As I may have previously mentioned, my daughter has recently moved across the country from us. She landed in Portland, Oregon this week and is starting the job hunt process (need a well organized and creative administrative assistant, anyone)? We are originally from the Pacific Northwest and miss it greatly. Since leaving the area to follow work in the late 80′s, the plan has always been to find our way back there; jobs have just not cooperated. Worse case, we will return when DH retires in a few years. Having my only kid (and buddy) beat me to it, has increased the motivational factor tenfold.

Then, to add a “carrot” to her Mom’s incentive, the week before she left she painted me a T-shirt to remind me of Seattle.

Ashland in her Gypsy Garb

Thank the Powers That Be for e-mail, Instant Messaging, and unlimited minutes on our cell phones! 

Deb H

The Cushy Sweater

Yes, it’s finished! I moaned about ripping it out, but Azapa by Araucania is such a lovely yarn to knit with; so soft and cushy, that I didn’t even mind. The finished product is based on a pattern called Emma from the book Araucania Collection Book #1 by Jenny Watson.

A Finished Object

I confess I cannot follow directions. I always think I have a better idea. I placed a cable down the outside of the sleeves (plain sleeves on a cabled sweater? Come on!) and I added the picot edge (they had on the hem and sleeves) to the neckline as well.

The Details

My version has narrower cables, a bit of stockinette stitch in between the purl rows defining the cable to reduce the vast amounts of reverse stockinette which is not my favorite thing to look at.

The Flip Side

I also did the cable patterning on the back as well as the front (my absolute pet peeve is a plain back with a patterned front)!  I think the finished sweater is worth the re-knitting.

It fits!

I am very pleased with the results and how well it fits – it’s shaped and that makes such a difference. I’m wearing it here with a skirt but it looks even better with my jeans as it is a longer, almost tunic length.

Cushy Sweater Sass!

All done just in time for warm weather, oh well!

And yes, I cut off all my hair – I’m still a bit in shock and getting used to it. My neck feels a little exposed, like the Ax Man is looking at me speculatively.

Deb H

A Time for Change and Growth

Fabrications is an annual Fiber Art Retreat that is the fiber art highlight of my year. This year (2009) is it’s 5th or 6th year (I’ve lost count, but I’m thinking it’s the 6th. I’ve attended 4 so far) and it has grown to a truly fabulous experience. Having spent it’s first 5 years in the Fall in Mid-Michigan, it has had an expansion; from the original two days to a full five
a date change; now the first week of September,
and a location change; Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Quickie Collage

Of all of these changes, I heartily approve! The longer session for the workshops from two (then three) to five days was so needed. Those of us who attend regularly were always feeling like things just ended when we were getting in our stride after the third day. Five will be better, longer strides  ;o)

My Wall of Work

Kalamazoo (yes, it has a very funny name) is a wonderful little college town with so many more perks than the small rural communities where we have been in in the past. Yes the scenery was luscious but, we will now have access to several wonderful restaurants, art galleries, fabric shops, bead shops, art stores, coffee houses (Water Street and Fourth Coast are my two favorites there) and other wonderful distractions.

Detail of "Too Many Directions"

We almost need to go two days early and stay and extra two days to take advantage of the extras K’zoo has to offer. There are even going to be some special Fiber Art exhibits just for us!

A Productive Day

As for the class offerings – they are fabulous (as usual). There is a button to the right that you can click on to find out more (it’s worth the diversion), I’m already signed up for Elements of Art with Lyric Kinard.

Art Journal

I am so Jazzed. Just dreaming about the week to come; a posh hotel, most of my meals taken care of, immersion in fiber and art, incredible evenings with like minded fiber artists that totally understand me (the best part)… makes for a wonderful day dream. That will hold me until the end of August.

Portrait of Cathy

The photos are all of past years at Fabrications, as usual click to big-ma-fy. See you there!

Von and Cathy take art seriously

Just so you know, all artists are not the serious Vincent van Gogh types  ;o)

Deb H

The art is drying outside so we can get it packed up at day’s end (click to enlarge any photo). After 3 days of frenzied activity, I had 7 pieces either finished or near finished and a good start on an 8th. OK, so some of them are unmitigated crudola. It’s hard to layer a bazillion different techniques on one canvas and not over do it a bit  P”””

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I won’t even show you the ones that are going to get cut-up, but here are the ones that are only “bad”.
Green Man is done, if I put any more layers on this one, it will implode from it’s own weight.

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Planet is still in progress. I have hopes that it can be saved but I’m probably being a bit optimistic. If you never see an update on this one, you know I lost the battle.

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This one has some hope, it only has 3 layers and I’m thinking it doesn’t need much more.

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This was the cloth I used to wipe off my brushes and marking tools – what is wrong with the fact I like this better than most of my artistic attempts. Sad, that.

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This is my favorite. Simple, clean; only ink, gesso, and a touch of paint. This one definitely has a future, maybe to be mounted on a raw edge stripped quilt back ground?

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My conclusions? The class was fabulous. I was enthralled with some of the techniques. I did miss the feel of fabric that is not coated with gesso or gloss medium. But some of the ideas and the methodology we acquired will find its way into my future efforts. I also learned the value of less is more. I think I would have liked my pieces more if I had simply limited myself to 3 layers per canvas.

Ya, less is best.

Deb H

With so much to keep us busy it was hard to post as often as I would have liked. We had classes all day, activities at night, wine to drink and fiber friends to socialize with. What’s a girl to do?

Did I mention it was beautiful here?

I returned home to my Internet service still being wholly uncooperative. This forces me to sit in a Starbucks and drink cappuccino while I access my e-mail and Blog – gee, poor me.

Opening night was a meet and greet and Lynn K had the quilt show With One Voice on display for our up-close and grateful perusal. Fabulous work! Oh, and there was wine.  Hey, we could walk to our rooms.  ;o)

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The next morning (Wednesday) was our first class – of which I posted last week. My class was Surface design and Collage with Fran Skiles.

Wednesday night we had a demo by the fabulous Carol-the-print-maker on printing with gel plates, very cool. I did not get pictures of either evening event as I was setting up my table of wares to sell hand dyed yarns, silk noil fabric and odd bits of supplies left over from my old business (fiber art supplies).

Desi Vaughn also had a table with her much drooled on hand painted and hand dyed cotton fabrics. Yes, I now have seven more to add to my collection.  )  Despite the negative press on our economy, sales were decent.

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Class on Day Two was a bevy of new (to me) techniques and more layers to our canvases. You will notice our tables are a bit more “cluttered” than they were on day one. Collage is not my thing so I struggled a bit, but persevered and learned a lot of great stuff.

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Case in point; the image transfer technique that involves Pellon’s Stitch ‘N Tear, Watercolor Crayons, and gloss medium… think “silk screening”. The photo is the Pellon “screen” on the left and the prints it made on Chinese paper on the right. You can get 3 to 6 prints from a colored screen. We did ones from rubbings (nothing in the hotel or out of it was safe from us) and from coloring on the Pellon.

We also tortured silk gauze with white and black gesso. I learned that if you do it on a plastic table cover that already has lots of dried paint on it, you get colored gesso!

It was not all serious hard work though. Cathy A, the head Guru of Fabrications wandered in to innocently see how we were all fairing.

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It cost her dearly as several students decided Cathy would make a good canvas. Von added the final sinister touches.

The evenings entertainment (again, we brought wine) had Kathy B showing us how to make mini doll pins. Mine’s a Vulcan, nice ears, eh?

Some of them had several other odd embellishments.
We won’t even discuss Von’s doll’s attributes. ;o0

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As usual, all pictures are click-to-big-able.

More later,
Deb H

I’m currently out-of-town at Fabrications for 3 days of rapturous fiber art workshop. An additional perk is the free Wi-Fi in the lobby, hence this post. Besides, you have to love a Fiber Art Retreat that has a view like this out the classroom window.

I’m taking the class with Fran Skiles. It was a tough decision as Laura Cater-Woods is teaching here, as well a Jeanne Beck. I have taken two classes with Laura and was very tempted to take it again but I decided to jump of the comfort cliff. Fran’s work and techniques are very different from anything I have ever played with before. I’m so far outside of my box, I can’t even find it.

I’m having a total blast. I’m not the only one, here are two of my classmates – Pat S & Linda J. Aren’t they cute?

I have discovered a new tool (anything you use to make art it a tool).

Gesso.

Who knew?

We spent day 1 stitching on cotton duck cloth and then coating it with gesso. White gesso and – ta da, it comes in black too. The next great discovery was Clear Gloss Medium. I know, I know… you are thinking “they’ve been around since dirt was new, where have you been?”

I lead a sheltered life.

Here is one of Day One’s pieces (just started). Do I like it? I don’t know, it’s awfully busy. But it has a lot more layers to go.

The adventure continues…

Deb H

I also worked on some more fabric and mark making techniques. Adding to existing ones and two new pieces on black silk noil; discharged, painted, silk screened, and (believe it or not) expandable paint. I was very happy with these. Much stronger contrast brings me back into my comfort zone even though I rarely use black in anything. I love the drama in these two fabrics (click to biggy size).

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And while the rest of the class went on the tours in the afternoon a few of us dye-hards (pun and spelling intended), stayed to play a bit more.

Finally, my board at the end of Day 3.

All this creativity is exhausting and I could hear the Siren Song of a glass of wine and my bed, so I found a Bell Hop and a luggage cart and had myself rolled up to my room for the night. Thursday we started to put it all together, just give me time to process all my photos.

Deb H

BTW, have you any idea what all of this does to your finger nails?

Ack!

This is my design board at the end of Day 2 (click on the images for a closer look).
The same fabrics as yesterday; plus a few more, and some papers. All have been layered with more batik, more paint, and more dye. The results are much better! The pink is now mostly purples and teals (no surprises there) but I’m trying to make myself tone it down a bit from my usual bright and gregarious colors. I look at classes and workshops as a good place to work outside of my comfort zone and do a little exploring. Muted colors are a bit of a stretch for me. I’ve decided I like batik, even with the work of wax removal, for the great effects.
The metal bar is not part of my artwork, my board is tucked behind the railing on the steps. Just in case you wondered

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We also learned more ways to mono-print and some wonderful ways to “print” on fabric and paper with simple tools to get complex effects.

My favorite mark making tool? A spiral potato masher.

Truly.

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The third photo is of my two favorite pieces for the day; the top left is watercolor paper that I dyed and painted. The bottom left is silk organza, also dyed and painted.

A successful day and more fun on Wednesday!

Deb H

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Our classroom is lucky enough to be in the atrium of the hotel, giving us lots of room and natural light.

Each of us gets a design board to hand our stuff on, the better to contemplate on it. In the second room photo, the boards to the far right belong to our instructors.

Here is my board at the end of Day 1. The first thing we did was to abstract an image and make two stamps. Then we did some stamping on white fabric and batik on more white fabric. The batik was a new experience for me. I really like the effects I could get. I’m not so excited about getting the wax out again

After that, we did a first layer of dye. I was trying to keep it pale as every layer you add darkens the piece up. I think I erred on the side of caution. Mine is so pale it’s a bit sickly. It’s also pink (gag), we all know my views on pink. You would think I’d know that this is what pale red looks like, duh! The yellow would have been fine with red but just looks blah here.

I used a lot of commercial stamps as well, my own designs were a bit simple and I was having trouble picturing them as a part of a whole instead of as a whole in themselves. It was a busy day with lots of good techniques, but my results could have been better. It’s a good thing that we have Day 2 still to come!

Another detail of my day’s work shows the techniques a bit better. I do really like the effects of the hot wax (disregarding color)!

Off to bed! Day 2 gets better, honest! I’ll show you that tomorrow.

Deb H

This was done by my daughter when she was in the seventh grade (circa 1995 in Christiansburg, Virginia). I have always been so enamored of it I wanted to try it. Sometimes it takes me a while to get around to things… but if I really am interested, I get there eventually

She doesn’t remember the techniques they used clearly but enough to get us started. I played a bit.

And a bit more.

But one should never get cocky…

The technique was interesting but the colors, oy! For this one I put paint in plastic wrap and “smooshed” (technical word, that). I still think it has potential, I’ll just make sure I use better colors next time. I believe that mono-printing will never become my favorite paint technique (never say never!) but it is worth further exploration. Layering has a lot of promise and I need to experiment with the amount of paint I use, as well as it’s thickness. I have been using Setacolor straight from the jar so far. It may be better thinned a bit. I’m also being cautious of how much paint I use as I don’t want to make the fabric stiff as cardboard. Although for wall art, I’m not sure why I care. I still have to play with adding bits of stuff. Ashland’s print (top photo) has bits of lace, screen and pine needles, among other things in it. The textures are marvelous!

And elsewhere in the news – Country living has it’s drawbacks. Just about everything we do (including all our jobs) are an hour drive, think gas prices. Ouch! I’m told the Frost Date here is Memorial Day. I spent Memorial weekend getting my veggie and herb garden all planted and they looked so nice. We had a killing frost last night. Sigh. And my dream car, my wonderful VW Bug, has a black eye.

It was hit by a deer on a long dark country road on the way home from a movie. Notice I did not say the car hit the deer. Since it came from the side and slightly behind us, I think that qualifies as the deer hitting the car. My car has a serious black eye and the deer walked (limped?) away. I still feel bad about the poor thing but there is not much you can do when it completely disappears. Considering how many deer/car encounters there are here, I guess it was just a matter of time. At least it was minor and both parties seemed to have survived. At least the car occupants had no injures. Thank the Gods for small Blessings (yes, I read Terry Pratchett).

Deb H