Music

Interwoven layers circling around, surrounding us, reaching deep inside, creating or touching emotions, transporting us to other places and times - if even just for a few minutes.
The ATC above is an interpretation of music. It consists of dyed cloth that was discharged, soy waxed, painted and then screen printed. There's also a bit of cloth that was rubbed with oil pastel sticks...and some free motion quilting...and a lot of joy.

Inspiration

I have been unable to create this past week....due to many reasons. This morning I knew I had to feed my soul or run the risk of these lethargic blues overwhelming me. This small piece of cloth happened. I plan to add a bit of stitching and make it into an ATC. Because I need to surround myself with inspiration I'd like to trade this piece for an ATC done by an oil or acrylic artist. If anyone is interested please email me at daumick@hvc.rr.com

"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." (John Maxwell)

Trial

I put together the piece above last night using some of the fabric I had dyed, discharged and silk screened.

Then I stage it on top of another piece of cloth I had created. Do you think it works with that background cloth? I kind of like the unexpectedness of the colors and the overall tribal type of feeling it has. I'd love to hear your opinions.

Art Cloth from Art

If you visit this blog once in awhile you might remember this collage from a couple of weeks ago. Welllll...someone told me about Spoonflower . Spoonflower (don't you just love that name?) enables you to take your image and have it printed on fabric. Below is the fabulous cloth that arrived in the mail yesterday. Both the print quality and the fabric are high quality. I am very happy and ideas are swirling - big time - in this head.

Lay of the Land

A small landscape I did last night while messing around with pieces of fabric that I either gelatin printed, discharged, painted, stamped, deconstructive screen printed and/or dyed. New supplies arrived from Dharma Trading yesterday and I can't wait to get into them. This is a busy time of year but I'm hoping for some art time this weekend.

Jewels

This was created by coating sheer fabric with matte gel and then printed by applying textile paints to a gelatin plate. Add a bit of free motion quilting and some hand stitching and call it a day. Gelatin printing gives effects that are just gorgeous - you get these layers and depth of colors that draw you in and engage your attention. Rayna Gillman has written a great book that includes gelatin printing methods and other ideas for altering cloth http://www.studio78.net/ If you at all interested in messing around with paints, dyes and fabric (and getting messy in the process) I encourage you to get her book. Enjoy!

Collecting

My latest passion is collecting vintage wood printing blocks. These blocks can have a huge range of prices with some of the very detailed, ornate, large ones in primo condition going for hundreds of $. Then there are the orphans, the less desirable (to some) smaller blocks that are simple in design and can be gotten for a few dollars - like the one pictured above. I find it amazing what a bit of hand dyed silk, discharge paste and an antique textile printing block can do. More experimentation to come.

Relics II

More sheer fabric altered with matte medium, tissue paper, and paints along with some dyed cheesecloth, tulle and embroidery. The focal piece is inked, painted, stamped, and burned with natural shell pieces attached. All it needs is a border....actually I have about 5 pieces at the point of "all it needs is a border"....time to finish up some things and get them ready for sale.

Relics

This piece is almost completed. I started with sheer fabric that was altered with matte medium, paint and inks PLUS collaged tissue paper. Then I added painted & pigmented cheesecloth, some threads and embroidery. The focal piece is thick interfacing that was painted, stamped and foiled.

I also wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for your kind words and thoughts during the past weeks. The support of caring people means so much during times of turmoil. One never knows what life will bring but time moves forward and with that comes evolving acceptance with all circumstances.

Cradle Me

Sheer fabric dyed, painted, inked with added embellishments. This piece cries out to me about being comforted and cradled in safety.

Every time I create one of these nether-world landscapes the word "Perelandra" comes to mind. This is the second book of the C.S. Lewis sci-fi triology - a book I read when I was very young. Something powerful about the imagery in his writings and the beautiful word Perelandra became strong memories for me.

I like creating these alternate universes in cloth. I wonder if I've been working on series without realizing it!

Progress

Happily working away here in Shawangunk Ridge land. The top piece is a closeup showing the bit of foiling I added to the whole cloth I've been altering. Right now the cloth has been painted, dyed, printed and foiled enough - the next step will be to quilt it. Probably free motion machine stitching but maybe with some added hand stitched details - we'll see. The bottom photo is of a larger cairns inspired piece that seems to have morphed into a bit of the Garden of Eden. This one will definitely get hand emboidery added - and maybe a snake image or two...we'll see.

Time to get back to work!

Disintegration II

Today's creative work - hand dyed cloth altered with alcohol inks, textile & acrylic paints and a bit of screen printing. It should end up being in the double digits....12x12" or so.....still needs stitching and fabric rods. Have a dinner date with hubby and friends but want to keep working on this...patience...patience....

Hills and Valleys

I love to look at pieces done by artists that work with cloth, dyes, screen printing, painting, etc. I see such beauty and emotion in their pieces. They call to me and I am fascinated with the layers, depth and textures they are able to achieve...so much so that I am struggling to teach myself some of these techniques and working to carve out a small niche for myself in this world of altered cloth. But last night I realized something as I finished work on this small piece. What I did with this piece is as much surface design and cloth complexing as the most incredibly rendered print & dye techniques. The tools we in the world of textiles use to convey our messages are varied and each of us has our own unique expression.