as referring to museum collections, garments conserved for educational studies and occasionally in reference to the group of items I'm going to need for a mixed media project. I think the word textiles is used more in educational settings.

• I like to use fibre as it is a broader term including paper.

•  I use the word textiles. It incorporates different thicknesses, fibres, vintages. But I like cloth too - a very smooooth word.

So, from this I see a wide range of interpretations - no one word is the "correct" one and each of them have subtle differences. Part of the usage may be personal experience and history, part may be education - and it's a conversation I'll be sure to use in my course.....which BTW is here in Victoria in May-June on Tuesday afternoons, 2-5pm! The registration isn't up yet, but let me know if you're interested and I'll keep you updated.

What do you think? Let me know!

Mark Making with a Print Roller

In my previous post about mark Making we looked at a simple, everyday tool to create texture and pattern onto fabric. This time we'll open some kitchen or studio drawers to find another tool to again create those exciting images on fabric!

You can use simple cardboard tubes, sturdy, thicker ones are best, with elastic bands or sticky shapes. Try different widths of elastic bands, string, rick rack or anything with a flat surface that you can adhere to the tube.

Rolling pins that have been carved in patterns are also an option as are foam rollers, used as is or with elastic bands or string pulled tightly to make an interesting surface.

Remember that I'm usually cutting out areas from the fabric, rather than using it as an entire piece, perhaps even cutting it on the diagonal....

These are all simple but so effective...you can probably think of many options!

Here's my latest Mark Making video!

 

It's All in the Details!

I really should have been paying more attention when groups asked for help to hang a show. I didn't think I needed to learn because someone else was better at it than me.

So when it came time to hang my own show, I realized I'd never done it before.....ooops! But my DH (the tall guy) and my friend, Barb were part of my very wonderful crew, and I couldn't have asked for better and more patient people!

 

First, I packed my suitcase.... this suitcase once belonged to my grandmother and I keep meaning to "pretty it up", oh well.

I put in everything I thought I'd need:

• hammer
• eye screws
• hanging wire
• tape
• sticky stuff for the labels
• pens and marker

.....but I forgot the measuring tape!

 I folded the larger pieces into fabric so they wouldn't get knocked about:

I did some last minute preparations:

 

I bought some plants:

 

 And then we hung the art!

 

The show looks wonderful, people actually came to see it and I'm thrilled!

It's still hanging til February 2nd, It has to come down by noon, I'm teaching that morning, so 1/2 of my set up crew (the DH) has to take it down! I haven't told him yet, do you think he'll mind?

Save the Date....

Keep January 22nd aside on your calendar, because you're invited to my first solo show! Please join me from 4-6 pm and see my new series, entitled [Insert Here] Textile Art Inspired by Structure. Of course you can come anytime to see the pieces, be sure to sign my guest book!