Pictures!

Sunday afternoon I finally got in gear. I cleaned all the arachnid detritus out from between the windows, and I cleaned off my project table. Then, in order to be able to put away the textile paints, I had to paint the fabric. Because of the expanse of empty table available, this was possible (amazing). Back in July I had this idea that it would be fun to have a new embroidery to work on during my trip to Florida, something like, say, a mermaid. Reason stepped in heavily, and I concluded that I didn't have time to start something else, and I wasn't going to have much time on the trip anyway.

The paints and cloth have been waiting since then, and now here she is:

Then, since there was paint left over, I painted this. It is hideous, but I like it anyway. Then, since I still had paint left over, I painted this: And then there was STILL paint left over, and I painted these.

Then I was really hungry and pretty tired of painting, so I did not use up the remaining bits of paint.

Notes on painting on fabric:

1. painting on colored cloth: thumbs up
2. I was reminded why gesso was invented--fabric is bumpy
3. This time, I will remember to iron the things BEFORE I wash them.

Success at the Front

Sunday I finally worked out on the balcony--I wanted to get it tidied up before it gets cold (cold for Oregon, that is). I venture to declare some actual success and definite signs of improvement--true reduction of entropy, and not mere reconfiguring of existing chaos. It is quite encouraging. Princess found the whole thing quite strenuous--she had to go out each time I did, then HEY! It's all different out here!! and she'd have to get back inside IMMEDIATELY. Eventually she overloaded and had to take herself off for a recuperative nap.

I shopped at Art Media over a week ago, and still haven't used the new paintbrush I got. :(

Picture of some sort soon, I promise. For now, a link to several more pictures from the Sculptural Vessel Class. I'm the one with my elbow in front of my face.

Sculptural Vessel

I had a good time at the Sculptural Vessel class, using materials I don't have at home to end up with something I wouldn't have made in the usual course of events--good reasons to take a class. I still prefer string, of course (it doesn't bite), but metal screen does have characteristics which commend it for further consideration.

Susan Gallacher-Taylor posted a picture of us with our creations on her blog. I'm center front with my vegetable/fruit/bulb/plant thing (I was not in the mood for hemming and hawing about how to fit everyone in the picture, so I set the example of Volunteering To Be Short).

I would be one of the "mystified" students. Saturday evening I finally realized what bothered me about my object: I can see through it. (Duh, it's copper mesh.) I figured it out after I thought it would be improved by the addition of fabric and stitching. (No strings, Laura. It's metal, and you want to put a candle in it, remember.) I added a few more dangly bits, but it still needs beads, and probably more gold leaf. All in all, now that I've had a few days to get used to [seeing through] it, I quite like the overall shape. But if I do it again, it will involve string!

Lamentations.

I am afraid my blog is boring. I know what to do about it, too: 1.) do stuff, so I have stuff to post about; 2.) buy a digital camera so I can have three-dimensional pictures; and 3.) get Web access from home.

I will start by making a detailed list--particularly for the camera and Internet service provider.

"Doing stuff" will start happening again very soon, as in tomorrow, when I will be taking a sculptural vessel class with Susan Gallacher-Turner. I got to see some of her pieces at an Open Studio a few weeks ago, and I really love her aesthetic--shrines and book forms and things that open and things that have every surface, front and back, painted, patinaed (sp?) and otherwise adorned. I just had trouble imagining fitting one in my tiny apartment, sigh.

In general life--I did not manage to avoid getting sick, but as of yesterday I may have begun to actually get healthy. I sincerely hope. My supervisor is back after a four-month stint abroad (yay for his return!) which makes a big difference in a department of two people, him and me.

I am finishing up a pumpkin spice latte at Ava Roasteria. It is probably not a good idea to have 16 oz. of caffeine at this time of day, but nyah nyah, I am doing it anyway. I will then do my grocery shopping in a fully-caffeinated state, which will hopefully last until after I get home and unpack my groceries, because tonight, really, I WILL clean off the accumulated detritus covering almost every square inch of my project table. Much as I love my hordes of Interesting Stuff, there is something even more inspiring about an expanse of Empty Table. It is my theory that the Art Part of the brain thinks, "Ooh, look at all that space! I could put all sorts of stuff there." That is much better than, "If I moved all the stuff, I'd have room to do something."

I know this, really. Why is it so hard to put it--and keep it--in practice?

My latte is about half done, and the caffeine is definitely in action; off I go to the grocery store...I even have a list.

Marvelous Meteorological Moment, and Other Random Bits

One of the days last week that I was home early from work (sick) there occurred the splendid situation of rain in front of my apartment, and sunshine behind. Delightful!

Last week was odd, some of it in a good way. I enjoyed two work-related training sessions given by Pete Mento (and I mean it; entertaining as well as informative--but I am going to send him an e-mail with incontrovertible proof that Europe did, indeed, have silk long before Marco Polo's famed voyage).

I may have avoided getting completely sick.

My car developed Serious Issues which led to procuring the services of a tow truck--preemptively. I have already been stranded alongside the road twice this year, and that is really quite enough. (Now my car has a new alternator, and is much happier.)

Saturday, after picking up my car, I had a fancy coffee and went to hear Widdershins play, which was a lot of fun.

Sunday I went out for cupcakes with friends, and was compelled to accompany them to Powell's.

There has been but little playing with string--just spinning the fabulous painted roving--and, spurred by envy of the friends taking a 4-day weekend, I have come to the conclusion that I won't make it to Thanksgiving without a break. At least if I don't want to spend this Thanksgiving sick.

Final bit of excitement: I managed to get the cell phone activated, a mere week after purchasing it. I promise not to talk and drive. It is a very cute little device, but I'm still fonder of my mp3 player.

Now, back to being overwhelmed at work.

Fiber Lust.

No, not for shredded wheat. REAL fiber. Sunday I attended the Flock and Fiber Show, and I had a great time. I was not supposed to buy any fiber except for one particular project (hah) or any books (hah). I (it)did(/it) manage to avoid buying any raw fleece or any animals. I even avoided buying natural colored rovings (that's what forms the largest volume of my stash). I almost avoided buying books--but I saw a copy of The Handweaver's Pattern Book by Marguerite Davison for $10 and I took that as a sign that I ought to buy it. It is all 4-harness patterns. After the Complex Weavers Conference I felt sad at not having a complex loom; this book will help me learn how to get the most out of the one I have. (You can indeed do complex things with a 4-harness loom.)

Fiber-wise, I ended up with a little collection of this and that--largely related to the project I have in mind (and probably enough for about five!) and one bundle of painted roving that I just Had To Have. It's crazy, red and yellow and purple. More on that soon. That one is 50% alpaca, 30% merino, and 20% silk. The other fibers I got were Romney (cute and curley!), Merino, and mohair.

That evening I was tired & had a headache, but I spun up a couple of tidbits of fiber--one from a business card, the other from the outside of its bag of fiber. The main part of it was a blend with merino; the rest was mohair, which is diametrically different in the way it drafts & spins. Here is the result:

Weaving Success!

Last Friday I finally finished the silk warp I set up last year to weave the garters for this outfit. (The one on the left. The one on the right is me!) I wanted a twill pattern because twill has more of a give, so the garters would be more comfortable and work better. I had just decided to weave a plain twill when I came across this article by Carolyn Priest-Dorman. I had to adapt the draft to work on my loom, and it was a lengthy and often irritating process before the whole thing worked. I ran out of the original color, and completed the rest of the warp with a contrasting weft--the pattern shows even better! (And, er, so do the errors.) I definitely need to try out another version of this sometime--once I figure out what I did wrong--and after I try weaving the skinny, skinny linen I recently acquired.