What a month!

My last post was not quite a month ago - I had to look back to think of all that has happened since then.

June 12th we got to evacuate again - a new fire started on the west side of the peaks and came through the canyon heading northeast.  We saw the smoke, I got bags ready, then we got the "Go" to evacuate.  Back over to my friend Cinde's for 4 days!

I had just set up a shirt to gravity dye, so it sat there for the duration:

If I had been home, I most likely would have rinsed it out the next day, and I don't know if it would have come out like this, but I sure like it!  My love affair with gravity dyeing was sparked, and I've been doing more since we returned!  Here are a couple, including one I custom dyed for a friend:

This one was purchased by a fellow artist at Arts Connection the day I brought it in!

Sold this one to a fellow artist at Sedona Artist Market!  Think I'm on a roll...

And I custom dyed this for another fellow artist, Louise!  Got one in the washer right now as well...

On another note, I recently got a bunch of my bowls back from my friend Jana - we had been collaborating on gift baskets - she's a soap maker - but her business wasn't doing well, so she decided to close up shop.  So I decided to increase my booth space at Arts Connection from a wall display to a large round table, and I got it set up earlier this week:

It's nice to have a space with a 360 degree view, and it's right up in front at the gallery.... first thing people see when they come in!

So what's next?  Well, our annual Flagstaff Open Studios tour will be the last weekend in August, and I will be joining my friend Cinde and 3 other artists at Cinde's home for the event!  And we are bringing back the Prelude Exhibit at Arts Connection - each artist who is participating in Open Studios will have space to show 2 or 3 of their creations so that people can visit the exhibit to see which of the locations they want to visit during the event.  Prior to Covid19, our opening was always well attended, and Cinde's location has had around 100 visitors during the weekend of Open Studios!  We are looking forward to another successful weekend August 27-28, so if you're in the Flagstaff Area, be sure to stop by Arts Connection for more information about the event!  

Meanwhile, back to the dye works I go...

Card weaving & more

I have wanted to make woven wall hangings since I first saw some back in the 70's... some dreams never die, they just take awhile to come true!  I recently came across a book, "Weaving Off-Loom" written in 1973, which is a great resource for weaving techniques using non-traditional methods, and I have begun the process of learning.  I completed one hanging, and I'm working on or thinking about several more.  Here is the first:

 

I love these because they incorporate various materials, not all fiber.  I have deadwood, beads, dyed scrim, wool roving and a variety of yarns in this piece.  There was no formal plan for how this would turn out, only inspiration from some of the photos in the book.  I made a "loom" from a piece of foam board, strung the warp using crochet floss, and just started playing... great fun, and the results convinced me I will be doing more of these!
On another topic, I have made several "Thread bowls" using scraps of sewing thread, embroidery floss, and other fiber or yarn scraps.  I was recently invited to enter one of my bowls in an upcoming exhibit at High Country Conference Center here in Flagstaff, and I had just finished a large bowl, so it will be in the exhibit:

This one measures 10 3/4" by 3 1/4"... the largest one I have made so far.  I have plans to make something a little different soon... more of a sculpture item than a bowl shape.  Love using up these thread scraps!

Coming up soon is the 21st Annual Flagstaff Open Studios Tour, August 25-26, with the Prelude Exhibit opening at Arts Connection Gallery at Flagstaff Mall on Saturday, August 4.  So I am busy preparing for both events, and look forward to another fun August!

Enjoy the rest of summer, and stay tuned... will post more soon.

My pieces for Prelude

Just a quick post to show the 2 pieces I will be exhibiting (and hopefully selling!) at our Prelude Exhibit, which opens next Saturday at the Arts Connection Gallery in the Flagstaff Mall:

This is a covered bowl, and utilizes a piece of black walnut branch for a handle.  I made leaves from Lutradur, a man-made fiber which is very versatile.  I painted it, stitched the leaf veins and outline, cut them out, then distressed them with my heat gun.  To finish them, I added a cluster of pearl-like beads strung on copper wire.  I really love how this came out!

This is one of my rayon jackets, dyed using whiffle balls to create a color burst effect.  I love the colors - fuchsia and garabaldi orange... yummy!

I will post pictures of the opening which is always a great event... Flagstaff really turns out to support its artists!