Getting Started with Natural Dyeing

now available in my store

Redid the studio last night, we moved my sewing table to the west side of the studio space where there was better lighting especially during the daytime, the east side of the studio has a cave like feeling.

Lots of lovely natural light!

Some natural dyed WIP's on my sewing table.





WIP - Bin

WIP - Stitched up this small bin piece after I rearranged the studio this evening.

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Silk Carrier Rod Stream Update

After reviewing my last live stream, the one where I was constructing a silk carrier rod cuff, I've decided to redo that stream.  Why?  It's just too painful to watch!  This time I plan to record it and not worry about doing the recording live, and it may come in multiple segments so that I get the camera in the correct position.

More later from the wet studio :-)

The Wall

As an artist have you and your artwork hit "the wall" yet?  More thoughts on this one tomorrow.

Some Thoughts on Teaching 120811

The reason I teach technique only, instead of teaching exactly how I create, is so that the students vision is extracted into the work, NOT mine.  The approach I have taken to teaching has led to frustrations in my classes and workshops, I just recently realized this from a discussion with a former student, because many do not realize that their inner vision deserves a voice.  She revealed that she took the class, a mixed media 3D class, believing that she would basically be creating a replica of  one of my works "Pet Cemetary".  Instead what she got was a class where she was encouraged to draw upon her own vision, creating her own original art.  The result was after much contemplation she quit her job and is now persuing creating her own art full time. Once the inner vision was revealed it could no longer be kept silent.

So on behalf of those of use who have barely influenced you, we may have influenced you far greater than you'll ever realize.  The teachers I've had, in the past be it at the university, in workshops, etc., that I now respect the most are the ones that demanded that I draw on my own vision, not theirs.  The teachers I respect the least are the ones that demanded that their way was the only correct way.

Is it All the Same?

If you have stopped recently and suddenly realized that everyone else around you is creating works that are similar or almost identical to yours remember this:

There is nothing new under the sun, only your interpetation of the sun makes it different. 

Others may be creating nearly identical but their intent will NEVER be the same, the true art lies in pushing a piece as far as you can and knowing when to stop.

Barn

“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who... transform a yellow spot into the sun.” Picasso

More about this later I have some thoughts I'm compiling about teaching, and why I teach the way I do - I teach techniques and I teach the student how to bring out their inner vision, I do not teach students how to create artwork just like I do through those techniques.

More Trees

WIP's more Ghost Trees

Constructed Cloth from Silk Carrier Rods

I'm thinking of reshooting this video!

Solo Show Installed

For some reason I forgot to take a photo of the entire display, will try to remember to do so when I take the show down the end of January 2012.  Over all I'm very happy with the way the pieces look, I have to give credit to Diane Hall for hanging the pieces, I would have hung them in a straigh line and well that's boring!