Chuffed, again

Last Friday was a great day. The weather was lovely, I gardened, got the washing dry on the clothes line, opened windows to air the house, and the birds were singing. Then I got an email to say that my entry into this year's Montana World of Wearable Arts had been accepted! A day for celebration indeed!
This entry is my fourth submission to WOW. I was successful in 2006 and 2007, unsuccessful in 2008, and now success again in 2009. It is not easy getting selected for this prestigious event, especially now that entries come from all around the world. It is certainly becoming a true international event of significance.
My entry this year is in the FOLD section. I am unable to show you this of course because of the rules, but here are my entries in 2006 and 2007. Both are being modelled my daughter-in-law Angela.

The Eye Catcher 2006

Spotty Dotty 2007

And on a totally different subject. I now receive a New Zealand blog called Over the Net and on the Table - more stuff about art than you can shake a stick at it claims. A recent entry was about the Swedish Bunny Project which uses the rabbit as a symbol of subversive activities. It showed the following images which at first glance look very threatening but look again and you will see that the dynamite sticks are carrots! I love it! How do people think of such things.....

Next Signal Designs

While at the Surface Design Association conference I visited the Merchants Venue (for me who usually has a stall at such events, it was very pleasurable wandering around browsing) and spent time at the stall of Next Signal Designs, owned and operated by Ruthie Powers. I was impressed with these contemporary rubber stamps, and purchased a couple. Below are some samples I have done using the Comb design. I like to mount (using carpet tape) any stamps I make or purchase on to clear perspec which allows for sighting the edge through the perspec thus allowing good registration. I also save small pieces of picture frame glass for the same purpose, but first taping the edges of the glass for safety. The Comb stamp has been secured to a piece of scrap perspec found in a gutter while out walking one day. As one edge was abit rough I have taped them all. I also like to put some sort of marking on the mounting to determine orientation when printing.

The Comb stamp 6cm x 12cm (2.5" x 4.5")

Below are some of my experiments with the Comb stamp. The first couple of images are just some different ways of using the stamp; and the third is a fat quarter.

Simple experiment with Comb stamp...

... and some more

Here I have used a pre-dyed background and created blocks with the stamp in alternating directions. A second colour has been printed over the top in a reverse direction. The colours have been reversed too in some blocks. I also masked circles of freezing paper on the fabric, and then added some stamped rings, green overlaid with white for added interest.

Working in a Series

Among other things, I am currently working on a series of 12 pieces linked because of their uniform size and the same base fabric (silk pongee). Each piece is 22.5cm x 31cm (9" x 12") which is the size of the blank silk screen I am using to work these pieces. Eventually they will hang as a group, four pieces wide, three pieces deep.
And if anyone is thinking that smaller pieces should be 'easier' than larger ones (which are more normal for me), then I would like to inform you that this is not so! Everything takes just as long to think through, prepare, then accomplish. I have now completed the third in the series.
Once again I have used some torn paper resists which I screened with pigment. The pigment is opaque and will often look 'heavy' compared to previous (dyed) applications. So before the pigment had dried (and before heatsetting) I washed the fabric and gave the pigment a light scrub. This removed some of the pigment and left a much more subtle result.

A detail showing the washed pigment application. I like the more transparent result and the outside edge definition

Now finished, detail only. On to the next one now.....

Feeling chuffed

Lovely surprise this week when I received the latest Surface Design Association e-newsletter, followed by the hard copy. On the cover are nine images from the members' exhibition at the recent conference which I attended. Over 200 pieces were displayed in this exhibition so I am delighted to see my piece featured in the centre of the cover of the newsletter. All pieces are 45cm x 45cm (18" x 18").

The SDA newsletter cover, my piece Three Sisters #3 is the centre image.

This last weekend I travelled to Rotorua for a family get-together. It was a great time just blobbing out and enjoying each other's company. On the way there I travelled over the Desert Road in the middle of our North Island and the mountains were stunning. Clear blue sky, crisp air and they seemed so close...

Mount Ngauruhoe

Mount Ruapehu

Torn Paper

There's nothing wrong with something as simple as torn newspaper resists. I like the soft edges and the fact that it is almost impossible to determine the exact tear, so unexpected shapes and lines are the outcomes. And it is cheap enough to keep trying until the shapes look right.

Below is some simple lines printed on to a new piece. As the white pigment is very opaque (to cover any dark substrate) I have blotted the print with a paper towel after printing.

All positioned and taped ready to print

First print...

Second print, detail only

And just for fun, a dancing figure torn from paper....

...and here it is printed

Several new exhibitions opened at Pataka, Porirua, this week. Second Life displays five artist projects using recycled everyday materials, the detritus of contemporary society, into works of art. Lots of challenging concepts to consider. Also on show is Fiji Masi - Cloth of the Gods. Masi is commonly called barkcloth or tapa and there are some wonderful examples on display. Well worth a visit. And the cafe is great too.....

Art Cloth v Fabric Lengths

I have now finished the fabric length I have shown over the last couple of blogs. I have added some more text and it seems to have balanced the whole length. The text is from a photo sensitive silk screen I prepared sometime ago and it has become quite useful. I used the words Figures In the Mist which are somewhat vague and romantic at the same time. I prepared the original with different fonts and font sizes, and when screening I am able to select portions.

This is a sample print from the whole screen

The completed fabric length, 2 metres x 112cm wide (2yds6in x 44in)

A detail from the completed fabric length

Giving titles to the type of work we do is important. I concentrate on two areas ie. my art pieces (WholeCloth Banners) and hand-dyed fabric lengths (Uppity Fabrics). Often a length of hand-dyed fabric is refered to as Art Cloth but I consider Art Cloth and my fabric lengths to be quite different. Both are lengths of fabric but whereas an Art Cloth is usually displayed and seen as a whole piece, a fabric length needs to be envisaged as made into a garment ie cut pieces draped, seamed, tucked with darts etc, and of course must be capable of laundering.
Pricing of my fabric lengths is always difficult. I nolonger just consider the amount of fabric in a piece ie width and length, or the type of fabric (usually silk) but how many dye applications there has been, and how complicated each was to do. In other words, it is the time and skill spent on producing the length that dictates the price.

Fabric Length

I have been working further on the 2 metre silk/rayon length that I showed last week. This is an interesting fabric because the silk side and the rayon side will take the dye differently and be quite a contrast to each other.

This shows both sides of the fabric and the contrast. I have toned the colours down by over-dyeing with green, using the principle that red tones will turn brown with the addition of a green. I have chosen to work with the rayon side.

It still lacked a focus so I screened on some circles part of which were masked off with strips of paper. Originally the circles appeared very dark after printing so I made a decision to wash the fabric before it had completed batching. In hindsight I should have left it abit longer to achieve a slightly stronger print but it can be difficult making such a decision.

Then I decided to screen a block of text in random areas.

Herewith a detail.

And much to my surprise I didn't come across any fabric shops during my travels in Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria although I did sight a FABRIC sign further down one street in which I was walking in Vancouver. Closer inspection showed a very closed up shop front, with a notice describing a suitable dress code for those entering. Whoops! I think it was a nightclub! However, I liked the juxtaposition of FABRIC and dress code.....