Took some of the art cloth I've created along with some pieces I'd already stitched together and came up with this last night. Am I art quilting again???? The colors in this just sing to me.

Complex Art Cloth - Newest Small Business Venture!

Over the weekend I realized I liked surface designing cloth more than composing and finishing art quilts (oh yes, it's true). A friend encouraged me to follow my desire because - Lord knows - in my day job world I have "musts" but shouldn't have them in my art world. Right?

The small pieces above are for sale (I'm going to try to get them in my Etsy shop tonight).

The yellow piece has at least 3 layers of techniques and measures just a smidge under 9x13". It will be priced at $10.00 for the piece.

The pink fossil piece (which looks a bit lighter on my monitor than it is in real life) is 11-1/2x13" and is priced at $12.00 for the piece. I used at least 5 techniques on this one.

All fabric is smooth weaved, premium Kona cotton. Gorgeous.

Artistic Fabric

Dyed fabric that was soy waxed, over painted with textile paint, then screen printed, over painted with some more paint and then both machine and hand stitched. This is a small (7x11") example of Art Cloth...meaning it is created from a whole piece of cloth as opposed to stitched together pieces. For some stunning examples of Art Cloth piece please click on this link...enjoy!

http://www.artclothnetwork.com/

Project 3

Ok, let's see if I can remember all that was done to this cloth. First I silk screened a water based resist on white cotton, then sponge painted Seta purple. After that was dry I washed the piece then submersed it in a navy blue dye bath. Next I silk screened on black textile paint then, using the same screen, I printed with a layer of russet textile paint. Afterwards I dropped in a few other colors using the same silk screen as before. This is the third project in Jane Dunnewold's Complex Cloth book. Her last suggested step is to add some hand stitching to the piece. Not sure what I'm going to do about that.

And here it is with a bit more screen printing....once it is completely dried and heat set I plan to drop in some hand stitched accents...maybe some small beads...we'll see. Its final size will be about 16x25". I'm not great with titles (although I do have one in mind) and would love some ideas if the spirit moves you.
I can't wait to read Michelle's suggestion...if she's so inclined.

It Worked!

Yesterday I spend time creating my first silk screen using the drawing in the post below, photo emulsion, sensitizer, a bright light and a dark room...and was successful! Today I started using the screen on a cloth that had gone through 3 dye baths. I am very happy with the results. Another new technique...oh, how sweet it is!

Project 1

I have decided to methodically do the projects in the back of Jane Dunnewold's book Complex Cloth. I've tried a zillion different surface altering techniques but this weekend realized that a more organized approach might be beneficial and help me to build up some stock.
This is project one which consisted of: dyeing cotton, then discharging it, then overdyeing it, then stamping it and screen printing it with textile paint. The final touch is gold foiling. If you click on the photo is will get larger and you can better see all the layers.

I'm toying with the idea of using altered art cloth to create handbags. Funky, fun and no two will ever look the same. I've realized that I love making cloth - dyeing it, screen printing it, painting it, discharging it and anything else that occurs in those 'hey what about doing this?' moments. Since I don't like making clothing I'm wondering if handbags would be an avenue to pursue. Stay tuned for more on this....but probably not until after the holidays.....it's so busy right now....and I have company staying over in a couple of weeks....and that means the house has to get cleaned....tum da dum dum.....

The piece above is dyed cloth overlaid with dyed silk organza and lots of stitching.

I have been so busy this past week getting many pieces ready for the Danforth Museum of Art gift shop (yes, they want more) I haven't had time to blog post. This piece is cloth that I deconstructive screen printed and am now hand stitching. I was going to add more layers of dye but there was something about the simple nature of the first printing that made me leave it be. I really admire artists that are able to render their visions in works that are clean in design. Of course I also admire artists whose work is so filled with detail and stuff going on that it draws you in to keep looking and looking. Heck, I am an 'art harlot'...I love it all....

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!

Home Again

Trips are nice...getting away....seeing different things....eating out but coming home is always good too. There's nothing like your own bed, your own kitchen and your own stuff. Above is a piece a cloth I painted up on Saturday after we returned home from Denver. The suitcases weren't unpacked and the house was a mess but one has to do what one has to do - right?

Productive Weekend

This might just be my first piece of whole art cloth. It was made by gelatin, thermofax & wood block printing. The photo doesn't show the underlying colors but they are there!

Last night this collage came together. The background is one of the gelatin printed papers I did a couple of weeks ago and the image is a photo I took of an old building in the Catskill mountains. It's secured onto a painted artist's canvas.

Now it's time to start the work week (sigh). Happy Monday to all!

Altering Day Today

Gesso'd cloth, silk screen images via thermofax screens, textile & acylic paints all altered with rubbing alcohol. This might just end up as the piece for the SAQA trunk show and the 12x12" piece I plan to donate to the SAQA art auction later in the year. Next step will be to add a bit of copper (maybe gold?) foiling.

Experimenting

I'm still messsing around making artist trading card sized art. This scan isn't great but when viewed live this piece has great dimension. I like the mysteriousness of it. Acrylic paint, stamps and gold foiling on cloth....

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!