Shopping for Tapestry Books?

I know the season of giving is coming, but it is also the season of 'getting,' to some extent. If you don't know what to ask for, or if you choose to 'gift' yourself (as I have done,) there are three new tapestry books on the market that are worthy of your consideration. (Actually, there are a couple more new ones  that I haven't yet received - Are you listening, Santa?)

If you are a beginning tapestry weaver, or if you are wanting to learn the basics of tapestry weaving, look for Rebecca Mezoff's book,  The Art of Tapestry Weaving.  It builds techniques one on the other, like weft on weft, each clearly explained and shown in photos. As a self-taught weaver, this book would have been VERY welcome a number of years ago! It will be a classic text for those of you who are visual learners.

If you are a tapestry weaver, or are working in any art medium, and are wanting to consider how inspiration becomes a work of art, I highly recommend Tommye Scanlin's book, The Nature of Things. Tommye is inspired by Nature, as most artists are, but her journey from inspiration to art can apply to any artist's walk. The book is filled with images, not only of Tommye's beautiful tapestries, but of the photos and sketches that inspire the works. The essay-like discussions are like a personal visit with a professional artist who is very willing to share. I read this book from cover to cover, and I know I will read it again.

And finally, if you, like me, are missing going to exhibits of beautiful tapestries by many artists, Micala Sidore's book, The Art is the Cloth, is like going to a huge tapestry exhibit, that spans distance and time, with photos of over 300 tapestries from the 12th through the 21st century.  Micala was inspired to create the book as well as curating an exhibit of the same name. I had two tapestries in the exhibit (shown below) and the second small one is included in the book. (Both tapestries sold in the exhibit.) I pick this book up like 'inspirational dessert,' to treat myself when I feel the need for a treat. And who doesn't need to be treated this year?!

"Dama con Mangos"  24x36"

"Grace"  8x10"

As tapestry enthusiasts, we are very blessed by the contributions and inspirations these books can give us. Thank you so much, Rebecca, Tommye, and Micala for gifting us with your words, and your experience!

 

The tactile joy of oil paints!

As a fiber artist, I guess it goes without saying that I enjoy media that feels good to use. I constantly pass my hands across my tapestries as I weave. I can’t seem to order knitting yarn online, because I need to know it’s touch before I can spend time knitting it. And, though I use watercolors and colored pencils to sketch, they do not please me in a tactile sense. 

But oil paints! Ah, the feel of squeezing out the thick paint onto the palette, then picking up a good glob (a technical term, I’m sure) of the color and schmeering it onto the taut canvas! Then smooshing it around to where I want it to be, and doing it all again. It really is difficult to explain it to you, but there is a true tactile-ness to painting in oils. It is the same with pastels, I know, but they are too messy for me to have loose in a studio filled with yarn. Or, at least, I am too messy with them; I can’t contain them.

I decided I needed to paint with oils again, a few weeks ago. I haven’t really had my oil paints out for a long time. So I cleared some yarn off my studio table and got out my paints. I did the portrait below first, as a warm-up, to remember how to use the paints. Then I did the portrait above, of my granddaughter. Neither are grand works of ART, but both were so satisfying to do!

I need to now get back to the loom, having scratched this itch. I need to clear the work table of paint supplies, to make room again for the yarn I’m using for my current tapestry. The oil paints will be packed back into the cupboard, the brushes cleaned and put away, these two paintings set aside somewhere to dry, and the palette wrapped tightly and stuck in the freezer, with the hope that I will feel the need to use the paint left on it another day in the not too distant future.

 

Give Thanks Anyway...

This has been a hard year. This has been a VERY hard year. This continues to be a hard year.

Sometimes I have to remind myself of all I have to be thankful for. So, this year, I am especially thankful that we have a reminder day, a day that tells us to stop and take stock of the many good things in our lives. I am fortunate that, even in the hardest of personal times, I have a pretty long list of things and people to be very, very grateful for. 

I hope that is true for you, as well.

 

This is a card I made and sent to friends and family, because I love the quote.

 

Tapestry on my mind...

I have heard of artists who ‘are given’ art works, supposedly from a muse, or somewhere beyond themselves. Generally speaking, I am not one of those lucky artists. I usually start with a tiny germ of an idea, then work it out with much effort, and sometimes even blood, sweat, and tears. However, early in my weaving life, I did once dream a totally complete tapestry, that I knew to have been created by me, but that I’d not yet created. Back then, my design skills and materials were very simple, so it took me a great deal of time (over a year) to finally get that dream tapestry out of my brain, onto paper, and then onto the loom. But when it was woven, I recognized it as the tapestry I had dreamed.

Sadly, that was a one time thing.... until yesterday morning. When I woke up yesterday, while still groggy and without even putting my glasses on, I saw a tapestry on the wall that I haven’t yet woven. There actually is one of my tapestries on the wall in the space I was looking, but I saw it as a completely new and different image, not anything like the tapestry that was there. As I now have more sophisticated design tools, and more advanced skills, I worked to create the design I’d seen throughout the day. I sketched it in Procreate on my iPad, and worked to make it fit the image I had ‘seen.’

This is what I started with. I had also started with a working title; ‘Prayer of Despair.’ It’s not a bright cheery image, or idea, but I think it reflects the times we are in with women losing loved ones to violence and disease, and women’s rights being threatened yet again. And I have things in my own life that often make me despair right now, as well. My original vision was that both hands were fists, but I decided to make one a fist, in anger and despair, and the other one open, in supplication.

At the end of the day, this is the image I had created, and it is very close to what I had imagined. At this time, I am not sure that I will weave this tapestry. Perhaps our lives will get brighter by the time my current tapestry is off the loom, and this design will no longer be relevant. And the design may evolve more over time, as well. But for now, it is at least out of my mind; a rare ‘gifted’ tapestry in the making.

October, with some Inktober...

This month is Inktober, and I started the month participating, knowing I wouldn't want to stress myself by forcing the prompts. I made it through the first couple of weeks, but decided after that I would rather sketch in my sketch journal, with my more meaningful content. Here are a few of the sketches I've done recently. You can see the others on my Instagram account.

In addition, I finished weaving this tiny portrait tapestry. It is 4x4 inches, and is actually still on the little loom, until I need the loom for something else.

In addition, I'm weaving when I can on the large tapestry, as well. About halfway through!

Come to the High Country with me!

The road to our cabin, the red is scrub oak

Aspen

These red trees are a stand of aspen that are always red!

Today's watercolor sketch in my sketchbook

I have sketched the scrub oak and aspen leaves from around our cabin every fall for the last 8 years, at least. Before that, I used to bring home pockets full of them, and hang them on the refrigerator until they dried up and fell off. Sketches are better - they last longer! 

Fall is my favorite time of year. The colorful leaves excite me far more than spring blooms do, and I have felt that way all my life.

In addition to the sketches, I have woven fall leaves a number of times over the years, and here are a few of the Autumn tapestries.

Aspen Autumn (1996, 48x34")

FALL/ don't fall! (1998,  21x34")

October  (2013,  18x18")

 

Another Loss

digital sketch, with respect

 

Cats! An Illustration Project...

Earlier in the year, I did a sketchbook spread of cats, many of which I had found in books from my childhood.

I decided I wanted to challenge myself to learn to make a repeat pattern, so I began with the cat sketches.

I ordered one yard each from two different online sources, https://www.zazzle.com and https://www.spoonflower.com. These had been recommended by illustrators I follow on Instagram. I ordered them at the same time, and ordered 100% cotton from both, using the same pattern source (the photo above,) altering just the size of the repeat. The Spoonflower fabric came about 2 weeks sooner than the other, but that may be because of where they are located in distance from me. It is the larger print fabric. I felt that the cats, are 'sharper' on this piece of fabric, but again, that may be because of the size of the repeat. It was also a bit less expensive that the other fabric. Both fabrics washed well, and they feel like they are the same material.

The smaller print is perfect for face masks, so, with about half of it, I made masks for loved ones. I still have not decided what I will use the larger print for.

Who is that masked maker?

One of the mask recipients sent me a lovely photo of herself in the mask, and I couldn't resist sketching it, with a collaged 'mask' of scrap fabric for my morning sketch today!

I also decided to use a bit of the smaller print for the background fabric behind these two silly little tapestries of Ringo and Poe. I've had this old frame for years, wanting to find just the right thing to put in it. I'm not sure if I will leave it like this permanently, but for now, at least, I'm happy with it.

Red!

The link for the Virtual Opening Reception for this exhibit is 

https://www.facebook.com/WebsterArt63119

The reception is at 6:00 pm, Mountain Time. After the reception, the exhibit can be viewed on the Webster Arts website at https://www.webster-arts.org/red 

I have a tapestry in the exhibit, which I am quite happy about, as I find red to be the most important color in my palette! I use it in some form in all of my tapestries. I'm looking forward to seeing how my favorite color is used by other artists in the exhibit!

All Passion Spent

End of a bumpy month....

The month of July was, once again, a rough ride. I'm hoping the fall (November, especially) will see our world becoming more sane. In the meantime, I distracted myself from the terrifying rollercoaster ride on the daily news by doing the #30Faces30Days challenge on #Sktchy, concentrating on learning to use #Procreate to create digital portraits. The image above includes the 29 I did from Sktchy, and one self-portrait (there was one day I was just not interested in doing the muse selected, so I sketched myself and a photo-bombing Poe instead.) 

The last Sktchy portrait (face with lightening rainbow) also was animated, but I couldn't figure out how to get it here, so, if you'd like to see the animation, go to my Instagram account.

As the month ended, I felt I needed to do a couple of sketches in my sketch journal, to commemorate a lost hero, and to celebrate some new ones.

More Digital Sketches!

Another week's worth (almost) of digital sketches, done on the iPad Pro in Procreate. These are all done 'by hand,' meaning that I don't upload and alter a photo. I use photo references from Sktchy in the same way I would use them if I were doing these in my sketchbook, or on WC paper or canvas. I have the photo nearby (often in my iPad mini) to look at, but am using the Apple Pencil in the same way I would use a 'regular' pencil or brush to sketch and paint.

The sketch on the right above (with 3 raccoons) was a challenge to use multiple photos to create a new story. The original photo had one raccoon. This is something I actually do a lot of  when I design tapestries; work from multiple images. It was probably my favorite challenge of the month, because (in part) it felt familiar.

The challenge for the 'Frida Kahlo' style sketch was to import a background for the figure, after you had sketched it. I used a Henri Rousseau painting and added the birds (also a part of the challenge.) The sketch on the right also asked to import a background, using a photo you were to take yourself. I shot a photo of the light coming through my sheer studio curtains. The middle sketch was again from the tutor who is a cartoon artist. It was done from looking at a photo. I always loved his days, as they felt like 'recess;' as his tutorials were 20-30 minutes, and most of the others took an hour.

The biggest advantage - and also the biggest disadvantage - that I can see in doing digital art, as opposed to 'analog art,' is that perfection always feels attainable. You can erase and undo, you can use multiple layers and 'paint glazes,' fixing and correcting until you suddenly realize you have spent an hour or two on a sketch that you will actually not do anything with. It's not even in a sketchbook that you can take off the shelf and leaf through months or years later, unless you print it out. And, if you print it out, it looks like digital art. It feels to me like the artist's hand (although it is used much the same as with other media) is lost in translation.

I know I will continue to use this handy (and expensive) tool. I will use it much like I have used PhotoShop over the past many years: I'll start out in my head with an idea, scribble it in a sketchbook, paint or photograph it, then put it into the app to 'fix,' to alter, to change size or color or direction, then take it back to the sketchbook or into the computer to finish into a usable design. And maybe I'll continue to 'sketch' a bit on the iPad, just because it is so mess-free and so portable.

I do look forward to choosing my own 'muses' again! These were all chosen by the tutors, and I stuck to them, so that I could learn the techniques that were new to me. Tomorrow is Day 30, so I have one last sketch to do, and another handful to upload here. Then I'll post what I've been doing at the loom again!

Still 'Procreate-ing' (digitally, that is...)

I am still doing the #30Days/30Faces challenge on the artist's #Sktchy app, so here are sketches 7-14, from week two. The 6 instructors all have different work methods and art styles; they also choose the photo images we work from each day. For the most part, I stick to the demonstrated style, digital brushes, and method used, though I am allowing my own style to take over when I prefer to do so. The above sketches were all done in #Procreate on an iPadPro with an Apple Pencil. The first, done with a gouache style, the middle one with charcoal brushes, and the one on the right in a comic book style.

These were also done in the same digital app; Procreate. The middle sketch was done with pencil and ink brushes, from a photo of a man looking out a window with blinds. The other two used ink and watercolor brushes.

The two end sketches here are not digital, though the middle one is. The middle sketch is again a comic book style, and I confess that I really love this style! It is a lot of fun to create, and I love the 'clean-ness' of it. The other two here are  from my sketchbook, and are done with a black Bic ink pen. The one on the right is a self-portrait, and the left one is of a lovely child's photo from #Sktchy.

Digital sketching still takes me longer than sketching with 'analog' media does, but I confess that it is pretty handy to just grab one tool - the Apple Pencil - and to not have any mess or cleanup. Most of the tutorials are almost an hour to watch, as well (except the comic style ones.) So I have dumped most of my social  media time for the month, and am using my online time for these lessons. I am missing seeing what everyone is doing on Instagram, but I'll be back there in August. In the meantime, I'm learning to sketch digitally - and I'm weaving a tapestry and have warped my floor loom and begun weaving some rag rugs (with much enthusiastic help and interest from Poe and Ringo, requiring me to cover the loom when it is not in use.)

Two weeks done, 14 of 30 sketches. The month is flying by, as it does when I'm having fun!

Let's Get Digital, Digital!

For my birthday this spring, my husband got me a new iPad Pro, with an Apple Pencil. So I no longer have any excuse (not that I was looking for an excuse) to not join the large number of artists creating digital art. 

Then, for the month of July, the Sktchy App offered a month long workshop with a number of talented instructors presenting daily lessons, all in Procreate on the iPad. I decided now was the time to leap into this new way of creating, especially as I'm not going anywhere anyway.

These 'paintings' are all done digitally. They are not 'traced;' each is sketched, then 'painted' just as they would have been done using any other media. Procreate has the capability to use 'ink,' as in the top three sketches. It can look (and act) like charcoal, gouache or watercolor, oil, or airbrushes. When using the pencil, the 'brushes' act very much like traditional media. It is pretty amazing.

What I find a bit distressing about creating digital art or illustrations is that it is much easier for an artist to strive for perfection. You can undo and redo to your heart's content - and I think we all tend to do that! So I tend to lose my characteristic 'messiness,' and I feel like the results are more generic than if I had used traditional 'analog' media, where all my work would show - mistakes and all. Also, in this search for perfection, a sketch I would do in my sketchbook in about 20 minutes is taking me an hour, or even much more. And then.... I have a digital image that I'm not sure what to do with, on my iPad.

But it is good to keep learning new things. And perhaps I will find this new media useful for design work, or for illustrating something someday. Who knows? In the meantime, I'm having a bit of fun.

My life is but a Sketchbook....

Say his name: GEORGE FLOYD

Even though I am staying isolated, not just for my own sake, but for the sake of everyone (and I'm sure I'll say that again,) I am not unaware of what is happening in the world, and I am, to be honest, horrified.  I am horrified that not everyone has equal rights and opportunities in our country, and indeed, in the world. I am horrified that something so insignificant as skin color or tone makes a difference in how someone is treated and reacted to.  I am horrified that not everyone sees and cares about this, and that even at the top level of our country racism is alive and active and encouraged in others. I am truly horrified. It brings me to tears.

I am also horrified that science, and even common sense, is scoffed at, once again even at top levels of our country, and encouraged in others. I am horrified that so many think what they want to do is more important than the effects of their actions on others.

I wonder if our country can come back from this horrifying time? Can we become more caring? Can our divisions be healed? Can common sense and common decency be restored, and even more, can it grow to be more inclusive, instead of divisive?

This blog is about my art. It is not about politics. But my art is, as is obvious from these recent sketchbook pages, about my life. I am concerned. 

It concerns me when I go to the grocery store here, where the Corona Virus is spreading more rapidly than ever, that far more people are mask-less than are wearing masks - such a simple thing to do to act out of our concern for others.

It concerns me when a president who should lead, if not by policy, at least by example, gathers large groups of mask-less people (many whom are obviously in the at-risk group,) and when he politicizes  and scoffs at scientific and medical findings for his own gain.

It concerns me when peaceful protestors for a worthy cause are treated as terrorists.

I love my country. I care about the people around me, especially those whose lives are more difficult than mine is. But right now, I am very concerned. In fact, I am horrified.