A Body of Work

What is a body of work?

A collection that has a beginning and an end.  You never really know it is beginning when it is beginning  You only know by looking back and saying, "Ah yes, this is when this body of work began."  And you never know it has ended until it ends.  You only know by looking back and saying, "Ah, yes, that collection ended."  The important thing is that you collect it as a body of work. Define it.  Date it.  I am approaching an ending.  It began in late October when my formulas changed to tones and shades.  This shibori dyed, copper vest of alpaca, merino and silk was hand felted on the FeltLOOM.   Thank you +lanette@feltloom.com  My current body of work will probably end after the Kentucky Craft Market on Mar 2-3 and I begin to ponder colors and designs for summer and the next Lexington Fashion Collaborative Future of Fashion event.  It's always a pleasure working with +Soreyda Benedit Begley and +Sarah Estes to produce this event.

Power of Rotation

Power of Rotation

What you can do with a painting 

that you can't do with a wearable 

is rotate it if it's not working.  

What you can do with a wearable 

that you can't do with a painting 

is turn it inside out and wear it.

 What I'm doing with my paintings is rotating techniques.

After shibori dyeing pole wrapped felted alpaca and merino onto silk with the FeltLOOM

I'm taking remnants to another level by responding to the shibori line with metalic acrylic.

From +Danielle Wittler I'm learning the power of Irregular Design.

Today I turn my felted fabric inside out to make a vest with the silk side showing. 

 

Leftovers

What to do with the shibori dyed merino, alpaca and silk  felted leftovers after you've made a 

garment and you have all those beautiful remnants?   

I have begun experimenting.  I felt some on rug backings and embellish with beads and paints.  I make individual scarves out of some.  After hanging several strips on a hanger I'm intrigued with making a mobile after being inspired by my friend, Kathleen Obrien.

Slowly, I'm getting back to my art making routine

Filling every station with a work in progress

Nuno felted merino and alpaca 

waits to be wrapped

Raw silk, rayon and cotton

Wait for a theme, a palette to descend upon me

More for summer? 

Tangerine Copper

 Or is it time to fall into winter? 

Blue Violet

Yesterday I dyed two 44" charmeuse silk scarves in rainbow colors

Today I start a fire in the wood stove

To hasten the drying

Green Shibori Felted Merino and Silk Tie

What to do with the leftovers?  It's the same questions with meals.  After I've made something beautiful with the wool I felted on the FeltLOOM I have all these beautiful pieces of fabric.  Truly  there is no not art.  The fabric in pieces is as beautiful as the full piece.  I can't throw it away.  My most recent discovery is to felt these long pieces together using the FeltLOOM.  So fast, yet wonderfully funky, in its own way.  Four inches at the widest part, 2" at the most narrow.  Or cut it up.  It's okay with me, and make your own art!  Order it on Etsy

Wear It or Use It

Art is Everywhere
Make Art Now

Using your imagination, this could be a funky scarf, made on the FeltLOOM from scraps of leftover shibori dyed felted alpaca and merino wool and silk , or it could be art supplies for making your own art.   The widest part is 6.5”  the narrowest is 1”. The natural edges are alpaca and merino, the body is silk. The art is up to you!
Find it on Etsy

When the Weather Changes Everything Changes

Joe Pye, the weed, is falling down, he's so heavy, and the leaves are starting to turn, and it took over a week for the remnants of Irene's rain to finally stop.  Hence, the merino wool I dyed several days ago still hasn't dried.  It's always a debate; does the sun or low humidity dry fabric faster?  Since there was no sun, I put the poles inside hoping the dehumidifiers would soak up all the moisture.  They are still damp.  Hopefully the sun will come out soon to speed up the process.  Yesterday I used the FeltLOOM to felt 1/4 pound merino and silk gauze.  Today, in preparation for Julie's wearable art coat, I began my shibori process.  I wrapped the  felted merino and silk around four more poles, tied them with string, scrunched them tight, soaked each one in 1 part vinegar, 1 part water and a dash of synthrapol so they would better absorb the dye.  Another debate; how damp can they still be to not dilute the dye.  I always know when they were too damp by how much dripping there is.  Another fine line.  Sometimes the dripping blends the colors just right.  Julie wants the fire sunset color that I used before, only no fuchsia.   Fire Sunset is a combination of red, orange and purple.  Eliminating pink is tricky since purple contains fuchsia.  I added a little violet to the formula.  We shall see.

You Are Prolific!

Got scraps?  Have remnants?  Share them.  Sell them or give them away.  "You are prolific," my painting teacher, Marilyn Hamann, once said.  Sometimes we can hang on and save too much.  Too much stuff can hold us back.  Too much time spent moving it around.  Looking at it, thinking, someday I'm going to use this.....Today, I pack up and send this collection of  handfelted painted shibori alpaca and merino wool to my daughter, Danielle. Can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Art on The Wall, or on the Body

You  could take this hand felted, shibori painted, Kentucky alpaca and Texas merino wool down off the wall and wrap it around you.  Especially on a suddenly cool spring evening.

Sewing and thinking about Mom

 Everytime I work on the sewing table I got from my mom I remember all the dresses she made for me and my sisters.  And while she always thought she wasn't an artist, she definitely had her style!

Fuchsia, hand-felted, shibori dyed, Kentucky alpaca, Texas merino and silk.

Merino and Alpaca and Locks

I admit it.  I can't stop touching this piece or looking at it.  Now to take it to another level is the challenge.