You Can Wear Any Color

Blue green, crepe tuniic with devore shawl

Walking in the woods yesterday, I saw the same brown I am dyeing for a mother of the bride statement kimono and tank dress.  It was in the leaves left over from last fall; deep, rich, rusty, copper, with a touch of dark forest green.

Even though the leaves came from last fall, now aged into late spring, they held their vibrancy.  Who would think that the colors of spring would include the age of fall? Clearly, every color can be found any season.

How did I get on my color path, my artful path, my path of self expression?  

I let go.

One day when I was on my lunch hour from my first office job, I was drawn into a store that sold a more expensive line of clothing than I was inclined to buy.  I was 20.  I was a Sears or JC Penney girl. It was a risky step.  I decided that I would try on pants and blouses that were bright and brilliant. The pants were orange and fuchsia.  They were each paired with a floral blouse. They were not the bright and brilliant colors of summer.  They were subtly toned, as the leaves are when they slowly change. Not my usual choice.  I gazed in the mirror and said to myself,  “I hate this. This is not me.”  I have strong opinions.  I bought it, anyway.  I was tired of buying the same styles and colors over and over.  I wanted to feel what it was like to wear something different.  A relatively safe risk.  

My dad loved it.  I never thought of him as a stylish person, in his USAF uniform or week end overalls. In hindsight, as I peer into his old black and white photographs, I discover he had a very strong since of composition. His was not the only compliment I received.  This began my journey, not only of exploring colors, also in taking risks with self expression.

You can wear any color, dare I be so bold to say.  It’s not about what looks good on you, it’s about what makes you feel wonderful.  You are part of nature.  All colors are part of nature.  Find yourself in the rainbow, it is very large, full and forgiving, as you are. It’s not that you can’t wear part of the rainbow at anytime, its that some parts have blended and rearranged so the derivative is no longer recognizable.  

In order to determine your place in the rainbow, remember your favorite season.  Find it by listening to your body.  To which season are you most drawn? Listen to your friends and their compliments. Write it all down.  Are you spring where the colors are soft, or summer, where the colors are bright, bold, and brilliant? Are you sometimes a little of both?  Getting to know your self through color is an exciting journey you are now ready to embark upon.  

Are you most present in the toned leaves of fall and their bright counterpart, jewels against the sky?  Are you in your element in the deep rich and luscious shades of winter, the spruce, and burgundy?  All these seasons come and go as you do. You know what you like.  What feels good.  

Let’s begin with your favorite season, where memories have lived the fullest. Coffee, chocolate, semi sweet, bitter or milky?  It’s the season you are drawn to that will determine your palette. How to choose your palette?  Ask, what do I like?  Then break it down.  

Let me start with brown.  Deep dark, aged, fall leave brown.  Browns emerge from all color.  The brown I am seeking now emerges from yellow and purple, her compliment.  Purple and yellow are buried in my new found brown.  They create copper and rust.  As the exploration continues, many colors will appear.  And they will be your colors, ready to mix and match and enjoy.  They will tell a story.  They will tell your story.

You can wear any color. It’s easy.  Nature has already begun to cleanse your canvas when she added grey to your hair.  If you choose color to you hair, are you more drawn to yellow or blue? If you have highlights, are they gold or ash.

Shall we collaborate?  Just tell me what you feel.  This is how you will tell me who you are.  What do you like?  How tall are you?  How full are your hips?  What are the colors of your skin, your eyes, your hair, (is it dyed or natural)? The answer to these questions are the beginning of designing your personal, art to wear, composition.

A shibori disruption begins

Disruption: a disturbance, or problem that interrupts an event, an activity or a process.  Today I begin to disrupt everything.  I explore new formulas for shibori.  I consider new designs for art to wear.  I rearrange the order I live my life.  Could that be considered innovation?

First things First

As springs has arrived, new colors appear daily.  The quest for formulas has begun for my shibori silk dyeing and designing of slow fashion wearable art.  Yesterday's fashion taught me the value of art to wear.  As the models walked the runway, they truly did manifest an energy not seen in fast fashion.

Be Lovely

Love making lovely things and taking them to Kentucky Crafted, The Market Mar 5-6 in Lexington. 
http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/Event_Market.htm

All I Want to Do

Is make beautiful things for you to wear to express your beauty.  

When I'm not doing that I write stories that reveal the beauty that surrounds me.

Food and Traditions

Deviled eggs are about the only traditional food left at my family dinners. We don't even call them holiday dinners, anymore. I do still set a pretty table, however, with lace tablecloth and china from my first marriage even though this is my third marriage.  

My mother, the granddaughter of a Methodist missionary from Texas who converted over 500 Indians to Christianity, married my dad, a Catholic and the son of Polish immigrants living in Chicago. Everything was fine until she converted to Catholicism and we started going to Mass instead of a Sunday church service. Mom's mother didn't speak to her for three months.

After I divorced my first husband I became a vegetarian and followed a more Eastern path. Turkey was gone from the dinner table and festivities became more diverse. The china remained and I added candles. 

My second husband was an assimilated Mexican. The only time we celebrated culturally was when we went to his hometown and his mother cooked for all ten of her children. Otherwise, he and I had what I called a "restaurant relationship."  We mostly ate out. In fact, we spent one Christmas Eve at The Jefferson Davis Inn, a local tavern. I cringed at the thought, "if my mother could see me now."

My current husband grew up a Mennonite in South Dakota. In the fifties he migrated to San Francisco, was an original beat hipster and followed Gurdjieff. I'm certain his mother had traditions but he didn't bring many to our marriage and blended family of eleven children. I brought everything back.  Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, fruit salad with whip cream. We raised the kids to think for themselves. 

Currently, three go to Sunday Church services, occasionally; one is an atheist; one married a Jewish woman, they seldom go to the synagogue; one is a Buddhist and practices at Temple weekly; one is Catholic, sorta; two are "spiritual" and two are Jehovah Witnesses and go to meetings. 

Today, when asked to bring a dish, I fix deviled eggs. If I'm hosting, the tablecloth still graces the table, I get down the china and serve . . . ?  Well, that depends 

Feed Your Hungry Chutzpah

The woman desiring to feed her hungry chutzpah knows.

She knows she has something to say.

She is strong in her convictions. 

She expresses them professionally through her work which she performs with integrity and strives for excellence. 

She has strong opinions 

This is the world she comes from. Yet, there is containment. 

Her range of reaching over ut is limited. She wants her knowledge to spread further.  

She holds back. 

She's not sure how to separate the veil. 

She seeks

a mentor, an affirming voice, a "go girl, you can do it, you deserve it," 

a whisper of beauty in the ears of those she comes in contact with,

an expression of calm or intrigue, adventure or serenity, depending on her choice of script for the day. 

She is in control. 

Her chutzpah Is her power tool. 

Daily she chooses wisely. She sets the scene. Defines her script. Arms herself with an appropriate look. Her friends and allies gather around her with questions and affirmations. Her team has been united. Her wisdom is shared. Her elixir is desired. 

It is simple. She knows. She knows what she is doing, where she is going, and most of all she knows we know. She knows we know what we're doing, where we are going. 

She asks simple questions at first. How long did it take you to learn this?  

Without knowing she is seeking complexity. She is seeking intrigue. She knows it is complicated. Like herself. She knows it is mysterious. Like herself. She knows it needs to be experienced to be known, like herself. She knows that if now is not the time to indulge, the time will come.

How does she know? She knows because she knows who she is and where she was going.

Optimizing Systems

Yesterday, when I read the following quote, I was discouraged for most of the day: "Your task is to optimize one system after another, not careen through the day randomly taking care of whatever problems erupt. Your job is not to be a fire killer. Your job is to prevent fires."  ~ SAM CARPENTER

I thought that is exactly what I do, careen randomly and every attempt at optimizing systems has been unsuccessful.

Today, while applying dye to a shibori pole wrapped with needle punched and wet felted merino, I realized why wearable art is so important in my life.  It provides an arena for optimizing systems.  I do not careen randomly.  Art is the arena where I know where I am going, what I am doing.  I "prevent fires whenever possible." And when one occurs, I respond and make art out of it.  In the rest of my life, I apply that same philosophy as often as possible.

Embracing liminal spaces I start where I am.

“That moment when there is nothing to hang on to is the moment when we are most present, most alive, most vulnerable, most human.” ~ Patti Digh

That moment when there is no where to go,

the roads are frozen and the snow beautiful.

Snowstorm Jonas has passed.  

We wait while the snow lingers. 

And make art. The snow becomes my go to, my inspiration.

“Possibility can only be born from the present. From what is owned. From wholeness.”

~ Jennifer Louden

needle felted and wet felted alpaca from Heartfelt Alpaca

layered with soy and tussah silk roving

waits for color.  

I start where I am.

Outside, the table is still covered with snow and it is sooooo cold.  

I take my shibori poles indoors to the sink.

shibori felt dries by the wood stove.

Inside our cabin I curl up by the fire.

Being ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THIS LITTLE MOUNTAIN it takes longer for the snow to melt.  

That's ok.  As long as I have cream for my coffee.

Later today we will hike down the lane,

retrieve our car at the bottom and head for town!

Needle Punched and Wet Felted

Time to shibori dye my new needle punched and wet felted shawl.  I like it white, however, what would it look like dyed?  The piece I'm actually working on has silk mulberry roving.

First I soaked the cotton gauze in 1# of baking soda to 2 gallons of water.  Used the drain spin cycle on the washer and dried in the dryer.  Whether or not to iron was the next question.  I like to try to eliminate as many steps as possible so for this experiment I chose not to iron the gauze.  Hence, the sixth was closer to 26” than 36”.  After following all the steps in my video, I line dried the pieces before pole wrapping them. I drizzled 3-4 colors of fuchsia and yellow green tones.  The fabric was more dense from the wet felting compared to when it was completely felted on the FeltLOOM felting machine.  At first it looked like the dye was just sitting on the fabric.  Not really flowing.  However, by the next day much movement of colors had occurred.

Shibori on the porch

I love how my dog, Highlin' follows me wherever I go.  Today I transform a 60 year old stained linen tablecloth and shibori dye it with tones of fuchsia and yellow green.  Perfect for my holiday party.

Art for the Breeder's Cup

Thank you, Kentucky Arts Council for taking the time to organize a gallery market for Kentucky artist to make our beautiful art available to all the amazing people that will be in Lexington for the Breeder's Cup.

I am honored to have been invited.  This lovely shibori dyed velvet devore shoulder shawl is one of the pieces I am taking to the gallery tomorrow.

Photo Shoot

Eco Topper using Shibori dyed Remnants

Documenting is important.  And sometimes it has to be with our own camera or phone.  Mannequins are nice, but nothing like having a model.  Last week in M S Rezny's studio, Rupel Patel was an exquisite model bringing my newest designs to life.  Mary captured the movement, rhythm and depth of each piece.  I'm anxious to create more of these Eco Toppers. However, they are part of a long process.  First I have to felt more merino.  Then shibori dye it.  Then create a new design.  And then I will have the remnants I need to felt on top black wool and line with black crepe.  It's important that I remember my art is all part of a process that shapes itself by materials at hand, cannot be rushed and no step can be missed.

Sustainable Art

What makes art sustainable?  Most certainly it cannot be if any part is thrown away.  The materials needed to make art are expensive. Hence, I save everything that has my vision in it and use it as soon as possible.  Lately I've noticed that when I felt wool on the FeltLOOM, and then cut out a design, I have leftover pieces that fall to the side.  They still contain all the energy I put into the felting, the shibori pole wrapping, applying the dye and formulating the colors.  They are still beautiful.  Still contain the potential for more art if I ponder and respond creatively.  This Eco-Topper was created by felting the "leftovers" on top of dyed black wool.  I love the design because one size fits many, it's warm, can be worn over a sweater, and makes a strong, I know who I am, I know what I'm doing,  statement.  Currently she is on exhibit in my Dress-Up show at Mary Rezny's Gallery in Lexington, KY. 

Eco-Topper

Eco-Topper, lined with silk crepe, Kentucky Wool and upcycled shibori merino

The art is in the palette.  After considering what colors to use when shibori dyeing felted silk and merino fabric and then creating a design, there are always pieces left over.  They look beautiful as they lay in a pile or are scattered about.  Collected they become elements to lay on top of 44x80 Kentucky wool batting and felted on the FeltLOOM. Hence, no waste.  Everything is used and because all the thought went into creating the palette, each new piece of art is equally beautiful.

I posted this image on FB and a friend replied that she liked the Mad Max Glam look. Yes.  It makes a strong bold statement.  When worn, there is no subtly here about who you are or where you are going.

There's nothing like that last moment of anticipation when you are removing pins and trimming off excess fabric before turning your new piece right side out so that you can see what you have created.  It's these moments that keep me creating, that speak to me and say, let's do it again, and I begin to search for more materials.

So fortunate that my friend, Lucinda, gave me a box filled with vintage buttons.  I search for two pondering if they need to match.  Never, my friend, Cathy says.

Dress Up

Grandmother raised seven children in a small house on a cotton farm in the Texas panhandle seven miles west of Matador.  She told stories of days gone by, of fine furniture and fancy clothes.  As a child when I went to visit she never put pots and pans on the supper table.  It was always “set” and when we went to town we dressed up.  Wearing my newly sewn dresses and my hair in curls, town folk would say. “Why you must be Stella Tilson’s granddaughter.”

Dressing up changes your stance.  

It is a power tool.  

It makes a statement.  

Not so much by wearing the latest fashion but by the way you layer what you have, whether it’s brand new or make-do. With conscious attention to textures and palette you create movement and balance.  You say:

I know who I am.  I know what I’m doing.

Growing up I learned to sew and shopping for fabric with my mother was a peak experience. It made perfect sense that I created clothing when I learned to shibori dye fabric.  Instead of buying patterns, I tear and piece the colors that speak to me.

When I see dressed up, 

in Sunday best or painted blue jeans

In paintings or photographs 

I see soft.

I see caring and tenderness.

I see take a stand.

I see power.

I see 

I know who I am.  

I know what I’m doing.

Creative Legacy

Creative Legacy JOurnal

What are we going to do with all the art we create?  And all those photos and articles, brochures and programs.  I am considering those questions in an online course I am developing and in this recent article. Claim Your Creative Legacy.   

Kentucky Craft Market March 7-8

Work in progress. This is my favorite time of the year to create new work for Kentucky Crafted The Market.  A little bit I follow trends.  Like orange and blue and turquoise.  But following the seasons is more fun.  And since I consider my Truly Wearable Art  as a "Power Tool," it can be worn all year, any year, anywhere, when you want to make a statement.  After I Shibori pole wrap the silk or felted merino wool,  I create palettes to reflect the colors surrounding me; palettes that will compliment your wardrobe.  In late winter, early spring, I add a little bit of each colors compliment to my formulas as I prepare to drizzle the dye.  I am always amazed at how well the fabrics I dye blend with the natural scenes.  Be Bold. Be Striking. Take the risk to express your self.  Be prolific. It's worth it!