tidbits

Some exiting news have come my way lately. Two of my pieces, forest floor and sumac study, were accepted to the World of Threads Festival exhibit, De rerum nature, in Oakville, Ontario this fall. I am still waiting for more details about the event and the other participants, but I am thrilled to be part of this exciting international exhibition. World of Threads also published an interview with me this past week. I am grateful for the chance to showcase my work and discuss my thoughts and ideas in this wonderful forum.

Next month I will have an exhibit of small works at C'ville Coffee, a local coffee shop here in Charlottesville. My sunflower series will be on display along with other things. The show stays up throughout the month of June.

My disintegration and repair pieces are coming along nicely. The printing was finished up last week, with some exciting results (see photos below). I am so pleased with how this work is progressing.

I have just listed a small selection of elegant eco-printed envelope clutches in the store. I love how these small purses highlights the delicate and unique prints. Lastly, I want to thank all of you for sticking with me here. I know my posts have been more sporadic than usual, and that follow ups on your comments and emails have been lacking. I do appreciate all of you, and the thoughtful feedback you provide!

in excellent company

This coming July, I will participate in a textile invitational at Warm Springs Gallery, here in Charlottesville. The title for the exhibit is Disintegration and Repair and my work will be displayed alongside work by five fantastic fiber artists; Kathryn Clark, Marguerite Gignoux, Karen Henderson, Natalia Margulis, and Barbara Wisnoski. I am beyond thrilled. Not only is this a big event and an honor for me, but it is a big event for our small college town. Owner and curator Barbara Buhr, is  expanding the scope of her already reputable contemporary art gallery by initiating this textile show, with its national and international participants. Here is the exhibition statement:

"Disintegration and Repair, examines the physical, formal and conceptual aspects of cloth's fragility, its tendency to deteriorate, and the human inclination to rebuild and restore. The exhibit speaks of wear and tear, damaged cast-offs and unwanted remnants as metaphors for the evidence of use and the passage of time. The idea of Disintegration and Repair offers artist and viewer the opportunity to reassess the meaning and value of mending and reuse."

True to form I am still working on my pieces for the show (samples of the work in progress is scattered throughout this post). 

The exhibit runs from July 1 - July 31, with an artist reception Friday, July 6, 6 - 8 pm. I would love for you to come for a visit to view the beautiful work on display!

book making

Maybe it is the small scale, the tactility of the handmade papers, or just the fact that I once again get to use my graphic design skills. I am obsessed with making small simple books using the multitude of eco prints I have achieved on paper for the past several months. The initial impressions lead to some research about the trees and plants, which lead to photo sessions to capture their leaves and flowers, and then finally some words. Just simple phrases, more like reflections. Naturally some fabric is incorporated as well, stitched in place.

Four books are completed so far. They have become starting points for a series of books celebrating native trees, and important garden plants in the region where I live. "Small book of Roses" and "Pecan book" are available here, if you are so inclined. More are in the works.

spring break

More time is elapsing between posts lately. I am busy working and thinking. Mostly thinking, as it seems that many recent ideas have stalled, while nagging questions pop up regarding creative focus and directions. I think I am in a rut – doubting where I am heading.

So instead of making much, I have spent time in the garden, cooked, travelled to our capitol, and watched my son's soccer games. I need a spring break, to reflect and to secure my footing. Things may continue to be a bit slow here, just for a short while.

walnut and oak leaves

An incredibly stinky brew of walnut and oak leaves became my dye concoction this weekend. The mixture had soaked in an iron pot on our patio for about six months and was ripe in every sense of the word. Besides the indigo vats, this was my first dye experiment in a long time, and I had quite a few ideas I wanted to try. Loose pieces of wool and linen went into the pot, so did two bundles with dried oak leaves, and beech twigs clamped between linen squares and metal plates...

I was imagining the twigs acting as resists, while still letting the dye seep through to the surrounding cloth. It worked ok, but not quite as distinct as I imagined. The linen did not take the walnut dye as well as I had hoped. In hind sight I think I tried to do a bit too much. There was not much room to move around in the pot and the clamps holding the twigs in place were rusty, therefor leaving some rust smudges here and there. I also think I opened the bundles too soon (just could not help myself). I still had a great fun messing around with the dye pot - glad to be back in the thick of it, literally. 

heike gerbig

Photos courtesy Heike Gerbig. All rights reserved.

The best aspect of being part of the blog world is definitely the wonderful people you connect with. One of them is Heike Gerbig from Berlin. I came across her blog Gerdiary several years ago, and with time we started to exchange comments and emails.

Photos courtesy Heike Gerbig. All rights reserved.

Heike is a former journalist and writer turned textile artist. She is taking her wordsmithing to a new level incorporating phrases and poetic thoughts into her work, which consists of fabric collages, notebooks, jewelry, and soft creatures. She uses vintage fabrics, remnants, paper, and natural dyed cloth for her creations. Her work is wonderfully textured, beautifully hand stitched, and often made with a humorous, slightly edgy twist, which I love.

Last fall we decided to start a natural dye sample swap. So far I have received two packages with lovely swatches from Heike. It is really interesting to look at the samples and compare with my own results. The plant materials we use are sometimes different, which inspires me to try new experiments. It is a true gift having these swatches on hand, knowing they were dyed by someone dear, far away on another continent. Make sure to check out Heike's web shop as well as her etsy store. Many treasures there to be had.

Photo courtesy Heike Gerbig. All rights reserved.

oh indigo

We are about to enter week four in my online indigo workshop with Glennis Dolce, and I am having a blast. I still don't really understand the exact chemistry behind this dye process, but I love the instant gratification of dipping the cloth into the vat, pulling it out 2 minutes later and watch it turn from yellowish green to blue in an instant. Magical.

I am working with two vats - one is a pre-reduced natural indigo vat, and the other is a 1-2-3 vat originating from French indigo dyer Michel Garcia. The pre-reduced vat involves using both soda ash and thiox (color remover) and I am sure that the indigo crystals themselves has undergone some chemical treatment to become "reduced", so to call it natural is probably a stretch. But it does give a nice, nice blue color, especially after repeat dips. The 1-2-3 vat consists of nothing but natural indigo powder, powdered fructose, and powdered pickling lime. It was ready to use after just a few minutes, smells sweet and delicious, and dyes the loveliest pale shades of blue that builds up to a rich medium blue over time.

We are also working on some shibori techniques, such as clamping, and scrunching (my term). The scrunching creates the nice sky like pieces. And the folding and clamping is just fun, fun, fun... I am so happy to be messing with dye pots again.