Sometimes it takes awhile

Sometimes it takes a long time to figure out the right frame for a small tapestry. Or at least it does for me.

I finished a tapestry for the ATA small format show back in 2008 as part of a group submission. We all were tasked with weaving a small tapestry in one hue and some metallic with a theme of palm trees. I selected 'cassette tape brown' as my hue. The entire piece was woven in cassette tape some of which I spray painted for a higher value with a bit of shimmer. I like the piece but could never figure out the right way to hang it....until yesterday.

It is in a shadow box frame, raised a bit over glass. Beneath the glass is this aqua material with flecks of the same color as the moon in the tapestry. It is almost perfect. I am a bit leery of using glass since it breaks so easily. I may switch it out with a bit of plexi which would also make it lighter and have a bit less glare. I had to take the picture off from the center to avoid most of the glare.

It looks really nice next to my Folding Space tapestry in my studio.

Mulling

It is always interesting how the idea for a tapestry comes to fruition. While at the Tapestry Weavers West exhibit in Petaluma earlier this year, I saw the proportion of a tapestry that I wanted to weave. It was big; five feet high and seven feet long. It looked absolutely wonderful; perfectly proportioned on the big white wall. That proportion has been mulling around in the back of my mind along with a few other ideas and I now have this great concept for a tapestry; I can see it clearly.

However, five by seven is pretty big; I'd have to weave the tapestry sideways since my loom is only six feet wide. That raised some issues to mull over. Since I've never woven anything the entire width of my loom I decided I'd go slightly smaller, with a similar proportion, 6 by 4 1/4 feet.

I cut out paper to use as a cartoon and realized it may be smaller than my original idea but it is still massive - no table big enough at this house....will be on my knees drawing out the initial lines of the cartoon.

Speaking of massive, I wondered if the piece would be intriguing enough to keep my interest for the months it will take to weave. After more mulling, I've decided to weave a slice of my piece; a sample of sorts; about 18 inches wide and 4 1/4 high. This smaller slice of my design will allow me to get the colors right, the technique sorted out and give me more time to mull over the final design.

It is fortunate I wanted to start with a smaller slice. When I went to my warp stash - there was only enough warp of the size I needed for a slice. More mulling over whether I want 30/18 or something slightly smaller. But that mulling can wait for another day.

My loom is threaded and waiting for the final tie-up. Simply need to finish up the cartoon, dye some yarn and get weaving. I'd like to start weaving by the end of May.

Time Out

Its time for Spring Cleaning of the Studio.

The Before Photo - -


With the help of my painter, I removed most everything from my studio this morning including the contents of three closets and quite a few bookcases. It is remarkable how much I can pack in one room in an organized fashion. But it is the big Spring Cleaning. It does not happen often. The census happens only once per decade so it seems does the complete Spring Cleaning of my studio. Cleaning has happened before - but this one is the complete one.

Everything is removed from its spot, every tapestry and piece of art is taken off the walls, everything removed from the bulletin boards, nothing remains on the various bookcases, even the bookcases are removed from the room. Three table looms remain on the remaining furniture. The nails, pins, hooks, etc. have been removed and the holes in the walls have been patched and tomorrow the paint arrives.

Everything will be re-evaluated before re-entering the studio with a fresh eye for the future. I anticipate full trash cans for the next several weeks. A gallery hanging system will arrive in a week so I can easily hang and change my wall hangings without putting nails in the walls.

Here is the interim photo - -

In a week or so, there will be fresh paint, a new arrangement of my work area withing the constraints of the room and a renewed vigor to get things done.

My Bridge in the Rain

Here is my entry for the ATA Small Format Exhibit which will be showing in Santa Fe this July. It is called Bridge in the Rain #3.

Hopefully it looks a bit familiar. The Japanese artist Ando Hiroshige did a scene like this, Sudden Shower in a wood block print in 1857. Van Gogh later (in 1887) used it as inspiration for this Japonaiserie: The Bridge in the Rain. I followed both of them in 2010 with my interpretation in fiber of a similar scene.

My piece is five inches in diameter. Woven at 14 epi with hand dyed silk singles. It was a complex and technical piece which I would like to weave again now that I know what I need to do to improve the end result.

Tapestry in Petaluma

I was delighted I was able to finally view the Tapestry Weavers West tapestry exhibit in Petaluma, California before it closed. It was a spectacular exhibit in a great venue.

Here is my niece and her two year old viewing my tapestry called Folding Space.