Wind, Thread, Weave, Cut, Sew

At the gallery where I have been a member of since it's founding days we have decided that everyone needs to explain their work process.  And whatever else might lead you to do the work you do but especially how you do it. Customers want to know and it really is good for the artist to sit down and think about the process that precedes a finished piece.  I'm thinking...

In the meantime, work has been happening in the studio.  All roads lead to the Driftless Art Festival this weekend in Soldiers Grove, WI.  How many years have I done this fair?  That will take more thinking but I look forward to it, it's always fun to have people in your little tent shop, to have them take time to look, feel, and maybe even try on.

Here's a look at what will be at what's been going on in the studio with the art fair in mind.

A warp that almost covers the back beam.

I was thinking marigolds as this jacket was woven.

Just off the loom, before the washing and before the cutting.

One of the finished jackets from that long weave on the floor above.

Two more finished from different warps, wound, threaded, cut and sewn.  All Good!

I Have Been in the Studio...

Process, thinking, the beginning

Weaving.  Not photographed - winding, warping, threading, tying ...

This is a plaited twill pattern.  An 8-harness pattern I am loving at the moment.

Finished fabrics

New project

This picture, a previous project, close up texture.

Snowy, Ice-cycly Wisconsin Winter

Studio pics, working on 8-harness plaited twill.  This is the second warp.  I just couldn't undo the work it took to set up the 8 harness weave so I must play some more with it.  The first warp went well, no problems.  This warp I redid once, then still had a mistake😬😬 but...fixed it by adding a homemade heddle.  Yay!!  Made my day.

 

Little Bluestem prairie planting getting buried by snow this year.  Love this snowy, blue-cold blanket.

My Reppweave reflected in the mirror, hanging on a brick wall next to a perfectly matched shade of green wall.  Sharing cause I love this picture and everything in it.

Some Winter, Some Work ** 2019 **

So peaceful and quiet, the rolled bales situated in the field.  A welcome November scene in my eyes.   With an optimistic hope of more to come when winter really sets in.

Christmas Day along the Mississippi River.

Out the window on New Year's Day.  A beautiful snow, softly flocking the trees.  The day turned gloriously sunny and the snow deep enough to x-c ski in.  These are the days that you just have to feast your eyes on and get firmly in your memory.  So magically beautiful.

Some winter weaving.  An 8-harness experiment.

Happy Cat pillows for Christmas.

Two tapestry weaves for Hidden Talent Show at VIVA Gallery.  A chance to try a new technique.

Being Tourists in Italy

Arriving in Venice by boat taxi.  It was a wild ride from the airport.

The water really is blue, I thought it would be more like the Mississippi (!)  A long view of the city.

A boat bus ride.

The city of Venice is made up of islands connected by beautiful bridges.

From the top of the Clock Tower in St. Marks Square.

Campari for your afternoon spritz.  Better than a stained glass window.

Just another square to sit and drink and watch.

What a wondrous place - no cars, take a boat or walk.  We didn't see any biking either.

Hamming it up on a side trip to Bologna, sampling some homemade pasta at a little restaurant.

One of the best pasta places we sampled.

On to Florence

The Douma or Cathedral of St. Maria of the Flowers.  The center of Florence.  What can you say, amazing architecture and decoration.

Ponte Vecchio on the river Arno.  Built in 1218.  Shops and residences along the bridge.

Pizza with the pigeons.

Pantheon

 The dome of St. Peter's Basilica

The Colosseum

On to the sites of Rome, so many ancient ruins, everywhere you look are ancient ruins, built centuries ago.  Humbling, all the life that has been lived in these places that still stand.  

Some Rome night life on the Spanish Steps.

To Eat:  Tiramisu  We shared that, 4 of us, we should have had more!  Sad.

Gelato!  I didn't get enough.

Roasted Artichoke flowers, we didn't get to try these.  They look pretty though.

Favorite place in the Testaccio neighborhood.

Espresso!

Cheers!

Ciao.