Wonderful workshop experience!

Just a week ago today I was still at the Archie Brennan & Susan Maffei workshop!  Seems like a month has passed since then since my week has been quite busy.  But I'm finally having time to go through the photos I took during the workshop and post a few of those to the Tapestry Share blog.  I won't repeat myself here about those--just include the link so you can leap over there if you want to.

Here's my loom with the piece I wove just about done.

I had a wicked, wicked, wicked sinus/allergy/cold/something during the workshop and I felt like crap most of the time.  My tapestry design, unfortunately, reflects the state of my being during the week.  Even though I was feeling puny for the few days I still feel I came away with new inspiration and knowledge--something I find in every workshop I've taken with Archie & Susan.

This was my fifth time to study with them, the first being in 1994 when TWiNE (Tapestry Weavers in New England) sponsored a retreat at Harrisville, NH.  Everyone who has a workshop from me knows that I frequently say, "According to Archie...." or "Susan says...."-- and I make it clear to anyone who will listen that I consider them my tapestry gurus.  So I was happy to have the time with them last week--even if the time wasn't as "quality-ladened" as it could have been if I'd felt better.

I was excited to learn that the long-awaited series of DVDs of tapestry instruction they've been working on for awhile is now available.  I bought a copy and have watched several parts of a couple of them, so far.  It's a fantastic learning aid and I'm happy that it's available.

By Sunday and the end of the workshop I was feeling somewhat human again... here I am at the wetlands bridge at Camp Mikell... the day was just a glorious one and a great way to end this chapter of study with Archie & Susan!  

Just finished the April tapestry diary

I haven't cut off the weaving because there's still several inches of warp remaining at the top and I'll use it in some way.  I've edited to show the whole piece... each day seems teeny when you see it as one piece.  The entry third from the top shows the tornado, a small representation of the terrible ones that pushed through the Southern states a few days ago.  So much destruction and so many lives lost.  It's a terrible time for thousands of people.

May's tapestry diary will be on a smaller frame loom so I can take it with me when I travel for a few activities during the month.  One of the adventures will be to take a workshop with Archie Brennan and Susan Martin Maffei.  I'm quite looking forward to it; I've studied with Archie and Susan many times and always gain so much inspiration and knowledge from them both.  Tapestry Weavers South is sponsoring the workshop and it will be held at the same location that Pat Williams & I taught our workshop in October--Camp Mikell near Toccoa, Georgia.  The location was beautiful in the fall and I'm looking forward to seeing the surroundings in the springtime.






Fiddleheads have now become young ferns at the creek house.  I saw trillium and flame azaleas there the other day.  Spring holds more than horrific weather, thank God!

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.

springtime brings such interesting things to see...

like this butterfly sitting on an iris:

 here's another view with a bit of Photoshop manipulation with cutout filter:

I'm looking at irises right now since I'm working on a large painting of irises from those now blooming in our yard.  The painting will turn into a floor cloth.  

Here's what it looks like right now (glare from nearby light is at the top):

Some manipulation with the Photoshop mobile on my iPhone:

Some manipulation with Photoshop Elements on my laptop:

OK... back to the basement to work on the painting some more.  I've just gotten a large piece of plywood delivered by my husband and his friend so I can take the painting down shortly and staple it flat.  I'll work on it a bit more with paint before I begin to apply the coating to it.  

The piece is intended for a floral exhibit that's coming up at the first of May at Globe Gallery in Clayton. Got to finish by tomorrow!

In the time between drying of paint I'm working on tapestry.  Photos of that soon.