Yeah! Yeah!

Its been too long. We can meet, see stuff and most importantly, we can touch stuff

With Textiles that is a thing

I've been dyeing to share some new work with you all. I've done that with the website updates, new weaving, printin on fabrics and then meeting folks through galleries

here s the thing

I spend a lot of time making what I like. I love color, shape texture and structure.I don't think i'll ever bored with weaving, printing and painting. I've chosen to make this a life work. 

Residencies

I am always excited to share textile techniques so lmk if you have a group interested in a workshop. I love the grants through school programs that i work with, sharing what  i know and what I've learned is such a good feeling!! (hugger moment) 

Festivals

always try to attend. Artists are kind of struggling now. remember toe ou saw earlier at shows and try and connect with tem on line. we have had a lo of folks that are more interested in non ontact sales through events because of covid, to e safe. consider these wonderful folks as you make your holiday shopping decisions

meanwhile

, all about me....

check out my website, with links to social media. I usually don't sell on there, but def provide a link to my vits and pieces

Sunrise

 

Artist Support Grant

I recently received an Artist Support Grant through NC Arts Council and Yadkin Arts Council. 

 

 

I truly enjoyed having time to work through just the one thing, from drawings to watercolor to thread and dye and fabric upon structure.

The finished project is a short series of dyed and woven pieces that are based on a brilliant sunrise. The colors are mixed, as watercolor, and are bright against night sky then bright against a morning sky.  I liked to use a narrower fabric width that would wrap the sunrise colors side by side, showing the consistency and magic of ordinary days. I decided to line up the sunrise, loop the nights at top and bottom and frame the days with the brilliant colors centered as a celebration, as the birds sing to welcome the day. 

As my residency contracts were cancelled in March of 2020, I worked entirely from home. 

 I live in an urban setting and the connection of days in a grounded location away from packing and driving has given me enlightened perspectives for what I want to explore, breaking the previous routines that were, for the most part, wearing.

  Often, I am weaving for festivals, shows and retail project that are functional and wearable. I sometimes don’t have the time it takes to develop something that I’ve started from an idea, a drawing, a complete draft of a project that I can exhibit and I feel that I miss out on a lot of participation because I am using my art and fine craft for personal business income. 

The ASG and the time I had to invest due to quarantine situations has been an opportunity for me to follow through on the idea of days that loop into nights into days, as color can transition from warm and bright to dark and subtle. When I first began weaving, non-functional art was my inspiration. These materials and time have given me a body of work with story, color, structure and an opportunity to exhibit non-functional work. 

I look forward to exhibiting this work. And I still have a few ideas on how to continue the project, too.

Meanwhile, there is more coming as far as exhibits, as workshops and other fun and yarny things. 

Art Camps at the Arts Center in Carrboro, June through August (specific times through these dates)

New work in City Gallery, Galax, VA (and in time for Fiddlers Convention!)

Story Cloth exhibit at Art in the Garden, August-September

Creative Sewing workshops with Art in the Garden, Reidsville, NC

Adult Art Camp at Reynolds Homestead, Critz, VA

 

and-- back to the outside world!

 Put on pants, meet the world

Actually, I've had on pants. But the idea of getting out to meet folks in workshops, at festivals and exhibits is a bit mixed. Its great to have conversations, hear what everyone has been up to and just take off outside without always suiting up. I am looking forward to all of that!

I am one of those who always has something going on- a project, trying a new technique, so i am pretty self entertaining. I've learned a LOT of new things and my studio is full of samples, a few finished pieces and a box of ideas. 

so, as we trek out into our vaccinated world, i'll look forward to seeing everyone!

and I'll still be on the trails sketching and photographing wildflowers

and I'll
be working through the projects started!

Upcoming:

Block Printing on Fabric at Blue Ridge Fiber Fest, June 5

Art Camps at the Arts Center in Carrboro, June through August (specific times through these dates)

New work in City Gallery, Galax, VA (and in time for Fiddlers Convention!)

Story Cloth exhibit at Art in the Garden, August-September

Creative Sewing workshops with Art in the Garden, Reidsville, NC

Mud dyeing

 I suppose, with all of this rain, the time has come to sing the virtues of mud.

Mud has some serious mineral content that brings out warm earthy variations, permanent stains and interesting textures. The colors are regional and can have a wide range of variations.

One of  my favorite painting classes involves making paint. Basic paint is color and vehicle. Something slightly adhesive, whether permanent or not, needs to be in the vehicle to move the paint and secure it to the surface. That is the root of why we have such a selection of paints.

Water will flake with most pigments, though watercolor is one of my favorite paint mediums. The particles are so small and the paper used "toothy" enough to grab those bits of pigment. Milk is a good base, as it has sugar, starch and liquid- casein paints. As we now have a variety of milks, soy milk is a choice along with dairy. And egg tempera gives the pigments a real glow, depending on the layering, the ground and the part of egg used. 

Oil and Acrylics have firmer bases that capture the pigments in solid layers that can be less fluid, though pushing the oils to a wash in layers gives depth and texture. Acrylic paints were developed for permanence and washes can particulate, if thinned too much without some additives. 

There it is! the paint story!

I use watercolor a lot when designing warps as it mimics the way dye works very well. I've made paints from natural dyestuffs, painting in journals and using everything from laundry starch to potato starch, paste for bookmaking, and soy milk. 

The soy milk is interesting as it is a mordant (keeps the color longer, sometimes permanently) and can make an interesting paste of thick dyestuff, such as (wait for it.....) MUD. Mud paint is often scrubbed into the fabric, can be stenciled on, is affected by after baths and is very textural. I've mostly played with paints from mud, adding color and scraped out textures, layered and very often didn't wash off the mineral content. I framed it, kept the sample book and used in sculptures for thick paints that show the brush bristle trails, allow for scraping and thickness.

And, the rains and mud will help to produce beautiful spring flowers, sweet garden peas and lettuces and show where the deer have been loitering in my garden beds :)

Happy Almost Spring to all y'all!