Author Archives: Cameron

Counter Couture at Bellevue Arts Museum

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BAM Docent Janet Kurjan takes SDA Members on a private tour of Counter Couture.

Recently Seattle area Surface Design Association regionals organized a field trip to the Bellevue Arts Museum to see Counter Couture: Fashioning Identity in the American Counterculture. This fabulous exhibition celebrates the handmade fashion and style of the 1960s and 1970s. Curated by Michael Cepress, a local fashion designer and instructor in the University of Washington’s School of Art, the exhibition highlights the “far out” fashions of the times and shines a light on the incredible artistry and craftsmanship expressed in these garments. The show is divided into four parts: Funk and Flash, Couture, Performance, and Transcendance.

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Jill Nordfors Clark, Caftan, 1974

Funk and Flash looks at the bounty of individual expression engendered in these garments of the  “hippie” movement. Early work by familiar names such as Yvonne Porchella and Jill Nordfors Clark showed hints of their later work in their fine craftsmanship and expressive flair.

Couture focuses on those artists who took this energy and expression into the mainstream, pioneering the field of Wearable Art. The jewelry of Alex and Lee, along with fashions by Birgitta Bjerke and Kaisik Wong took fashion to the edge of costume while still retaining the wearability of daily, or perhaps special occasion, fashion.

crocheted mens suit by Birgitte Bjerke

crocheted mens suit by Birgitte Bjerke

Performance bridges that gap between fashion and costume, capturing the tenor of a time when music and performers were exploding preconceived notions of what was acceptable in their search for self-expression. Wearable Art that graced some of the most famous stages of the times is on display. Outfits worn by Wavy Gravy, Mama Cass, Jimi Hendricks, and costumes from the gender-bending theater troupe The Cockettes are displayed among photos that place the viewer in the scene.

The final section, Transcendence, addresses the spiritual cults of the times. Remarkable video footage is shown with samples of the robes and long dresses worn by members of the Source Family of California, and the very local, Love Family. This section was a chilling reminder of my childhood in the early 70s, when the quest for spirituality and the sway of a charismatic leader derailed the lives of many families. It also brought back to me the use of clothing as a cultural signifier among the followers of Bagwan Rajneesh. Their bright clothing in the “colors of the sun” made them a highly visible part of life in Seattle in the 1980s.

Curator Michael Cepress has done a fantastic job of creating an exhibition that sites you in times through the music in the galleries, the fascinating photos and media, as well as the beautifully displayed, stunning garments. Although this is a fascinating reminder for those of us who lived through these times, the exhibition is not merely nostalgia. There is much here for the younger generation, whose DIY spirit has its roots in the taking back of craft of the 1970s. Plus, current fashion is very much looking back to the 70s for inspiration right now.

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SDA Member Carla looking at the details on an elaborately embroidered outfit.

Our group was fortunate that Janet Kurjan, an SDA Member and docent at the Museum, took us on a personal tour. I wished that Michael (who is a friend) could have been along on our tour to observe the curiosity and detailed discussions of technique that this knowledgeable group of fiber artists shared during our tour. This field trip and the following lunch, were a truly wonderful benefit to membership in SDA.

I’m heading back to Bellevue tomorrow to spend more time with the show and also to hear Curator Michael Cepress give the talk– Unlocking the Psychedelic Trunk: My Journey into the Closets of a Movement. Tickets are still available. If you are in the area don’t miss it!

Counter Couture: Fashioning Identity in the American Counterculture
Bellevue Arts Museum
510 Bellevue Way NE
through January 10th, 2016

Making = Transformation

in the studio

in the studio

Yeast. Flour. Water. Salt. These simple ingredients are all we need to make bread, a staple for feeding millions, these plus time, energy, and intention.

A couple of weeks ago my nephew spent a few days with us while his mom was at a conference. He’s a good kid but has his challenges, too smart, too sensitive, only child, tough divorce, and thirteen-years-old. We recently attended his Bar Mitzvah where he was truly exceptional, leading the service with his beautiful singing voice.

“Do you want to help me make flat bread for dinner?”

This young man was a different person without his mom around, easy-going and open to new experiences. He was amused when I explained how the yeast eats the starch and farts out gas to make the bread rise. Score one for Aunt Cameron with the fart jokes.

work in progress

work in progress

He measured the ingredients then combined them with the 100 strokes specified in the recipe. He could see and feel the strands of gluten begin to  form. I turned it out onto the counter and pulled the floury mess together with a few quick kneads before I turned it back over to him. Kneading and adding flour, he could feel the dough become alive and elastic in his hands. He gave it a few affectionate pats before we covered it with a towel and set it aside in a warm spot to rise.

It’s always a pleasure to uncover the bread and see that the yeast have worked their magic and it was an extra treat to witness my nephew discover this for himself. It had doubled in size and was nicely rounding the towel above the top of the bowl. Punching it down, he could hear it squeak and feel its life in his hands. Bread is important not only for sustenance, but is an important symbol in Judaism. We bless the bread on Shabbat. We tell the story of Passover, when the Jews had to flee Egypt so quickly they didn’t have time to let the bread rise. Now he had his own experience to add meaning to the rituals.

Forming the loaves, smelling their mouth-watering aroma while baking, and then finally tasting the loaves he had made, was a little miracle. Transforming these simple ingredients with time and intention created a bridge between us, family that is separated by many miles, and eating together was the gift we shared.

The gift he gave me was a reminder that all making is creating a transformation, whether making bread or art. Bringing together simple ingredients, adding time and intention, to create something new is a gift. And sometimes, when we are lucky, the reminder of the value of this daily practice comes from a 13-year-old boy.

work in progress

work in progress

Made/Aware SDA Intensive

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

From October 8th to 11th I attended Made/Aware, the Surface Design Association Intensive at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Over the course of four days, twelve time slots were filled with over 20 presentation options to hear from makers and curators working in socially engaged practices with textiles. In between these sessions was a reception for Materialities, SDA’s 1st International Juried Members Exhibition (selected images are shown in this post), shared meals, conversations in the hallways, and the opportunity to spend time with the thoughtfully curated exhibition. Intensive was an appropriate title for the experience.

From Materialities, Ori-Kume #45, Susan Cavanaugh, Cloth, stitched and dyed, 2014,

Ori-Kume #45, Susan Cavanaugh, Cloth, stitched and dyed, 2014

As a presenter myself of 10x20x20: Socially Engaged Work by SDA Members, a pecha kucha-style panel (see previous blog post for more information), I really enjoyed feeling a part of the whole. It was a delight to meet the members of the panel in person. Each of them had shared such personal work that it was a pleasure to connect with them.

#433 Local Journey: Dawn, Day, Dusk (detail), Janice Lessman-Moss, Linen, paper core, digital jacquard, hand-woven TC2, shifted ikat weft, 2014

#433 Local Journey: Dawn, Day, Dusk (detail), Janice Lessman-Moss, Linen, paper core, digital jacquard, hand-woven TC2, shifted ikat weft, 2014

Namita Gupta Wiggers, curator of Materialities, opened the Intensive. She spoke of her curatorial process for the exhibition. Over 2000 artworks were entered by over 500 artists for the 91 artists in the catalog and 51 in the exhibition. I was disappointed when I got my rejection notice but once I saw the show I understood that my work didn’t fit. (It helped that there were many of us there, including leaders and mentors, who didn’t get in either.) Namita spoke of her investigating question, “What do textiles/fibers and their associated processes offer artists that cannot be achieved in other media?” The textile works she chose referenced the essential building block of the media, the grid. She also selected those works that then broke the grid and those that address other surfaces than the wall. All of these pieces illustrated the very “materiality” of textiles. Two video pieces illustrated both making, and unmaking, of garments imbued with culture and tradition. Work made with traditional fibers was shown alongside textiles in 2- and 3-dimensions created with metals, fishing net, clothing, paper, feathers, and even a mop. Techniques included weaving, embroidery, sewing, felting, dyeing, painting, and photography, all with a direct connection to the hand.

SDA has published a beautiful catalog of Materialities that includes artist statements, essays, and illustrations of all the works. It’s a valuable survey of some of what is happening internationally in fibers. I enjoyed looking at the work with the other artists, often trying to puzzle out how it was made. We fiber people are curious sorts, I think a result of the process-driven investigations that are inherent in our practices. I wonder if there are any other media that are as broad in materials and technique as fibers?

Materialities, Letters from Broadway, Judith Plotner, Fiber/Mixed Media, 2014

Materialities, Letters from Broadway, Judith Plotner, Fiber/Mixed Media, 2014

Friday morning began with a moving and motivating talk by Mary Fisher, artist and HIV/AIDS activist, whose passion for art and activism are intertwined. She rejects the idea of being a victim of disease, stating that illness is just a part of life like motherhood or caring for the elderly. She drew a comparison between the bravery of living with disease to that required to be an artist and encouraged us to look beyond self-interest and self-promotion and use, “what is holy in us to help others.”

Materialities, The Impossible Dream is the Gateway to Self-Love, Ruth Miller, Hand-stitched embroidery, wool on jute cotton fabric, 2013

Materialities, The Impossible Dream is the Gateway to Self-Love (detail), Ruth Miller, Hand-stitched embroidery, wool on jute cotton fabric, 2013

Fisher’s talk became a touchstone for the Intensive, giving attendees a way in, a way of seeing themselves in solutions. She spoke of her current work developing the 100 Good Deed Bracelet which both supports small business for women in Africa and encourages people to anonymously go out of their way to help others. It may seem odd, but I thought of Burning Man and how the ethos of gifting is one of the 10 Principles of the event. Although perceived by many to be a hedonistic party in the desert (it is that, too), it was founded to be a model of a different society where a gift is a helping hand as often as a consumable object.

Friday afternoon’s session was co-led by Namita and Rowland Ricketts, a professor at Indiana University. In this session they took us out of the passive role of sitting and listening and into an active role, writing, responding, and moving in a meditative silent exercise. Although I think it would have been more successful in a smaller gathering, I appreciated the chance to step literally outside of the box. The participants seemed willing participants and for me, the writing was a fertile beginning to a longer writing about personal process.

Materialities, Variance 1, Mary Babcock, Reclaimed gillnets, nautical maps, deep sea leader line, 2011

Materialities, Variance 1, Mary Babcock, Reclaimed gillnets, nautical maps, deep sea leader line, 2011

Other speakers included Laura Sansone talking about the Textile Lab, a project where she and her students bring natural fibers and dyeing to their local Farmer’s Market and introduce the community to processing and dyeing wool with the plant materials found there at the market. Carole Frances Lung, aka Frau Fiber, talked of her radical performative actions designed to educate people about where their clothing comes from and the our unsustainable system of “Fast Fashion.” Rowland Ricketts took us along on his personal journey and fascination with indigo.

Materialities, Transformation, Joyce Watkins King, Acrylic and stockings on cradled board, 2014

Materialities, Transformation, Joyce Watkins King, Acrylic and stockings on cradled board, 2014

Ann Morton led a breakout session on socially engaged art. Her work with the homeless population of Phoenix, Arizona is both accessible and conceptual. She avoids the taint of the “do-gooder” by observation and listening, understanding and speaking to homeless individuals and their experience, while creating installations that are undeniably art. After her presentation, Ann led a successful group conversation about the difference between “socially engaged practices” and “social work.” It was highly participatory and good to hear the opinions of those in the room.

10x20x20 was Saturday afternoon and was a huge success. All ten presenters did a fantastic job and received a well-deserved standing O. I loved hearing their stories after all the time I had spent looking at their images. It was a huge pleasure (and relief) that it fulfilled all of the hopes I had for it, connecting members and allowing for deeper conversations. I received many compliments on putting it together and was asked by the Board to repeat the panel at future conferences.

Materialities, Self Portrait (detail), Howard Ptaszek, Cyanotype on mop, and yarn, 2014

Materialities, Self Portrait (detail), Howard Ptaszek, Cyanotype on mop, and yarn, 2014

The weekend’s sessions were closed by Charlotte Kwon of Maiwa Handprints, a Canadian company that works with native artisans in India to produce hand-made textiles for the western market. Her work in India has supported the resurgence of native craft and use of natural dyes. Her presentation was very inspiring. The scope of what she has supported is enormous. Through Maiwa, her vision and determination has bridged gaps between western and eastern culture and provided income to native populations that has allowed these unique arts to survive in the modern world.

Overall, the excellent programming and the intimate setting of this Intensive made it well worthwhile to fly across the country for a long weekend. Personally, I would have enjoyed broadening the topic beyond natural dyeing to include ways to use synthetic dyes in a more environmentally responsible way. There is more to reforming the global fashion industry than boiling up carrot tops and many of the presenters spoke to the fact that their practices are not scaleable to a larger industry, at least not yet.

meeting my doppelganger!

meeting my doppelganger!

But I truly enjoyed it and hope that SDA continues to present these smaller, more focused Intensives. As I wrote on my Facebook page on Saturday night after a couple of margaritas with new friends, “I’ve had such an amazing and thought-provoking time at the Surface Design Assoc. Intensive at Arrowmont in Tennessee. If you are an artist working in textile materials then these are your people.” After time to digest this full feast of inspiration, and fully sober, I would say the same thing.

10x20x20: Socially Engaged Work by SDA Members

leavesIt started, like many things, with an email.

Last Spring I sent a message to a few key people at the Surface Design Association about the upcoming Intensive at Arrowmont School of Art and Craft, Made/Aware. I explained that my priority in attending conferences was to meet others who work with similar materials, to network (which is not a dirty word) with people outside this far northwest corner of the country. I suggested that it would be interesting to have a session of the Intensive be a Pecha Kucha-style panel of SDA Members talking about their work as a way of breaking the ice. I even offered, in said email, to help organize the session. To my surprise, I heard back from Diane Sandelin, then Director of the organization, the same day that, Yes!, they loved the idea and would I coordinate it?

So here I am, six months later, with my bags packed and ready to head to the airport to fly to Tennessee to moderate 10x20x20 where 10 artists will present their work to the 200 SDA Members at the Made/Aware. I was thrilled that Marci Rae McDade came on board to help out. She has so many skills and is so easy to work with that it has been a pleasure. Lynn Luukinen totally had my back on the technical end of the project (not my forte) and everyone at SDA has been supportive at every step.

So what is a Pecha Kucha-style presentation? Pecha Kucha means “chit chat” in Japanese. The format was developed by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture in Tokyo in 2003. It is a simple, yet concise format in which each presenter shows 20 images for 20 seconds each, speaking while the visuals advance automatically. There are now Pecha Kucha Nights in 800 cities around the world.

Putting this together has been a good stretch for me. Developing the call for entries, creating a rubrik for the jurying process, choosing the artists, and then pulling together all of the technical aspects (giant Powerpoint file), and writing short bios for each artist has really expanded my skill set.

And Saturday should be payback for all that went into it. I’m very excited to hear these artists talk about their work. My focus in choosing the presenters was to show the greatest variety in both working with materials and techniques and how they are translating those into work with socially engaged practices. Half of the presenters will be talking about how they work in community, and the other half will speak about how their artwork addresses vital issues of today. Presenters are quilters, embroiderers, knitters, weavers, chemists, and ceramicists.

Mary Fran Brandenberger will open the program with Silk Creations, a project which teaches women on the edge of homelessness to paint silk scarves, not only to develop their creative skills but also learn managing inventory, marketing, sales, teaching and mentoring other women in the program. We will close with Lexie Abra Johnson, a recent graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, suggesting through her interactive installation work, “Let’s All Be Nice to Each Other.”

Here is the full list of presenters:
Silk Creations, Mary Fran Brandenberger
Color Inside Out, Peggy Cox
Mistaken Point, Kelly Bruton
Reflections on an Ordinary Life, Roz Ritter
Njabini Wool Crafters in Kenya, Janice Knausenberger
Vantage Point, Maggy Hiltner
The Legacy of Nellie Save, Nancy Crasco
Knitting the News & Other Stories, Adrienne Sloane
The Empty Bowls Project 25 Years, Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom
Let’s All Be Nice to Each Other, Lexie Abra Johnson

All of this, along with thoughtful programming of Made/Aware from leaders in the field working in environmental and socially responsible manners, presented at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in October. I’ve never been to Tennessee and I’m going to be there during leaf season!

My hopes are that this panel, 10x20x20: Socially Engaged Work by SDA Members, provides a way for the people at the Intensive to get to know each other. I hope that it opens doors for connections between attendees and makes “networking” as simple as friends starting the middle of a long conversation.

Kicking the Can Down the Road

Driftwood forms before fabrics are applied

Driftwood forms before fabrics are applied

Now is the time for showing up. Now is the time to put in the hours, do a little every day, follow the path that I’ve set and get ‘er done. No wild bolts of inspiration, just making the incremental decisions that will lead to finished artwork. It’s satisfying work and I enjoy it.

one "palette" of fabrics for Driftwood series

one “palette” of fabrics for Driftwood series

There were a bunch of deadlines at the end of the Summer for shows I would have liked to enter. I could have pushed hard in the studio and might have gotten a few pieces done. But I let it all go. I decided to enjoy the end of this beautiful Summer with my family and not make us all crazy with my lists and stress. With one daughter in college and the other a Senior in High School, I realized how precious this time was, and how little there is of it left before my girls are gone out into the world.

panels with painted edges ready  for fabric application

panels with painted edges ready for fabric application

Fall is a good time to be in the studio. I hope I never lose that “back to school” feeling. The crispness in the air and changing colors make want to get back to work. Along with working on  new pieces, I am preparing for the SDA Intensive at Arrowmont coming up soon in October. I’ll be moderating a “pecha kucha-style” panel there of 10 artists working in socially engaged practices. It’s exciting and I’ll write more about it in my next blog post.

chosen fabrics cut out and ready to apply

chosen fabrics cut out and ready to apply

For now, it’s balancing studio work with home life like so many of us. Writing blog posts while doing laundry. Half a day working in the studio and half a day gardening. Picking up groceries on the way home from the studio.

Kicking the can down the road lined with the beautiful palette of Fall.

Burning Man Revisited

The road leading to Burning Man

The road leading to Burning Man

This year’s trip to the Black Rock Desert was very different for me than last year’s. In 2014 I co-created Playastan Crossroads, an art installation, for Burning Man. The project was ambitious, heartfelt, and a mountain of hard work for our crew. Unlike my other trips to the playa, I was a working artist. I was Cameron Anne Mason, tied to my default persona, and although it was a deeply satisfying experience, it wasn’t that much fun.

This time I came to play. Like many other people at Burning Man, I have a “playa name,” Trixie LaRue. Trixie is a bit of a flirt, a little bit mischevious, but willing to go deep when the time is right. It’s fun to be someone different for that week away from responsibility and expectations.

Trixie at the trash fence

Trixie at the trash fence

This year’s Burning Man was dustier and windier than usual (though not as dusty as 2008). And it was COLD. Several days it didn’t get above 70 degrees and it was in the 30s at night. It was a year to stay close to camp, to connect with others who are moved to come to this beautiful and desolate place for its alternative culture. John Curley wrote a lovely post on the Burning Man blog, And that’s that, that summed the intimate feeling of this year’s Festival.

My yearly sojourns to the Black Rock Desert have followed an arc of self-awareness. The first year blew the doors off my mind. It helped me realize how many preconceptions we live with. It helped me get out of my own way on the journey to being my whole self. (10 Principles of Burning Man). Since that first year my husband has come with me and we have learned new ways of being a couple. Years four through six, were the RV years, much more comfortable and much more fun, but I missed the lessons learned through hardship. For me, Burning Man shouldn’t be just a vacation. My seventh burn I made Playastan Crossroads and we celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary by renewing our vows there with our playa family.

R-Evolution by Marco Cochrane

R-Evolution by Marco Cochrane

This year, my eighth, was not without self-growth along with all the fun I was having. First, I finally realized that there is simply no way to see or experience it all. Of course, that fact is obvious to anyone who’s been there, but this year I finally felt at peace with it. I took my opportunities to get out and see art when the weather cleared, but was happy to stay in camp when it was ugly out. I laughed hard, shared stories and formed closer bonds with our amazing camp family from all over California, Seattle, Texas, Boston, and beyond.

The other thing I realized is that I really don’t like being out at night that much. It’s not just because I’m tired, I’m cold, I’m not a great bicyclist, I’m not doing drugs, although all those things are true. It’s because all the lights, and loud music, and people zooming around me are too over-stimulating for me. I did have some good times on the playa after dark, but I really prefer the days.

A peak experience this year was riding alone across the city from where I was visiting a friend’s camp all the way across from our camp at 3:00 and Illusion as the wind and dust were rising. After eight years, I know how to be radically self-reliant. With my goggles and bandanna to protect me from the fine alkaline dust, I rode straight across the playa, keeping my bearings as the white outs blew through, following the lamplighter’s posts along the Promenades. And as I rode along I felt the powerful among the elements and shouted, “I’m not afraid of Burning Man!”

That, and seeing a flaming piano launched by a trebuchet.

glassesThe questions people ask me about Burning Man are fed by the media’s perception of the event. “Did you get bitten up by bugs? Did you get rained out? Is the city being taken over by the rich? Did you see Katy Perry? Susan Sarandon? Anyone famous?”

To which I answer: The Bugopolypse was over by the time we got there. Rain was last year.

As far as the wealth and how it divides the event, Black Rock City is a city that, in many ways, is like any other: There are the haves and the have-nots. I compare a trip to Burning Man to a trip to Europe. Rich travelers travel first-class, stay in fancy hotels, eat at four-star restaurants, ride in taxis. Poor students save up for tickets, travel with their backpacks, eat baguettes in the park, take the Metro, and depend on the kindness of strangers. It’s the same in Black Rock City. Any judgement on the value of one experience over the other is just that, judgement.

And yes, I saw famous people, but no one those asking would recognize. Every morning I saw Lucky Eric, famous for gifting not just coffee, but a choice of cold brew, french press, or espresso with heavy cream. Izzle, who is famous for creating one of the best, low-tech gray water systems on the playa while looking stunning in a little red dress, pearls and a hard hat. And there’s Famous, friend, Ranger, member of DPW who’s still there doing DeCon, and who I suspect is his fullest, best self at Burning Man. These are the people who raise my home away from home, Camp 11:11, from the dust. Camp 11:11 hosts the friendliest bar on the playa, a kick-ass art car, and delicious family suppers every night. It’s the Shvitz Carleton.

art carEver since last year’s Burning Man it has been hard for me to move beyond Playastan Crossroads. I put so much of myself into the project that I was drawn dry of inspiration, far beyond what I had experienced before. It was disconcerting that Playastan still had hold of me, that I hadn’t felt a sense of completion, even a year later.

When we hit the road toward this year’s festival my excitement built and something began to shift. As my husband and I  drove south, we talked about past experiences, the campmates we couldn’t wait to see, read the descriptions of this year’s art installations and scheduled events both profound and silly. I began to feel a lightness taking over the heaviness that had been with me since 2014.

That night, lying in bed in our cute little trailer just north of Alturas, California I was unable to sleep. I found myself designing my next Burning Man installation in my head. Less ambitious in design, but still meaningful, it will be a place both open and intimate. It  will provide shelter, shade and a sense of place for those travelers who pass their last week of Summer filled with wonder at beauty of community.

Hybycozo - Deep Thought

Hybycozo – Deep Thought

 

Hard Work

breakdown 2

detail from a breakdown screen before printing

Art work is hard work. It’s not hard work like digging a ditch, although it can be physically demanding. It’s not hard work like interpreting the law and representing clients, although it can be mentally taxing. It doesn’t have the high stress of a service job like being a waitress or a cashier, unless you count trying to ignore your inner critic.

screens ready to be printed

breakdown screens set up to dry

What’s hard about making art is harnessing introspection, perfectionism, focus, and inspiration, into some kind of tangible “object” and showing up until it reaches that magical state of being “finished.” Somedays every motion in the studio takes tremendous energy, fighting self-doubt all the way. Some days, the work is satisfying, fun even, reaching that elusive “flow” state.

printing with a breakdown screen

printing with a breakdown screen

After over ten years as a studio artist, I know the most important thing for me to do is just to show up, even if it’s only to sweep the floor. Lately, I’ve been finding lots of ways to distract myself from being in the studio and many of them are part of being an artist, like writing proposals and grants, keeping up with email, teaching workshops. These, although important, pull my mind away from the work, the hard work of creating.

removing a doily used to create imagery on the dried screen

removing a doily used to create imagery on the dried screen

And even though it doesn’t feel like it, I have been working. A body of work based on driftwood is starting to take form. I’ve had paper patterns for seven new sculptures since February that keep getting moved around the studio to be out of the way. I’m trying to reinvent (again) how I work on the wall. It’s exciting and yet I find that I’m stopping myself from moving forward.

first print from the doily screen. you can see the red "freckling."

first print from the doily screen. you can see the red “freckling.”

This past week in the studio I printed some breakdown screens and monotypes on fabric based on driftwood imagery. I like some of it. Some of it was just frustrating because I had technical trouble with the dye “freckling.” I spent some time on the phone with Nancy at ProChem and she had some advice that I’ll try the next time. But take my advice and avoid “Rust Orange” when doing Breakdown.

I think that “showing up” here on the blog is another part of my practice, one that has been largely missing the last few months. It’s another kind of accountability to myself, to reflect and record on my process. Let’s call this post a good first step on my way to the studio.

second print from the doily screen with more freckling

second print from the doily screen with more freckling

StashFest 2015!

8 "fat eighths" in value gradation

8 “fat eighths” in value gradation

Things have been a little quiet here on the blog lately. I can’t really explain it. I’ve been busy, yes, but I’m always busy. If you know me, you’d say I never run out of things to talk about. I guess I’ve just gotten out of the habit of writing. But I’m still here in the northwest corner of the country, working away at dyeing fabric, teaching, and making art.

The next big thing is Stash Fest 2015. It’s a benefit for the La Conner Quilt Museum on Saturday, April 18th. I’ll be vending there for the first time, selling my hand-dyed fabrics and scarves. Last year I started selling fabrics at Lorraine Torrence’s Retreats in Gold Bar. Lorraine was kind enough to invite me and it gave me a low-key way to get my feet wet as a vendor. I love connecting with people face-to-face when they are buying something that I made. It’s something I miss when I work through a gallery. For StashFest, I’ve dyed over 100 yards of kona cotton. The fabrics are packaged in one yard packs of color and value collections and also as individual low-water immersion dyed “fat quarters” of mixed color. I also have over 100 silk scarves dyed with a variety of surface design techniques.

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detail of a low-water immersion dyed “fat quarter”

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shibori and batik silk scarves

I am primarily an artist. I don’t want selling products to become my full-time job, but I really enjoy getting out and meeting people. And it’s nice to make something that people can buy for under $30 or $50 rather than over a thousand.

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a selection of the 30 yards of fat quarters I’ve dyed for StashFest

The other thing that’s been taking off is the Side Tour Experiences. I offered four classes of Batik Scarf Dyeing in early March and they all filled with new students. I can teach, but I’m just no good at marketing! Working with Side Tour is going so well that I’ve added 10 more sessions in April/May/June. I’ve had inquiries about offering longer classes and will probably add a “Dyeing for Quilters” workshop soon.

So, if you come to StashFest, look for me and Whirlwind Hand-Dyes and Accessories but come early . My former intern, Arisa, will be there all day, but I’ll only be there until 11am. My BFF Corey is getting married that day and I’m the Best Person! Life is rich and full and there is so much to celebrate!

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One yard fabric packs in color and gradation collections

 

New Ventures

IMG_3784I was approached last Fall by Side Tour, company that has had great success in NYC promoting “experiences” and is now expanding into other cities including Seattle. They specifically wanted me to teach hand-dyed silk scarf workshops. At the time there was just too much going on to take on another thing (holidays!) and I wasn’t sure I wanted to teach short-term workshops. I much prefer teaching three or more day workshops where students can delve deeply into media and materials.

Honestly, I was also unsure about what direction I was going. It has been discouraging that after I put time and energy into creating a series of workshops at my studio that there has been so little response. It seems that I can do just about everything to make workshops happen except promote them. That last push to put myself out there is really, really hard. I don’t think I’m alone in this.

I’ve been questioning everything about my practice lately. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? The usual existential crises. I had a really great visit with an artist friend a couple weeks ago. We met to talk specifics about how to present 2-d fiber works as finished products but ended up discussing much, much more. Why was I stopping myself from exploring new media? What feeds me creatively? What do I want to do/make? It was the kick in the butt I needed and I’ve been thinking long and hard since then.

At first I thought, “I need to stop everything else I’m doing and just dedicate myself to being in the studio.” No teaching. No sales. No self-imposed rules and regulations. Just me, the space, the time and materials to make something happen.

But the more I thought about it the more I realized that I am a social creature. I need to talk to people. I love to teach and am inspired by my students. And here was Side Tour asking to promote me! They take a cut, of course, but they are set up to do the part of the process that is so hard for me.

So, I agreed to do four workshops for Side Tour in early March and I’ve signed up to take a monotype class at Pratt! I’ll also be selling my hand-dyed fabrics and silk scarves at Stashfest, a benefit for the La Conner Quilt Museum in April. I’ll be promoting both the classes and the sale here and on Facebook as we get closer.

And I’ve started a series of new work! I guess that kick in the ass was what I needed to get me going!

Getting Past Resistance

IMG_3746Happy New Year!

I feel like I’ve been getting in my own way for months now. So I’m starting out the new year by visiting the past.

Since I haven’t known where to start, I’ve been looking at my old sketchbooks as a springboard for ideas. Some of the drawings are from as far back as 2009, but for whatever reason, never got developed. It’s reassuring that there’s plenty of richness there still. Many pages are now marked with a thicket of post-its, and once I started drawing from my old drawings, new ideas came bounding out of the end of my pencil.

I also wanted to get messy in the studio, to get my hands on materials. And, boy did I make a mess! I went through my stash of hand-dyes and pulled out some pieces that had only been dyed once, either low-water immersion or painted, that I thought could be improved by adding another layer. I slathered a thick paste of flour and water to create a resist on a dozen pieces, let them dry over a couple of days, and then applied thickened dye.

I haven’t had a chance to wash them out yet because I came down with a nasty head cold. After three brain-dead days in bed, I finally awoke this morning with a clear head. Tomorrow is laundry day, always a messy one when it comes to working with flour.

Check back for images of the newly dyed fabrics in the next couple days. I can’t wait to share them.

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drawing into the wet flour paste on LWI unbleached muslin

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applying thickened dye paste over the dried and cracked flour paste

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lines of flour applied with a squeeze bottle on a silk crepe

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fabric after application of thickened dye

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flour paste applied and then picked up with a doily

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after thickened dye application

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wrinkles in the flour paste were made by the dragging of the silk crepe during paste application

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the dried and crackled flour paste makes a distinctive pattern