Crosscurrents: Day 2

I used so much creative energy on Day 2 that there was no energy of ANY kind for posting an update last night.

Day 2:  some X's, crossed lines, cross-currents.

 In the last half-hour of Day 2, I stabilized a piece of black dupioni silk (in upper right of  photo below), then added random rows of machine stitching to it.  Along with the white-and-gray background piece next to it, I quickly created more crossed lines using leftover fusible-backed fabric strips.

Day 2:  old and new pieces

My design wall on Day 2

My design wall now includes a long piece of Black Cherry shibori-dyed fabric created a few weeks ago.  Not sure I can use it in this project, but it fills out my wall area nicely!

"Crosscurrents" Workshop with Rosalie Dace: Day One

I feel so fortunate to be taking the 5-day Crosscurrents design workshop with S. African art quilter, Rosalie Dace.  What an incredible teacher!  The workshop is at the Stitchin' Post in Sisters, OR.  In the weeks leading up to this workshop, our assignment was to pay special attention to the shapes x and +, which have intersecting lines, and collect images of these shapes.

My design wall: Day one

Day One was all about PLAYING, EXPERIMENTING,
and trying out different ways of designing with intersecting lines. Tomorrow we'll begin our actual design compositions, but Day One was all about exploring.


   
 Rosalie brought a wonderful selection of images that featured intersecting lines.  I sketched a few ideas from them, but went back to a previous little sketch in my design journal.  Here's how it looks now that I've interpreted it in fabric:

My first piece.  (Ignore the dark line on the right; I don't have a photo-editing program on this laptop!)

Exploring that idea further, I had a good start on my next piece.   Then Rosalie came around and asked the magical question   " . . . what if . . .?"  She gave me that extra little push that I needed, resulting in this piece:

Designing in layers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I knew about "what if . . .?" but now realize I hadn't been asking it enough when designing art quilts.



 I began one more composition before quitting time.  It's not finished yet, but here's where I left off:

3rd design, still in progress.

I'm very excited for Day 2!  And something special happens Thursday evening -- Jean Wells, who's also in this class, has invited all of us to her house for dinner that evening.  Then at 8pm, it's time for Oregon Art Beat's season premiere (Ore. Public Broadcasting); one of the two featured stories is the one about Jean, filmed this past July!  I was privileged to be at the filming as one of her "students" working through the critique process.  It will be so much fun to see the results of that day's filming, done in the classroom and at her home studio!

Shibori, revisited

I had the urge to put color on fabric one weekend in mid-September, so I gathered my supplies and wrapped 8" strips of (dry) soda-soaked PFD fabric around PVC piping.  I recently splurged on some new Procion MX dye powders, but couldn't decide which to use.  My son (Max) was home from college for the weekend, so I asked him to make the choice between Eggplant, Black Cherry, and Rust Brown.  Without looking up, he proclaimed Black Cherry as the dye of the day.  (Probably because he doesn't like eggplant -- has he even tasted it?? -- and anything with rust in the title probably sounded unappealing.)

Fabric wrapped, scrunched, and tied on PVC pipes.

Ready for the dye

Dyeing in progress

The results

I was very happy with my results, both the shibori and the two extra fabric pieces I scrunched up and submerged in the dye bath.  I want to use these pieces, not add them to my bag of "experiments"!

VAST

This past weekend I visited Alley Art Studio, where Dayna Collins mixes her media and artistically expresses her motto:  Be Bold.  Dayna's studio was open to the public last Sat. and Sun. as part of the Visual Artist Studio Tour (VAST).  Her studio itself is an artistic wonder.  There are paintings on the walls, mixed media pieces, and collection after collection of curiosities such as vintage hose nozzles, doll heads, and one of my favorites, a vignette of used watercolor sets arranged on a wall.

Some of Dana's art was available for sale -- her Curious Elements.  I've admired them for awhile, and now own these two pieces:

Curious Elements by Dayna Collins

Now I need to find a special place to display them!

Starting the Architecture Challenge

Last Friday night's excitement has calmed down, gradually being pushed aside by a growing interest and flashes of inspiration for our next challenge.  I wanted to play with another hand-carved stamp again, so I looked through my photos of the Ladd & Bush Bank's architecture.  I decided to experiment with this image:

My selected architectural motif

Cropped: a smaller section to work with

 I opened the cropped image, rotated and resized it in PhotoShop Elements, then applied different filters.  The one I liked best was under Sketch, called Reticulation.
[Reticulation:  an arrangement resembling a net or network  (in photography, reticulation is the process of fracturing the film for creative effect).]

The reticulated image

 I printed out the reticulated image and darkened the lines with a fine-point marker (left, below) to make it easier to trace onto tracing paper (middle, below).  The traced image was placed face-down on a Speedy-cut block.  I re-drew the lines on the back of the tracing paper, which transferred the markings to the block.  With linocutting tools, I cut/carved the image into the block (right, below).

Three steps of the process

 A sponge brush was used to put a thin layer of fabric paint on the carved stamp, then the design was stamped onto fabric and heat-set with an iron after the paint dried.  Here are a couple of samples I stamped:

Image stamped onto fabric

The architectural motif I began with has been slightly morphed into a more abstract design.  Now I have to decide if I like it enough to use it, and if so, how to use it in a 12" x 18" design challenge.  This is the incubation period, a time to be patient and not to make a rushed, forced decision.

Surprise: an award!

Torrie and I went to the artists' reception for Salem Art Association's show, Bits & Pieces: Intuitive Quilts from the NW and Beyond this past Fri. night, since we both had quilts juried into this show.  It was a really fun time -- people were friendly, the energy was high.  Several times I overheard comments such as "finally, quilts are being accepted as fine art."
We were there for about an hour and a half when someone pointed out to me that the tag on my quilt said "Merit Award."    I don't know how I missed that, but it was true!  When the awards were announced, my name was the first one called.  It was a huge thrill, happily shared with several friends and family members.  (Thanks to those who came out that night!)  We had planned to go out for dinner afterward to celebrate my first juried show.  As it turned out,  there was even more to celebrate!

Merit Award:  my "Natural Symphony"quilt.

 There were three other Merit Awards presented.  Two went to Jean Wells for her two quilts below:
 

Merit Award:  "Coffee Country" by Jean Wells.

Merit Award: "Steppin Out" by Jean Wells

 In my excitement, I've forgotten the recipient of the 4th Merit Award.  (That, plus other details, I'll add later after I've returned from seeing the show again.)

The award for Best of Show went to Salem's Kay Worthington, whom I met for the first time that night.  (I'll add a photo of her award-winning quilt later . . . my camera's batteries died early in the show!)

LOVED this one!  (title/maker to be added)

Another entry by Kay Worthington.

The color RED was well-represented at this show.  (Title/maker to be added)

 The show will be up until Oct. 15 at Salem's Bush Barn Art Center.

Who doesn't like cupcakes?

Cupcake fabric postcard from hand-carved stamp

I finished this fabric postcard, placed it in the fancy stand to show it off, and delivered it to my friend Nancy Smith today.  It's my donation to the big raffle basket (with a dessert theme) that she's coordinating as a member of the Willamette Valley Auxiliary (an extension of the Assistance League of Salem).  This fundraiser, as part of Operation Backpack, helps provide backpacks filled with school supplies for local K-12 students  who might otherwise start their school year without these basics.

My hand-carved stamp and "practice" postcard

 I realized how much I enjoy carving my own stamps and using them to create one-of-a-kind fabric designs.  I stamped the cupcake image on 5-6 different cotton fabrics that I'd dyed, painted, screenprinted, etc. beforehand.  On both the pink and blue postcards above, I freemotion-quilted with a Mettler 50/3 brown cotton thread (on top and in bobbin), using a Topstitch 90/14 needle.  No problems; just an easy meditative little quilting experience.

I have a tendency to overdo it when using most types of cutting/trimming tools. (Loppers on the hedge:  clearcutting.  Trimmers on the hydrangeas:  removed  about 88% of the decades-old plantings, etc.)  But so far, I've maintained control with my carving tools and not chopped away too much of the carving block.  (I used Speedball carving tools and carving blocks.)  I like the three stamps I've made this year:

My 3 hand-carved stamps

It's almost showtime!

Torrie's quilt in ad

Bright and early Sunday morning, Torrie sent me the following link to an article  in Salem's Statesman-Journal about the upcoming Bits & Pieces show.  Near the end, it mentions both of us!

In addition to the Gee's Bend quilts and the quilts juried into the show, there's also an invitational part to the show that we weren't even aware of!  Once again, Jean Wells' name enters the picture -- she was one of the quilt artists invited to be a part of this show.

Torrie, who, unlike me, is always early for everything, reaped the rewards for her promptness.  A close-up shot of  part of her quilt was used in the full-color ad for the Bits & Pieces show (also in Sunday's paper).  Incidently, this detail shot shows some of the surface-designed fabrics from our Fabric Swatch Exchange!)

Wax on . . .

My "new" tjap!

I just love Dharma Trading!  I was on an email "alert" list to be contacted whenever they got in a shipment of copper tjaps (pronounced chops from Indonesia.  Here's what the Dharma website says about them:

These approximately 50 year old collectible tools called Tjaps (or Chops), have been made and used on the island of Java for over a century. They are handmade of copper strips, carefully cut, shaped and soldered into fabulous shapes and patterns. They are used by Batik artists in Java by dipping them into hot wax, shaking off the excess, and then stamping the wax onto the cloth.

Another view (background is a batik fabric made earlier this year)

 I heated up some soy wax this evening and tried out the tjap.  Hmmm . . .LOTS of excess wax and very little design.  I need to work on my technique! 
Stay tuned for photos of this experiment.

New Fiberexplorations Challenge

  A R C H I T E C T U R E    C H A L L E N G E

Decorative element on Ladd and Bush Bank building

Our group's latest challenge is something different.  (No, that's not the name or the subject.)  I've been referring to it as the Architecture Challenge.  Proposed by our member Chris, it's based on the ornately-decorative architecture of Salem's Ladd & Bush Bank, a downtown landmark.  Seemingly just for our purpose, the building recently received a new paint job!

A new layer of paint added to many others

Once I started examining the building's architectural details, I was surprised at all I found.  I've driven by this building, walked past it, and have been inside it numerous times, but never really LOOKED or SAW.  (There's a lesson in this that I probably don't need to spell out.)

A nice reflection

Curves, arches, and straight lines

Some architectural terms (such as dentil molding) came back to me, courtesy of a long-ago job with the Del. Dept. of Architecture and Historic Preservation:

Dentil molding at top; detail of arch

As I glimpsed this vignette through a window, I wondered . . . do you have to beat the banker at a game of chess before qualifying for a loan???

Chess set on banker's desk

Lots of possibilities, and that was a pleasant surprise!  My design will be something abstract, probably based on an architectural detail . . . maybe manipulated in PhotoShop, or maybe still identifiable by the viewer.  I'd better record these ideas before they float away!   I can't wait to hear what everyone else has come up with at our meeting next Mon.  The deadline for this challenge is our Nov. 14th meeting.

Our first juried show!

Both Torrie and I were thrilled to each have a quilt juried into the upcoming show, Bits & Pieces: Intuitive Quilts from the Northwest and Beyond.  The show is sponsored by Salem Art Association, and the Call to Artists went out to "established and emerging fiber artists living in OR, WA, northern CA, and ID."

Torrie's "Play Behavior #1"

My new & improved "Natural Symphony"

The show runs from Sep. 9 - Oct. 15 at the Bush Barn Art Center (Salem), with an artists' reception on Fri., Sept. 9, 5-7pm.   (It's open to the public, so please come if you're in town!)  A small selection of quilts from Gee's Bend will enhance this exhibit. What a treat to see them in Salem!

We both entered our quilts from the last Fiberexplorations challenge (Fabric Swatch Exchange).  I changed mine a bit before submitting my entry photos because I  felt that it was missing something  The large green section  seemed too empty to me, so I  brainstormed some design ideas.  All of a sudden, I spotted another (unfinished) project --the piece I presented at a critique group last month when Ore. Art Beat was filming a feature story about Jean Wells.  Of course:  LEAVES!

Leaves, ready for the picking!

They were only pinned in place, so I snatched them up and auditioned them on my current project, turning them this way and that.  With encouragement and feedback from my son and daughter (both college students and both visiting that day), the five leaves found their places on the quilt.   The top layer of each leaf  is made from an earlier session of deconstructed screenprinting; the bottom is black cotton.

Congrats to Maureen!

Maureen's quilt on left side of poster!

 

Up and down the Music Tree 

by Maureen Erhardt 

was juried into the

Independence Art & the City show,

winning a Special Merit Award at the opening reception, Aug. 6th.

 

This show (including

Maureen's 2-sided quilt)

is currently on exhibit  

until Jan. 5, 2012 at the NEW

 Independence (OR) Civic Center.

You may recognize this 2-sided quilt as one of about 23 "tree quilts" originally exhibited at the 2010 Oregon State Fair, followed by appearances at Quiltopia 2010 (Salem, OR), the 2011 Stitches in Bloom show (Oregon Garden), and the special exhibit at this year's Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Filming of an Oregon Art Beat Episode

Jean Wells during filming for "Oregon Art Beat"

OPB's (Oregon Public Broadcasting) show Oregon Art Beat will feature a story this coming Fall on Jean Wells Keenan:  quilt artist, educator, designer, author, shop owner, founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, and recent inductee into the Quilters Hall of Fame in Indiana.

I'm in another quilt group with Jean, along with three other Fiberexplorations members.  We call it the ICD (Intuitive Color & Design) group.  Half of the members are from Salem, and half from the Sisters/Bend area.  The group came together after its members took Jean's Intuitive Color & Design class, Levels I and II (each class met monthly at her shop, the Stitchin' Post, in Sisters).   After working together for 10 months, all of us wanted to continue meeting and working together, as did Jean, so we're continuing our exploration of intuitive quilting, along with improving our critiquing skills.

So when Jean got the call about  Oregon Art Beat, she decided to invite the ICD group to participate.  Because teaching is one of the key activities that keeps her inspired and "fills the creative well," as Jean says, it was important to include that as part of her story.   When we met at her shop on July 19 for filming, we each brought an unfinished project to be critiqued.

When it was my turn, I went to my project on the wall and began explaining what I was planning .  In her very skillful way, Jean led the discussion that centered on the elements of design, and others chimed in with remarks and suggestions.  It seemed like a normal ICD group session, as long as I ignored the huge camera lens positioned a mere 6" inches from my face, and the hand-held mike poised above my head.   The 3-person crew included one of my favorite OPB personalities, Katrina Sarson (love her voice!)

Me, during the critique of my piece (Jean looks on)

Jean did a great job, of course, and never missed a beat.  After more than 2 hours of filming, she treated us to lunch while she and the OPB crew moved on to her home studio (with its incredible view of the Cascades). There, they filmed the second part of the story:  We'll have to stay tuned to OPB this Fall to see what transpired!

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

The six members of Fiberexplorations who participated in the Fabric Swatch Challenge were rewarded with this view of our quilts, hanging together, at this year's Sisters Outdoors Quilt Show:

Our challenge quilts in Sisters!

Another view

Individually, from the left:

Erika's "Meyer Lemon Tree"

Maureen's

Torrie's "Catch a Falling"

My "Natural Symphony"

Photos of Chris' and Joan's quilts will be added as soon as I can figure out the glitch that's keeping them from uploading!