arlee

res day 8, abort

Posted on June 22, 2016June 22, 2016 by arlee

24 hour tummy bug yesterday, damn it, so no time at ACAD. This week sucked for getting in there, but at least on Monday i was able to find some more cotton. I’m going to have to do a LOT of work next week in the last few days i can get in!!!!!!!!!! I think the next time i do a residency, i will go for the three months! While some of the work i do is for the shop, i also try to have enough of a “stockpile” for my own work–and i’m not getting much of either done…….

I made the best of it however, and not only got a start on the first face, but managed to make 2 dozen sachets for the bread and butter sales. Boring but necessary 🙂 At least it smelled good while i was working!

I’m now “seeing” this face “dense” with asemics. Need to switch to a finer thread for the effect though, as both i used were so similar (swirls along the side of the face as well) that there is no visual difference. I’d use a silk, but the sheen makes it more obvious too.

I love how the eye turned out, but doing the other so it “matches” scares me! It can’t be “identical” as light and shadow is different for each side of the face, but i hope the skew isn’t too skewy! The original work from 2007 that inspired this was all in colour, but her eyes were black/blank areas, so i’m winging this aspect. I also need to think how i’m going to add more dimension to the flower area on the left side of her face: it seems a shame to cover that with something, but it may have to happen.

a collusion of ideas, Jam Day, Residency 2016

res day 7, at home

Posted on June 21, 2016June 21, 2016 by arlee

Somehow i ran out of cotton last week, and have to replenish the stock! In the meantime, i thought i’d play at home Monday, and see what i could do with one of the faces from the first week, kind of a ResJam day 🙂 (Those of you who followed the first albedo blog will know that a Jam Day is a time to just futz around and make messes, colour and joy, refuting the White Queen’s “Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today” statement!)

Choosing threads this way sparks the design too. Not all will be used, and i never decide on which stitch where until i load a needle. A mix of weights and twists, the proper colours and stitch types will fall into play as they will themselves to. I do know already that my original intent to recreate the face as a Dreamscope interpretation will fall by the wayside, as the piece tells its story the way it wants to. Dreamscope is fabulous for spurring ideas, and i have no doubt i could “copy” those results, but for now, this one at least will be its own master.

Based on this one below, from an original piece done in 2007, the first face above will be quite different.

I’m mulling over ideas for adding additional colour to the background of the next one to be “inspired” by the above Dreamscope manipulation. I realized i don’t want an exact interpretation into thread and cloth, but it certainly stirs the imagination!

FybreSpace the shop, Indigo Dreams

shop update

Posted on June 20, 2016June 20, 2016 by arlee

Please support my habits, and pursuit/purchase of the perfect threads 😉

Shop here!

Not so ordinaries

mountains and molehills

Posted on June 20, 2016June 20, 2016 by arlee

What a weekend! We had a marvellous trip to the Old Man River area of Alberta, near the Rockies, checking out PLU areas for our holidays in July. (We escape Calgary during Stampede, as it is sheer madness.)

It was overcast, it was cool, it was dusty as hell due to the low rainfall lately and much wind, but oh the beauty!

There must have been a nest because he was definitely telling me off!

Coming back from Old Man River, we realized we had a flat tire on the Beast. Pulled to the side of the road, and started hauling things out, my faith restored in humanity as several people in pickup trucks stopped to help. (I have a thing about those guys usually–they’re normally arrogant no holds barred unsafe aasholes from most of my experience, but these guys were rather decent 🙂 ) We got everything sorted, then continued on. My dear Greyman decided we should go a specific route at a turn off, and we discovered going DOWN a newly gravelled mountain road with NO guardrails and a drop of about 1000 feet was scarey as hell. It was better the last time going UP. If you stop at the highest point, you can see right across this part of the highest foothills, nearly 200K away to the grasslands!

(The video from the dash cam on this section is quite entertaining as i call on the Lord for help 🙂 “OH JESUS< OH JESUS! Yes, it’s a lovely, lovely view. OH JESUS.”)

When we cleared the last of this gravelly dusty road and turned onto highway 22, we discovered we had ANOTHER flat. On the OTHER side…………………No spare anymore, we sat for an hour and a half, enjoying the view and breezes until an AMA tow truck arrived to tow us the last 100K home. (And again, a pickup truck stopped to see if we needed help…i guess country pickups are happier, more helpful and respectful than the city variety!)

See that pink hacienda in the bottom of the photo?

At least now, after having had to “fluff” the two back tires for months before we go anywhere, and worry about them on long road trips, we know now that with the new tires we’re going to have to buy, that part of travel safety will be okay!

Ecoprints and Natural Dyes, Indigo Dreams, Residency 2016

day 6, and inspiration from the past

Posted on June 15, 2016June 15, 2016 by arlee

I’m not getting miles of yardage done this year, but i’m quite happy with the results.

Indigo, of course. Only one clamp resist effort, as my overheated body could manage only that at the end of my day there yesterday………..And not clamped tight enough obviously, but WTH, i’ll add something else to it.

Quite frankly, i’ve grown bored of ecoprinting BUT, FB pulled a reminder up in my feed yesterday, and seeing this again, it does inspire. A detail from “padded Cell: Boro’d Time” (2011), it is quite lovely.

And i just happen to have been given a pile of peony leaves the boss saved for me at the fffFlower Mines.

(I’m also quite jealous of some of the results by others :), but haven’t had the wherewithal yet to try the addition of natural dyes during the process. Maybe i’ll have a self-directed workshop sometime this summer with that technique. I did last week buy a metal colander for use in steaming, so best use it to justify spending the coin!)

Day 7 of the residency won’t be until Monday. The Day Job looms for the next three days, today included, and we have plans to escape to the mountains on the weekend for “de-compression” time. Maybe i can collect some interesting leaves 🙂

Indigo Dreams, Residency 2016

res day five and yes, we have indigo a going

Posted on June 14, 2016June 14, 2016 by arlee

There *was* a flower on top, so i figured there must still be some life in the vat. Trotted some of my chemicals to the school this morning and voila.

I’ve done some “solids”, and have some resisted ones waiting also. Now i need to revive the one in my own basement Dyeing Dungeon!

Yesterday was quite productive, but again i am finding myself pooping out after 3 or 4 hours due to the heat. My attention span, stamina and temper suffer past that time period when i’m over heated.

Don’t forget to check out my shop too, for periodic offerings for *you* to stitch on!

My space in the “home studio”:

And the big blue moon just visible on my desk there, is done! Just have to stretch it on the canvas and hands dusted. Time to do something else/new.

Indigo Dreams, Residency 2016

res day 4, indigo-ing, shop update

Posted on June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 by arlee

I realized amongst all the “patterning” i do, i still need some solids that become backgrounds, bases, retreats. I *was* going to do some indigo at the school today, but alas, the vat is dead, long live the vat. Tomorrow i will take in some of the chemicals and revitalize it. I can fire up my own at home too, but all the clamps and resists are at the school, so might as well have two going!

Really, the only thing i can show you today is several cloths drying. The first layer of colour, these will have more work done on them to make them more “complex” and to start story telling.

There are other cloths sitting as usual overnight, and tomorrow morning will tell if my efforts paid off.

I got only three hours of work done today, dragging my ass due to a sore back, lonely in the studio, too hot in the studio, and bummed out about the indigo None-ness. I was the first to arrive today and had to ask for the doors to all be unlocked!

It’s been a long while since i’ve listed fabrics for sale, so please do have a perusal of what’s available (starting in a few hours as i upload, probably around 6PM my time!). The feathers will be there, as well as some of the indigo, when i get that going…….

Indigo Dreams, Leighton work

close to completion

Posted on June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 by arlee

Round and round i go. “Cheesy B movie night” pick was “Zoombies”—because it’s all fun and games until undead giraffes gang up on you and pull your arms off.

Today will be an indigo day at res–if i can get my ass in gear–and this will be going with me to stitch on as i wait for other processes to happen.

Not so ordinaries

new tenants

Posted on June 12, 2016June 12, 2016 by arlee

Told the landlord we have a secondary suite on the property now, but he’ll have to catch them fast to sign the lease 🙂 (They’re also demanding a porch and awning.)

You know, these photos, this awe inspiring opportunity to catch these birds so closely, has me filled with joy and thankfulness for this house’s Karma. I was out under the apple tree, and could hear the babies chirpling away as they waited for a parent to come back. One stuck a head out and i thought GET THE CAMERA! Of course i stood there for a good ten minutes again, thinking they were not going to show again, and the next thing i know there’s one of the adult birds with a bug filled beak and babies popping out.

Now you kids behave until i come back!

Contextural Fibre Arts Co-operative, Residency 2016

res day three, and a 12th blog anniversary

Posted on June 12, 2016June 12, 2016 by arlee

Enough with the faces ! 🙂 (Though i may do more with other older drawings as the inspiration, below a bag from 2007.)

Trees and roots were on my mind on the third day. (I always have to post days after while waiting for natural processes to process 😉 ) Here’s the current line dance.

Of course, as soon as i hung them on the line, the wind came up, and the sun came out from behind a cloud! Will have to rephotograph some in the shade.