DEBORAH WEIR ••• FiberFly Textile Art

In with the new

2012-01-31T18:19:00.000-08:00

So we tootled on over to the new annex which I have dubbed Kiss My Annex as Kiss is the name of the landlords, really. More schlepping down loads of stairs we got the loom into the lower level and the painting supplies upstairs. Then came the ritual torture of reassembling the monster Glimakra. I'm starting to feel like a penitent dragging this wooden beast all over the map. Wondering if I really will be weaving on it again soon. With Eddie in command we got the thing up and running in a couple of hours. Check out these views and the neighborhood peacock who welcomed me. We saw a HUGE hawk outside in a tree and heard the plaintive honking of a goose in one of the lower corrals. There are horses and goats and pigs, even miniature horses, all nearby. I may not get any work done there but it is a fine place to cool my heels! It may just be the ideal place to create the new series I'm starting which will be somewhat larger than I normally work.

Out with the old

2012-01-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

Today I moved from FiberFly Studios Annex in San Pedro, CA, to a new space. The old one was in a great old building but had not water, no heat and was not in the safest neighborhood. I was there for year weaving on my huge Glimakra floor loom and painting. Eddie and Anthony and I disassembled the loom then carried a year's worth of art supplies down stairs and into our vehicles. This is not my primary fiber studio but as long as I want to keep weaving on this baby I need SPACE.

A bit of black and white

2012-01-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

Here are three pieces which I've been working on for various purposes which happen to feature black and white. Needle lace and beaded medallions add a bit of color.

Back From Argentina

2012-01-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

These are photos I took of the outdoors sculpture at the Chihuly Museum in St. Petersburg, FL, and of the Perdito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia, Argentina. Hmmm . . .

Off to South America!

2012-01-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

On our way to Buenos Aires and Patagonia for a few weeks so probably no postings during that interlude. Catch you all when we return!!

Happy New Year

One Year Later

2011-12-24T15:29:00.001-08:00

This quilt is a wish for my nephew who has been through two brain surgeries this year. My hope is that a year from now he will have a bright, healthy and unique brain making his life joyous, productive, creative and pain free!!

Studio Art Quilt #6: State of the Art

2011-12-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

Honored to have been invited to submit to this small but lovely booklet put together by Sandra Sider. It contains photos of 60 fine art quilts which were created over the last four years by an international array of artists. Mine, Daylily, is on page 27. Daylily is part of the series Noble Seasons which already toured across the US in the Summer exhibition in 2010 and will be on the road again for all of 2012 as the entire exhibit (all four seasons) is seen in many venues throughout the year. It is entirely appliqued by use of the embellisher (dry felting machine) so has NO, that's right, NO thread! The photo credit is incorrect, I took the picture myself, but all else is fine.

Done at Last!

2011-12-16T08:31:00.001-08:00

I've been weaving for about 10 months at my annex in San Pedro a piece of wool yardage. It's light weight (this is Southern California after all . . .). And now I'm ready to make something out of it. With 4 yards at 44" wide I think I can get a great swing coat/dress. Cutting into a new piece of fabric is always a scary thrill!!

Back from the Framer

2011-12-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

Aerial View is now framed.

LEAF

2011-12-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

I'm replacing a piece that is currently traveling in the Noble Seasons Fall exhibition with this new one which matches the rest of the series better - the entire series will be shown at several venues around the US in 2012. It is done primarily with the embellisher (dry felting machine) and there is needle lace to create the veining over hand-dyed and some commercial fabrics.

BTW - I'm going to be teaching needle lace-making at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California, next July. More details on that as the time approaches.

Pieces 3 and 4

2011-12-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

Lots more to do (like integrating the four elements via stitch, ink, etc.), but here are the last of the finished tops.

I got the second piece put together

2011-12-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here's the second piece in the series.

Work in Progress

2011-12-01T09:21:00.001-08:00

I've been laminating paper to fabric like a mad woman! But of course I dyed, printed, soy wax resisted, painted, shiboriied, etc., etc., the fabrics first. These bits are for a series of small quilts which feature the inked and painted lamination.

Remember commercial fabric???

2011-11-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I went into my stash of commercially printed fabrics for bits and pieces to use in my "art quilts." I need to change out a piece that has been traveling with the Autumn collection this year (the entire Noble Seasons will be on the road in 2012) as I need the other back for my spring solo exhibition in Maryland which will feature all of the Fierce Winds series. So here's a bit of an autumn eddy which as yet has exactly NO stitching. I'm planning to add some more blank and maybe stitch with black thread just to darken it down somewhat - I mean there is such think as too much fun, right??!!?

Archeology/Language

2011-11-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

Just got this piece back from a touring exhibition. It represents the layers of time from the cave wall to the animal bones to the linguistic symbols (and terminology). Pen, stitching, paint, applique, use of the embellisher to add some dimension - all this contributes to the overall image.

SeaGrass

2011-11-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

There's a nice photo of my laminated piece Sea Grass on the Palos Verdes Library website. The opening was a bit quiet, but a lot of patrons will see the work over the next couple of months. I'll be picking up three newly framed laminated pieces tomorrow and will post them here later this week.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvld/6310423442/in/set-72157628046417800

Monster

2011-11-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting with materials that will withstand the elements - fiber folks don't have a lot of choices when it comes to outdoor art. Here's my MONSTER made with a range of products from the Big Box store! Much more to come in this series!

Round Robin

2011-11-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

This is my response to two other pieces of contemporary embroidery from two other participants in our 5 Strands round robin. I can't publish their work until we are all done (25 pieces over the course of 15 months) but here's my latest. It started with dyed silk and was built up with lace and a wide range of ribbons, threads, metallic bits and then running stitches. Of course I ended up with my fabulous metallic flake paint!

Aerial View

2011-11-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

This piece now has a name - Aerial View - thanks to various suggestions that were emailed to me. It is now done and has just to be stretched over a frame by my AMAZING framer Colleen at Kathy's Frame Gallery in Torrance, CA. I was down for the count with flu last week so am just beginning to finish a lot of pieces that have been waiting so stay tuned!

Big DYE week

2011-10-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

I shiboried, soy wax resisted and printed dye through screens using print paste and thickened dyes, yesterday with the companionship of my friend Susan Willen. Today I'm over-dyeing pieces that need a pick-me-up. My hands are covered with hints of color though of course I wore gloves. I wear the that color with pride, sort of a badge of my profession though not a clip on style! Can't wait to see how these new fabrics work their way into my artwork.

Etesian at home

2011-10-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is a photo sent to me by the gentleman who purchased this quilt within the week it was completed. He's found the perfect spot for it in the master bedroom. He promises that he will be putting the linens on the dresser away any day now . . .

Collage in Progress

2011-10-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

I was out of town last week in Florida for the Art Cloth Network's annual meeting and am now happily back in the studio. This piece, as yet unnamed, is developing well: paper and fabric and MANY interesting oddments. I have bent, yes, bent, about a dozen needles working on it as some of the paper is VERY metallic and thick. I'm now using a three inch needle and a giant thimble! Oh the challenges of art!!! It is a foggy day so my pix required a flash even though they were taken outdoors so the metallic appears a bit more reflective than is ideal. Looking for sunshine tomorrow.

Sea Grass Lamination

2011-10-04T15:19:00.001-07:00

This piece was just accepted into the Palos Verdes Library exhibit which will be up from Nov. 12-New Year's Eve. The opening event is from 5-7 on Saturday, Nov. 12; please come by if you are in the area. It is a really fun event!

Yet another in the Violent Winds series

2011-09-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

This piece is called Etesian after the winds that sweep south out of northern Europe into the Aegean. It started with a yard of cotton I dyed in the bright reds and oranges. I then added more, smaller, hand dyed shiboriied lengths to create the ground fabric. I had the blue screen printed yardage I'd done about a year ago and spent a long time at the design wall ripping it up and auditioning it onto the base. Then I built a couple of screens with the wonky "donuts" and did the printing to unify the piece. I thought it was visually quite flat in spite of the bright colors so cut out, hand stitched and quilted all those individual donuts. Still not content, I brought in the expert eyes of my artist friend Cynthia Catlin and we mulled and auditioned various things. I settled on the black spirals which add visual depth.

Tapestry Weaving

2011-09-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have been quite focused on weaving over the last couple of months. The big Glimakra floor loom is set up in my Studio Annex in San Pedro along with my painting supplies. A great big length of multicolored wool fabric is progressing nicely on it. Meanwhile, here at FiberFly Studios my assistant Jessica (age 11) and I have been working away on a new tapestry. It is a large and complicated design which will take several years to complete. We started with the whole process - designing, getting the cartoon copied to size, ordering the yarn from Australia, warping and weaving over the summer. Doesn't look like much so far, but stay tuned!

Terrain

2011-09-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is a painting I made last year which mimics the earth's surface as it is built upon plaster cloth and acoustical spray for dimension. It is gilded on top of much of the paint. It has been recently "rehomed." I wish it and its new owners the best!

Oroshi

2011-09-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Another one of the earth's violent winds - this one in Japan. Laminated paint (really) and lots of shiboried bits and other hand dyes plus some soluble media to tie it all together.

Harem

2011-09-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Not really sure of the title for this yet. Any ideas? It is for the Art Cloth Network's 2012 challenge. Maybe I'll actually get to show my piece this year . . .

Closer Than You Think

2011-08-24T17:58:00.001-07:00

This piece is in honor of one of my favorite artists: Chuck Close, who has AMAZING skills as an artist, works in modules just like traditional quilt makers do, and has overcome a disability which would have grounded almost anyone else! Called Closer Than You Think it is now featured in the Summer edition of the SAQA Journal, page 22.

Rusty Pillons in the San Francisco Bay

2011-08-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Last year when I was at the Surface Design Association/Studio Art Quilt Associates joint meeting in San Francisco I spotted this amazing retaining wall near the hotel. It is above the waterline in this shot but clearly has experienced the ebb and flow of tides over the years. The first image is my (somewhat tweaked) photo. The second and third are pix of a painting I did in my beginning acrylics class a the Palos Verdes Art Center this summer. It's kind of primitive but looks a bit brighter in "person." Was fun to work on.

2011-08-17T15:10:00.001-07:00

A free digital slideshow by Smilebox

Deep Spaces

2011-08-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a pretty announcement for the show? The details are in the column to the right. I have a piece of art cloth in the exhibit - not much opportunity to show hand dyed cloth so this is much appreciated! Most of the rest of the exhibit seems to be art quilts. Let me know if you get to any of the venues.

Another in my series focusing on violent winds

2011-08-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

This piece is called Viento Zonda and represents the winds out of the Andes in South American. The border is not finished; it will be larger, made of the art cloth on which it is sitting in these pix. All of these fabrics were dyed, shiboriied, soy wax resisted, laminated, printed and/or otherwise created by me.

Inspired by Rothko

2011-08-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

We spent some time last weekend at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art which has rearranged almost everything as a result of its two new buildings and the extra space they provide.* Nonetheless, I managed to find my favs - the 20th century Americans, the Abstract Expressionists. So it's not surprising that the very first piece I make afterwards shows the influence of Mark Rothko. This is just a start, will develop it more over the next day or two then stitch.

*The BAD news - They have eliminated the costume and textile gallery!!

Lamination Demo on July 30

2011-07-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

I will be demoing the process of laminating images on paper to fabric which has been dyed or otherwise colored. I will show various ways in which water soluble media can be used to visually integrate the two materials. Please attend The Sampler session on Saturday, July 30 from 6:30-8 at the International Quilt Festival in Ballroom B on the second floor of the long Beach Convention Center. Tix are available at the door.

This is a great (and useful) technique and the session will be really fun!!

The pieces shown here are titled: Red/Orange Flow, Detritus Takes Root, Aquatic Trails and Urban Target

Xmas Morning

2011-07-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

Got the quilt top done and am now quilting away. Here's a close up so you can see how the bicycle track was finally done and how it looks on the snowy background.

Coalescence II

2011-07-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

I just had reason to revisit this piece and thought I'd post it for all to enjoy. This is a detail of a quilt done entirely on the embellisher (dry felting machine). There is no thread at all. This is a flexible way to work and nothing visually breaks up the blending as thread sometimes does.

Bicycle Tire Tracks

2011-07-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with the bike track to run through the snow in Christmas Morning. I did several sketches of the tires on my husband's bikes. Then I tried three different approaches with felt, paint transfer, stitching and burning to create a fairly realistic image. Here are a couple of samples. I chose the surface I liked best (the upper one) and have decided to do much less burning away of the felt. I'm also going to add a couple of tiny bits of color just to spice it up. It's really important to do a lot of experimentation to be sure that many approaches are considered. These two are fair but not 100% what I want. Should have it by the end of the day!

Harmattan I

2011-07-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were in Carlsbad, California, for the opening of an exhibit of art quilts by Southern California SAQA members. I was happy to have my quilt, Harmattan I, the first in the Violent Winds series, juried in and to see so many friends and their great work as well! Stop by this month if you are in the area. It also feels wonderful to be back in the art groove after almost two months of traveling, being under the weather and then a massive computer disaster - pix of work over the last 7 months lost forever. Tan, rested and FOCUSED!!

Let It Snow!!

2011-07-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

In a most unseasonable manner I am working on a piece about winter called Christmas Morning. I have just gotten the ground fabric designed to be as varied and reflective as snow - something with which we are NOT intimately familiar here in Southern California near the beach! The photo doesn't really capture the sparkliness of the whites, but it does glisten.

Amazing Tapestry

2011-06-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Bjorn Jorg Museum in Silkeborg, Denmark, features paintings and these tapestries (there are dozens) done from his "cartoons."

Faborg Castle - Disney's Inspiration

2011-06-27T15:12:00.001-07:00

Off to Europe

2011-05-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

We'll be all over Denmark and then a side trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, till mid June. Looking forward to visual stimulation! Even with the new iPhone I don't expect to be posting (or checking email). Being disconnected sounds more vacation-like!

Lava Flow

2011-05-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Another Contemporary Embroidery. This one represents the creation of the earth's surface where the lava meets the sea. It took MANY iterations to get the result I wanted but I think this now tells the story.

Gates of Hell

2011-05-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

For a Quilts on the Wall challenge I've begun working on a piece about Cerberus, the guardian of the Gates of Hell. This is the finished ground cloth. Let's see where it goes from here...

Happy Birthday Susan!

2011-05-20T09:59:00.001-07:00

This lamination is a card I did from a design on paper my friend Susan Willen made. I applied it to some fabrics I'd dyed and printed then drew on it to enhance the forms.

FiberFly Studios Embellisher (felting machine) Workshop

2011-05-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Free digital slideshow made with Smilebox

Daylily

2011-05-03T16:10:00.001-07:00

I was very pleased to learn today that Daylily has been accepted for publication in The Studio Art Quilt #6: State of the Art put together by Sandra Sider. The book should "drop" at the end of this year and will contain the work of 60 American art quilters. My piece is unique in that it was made entirely on the embellisher machine which needle felts and uses NO thread nor stitching at all. It is raw edge applique and the requisite three layers with batting inside. It was made originally for the Noble Seasons series with which it toured, and represents Summer.

Flotsam II

2011-04-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

This example of my contemporary embroidery is done on green felt. It has been foiled, stitched, appliqued with yarns, metals, Tyvek, etc., then burned out to add a more random, organic feel. It is about the odd beauty in the orphaned items which wash up onto our shores and into our waterways.

Building Blocks

2011-04-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a piece, Building Blocks, which hasn't been posted yet. Seemingly miles of novelty yarns zigged to a sturdy ground then layered and bound!

Remember: You can CLICK on all photos to see close up details!

2011-04-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Dreamhouses

2011-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

This is an "art quilt" but it is really about the surfaces. The underlying layer - salmon colored - is a piece of art cloth which I created by dyeing and over-dying with several mechanical resists (sort of crude shibori). Then I printed/painted and foiled it. The over-layer is black felt onto which I applied painted WonderUnder. I foiled that surface and then adhered a large piece of scrim I'd dyed. It is all quilted onto batting and a backing to stabilize the piece. I'm going to make another one using just a version of the top layer as I love the way the light plays off the foil on the otherwise very absorbative ground.

Brickfielder

2011-04-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

This is the sixth quilt in my Hot Winds Series: Brickfielder. The unusual name comes from the fact that this searing wind blows the red dirt from the Australian Outback (Bight) into towns to the south, covering everything with a thick, brick-colored dust.

My Quilt Goes to FRANCE

2011-04-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Wood Cells, which is part of the SAQA Art Meets Science exhibition, is BACK in Europe! It is at Quilt Expo Beaujolais in Graves sur Anse this weekend. Wish we could all be there sipping some of that fine French wine and enjoying the show!

Embellisher Workshop - Use that felting machine in new and exciting ways!!

2011-03-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

I taught a Lamination Workshop at my studio: FiberFly Studios. Fun, fun, fun!!

2011-03-24T13:14:00.001-07:00

Make your own slideshow

Lamination Samples

2011-03-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting with laminating on various ground fabrics: wool, linen, handwoven cotton and commercial cotton. Here are some examples in preparation for several workshops I will be conducting. WAY fun!! Remember - you can click on any blog images to enlarge them for a close up view.

Flotsam - A Contemporary Embroidery

2011-03-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a recent piece I finished. There is, in fact, an underlying layer of laminated paper then some painted WonderUnder. Beyond that I have stitched a variety of cool stuff, added some paint and burned the edges (I seem to be painting with my fingers lately; isn't that something we did in kindergarten???). It is mounted on painted canvas. Any ideas for a title?

Click on the card for details.

2011-02-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

Lamination Workshop

2011-02-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

I will be offering a workshop on lamination of paper to fabric on March 23 at FiberFly Studios in Palos Verdes, CA. If you aren't already on my email list and wish to have an invitation, please contact me at FiberFly@cox.net for details. The announcement will be going out this Wednesday, February 16. If you scroll through the posts on this blog since early January you will see lots of samples of the kinds of lamination we will be working on in March. We will be focusing on visually integrating the applied paper to the overall design of the finished work. If you have special fabrics: hand dyes, prints or left overs from other projects, consider adding a whole new dimension to them at this workshop.

Ooooops!

2011-02-10T16:26:00.001-08:00

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the Wall. I rented a painting studio and decided to paint the Follow Along. So, on a whole different note, we go from the collaged base of tissue and laminated papers to acrylics applied to the copper netting I'd placed over it all. Collage, yes; painting, yes. You just never know. I've always aspired to be an abstract expressionist painter and at this "ripe old age" am getting closer and closer to the dream. No Sunday painter in the park here!

New Follow Along: The Wall

2011-02-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Now that I have been laminating for a while I have been thinking about how to integrate that work into the rich stitching that I love to do. I have come upon the theme of walls for a variety of reasons. One is the way they break down, both literally and metaphorically. This provides the opportunity to go deeply into the surface to reveal underlying structure and the suggested passage of time (yea, big birthday coming up . . .). So I'm going to post the steps as they play out for what may be the first piece in a series. Enjoy!

Collagraph + Lamination = ???

2011-02-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a piece I did from one of the collagraphs I made last week from a hodge podge plate I stuck washers and cardboard and other junk onto. The large black marks are all results of printing off that plate onto a white fabric (bamboo, as it happens). The softer black and colored areas are a result of laminating black and white plus some pastel-y papers to the piece. I then colored it all with water soluble paint and markers, and drew into it with pens. Any suggestions for naming the piece?

Play Date

2011-01-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

My friends Susan Willen, Sharon Oblinger, Carol Churchill and I spent the day at FiberFly Studio making collagraphs. We built plates out of lots of stuff: corrugated cardboard, sticky foam, string, glue and even dried beans! Then we rolled on acrylic paint and pressed our fabric into the surface. The photo shows a few of the pieces drying in the sun (yea, January and it's 75 degrees!). For mine, the ones with just black paint, I am creating bases for lamination. Next week I will start to build up the layers so please check back!

More Laminated Pieces

2011-01-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

I am entranced by the process of laminating paper to fabric and then integrating it into a cohesive design (I think I've said that before . . .). These are a couple more pieces which have been laminated. The aqua one has already been stitched while the warm colored one is awaiting the stitching. I will be offering a workshop on the process in late February or early March here at FiberFly Studios. Stay tuned for details as they develop!

Attributed to Wayne Thiebaud:

2011-01-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

"If you sit around and wait for inspiration all you get is a sore ass."

Reminder to self - get back into the studio and work! I've been swamped seemingly for weeks and need to eliminate distractions and just make art.

Lamination

2011-01-13T08:58:00.001-08:00

I have been working away to master the process of laminating paper to fabric with the goal of creating a well integrated design. Next week I will give more details about the process, but before I flee town for an extended weekend I wanted to post some examples. Enjoy!

Holidays are OVER!!

2011-01-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Enough of this romping about with friends, eating fine food and drinking sparkling wine - it's time to get back to work. Besides catching up with piles of paperwork, emails and submissions, I have been laminating paper to fabric. This is a very beginning stage of a piece which will get lots of ink and stitching. Explanation and follow up photos to come. New work for the New Year!

Now for Something Entirely Different . . .

2010-12-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

I stitched lots of fabric bits onto a colorful cloth ground and then painted like a woman obsessed. Canvas textile? Canvas textile!

Sirocco DONE!

2010-12-13T12:59:00.002-08:00

Though I have not yet put the backing and thin black border on the piece, it is done. There is now stitching throughout which unifies it visually and provides a slightly 3D effect especially visible in the small colorful circles. The Hot Wind Series now has five pieces which are all very colorful and have lively surfaces.

Day Three of the Follow Along

2010-12-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

The piece now has a name - Sirocco, one of the winds that blows north out of the Sahara into Southern Europe, so this is another art quilt in my Hot Winds Series (who knew?). I have done a lot more to make the elements cohere: printed more circles and other forms from the original shapes in different sizes, added a fine layer of Angelina, then colored in and emphasized the fabric circles. I used a variety of media including Aquarelle crayons, markers and of course a lot of paint. It is beginning to look more refined but still high energy and playful. Now I'm off to layer and stitch.

Additions to the Follow Along

2010-12-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

As you can see, there is a bit more connection between the collaged elements now. This is because of the addition of webs of Angelina and then some screen printing to repeat the circular and starburst motifs. It is a little over-blended for my taste so the next step will be to find some focus in the piece.

More Calendar Pix!

2010-12-07T19:37:00.000-08:00

Here are several more of the featured works from the 2011 Calendar to whet your appetite. Just use the PayPal button in the right hand column or email me directly at FiberFly@cox.net to order. Make every month of the New Year an art experience!

New Follow Along

2010-12-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

I started a new textile piece that I think will make an interesting one to watch develop. It has no title yet, but I have begun to layer fabric - many pieces of which I have already printed - onto a black ground cloth. My goal is to print, paint and then stitch until I get an appealing pattern. I seem to return to the black/gold combination about once/year; this seems to be that moment.

Collaboration

2010-11-29T09:02:00.001-08:00

My nephew Alex Shirwo, an art student in Santa Cruz, California, was here for the Thanksgiving holiday, and we collaborated on this piece. It is textile and paint on board. Fun, fun, fun!

Shroud

2010-11-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

At least until a more creative name comes to mind this will be called Shroud. I wove the white piece then buried it in the garden for a few weeks. Once dug up I ripped it up, rusted it, then added heirloom lace from my family's 19th century stash which I also rusted. I put some interesting old bits of metal into it and embroidered it all onto a hessian ground fabric. I'm waiting for my tussah silk to arrive from Thai Silks which I'll stitch the piece to, then off to Kathy's (the best frame shop anywhere!) where Colleen will stretch it.

More 2011 Calendar Images

2010-11-15T11:42:00.001-08:00

Here are three more Calendar images. The first is the art quilt Green, Not Green; I figured the opposite of a "green" quilt is an orange one. Below that is a detail of Slag Heap II. It is a heavily collaged mixed media textile which has been dyed, printed and embellished with an array of detritus including rusty metal objects. Last is a bowl made from recycled plastic bags and bubble wrap. Enjoy!

Contemporary Embroidery Workshop at FiberFly Studio

2010-11-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

Create your own free slideshow design

Harmattan 2

2010-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

I wasn't planning to make this a follow along project but I am so taken with these colors that I just had to post these photos. I shibori dyed all these (and many more) fabrics in the intense red-oranges. I also dyed the green/blue ground fabric - it's bamboo. I'd done another, cotton, blue/green at the same time in the same dyes and preferred the way the bamboo takes the dye - it has a hand like a cross between really fine German rayon and pima cotton. These photos show the auditioning process during which I decide which to use and in what order. I am pleased with the sequence, after much fussing about, so labeled them in order. As you may notice, my design wall is OUTDOORS. Lucky me, I live in Southern California not far from the ocean, so there are very few days of the year when this is not the perfect place to have it.

Four images from the 2011 Calendar

2010-11-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

These are Fractal #1, Red Embroidery, Blue Art Cloth and Big Sur Rusty Bus. I will post a few more in the next week or two.

Harmattan

2010-11-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Harmattan is the name of a hot wind that originates in the Sahara. It is the fourth piece in my Hot Winds series. I dyed all the fabrics then cut and pieced them together and added some stitching in a few places to tie it all together. Because the colors are complementaries, they pulsate suggesting heat rising from the desert floor. This piece is about two feet long and I have already got the new fabrics dyed for a second one about two and a half times the size. I don't usually work over about 40 inches, but I thought this would be stunning LARGE so I'm going to give it a try.

Rag Mama Rag

2010-10-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is the piece of art cloth I did to meet the regional (Southern California/Hawaii) Surface Design Association Challenge which entailed making anything using one piano damper and one piano hammer. I took the photo after VERY carefully aligning the two items, tweaked like crazy in Photoshop to create three different patterns, and then sent it off to Spoonflower where the fabric was printed. I then dyed the gauzy one and pieced it all together.

BLOG Design

2010-10-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well, you can see that I've been playing around with the design of the blog. I now have a piece of my art cloth as the border. Wish it could be loaded large enough not to have to tile, but Blogger limits the size of background images to pretty darned small. Oh well! Here's a photo of the whole piece (a couple of yards long).

VOILA!!

2010-10-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Done at last! Here is the finished piece. I decided to go with the black border as it just seemed to make the piece pop. It is called Foehn - part of my Hot Winds series; Santa Anas and Mistral are already finished. The Foehn is a hot southerly wind that blows through the Alps.

New WORKSHOP Contemporary Embroidery

2010-10-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Double click to enlarge.

Step Six

2010-10-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Now that the top itself is finished (the batting is already there because I quilted it in place when I did all that hand stitching), it is time to think about the back and border. I prefer to make all that in one piece bringing the fabric from the back around to create a border on the front. I need to decide what fabric to use. I tried various possibilities from my stash and have included four of the best ones here. My favorite fabric store, The Cotton Shop in Redondo Beach, is going out of business after over 30 years - the mother of the current owner started it ages ago in Hermosa and Haley took it over when she passed away), so I will purchase more of the chosen fabric during their liquidation sale - a very minor tribute to the years of pleasure I have had shopping there. The photos show the ones I'm considering; blog viewers are free to comment about their choice, so let me know what you think. Keep in mind that in these photos the fabric is just folded over two edges of the piece so it is much sloppier than it will be when it is all stitched in place.

DIVERSION

2010-10-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today I'm posting something entirely different. These are bowls I've made from repurposed plastic bags and bubble wrap. I will be putting together a lesson on how to do them in the next few weeks but for now here are a few for you to enjoy. They are going off to a "new age" gift shop early next week in time for the holiday season. They measure between 5"-8".

I will get to Step Six on the quilt early next week.

Step Five - opinion, please

2010-10-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

I did some outline stitching yesterday and here are the results. Because the background is white I like the way the running stitch makes the forms "pop" so I think I'll keep going. But please leave comments with your opinion. Isn't it interesting how a piece of art evolves and begins to assert its own aesthetic without a lot of forethought by the (presumed) puppeteer/artist . . .

Step Four DONE!!

2010-10-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

I've been stitching like a woman possessed in every free moment over the last few weeks and have got all the bits securely in place. Now I'm faced with a decision: to outline stitch or not . . . I think the only way to decide is to do a little and see if it adds enough punch to the piece to make it worthwhile to spend the extra time - weeks - to complete a Step 5. I'll post some photos of the area I outline in a few days, and you can let me know your opinion.

stitching

2010-09-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Looks like I've disappeared off the blog but I have been hand stitching away. I was in San Jose, CA, for an Art Cloth Network meeting (check out our new blog at ArtClothNetwork.blogspot.com over the next month or so to see work by some talented fiber artists) and am off to Philadelphia for a wedding over the next five days, so progress has been slower than ideal. But I have stitched about 50% of those gloriously colorful bits in place and will finish the rest when I return so STAY TUNED!

Step 4: Ready to Stitch (maybe)

2010-09-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

I am quite satisfied that the piece flows well at this point. I may add a bit here and there, but the applique is essentially done. Now I need to decide how to hold it to the batting and back. Options: machine quilt (I will definitely NOT do this as the stitches would interrupt and distract from the movement of the pattern as they are mechanical, too even and not organic looking); use the embellisher - dry felting machine (this is often the best solution as it is almost invisible and fast - I in fact have already done a bit of this around some of the outer edges to secure a few of the larger pieces, but I don't want to use it on some of the smallest, most delicate pieces as they will start to break down and I want a crisp look); or hand stitch. When in doubt I always choose to quilt by hand, and that is what I will do here. First, I love doing it. Second, there is complete control of the stitches themselves - they can be invisible, evenly placed, of any length, or even complex embroidery stitches, and add a whole new aspect to the design.

Step 4 continued

2010-09-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

The first thing you probably notice is that the piece has been flipped 180 degrees. Works better visually at this stage guiding the eye boldly from upper right to lower left but still with visual anchors in the opposite direction. Since we normally read from upper left to lower right, this is a bit edgy which gives the piece energy and warns of the unexpected. The second thing you see is that I have fallen in love with white. This is surprising as black is usually my go-to default - so much for those bold black marks I thought were going to be so prominent! The colors are emerging but need a lot of work to tie together at this point.

The Making of an Art Quilt, continued

2010-09-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Once I've selected a general color palette it's time to prepare bits for use. This requires ironing, a lot of ironing! Some people choose to spray their fabrics' backsides with a sticky substance that allows for adhering and then changing one's mind, and removing, and possibly re-adhering in a different location. I prefer to iron Wonder Under or a similar product onto the back of each piece since it all needs to be ironed anyway, and then I store (with the protective paper on) all the unused pieces from this and former projects for future use. That provides a lot of cool bits which are ready to incorporate at the drop of a hat. The picture shows lots of small pieces I've finished Wonder-Undering. Then Step 4, the cutting and arranging the fabrics onto a ground fabric. In this case, I selected a piece of white canvas as a starting point. (Yes, painters' canvas.) Working from the images I have in mind, I begin to build the composition. This will take days. Here we have the nascent stage.

Early Steps in the Creation of an Art Quilt

2010-09-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

Several people who do not work with textiles have asked that I post the steps I use in making an art quilt. I began one yesterday so thought this might be a good opportunity to do that. Here are some ideas about Steps One and Two. First, I conceive of an idea: like water issues, early human communication systems, or a color combo I want to play with. In this case, I was looking at some 2Oth Century abstract expressionist art and decided I wanted to lay down a colorful ground then add strong black marks on top. Some doodles show a couple of ideas for the marks. Then I began to think about the fabrics - Step Two. I have a large stash of cottons I have dyed, screen printed, soy wax batiked, painted, etc, etc., so I began going through those and selecting some in the general colors I have in mind. I also delved into some commercial fabrics I just happen to have (!) which match well with them. That was a day's work.

Painting!

2010-09-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Who'd'a thunk . . . I woke up this morning with a song in my heart (could be the weeks of heavenly autumn weather finally breaking through) and a paint brush in my hand. Have a whole new series in mind which came together as a result of putting that colorful wet stuff on canvas. Has anyone else noticed that canvas is a textile???

Metal

2010-09-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been trying to work the surface of metal for some time now. Since I do not have enameling supplies I'm stuck with my own ingenuity - not always a bad thing. Here are some examples I did today. They are brass and copper, heated, rusted and painted with various metal-happy paints. The silver one has since been rusted over the paint. These can now be stitched into by hand or machine.

Hangar Gallery Santa Monica Airport Artists Studios

2010-09-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I dropped nine pieces of my work at this Santa Monica gallery for a month-long show which has its grand opening event on September 11 from 6-9. I will be there from 7-8 for sure! My work is hanging on 16' of well lit gallery hallway. My only concern is that there is not much else on display nearby; the enclosed galleries are at the other end of the building. Let us hope that more work is up by the BIG day. Gallery is open Wed.-Sat. from noon to 6. Five of the works are 4" squares (see above) called "DK, or what the cat dragged in" after all the rusty metal that kitties Sammy and Daisy brought as studio offerings on their magnetic collars. There's also one of the threadless quilts, Coalescence IV; the very textured Seawall, Darwin, Australia; a small study with needle lace; and the framed under glass Copper Embroidery which has a lot of modern materials: Tyvek, Angelina and other interesting stitched bits creating a nebula. Please come by to see the exhibit and then go for lunch at the cool cafe next door from which you can watch the private planes come and go.

Catch Up

2010-08-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Been on a tear both creatively and travel-wise. Out of town each of the last three weekends to learn to enamel (very cool) and about soy wax batiking (surprisingly fun and effective). Exhausting but worth it. Now I'm home for the entire month of September - YIPPEE!! Value of Art is for a B/W challenge and is my exercise in forcing myself to pay attention to value in my work. A couple of pieces I did earlier this year fell a bit short in that category. Blue Paper Collage will go off to Spoonflower to be printed on fabric eventually where it will join my new Fractal series. I'm posting Fractal 1, too.

Tree of Life

2010-08-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Tree of Life has been a recurring theme in my work forever and here is appears again in tile on the wall next to our front door in the breezeway. We've been working on it off and on for more than two years. Not perfect, but it shows the hand of the makers. Thanks to Judith, Jeff, Robyn and Jessica for helping get it up. It feels like a blessing on our home.

Summer Creativity

2010-08-05T10:03:00.001-07:00

The Hubster was on a backpack in the Sierras last week and I cranked! Worked 'round the clock - so much fun. Here are some goodies I completed. The Copper Ground Cloth will probably be the basis for an embroidery though I like it enough to just let it be; time will tell. Santa Anas is just pieced with a lot of the hand dyes and prints I've generated in the last year or so. Could be the beginning of a hot summer wind series . . . Nice to put all these bits to use.