6 New Collages

On a roll for collages, more to come. Here's 6 for now. All matted. Way too much fun!

Crafts Show or Bust! part 6 Where do you Store all of THAT!

storage










I have a wonderful huge square room for a studio. NO closets though. I have learned to arrange furniture to create spaces for a kitchen area, desk and a place to store my booth equipment when I'm not doing a show. I arrange the 2 panels of the booth to the right when you walk into the studio. The studio door alines with the L-shaped 'closet' and blocks all my mess from view. This works well when I have open studios and the door is left ajar. The front of the 'closet' allows me to hang a small portfolio and announcements. This is on view immediately as folks enter for Open Studios and is adjacent to my sales desk. So far this arrangement works well.

 The next OPEN STUDIO IS MAY 9th, 10-5!!

Crafts Show or Bust! part 5 There and Back

Finished and back. This is an athletic event.  Check with your Doctor before attempting!

It was a great show though and I like meeting people and  talk about my art! 

I am lucky enough to have a freight elevator in my building  to take all of the exhibit equipment up and down the stairs to the truck. We also have carts, which helps allot. Each time I do a show I learn something. This time, I discovered labeling the legs of the booth helps with a quicker and more efficient set up. This is important for me because my booth is second hand and has right and wrong sides. And we all want to present our best side!

Crafts Show or Bust! part 4 It's a GO!!

My booth and all the trimmings are now stuffed into the truck
for transport to Paradise City Crafts

Show. I purchased a convertible dolly/cart and it has already made a big difference! I can load 3 panels at once and wheel them to where I need them! 


The building where the show is is huge! Last time I carried everyone of the 9 panels and all else to the rear of the building where my exhibit space was- this cart is golden! 

Now to pack some fancy smancy clothes to wear during the show.

Pictures -top to bottom

folding cart

bulging portfolios

inside the truck

pile to go at the studio

Crafts Show or Bust! part 3 Back to the Backings

One more week and I'm off to Paradise City Craft Show! March 20-22. 

pictured above- Inner Heart.
Left- piles of collage work.



 Scarves are pressed, rolled, and packed, now to finish up some pieces. I have the traditional flat rollable work, but some work is mounted onto stretcher bars. I apply a painted stabilizer back, as shown here, for a professional finish. I usually paint my hand and press onto the backs of pieces, as a sort of logo. Add a printed clear label and done. All of this requires allot of computer time to make the labels and catalog inventory.

 I have alot of collages now as a result of making some for Fiberart for a Cause. I mount these in mats and place in clear bags with labels.  These are displayed in bins. I usually have sample in a frame so customers can see how it could look.

Whew!

Fabric Transformations Workshop Series

This 4 week series covers a variety of low tech surface design methods; Fabric Painting, Sunprints, Resists, Momoprinting, and more. 

Take one or All! Make your stash NEW!!

You'll learn new techniques or be inspired by new ideas. I will offer the workshops at my studio #336, at the Salmon Fall Mills, Front St , Rollinsford, NH (Directions at www.millartists.com)

The workshop run is 4/11- 5/2/09 from 10-4. The first day will start at 9:30 for registration and payment. The cost is $200.00 for the entire series or $55.00 per individual class. There is a small materials fee. 

To register or for information- contact me at wenreddy@yahoo.com. Please indicate "surface design class" in subject box.

Crafts Show or Bust! part 2 The Scarves

As I am preparing to iron 20 plus scarves, create labels, print labels, push holes, thread and pin to the scarves, I felt myself getting heavier. I guess I better do this sooner than later. I start to press and the magic happens. The wrinkled mass of silk flattens and glows. The light touch of simmer shines back at me like, well, bird song? Each scarf is a new delight of color, some vivid and obvious, while others are subtle and beacon a closer look. Now I remember why I do this!! Piling the ironed scarves to roll for transport, I decided to share this task brighten with remembered pleasure.

Collages

One collage leads to another or is it not working on my art since- well, November, due to the art business , I FINALLY got 'forced'  back to the studio to create some collages for Fiberart for a Cause, noted in previous post. I kept going and going, kinda like that cute pink bunny in the battery commercials, clapping my hands and making 3 collages at a the same time.  I have noticed when I get an idea it's a good idea to try it small first and then expand the idea into larger pieces. 

Check my etsy shop for more!

Collage Mania

Virginia Spiegel has organized Fiberart For a Cause which calls artists to donate small collages, proceeds to the American Cancer Society.  

Here are 6 of my 10 donated collages.

Note link on right.

Crafts Show or Bust! part 1

While working on a variety of projects to sell at an upcoming crafts 

show, I observed the chaos of my efforts. Hmmm. Do folks have any idea of what goes on behind the scenes of a fine craft show? 

OK I thought - this is worth documenting! 

Starting right here in my studio. I'll take more pictures of the whole process as I get ready for the Paradise City show in Marlborough MA, March 20-22. 

I just hope it doesn't snow!

Book Give Away

I purchased several Fabric Art Gallery books when I was published and have 4 to give away. Please email me at wenreddy@yahoo.com and I will send you a book. 

All I ask is a check to reimburse shipping- not too bad for a book,eh?

Ok That's it- they are all gone! Wow

Blast to the Past

Sewing, free form quilts, by the rules quilts, folk quilts, free applique quilts ( later to be know as collage quilts), art quilts, painted fabric quilts, digital work. Ah, the progression of a fabric artist. Reading a online list, I have been forced to remember my roots. It has been a journey from 

piecing whatever I had on hand and machine quilting- in 1973 or 74- I just didn't  'know'  any better to digital printing and inventing my holographic fiber work.

My first books were the Noank Quilt Factory by Sharon McKain 1974, a nonconventional yet informative book, the Gutcheon books that I still have for some reason, to Yvonne Porcella and the grand dame of the wearable art movement, Virginia Avery. I was into antiques,  still am,  and those timeless treasures of antique quilts drove my interest.

This paralleled my partner's and my move 'back to the land' to  a farm in NH in 1979. He and I raised all sorts of animals, vegie gardened, put it all up, and heated with wood he cut. Mind you, this actually went on for 15 years or so, while I birthed my 3 children. Prior to that in 1975, when I was a Home Economic 's teacher, I taught sewing to the lucky boys and girls. We did NOT make aprons, oh no THAT! We designed our own patterns, sewn and quilted soft sculpture. WHO remembers that! We hung them from the ceiling and invited the principle for tea. He was bug eyed! Nice, the kids loved it!

Here are a couple early pieces, most are still on slides- what a ball it's been!

Pieces noted here are Molly modeling a vesting, 198?. Forest for the Trees- 1989?, Beyond Gender-1985?  , and Amethyst Summer, 1996.

Face Book Wonderings

Just joined face book. A labyrinth. It goes in many directions at once. But it is all about connections. And that is it's allure. I can identify with the circuitous thinking that is involved here. It is similar to the percolation of idea hopping I do with art making. We'll see how this works out. Does it bring me to people or does it just take up time. Is this the time that matters or that folks see I take the time?

When is art not craft?

When is art not craft? An interesting question with no clearly defined answer. Do we use artistic skills to create craft? Do we learn our craft so we can make art? One thing is clear- this issue is not black and white. Some would argue that if it has a function, it is craft. A beautifully made vase is craft but a beautifully made vase can also be art. 

For me, my work comes from my soul, from my heart to art. The patron who views my art is in the act of completing the art. Their perspective adds to the finish. What they see, what they feel is a very connected part of the communication that art strives to convey. That dialogue is the art.

Thermal Facts #2

As a follow up to my 12/10/08 post about thermal facts. I make my thermal fax silk screens using my nifty machine purchased from Welch Products.
I use duck tape around the screen as it is cheaper than the plastic frames you can buy. I use 2 or even 3 thickness on larger screens to keep them from buckling.
Secure 1/2 of the tape on one side, fold and continue.
Be sure to press firmly along the inner edge.
Pin, tape or spray your screen in position on your surface.
Lately, my daughter and I have been having fun screening motifs onto shirts and sweatshirts. I screen with a lighter color at first and continue using the screen with different colors, without worrying about the color too much. This often leads to nice spreads and delightful combinations.  I will either place a thin line on the duck tape 'well' or paint the paint right onto my squeegee. The squeegee can be anything- I have used old credit cards, dummies they send in the mail, paint spreaders found in your local Mart, to the real deal professional, ahem, squeegee. Squeegee the screen using somewhat fast even pressure, perhaps twice. Too much pressure or too slow a squeegee results in too much paint  though the screen, creating a bloated image. The surface you work on should be somewhat padded, like an ironing board. Be sure to wash your screen out before the paint dries in it. I usually throw it into a pan of water, and move on while it is soaking. The paint dissolves out like a dirty pan, then rinse and hang or blot to dry. Occasionally you'll need to scrub- do this gently with a soft brush.
I usually clean my squeegee's and other items used to direct the paint, onto a damp cloth. These have resulted in some unusual painted fabric. A good way to change your old stash. Have Fun!!

Hello, Sun in My Face!

Hello, Sun in my face.

Hello, you who made the morning

and spread it over the fields and 

into the faces of tulips

and the nodding morning glories

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable and the crotchety-

best preacher that ever was,

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

to keep us from ever darkness,

to ease us with warm touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light-

good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

Poem by Mary Oliver

 to help us celebrate the return of light, the new season, the hope we carry  in our hearts.