trees, flowers and more

I just finished working on the floor cloth piece for the exhibit at Globe Gallery next month.  I still have to put the hanging device on the back... thanks to Kathe Todd-Hooker's suggestion, I'm going to use velcro at the back rather than the grommets that I'd originally though I might use.  The velcro will make it easier for someone to use it on a tabletop, if they want to do so rather than hanging on the wall.  Of course, one could do that with grommets--but four hemmed edges without the holes will give a more consistent appearance.

This photo is before the hems-- those are 2 1/2" on all four sides.  The finished piece when hemmed is 53.75" long x 40.25" wide.  The sunshine is causing quite a glare on the piece... just hard to photograph something that's so shiny.  I used semi-gloss water based polyurethane as the finish, putting five coats on.  The hems are held back by double stick cloth carpet tape.  I'll use self-adhesive velcro for the hanging with the soft side of the velcro on the cloth and the hook side on a wooded bar.

I've taken photos of the stages of the painting and several of those might become fodder for potential tapestry designs.  Here are a couple of details that looks promising.  I'll work with these in Photoshop a bit to see what comes from them:

       

I'm working daily on the tapestries, as well.  Sometimes I spend more time with one of them rather than the other.  I'd like to see if I can continue to allow them to sort of "grow" together.  Most of the summer will be spent finishing these two pieces and, I hope, at least one more fairly large one.  

Both of these pieces are based on pattern of tree trunks.  I've drawn, painted and photographed trees for years.  I've woven several other pieces in which trees are featured in some way.  Here are three of those from the past four years:

  

I have a one person exhibit that will begin in December and I'd like to have three new pieces to put into the show.  I have four large pieces on hand and several smaller ones.  I think ten or twelve pieces should fill the space I'll have just fine.  More details about that will come in the future.

I've gotten the second teaching date set for 2012 now.  I'll be at Arrowmont School of Crafts from June 24-30, 2012.  The first scheduled teaching will be at John Campbell Folk School in January.  Perhaps one more date for teaching for 2012--in fact, maybe something at my studio, then I'll devote the rest of the time to my work next year.