It Was Fun

My mini vacation is over, and this will be the parting shot. It is better than the thruway drive image. After unpacking and taking care of what I've neglected tomorrow, it will be back to getting ready for Just Silkscreens and Monday's class. There's one spot left, just in case you wondered.
 

One Spot Open Just Silksreens

Ok, I'll admit it should be called Predominantly Silkscreens, because we do add more than silkscreen printing on fabric. But what we do with screens is really great. There is one spot left in the week that starts September 6th. Every day we meet from 11 to 4 Eastern Time and by Friday, wish we had more! Interested, then visit -- www.patpauly.com/virtualclasses
 

Facing on the Porch

When the clouds roll in, and a hint of rain is in the air, take to the screened porch to work on facing the quilt. I can't think of better. More of this little vacation is good.
 

Camptime

The last days of August call. Time to wring out the last of the summer, and this is the best way I can think of doing that. So, never mind cloudy skies, a cool night, or voracious mosquitoes. It is time to rest at camp. 
 

Seeing in Hindsight

 

I don't consciously think about the marks I make, that they have meaning or symbols, or even that one follows another. I think that I see the correlation after the fact. I find something I see everyday (road tar) and link it to something I make (printed pillow). It's just the editor making the connection, not the artist.

Production

A stack of printed pillows waits for me to get them to Shop One on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus. But not till next week. There's a few other things ahead in the queue. Like adding more to the website store. First is first.
 

White Stay White

Washout for hand dyed prints is a long discussion. With help of astute and kind students, and their advice, I get great whites. These three yards have strong blue and black and a clear white. One large, long cold wash, one medium warm, one large very hot (150 degree). With constant agitation, and that's all. 
 

Driving Some More

 

Here's a very sketchy video of the second quilt on the longarm. It was small, so not too difficult to finish. Next is the big 'un. 

Going for a Drive

It was time to get this on the frame and quilt. Since it is the smallest of the bunch, it was the perfect warm up for the next two. And this has those happy black drawn lines. Glad to have this finished and now on to the next. 

Full Moon

Tonight's full moon is both a Blue Moon as well as the Sturgeon Moon. Either way, it is spectacular and a good place to stop and pause. I'm happy to be back to studio work, and I know that I've only a couple of weeks until I'll give over the print table to a workshop. But that is a good break as well. 

 

Reclaimation

It takes a couple of days to return the workshop examples I to their little spots and clear the studio for the next project. But I'll first finish piecing the top of the last example I made as a demonstration for the Dozen ways workshop. Then maybe even quilt it. The blue are two linens waiting to be cut and sold.
 

Requests

I broke out the intense blue for the next set of linen painted fabrics. Of course, I mixed in a bit of other stuff from my usual palette. And I hope that that intense stays intense. I use MX dyes from Pro Chemical and Dye in Massachusetts. They ship quick, and love to work with them.

The Best Way to Figure It Out

The best way is to make it along with the class. So, here is my last exercise (about 43 x 43). I won't reveal the slight of hand here -- you'd have to be in the class -- but it sure was fun to resurrect a 'dud' and give it new life. Thanks to the group from the Dairy Barn for being my workshop. Loved it!
 

Non Traditional Materials

I'm not sure why we label these as non-traditional materials. Artists have used whatever they want to make art. I need not name names. This detail of my piece "Iodine" started today's workshop exercise looking at incorporating unusual items in a composition. Should be fun to see what happens next.
 

It's What We Do

Design is a language that, even if you speak it, is still hard to speak clearly. So, today's workshop started to take on those big concepts. And try out some sketches so we had concrete examples to talk about. I can't wait for tomorrow. 

 

They're Here Somewhere

The great part of virtual teaching is that I don't have to pack my quilts ahead of time. But the hard part is that I don't find them ahead of time. Well, tomorrow we start a Dozen Ways. Start looking!
 

A Dozen Ways

Getting ready for Tuesday's class "A Dozen Ways: Design for Art Quilts" means splitting out the dozen into folders with supporting material. If only I had a table for each set, then I'd have enough room.
 

Mark Making

Hand lettered on to porcelain over steel panel, this sign has the delicacy of a calligrapher's mark. It is the "r" that gets me. Can't think this art will continue for future signs, but may influence graphic designers who admire typographic roots.
 

Linen in the Queue

It will take me a couple of weeks to get the next batch of linen printed, but tonight was a start. I must have fall on my mind since these colors just repeated over and again. I'll force myself to take on the night sky next. I love that palette. 
 

Foundational

I walked with a friend today around new construction sites. Growing up, this was a frequent occurrence, and my love of process started with watching buildings take shape. I've always loved construction, and one reason I continue working with fiber is because that process is a major part. 
 

Happy Field

I finally got another batch of hand printed yards up in the website store. This one reminded me of summer fields, so it's named "Prairie Field". But I'm guessing that the fields may be a bit drier this time of year. You can find more at www.patpauly.com/shop
 

Wish You Could See

In two days for the Make It and Break It workshop, wonderful compositions emerged. And they were grand scale, and made from printed (by the artist) fabrics. Just so happy to see the fabrics used in a creative and vibrant way. Thanks to my class, I had such a great time, and miss you already.
 

Make It and Break It

Today was the first half of Make It and Break It. And what a treat to see everyone again from the printing classes. A true exploration of how to use hand printed fabric! This is just one way to explore, but it's addictive in its simplicity. Tomorrow is bigger and better.

 

It's All Thanks to Ariane

 Ariane Zurcher has many talents, and one is featured on her YouTube channel "On the Other Hand" which is about improvisational stitching. She is fond of my linen printed fabric, urged me to add some to my website, and then told her patrons. In one day, I sold out. Well, thank you Ariane!

Fiber Friends

We all have friends that gather who share our interest. The Finger Lakes Fiber Artists meet every couple of months and look at work, work through some technical questions, and question what makes a good piece. If you have even one other who offers that feedback, stick with them -- you're a group.
 

Leaving the Upstairs for Down

As nice as it was for this day, my presence was in the studio for an artist talk with the Dairy Barn Art Center. Four artists with work in Quilt National '21 spoke to a crowd on Zoom about their work, their methods, their past and future. I'll post the link when it comes around.
 

Make It and Break It for One More

Next week's class "Make It and Break It" was full until someone became unable to make it. So, there is a spot open. I'd love to fill that spot, and meanwhile, will reimburse the person who had to give up her place. You can read about it:    https://www.patpauly.com/virtualclasses
 

Linen Ironed and Ready

I promised Ariane Zurcher that I'd print and dye some linen in response to her classes in hand stitching. They are now ready to be "quartered" and then photographed and added to the web site store. So, in a couple of days. Then I've got to get ready for other things!
 

Stacks of Prints

I've plowed through nearly all of the unfinished prints I brought home from the week at Pro Chemical and Dye, and now I've started on new work. I have to say that I enjoy working on the half-finished pieces, they are like completing a block. Starting new is better with that warm-up.

 

Dirty Screens

Yes, on this summer day, I went to the studio to use screens dirty -- or not washed clean -- to print. I coat the screen with either clear paste or a mixed color, and that softens the previous paste enough to allow me to print "dirty". I love that, unlike a breakdown screen, this screens doesn't break down!.

Made In New York

"Indivisible With Liberty And Justice For All" is Judith Plotner's piece in the Made in New York show at the Schweinfurth Art Center. I think that the title is all we need to know to understand this piece.