And so it begins

What a great group of kids!

Friendly, interested, ask great questions..

We started our individual loom weaving part of the project last Tuesday. That will accomplish two things.. get the "over-under" structure part down, and everyone will have something to work on. One hour goes by quickly.  

Today we set up the larger loom. 

Mr Hart helped with a diagram of weaving and enlarged his sketch for the tapestry. We will be working quickly with 10 meetings to complete this project.. with such a great group at Leaksville-Spray we should move along very well.

(climbing on soapbox)

When funds are restricted, complicated and minimal, the need for projects and programs is not minimized. Grants are available sometimes, but they run on cycles. Opportunities don't always. The best way -- I truly believe !!! to invigorate and engage a community is from grassroots efforts with neighbors, caring businesses investing BACK into their community and volunteer efforts. This doesn't mean that those working in the project with design, execution and supervision should all be uncompensated volunteers. Consider investing in projects with funding, with time because we all know nothing is free. But it can be freely given. (climbing down from soapbox)

Hope you enjoy the photos.. more to come!!!

Tapestry in the Schools- Weaving an Epic Journey

Tapestry as story

History has been full of storytelling... one of my favorite parts!

Unicorn Tapestry (detail)

Bayeux Tapestry (detail)

Stories ground us in why we are doing what we are doing ... all of the big "w" questions. The Battle of Hastings in the Bayeux Tapestries, (not really tapestry but textiles and I'll take that!!!) and the story of England, Vikings and 1066, the Unicorn Tapestries and more contemporary tapestry artists all tell stories but with so much tactility and texture!!!

Mix yarn, elementary education, community projects and engagement and we score big!!!

Yarn and other supplies!

For 10 weeks, I'll be a resident artist with Mr. Bret H. Hart, school art instructor at Leaksville-Spray Elementary School in Eden, NC for this afterschool project. For those unfamiliar with this area of NC, Eden has been a "textile town" with several mills that produced towels, socks and other hosiery, rugs and so many other woven items that are no longer produced in NC or in the US. My grandfather, father and cousin worked at the Fieldcrest Mill when we all lived in "Draper", one of the three towns that blended into "Eden". Mills were located along the Dan River all the way into Virginia. The area is beautiful. Clear water now, ... except for the Coal Ash spill up river courtesy of Duke Energy... another story. 

School Mascot "The Dolphin"

The Textile heritage is strong here, 

and so many families are rooted in the area because of their employment by these mills.. the area is struggling financially. Not a lot of funding for school projects is available and what can be used is VERY competitive. This is an opportunity to work in the schools, to bring the importance of art, craft and community with all of the side benefits of story, awareness, education, history... it goes on! Want to contribute? Personal Message me and I will be glad to share this project!!!!

DADA Collective at Northwest Middle School

I love this project! Friends, kids, teachers and art!

 

A collection of six artists working with the art teachers at Northwest Middle School and sixth grade art students are creating some new artwork. Mark your calendars for DADA’s June 5 “first Friday Gallery Hop” for an exhibit of the finished pieces!

 

The DADA Collective project is a short residency, with a variety of media and art styles working with small groups of students to explore how art is created by the artist with students creating their own hands-on part.

 

First Visit

Students share an initial meeting with the artists in their classroom, viewing power point presentations from each DADA Collective Artist, asking questions and finding out more about the next two visits.

 

We are just getting started!

The second visit is with the artist and the small group- ten or less students- with a demonstration and discussion of the next visit, a field trip to the Downtown Art District.
(This may be our favorite of all the visits! Taking art they’ve learned from their teachers and bringing it outside of the classroom, introducing the idea of art as a profession, the creative economy and how it contributes in so many ways! And- that you use a lot of math and science when you create art!!!) Students arrive for a day of work in the studios on their project, a guided tour of the many murals and historic buildings in the Art District, the galleries and studios, then lunch.

 

Exhibit at the June 5 DADA First Friday Gallery Hop

The students work will be on display in the Galleries during the June Hop. DADA Collective artists are Carl Galie- environmental photographer, Mary Bailey Thomas- multi media artist, Nicole Uzzell- sculpture , Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet- muralist, Jennifer Wynn O’Kelly- painter, Kathryn Gauldin- textile artist.

 

Thanks for project support from the WS Arts Council’s Wells Fargo Arts in Education Grant!

 

info@dadaws.org

dadaws.org

(336) 734-1864

 

Inkle and Bowls

This is the first month of the Traveling Empty Bowls Fundraiser! Second Year I have worked with Second Harvest  Food Bank on this project, taking bisque ware bowls and underglazes out to groups in the counties served by the Food Bank through their local food pantries.
So far we have worked in Forsyth (most of those are not mine this year.. but met some folks at the Y I hope to schedule with!), Rockingham County at Beulah Baptist Church (really nice, fun and enthusiastic community supporters!), North Stokes High School with art students with wonderful designs and on to Rockingham Middle School today, out to Yadkin County and more. This is a great social project and we hope to represent all the counties that the NW NC Food Bank serves.


As I get to meet folks I share everything I know.. (almost!) as I get to work with so many different organizations that have opportunities.  At Beulah Baptist Church I get to share the Penland Scholarship for Rockingham County residents, at North Stokes High I get to share my
 LOVE of inkle looms!


One of my favorite weaving looms, an Inkle loom is a very old type of loom that weaves warp-faced bands. There are a gazillion publications on how to build one and how to weave but with lapses in threading I need a refresher. So here is one for all of us! As I was searching for a good image I found two of the looms showing how the heddles (circular knotted threads of a very firm non-fibrulating yarn) that wrap around alternating warp threads. These heddles are held stationary by wrapping around one of the specific pegs on the inkle loom.




By alternating warp threads, many colors and patterns are created. and there is always the opportunity for "pick-up" threads to float and make more designs, add beads if you are the beady type--  lots of options for variations. Smoother yarns work best as this weave is warp-predominate- i.e. the warp threads are the ones to show the most. The weft is visible on the sides and can be a fun accent as it travels up the band. As always, the archives of Mary M. Atwater give us great direction.




Hope you get a chance to weave on an inkle! If you are inspired, message me! I love this as a workshop! it is simple, fun and a great project for bands, sashes, trim and --- just throwing it out there, you can replace those heddles with cards to create card woven bands using the inkle as the tensioner.. helping to keep the tangles of a long strand under control.

Regrettably my images are not loading.. will try again later. (sorry!)

Wrapping up 2014 with Glitter

Wrapping up 2014, this has been a challenging year. I suppose they should be challenging or we would all be sacked out on the sofa with empty chip bags, cats and wondering whose turn it is to go get beer! Not all that productive!!






I've been digging in my personal resources a lot in 2014. And I've had the opportunity to learn a lot of new things. Not necessarily things I'd thought I would want to dig into.. bookkeeping, stocks and percentages, but coming from a family of engineers that information is another tool. And not bad stuff to learn. And, of course, I am in the "101" phase.






I've learned a lot about Community Art and Development, how they interact socially and economically and look forward to several upcoming public art projects.






I had a few goals to pursue and I am so glad I did that! Went to more festivals this year, checked out how they work, met some lovely artists at StokesStomp, in Galax at Chestnut Creek School of Art, and have enjoyed exhibits at Piedmont Arts in Martinsville. Piedmont Craftsmen's PopUp Art Project was great fun to work with, meeting a lot of artists and helping to install over 17 pieces of public art in Downtown Winston Salem, some in the Downtown Art District (DADA) and some scattered in other downtown areas!

Now I am getting geared up for the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Empty Bowls Fundraiser. Last year was my first with this part of the project and it was a blast! I  got to travel in the mountain-y areas (that I love!) meet some wonderful groups of folks that are nice, dedicated to helping out the community and when I was getting a tad behind with the schedule, I contacted our Arts Organizations in the state and had a chance to meet more artists, groups and arts enthusiasts.




You may notice there is no weaving listed here. Weaving is happening and it is time I got moving on the sharing that stuff!


I am setting a few more goals for 2015 now. KGTextiles on Facebook will get more attention, KGTextiles on Instagram and KGTextiles on Twitter will get more attention! And am loading up stuff to try out online sales. DyeCrazy at Etsy. And I have several workshops to teach already in ink on my calendar. That is VERY exciting! Have several to attend, too.


And a few more that involve being outside! I live in a beautiful part of the world and between the color, texture and great feeling from being out and about, it is time to move on.
Happy New Year! Let me know how you're doing!

Month Number 8

Again, the year has been traveling way too quickly.
I'm going to add a few photos of new weaving here but I did want to share some of the other blogs I write.

I have a very part-time job at the Rockingham County Arts Council, in Wentworth NC. I wear a closet full of hats with this position and lately, one has been very much like wearing a crow on my head. Yep, a bit bitter at some decisions by the board but.. things change and I'm hoping that this job i really do love will let me turn it back into what it was evolving before the wall fell (note reference to Star Trek TNG metaphor culture!!! hahah).
So, the jobs are as Executive Director- meetings, politicking, writing grants, bookkeeping, grants administration, events coordinator, gallery exhibit coordinator, website updates and a monthly or so blog there. One of my favorites got a bit personal and you can read it here. I really had fun with the artsy educational games! A new one to play with is Blendoku, a color sorting game.

Hayfield-green warp. 

Chickory blossom

With the giant cutback in my "regular job" hours (from 30 to 10 and yes, the pay cut is a tough bite to deal with) I am working to be positive about the time i have on my hands. I don't see ever NOT having enough to do! One thing is spending time with family, another is working on my garden and yard, and there are the two estates of my parents that have been so very difficult to deal with. But I will and this too shall pass, as my grandmother used to say.

I also write blogs for my friends who have businesses and soon i will launch my own website. I think it is time to do that in conjunction with my stab at getting back to weaving, art, workshops and festivals.
I have been teaching a bit.. it is so very rewarding for creativity as well as income (cats must have crunchies!).

Live Music!

Mullein plants

I had a chance to visit Elk Creek. My pal Marianne invited me for the pre-fiddlers convention and there was so much wonderful music. I have always liked traditional music and these folks played everything with enthusiasm.  The mountains are my favorite place to be and once again, the colors were very inspiring. A warm blue-violet chicory blossom, soft greens and earthy browns of hay fields and rusty red and bronzed oranges of climbing poison ivy are just the color ways for the square wraps I've been putting on my Nancy Bruce Leclerc.

Red to Rusty Orange threads for square wrap warp.

Hayfields and Christmas Tree farm.

Mallow blossom

An 8-harness twill with a few reverse points placed through the width.. the threads are different sizes from 16/2s to 5/3s and rayons, tencel, cottons and some silk.

Mullein, yarrow, chicory and Queen Anne's Lace

These have been a fun project- weaving a square with fringe on two sides. These fabrics have a wonderful hugging drape that can be cinched with a fibula, loose knot and a variety of twists for accent. yep, still need more photographs!

Getting Deeper into Surface Design

One of the reasons i have always loved Surface Design is the texture, whether it is texture to touch or visual texture that adds depth and color/hue variations.

I am excited to offer another session exploring introductions using a variety of techniques. So far, all of the students have been fun, playful and open to exploring. All of the right ingredients for a rewarding creative experience.

This session includes:

Acrylic Gel photo transfer

Marbling on Fabric

Silk screen printing with textile pigments

Appliqué and stitch techniques

Pigment removal/resist

dimensional stitching creating bubbles, rows and line

Block printing using linoleum

Composition, using selected samples and techniques to create a composition

This series of 8 classes will be held at the Art Alliance of Greensboro, located at the Greensboro Cultural Center on N. Davie Street. 

As an added bonus I have a homeschool drawing and painting class right after this class. We will work on some surface textures, portraits and a 3-D drawing and painting, plus lots of color mixing. If you are interested in scheduling classes for your group please contact me.

Another favorite surface design technique is painting and I am excited to work with the Second Harvest Food Bank on the Empty Bowls painting project!We are scheduling groups to paint bisque bowls that will be available at the upcoming April Fundraiser for the Food Bank. This is for the Northwest counties of North Carolina, helping to supply food to local pantries in so many counties. 

I've got some other projects on the burner too, working on grants, our upcoming Down to Earth exhibit at the Dan River Art Market & Gallery and a surface design piece i'm hoping to have ready for that exhibit!  

It is a busy winter moving quickly into spring.. I plan to plant some things that will be useful in dyes and more! Time to get a Dye Garden at my new space!