Made In New York

Schweinfurth Art Center's annual exhibition "Made in New York" never dissapoints. This large painting "Here" by Carole D'Inverno felt like a cousin. Same family of large, painting on cloth, mounted to the wall with grommets hanging freely. Take a virtual tour (it's fun!)   https://schweinfurthartcenter.org/made-in-ny-2021/
 

Don't Get Too Excited

My small supply of linen is now ready to color. I say don't get too excited because: 1. you are seeing it wet, and therefore much much darker than it will be in the finished fabric, and 2. I have to go through all of the linen to print, then photograph, then add to the website store. 
 

Waiting Patiently

It's been almost two weeks waiting for me to sort these prints and get them queued for the wash. I managed to print 19 yards in demonstrations during my week at Pro Chemical and Dye. Some will get more graphics when I start printing tomorrow. But some are ready for the wash.
 

End of the Party

Today I took off work  to have a party. It was fun, full of great food, and the night cooled down enough to let us relax.  For so long there wasn't enough of get togethers with others. It was worth the time to be ready for company. 

 

What's Your Influence

I'm an occasional media watcher. And light reader. But I do appreciate good graphics. So, this magazine cover caught my eye. I won't copy this, but I'll appreciate the balance, the style, and the graphics. And, like most things I'm a drawn to, it will influence my work. 

 

Writing on the Wall

The end of the Pro Chem class, a week or so ago, was celebrated with a dinner in Bristol, Massachusetts. It is an old shipping port that was in the trading triangle. This graffiti dates from the early 1800s. I"ve been intrigued with the drawings, the gestural line since my visit a couple of years ago.
 

Ever Changing

I have an everchanging garden. Not having given enough time, except for watering, I've specimen weeds and thugs that are taking over. But somehow I can't mind. I'll get there in time, or fall will come and it won't matter. Meanwhile, let's see what August will give me.
 

Washing To Do

This week my list includes washing out the pieces that I made in the last workshop. Right now they are boxed and waiting for me to open them and either add to them other graphics or get them washed. They can wait months for me, but heck, why not now?
 

Strong Full Moon

All is fine, of course. On my way out of the hospital's emergency unit for an inconsequential problem, I looked up to see the Buck Moon. The universe just keeps going on, no matter what my little world's problems are.
 

Diversions

Coexisting with the last virtual workshop was a visit from my daughter and her family. Which meant there was entertaining to do. I've not been to the zoo in years, so this exhibit of lions snoozing on a tour bus, where we could enter the bus, was part of the week. 
 

As Things Emerge

A screenshot of work in progress shows how line and shape is set and the start of the composition. For two days of design, we pack a lot in. Lovely to be with this group of piecers, and look forward to seeing what comes of these sets.
 

Starting With Line

Though we started today sewing thin lines, we ended with lots of shapes and constructions that are now the basis for setting in a composition. That will be tomorrow for Line, Shape and Setting workshop. How nice to have company in my studio again!
 

Line, Shape, Setting

As I made a quick trip to the grocers, I parked next to this. What better way to get in the groove for Line, Shape, Setting than this? And, bonus, a composition just waiting to be fleshed out. 
 

Going Big

When I approach teaching Go Big, Go Bold, I am looking for something that holds the entire piece of cloth. Yes, you can cut it into sections, but can it read as a whole composition? This print was made at the last of the session, and answers that question in the affirmative.
 

Comparisons

Returning home is a good time to reflect on in-person workshops. I'd never had to compare virtual with in-person until now, and yes, in-person is different. The atmosphere is both close up and distant, and with benefits. I'll be doing more of both types in the fall, and appreciate their differences.

 

One Last Time

Jane lets me know the true meaning of going big and bold. We'd reached the last day, last print, last bit of print paste to use up. And she took to this oversized piece of linen to scrape her design. What a fun class. I'll be back at Pro Chemical and Dye next year. Thanks to my 2021 class!

 

Time and Space

For a five day class, it would be ideal to have a day off in between. To think, to spread out, to regroup. Maybe just to print. We do what we can given the space and time. And I think we do it well. 
 

View of the Room

After a year of virtual teaching, it's nice to be at the same table to talk about the next step, or brainstorm the best tack for the problem, or just to see how the magic happens. And there are15 ways to see that.
 

Two Days In

Day two of printing workshop Go Big, Go Bold, large scale graphics have started to take hold. After getting silkscreens ready, folks printed more the layers graphics. We'll add color and composition to the mix next. 
 

We're Open

It is the height of summer, and Sunday night's dinner was at the Bayside Restaurant. Monday's class was so involved I have no images to share. Just to say that today was the first day of live classes for Pro Chemical and Dye in a year or more. Glad to be open again.
 

Living on the Edge

A day's drive east takes me to the edge if coastline of Massachusetts. I've settled in to the class space at Pro Chem, mixed dyes and dropped off the suitcase with my sample fabrics. Not. That was my suitcase of clothes, so I'm sleeping in my samples tonight. This is an interesting start.
 

Reasons to Stay Put

I'll start an in person workshop Monday, the first in 17 months. I've gotten used to this stretch of staying put, if for no other reason than too watch the garden evolve. No more missing out on that special thing that bloomed just as I left, and faded just as I returned. Now I have to change back.
 

Printmaker / Painter / Collage Artist

Nancy Valle's sewn painted canvas piece is in the Arena Group's show at RIT's gallery. I kidded her about cutting up her painting and reconstructing -- only because that's what quilters would do. Then she mentioned she did this in a quilt class. Ha! If she wasn't so good, I could be mad.

 

It's Just Find On Its Own

It could easily be a stand alone yard. But I've added this to the next improv piece. I've added others as well, and they're about to get mixed up. But this could stand alone. Or one I'd use to teach next week's Go Big, Go Bold class at Pro Chem.
 

Happy Fourth on the Seventh

Why is so much time packed into each day? It was only when I wheeled out my garbage can tonight that I realized our pickup would be a day later because of the Fourth. Was that just a couple of days ago? (I wheeled it back.) How is time speeding by? 
 

In the Mail

In person (soon, in fact) I'd show up with Tyvek and white plastic for printing. But online, well, you're on your own. 'Bout time I made life easy for my virtual partners and mailed it to them just to make life easier. So, here is the first batch for my September class. And there are three spots left in the class. Hint, hint.
 

Ready to Quilt

The top is sewn and ready for quilting, but life is going to come first. I've got a few things to get ready for, and so this will have to just wait in line. Plus, it can travel light if I leave it unquilted, so might bring this to Fall River and Pro Chemical and Dye when I teach soon. 
 

Sizing Up

The piece stretches over eight feet wide at this point, and I'll look to add height top and bottom. I think the proportion works better for that size. And I've started to lock in the parts that flow well together and either define a block boundary or allow a pattern to flow through that edge. 
 

Dropping in a Grid

I've combined the half yards and then split out foot square sizes to populate the design wall. I've added in the remaining half yard pieces, mostly, and started to get them integrated. Now it's time to move the blocks around and around. The dizzy part of this.
 

Combinations

I've taken the half yard sections and combined them to make sections or blocks. I'm using improvisational cutting and random sizes, and will look to get shapes and definitive lines to show emerge.
 

The Line-Up

Four Yards, here folded in half, were the basis for the next piece. I wanted enough fabric to get me to a larger size. I'll cut these yards in half and scramble the remaining halves.