Wednesday, July 31, 2013

"Fire Storm" and "Vision Quest"

Awhile back, I decided to do some experimenting with dyeing cotton twill using my "Freeze Dyed" method.  I liked how the fabrics turned out, but never came up with a project to use them.  Well, last weekend, I pulled a couple of pieces out and put them on my design board, and suddenly I saw things!  I do have a very active imagination, but these 2 just screamed out at me.  I decided to try framing one:
See if you get the same vision I did: I'm standing in the middle of a charred forest, with blackened tree trunks above.  Through them, I see clouds of smoke, and the sun a white disk barely shining through.  Down below, the flames still lick at the dwindling fuel.  I call this "Fire Storm".

This one is a little harder to see in a photo, and I haven't mounted or framed it yet.  But as I look at it, I see walls of red rock, a waterfall, faces, a lone figure with face looking up, appearing to have hands over the face... and as I look in the enter, I see other faces looking out of the mist.  No, I'm not on drugs, folks!  Just seeing images in the dye... it's why I love the medium!  I call this one "Vision Quest", and hope to find a way to present it.  "Fire Storm" goes to the Artists' Coalition Gallery today and will be on display through August.


7 comments:

Sherrie Spangler said...

I DO see what you see! Maybe I'm the one on drugs! They're beautiful.

Beth said...

I can see it too - especially the face!!

Carol R. Eaton Designs said...

I love your pieces! I can definitely see your vision.

Now what is freeze dyed fabric... do share!

Judy Sall Fiber Art said...

Hi, Carol, and thanks for your kind words! I'm glad you can see the vision too... as for "freeze dyeing", after I soda soak the item to be dyed and scrunch it into a container, I put it in the freezer for about an hour... long enough for it to harden. Then I remove the container from the freezer, apply the dyes (liquid, not powder), let batch for several hours, and it's ready to wash out. I find that when I freeze the piece, I get crisper markings compared to ordinary low water immersion dyeing. The 2 pieces in this article were cotton twill, and I wanted to see how they would dye using this method... I also did a number of other pieces, which came out nicely as well. Not sure yet what I will use them for, but something will come to mind!
Happy dyeing,
Judy

Carol R. Eaton Designs said...

Thanks for clarifying! That sounds intriguing... I've had an idea rolling around in my head that involves crisp lines but haven't been able to make it happen. I'll give this a try if you don't mind my jumping in!

Judy Sall Fiber Art said...

Can't wait to see what you do, Carol! And I hope you post about it. I love bloggers... that's how I have learned so much the past 6 years, and I've made some nice friends as well... which includes you, Beth, and Sherrie!

Lynda said...

These are beautiful. I looked at the second piece before reading your description and I saw all those faces. Vision Quest - what a great title.