Another Fabulous Fiber Exhibit!

My Tapestry Spiral by Nicki Bair, CFA Member

I spoke today at the reception for the Contemporary Fiber Works Exhibit by the California Fiber Artists at the Grand Theatre in Tracy. What a wonderful gallery; newly renovated, bright, light, airy and filled with beautiful fiber work.  I was especially pleased with how the curator, William Wilson arranged My Tapestry Spiral.  I have written previously how each curator can add their personal touch when installing the piece.  It was partially attached to the wall and partially draped over a pillar.   It's cool how the short warp ends hand down so neatly in contrast with the the longer pieces at the other end.

The other fiber pieces were extraordinary; great diversity, very creative and extremely well executed.  California Fiber Arts is a collective of independent fiber artists offering a fusion of fiber and mixed-media in both 2D and 3D. Here's a quick view of the main gallery.  Photos do not do these pieces justice.  You really need to see them from about five feet away and then go up real close and check out the details.  Being up close to these pieces is simply divine.  The detail is astonishing.

Partial View of Gallery set up for Gallery Talk

I must admit, I have never been to Tracy.  I have passed it many many times on the freeway on my trips between LA and SF/Sacramento.  I recommend you take a rest stop in Tracy and check out the gallery.   If they are closed simply peek in the window - you can see most of the pieces...just not close up!

View of Lobby with Three Bilingual Geese by Louse Schiele
and Magnolias by Terry Waldron, both CFA members

Contemporary Fiber Works by California Fiber Arts

September 9th - October 27th

Grand Theatre Center for the Arts

715 Central Ave. Tracy, CA 95376

Open Tuesday-Friday 10-6pm

Saturday 10-2pm

Designing Weavers - Expressions

Another wonderful Designing Weavers exhibit is up at the Escondido Municipal Gallery.  This Designing Weavers exihibit, the third this summer, is an intimate one where you can get up close and really see and appreciate the diversity of the fiber works exhibited.   Each time you walk around the room, you notice something new and special about the pieces. The exhibit is up until September 29th.  

Double your fiber in one visit.  When you go also check out the West Coast Fiber and Book Art Exhibition that is in the main gallery.  There are some really wild pieces there - don't miss the embroidered vaginas or the knitted canoes! 

   

Here are some photos I took right before the reception started of the Designing Weavers Expressions exhibit.  Enjoy!

View from the entrance with pieces by Regina Vorgang in foreground,
Jean Degenfelder on left and Michael Rhode center.

Jacquard flowers by Sandra Rude, basket by Nadine Spier

On the right; vest by Sarah Jackson and felting by Jean Degenfelder

Three beetles by Nicki Bair

Wall hanging by Maureen Cox

Mary Saxon with her jacket

From the left; tapestry by Rebecca Smith, smaller tapestry by Debbie Shoenberger
and basket by Nadine Spier

Baskets by Rebecca Smith

Danger Coat by Trish Lange which enough space to walk behind
the coast to view the astonishing back; a must see!

My Wedges Appear

Pelican Viewing the Sunset - WIP

I found some time to get back to the loom today and started putting in the wedge weave into my pelican tapestry.  I was pleasantly surprised see how 'wedgey' it became.  On the two other wedge pieces I wove (albeit smaller and different setts) I didn't see any wedges until I released the tension.  But here it's quite visible. I've got a fairly good tension; a bit tighter than I would normally use yet the wedges are visible after just one or two passes.  It will be interesting to see how much more it will distort when the tension is released.

This tapestry is a bit of a sampler of sorts.  On the side I just finished; to the right of the pelican, are strips which vary in width and I am having the wedge go completely across the strip.  By doing this, I can see how the width impacts the size and shape of the wedge given this sett and yarn.

Tomorrow, if I can make it back to this loom,  I start working on the left side where the strips are the same size and I get to vary other parameters.    

Pelican Watching the Sunset

I have been working a wee bit every day on this tapestry.  I wanted to finish up the plain  weave before I start the wedge weave. i have a pelican in the foreground with the ocean right at that point in time whne the sun has slipped below the horizon.  Here is a WIP shot... the loom makes it tough to get a good angle of the front.  You're missing the pelican's feet and the post it's standing on...

Looks small ... 40 inches wide and 12 inches tall so far...

Finally I have reached the point where the wedge weave will start.  I will be having strips of wedge weave going up the tapestry using various permutations of wedge weave to see how it works under different scenarios.  That is the next stage - defining what I will do in each strip.  The strips will continue to almost the top where I will finish off with plain weave tapestry again.   In the middle where the blue stops is the horizon line; above which there will be the most luminous sunset my yarn will allow.  Well, that's the plan...

Next WIP photo should be when everything below the horizon line is complete.   How I get a straight horizon line with all these different permuations of wedge weave is another puzzle to figure out.

Pulled Tapestry - How To Make a Helicoid

I often get that 'how did you do that?' question.   The piece I get that the most on is My Tapestry Spiral.  So here is a piece I wrote a couple of years ago describing how I made this helicoid.  Remember if you make one, send me a photo of your helicoid.

You should be able to click on the image and make it bigger...


Enjoy!