some things looming

Congratulations Tyler!!!

2012-01-27T12:43:00.004-05:00

Tyler, in the school studio

I'm writing today to brag on one of our interns, an amazingly creative young man who has been coming weekly to 'some things looming' to learn to weave, and in return, does a lot of odd jobs for me from stripping plastic bags to re-taping loom reeds. We think he must like it here, because he keeps coming back, despite the jobs he's given (and the fact that it seems to rain every single time he's here). Tyler, an artist through to his core, is super talented, incredibly passionate for his art, and very hard working. It shows clearly in his art, which is why I'm proud to announce his latest accomplishments.

Metal Fall, Gold, Sculpture Category

Putting himself, his art, on the line, Tyler submitted five pieces and his portfolio with the Scholastic Alliance For Young Artists and Writers. Not only was four of his five pieces accepted, but each of those four pieces won an award. Tyler's piece, "Metal Fall," received Gold in the sculpture category, his packing tape self-portrait earned gold in the painting category, and his painting from chili powder received an Honorable Mention. "Trashed Blot," the second weaving he completed at 'some things looming' won an American Visionary Award, a Gold in the mixed media category, as well as The Curators Choice Award and will be traveling to New York. Along with these pieces, his portfolio was given first place in the region.

Packing Tape Self-Portrait, Gold, Painting Category

Currently these pieces are on display at the Allentown Museum. This Sunday, January 29th, there will be a reception from 2-4pm. So I wanted to say it again, Congratulations, Tyler! I could not be more pleased or proud of you and what you've accomplished. Here's to many more great things in your artistic future!

~Melanie

Packing Tape Self-Portrait, detail, Gold, Painting Category

Artist Statement: What do grape jelly, chili pepper, trash bags, toilet bowl cleaner and packaging tape have in common? To me they are media possibilities for my art. It is my hope that my work will engage my viewers beyond the initial image when they realize that image is made from a material they use or interact with every day. To me some of the appeal of these unconventional materials is the logistical challenge they present. My high school art studio experiences provided the basic practice I needed in drawing, 2 and 3D design and painting with traditional media and I know I need to continue to grow in those areas. But as I got older what I really loved about a new art assignment was the chance to push the parameters a bit. As a junior my first major effort at doing this was my self-portrait. The assignment was open ended as far as media and style but the size was a minimum of 3 ft. by 4 ft. I looked at the stack of packing tape I had laying around my home studio and my wheels started to turn. Layering would create different values. But it would show up better with light behind it. I could build a box and wire it to light up. ..and so on.

Trashed Blot, (American Visionary Award, Curator's Choice, Gold in Mixed media)

I enjoyed the combined challenge of solving for the mechanical and aesthetic and decided to use this theme for my senior AP craft and drawing portfolios. My work in both classes includes the challenge of taking materials not usually used in art making and creating monochromatic imagery or unique forms. It is these works that I have chosen for my Scholastic Art portfolio.

Trashed Blot, detail (American Visionary Award, Curator's Choice, Gold in Mixed media)

My goal is for the viewer to be drawn to my work by the image or form and then be intrigued enough to inspect the work more closely. Upon closer inspection I hope for them to be surprised that they are made with materials that they use everyday – ball point pens, trash bags, plastic wrap, grape jelly and shoe laces.

Trashed Blot, detail (American Visionary Award, Curator's Choice, Gold in Mixed media)

Art is so much a part of who I am and what I do that I can’t think about it as some separate thing. A trip to the grocery store triggers questions about how I could use something I see in my next project. I sit in another class at school thinking about what I have to do to chili powder so I can paint with it or what I have to do to the normally flat, limp material of trash bags to give it sculptural elegance. It is these challenges that interest me and make me realize that the possibilities in art making are endless. I am looking forward to a lifetime exploring those possibilities.

How to Tie a Scarf

2011-12-16T11:27:00.000-05:00

Scarves. Scarves. Scarves.

It doesn't take a study or poll to tell you that the ever popular scarf has reached an all time increased popularity in recent months. Naturally, with 'some things looming's' focus on fiber, we have a stunning selection of scarves for you to chose from this Handmade Holiday. You can choose from handpainted silk, hand dyed silk, a variety of hand woven in many different fibers, and felted scarves. All are one of a kind and stunning.

(Left to Right: Kachina Martin, Paulette Hamilton, Judy Connor Jones)

One of our loyal artist supporters and friend, Kachina Martin will always be found wearing some attractive neckwear, usually a scarf. And she has a seemingly unending number of ways to wear them for which I am endlessly jealous and admiring all at the same time. I'm always wishing she'd come dress me because I seem to have mastered only one way to throw a scarf around 'my' neck. Being a teachable sort, I decided to do some research for myself on the subject. Once I found these little treasures, I was sure I ought to share them with you too!

8 Ways to tie silk scarves
MORE....Scarf Tying
Scarf Queen Tying Tips

How To Tie A Scarf by Scarves.net

(Left to Right: Grace Marks, L. Friedman & K. Maklansky, Tanya Prather)

You have to love the Internet as it seems there is no need that cannot be fulfilled there. I 'googled', "how to tie a scarf' and below are some of the best offerings I discovered. My personal favorite was the nifty short video from Coldwater Creek. They make it look so easy. Anyway, I hope it inspires you as much as it did much as it did me.

Coldwater Creek Video: 8 Ways To Tie A Scarf (this was quick but awesome help for me.)

Handmade Holidays...the Countdown

2011-11-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

Well it’s the final countdown to our Dec 3^rd grand opening and the set up fun continues. I have to admit, I was a tiny bit relieved when Floyd and Melanie decided that Gallery 2 was still the best spot for the jewelry gallery.

Being a creator of jewelry and maybe even more importantly a discriminating consumer of jewelry, I try to be fussy about what we accept and encourage for this event. I think you’ll be pleased with the offerings this year finding value for unique design. We tried to accept work that would truly be a one of a kind treasure for the gift giver to present.

Saturday turned into a long day but I left feeling self-satisfied with my efforts. I have a little more to do to get the jewelry gallery ‘just so’ but that’s just me being fussy. Regardless, I’m not giving away any secrets until the opening however.

My advice is, “the early bird gets the worm” so plan on attending our opening this Saturday to get a look at the largest selection of our inventory. Melanie and I have already begun to do our Christmas shopping and a few of our regular boutique artists have set their caps for items the same time they were dropping off their work.

I always have a little trouble switching gears from shopping for ‘me’ to shopping for everyone on my list. For a while it seems it’s one gift for the list and one gift for me. Well, this year is no exception and if you can keep a secret, I’m going to highlight my recent self- indulgence here.

Melanie plans on highlighting an artist each week and I’ll probably get in trouble for leaking this one out in advance (or not if I let her use it too). This is the cleverest little accessory; I just had to have one.

Last week I was discussing with one of my female co-workers just how hard it is to keep my cell phone on me. We both had a long litany of complaints and awkward places to attach our phones to us.

Ask my family how disgusted they are at trying to reach me on a cell phone I never answer because it’s in my purse which if I have my way, I rarely carry. In fairness though, how does a woman carry her cell phone without having a huge lump showing through her clothing or carrying it around in her hand.? I figure I have enough lumps in places I wish I didn’t and therefore vanity keeps me from having mine on me at all times.

Ok. Here comes the cell phone solution. Heidi Hammel of Reclaimed Creations (http://www.reclaimed-creations.com ) has come up with a delightful, attractive and cost effective solution to how/where to carry my cell phone conveniently. I wore this accessory all day Saturday and discovered it would even hold a pair of my inexpensive reading glasses. I loved that I never had to dive for my phone as it was handy, dandy on my person.

Tie-bag, by Heidi Hammel

Retail price for this lovely convenience is $19.00. We only have a few so if you know someone who might like this nifty little diddy, make sure you stop in next Saturday during our Grand Opening to be sure to get the best selection.

~Rebekah

From Our Table to Yours

2011-11-22T13:14:00.002-05:00

For many years, I wouldn't even look at a sweet potato, let alone eat one, until my sister, Sara, started bringing this incredible dish she called "sweet potato casserole" to our Thanksgiving meal. Loaded up with sugar and topped with crunchy munchy goodness, it soon became my favorite holiday food. It's almost more dessert-like than a side dish, but I have never had a problem mixing savory with sweet on my Thanksgiving or Christmas plate.

My husband, Jeremy, was openly against the humble sweet potato, just as I had been adamant that never a bite would pass through these lips. "I just don't like those marshmellows on top," He said when I told him about Sara's casserole.
"Oh, but this is good," I replied. "No marshmellows in sight!"
He wasn't convinced, but seeing as he's not that picky of an eater, and really likes his food, I figured I could get him to try some of my sister's casserole, eventually.

At dinner a few years ago, as we passed the dishes around, Jeremy took a scoop of the family favorite and plopped it on his plate, without really paying attention to what he was about to eat. He tucked into his food and began singing the praises over the heavenly flavors in his mouth. "Sara, this orange crap with crunch crap on top is DELICIOUS!" he said with great enthusiasm.
My sister, in mock offense, replied "Crap?!? Did you just call my sweet potato casserole crap?! Oh, I see how you really feel. Orange Crap With Crunch Crap On Top. I see how it is. You think it's crap."
Jeremy started laughing and said " No, no, that's not what I meant. I didn't know what this was. Sweet potatoes? I didn't realize this was sweet potatoes. This is really really good."
"No it's not. It's Orange Crap With Crunchy Crap On Top. You said so yourself," Sara said, continuing to pretend hurt feelings. "See if I ever make it for yooou anymore."
"Well it's good Orange Crap With Crunchy Crap On Top," Jeremy replied. The family was laughing pretty good by this point, including Rebekah, who normally is appalled by our use of the word crap, especially around the dinner table.
"Hey," Floyd said, "Can you pass the Orange Crap With Crunchy Crap On Top this way, please?"

Since then, Thanksgiving or Christmas, the one important question usually is, "So who's making the Orange Crap With Crunchy Crap On Top this year?" Because in our family, it's not a holiday meal with out being able to say "Please pass the Orange Crap With Crunchy Crap On Top."

Without further ado, we'd like to share with you our family favorite: Orange Crap With Crunch Crap On Top, or the more appetizing name: Sweet Potato Casserole.

Enjoy!

Last year's OCWCCOT, just out of the oven. Yum!

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 C mashed sweet potatoes (I use canned, but I have also boiled and mashed the yams)

½ C butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 C sugar

2 eggs beaten

Topping:

1 C brown sugar

1/3 butter

1/3 C flour

1 C chopped pecans

(NOTE: some like to make this in a 9x13 pan, it’s thin, which makes it less potato to topping ratio per bite…WE usually do it in a round casserole dish or oval, so that there’s more potato to the crunchy topping per bite, which we like better)

Mix first five ingredients thoroughly and put in a grease dish. Mix flour and brown sugar together. Cut in butter. Mix in pecans and sprinkle on top of potatoes. Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot, bubbly, and topping is lightly browned.

(about 30 minutes in a 9x13 pan, 30-50 minutes in a deep dish casserole, depending on if recipe is doubled, etc).

Featured Artist: Mary Stoudt

2011-11-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Mary Stoudt

Pink

Artist Statement:

I create my art quilts looking through a lens informed by decades of experimenting with a wide variety of art media, manely photography, printmaking, ceramics, weaving, collage, bookmaking, and sculpture, etc.

To begin an art piece I imagine a basic composition in my head concentrating on color and form, and then work intuitively through each piece. As I progress through the quilt, I improvise, perhaps like a jazz musician would.

Sometimes, I give myself quilt assignments such as, "See how big you can make a quilt', or "use wool and cotton together" or "see how many layers you can add to make a quilt. Some of my quilt creations could be put into categories such as color studies, storytelling, or optical illusions.

Warm Planet

About the Artist: Since the 70's I have been stitching, weaving, making paper, creating mixed media all to create diverse works some of which have been described by critics as being whimsical and spiritual. In 2003 I started layering fabric in a grid-like fashion. Simply put, I visualize the quilt composition , its colors and forms in my head and then as I move through the process, I improvise the details. For certain pieces, I make an actual size pattern as I move through the process, but I introduce new elements while using the pattern. I love the warmth, the flexibility, the play of color and textures of quilt making.

Here is a mixed list of my favorite artists and other inspirations:
Paul Klee . Gees Bend Quilters . Pennsylvania Mountains, Fields . Traveling . Andy Goldsworthy . Red Grooms . Blues Music . NY times Sunday paper . Gustav Klimpt . Oiseaux Sisters . Joseph Cornell . Fabric Stores . Frank Gehry . Audrey Flack . Childhood Memories . My family . Hundertwasser . NPR . Goggleworks . Literature

Featured Artist: Caleigh Stednitz

2011-11-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Caleigh Stednitz

Mind of a Madman

Artist Statement for “Mind of a Madman”

In working with the primitive process of felting, I explored less concrete themes of the mind. Felt is an airy and light material that proves to be durable and protective. I chose to use felt to create a map of what I believe the mind of a sociopath resembles. In researching brainwaves and patterns of sociopathic persons, I came across studies that show that sociopaths tend to think in spirals; the thoughts constantly running through their mind until it reaches its acme, which usually leads to an event performed by the person. Felt allowed me to create an airy and abstract field on which to create a mind map, alluding to the notion of the mind not being a concrete object. I built up peaks of emotion by felt, embroidered marks representing repeating thoughts, and couched rope to represent the horrific thoughts that lead to unfortunate events.

Duality of Livestock

Artist Statement for “Duality of Livestock”

The process of using wool from livestock such as sheep allowed me to explore the duality of the material. Wool is used to create wearables that offer warmth and protection from the elements. However in contemplating the usefulness of the material, I began to think about the other uses livestock provide: meats. It seemed strange to me that something that produces such a soft and cozy material also hangs in a meat freezer, waiting to be fed to consumers. With the felting process I chose to incorporate these two ideas, illustrating the duality of livestock. I embroidered abstracted slabs of meat hanging from chains. This is embroidered on a piece of needle felt. I chose to hang the piece using hooks to simulate that the piece itself is a slab of meat, with the viewers being consumers. In doing this, I hoped to create a thoughtful piece that presents both sides to our use of livestock as both something protective and edible.

Featured Artist: Mary Schwarzenberger

2011-11-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Mary Schwarzenberger


Vortex. Machine and wet felted 17"x25"

Artist Statement

I don’t remember a time when I did not regularly engage in creating things. It seems that I have always had a few projects in progress at a time. Throughout most of my life the need to create has been just as strong as the need to eat and breathe. When bringing creative ideas to life, as decisions and obstacles appear, the brain is always ready with ideas, solutions, and alternatives. After studying language and learning for many years, this whole process is intriguing to me. There is not much I’d rather do than create something!

Vortex, detail. Machine and wet felted 17"x25"

In my fiber art I try to create moods with color that soothe or stimulate. To quote Kaffe Fassett, why use one shade of red when you can use 17? More recently I have been exploring diverse techniques to create texture, from manipulating fabric with a needle felting machine to couching yarns on the surface. The garments I create are designed to provide comfort and create visual statements. It pleases me when they initiate conversations and interactions I would not likely have otherwise engaged in. I am highly influenced by the beauty of the local flora and fauna and I try to incorporate natural themes into my work.

Featured Artist: Tanya Prather

2011-11-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Tanya Prather

Waterfall

Artist Statement

Although I’ve worked in many forms of media, I’ve been drawn to fiber in recent years because it engages more of the senses. It is not only visual, but tactile. Fiber utilizes the same principles of design as other mediums, but the results are manifested through a process that is both planned and organic, and the aspect of texture takes on a much larger role. My goal with any fiber piece is that it should be so compelling that the viewer not only looks at it, but has an insatiable need to touch and feel it.

Nesting Instinct

Because fiber is often pigeon-holed as craft rather than fine art, I am constantly challenging myself to take it beyond the traditional wall hanging or wearable. My felting has a tendency to evolve with a 3-D or sculptural quality.

Emergence

I am fascinated by the endless possibilities of Nuno felting because it allows disparate materials to be fused together seamlessly. I most often use protein fibers – silk and wool – but sometimes integrate rayon, polyester, linen or cotton when a “found” piece of cloth captures my interest. I enjoy cutting scraps from old clothing, repurposing things that have been tossed aside – making unlikely matches and marveling at the results. Recycled cloth provides a broad palette of textures, patterns, colors and weights, and because it comes with a history of its own, I find it more intriguing and thought-provoking than fabric taken off the shelf.

Featured Artist: Kachina Martin

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Kachina Martin

Aubergine Moss
nuno felting 98"x8"

Artist’s Statement

My most cherished childhood memories center on fabric - the comfort of a blanket edged in silk, the feel of a well-worn cotton tee, the nubby texture of a hand-knit sweater. As the daughter of a mother who teaches in the field of fashion and design, I was acutely aware at a young age of the transformational properties of clothing. My artistic interests were equally shaped by my grandmother. Guided by her firm hands, unwieldy lengths of fabric were coaxed to behave, ultimately shaped into a variety of forms marked by perfect, crisp seams. The drama that surrounded the cutting of the fabric felt epic – she possessed such confidence as she sliced thorough layers of cloth, following the edges of the whisper-thin tissue paper that outlined its eventual shape. My grandmother taught me to decode the language of patterns, to sew, and later, to knit, crochet, and embroider.

Aubergine Moss, detail

When I discovered shibori, I was awed by the limitless possibilities inherent in this ancient Japanese dyeing process. Areas of pure color are seamlessly blended in an endless variety of tints and shades, revealing where color meets resist, creating a rich visual texture that transcends the notion of pattern. My experimentation with dyes introduced me to felting, and I am fascinated by the sculptural properties of wool. Nuno felting enables me to combine my own fabrics with wool to add depth and dimension to my wearable pieces. I feel that my pieces’ wearability enhances, rather than detracts from, their depth. That the work will be worn is significant, indeed essential, to its artistic value. It is when the work is worn—when the wearer imbues it with her own sense of style and integrates it into her daily life—that the work truly comes to life.

Bits and Pieces
nuno felting, wool roving, silk yarns, silk fabric 78"x11"

While all of my work fiber-based, not all of my pieces are intended to be worn. I am drawn to old garments that show evidence of the hand that created the piece as well as the person who wore it. These indelible marks—stitches, stains, mended holes, and spots rubbed almost bare by continual contact with the body—speak to the hours invested in the making of the garment as well as the years that have passed as it was worn, again and again. I am interested in ways in which to transcend both the utilitarian nature and the inevitable entropy that continually affect these garments and reimagine them as enduring, sculptural artifacts. In so doing, I aim to defy the viewer’s expectation of what fiber is, can, or should be.

Bits and Pieces, detail

Bio

Kachina Martin is a fiber artist who teaches art and art history at Muhlenberg High School in Laureldale, PA. She earned a B.A. in English and French with an Art History minor at Albright College; she received her Master’s in Art History from Temple University. Kachina has also studied fiber arts at the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, the University of the Arts, Touchstone Center for Crafts, and Cannon Hill Studios.

In addition to her work as a public educator, Kachina has also lectured at St. Francis University, Albright College, La Salle University, Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, and Temple University.

For further information, please visit www.howlingruth.com.

Flume
nuno felting 78"x10"

Flume, detail

Kachina Martin is one of three artists exhibiting in our gallery whose work has been featured in the book, 500 Felt Objects.

Featured Artist: Pamela A. MacGregor

2011-10-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Pamela A. MacGregor

Devils Claw Teapot #2, Side1
Dried Devils Claw Pods., waxed linen, sheeps wool 14"x10"x6"

Devils Claw Teapot #2, Side2

Artist Statement
My life as an artist has taken many turns over the years. Artist as student, artist as teacher and now retired teacher as felt artist. Since my retirement, the discovery of felt making has charged me with a new artistic energy. The medium pushes me into constant and exciting engineering challenges as I push the medium to its limit. Each work takes me down it’s own unique path towards new explorations in technique, engineering and presentation. It seems at the end of the day there is usually a sweet surprise to discover along with an “ah ha” moment for future felt works, each bringing with it new and unique possibilities.

Ming Vessel
wool (sheep) glass beads, silk yarn, FELT 9"x7"x7"

My work has been shown in national and international art shows and can be seen in local galleries, private collections, The 500 Felt Objects book by Lark Publishing and on my website, www.tarveycottagestudio.com.

Tea for Two, side 1
sheeps wool, glass beads, DMC thread, dyed plastic washer monofilament, FELT 10"x9"x5"

Tea for Two, side 2

Pamela A. MacGregor is one of three artists exhibiting in our gallery whose work has been featured in the book, 500 Felt Objects.

Featured Artist: Vicki Jensen

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Vicki Jensen

Old Man's Beard Moss
Hand-dyed, merino wool, yarn, thread, welt felting, free-form lace, free-motion-machine embroidery 17"x15"x.25"


Old Man's Beard Moss, detail

Artist Statement

I have a great passion for nature and the out of doors. I use the natural surroundings as my source of inspiration for the art that I create. From birds to nests to ferns to tree bark to lichens - - - I look at all of the textures, colors and patterns that nature provides to us and interpret them in felt. The medium of felt allows me to combine the elements of surface design I love, all in one piece: dyeing with MX and Acid dyes, along with hand stitching and embellishment.

Fallen Leaves
Hand-dyed merino wool and silk organza, silk thread, wet felting, lamination, hand stitching 20"x16" x2"

Fallen Leaves, detail

Lichens and Moss
Hand-dyed, merino wool, scrim, cheese cloth, cotton floss, welt felting, lamination, hand stitching, loop embroidery 17" x 15" x 1.75"

Lichens and Moss

Marjorie Fedyszyn

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Marjorie Fedyszyn

Stuck in Montana I, Primordial Felt, Stuck in Montana II

Stuck in Montana I

Artist Statement:

The spark of creativity and expressing myself through my hands has run deep within me for as long as I can remember. The natural world around me continues to feed my spirit. When I discovered the wet felting process a whole world opened up to me. The metamorphosis from soft and fluffy wool to strong and durable felt through hard work and agitation never ceases to fascinate me. Through felting I have discovered the melding of the natural world with all the technical skills and knowledge I have obtained throughout my life. My work in felt satisfies the “no rules” side of my character while feeding my tactile, visual and exploratory disposition. Each new work provides me with questions needing answers and problems needing solutions.

Primordial Felt

Stuck in Montana II

The themes I am most drawn to are nature related. This current body of work was initiated while on a vacation in Montana. I was heavily influenced by my environment and the materials that were presented to me on our hikes. Collecting the plant and animal matter that came home on our socks or fell from the trees as I worked outside provided new materials to explore. I then incorporated these elements into the samples I created which led me to the works I have submitted. The integration of leather and other elements into the wool is a process I have been examining for some time. These pieces are a launching pad for larger works I am still developing.

Anna Kristina Goransson

2011-10-04T08:00:00.009-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Anna Kristina Goransson

Growing, Handfelted and woven merino 44"x22"

Artist Statement

My work has grown out of my fascination with the forested world of my childhood in northern Sweden, along with my intense observation of the natural world that surrounds me. I long for moments that I have experienced in this world and my work focuses on abstracting these moments, bringing new meaning to a seemingly ordinary occurrence. I am inspired by the structures of nature, whether it is the pattern that lichens create on a rock or leaf structures overlapping above my head.

Growth: Handfelted and dyed merino 40"x40"

Felting is the perfect technique to convey my thoughts. The softness and durability of wool enables me to create dimensional forms that reflect the fragility and strength of nature. Dying wool creates saturated colors that evoke the fantasy quality of the environment I am recreating. Light is absorbed and makes the felted forms shine, much like the natural world.

Anna Kristina Goransson is one of three artists exhibiting in our gallery whose work has been featured in the book, 500 Felt Objects.

www.annakristinadesigns.com

Featured Artist: Anne Vickrey Evans

2011-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Anne Vickrey Evans

Coral Vase

I have been making felt for 28 years because it is a satisfying craft that allows unbounded creative freedom. Creating a work of felt art starts with arranging the materials - wool and sometimes fabric - then using soap and water, the materials are worked with the hands to felt, full and shape the finished piece. Feltmaking is very labor intensive so using a rolling machine frees me from most of the labor to allow me to place more emphasis on the creative process.

Golden Shawl

I include silk, fabrics threads and other materials with various wool types in my hand made felt. I dye most of the wools, fabrics and silks that I use in my work. I use a variety of techniques to form the felt including hand rolling, needle felting and using a rolling machine for feltmaking. I continue to test the limits of feltmaking and I am currently experimenting with surface design techniques in wearables, wall hangings and three-dimensional vessels.

Featured Artist: Michael Dennis

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Michael Dennis

Avian Algebra

A bird in the hand is worth what? Mathematically, if the two in the bush are equal to the one in the hand, then we may freely substitute a bush full of birds wherever one appears in our mitts. Thus, Avian Algebra.
But from the fabric geek point of view, this piece is about exploring the limits of needle felting. Popular theory holds that felting requires 75% wool to succeed. That’s true of wet felting, surely, but how is acrylic felt made? with a needle. So if we’re needle felting, we may ignore that rule. The hand is 100% acrylic, from recycled fibers.

Avian Algebra, side view

Needle felting requires a core or a support. Or not: two layers of the hand were formed over starch foam. The core was then washed out and a third layer of felt needled down on what is now a shell of felt. It wouldn’t hold its shape when attached to the bush (it needed another layer of felt, probably), so it ended up stuffed with wool, but free-standing shells of unlimited complexity are now possible.
The bush was inspired by formal topiary. It is four layers of felt stiffened by appliqué. Again, the form was a bit too sensitive to deformation, so to keep it ball-like, a wire core was collapsed, inserted in the shell, and then expanded to form the branches.

The birds are almost an anticlimax. They are embroidered and assembled with a blanket stitch, and stuffed with wool. Birds called for a bird cage, and that was the inspiration for the stand.
It became a project driven by the sheer joy of tinkering.

Michael Dennis has been a freelance graphic artist since 2002, doing business as MDIM. He graduated in 2010 from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design with a major in Illustration, and may eventually get a diploma.

Previous shows and commissions:

2010 Note card commission, Children’s Choir of Lancaster
Six vignettes in paper depicting “kids and music”. To be released in Fall 2011.

2010 Amtrak Station, Lancaster, PA
“Twins” railroad-inspired art commissioned by CH&E Construction. Reproduced on a construction barrier during renovations through 2011/ early 2012.

2011 Size Matters at Some Things Looming, Reading, PA
“A Whale’s Life” series, depicting 19th–century whaling from a whale’s point of view. Works in this show were limited to 12” in each dimension.

2011 Community Art Show at Lancaster Museum of Art
“A Whale’s Life” series.

Featured Artist: Janna Carrozza

2011-09-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Janna Carrozza

Reversible

Weaving with respect for the environment has been my passion for many years. The adventure started in college with organic cotton, hemp, linen, and recycled denim. My fiber selection now includes tencel, soy, corn, and banana silk. Soy silk comes from the by-product of the tofu manufacturing process; tencel comes from wood pulp and the trees are grown on land that cannot be used for any other purpose. Tencel produces almost no waste and the little bit can be recycled. All cellulose fibers, including banana and corn, are also completely biodegradable. Banana silk is not only created from the stalks of the banana tree, but the fiber is also recycled from clothing previously made from banana silk. The fiber I weave is not only eco-friendly, but pesticide free. The natural dyes used in my weaving are harvested from my garden whenever possible. The colors are as carefully chosen and blended together. The colors and patterns are uniquely woven together like paint on a canvas. Each weaving is both one-of-a-kind, carefully rendered and designed.

Creating eco art is imperative to the philosophy of consciously thinking about the environment as a part of the inspiration. As all organic things in nature each one is unique, I never repeat a design pattern in my weavings. I choose to invent something new each time I begin to weave. Nature is a huge part of my thoughts, and is when I am at my best.. The weaving process is a beautiful experience that takes an enormous amount of time to complete. Each inch that is woven is larboard as well as thought out. The process of my art making is peaceful and reminds me of how I feel when I am doing yoga. I feel centered, focused and relaxed. I am peace with the world and myself when I weave. The best part of the whole process is cutting off the fibers and admiring the texture and drape of a finished weaving that did not deplete, or harm the earth to create.

Featured Artist: Joanne Strehle Bast

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Joanne Strehle Bast

Zinnias

As a child, I did a lot of number paintings, but I never followed the lines, and embroidery kits, but I never read the instructions. When it came time for college, I believed I must put away childish things and study something serious. After pursuing several scientific degrees, I rediscovered stitchery as an art form.

Black Eyed Susans

I worked both flat and sculpturally, eventually moving into fiber jewelry. I became enamored with beads first to weight down fiber adornments and eventually as a medium in their own right. I found my background in manipulating sculptural forms in thread translated well into beadwork. I have since also moved into knitting and felting. Whether working with beads or wool, my primary artistic focus is color and color shadings as well as shaping sculptural forms.

Featured Artist: Jacqueline Arbaugh

2011-09-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

From September 10, to November 5th, we present "Felt So Good" during which we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Jacqueline Arbaugh

Art in My Heart

“Art in my Heart” is a sculptural creation constructed from wool felt to simulate a hanging human heart. I chose to represent a human heart because it is a significant vital organ that is commonly used to represent both life and passion. My passion for art is connected to my physical heritage. The bleeding strands that include purple colored felt are intended to symbolize the artistic qualities that run through my family and myself. The material of wool reflects the bodily nature of the subject matter. This representation emphasizes the motion of hanging and bleeding.

Art in My Heart

This piece was inspired by fiber art that I viewed at the Tate Modern in England, entitled Abakan Orange by Magdalena Abakanowicz. Because of this inspiration, I have included red fabric throughout my sculpture that I acquired while residing in England. I was inspired by the visual hanging format of Abakan Orange, but applied the simulated dripping action to a more personal context.

Art in My Heart, detail

Other artists that inspire my work include Louise Bourgeouis, Helen Chadwick, and Rebecca Horn. I am drawn to artwork that connects the human body with narrative or emotion. I typically work in various mediums, including ink and collage, and recently have found mixed media outlets of art creation. I hope to include fiber with mixed media in the future.

My Foray Into Felt

2011-09-13T11:11:00.024-04:00

I tip my hat to those fiber artists who use felt as their medium. My limited experience with felting was enough to tell me I would not ever be one if I could help it. A felt artist, I mean. It also gave me a huge appreciation for those who work with animal fiber, manipulating it until it becomes matted and formed into cloth. I just don't have the patience. Or apparently, the fortitude.

It was most likely my Fibers II course at the University of the Arts when felt and I were introduced.We were given some raw wool, which meant we had to start from the very beginning. No luxury designer, pre-dyed roving for us. Oh no, that'd be too simple. Step one, I learned to my dismay, was to remove the dung tags from the wool (of course, I didn't know that's what they were called at the time).

There was no advantage of using a washing machine and some netted lingerie bags to wash the wool either. I was instructed to set out several buckets with hot soapy water. The wool soaked in one bucket, then was transferred to the next and then next and the next, allowing the wool to soak for a bit in each bucket. The dirty water was emptied and refilled and the process continued until the dirt (among other things) was gone. Twenty years later, I can't remember how long it took, but I can honestly say, I've since learned many better and less labor intensive ways to wash wool, now that I'm a spinner.

After which, I decided I wanted colors in my felt piece. So I dyed the wool in a very basic rainbow of hues, since my mastery of colors and dyes were rather limited at that stage of my artistic career and learning. After transforming the plain into bright electric colors, the wool was picked and then carded into batts. And finally, I was ready to begin felting.

I believe there are various ways to create felt, and some that I'm not even aware of, but my instructor had us use netting to hold the batts in place. I laid the batts down on my army/navy store purchased mosquito netting, layering them perpendicular to each other. I cut out shapes from the colored batts, and laid them on top. Sticking some cord in amongst the layers, I thought I would make some textured ridges in my felt. I was wrong.

I sewed loose X's throughout the length and width of the piece to keep everything in place. It seemed the process would be fairly labor intensive, all that rolling and agitating that I was told felting involved. Thinking I was going to be using copious amounts of hot water, soap, and agitation, I decided my apartment bathtub was the best place to conduct felt making, and made the dimensions of my piece accordingly. Rolling and unrolling, squishing, soaping, and yes, even stomping on my wool, I attempted to pound those batts into submissio...er, felt. After about ten minutes, I was weary. After twenty, I was exhausted and annoyed. And after an hour, I gave up.

I probably could have gone back to it the next day. I might have, I can't recall. And I'm sure I received a less than stellar grade for it. To this day, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I laid it all out, if I was thinking beyond my typical 20 year old attitude of "just get this done, and get it over with." The colors were unspectacular. The design was a fail. And the wool was just barely felted. There's more than a good chance I went about felt making the hard way, as I almost always do everything the hard way. But then again, I wouldn't have gotten this absolutely fabu pic of me standing in my bathtub, now would I?

Me, a Bathtub and My Ugly Piece o' Felt.

To Cut or Not To Cut...That is the Question.

2011-08-31T07:00:00.003-04:00

Fabric, hand stamped, then painting in all the white spaces

Before I became a weaver, I dabbled with the idea of becoming a textile designer. At least, on a more home-made front, I contemplated designing hand-dyed fabrics for others to purchase for their own use and pleasure. I spent hours printing, stamping, and hand-painting yardage, only to realize the fabric became too precious to me. I could not, would not cut into it. At this point, I was still practicing the technique. I was no where near good enough to sell hand-stamped cloth, so I figured it might be best if I found a new area of study within Fiber Arts, which led me to weaving.

Above fabric, completed, and lining handwoven bag

On the rare occassion I could overcome the need to save every two to four yard swath of hand-dyed fabric, I cut it up and re-sewed them into a liner for a bag, or maybe a custom shower curtain. So it was no surprise to me that I resisted with all of my being cutting into my screen printed cloth. Naturally, I chose the fabric I liked the least, and paired it with a panel that was always meant to be cut out. It felt better that way. And of course, this meant I now had a major challenge. How to make these two elements work together, since I pulled them out of my stash, not because I thought "YES! THIS WILL BE AWESOME!" but because I went "WHEW! If I screw this up, my heart won't hurt."

Collaborative with Sheila Shuman.

I am a moderate planner, as far as my working style goes. I usually plot and plan things to a certain point, and then I allow serendipity to take a part in the creation of one of my pieces. In other words, I allow unplanned things to happen and even change my direction totally in a piece, even if I'm half way through making something. In the beginning of screen printing week, I had no plan other than "what happens if..." By the middle of the week, I began drawing some mild inspiration from my doodles. I doodle eyes in the margins of my papers all the time. I doodle cartoonish human outlines. For some strange reason, I thought it was a good idea to combine the two.

The result of stencil and stamps on silk screen

Meanwhile, we were supposed to be practicing pulling stamps into our screen (I used an eye) and freezer paper stencils (I made a human form). When we arrived at the quilting portion of the course, I stood and studied this panel which was a bizarre combination of eyes and marionette-like figure, and wondered, what on earth am I going to do with this? Then it occurred to me. This is inspired by doodling. We're supposed to use the stitching as we would a drawn line. Hmm. What if I doodled over top of the man?

I took some heat and bond, and ironed it onto the back of a piece of light blue fabric. I then cut out the same stencil shapes of the figure on the screen printed panel. Finally I ironed those onto a piece of yellow fabric, and proceeded to draw lines using a sharpie marker. This was my test. Placing batting and a backing under the mock-quilt-top, I began to experiment. I tested my free-motion foot. I experimented with the regular presser foot to make lines. And then I decided how I was going to create my 'sketch.' After a bit, I was rather pleased with the results, so I figured it was safe to begin plotting out my quilt.

I decided the panel would be attached to the background as an applique. But how would I make it look integrated? Once I pinned the panel to the background, and pinned that to the wall. I stepped back. Interesting. The panel almost disappears because there's too much going on in the background fabric. So I decided to see what it would look like with a small strip of color edging one side of the panel. All I had on hand at the moment was a little bit of pink. Crazy enough, the pink actually worked! So I kept it. I love it when stuff like that happens.

Letting the quilt tell me where to stitch

Attaching the applique to the background with basting stitches, I then added my batting and backing. Where to start? The center of course. I noticed the background had subtle oval shapes hidden amongst all the chaos. I decided I'd turn these into more eyes. The rest of the stitching would just happen as I went along, changing colored threads on a whim. I chose a purple thread to do my 'sketching' of the figure. However, it wasn't turning out as I thought it should.

"Well, you know, a sketched line has thick parts and thin parts depending on how you hold a pen or pencil and what angle the tip is at when you make that line," Barbara said to me, as I was mulling over how to fix it.
"You know, I think that's exactly what I'm missing," I said. I sat down and began going over some of my lines until I had thick areas tapering into thin areas. The more I worked, the more I liked what I was seeing. However, it was costing me a lot of precious time. True to myself, I chose to be over-ambitious with my project.

So as usual, I spent extra time in the studio, trying to get as much finished as I could. Unfortunately, I didn't complete my quilt by the end of the week. But that's O.K. Now I have something to work on at home in the evenings, much to my delight. My sewing machine fits in a corner of my kitchen, so it's not as if it's in the way or anything. Well, the husband might disagree with that statement, but I told him at least it's not a floor loom or a spinning wheel. He just mumbled something and shook his head as he walked away from the pile I made in front of the corner hutch. Besides, I have to finish it so I can be sure to post a picture of the completed quilt when I'm done, regardless of how it turns out. :) After all, what's one more pile of fiber arts supplies? Right?

work in progress

~melanie

It's Sew (not) Easy!

2011-08-25T15:35:00.005-04:00

During the first week of my course, the annual Kutztown Folk Festival was occurring across the street where one could browse stand after stand of handmade items and food, most created using very time-tested traditional techniques. Before we could begin making an art quilt, Barbara Schulman instructed us to walk across the street to the Quilt Barn and check out the more traditional expression of the art of quilt making.

quilting fabrics

For me, it was as if I had stepped backward in time. I spent most of my teen-labor years working in a Mennonite run quilt shop called Hayloft Fabrics which overlooks Martin's Country Market in Morgantown, PA. At one time I knew how much yardage of 45" cloth it would take to back a queen sized quilt, how much was needed to make the binding, what 1/4 of $3.79 equaled, along with other various quilt trivia. All lost over the last twenty years as my limited fiber attention span flitted from this to that.

One side of the Quilt Barn.

The Quilt barn brought back some of those memories as I looked at Lone Stars, Log Cabins, Flying Geese, among others. While some were hand quilted, and others machine stitched, seeing them all on display in one large area created a visually stimulating assortment of colors and fabrics. Nostalgia filled my lungs as I took a deep breath and sighed. Wasn't it only yesterday I was a kid wielding scissors, and straightening bolts of fabric?

The following day, we cleaned up the room, eradicating all traces of screen printing. After which, we had to set up our sewing machines and work spaces. Now, it was time to get down to business.

The studio

Making patches

First, Barbara demonstrated how to piece a simple patchwork block. For those of you who quilt, this might not be a huge dealio. For me, it was a revelation. I don't know why I never learned to sew strips and then cut those down with a rotary cutter. Then to re-piece them as rows of squares, seemed pure genius! Not only that, it had never occurred to me to even try something like this. Quilting, despite my misbegotten youth, has always been some what mysterious to me. I reveled in having the mystery unraveling before my very eyes.

Machine stitched applique

Next came applique, a technique that allows a quilter to attach fabric shapes to the front of their quilt. When I worked at the shop, I vaguely remember learning to attach the appliques to the quilt top using tiny hand stitches, while turning under the 1/8-1/4" seam as I worked my way around the edge of the shape. In this class, I learned a really clever trick using light interfacing to turn the edges under. Yes, indeed, it was one revelation after another for this fiber artist.

I used to live by this stuff to make custom patches for my jeans.

Last, we learned about products such as Heat and Bond, a product that allows a anyone to attach fabric to fabric, much like a patch one would buy to fix a hole in a pair of jeans. The product is ironed on to the back of the material, after which, the sewer can cut out any shape imaginable. Peel off the paper backing, and then iron the shape onto another piece of cloth. It's that easy. Finally, it was time to put all these methods into action and play! I put two pieces of material together and just began running my machine stitches all over the front, trying to get the feel of my machine.

Now, I have two confessions to make: one, I am a partially self-taught seamstress. Rebekah (my mother) taught me the basics, and taught me well. But for whatever reason, probably my overflowing over-commited teenager schedule, we never moved beyond those basics. So, the rest of my sewing knowledge has come from me doing whatever worked, and most of the time, it's probably been the wrong way to work. Confession Number Two: I've owned my machine for twenty years, at least, and I learned how to operate it better in one week of classes than I ever did in all the years I've owned it. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it. What did I learn? Well, for one, I found out my feed dogs can be dropped.

Inside Don Kauffman's Sewing Machines

I get my machine maintenanced and repaired at Don Kauffman's Sewing Machines in Temple, PA. On one of my many "how on earth do I work my machine" visits during the Art Quilting portion of the course, I asked if I could buy a free-motion presser foot for the machine.
"Do your feed dogs drop?"
"I don't think so," I said.
"Well, is it a free-arm machine?" he asked
"Um, I don't think so, " I repeated.
"Can you take something off or drop something down on your machine to help you sew pant legs?" He asked.
"Oh HEY! I CAN do that!" I said.
"That's a free-arm machine," he said, patiently.

I probably turned twenty shades of crimson. So this is the second thing I learned: what exactly is a free armed machine. I had never known. Now I do, and I feel smarter armed with this information.

feed dogs

"So if you have a free-arm machine, you most likely have a lever or a switch in the back that will drop your feed dogs," he told me.

I could hardly wait to get back to class. I HAD to see if my feed dogs dropped. Lo and Behold, with great rejoicing and angelic music ringing through my head, I found the switch and dropped my feed dogs. I did a poor imitation of the butter churn, and might have danced a little off-rhythym jig. Just maybe.

Why did this excite me so much? Because I was no longer constrained to straight lines, corners, and gentle curves. The feed dogs are the metal 'tracks' on the bottom of the machine that feeds the cloth through while the needle jumps up and down. They keep the stitches even, and the fabric moving. Why would I want to drop the feed dogs? Because if I want to do any kind of free-form stitching, it's necessary to take away the mechanism that controls the movement of the material. I want to control the fabric.

free-motion foot

So I attached my new free-motion foot and stuck a sample quilt block I was using for practice under the foot and went crazy. I mean really really crazy. WOWZERS! I mean, this was super-duper-looper exciting! Literally. I could make loops. Lots and lots of loops. I gained a greater appreciation for people who make amazing free-form stitched quilts. It's not nearly as easy as one would think to make the stitches even. After all, there are no feed dogs to push the quilt through at regular intervals. I mostly made scribble-y messes with my stitches. OH, but it was fun, as in, insanely gleeful, mad-scientist-fun.

Now came the hardest part of the course. What, of my lovely hand-made fabrics was I willing to cut into? Oh the heart-wrenching decisions. How could I willingly hack into one of my precious pieces of printed cloth? But that's another post for another day...

~melanie

Respond

2011-07-23T17:53:00.009-04:00

As a student, I sat through so many critiques in college, that it became hard to just sit and give a general response to a work of art. I was constantly picking everything apart. In studio, at the conclusion of a project, we would discuss what worked, what didn't work, what we liked, what we didn't like, what could be improved, what couldn't be improved upon, what might the piece look like upside down, inside out, vertical, horizontal...and I could go on. The point of critique for me (beyond the obvious learning tool) was to unbend my artist's mind. A very important process, because I see something in my minds-eye, and then I execute it, sometimes exactly, sometimes not. And by sitting through a critique, I'm forced (sometimes...sometimes I'm grateful) to hear what other artists think or see about my particular piece that's up for discussion. Sometimes it's a critical response to the craftsmanship or technique. Sometimes it's a reflection upon the emotion or symbolism evoked by the art. Sometimes it's neither. Either way, critique can be helpful and instructive as much as it can be brutal to the artist.

During the first week of our class, Wendy Osterweil put a new twist on the critique. At least it was a different way for me to think about the art. We were to respond to another person's printed fabric, using adjectives, short phrases, and describing words. Because it was disjointed, I really disliked the first fabric that my classmate, Sheila Shuman, and I printed together. The top part (mostly directed by Sheila) was great, in my opinion. The bottom half (where I made most of the decisions) was just a mess. Or so I thought, until I heard the response to our cloth.

seemed like a mess to me, until I heard the response

The response: energy, finding nemo, sea-like, wild, sick, random, separated, earthy, free, unity, abstract, growing, polarized, organic, complimentary, fuzzy, moldy, eroding, natural, contrasting, dynamic, infinite, rotted, deteriorating, mysterious.

After hearing those words spoken out loud, I gained a new appreciation for something I would have completely dismissed. In fact, I fell in love with the bottom half of this fabric, and used it in the quilt I'm still working on! At the time of our "response" I was almost too embarrassed to put it up there amongst all the other wonderful printed fabrics.

all of our 'firsts' hanging up for a 'response'

So I re-learned a simple fact that I apparently had forgotten. Sometimes, it's too easy to call art "Good" or "Bad" or to say "I like this" and "Wow, That's terrible art! How can they call that art?!?" I know for myself, from now on, when I look at a painting on a wall, or a quilt, a weaving, a sculpture standing in a museum, or anything, I will make a list, in my head, of all the words that come to mind. And maybe, just maybe, something I disliked previously, will take on a new respect and understanding.

~melanie

The Week My Brain Blew-Up

2011-07-19T13:27:00.000-04:00

...or maybe "Melanie Takes a Class" would perhaps be a better title.

It started out innocently enough. Barbara Schulman, my fiber-arts professor from Kutztown University, stopped into our Gallery on the last day of Size Matters. "How's retirement?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not quite retired yet." she replied. "I have one more class to teach, a summer institute..." She began to describe the class: one week of screen-printing taught by Wendy Osterweil, and another week of quilting from our homemade fabrics taught by Barbara.

As I listened, my eyes goggled, I'm sure of it. I might have even drooled just a little, but Barbara was kind enough to not point that out. Instead she offered to see if I could somehow squeeze into the class for non-credit. Two weeks of non-stop fiberlicious-yummy-goodness?!? Two. Whole. Weeks. To myself. With no interruptions?? I practically spontaneously combusted on the spot from my excitement. Of course, this was the week before the class was to begin, and of course, by the time I found out I was allowed admittance, I had two days to gather all my supplies before going away for the annual Fourth of July Family Holiday Weekend. But really, was I complaining? Ok, maybe for just a nanosecond when I trudged in and out of the heat from store to store. However that was quickly dispelled by my over-abundant enthusiasm. Such a small sacrifice for so much fiberlicious-yummy-goodness was totally worth it.

Portable Print table

Monday arrived, and Wendy displayed a variety of her fabrics and a few of her quilts. Wiping the saliva off my chin, I couldn't wait to get started. She began by explaining how she makes her portable print tables. Lightweight and extremely easy to make, my mind went "WHOA" which began the 5000 revolutions per minute that didn't let up until, well...at the writing of this post, I'm still in class, so I haven't stopped thinking once. I might have even pulled a brain-muscle. And I'm fairly certain there has been smoke puffing out of my ears for the last six days.

prepping the screen

From the print table to the pinning of the fabric, we were now ready to get rolling with our printmaking. I assumed this would be a very tradition kind of screen printing, and was I ever wrong. Wendy demonstrated how to pull textures onto our screen using dye which acted as the resist or barrier, for the first couple of prints. But after two or three passes of the squeegee on the screen, the dye on the screen would mix with the dye pressed through the mesh and magic would happen. I mean, MAGIC. Pure, unadulterated, no-tricks-up-my-sleeve, magic. My heart pounded nearly out of my chest with excitement. It had been way too long since I last took a class.

My screen, prepped for printing. I used an old weaving as the main texture.

The first print through the above screen.

Dyes

Sitting in the middle of the workspace, we had a table full of dyes in plastic containers. The whole rainbow was at our finger tips, and it only needed our creativity to unleash it onto our cloths. We mixed, and experimented, tweaking this, adjusting that, like mad-scientists standing over our creations. When we were finished with our colors, they'd be returned to the middle table to either be used, or transformed into yet another hue. Between the multitude of textured objects and the varied and sundry colors, the printing process continued and sustained itself throughout the week with infinite combinations and permutations, each maintaining its own unique unrepeatable existence.

On the second day, we were shown how to pull the carving from a stamp onto our screens, allowing us more direct imagery than we had the day before. Using this technique, we were able to print positive and negative images which would begin to mutate with each print. Like an addict, I was hooked. I raced to the mega-monster-craft store to find some rubber stamp material to make my own carved blocks.

Wendy demonstrated using her own blocks.

The block "stamp" images on the screen

We learned how to make a stencil using freezer wrap on the third day. Between the textures, the stamps, and the stencils, the mind boggled over the insane amount possibilities. All week, I found sleep elusive as I turned over one idea to another, tomorrow I'm going to work with this color. I wonder if I did this, what would happen? Could this work? I can't wait to try that...

one of my fabrics, in progress.

And yet, I struggled with the serendipity of the printing each and every day. I wanted to understand what was going to happen so I could predict what my next move would be. Gee, I guess that's why it's called "Free Form Screenprinting." I couldn't let go of my need to anticipate what was going to end up on my cloth. While there was a level of predictability to the experience, I found that I was completely unable to respond to what was happening and make adjustments as I went along. But with each pass of my squeegee, and each fabric I printed, I felt I gained more and more successes. Not necessarily in the aesthetic sense, but in the ability to just roll with the printing. And as I re-invented my artistic self throughout the week, I found I enjoyed the results of my screen printing more and more. It no longer became a matter of "This cloth is Good" or "This cloth is Bad" because I began to see the value in the parts and pieces as well as the whole.

I used a scrap of handwoven material to experiment on

One of my favorite cloths I printed

Hanging our fabrics for the end of the week 'response' time.

While the sand slipped through the proverbial hour glass on the fourth day, my mood transformed into a desperate need to finish "JUST ONE MORE" printed cloth. I had to keep reminding myself that just because Wendy was returning to her studio, it did not mean I would never ever ever print another piece of fabric. In fact, I have great plans to make a print table, buy some the materials to make more screens, and set myself up once our 'wet studio' is finished at 'some things looming.' But before that can happen, I have to do the scary part: cutting into "my precious," one-of-a-kind-can-never-be-duplicated fabrics for the second half of the class: Art Quilts.

The class' fabrics, hanging out to dry

...to be continued, next week...

The Importance of Social Networking

2011-06-28T12:13:00.000-04:00

(and other web based marketing tools)

Part 1 of an ongoing series on marketing you!

I’m straddling two worlds. One has only to look at my LinkedIn profile to see that those two worlds collide rather oddly at times. The really cool think is that I’m trying out all these concepts that I’ve learned over the last twenty years in a business model (art) that is high risk and which we started in one of the worse recessions since the great depression. And….what’s cooler than that? They work! We are making great progress and we’re ahead of my business plan as we closed our first fiscal year and our first 2 seasons of exhibits. But that’s another blog post on the business aspect of your art.

I’m the business end of ‘some things looming’ and I get to apply all my life lessons and my OJT (on the job training) business education to a field of endeavor that is, as a rule, weak in the area of business acumen and self-promotion. STL exists to promote fiber art, to provide a community atmosphere for fiber artists to promote their work and earn some income and to keep the traditional fiber arts alive for the next generation.

Ok... so let’s talk as Joan Rivers used to say. I’m going to give you some lessons in sales and then I’ll tell you what I’ve been learning. I’m by no means an expert. That’s good and bad. The good part is it means you can do at least what I’ve done. The bad part is, well, I can only take you so far. I’m just trying to give you a head start. A term you can forget but will make you buzz word compliant if you have any friends in sales and marketing is Sales 2.0. It kind of boils down simplistically to a push vs. pull sales and marketing strategy. Let’s start with the concept so you don’t start, (“la la I can’t hear you”) tuning me out of this important information.

In the past, sales and marketing had to go out and beat down the door to get your attention. Most of us hated that approach and put ourselves on the ‘do not call’ list to avoid it. Current buying trends are 180 degrees different. Think about this example. You want to buy a new refrigerator. What’s the first thing you do? Google it. “Best refrigerators in 2011”…. We check out consumer reports on line. We find forums where people have done some research or rate the refrigerators you are interested in. It’s easy and we don’t even leave our homes to do it. By the time we get into the car, if we even need to get into the car to go shopping, we know exactly what it is we want to buy, where to go and buy it and what price we can expect to pay for it. All the sales work happened between us and the internet browser. It’s the difference between ‘push’ and ‘pull’. Old sales approach? Push. New sales approach? Pull. Buyers pull the information they want. If you are like me when I first heard this explained, you are nodding yes right now and are a little amazed that you do this without even acknowledging how much your buying habits have changed.

What does that mean? You don’t just need a web presence, if you are serious about your work, you have to have a web presence. For people to know about you and want to see your work and participate in what you are doing you need to engage them so they are seeking you. You want to be interested in ‘pulling’ up information about you.

Over time, I’ll share what we’ve tried and is working so you aren’t over whelmed with too much information. So step one is a freebie idea. Get yourself a Fan Page on Facebook. It’s free. You can upload your professional information, photos and videos and create events and invite your friends. Once you invite your friends, you beg them to invite their friends. If you have a web site or a blog you can put a Facebook button on it and reach out to others.

Shamelessly encourage them to ‘like’ your page. It costs them nothing and you never know who is reading their posts to you and saying, ‘Hmm…I’d like to know more about that. Click” My fan page is a competition for us. We watch our stats each week and try different things to keep our fans engaged and coming back to see what we are doing. Instead of playing Farmville, I play Fan Page. How can I get more people to like my page and more importantly engage with my page. Facebook fan pages are cost effective in terms of dollars.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that social networking is cheap, however, as the more marketing you do via the net the more time you will invest in keeping it fresh. If you don’t keep your content fresh, you’ll be ignored. Writing blogs, keeping up with social networks and your web pages fresh is a time commitment. It’s well worth it and pays off. Here’s one small statistic on us. In one year, STL went from an emailing list of 150 to over 700. Every week we get a few new Twitter followers. I don’t even understand Twitter completely (More of that in a future blog).

So here's a challenge: go make your Facebook fan page. Then invite ‘some things looming’ to ‘like’ you. We will. And then let me know if this is helpful and a topic you’d like me to continue sharing. Hit me up with a comment here or….(you guessed it) our Facebook Fan page, some_things_looming.

~Rebekah

Featured Artist: Leslie Sudock

2011-06-24T07:00:00.003-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Leslie Sudock

Know when..., Home is..., For Me...

Artist Statement, March 2011

Needlework of one kind or another has been a part of my life since early childhood: my grandmother taught me to crochet and sew on her treadle machine in the cellar, and a kind neighbor gave me my first pair of knitting needles to ease me through illness when my parents were away on holiday. Since then, my hands have been perpetually engaged with making. Indeed, the collection of afghans, quilts, sweaters and vests stacked in my closets and drawers map my journey through high school (with special permission from teachers and principal), university, graduate and law school; my life as a young mother was charted by caps, booties, mittens, scarves and cardigans.

Know When...

Know When...(detail)

I have always been fascinated by the fibers, techniques and structures of knitting: Scandinavian stranded color work sweaters in 9th grade history class, intricate Aran pullovers in Philosophy seminars, and complex mohair lace vests in Constitutional Law lectures. So I suppose it was natural enough when – after an extended foray into the three-dimensional world of sock and felted shoes – my work turned sculptural.

Home is...

Home is...(detail)

For the past few years my work has included sculptural knitting with wool, copper wire, and bamboo and encaustic wax. These works usually addressed the nature and politics of religious identity, or more abstruse philosophical and theological inquiry. However, persistent carpal tunnel inflammation has required that I put down my knitting needles for a time. Never one to cease rolling, I’ve taken turned to weaving as part of my regular work with neighbors who are homeless, in recovery, or otherwise in transition; my involvement in the formation and continued work of Arts Street Textile Studio: handmade with the homeless in Philadelphia has enabled me to both re-think my work in fiber and address the pressing concerns of my new studio colleagues.

For Me...

For me...(detail)

“Home is …”, “For me …”, and “Know when …” are three of a series of woven and embroidered signs that respond to the art of sign-making carried out by the homeless. These three signs honor the poetic expression of need of so many on the street, as well as the work of Arts Street Textile Studio (ASTS), whose trademark red house signals the need and desire for safe and secure shelter.   Each of these “cardboard signs” consists of hand-woven “cardboard” canvas and embroidered texts executed with materials donated to ASTS for its outreach work in the studio and local shelters and day programs. The texts are taken from extant signs carried by the homeless, and they are mounted on the cardboard they are intended to honor. May they prompt in all of us greater compassion for and action on behalf of our neighbors in need.

Selected Exhibitions:

2010    Arashi Vessel #1, irRESIST, Some Things Looming, Reading, PA. Kathryn Pannepacker - ccurator
    Materiél Witness, Text/Textiles, Some Things Looming, Reading, PA. Kathryn Pannepacker - curator
2009    Materiél Witness, Text/Textiles, da Vinci Gallery (Philagrafika Festival), Philadelphia, PA. Kathryn
Pannepacker – curator
    Kamia Lilit (Lillith Amulet), Seyag ha’Torah (Hedge of Roses), Wimpel: Wrapped Wishes!, Philadelphia
Museum of Jewish Art, Philadelphia, PA. Matthew Singer – curator

Leslie Sudock, Fibers
TikkunArts

la.sudock@verizon.net

Featured Artist: Mary Stoudt

2011-06-23T07:00:00.003-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Mary Stoudt

I create my art quilts looking through a lens informed by decades of experimenting with a wide variety of art media, mainly photography, printmaking, ceramics, weaving, collage, bookmaking, and sculpture, etc.

To begin an art piece I imagine a basic composition in my head concentrating on color and form, and then work intuitively through each piece. As I progress through the quilt, I improvise, perhaps like a jazz musician would.

Pipes

Sometimes, I give myself quilt assignments such as, "See how big you can make a quilt', or "use wool and cotton together" or "see how many layers you can add to make a quilt. Some of my quilt creations could be put into categories such as color studies, storytelling, or optical illusions.

Pipes

Here is a mixed list of my favorite artists and other inspirations:
Paul Klee . Gees Bend Quilters . Pennsylvania Mountains, Fields . Traveling . Andy Goldsworthy . Red Grooms . Blues Music . NY times Sunday paper . Gustav Klimpt . Oiseaux Sisters . Joseph Cornell . Fabric Stores . Frank Gehry . Audrey Flack . Childhood Memories . My family . Hundertwasser . NPR . Goggleworks . Literature

http://www.marystoudt-artquilts.com/

Featured Artist: Elena Stokes

2011-06-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Elena Stokes

Monet Matters, 70% merino wool 30% mohair wet and neddle felted

Artist’s Statement

I am a quilt artist and felt artist. The quilter in me wants to follow the traditional construction methods of the utilitarian patchwork quilt. As an artist, I gleefully ignore such restrictions and play with innovative techniques to create contemporary artwork. Conversely, my felt art employs the traditional, time honored and labor intensive technique of wet felting to create sculptural vessels and wall art. No machines, no knitting or sewing. Just wool fibers, water, a little soap and a lot of elbow grease.

While the origins of many techniques used by textile and fiber artists began as utilitarian, such as quilting, weaving and felting, the uses of textiles and fibers in art have undergone a transformation over the years, transcending the domestic arts to folk art, from folk art to fine art. It is very exciting for me to be a part of an art form that has such deep roots in our culture and history.

Monet Matters, detail

My need to create and express my inner self has always been central to my life. I’ve had extensive training and/or degrees in theatre and dance and I’ve taken numerous courses in quilting. But, in the fine arts, I am self taught. I use textiles and felt the way other artists use paint. I am fascinated by the relationships of color and the effects of light and shadow. As a fiber artist, I’ve gained a deeper sense of freedom of expression which I couldn’t find in the collaborative arts.

I am awed and humbled by the power and beauty of nature. To see the sun setting on the ocean is such a serene spiritual experience. The colors of autumn shows us that even late in life we are still beautiful, if not even more so than when we were young. Seeing the garden coming back to life renews one’s sense of hope and faith. The view from the top of a mountain puts the world and all our insurmountable problems back into proper perspective. It is in nature that I feel close to God. It is in nature that I find my inspiration.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2010                   New Hope Arts Center, PA                           Second Skin, 2010
2009                   New Hope Arts Center, PA                           Second Skin, 2009
2004                    Prallsville Mills, Stockton, NJ                    Autumn Quilts
2004                    Edison, NJ                                                      New Jersey Quilt Convention - juried
2002                    Prallsville Mills, Stockton, NJ                    Fall Harvest of Quilts
2001                    Orleans, France                                              Le Automne de Patchwork
1999                    32nd St. Armory, New York City                 Spring Festival of Quilts
1997                    32nd St. Armory, New York City                 Spring Festival of Quilts
1995                    The Puck Building, New York City              Fall Festival of Quilts - juried
1993                    John Jay College, New York City                 Quilts in Miniature
SELECTED AWARDS
1999                    32nd St. Armory, New York City                  1st Place and Best Innovative Award
1998                    Vermont Quilt Festival, Northfield              2nd Place and Judge's Choice Award
1997                    Vermont Quilt Festival, Northfield               3rd Place
GALLERIES
2004                    Nova Fine Art, Clinton, NJ                            Black and White
2003                    Gallery Petite, High Bridge, NJ                     Natural Wonders
2003                    GalleryOneMain, High Bridge, NJ                Summertime Hues

http://focusonfiberart.com/

Visit Focus on Fiber Art at Facebook

Featured Artist: Kathy Selbst

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Kathy Selbst

Butterflies on a Shoestring

Butterflies, detail

Artist Statement

As a child I enjoyed knitting and machine sewing. By the time I reached high school I made garments to wear. My enjoyment in using my hands carried over to playing the piano & eventually offering piano lessons. I later tried my hand at other crafts becoming skilled in rug braiding, stain glass and gardening. In recent years I finally realized that my greatest fulfillment has been in fiber arts, and I have been an active quilter and weaver incorporating natural dyeing and shibori techniques. The pieces in this exhibit combine my interests of weaving, dyeing and quilting.

Mums for Mommy

Mums, detail

Featured Artist: Mary Schwarzenberger

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Mary Schwarzenberger

Orbs

Artist Statement

In her fiber art Mary tries to create moods with color that soothe or stimulate. To quote Kaffe Fassett, “Why use one shade of red when you can use 17?”. More recently Mary has been exploring diverse techniques to create surface texture, from manipulating fabric with a needle felting machine to couching yarns on the surface. The works she creates are designed to provide comfort and create visual statements. Mary is highly influenced by the beauty of the local flora and fauna and she tries to incorporate natural themes into my work.

Orbs, detail

Resume

Juried Shows
2011 The Quilt Fest of New Jersey VII Tri-State Quilt Competition
2010 Second Skin - New Hope Arts Center, New Hope PA
2010 Hoffman Challenge - Trunk Show
2009 Pacific International Quilt Festival XVIII - October 2009.
2009 Denver National Quilt Festival IV - April 2009.
2007 Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XIV - September 2007.
2007 Hoffman Challenge Trunk Show

Colorama!


Colorama! detail

Other Shows
Quilts in the Mill, Stockton, NJ. - October 2008
Quilts in the Mill, Stockton, NJ. - October 2006
The State Quilt Guild of NJ. - June 2009
The State Quilt Guild of NJ. - June 2007
The State Quilt Guild of NJ. - June 2006

Awards
2011 The Quilt Fest of New Jersey VII Tri-State Quilt Competition
Best Use of Embellishments.

Oceanography III

Oceanography III, detail

Galleries
The Craft Gallery at The Prallsville Mills, Stockton NJ.
Focus on Fiber Art, 10 Bridge Street - annex. Frenchtown, NJ. www.focusonfiberart.com/

Blog
sewingsavessanity.blogspot.com/

Website
www.peachfuzzfiberart.com

Featured Artist: Della Reams

2011-06-18T16:34:00.000-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Della Reams

Basra

What’s in a Name?
Arabic Calligraphy Knitted into Fabric
by Della Reams

The memory of an exceptionally beautiful fabric I saw in New York many years ago, sienna-colored and printed with gold Arabic calligraphy, was evoked when I arrived to teach in Qatar. I became enthralled with the idea of weaving such fabrics on a jacquard loom. My intent was to have students work with me on the designs. Unfortunately, I don’t know Arabic and I don’t have a jacquard loom. So, although the ambition was always there, the means weren’t.

After seeing the Graphic Design Monogram Project results on the walls of VCUQatar, I realized the motifs, which represent a stylized version of each designer’s name in Arabic, were perfect for textile designs. With permission from the students, I decided to recreate them as knitted fabric designs.

Aldana

With a black and white printed student design in hand, I adapted each pattern to a grid in the knitting machine design program. Each stitch represents a large pixel, which was entered by hand. Some of the designs are large, because the motif is curvy and the pixels are large. (On a straight grid, it takes more pixels to make a smooth curve than to make a straight line or sharp corner.) In some cases, I changed the original pattern design to make it more suitable as a fabric repeat. Then I knitted each design, and in most cases, knitted them again and again to work out kinks in the systems and details of the designs. After washing, starching and pressing each piece, they were mounted on silk.

The students who contributed to the project in this submission are Aldana Al Kater, Basra Bashir and Muna Al Anssara.

Wearing symbols is already established as a ritual in the Arab world, such as soldiers wearing prayers woven into the fabric closest to their skin, and displaying holy words on one’s automobile. The custom of asking a noble person for their cast-off clothing, to absorb the powerful spirit, is an example of the energy that is retained in cloth.

Muna

My work is imbued with the energy of health and spirit. Using symbols of these aspects visually represents the effect of the increased feeling of wellbeing on the wearer or observer. The next part of this research is to explore the act of using common blessed Arabic sayings knitted into textile designs. I will let the creative process guide me forward.

Featured Artist: Chris Motley

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Chris Motley

Indecision

Indecision, side view

I explore texture and form with fiber, using the techniques of knitting and fulling. The process of knitting can itself be a driving force in my art. Since hand knitting is a slow process, a design concept can emerge as I knit. Free from any preconceived notion of typical knitted fabric but armed with a lifetime of technique, a piece can emerge from pushing the boundaries of the stitches and I can explore three dimensions.

Second Thoughts

Second Thoughts, side view

A design will emerge as I am knitting, which is itself a meditative process for me. Alternatively, I see something or have a concept from the real world or in my head, unrelated to yarn at all, that triggers a curiosity to translate it to fiber. This is the case with the sculptural projects I am currently pursuing which involve body parts, particularly heads, hands and arms. I knit intuitively and make a new piece just by starting to knit without pre-planning, a wonderful exploration free of the confines of patterns or garments.

Who's There

Who's There, side view

Featured Artist: Elaine Hines Millar

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Artist Statement

I am a fiber artist with a propensity for strong line and strong color. This is evidenced in my work. Inspiration stems from the world around me, whether it is natural or man-made. Either architecture or a rain forest can equally enthuse me.

In order to make sense of an idea, I often first develop it digitally within the confines of Photoshop or Illustrator, working through focus and balance issues and then trying on various colorings. This provides me with a strong beginning from which to choose the materials I will ultimately use.

I work in fiber because I am totally tactile and love the various textures that fibers produce. I use a combination of materials, preferring hand dyed cloth and almost always including elements of screen printing.

Artist Biography

Elaine Millar was raised in St Louis, Missouri, where she received a BA degree from The University of Missouri-St Louis and an MBA from Washington University. She worked in the corporate world for 20 years before seeking an early retirement to pursue other interests.

Her fiber journey began in 1993 and has expanded from traditional quilt making to her present pursuits.

She has been published in the Quilter’s Newsletter and Quilt Japan magazines.

Featured Artist: Maryanne McDevitt

2011-06-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

A Little Bit Wise

I was raised in a background of fiber but didn’t start sewing until I had daughters. I began weaving in 1973, with a Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers class. In 1974, I spent a year in Edinburgh, Scotland where I studied tapestry weaving at the Edinburgh College of Art.

During another sabbatical year in Paris, I bought a larger floor loom, and scoured Paris yarn shops for weaving materials, then shipped the loom home where it’s still hard at work in my studio.

In my classroom all my students had a chance to learn to weave. As outreach chairmen for PGHS, I bring weaving and spinning demonstrations classrooms, zoos, arboretums, and museums. As president, I’m always adding new places to share fiber excitement. No matter what new project I begin, weaving still delights and fascinates me. I am truly caught up in the web of weaving.

mctiggs@verizon.net

Featured Artist: Kachina Martin

2011-06-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Crocus

Kachina Martin is a fiber artist who teaches art and art history at Muhlenberg High School in Laureldale, PA. She earned a B.A. in English and French with an Art History minor at Albright College; she received her Master’s in Art History from Temple University. Kachina has also studied fiber arts at the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, the University of the Arts, Touchstone Center for Crafts, and Cannon Hill Studios.

Crocus, detail

In addition to her work as a public educator, Kachina has also lectured at St. Francis University, Albright College, La Salle University, Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, and Temple University.

For further information, please visit http://www.howlingruth.com/

Featured Artist: Pamela MacGregor

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Allergen: glass beads, merino wool, plexiglass
71/2" w/ stand - 2010

My life as an artist has taken many turns over the years. Artist as student, artist as teacher and now retired teacher as felt artist. Since my retirement, the discovery of felt making has charged me with a new artistic energy. I find the versatility and engineering possibilities for each project both mentally and physically stimulating. It seems at the end of the day there is usually a sweet surprise to discover along with an “ah ha” moment for future felt works, each bringing with it new and unique possibilities.

Allergen (2nd view): glass beads, merino wool, plexiglass
71/2" w/ stand - 2010

Featured Artist: Michelle Lord

2011-06-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Michelle Lord

Ladies In Waiting

Michelle Lord lives in Texas and has been making dolls for about 3 years. However, she has been sewing and crafting for as long as she can remember. Michelle loves the creative outlet that dolls and fabric give her, as you can just keep adding layers until you finally get what you want. Fabric is very forgiving and you can do just about anything with it.

Ladies, detail


Girl in a Box

Girl, detail

Spirits Are Looming

Spirits, Detail

Sassythreadworks

mwlord@charter.net

www.sassythreadworks.com

http://www.sassythreadworks.blogspot.com/

http://mwlord.wordpress.com/about/

Featured Artist: Nancy Lloyd

2011-06-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Nancy Lloyd

River Run I, River Run II, Swimming for Freedom

Artist’s Statement

    Living abroad for twelve years, most recently in Hong Kong for 6 ½ years, Nancy Lloyd returned to the US in January 2002 and moved to Solebury in September, 2007. She has been painting in oils since 1993 and enjoys all types of subject matter. She also works in encaustics, collagraphs, monoprints and collages.
    Having lived in England, Philippines and Hong Kong, Nancy immersed herself in diverse cultures. She has received numerous awards including the Stamford Pulmonary Associates Award for the oil painting A Quiet Moment at the “55th Annual Art of the Northeast USA” held by the Silvermine Guild Galleries, New Canaan, CT in 2004 and the New Vision Award of Miniature Prints in Hong Kong for the monoprint Turtle and Fish at the “Hong Kong Visual Arts Festival 2001”. Her work can be found in collections world-wide.
    She enjoys giving back to the community by being an active volunteer for artistic causes. She is currently on the Board of Trustees for Artsbridge, Lambertville, NJ. Also, Nancy founded an art group within the Silvermine area that is composed of Silvermine Community residents to provide a forum for local artists to meet and inspire each other. The first annual Artists in Residence show, was held at the Silvermine Tavern in February 2005, with 25 participants and it is an active group that continues today.

River Run I

Selected Awards:
2010    - Second Prize – Sunlit Path, “Show Some HeART” Bucks County Community College Lower Bucks Campus, Bristol, PA
    - Merit Award – - Snowy Field with Horses I, “First Annual Juried Art Show, New Hope Art League” Prallsville Mills, Stockton, NJ, Jurors: Sydney McGinley, artist; Howard N. Watson, archivist for Philadelphia Watercolor Society; Patricia Goodrich artist. Also accepted Into the Woods
2006    - First Prize – Oil – Silvermine Path, “Anything Goes” Juried Show, Rowayton ArtsCenter,
Rowayton, Ct, Juror: Jeff Price, Owner of Artist’s Market
2005    -Second Prize – Mixed Media – Flower Net II, “Drawings, Prints, Pastels, Mixed Media”,
Rowayton Arts Center, Rowayton, Ct
2004 - Stamford Pulmonary Associates Award – A Quiet Moment – “55th Annual Art of the
Northeast USA”, Silvermine Guild Galleries, New Canaan, CT, Juror: Maurice Tuchman,
Senior Curator Emeritus, Los Angeles “County Museum of Art
- First Prize – Painting – The Daughter Becomes a Bride – “Silvermine School of Art 14th
Annual Juried Student Exhibition”, New Canaan, Ct, Juror: Lee Ann Miller, Professor at Cooper
Union
2003    - First Prize – Oil – A Quiet Moment, “Mavis Fenner Juried Show” Rowayton Arts Center,
Rowayton, Ct
2001    - New Vision Award of Miniature Prints in Hong Kong – Turtle and Fish- “Hong Kong Visual Arts Festival 2001”, Cultural Centre, HK, Adjudicating panel: Miss YUNG
Sau-mui, guest curator; Mr. CHUNG Tai-fu, Mr. Leung Kui-ting, art advisors to the Leisure and
Cultural Services Dept; Mr. Fung Ho-yin, Chairman of the HK Open Printshop; Mr. Eddie LUI,
President, Confederation of Hong Kong Visual Artists

River Run II

Selected Juried Exhibitions:

2011    - Art of the Flower 2011, Flower, and Marigolds, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
    - “The 30th Annual Juried Art Exhibition ‘Lambertville and the Surrounding Area’”, Snowy Field with Horses II, Coryell Gallery at the Porkyard, Lambertville, NJ, Juror: Jeanne Dobie, Artist
    - “2011 Works on Paper”, Organic Black, If Gold Ruste, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA, Jurors: James McFarlane, President, American Watercolor Society; Katherine Krieg, artist.
2010    - “Mavis Fenner Juried Show” Snowy Field with Horses I, Rowayton Art Gallery, Rowayton, CT, Juror: Clyde Smith – Silvermine Guild Arts Center faculty
    - “Small Wonders” The Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, Maryland, Juror: Julia Ann Cavnor, Exec Director – The Art Connection in the Capital Region (Washington DC, Baltimore, Northern VA), previously Exec Director of Maryland Art Place (Baltimore, MD) Snowy Field with Horses II
    - “Phillips’ Mill 81st Annual Fall Exhibition”, New Hope, PA, Jurors: James Toogood, artist; Bruce Rigby, Professor of Fine Art, College of NJ; Tony Rosati, Chairperson of printmaking, PAFA
    -“10th Biennial Juried Art Exhibition, Reflections of Hunterdon: Artists Capture Its Essence” Prallsville Mills, Stockton, NJ, Jurors: Csilla Sadloch, artist, Thomas Valenti, President, Allied Artists of America
    - “Artsbridge 16th Annual Juried Exhibition”, Lambertville, NJ, Jurors: Bob Krist photographer, Jill A. Rupinski, Associate Professor at PAFA, Coulter Watt artist
2009    - “Artsbridge 15th Annual Juried Exhibition”, Lambertville, NJ, Jurors: Caroline Cassells Harris, PhD, Curator at Princeton University Art Museum, Rebecca Sender. She is currently associate director of the Princeton University Art Museum
    - “Naked in New Hope ‘09”, New Hope Sidetracks Art Gallery, New Hope, PA.
    - “Annual Juried Exhibition 2009”, Phillips’ Mill Community Association Art Committee, New Hope, Pa.
2008     - “Speak Up/Speak Out”, New Hope Arts Center, New Hope, Pa.
    - “Annual Juried Exhibition 2008”, Phillips’ Mill Community Association Art Committee, New Hope, Pa., Jurors: Douglas Wiltraut, President of the National Society of Painters in Casein & Acrylic, Inc., Michael Kuncevich,
2007    - “90 th Annual Juried Exhibition”, Greenwich Art Society, Greenwich, Ct, Juror: Dede Young, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Neuberger Museum of Art
- “A Moment in Time – Still Life Juried Show”, Rowayton Arts Center, Rowayton, Ct. Juror: Mary Quinlan, Art Educator in Norwalk
2006   - “Silvermine School of Art 16th Annual Juried Student Exhibition”, New Canaan, Ct, Juror: Power Boothe, Dean, Hartford Art School, Hartford, Ct
    - “The Blues” Art Society of Old Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Ct, Juror: Ernest Garthwaite, Emeritus Professor of Fine Arts, York, CUNY
    - “Artists in Wonderland: A Celebration of Childhood”, Greenwich Art Society, Greenwich, Ct, Juror: Phyllis Rutigliano, Silvermine School of Art faculty member
    - “89 th Annual Juried Exhibition”, Greenwich Art Society, Greenwich, Ct, Juror:Nancy Hall-Duncan, Sr. Curator of Art, The Bruce Museum
2005    - “Spectrum 2005”, New Canaan Society for the Arts, New Canaan, Ct
- “Flowers and Food”, Rowayton Arts Center, Rowayton, Ct.
2004     - “Scenes From a Wedding”, Rowayton Arts Center, Rowayton, Ct
- “Spectrum 2004”, New Canaan Society for the Arts, New Canaan, Ct, Juror: Franklin Hill Perrell, Curator, Nassau County Museum of Art
2003    - “Beyond Realism”, Rowayton Arts Center, Rowayton, Ct
- “Spectrum 2003”, , New Canaan Society for the Arts, New Canaan, Ct, Juror:Marella Consolini, Executive Director of Development & Administration for the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, ME & NY,NY.
- “33rd Annual Spring Juried Art Show” Society of Creative Arts of Newtown, Ct, Jurors: Lalit Masih, John Swatsley, Janine Wesselmann
- “Silvermine School of Art 13th Annual Juried Student Exhibition”, New Canaan, Ct, Juror
2000    - “Star Alliance City Festival: Blue is Blue”, City Hall, Hong Kong, Hanging Committee: Gaylord Chan, Benny Chia, Sabrina Fung, Oscar Ho, Lui Chun Kwong, Tang Hoi Chiu, Wucias Wong, Chang Tsong-zung Johnson

Swimming for Freedom

nmklloyd@yahoo.com

Featured Artist: Linda Laird

2011-06-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Linda Laird

Milemarker 386.4

Last December, I had a close encounter with reality. My husband and I were moving my 19 year-old son to Colorado to live with his Dad and go to college. We were pushing to get to our first night’s stop when I saw the headlights behind me turn sideways to the road, and then disappear in a cloud of dust. Jim had fallen asleep at the wheel, awakened, over-corrected, and rolled his Dad’s SUV several times. Thanks to his seatbelt and his guardian angel, Jim walked away from the wreck with cuts and bruises. God bless the Good Samaritan family, the EMTs and the ER staff who helped us.

Milemarker 386.4, detail

Featured Artists: Donna Kjonaas and Vicki Kessler

2011-06-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

Nighttime in the Purple Garden

Collaborative Art Statement

What sustains us? What nurtures us? What holds us in connection? What is satisfying? What is enough? What challenges turn us toward awareness? Collaborative, contemporary fiber artists Donna Kjonaas and Vicki Kessler explore these fundamental questions in their artwork as they reclaim and repurpose objects recycled from mass consumer culture.

Fiber with historic value or purpose, manipulated through processes such as felting, discharge, monoprinting, over-dying, painting and stamping becomes an intricate surface. This substantive background suggests the value and richness of meaning accumulated over time. Use of stitch, beads and buttons offers an additional connection to the past, recalling the humble task of hand sewing performed by women over the centuries. Embellishment with yarn, found objects and other fiber adds depth to emerging layers and hones composition. What was once old, worn or faded emerges as energetic, new and unexpected creation: a mystery and enduring gift.

Our art serves as container, providing a symbolic point of return for thoughtful reflection and contemplation. Three dimensional Vessels have central, open spaces. Small Folk Art Quilts and Hand Held Altars feature integrated pockets that reveal and conceal. Layered fiber compositions invite deliberation, providing a place to rest our thoughts and feelings. Tactile and interactive, this art opens and expands imagination.

Engage with the textiles by following a line of beads or blended color. Count the parts that make the whole. Discover the alternating and repetitive patterns. Feel the strong center and attend to harmony that emerges through use of scale, contrast, texture and embellishment. Enjoy the bursts of color and surface design. Let appreciation become fulfilling, and beauty bring clarity.

Nighttime in the Purple Garden, detail

Biographical Statement: Vicki Kessler

My first stitches, uneven and unsteady, were fashioned with bits of yarn on left-over scraps of fabric. Sneaking into my mother’s sewing basket for small treasures, I sought to repeat the image of beauty everywhere around me in my homeland of southwest Wisconsin. The wide and turbulent Mississippi River taught me about the subtleties of color shading. Muddy, brown shore waters gradually shifted toward blue until they reached the islands, where greenish hues took center stage. Tall, verdant hills with rocky outcrops demonstrated the power of texture and contrast. Wild, dappled valleys revealed their secrets in undulating rhythms and surprising bursts of color. These true delights of earth became my first teachers.

Color, rhythm and shape are key components in my art. As in nature, the whole is more than the sum of parts. The hideous stands beside the beautiful, the predictable companions the surprise, the exotic and the mundane are born in the same ground. The ancient, seasoned and well-worn offers perspective. Newly emerging patterns bring a leap of inspiration.

Working with old fabric, linens, quilts, yarn, sweaters and clothing provides a balance to consumptive patterns and habits that threaten us. It offers an opportunity to reflect on values of connection and relationship, and helps me feel that with each stitch, I am mending a little portion of the world.

Vicki Kessler, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, was born and raised in southwest Wisconsin. She currently resides in Waterloo, Iowa. She is a self-taught fiber artist who has been experimenting with cloth and stitch since childhood. Vicki is a founding member of The Women’s Fiber Art Collective in Madison, Wisconsin. Her work is permanently installed in the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ in DeForest, Wisconsin; Pilgrim Heights Retreat Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin; First Congregational United Church of Christ and Community of Hope United Church of Christ, both in Madison, Wisconsin.

In the Reeds

Biographical Statement: Donna Kjonaas

The abundant, wide-open plains of North Dakota stretched into endless horizon under the dome of blue sky; this became first home to my imagination. Grain fields waving in the wind marked time through seasons of planting, growth, harvest and rest. In life on the land, invention is the mother of necessity. Leftover utensils and farm tools made toys. Hand-made clothing became a treasure, passed-down, taken-in, let out and refashioned for the next child in line. Food from large gardens, preserved for the coming season, created an exhibit of form, color and texture. Nothing ever wasted; potential found and cultivated beyond the present purpose.

Reclaimed and repuposed materials such as linens, clothing, sweaters and quilts are transfomed into compositions that hone principles of color, scale and texture, rich as the land of my birth. Seasonal palettes of prairie landscape dance through my work, varying from the intense green of spring to the golden-yellow hues of fall. Dakota’s characteristic expansive swaths of land find reflection in techniques of collage, piecing and stitching. Buttons, beads, thread and yarns are found objects that become embellishments building layers of texture. Raw materials, old and worn with accumulated history, evolve expressively into art that honors the continuity of life made fresh for a new day and time.

Donna Kjonaas, a retired United Methodist minister, was born and raised in North Dakota. She currently divides her time between residences in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Sanibel, Florida. Interested in fiber and beauty from childhood, she has a background in clothing construction and quilting. Her creative impulse along with her affinity for innovation soon led to exploration of non-conventional methods and materials in her artistic compositions. She has taken several classes in paper-making, painting and book arts.

In the Reeds, detail

Featured Artist: Carrie J. Keplinger

2011-05-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Secret Thoughts of Women

I am an emerging fiber artist who has been working in needle-felting and crochet since 2002. I use my work to explore controversial topics both public and private, from environmental issues to the secret thoughts of women. Each of my pieces holds a significant message meant to educate and liberate the viewer’s perspective.

Secret Thoughts, detail

Featured Artist: Sarah Jefferis

2011-05-27T07:00:00.003-04:00

My father and grandfather, who are both stained glass artists, have influenced me. When I was young I started out sketching ‘stained glass’ artwork. Little worlds in each section of glass. I have discovered that embroidery can be a great addition to my work.

Ocho Soles

The piece, Ocho Soles, involves striped fabric deconstructed with embroidery. This deconstruction method gives the fabric a tension and curvilinear form.

Education:

I am a currently attending Kutztown University pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Crafts. I spent two years completing my general education requirements at Reading Area Community College in Reading, Pennsylvania. While attending, I was involved in the art community and art publications. I have worked in Loom, Non-Loom Fibers and Fine Metal areas.

Experience:

2011 Exhibit - Daily Fiber Intake at Some Things Looming Gallery in Reading, PA

Publications:

2007 Legacy Scholarly Journal: Vol 6. Reading Area Community College Publication

2008 Legacy Scholarly Journal: Vol 7. Reading Area Community College Publication

Organized the first photography club at Kutztown University.

Awards:

Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Sarah Jefferis: Gold Circle Award First Place for Single Illustration Rendering Photographic Material: Black and White

Featured Artist: Stacy Hortner

2011-05-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Stacy Hortner

Deep Sea

Artist's Statement:

As a small child, I loved working with my hands. I especially loved the meditative aspects of fine handwork such as embroidery. I continued to embroider most of my adult life until a few years ago when I stopped using the patterns and designs of others. My textile compositions are original. I've had formal training neither as an artist nor as a quilter. Every piece starts out as an experiment and rarely finishes as I at first envisioned it. I love learning about every sewing and surface embellishment technique and giving it expression in a very material way. Whether I embroider traditional pieces or create my mostly abstract, contemporary art quilts, it is all about the journey and the experience of creation.

Deep Sea, detail

Education:
• B.A., German Literature, Hiram College, OH
• M.S., Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Upon Layers

Work:
After working a number of years in academic and public libraries as well as working as a market analyst for a large corporation, I decided to pursue my life's passion - creating art through fiber. Since 2005, I've been creating art quilts on commission for area patrons and have only recently begun showing my quilts in state and national shows.

Upon Layers, Detail

Awards:
•    2008 Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Kirtland, OH. Honorable Mention, "Large Wall Hanging, Pieced, Machine Quilted" for "Slient Aspen", 2008
•    2007 Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Kirtland, OH. 2nd place, "Small Mixed Techniques" for "Going in Circles", 2007

Exhibitions:
•    2010, Lehigh Valley Arts Council, Allentown, Sept - Oct.
•    2010, The Gallery at the Allentown Jewish Community Center, July 15 - August 30
•    2008 Denver National Quilt Festival, Denver, CO May 1 - May 4
•    2008 Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Kirtland, OH Feb 8 - March 19
•    2007 Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XIV, Harrisburg, PA "Silent Aspen" and "I Never Promised you a Rose Garden", Sept. 6 - Sept. 9
•    2007 Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Kirtland, OH Feb 9 - March 21

Memberships:
•    Studio Art Quilts Association, 2007- present
•    Explorers, a fiber artists' group (NY/NJ/PA), 2008 - present
•    Lehigh Valley Arts Council, 2009- present
•    Lehigh Valley Embroiderer’s Guild, 2009- present

Publications:
I was interviewed for and my work appeared in the following articles:
•    Vehslage, Carolyn Lee, "Have you ever been approached to do a commission?" SAQA Journal 19.3 (2009): 6-11
•    The Lehigh Valley Jewish Newspaper, Hakol, April, 2010 (featured in "Homes" section)
•    The Lehigh Valley Arts Council Newsletter, "Inside the Arts: Featured Artist", Sept/Oct 2010

Stacyh1@ptd.net
www.stacysmaterialworld.com

Stalled.

2011-05-24T08:17:00.001-04:00

We had just completed a successful and very pleasant dinner meeting conducting 'some things looming' business. I was feeling rather pumped up. We agreed on the name of next Spring's exhibit, mentioned some Saturday Sampler business, discussed some things about Handmade Holidays, and basically talked shop for about three hours. Good stuff. So when I got into my husband's eleven year old manual transmission car and I couldn't quite get the gear shift to go into reverse, I did what every normal human being does: I pumped the clutch a few times, and kept trying, ignoring the warning bells flashing in my head.

I got out of the Applebees parking lot, navigated past the mall, on to the highway, and was cruising along when suddenly, my car was in neutral and the stick shift had no resistance. At this point, I should perhaps explain that many Pennsylvania roads have little to no shoulder, even on the highways. I'm not sure why, other than perhaps terrain dictated the roads eons ago, and we just paved over top of the horse trails. Managing to roll my husband's car into the excuse that passed for a shoulder of the road, I was dismayed to see half my car still sticking out into the lane. I was even more dismayed to discover my cell phone battery was nearly dead; just enough life in it to make one phone call.

I tried home first, figuring the Mr. would be home by then, or at the least, The Boy would pick up. I knew he was home, and then he'd give the deets to his father. I figured wrong. On the sixth ring, I hung up, and prayed that my phone would hold out for one more call. I called my father, Floyd. "Hey Papa, you think you can come rescue me?" Every time a car swooshed past, my car swayed side to side, "I'm not in a good spot," I said, and then proceeded to give garbled directions in my hyper-adrenalinized state. In the meantime, I dug through my purse, brilliantly remembering my Tom-tom was there, and the charger for that would work for my phone. I dialed the husband's cell phone, and miraculously, he had it on him, and it was charged.

"I'm stuck on the highway," I said.

"Oh no! What happened?" He asked.

I explained in detail the clutch, the stick shift, the rolling to a slow stop on the 'shoulder' and my precarious position. "Can you call Geico? We have roadside assistance. They'll send us a tow truck."

Shortly after I hung up with him, my father called looking for me. Apparently, my directions were lousy. Another five minutes, he pulled up behind me, assessed the situation and decided he was going to walk up and around the bridge I was facing to see if there was more shoulder on the other side. I was close to an off-ramp, and he figured that there might be more space as a result. "I think I'm going to use my truck to push you a little further so your butt isn't hanging out on the road anymore. It would make me feel better," he said.

"It would make me feel better too!" I said enthusiastically. I had just spent a good part of ten minutes imagining someone rear-ending me.

I watched as my father's truck slowly inched towards my rear bumper and felt a gentle nudge. After the third tap, he called out his window, "Do you still have your emergency brake on???" Oops. I took the brake off, and we began limping our way down the "shoulder" which was narrowing down to nothing the closer we got to the bridge. Calling out directions, Dad directed me around the bridge and on to a much wider shoulder. I was now at least a foot away from the lane where vehicles were still swooping past at incredible volume. "Where on earth is all this traffic coming from at 10:00 at night?" I asked. Meanwhile, my mother, who had just returned from our meeting to find no sign of my father began frantically calling his phone, my home phone... She came home to find signs of life, but no signs of his person. It was an understandable reaction.

I hadn't heard from Jeremy, my husband, in awhile, so I called the house phone. He was still on the line with Geico, who was still trying to find a tow truck. I wondered if it would have been faster to just find one ourselves and pay for the tow, rather than use road-side assistance. I hung up and told Dad what was going on. Leaning into my drivers side window, we talked about this and that for a good fifteen minutes before my phone rang. "Ray is coming to save you," Jeremy said.

At ten forty-five, my rescuer came with his big hook and flashing lights. He took my information, and my credit card number. Dad and I piled back into his truck and he drove me home. I walked into the door, greeted by my wild-haired husband. I could tell he'd been having a time of it at home.

"If the situation had been reversed," he said by way of greeting, "You'd have fallen apart."

"Gee thanks," I said. "As if what I went through wasn't traumatic?"

"No. It gets better. The lady on the phone was from Georgia."

"In other words, she has no idea where Reading is, or what it looks like, or where I actually was located on the highway. It was probably like playing whisper down the lane."

"Exactly." He said as he smoothed down his hair. "I had just gotten in the door, I hadn't had dinner, and I had a most pressing need to use the bathroom when you called. That alone would have made you a mess."

I had to concede that one.

"So while I was on the phone listening to the hold music, I noticed the toilet water was low and I flushed."

"It over-flowed."

"Exactly."

"And then I noticed Josh was still dressed and not anywhere near ready for bed. He hadn't taken his medicine, he wasn't in his pajamas..."

"He was still playing his video game,"

"Exactly. And since I had the girls with me at band practice, they were ALSO just now trying to get ready for bed..."

"And you were still on hold with the nice lady from Georgia."

"Yes. So after a bit she came back on the line and I asked her how many places she had called, and she said '38'" He imitated her accent perfectly, I'm sure. "And then I asked, 'how many more on your list?' She said, '42,' I said, '38?!? 42?!? Seriously?' " He flipped back into his Southern Belle Accent as he continued his story, "And she said, 'Well, a lot of them told me they refuse to drive in Reading at night' I said, 'seriously.'"

"The irony is, I wasn't any where NEAR Reading. I was on THE HIGHWAY. My best guess is that she was calling towing places and saying 'Can you tow someone in Reading?' and they tuned out," I said.

"You're probably right." Jeremy said, "So after a bit, I asked how far away she was calling for a truck. She told me as much as fifty miles away. I said 'fifty miles?!? That's practically Philadelphia! That's like an hour away!' So she told me there was this one for-pay place, and I said 'take it. I don't care if we have to pay up front and then submit the claim. Just take it.' And so she called Ray."

"I'm so glad you said that. I kind of wish we had realized sooner what was probably happening. I might not have sat so long. I'm pretty sure anyone would come to the rescue on the highway."

"I know! If she had called someone from out near Philadelphia, you'd have waited another hour."

I shuddered at the thought.

Featured Artist: Patricia Doran

2011-05-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania Past

I spent my working life as a librarian, but I spent my leisure time with fiber. I explored weaving, embroidery, beading, and quilting in my leisure time. Pursuing these hobbies helped me to look at the world from a different perspective, to appreciate long hours of slow and thoughtful creation. In those years I developed perception as well as skills.

Now that I am retired I can devote more time to developing skills and discovering a point of view in the pieces I make. I like to look at my surroundings and skew them from a different angle or to make a work centered on an unnoticed piece of an everyday scene. I often work with scenes from nature and I sometimes use natural items in my pieces. I enjoy using many forms of embellishment on one piece.

Pennsylvania Future

The pieces which I have submitted to "some things looming" are an integrated pair depicting changing nature. Our dynamic world is changing. Mankind’s intervention with that world certainly affects the change, but to what extent?

“Pennsylvania Past” is a woven piece to which I have added machine and hand embroidery as well as fabric embellishments. “Pennsylvania Future” was first dyed and painted. Machine embroidery and added natural elements were then added to the piece.

Featured Artist: Dianne Vottero Dockery

2011-05-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

3 Hole Punch I, 2011

My life as an artist began early. My tools: a box of contè crayons inherited from my artist uncle and recycled butcher’s paper from my grandmother’s kitchen. At age three, I rose early and claimed the vacant kitchen table where I drew to my heart’s content.

Decades later, fibers have replaced the crayons. The choice of fibers as a medium challenges me to step away from the photo-realism I am able to achieve with paint or pastels, reducing reality to graphic interpretation. However, I do approach the medium much like a painter who chooses and arranges colors on a palette, preparing for the marriage of color, form, and texture to surface.

3 Hole Punch II, 2011

I am fortunate to have been given acute sensitivity and eyes that see the beauty in shapes, textures, and colors that often go unnoticed by the average passerby. If the art I make stirs the viewer to a higher awareness and appreciation of the world around them, then I humbly consider myself to be successful as an artist.

Featured Artist: Michael Dennis

2011-05-19T07:00:00.005-04:00

A Whale's Life: Flukes, 2011

In the 19th century thousands of men went to sea to slaughter whales. Whale oil lubricated and lit the industrial revolution, and whale bone literally propped up Victorian fashion. Although the industry was global in nature, the hunting of sperm whales was almost exclusively an American effort. From the ports of New Bedford and Nantucket, Macys and Starbucks sailed forth to reap their first fortunes. But what did they know about the whale? Probably less than a land-side huntsman knew about the deer he chased.

Flukes, Detail, 2011

In this triptych, the whale gets his moments. Here, swimming as if soaring in the air; there a snack of calamari; and then the moment of contact with our species. A sperm whale may live to be 75 years, if he escapes the harpoon. At its peak, the world population of sperm whales had to be close to two million. Two great slaughters, one in the 19th century and one after WWII, have reduced that to about 300,00 cetaceans. And still we know so little.

A Whale's Life: Jonah, 2011

Art is about surface. Paint on canvas, pencil on paper, the world is compressed to a thin film. Imagine that film thickening, imagine it as felt and fabric, being shaped and distorted to match the surface of its subject. But even as the surface is manipulated, the artist has to contemplate the structure that supports it. And in understanding the structure, a little comprehension occurs. Some structure is related to the art of sewing, some imposed by the nature of the subject, and some by the environment in which the tableau is posed. All that is left right out in the open, so that the art may be approached from all sides, not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually.

Jonah, Detail, 2011

The three panels are crafted from acrylic felt. Water was created in cotton fabric. The careful observer will find glass, semi-precious stones, wood and copper. Harpoons, lances and fittings are forged from iron wire. The mounting blocks are oak from the seawall of Boston harbor. Dan Alexander of Leaning Barn Iron Works executed the frames.

A Whale's Life: Kraken

Michael Dennis has been a freelance graphic artist since 2002, doing business as MDIM. He graduated in 2010 from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design with a major in Illustration, and may eventually get a diploma.

Kraken, detail

Previous public exhibitions include the 2010 Landis Valley Outdoor Art Show, and a barrier at Lancaster Amtrak Station, where CH&E Construction selected 12 student artists whose work will be displayed until renovations at the station are complete, in 2011 or 2012.

Featured Artist: Fran Caselli

2011-05-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Fran Caselli.

Passion, 2011

II.- Academic Background

College studies Fashion Design Professional institute Duoc, Santiago Chile.

Internship Municipal Theatre of Santiago, Chile.

College Thesis: Recovery and Preservation of handmade textiles techniques incorporating a refine prêt-a-porter (ready to wear).

III.-Work Experience

Design assistant in the Municipal Theatre of Santiago, Chile (2006)
Fashion Designer in FONDAR project 2006 “Violenta Mala Vida” , Dance- Audiovisual
Creator and founder of clothing store – Textile Workshop Alma Primitiva (2006 - 2008)

IV.- SPECIALIZED WORKSHOPS/COURSES

Felt workshop / Santiago, Chile
Weave workshop (advanced level) Santiago, Chile
Diploma: Creation and innovation for new companies/ Chile País Diseño Santiago, Chile.
Workshop – Fabrication Dyeing, Printing, and Finishing Essentials/ FIT New York, USA.
Career Opportunities for Working with Color / FIT New York, USA.
Accessories Design / The New School, New York, USA

V.- EXHIBITIONS

I Biennial Latin-American of Design 2008, (Design Center of Matadero Madrid, Spain) http://www.biddimad.org/galeria_seleccionados/francisca_caselli

VI.- LINKS

• BLOG QUINTA TRENDS (January 5, 2011)

http://quintatrends.blogspot.com/2011/01/fran-caselli-teje-chile-en-new-york-con.html

• Bienal Iberoamericana de Diseño en Madrid (March, 2008)

http://www.bid-dimad.org/galeria_seleccionados/francisca_caselli

• Chile Pais Diseño ( May 15, 2008)

http://www.chilepd.cl/content/view/188227/Francisca-Caselli-De-la-maquina-de-coser-al-telar.html

PAULA Magazzine, (May 3, 2008)

http://www.paula.cl/moda/moda.php?id=628

Passion, detail

http://www.talenthouse.com/francaselli

http://www.francaselli.com/

franciscacaselli@gmail.com

Featured Artist: Janna Carrozza

2011-05-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sun Floral

From top to bottom: Fire Sign on Colbalt, Sun Floral, and Violet Twill

The fiber I weave is not only environmentally friendly, but pesticide free. The natural dyes used in my weaving are harvested from my garden whenever possible. The colors are as carefully chosen and blended together. The colors and patterns are uniquely woven together like paint on a canvas. Each weaving is both one-of-a-kind and earth friendly. Creating eco art is imperative to the philosophy of consciously thinking about the environment as a part of the inspiration. As all organic things in nature each one is unique, I never repeat a design pattern in my weavings. I choose to invent something new each time I begin to weave. Nature is a huge part of my thoughts, and is when I am at my best.

Fire Sign on Colbalt, detail

The weaving process is a beautiful experience that takes an enormous amount of time to complete. Each inch that is woven is carefully rendered. The process of my art making is peaceful and reminds me of how I feel when I am doing yoga. I feel centered when I weave and at peace with the world. The best part of the whole process is cutting off the fibers and admiring the texture and drape of a finished weaving that did not deplete, or harm the earth to create.

Violet Twill, detail

Featured Artist: Nancy Bardach

2011-05-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

During the seven weeks of '"Size Matters" we'll focus on individual artists here on our blog. Every week, several artists will be featured. Today, we're pleased to introduce to you: Nancy Bardach.

My art quilting combines:
•    Original images
•    Commercial and artist-designed fabrics
•    Stitching lines of varied colors and patterns

I focus on images where fleeting light and permanent concrete objects intersect. This “snapshot” approach is especially appropriate at a small scale. Using the physical format of a 12” square is like squeezing a moment in time into one concentrated image.

Often in my work abstraction is combined with real or symbolically real images to convey more meaning. Similarly I employ and piece many types of fabrics with varying colors, textures, commercially designated mood and “symbols” or fabrics that have been hand-manipulated for unusual effects.

Title: Wetlands/ Drylands, 2009

Wetlands/Drylands

•    A popular environmental theme even before the Deepwater Horizon rig swamped the Gulf waters and wetlands
•    Opposition of ideas indicated by fabric imagery and colors, a commercial pattern of beauty and a hand-dyed marbling pattern of sludgy scum
•    Diagonal seaming and cross-cutting directional placement reinforce the difference between healthy and damaged ecologies
•    Quilting stitches, varied in color, add emphasis to the difference
•    Sequences alternating vertically express optional policy and economic choices that can be made

Title: A Healing Process, 2010

A Healing Process

•    This is one of a series of health and healing pieces responding to the theme in various colors but with the same overall mood changes and morphology.
•    Gradations of dense to light, from compact or chaotic to open and playful fabric patterns parallel the process from poor health to healing
•    Stitching lines of varied color and density reinforce the movement from disease to health and the synergy between the two
•    Small scale is required working with the chosen fabrics. Programmatic “feeling” and scale of shapes in the commercial material and visual effect of their colors and patterns often dictated the step width
•    The 12” x 12” format is ideal for such an exercise, taking advantage of scale in fabric patterns, colors and complexity and concentrating the idea for better effect.

Title: REFLECTIONS: Glass and Teak Railings, Shipboard, 2010

REFLECTIONS: Glass and Teak Railings, Shipboard

One of a series capturing sharp light effects, especially unusual and abstract ones. Concentrating both the field of view and a moment in “time” make a 12”x12” condensed format very appropriate.

•    Piecing fabrics to capture almost photographic moments of fleeting light effects
•    Concentrating on a small, well-framed part of the entire shipboard visual experience
But for one, fabrics are all simple solid colors:
•    Stark white is used to emphasize bright, late afternoon light reflecting on clear glass and the water beyond.
•    Warm sienna embodies the teak railing’s oval profile, with a highlight along its length
•    Ocean-colored fabrics are pieced in curving patterns similar to wave action and light shining on the water’s surface
•    Reflected geometric shapes on board and rectilinear aluminum framing of glass guardrails contrast with the organic nature of the waves.

Featured Artist: Linda Bachman

2011-05-11T07:00:00.007-04:00

Intervention

I am a mixed media artist with a passion for fiber art and designing contemporary art quilts.

Nature in all its glorious colors and shapes has been a wonderful source of inspiration and lends itself to a beautiful palette with unlimited possibilities for art quilts.

My work is abstract, rich in color and many times a combination of hand dyed and surface designed fabrics mixed with commercial fabrics when needed. Many of my pieces are embellished with beads, fibers and other found objects. This tends to give them an organic feel.

Pillars of Hope

Recent Exhibitions:
o    “Show Your Self” Exhibit, Art for ACT Gallery, Fort Myers, Florida
o    “Exquisite Corpse” Exhibit at Kinetic Gallery at SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, New York
o    Mancuso World Quilt Show - 2010, West Palm Beach Florida
o    Breaking Traditions Traveling Exhibit, Plymouth, Michigan
o    “The Almighty Dollar” Exhibit at Lower Link Gallery, Central Library of Rochester, NY
o    Alliance for the Arts Gallery, Fort Myers, Florida
o    ”A Personal Landscape: Contemporary Art Quilts” - Tyler Art Gallery, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, New York
o    Mancuso World Quilt Show- 2009, West Palm Beach, Florida
o    National Small Art Quilt Works Exhibit, Main St. Gallery, Groton, NY
o    “Magnificent Inspiration-The Art Quilt”, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, New York
o    Williams-Insalaco Gallery 34, Rochester, New York
o    Blurred Boundaries Mixed Media Exhibit, Plymouth, Michigan
o    Art for a Cause Gallery, Miami, Florida
o    “Bountiful Harvest- Cornucopia of Fiber Arts”, Ontario Art Center Council, Canandaguia, New York
o    Art and Cultural Council Gallery, Rochester, New York

Professional Affiliations and Memberships:
o    Studio Art Quilters Association (SAQA)
o    Surface Design Association (SDA)
o    Art Quilters Unlimited
o    Rochester Contemporary Art Center (ROCCO)

Spiraling Out of Control

Website: www.LindaBachman.com

Email: lrcb@rochester.rr.com