in progress – Page 14

Collision: the work begins, Contextural Fibre Arts Co-operative, in progress, journal: lessons to learn, Residency 2016, Residency 2016, Shows/Publications

push pull

Posted on August 16, 2016August 16, 2016 by arlee

There are no machine made nodules, no “dimension” beyond the tactility of the stitching, but elements of my overly ambitious plans for something else have crept in and settled comfortably.

To hell with “Concept” as i said in an earlier post. I’m tired of trying to write statements that explain WHY i did something, especially when a well written tailoring can adapt almost any piece to any show. Concept can be in the eye of the beholder as well, right? As we develop our style, our voice, whatever you want to label it, certain truths and ideas, interpretations become self evident don’t they. (Not a question, a fact.)

When you make 8 pages of notes and sketches, and still can’t quite “git ‘er done”, it’s not the right time for that CONCEPT.

So, this then is the piece i will be exhibiting. Finally titled also as “Original Truths”, since i went back to what i love and love doing. No influence from anything else, any other artist, just me. This *is* me on the other side of the mirror. I’ve heard it said that when an artist draws faces, unless in a deliberate style, that elements of their own face, or their internal guise, are more evident, so though i’m not completely sure what this says about myself, other than the feeling that i have always felt alien, outsider, misfit, stranger in a strange land.

Though most of it is done, there’s something missing. I shall have to pin it up and stare at it for awhile.

I need to pull some of the starker white to the left top somehow, but how? Not more hexes, too heavy handed then.

It’s also been a bitch to photograph—-i need that perfect afternoon light, because otherwise there is too much yellow imparted to the golds and browns in this. I’m happy with the detail shots, but the whole, not so much. Since it *is* not quite done though, i’ll worry about that later. The detail shots are good enough to submit to the show organizer.

There are 12 days until the exhibit gets set up, so hopefully i can finalize a solution to what’s missing, execute it, and photograph the whole properly.

embrilting, in progress, Not so ordinaries

moving along, and another backyard rescue

Posted on August 14, 2016August 14, 2016 by arlee

I could might get this done in time for the exhibit!

The honeycomb/hexes/cells are stitched with rhubarb root dyed cotton perle–i just love the way this dye glows an any fibre!

I wanted to add more of my treasured and hoarded walnut dyed lace, but i put it somewhere in a safe spot–and someone has moved or hidden the safe spot!!!

And Greyman to the rescue again! He was going to mow the back 40 last night, but found a young robin by the lawnmower, so for the next hour we fed, watered and kept safe the fella until his Momma came back. He was full grown in size, but not in temperament or self care, but still with baby feathers, so pretty!

No sign of him this morning, so hope he’;s safe, but we can hear Momma.

Dyeing, Ecoprints and Natural Dyes, in progress, Residency 2016

hexed and rumexed :)

Posted on August 13, 2016August 13, 2016 by arlee

The couple left to be stitched at the bottom will have to be done after the edges are finished (the back covered). Since, as i mentioned before, that “symbol”/shape has shown up before often in my work, i can see these being a focus for awhile in other pieces.

And the results of the Rumex seed stalk dyepots:

I was quite shocked at how much colour washed out of the soda ash modified one–in the bath, they looked a warm reddish gold, but most of it disappeared. The best was just plain old alum with the dyebath, though i did get a surprise from an immersion of white cotton thread in the exhausted ammonia modified bath, peachy!

I’m wondering if there was a chemical reaction similar to madder, in that first the yellows are extracted (poured off in madder), and then the redder tones show up? I’ll test that a bit more, as i do like that shade. Other than that, i won’t bother with gathering this plant material again–yellow is basically yellow, after all, and there are a million plants that give that 🙂

"OPINIONATION", Dyeing, Ecoprints and Natural Dyes, garden dye plants, in progress, Residency 2016, Residency 2016

place your hexes

Posted on August 12, 2016August 12, 2016 by arlee

Subject to change without notification, but i am betting this will be the most likely configuration.

And i’m having a terrible time photographing things this last week–the weather has been strange with dark moody skies and then a burst of blinding sun, and then thundercracks and lightening!

Doing some natural dye experimenting as well. I gathered dock (Rumex) seed stalks, after seeing the results someone else did in a REPUTABLE, SCIENTIFIC, FACT BASED FB group. Currently these are in various vessels with different modifiers and mordants.

Fresh above, dried and drying below.

Though someone else with 40 years of natural dye experience got a range of colours from yellow green and brown to red and orange, i’m getting some glorious shades of ————————— ——————— yellow again………..but i like yellow now, and the more threads i have in the arsenal, and to over dye, the better my thread stash looks. Could be the season, could be the weather, could be the soil, could be the stage of growth, everyone gets different results with some things. My rhubarb root dye pot gave me the most luminescent glowing gold threads that i had to try these, and there were good results from burdock as well, but i can find no roots due to recent “herbicide” spraydowns. The bastards.

And why am i harping on PROVEN DYE methods again???? Because this kind of crap is still around:

There’s a whole chunk of “dyes” listed for various colours (some are REALLY dumb…), but ANY site that immediately tells me i can use SALT and VINEGAR as a MORDANT or “fixative”, is IMMEDIATELY scoffed at by true natural dyers. Do a little research. (For one thing, vinegar is a MODIFIER, (and a Ph adjuster)not a mordant. Go look up the definition of mordant, you idiots.) Just because this is “Pioneer Thinking” doesn’t mean it’s true. “Pioneer thinking” also includes a hell of a lot of old wives’ tales. There are SO many good books, fantastic teachers and methodology sites, there’s no excuse for this ignorance. Stop perpetuating it, UNexperts……………

Back to regularly scheduled stitching again while things stew and rest.

embrilting, in progress, Residency 2016

a little hex vexed

Posted on August 11, 2016August 11, 2016 by arlee

I think i need more of them…….

I apologize for the lighting, taken last night at 1130 in a dim studio!

Not the finalized layout, i’m playing around with placement, and i feel i need more of them to not look like a last minute add on…..

embrilting, in progress, Residency 2016

hexing

Posted on August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 by arlee

I’d planned on using these in a more ambitious project, but now they will be on the face piece–and i need a name for her soon!

Since the hexagon shape often appears in my work on the background as part of the “embrilting”, it’s a natural progression to add them in a more dimensional form. I like these shapes as they evoke honeycombs, cells, natural forms. These will all be puffed up and added along the bottom corners in various configurations, “dripping” off. And i think the Caron Wildflowers “Ash” (#218) is my new favourite colourway, sliding from fog and snow and back again, especially on this “filler” fabric i designed during residency.

I hadn’t realized/remembered the face fabric being so gold, so will have to work out a proper integration of the very white hexes!

I might have to build the canvas stretchers as well, as i don’t think i have any pre-mades this size.

There are now only 20 days until the deadline!

in progress

natural twist

Posted on August 6, 2016August 6, 2016 by arlee

Letting the thread do what it will. I noticed last night that my new stitching on the face piece has interesting refractions of light, due to the way the tansy/madder perle cotton twists, or not, as it’s used.

I *do* drop my needle and thread once in a while to let the thread “rest” and go back to its off the skein conformation, but i like the way this worked. Not intentional, just the way the fishbone stitch worked this time.

Contextural Fibre Arts Co-operative, in progress, Residency 2016, Rust

finding the meaning in no meaning

Posted on August 5, 2016August 5, 2016 by arlee

I should keep my big mouth shut. Realistically, there is not enough time for me to create an entirely new piece for an exhibit that starts in 23 days, at least not with what i want to do to it….. Plans are wonderful, necessary to keep going and growing, but i don’t need to make myself any crazier than i already am, and decidedly do not need to frustrate my need to make with rushing and forcefulness. On that note too, what the hell is “concept” but construct?

So back to maybe not square one, but square 37? 🙂

Some of the ideas i had for the piece mentioned in the last post are valid for this, so i picked it up again last night, whacked a few more stitchings in, and can see where it’s going now.

Still means a lot of work has to be done, but just keep going. I created the faces during residency for a reason. Read any trope or import into that.

Ensphere, in progress, journal: lessons to learn

mad bad skills

Posted on August 3, 2016August 3, 2016 by arlee

Oh dear gawdz, are my machine skills ever SO very SO SO very very rusty and bad right now.

Or i could blame Lalage………..

My nodules in FM are CRAP: changed the needle, changed the tension, changed the threads: LOUSY. Good thing i tested first rather than start on the real thing. I had pulled out my samples from Karin’s Extreme Stitch lessons and while i had taken copious notes, i couldn’t just couldn’t get the same results. I will spare you, but mostly myself, the embarrassment of showing the resulting snarls, twangles, danglish bits, squinched and borgled lumps sprinkled liberally with spit and tear stains.

I think i better hoop this time. And dedicate a COUPLE OF HOURS to practicing, something i OBVIOUSLY haven’t done in a good while…….

And now because i have to go to the Day Job at the fffFlower Mines, i will have 24 days left………………….

BAD WORD BAD WORD BAD WORD

Here’s a picture of a flower.

a collusion of ideas, Contextural Fibre Arts Co-operative, in progress

pull it together

Posted on August 3, 2016August 3, 2016 by arlee

Seeing all these photos in one entry makes it look like it’s going to be complicated. I don’t know how anyone else pulls elements together, but i visit the past (from my own work), research and then extract certain motifs or techniques and fit them together in new ways.

Above is the base fabric, the main component of the piece.

I’m looking at these shapes below, seeing them surround the circle/hole/void/portal/egg/seed.

Above, original sketch/painting (2013), below in process detail from “Nightmare Interrupted” (2014).

What i have in mind to do though, means that base fabric isn’t big enough. Below, the “filler fabrics” i deliberately created during residency this year will be pressed into service —and stitched and cut and pieced, as well as pressed 🙂

I’m not sure if i will use both, piecing them into each other, or just one. The honeycombs/hexagons/cells make a re-appearance, a motif i return to often, symbolizing for me nature, chemistry and beauty. Hexagons occur naturally, are not just a man made construct, in everything from beehives to snowflakes!

There’s machine work involved in this one as well. Lalage hasn’t seen much action in awhile, so i hope she complies!

I *think* the projected size will be around 24-30″ “square”, though my intent is not to make a square piece, but a dimensional, wall hung, more sculptural piece.

SO, now with the deadline only 25 days away, i best get at it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!