When Things Don't Work

You know me and this blog. Every day a picture and a few words. Well, for some odd reason the "add a photo" part ain't working. So, I'll report that I had a meeting, saw a friend (thanks for the salsa!), had no treaters, and went to the philharmonic. You get the picture. Maybe tomorrow.

Bit of Glam

Jenny came to last week's class prepared to print everything. She even had time to print on this shawl which went through our crude washout and machine cycle and survived. She's modeling it (I asked her to) and it's just fun -- even with the ever present rubber gloves.

Close Inspection

Last week's printing class took a break and got a look at the Quilts=Art=Quilts show upstairs of our studio at Schweinfurth. Seeing printed, dyed, reworked fabric used so creatively was inspirational. Being fluent in the techniques used in surface design is a plus in understanding this medium.

Also On View

Before driving home yesterday, I caught the additional exhibition at the Schweinfurth's. This is just one work from her "Holes" series where Ellen Blalock's includes powerful imagery and compelling story lines.

Being in the Background

Saturday night Quilts=Art=Quilts opened at the Schweinfurth Art Center. It was a night that held talk between new friends, old friends, and close friends. The works matched those relationships with some new, some old, and some dear. My work "Blue Garden" is center at back.

Takes All Sorts

Anne claims her piece from the just washed and dried printed fabric.  This is important to check intensity of the color, nuance, and strength of the dye. Plus, feel free to leave that for me.

Elbow Room

I ask my students to have two goals. The first is to print as many pieces of fabric as they can. The second is to make a good print. What helps us out is having enough space and adequate equipment to make this happen. We've got that covered this week; we've got that extra elbow room.

Planting the Pallet

Don't think that all Carol is going to print is red/orange/yellow. It just happens to be the mood she's in. We'll add more to this, and move on round the color wheel. Or not.

First Day First

Day one we swept through scraping, rolling, mixing, stenciling, and monoprinting. The "On Your Mark -- Print!" class at the Schweinfurth Art Center keeps going tomorrow with more. We're just starting to make our mark.

Mark Making

Tomorrow a room of eager printers will gather at the Schweinfurth wet studio and delve into making marks on fabric. This Tony Tuckson painting "White lines (vertical) on ultramarine" might influence their large, graphic, rough and immediate strokes.

Packin It Up for Schweinfurth

Suitcase not for clothes but silkscreens, fun foam, soda-soaked fabric, Styrofoam, scrapers, string, putty knives, box cutters, tyvek, and some printed fabric. There's buckets, print stuff, and some pool noodles. If my life was writing, I'd replace this with a slick laptop and cup of coffee.

Line Work

In packing for my fabric printing class next week (a couple of spots left!) I've will remember to pack the graphic prompts I've got tucked away. These lines found in one of my airport stops had me thinking about the application of repeated squares. Gonna do this for sure.

Here's The Foam Roller

People ask me what kind of roller I use to print. I'll be at the Schweinfurth next week, and if you're joining me (or are just wondering) this is the little foam roller I like to use for various techniques in printing thickened dye on fabric. They're hi density, not the cheap ones, and slip on the holder.

Doin Nothin Next Week?

If so, come join us for four days of printing fabric at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York. Starting Wednesday, and finishing Saturday -- in time for the opening of Quilts=Art=Quilts, no less -- I'm teaching "On Your Mark -- Print!" There are a few spots left.   http://www.schweinfurthartcenter.org/classes_studio.cfm

Being Pear Shaped

This extra large group of pears (George Baldessin's "Pear -- version number 2") on the grounds of the National Art Gallery of Australia led me to think about shape. I'm more an apple, though I'd like to be more a banana. Suffice to say my month away had me return in the same shape.

Touching Down

The 13 hour flight from Brisbane landed at dawn in Los Angeles. My stay in Australia over, it's time to reflect, remember, and express my gratitude to my new friends for all the time they spent making this visit memorable .

Memorial to the Dead

200 hollowed out tree sections represent aboriginals who fought for their country, one for each year of Australia's bicentennial. Installed in the late 80s in the National Gallery in Canberra, this was a moving and dynamic work.

Moon's View

This October moon is the Hunter's Moon, and quite frankly, I'm not sure it is full tonight, yesterday or tomorrow. As my dates and times are quite confused (I'm visiting Australia) I'm calling tonight. full. This vintage globe will suffice for the moon's view of US while we gaze at the moon.

Design Time

Part of the Improv class was, well, improving. Sandra works at the technique of adding, then dividing fabric apart to remix and reconstruct into designs. This class with the Canberra Quilters has us all watching what would come of this different method of piecing. I say all good.

Visit to National Museum Art Gallery

A cloak by Issey Miyake stands in front of a Frank Stella work that is part of the highlight of abstraction in art, a topic near to my heart. More to see later in Canberra.

Gettin' Curvey Wit' Ya

The Queen Victoria Building (or commonly the QVB) is a Sydney landmark. Having been shined up and reno'd it's a great study in architectural details, not to mention a testament to curves among curves. Should you need to see how to loop and encircle, take a camera and take notes.

Intense Blue

Brett Whiteley, a renowned Australian artist, painted "The balcony 2" in 1975. It was his painting of his view from his residence in North Sydney that he used the deep ultramarine color and explain that it had "and obsessive, ecstasy-like effect upon my nervous system unlike any other color."

Walk Along the Beach

Coogee Beach was painted in 1888 by Tom Roberts. My walk to day from Sydney's Bondi Beach to Coogee had this spectacular view, almost untouched or maybe with a few more houses. Just stunning from any vista.

Green Patchwork Style

Passing by this building covered in green growth reminded me of that chia pet kinda thing -- add a medium and some green and you'll get hair. Great idea for cooling the building, especially since Sydney gets loads of warm.

It's Not Easy

I'm returning to my Geelong Week to talk briefly about Carol's piece that she made using three pieces of fabric. It was so dynamic, and not easy. It did grow and form and become. And I hope will be the start of many more explorations for her.

View From a Studio

Bundeena, a quaint coastal town near Sydney, hosts a studio art tour each first Sunday of the month. The view from this studio was so charming and relaxing. Not the best shot, but the best spot to contemplate.

What It is All About

Yes we come together for a week, and yes we work hard to learn to advance out skills, and yes we invest time and energy. But we share and share and share. With classmates, with strangers, with close friends. I did, my students did, and now you know too.

They All Celebrated

At the last evening of our week all classes held an impromptu exhibition of work. From felt, to gold embroidery to indigo dyeing and raffia weaving there were displays of fine work and craft. There was even a fashion show that wove between our improv quilt works. Good night Geelong Fibre Forum 2019, it was swell.

Time for My Lecture

They saved me for last, but I can say that all stayed awake. The Geelong Fiber Forum has a myriad of classes in collage, dressmaking, metal works, and dyeing. So, this Abstract Contemporary Quilt Form was of great interest. The Aussies are a load of fun!

Art Quilt Australia

Such good timing to be in Geelong, Australia at the same time as Art Quilt Australia. A strong group of art quilts from across the country were beautifully exhibited. Many names were familiar to me from other exhibits and meetings. Just a treat for my mid-week teaching at Fiber Forum.

Working Abstractly

Some are just fine working improvisationally like a guitarist who can riff a tune atop the melody. Making it up as we go, it means that the parts start to have a dialog with the other sections that appear. Margaret is getting that tune for sure.