Archive for the ‘studio’ Category

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august 22

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

for Debi

It’s going to be a busy week: packing for back to back Retreats (Fabrications, then Textile Evolution), trying to leave the house and gardens in order, taking care of all the end of month/ beginning of month stuff and more. The studio work is making sense to me again, just in time to leave it <G>. In years past, I’d leave something in process on the wall for an easy re-entry on my return. This time, I am taking the work with me. We’ll see how that goes.

At Textile Evolution, we’ll be focusing on creating   surfaces with mixed media. This new work excites me to the point I wonder if I am headed back to where I began: painting, drawing, collage and what role the stitch will play in any of it.

The pull toward tall folding screens was the impetus behind exploring these transparent surfaces. I have yet to actually begin building the screens but the cottonwood roots for the uprights are waiting.

This Fall, after the teaching trips are done, there will be time and room to dedicate to exploring those ideas. Meanwhile, play, explore, learn and play some more is being a good mode for the studio time.

a detail from “mapping memory, B” (in process), one of the  32″ x 20″ panels shown earlier. Media: packing paper, painted silk organza, rice paper, tea bag paper and cotton on exposed cotton batt, mounted on Peltex.

Here’s a newly finished “little rooms” piece titled, “Telling Stories”. The decision remains whether or not to mount it on painted stretched canvas. Its’ a small piece and the presentation matters. We’ll see what happens tonight.

The air is filled with smoke and ash from a wildfire burning 50 miles out of town. It began yesterday afternoon and is uncontained.  Fire season started late this year. Otherwise, it is a glorious Summer weekend, if hot and dry. Perfect beach weather. Alas, there’s no ocean in easy driving distance.

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what is old is new again?

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

Here are two of the three “landscape” pieces that were in process for so long. An echo of earlier approaches to the surface.



home again


the name of the moon

They are each 26″h x 33″w (so is the third one, the names of the river).

It feels odd to be going back and forth between this approach and the newer work which is so heavily mixed media and much less reliant on stitch. We’ll see how it all comes together eventually, eh?

** Some new small things can be seen in gallery four and in the etsy shop (where there is a special offer).

thanks for visiting! hope to see you in Michigan or Colorado in the next few weeks.

Posted in new work, studio, workshops | 3 Comments »

on the wall

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

work on these pieces continues.

This one is put away until it decides if it is done, or if it wants painting over. There are two other panels the same size: 32″h x 20″w.

working title: mapping memory

detail

This little piece may be a component in the next panel, or perhaps finished out as a stand alone;

It needs more layers, more beads…

Materials include; various papers, including 300# watercolor paper, rice paper and tea bag paper;  glass and stone beads, mystery fabric, mono-prints, painted silk  and cotton bat. Acrylic inks and paints. Mounted on Peltex and stitched.

Posted in new work, process, studio | 2 Comments »

in the studio

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

For the past several days I have been creating raw materials using my “fusion technique” (in search of a name.)

First, the wall, with everything pinned up.

below:  Two out of three panels, each 32″ h x 20″ w.

Some culling of units and some organizing of space is beginning to take place here.

Two close views.Materials include: painted silk chiffon,  tea bag paper, filter cloth, paper, scraps, mystery fabric, hand dyed cottons, exposed batting and more. Text is going in with the ink jet printer, found text and hand script.

and a third.  In this one, Egg tempera has been added along with stitch, leaves, various layers of translucent materials.

The piece is beginning to make itself known to me. I can see where the space wants to be divided, how edges will be handled and more. What is unclear is the amount of embroidery that will go in and how. Found object? Probably. There’s a bowl beginning to fill… it’s an interesting process and is reminding me of the work on the “little rooms” series.

Lots of layering of image, thought, memory. we’ll see what happens next, eh?

Posted in conversations, new work, process, studio | 3 Comments »

morning walks

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

It’s cooler today but the mosqitoes still kept us company on our early walk. sigh. They must have a reason for being but the mystery escapes me.

We parked near the bridge and were rewarded with two pair of herons,  out on the gravel spits. They are usually solitary birds, fishing their stretch of water, each bird like a sentinel. This is the first time I have seen pairs in one short span of the river.

I longed for a better camera.

Later in the walk, we saw this wonderful composition of negative space, created by a combination of fallen tree and large branches, cleared from the path.

These eccentric grids interest me…

We’ll see how and when the texture of the branches works its way into my imagery.

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monday! again

Monday, July 19th, 2010

It is cooler today and the gardens are celebrating. Day lilies and cosmos are flourishing..

The gardens still need almost constant watering (five degrees cooler doesn’t make that big a difference) but we have been eating veggies, freshly harvested. New potatoes, cukes, berries… Coming soon: carrots and beans. Garden fresh tastes so good.

***

In the studio, these fragments are on the wall:

I’ll be finishing the edges and putting them up in the Etsy shop… they seem too complete in some way to go into the leftovers boxes.

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and now it is Friday

Friday, July 9th, 2010

again? still? some weeks feel as though every day is a Monday. This has been one of them.

We enjoyed some cooler weather on the heels of very hot days. This made working in the gardens a top priority. Once we get into triple digits the task becomes watering and weeding, thinning, trimming, pruning go on hold until it is cool enough to enjoy being outdoors. Or, if not enjoy, then at least tolerate. I did not get everything done that was on my list, but a huge dent was made. This is a good thing.

One of my soft spots is the “volunteer seedlings”. It is difficult to pull them until I see what colors the columbine are for example. The standard yellow/red blooms can be pulled but what if the purple and white ones were! horrors… I’d much prefer to have them in the paths until a fair decision can be made.

It’s the same thing with the hollyhocks, a sentimental favorite in the “cottage garden”. The deep reds are elusive, the pale pinks ubiquitous. Once it is clear what color a given  plant will flower out, then I can remove it or let it stay.

A few years ago I planted black hollyhocks. They should flower this year.

While doing all the ruthless thinning and weeding this week, thoughts of editing were roiling about. How is this garden work similar to editing in the studio? Not everything that grows can be left in place. There would be too much competition for available light, water and nutrients. Not every idea or attempt in the studio sees the light of day. Some things go away before pen is taken to paper, paint to canvas, needle to cloth. Others pieces are started, a process or an idea is worked through and the work is edited out, leaving room for the challenging task of making something new, learning abut the concept, exploring the image.

Lately I have been working to deadlines, something avoided for the last several years. My preference is to make the work that is waiting to be made and when an invitation or entry opportunity presents itself, pull from the completed and available pieces. It is a challenge right now to have faith that the pieces in process will not require editing out, weeding from the path, culling…

Posted in conversations, garden, miscellaneous, studio | 1 Comment »

on the wall

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Here are details from two of the pieces in process right now.

and

The first of the two is waiting for its edges to be finished and needs some surface adjustments. The second is still being assembled. Full view shots may be available later (grin). Right now I have to wait before “publishing”.

The path from the opposite direction and an hour later in the morning.

Posted in landscape, new work, studio | 2 Comments »

late june

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

In my little corner of the world, the peonies finally bloomed!

With changing light/shade patterns in my back garden it’s never certain they will get enough sun.

Yesterday was spent rearranging and cleaning the office. Decades worth of paperwork is being shredded. Along the way, some reminders are emerging. I have been conducting business as an artist, on a professional level, for more than 30 years; have been teaching in the world of fibers, on a national level, for over 14 years (have lots more years than that of more mainstream teaching);  and have a consistent record of professional markers. It’s interesting to have these things brought to my attention in unexpected ways. Most often I get up and do my work, live my life and do not think too much about the overall pattern. I seldom talk about any of this but it is my life.

The Quilt Show has begun airing. One unexpected side effect is that people met in the past are dropping notes! That is a wonderful treat.

Other news? The “lesson” for TQS’s website is finished and in their hands. Don’t know when it will post.

The process of making an object and documenting each step visually as well as in       written form is an exercise in careful thinking. It does not come easily for me, but it’s done!

The next “lesson” will be on presentation options. That step will come more easily now that the template and work pattern is established, the tripod located and set-up determined.

Billings continues to deal with the aftermath of Sunday’s tornado. We were lucky in so many ways but for those whose property was in the path, well, it was devastating. Damage from hail, damage from the high winds, and horrible damage from flooding. If the area gets qualified for FEMA funding (based on total value of losses), perhaps that will help property owners recover. Le’s keep our fingers crossed.

p.s. if you have my website in your bookmarks, you might want to hit “reload” or “refresh”. there have been some formatting changes made.

Posted in garden, process, studio | 3 Comments »

little rooms inside the heart

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

The work on this series continues, a little at a time. Here is the newest finished piece:
little rooms: messengers

and a detail

(you can click on the full view to see it on my gallery page.)

**

In the gardens I have finished with the weeding and thinning in most of the East border and begun a new path.

It is slow work. There’s so much catching up after losing last year. Little by little it is getting done. The cool weather is keeping the colors fresh.

For now it is back to the studio to prepare some things to ship to Artistic Artifacts.

Posted in garden, inspiration, new work, studio | No Comments »

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