Friday, April 8, 2011
and so it begins...
Southeast Fiber Forum--Arrowmont School of Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN. Class starts at 9 a.m. and I'll post a few photos from yesterday. No time for comments yet!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
In preparation for Southeast Fiber Forum next week ...
I'm tying up of loose ends... quite literally! There are 15 people enrolled in the class (one of those is my teaching assistant) so I needed extra looms. Last year someone borrowed one and hasn't yet returned it so I was short by four looms in my stock of Archie-style copper pipe looms I take to workshops ... of course, I would have been three short, if that loom had been on hand. But when I looked around I saw that there were three looms with partly woven samplers in place and one of those had two of the short loom sides together--I could built two new long sides and I'd have not just four looms--but five! Time to exorcise the ghosts on the looms! (Are exorcisms done for ghosts or simply demons?)
So I spent yesterday weaving the remaining few inches of the three sampler on those looms. Each one was begun at a past workshop. I'm embarrassed to say that the oldest dated to 2003 when Sharon Marcus was the instructor at a workshop that Tapestry Weavers South sponsored in Sarasota, FL! It was one in which I was exploring two setts in the same fabric. I'd woven most of it but had just a few more inches remaining to level off the piece. Since there was a bit of warp left I'd thought I'd use it for another small piece--but hadn't ever gotten around to doing it.
The next oldest were three narrow warps on one loom that were from Joan Baxter's workshop at the ATA Tampa retreat... that was in 2008. Two of those were wool and one camel hair. I hadn't woven anything on one of the narrow wool warps; it was just in place beside the other two. I hitched the top of the others and cut them off; cut off and wound the remaining unused bit of wool warp into a ball. That freed two of the three looms.
The third loom held the weaving I'd begun during the James Koehler workshop at the ATA retreat in Santa Fe last summer. I'd assembled the loom with two of the short sides of the copper pipe looms so I could carry it on the plane more easily. I almost completed it at the workshop and when I returned home I put it away for a calm day in which to finish it. Well, calm days came and went, along with many hectic ones since last summer and the little loom sat in the back room, forgotten. Forgotten until yesterday when I realized there were two more looms--if I made two new long sides--and if I could weave it off in a few hours.
The bottom part of the sampler is using clasped weft technique. We won't do much of it in the workshop but it will be one of the techniques I discuss on the second day, along with soumak. The upper part of the sampler at first has two colors in meet and separate technique, to build vertical slits and then to do hatching, both one pass and two pass hatching. Pick and pick is next, then back to two colors and then a third color is introduced. A couple of ways to correct the shed will be shown as the third color comes into play. Last are diagonals with three different angles. Of course, many variations of these simple methods can be done. But I wove this 3" x 9" piece in about four hours so I think these concepts will be possible in one class session. The second day we'll work with designing and weaving a small piece to make use of these techniques.
So I spent yesterday weaving the remaining few inches of the three sampler on those looms. Each one was begun at a past workshop. I'm embarrassed to say that the oldest dated to 2003 when Sharon Marcus was the instructor at a workshop that Tapestry Weavers South sponsored in Sarasota, FL! It was one in which I was exploring two setts in the same fabric. I'd woven most of it but had just a few more inches remaining to level off the piece. Since there was a bit of warp left I'd thought I'd use it for another small piece--but hadn't ever gotten around to doing it.
The next oldest were three narrow warps on one loom that were from Joan Baxter's workshop at the ATA Tampa retreat... that was in 2008. Two of those were wool and one camel hair. I hadn't woven anything on one of the narrow wool warps; it was just in place beside the other two. I hitched the top of the others and cut them off; cut off and wound the remaining unused bit of wool warp into a ball. That freed two of the three looms.
The third loom held the weaving I'd begun during the James Koehler workshop at the ATA retreat in Santa Fe last summer. I'd assembled the loom with two of the short sides of the copper pipe looms so I could carry it on the plane more easily. I almost completed it at the workshop and when I returned home I put it away for a calm day in which to finish it. Well, calm days came and went, along with many hectic ones since last summer and the little loom sat in the back room, forgotten. Forgotten until yesterday when I realized there were two more looms--if I made two new long sides--and if I could weave it off in a few hours.
So here they are... ghosts exorcised from the looms--from the Koehler workhop at left; middle, from the Marcus workshop; two at the right, from the Baxter workshop.
I also wanted to weave another sampler for the upcoming workshop, one in which I use meet and separate in a way that could be done in a few hours time. I've got several samplers of meet and separate in my stash already but I almost always do a new one when I have a workshop upcoming to see what might be possible in the time we'll have for the class. I also wanted to free my demo loom so that I can use it to show how to warp. I had another sampler in place on the warp from the workshop that Pat Williams and I taught in October. Because I wanted to have as much weaving room as I could squeeze into the warp I turned the loom around and began to weave from the other end. I've done that several times in classes and it maximizes the warp area if two separate pieces are desired.
The bottom part of the sampler is using clasped weft technique. We won't do much of it in the workshop but it will be one of the techniques I discuss on the second day, along with soumak. The upper part of the sampler at first has two colors in meet and separate technique, to build vertical slits and then to do hatching, both one pass and two pass hatching. Pick and pick is next, then back to two colors and then a third color is introduced. A couple of ways to correct the shed will be shown as the third color comes into play. Last are diagonals with three different angles. Of course, many variations of these simple methods can be done. But I wove this 3" x 9" piece in about four hours so I think these concepts will be possible in one class session. The second day we'll work with designing and weaving a small piece to make use of these techniques.
Weaving both ends to the middle... sort of like burning a candle at both ends, I guess!
The two new long sides for the loom mentioned above are lying at the left side of the table. I use a paste epoxy to hold the elbows and the pipe together and let it lay flat overnight.
I'm looking forward to the class and hope to post some photos of the session next week.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
New tapestries are underway
At last I'm weaving, seriously weaving! I've been struggling (yet again) for almost three months to develop the design for the next tapestry. When I think about it, seems that the winter months are ones in which I always struggle and I also apparently become forgetful--I lose sight of the fact that the down phase of my design process happens over and over. And that the down is often in the winter. This winter I had the extra added attraction of having the accident on February 20. BUT, that was then... this is now.
So, I'll start with what I've been doing for the past month... this is a "challenge tapestry", the challenge having been given by one of my gurus, Steven Aimone. I met with Steve on March 1 in Asheville for a consultation. I'd worked with Steve a few years ago for artistic guidance. I gained so much from that consultation, much of what I've been able to continue with since then. I also took a class at his studio in late 2008 right after I'd been at an artist residency at Hambidge Center... those two experiences resulted in several paintings and four tapestries came from those.
When I got back from England in December I was in a bit of a slump. The time at West Dean was amazing and yet I didn't seem to be able to begin productive work here at my studio (remember the forgetfulness mentioned earlier?). So I contacted Steve to see if he could possibly meet with me when I was next in Asheville... he could and we spent a couple of hours at Malaprops having coffee, looking at my portfolio and some sketches of possible ideas. One of the things he suggested was that I might work without planning, in as much of a "stream of consciousness" way that a tapestry maker can. He asked if I thought I could do maybe 5" square or so, one a week for a month, all without planning. I said that I felt I could since it was so much the way I already work for the daily tapestry diary bits.
I had a warp on one of the looms and I began with his challenge on the next day. My hand was still pretty iffy at that point since I still had stitches and was bandaged. But I did it--that's the square that's at the right side below. It was easier to use my hand during the second week and I began to add more shapes and meander around a bit more. I set a few rules for myself to follow for the month's adventure--the main one being that I'd use only from my scrap weft basket. Since I've been exploring soumak with the tapestry diary I decided to throw in some linear components done in a variety of soumak ways.
As March ends I've met the challenge set by Steve, turned in my written assessment for the week and also photos. And I've decided to keep it up for as long as I can. I guess it's a variation on the tapestry diary idea except that I'm doing it weekly. I'll continue with my day-by-day weaving on another loom. But this new challenge is quite exciting. As you can see, there's blank warp at the left... that's because I didn't measure the amount I started with--just started. Then the next week I decided to do the same size, and then repeated that 5" square for the four weeks. Today I thought about it as an overall piece and am not yet sure whether to add the narrow part or to ignore it and move above the four already in place. Got to decide. Suggestions?
Yesterday was my last class with the NGCSU advanced weaving students. During the first meeting with them last week they warped the Shannock tabletop looms and began basic meet and separate. Yesterday I demonstrated pick and pick and soumak, as well as showing them how to use a cartoon behind the warp. They have one more class session on their own and then their small pieces are due for grading next Tuesday. It was fun to be at the NGCSU weaving studio again!
So, I'll start with what I've been doing for the past month... this is a "challenge tapestry", the challenge having been given by one of my gurus, Steven Aimone. I met with Steve on March 1 in Asheville for a consultation. I'd worked with Steve a few years ago for artistic guidance. I gained so much from that consultation, much of what I've been able to continue with since then. I also took a class at his studio in late 2008 right after I'd been at an artist residency at Hambidge Center... those two experiences resulted in several paintings and four tapestries came from those.
When I got back from England in December I was in a bit of a slump. The time at West Dean was amazing and yet I didn't seem to be able to begin productive work here at my studio (remember the forgetfulness mentioned earlier?). So I contacted Steve to see if he could possibly meet with me when I was next in Asheville... he could and we spent a couple of hours at Malaprops having coffee, looking at my portfolio and some sketches of possible ideas. One of the things he suggested was that I might work without planning, in as much of a "stream of consciousness" way that a tapestry maker can. He asked if I thought I could do maybe 5" square or so, one a week for a month, all without planning. I said that I felt I could since it was so much the way I already work for the daily tapestry diary bits.
I had a warp on one of the looms and I began with his challenge on the next day. My hand was still pretty iffy at that point since I still had stitches and was bandaged. But I did it--that's the square that's at the right side below. It was easier to use my hand during the second week and I began to add more shapes and meander around a bit more. I set a few rules for myself to follow for the month's adventure--the main one being that I'd use only from my scrap weft basket. Since I've been exploring soumak with the tapestry diary I decided to throw in some linear components done in a variety of soumak ways.
As March ends I've met the challenge set by Steve, turned in my written assessment for the week and also photos. And I've decided to keep it up for as long as I can. I guess it's a variation on the tapestry diary idea except that I'm doing it weekly. I'll continue with my day-by-day weaving on another loom. But this new challenge is quite exciting. As you can see, there's blank warp at the left... that's because I didn't measure the amount I started with--just started. Then the next week I decided to do the same size, and then repeated that 5" square for the four weeks. Today I thought about it as an overall piece and am not yet sure whether to add the narrow part or to ignore it and move above the four already in place. Got to decide. Suggestions?
Yesterday was my last class with the NGCSU advanced weaving students. During the first meeting with them last week they warped the Shannock tabletop looms and began basic meet and separate. Yesterday I demonstrated pick and pick and soumak, as well as showing them how to use a cartoon behind the warp. They have one more class session on their own and then their small pieces are due for grading next Tuesday. It was fun to be at the NGCSU weaving studio again!
And... last photo. This is of my space as it is right now! Seems to have had an explosion of yarn. I need to pull out the yarn I'm thinking of using for the piece as I begin so here most of it is. I'm weaving on both looms -- obviously not at the same time but will have both pieces underway at once. The loom at the left has a design that will be in neutrals; the one on the right will have color. Both are of tree designs based on drawings and/or paintings of trees done recently. I'm looking forward to seeing these two tapestries develop simultaneously. Wonder if they will influence each other?
Monday, March 28, 2011
spam and the blog
For the first time I've gotten spam comments. If, for some reason, someone who reads the blog has tried to make a comment in the past two days it's showing up as something that I won't post. So... sorry about that and you might see if you're e-mail is hacked. Anyway, even though there's a word recognition requirement to post a comment a couple of things have gotten through.
Now... on to more important things... like getting ready for the class I'm teaching next week at Arrowmont during the Southeast Fiber Forum. Like getting my first large tapestry in almost a year under way. Like getting a second tapestry underway on another loom. Like teaching the last of the sessions at NGCSU.
Pictures of all of the above will follow eventually.
And, lastly... had the final physical therapy visit today and I am on my own with my hand now! I've been using it well for several days and the last stints in the studio where I've worked with my hand almost as long as I normally did before are showing me that the accident shouldn't hinder my progress further. Hooray for that!
Now... on to more important things... like getting ready for the class I'm teaching next week at Arrowmont during the Southeast Fiber Forum. Like getting my first large tapestry in almost a year under way. Like getting a second tapestry underway on another loom. Like teaching the last of the sessions at NGCSU.
Pictures of all of the above will follow eventually.
And, lastly... had the final physical therapy visit today and I am on my own with my hand now! I've been using it well for several days and the last stints in the studio where I've worked with my hand almost as long as I normally did before are showing me that the accident shouldn't hinder my progress further. Hooray for that!
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