Fabrigos and a Road Trip

Yesterday we had the pleasure of an out to to visit the Studio of Lisa Skog.  Please check out Lisa's website to find out more about her art, pictures and where her art is available by clicking on her name above.

Lisa is a wonderful ceramic artist who has been published in books, has work in numerous galleries, is involved in the Hamilton Potters Guild and is a very good friend.

Often we see posts or in books to become a better artist to try something out of our normal medium of choice.

Well yesterday after trying and being thwarted by bad weather etc. we finally made it to Lisa's to view her studio, learn about her work and have a try at creating a few pieces from a flat slab of clay.

Here we are working intently in our own style.

Al

Karen

Karen

Karen

Robynne

Jo

Robynne

Al

Robynne

Al

Karen

On boards sorted for specific glazes

Robynne and Al Starting

Lisa has graciously offered to glaze them in our preferred colours. They will first have to be fired in the electric kiln so she can glaze them. And then she is going to raku fire them for us. This is a special process and it is not safe to have outsiders or basically people who are not trained involved with this process. 

When the finished product is done I will post a few pictures. This may take a while considering Lisa needs to have a good day to fire the raku kiln and work into her schedule. 

Then we have to get busy and create a piece of art with our collaborative ceramics. 

Lisa's studio was sunny, the tea was delicious and we felt so uplifted to have this day out in our cold January weather.

Who knows there may be some more collaborations in the future!

Do you ever do a collaboration with an artist inside your medium or outside?

On behalf of the Fabrigos,

Jo

Snow Dying Results

I have finished the snow dyed fabric. It sat overnight until the snow melted and then I rinsed and rinsed until the water ran clear. It's always fun to watch the changes that it goes through when you rinse the fabric. The colours release at different times so the rinse water can be blue, then yellow and so on.


After they were rinsed I put them in the washer and washed and ironed, here are the results.

The piece that was already dyed with orange splotches looks better. One is bluish tint and the other is pink. The recent dye is not a real strong colour but it will work well in a landscape piece.

Its not very easy to see this but I got quite a large piece that is a softly mottled grey. Just exactly what I wanted for a new work that I am doing. There is not a lot of delineation of colour, which is what I was expecting , and really wanted--but it is good for my new work.

This is the unknown fibre that I had convince myself that it would take the dye well. WELL I was surprised--it did not take the dye very well at all. This piece has the most colour in it--but it is quite faintly blue.  Lesson learned.


Results were not as good as I wanted or expected in any of the pieces. I really like the mottling that a lot of the snow dyed pieces that I have seen. I did not achieve those results.
Why--I don't know. Did I not use enough dye? maybe and maybe I should have used more colours on each bin-next time.
Did I not elevated the fabric as well as I should have? Before I do it again I will purchase a colander  for exclusive use in my dyes. I think that the elevation method that I used did not keep the fabric away from the dyes well enough.
Next time I will not use synthetic fibres.
I think that I will buy some Rit dye and throw the unknown fibre into my pot and boil it away--I do like the finish in this unknown fibre. it has a quiet sheen that will work well with a lot of my work.


Successful??? not really but it did teach me a few things.
Will I keep trying?? oh yes.

snow day

We were scheduled to meet yesterday at Jo's house for a fabrigo day but a little bit of a snow storm stopped us in our tracks. We cancelled and rescheduled for next week. So what do you think about when you have a snow day--Why snow dying fabric of course. We have had a milder than  usual winter this year-its really our first snowfall and we are mid January-all the way closer to spring my sweetie!


So today I have decided that I will do some snow dying. I have done quite a bit of other kinds of dying but never the snow kind.


Right now my fabric is soaking in soda ash water--getting prepped to soak up all that amazing colour from the procion dyes that I will use.

 I have a few pieces of muslin that I will dye.  I have one piece of bleached muslin, one unbleached and one that I dyed that last summer that I think needs some more work. It has big splotches of orange on a white ground. I think it needs more blended colour. I am considering red overdying. And I have a piece of unknown fabric - probably a synthetic that has a nice shimmering look. I have used this fabric in other dye projects so I know that it will take the dye.




Now to prepare the containers. I am going to use three different containers; one is the tub that the fabrics are soaking in now, one is another plastic container from the basement and one is a coffee can that was emptied this morning. The fabric should be elevated from the bottom of the dye pot so that it is not sitting in the dye for a long time. (at least that is what I read.) so in order to elevate the fabric I have a few jars and pop cans that I have placed in the bottom of my containers.

I am hoping that these cans will provide enough elevation to keep the fabric  out of direct dyes.  I think that the action of the snow melting slowly is what gives this method such an interesting result. That's a shot of the pop cans inside of the coffee can. Good shot!!  I like the effect of the background. The can has a silver lining.  think I will use that idea again in some of my photography. My camera was just on an auto setting.


So, my fabric has been in the presoak long enough.
Since I have three containers, I have decided to cut each of the fabrics into three sections. Then I can dye each container different colour but have each fabric dyed with each colour.


I crumple each fabric and place it in the containers, take the containers outside, cover each batch with snow, pour dyes over each pile of snow and wait for the magic to happen.
I will continue this post tomorrow.

So you call yourself an artist

Deer Crossings@ 2014

So I think now I can actually start calling myself an artist. I have the pile of rejection letters to prove it!!!





 In recent weeks I have received two very nice letters telling me that my work was not selected for their show.  They were very kind letters. They explained their difficult selection process and their visions for the show and encouraged me to keep working.


You know what---I will keep working.... not because I feel encouraged but because that's what I do. I can't not work! I need to join those pieces of fabric and watch the needle going up and down--almost as much as I need to inhale and exhale and feed my body and sleep at night.


So I am going to go into my studio (AKA the basement) and I am going to make some more art. Maybe I'll create something I will enter into a completion, maybe not!! But I will be working.
Thanks for listening, I feel better already!


karen

Merry Christmas

Calendar Quilts

Calendar Quilts
For the last two years I have sewn one block a day and made a calendar quilt. In 2014 I used white background blocks and reverse appliqued a circle of fabric. I used special colours to signify certain special days.
My 2015 calendar quilt is almost finished-at least the blocks are almost done. In January I will try to get it quilted. this years quilt is black background with half square triangles sewn to two sides. So far this is looking pretty good. I do like a black background.


Now...what am I going to do for next year??? I have come up with several ideas but not really a concrete plan-yet.


I  think that I would like to change the shape a little bit. For the last two years I have used 3 1/2 inch blocks and assembled them by the month. This makes for a very long and narrow quilt. The size and shape might disqualify it for submissions to shows. I want this year's project to be a little bit more square in shape. But I want it to be as simple in execution as the previous years. I could just change the shape of the blocks. By using a rectangle rather than a square I could change the finished shape of the quilt. I don't really have to follow the monthly assembly either. I could just make it about 20 blocks long and that would make for a more quilt like finished size.


Well I have a few days left to ponder!! What to do...what to do???


Karen

Robynne Cole.... Artist and Friend.

So I have posted about my fellow Fabrics... all except Robynne Cole.

Robynne I met before the Fabrigo's formed. She and I were both  members of the Art Galley of Burlington Fibre Arts group at the time. We started sharing rides and became friends.

Robynne is a great person to get to know. She has taken many classes and is always open to new ideas. She has spent several weeks at the Halliburton School of the Arts. Trained first through Ryerson  in Toronto in textiles she moved on to a career in accounting. She never gave up her sewing. Making clothing of all kinds for many years. Moving into traditional quilting then branching into Art Quilting.

Robynne is a person who is attentive to detail. She sometimes claims that she is not as free in her creativity but I think at times she is more reflective and that adds to her work.

She keeps us on track with her organizational skills as sometimes us more free spirited members can get off on a tangent.

Her curating and work with Fibre Content 2012, 2014 and upcoming 2016 has greatly promoted fibre art as fine art.

Through Robynne I finally joined SAQA and met Karen and Al through the parlour meetings held by Central Ontario Rep Dwayne Warner.  Robynne assists with the organization of these meetings. The meetings allow us to see other artists work and have some inspiring speakers as well.


I know she remains involved with the Burlington Fibre Arts group at the Art Gallery of Burlington and now also is a board member of the AGB.


Here in her own words she describes herself

Robynne Cole

Artist’s Statement

Fabrics are like paint for me, and batiks are my favourite.  I am happiest when I am lost in thought of all the opportunities each fabric can bring.  Making quilted art is a true passion for me and like most avid quilters I seem to have an addiction to fabrics.  I have a huge stash of things to make and lots of fabrics just waiting for my attention.

My first attraction to sewing came from an aunt who made my cousins clothes.  I was amazed by this process.  I used to admire and praise friends who got to wear things their Mom had made; much to their embarrassment as they preferred store bought new!

Making collages as a teenager I would clip and paste things from magazines to make my own poster pictures.  I grew up surrounded by the ongoing work at my grandparents’ florist shop.  I originally attended the Fashion Diploma program at Ryerson, but after two years I changed career paths and went on to University and became a Chartered Accountant. 

For years I made clothes and window treatments for friends and never had any intention of making quilts, which seemed “old fashioned”.  About 15 years ago I took a beginner quilt class.  I was hooked, “bitten by the bug” and have never looked back.  I no longer wish to sew anything other than a quilt!

I have read that many quilters have a mathematical or technical background as the patterns really are a lovely play on angles, shapes, and colour and how they all come together and interact.  There is also the artistic side that allows you to venture outside the given structures and find the inspiration for something unique.

Attending classes at the Haliburton School of Art, I felt so at home and was so enthused it was as if my feet did not touch the ground while I was there.  It is a moving spiritual thing to sense this connection to what you are creating.  I love when I can just let the project come together in a manner that flows from my inner being or intuition.

My work often features combining batiks and traditional fabrics when they “talk” to each other and embellishment with textured ribbons, yarns and beads.  I like to work on projects that have a special and lasting impact for the recipient; connections to special events, or people in their lives, or milestones of their accomplishments, which can form the story of the quilt. 

I think all paths in my life have taken me to this point and have contributed to where I am now, following my passion to make quilted art.