Greetings,

In response to last month’s newsletter, one of our readers suggested including more pictures of artwork and information about some of the new art supplies. When we read her e-mail, it was one of those “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that” moments. So this month we’re inaugurating a new section focusing on our artwork and sharing thoughts about the process and materials used. We’ll be anxious to hear your comments on this new section. Let us know if you’ve something you’d like to contribute. It would be fun to include a reader’s segment.

Ann’s Latest Work

Here’s a piece I call “Remains of the Duster” since an ostrich feather that came out of my duster provided the creative spark. The feather is sandwiched between layers of bleached mulberry bark, spiderweb abaca and polyester organza. I had fun feather-stitching the layers together with hand-dyed cotton and silk embroidery floss. I used a heat gun to melt away the excess organza and allow the feather to peek through. To tone down the stark white of the organza, I painted on a bit of bronze metallic fabric paint. The final touch was a polymer clay button in the lower right – something I’d received in a sampler pack some time ago. These layers are mounted on black velveteen over stretcher bars.

I love the contrast in textures in this piece and the way the fine lines in each of the materials echo each other. The hand stitching was a little tricky sometimes because the spiderweb abaca is quite stiff, so holding it was a little hard when I was stitching in the center area. With the open “weave” of the abaca it is not hard to get a needle through it; the mulberry bark is soft enough to stitch easily.

This piece, titled ???Noise or Music??? Is my contribution to the Dirty, Smelly, Noisy exhibit here at Western Avenue Studios. This exhibit was mounted in response to a comment from a member of Lowell’s Zoning Board of Appeals that the area we are in is “too dirty, noisy, and smelly to be conducive to creativity.”

This comment and the issues swirling around us related to artist live/work space and the creative development of Lowell made me think about how differently individuals see their surroundings. Two people can look at the very same thing and see totally different things in it. All around the frame of this I have included quotes and sayings about perceptions, such as “Is the glass half empty or half full?” In the center is a (life size) 3-D violin made of stitched together lupa paper, silk rods and cocoons. It is set on a background of fabric and embroidered piano roll paper.

Sonja’s Latest Work

For the Dirty, Smelly, Noisy exhibit I had fun with tights and trash—from yogurt tubs to coffee cups to plastic bags. My original plan was to make something that would suspend from the ceiling using mostly plastic items. In the end I stuffed tights with plastic containers and other disposable containers I had collected to create my “trash vases.” Plastic bags were formed into “flowers” to put inside the vases.

I had decided to focus on the “dirty” part of the exhibit theme by using trash particularly to create my artwork. I was inspired by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that I learned about from a website about the Crochet Coral Reef art project. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a lot of floating refuse (mostly plastic) that has collected in the Pacific Ocean.

I had been collecting plastic containers instead of throwing them away as usual for a while in an effort to understand how much I personally throw away that won’t easily biodegrade. (It is not easy to find a way to recycle these disposables when your condo doesn’t have any recycling pickup.)

Lately I have also been having fun playing with computer image programs. I have been learning about a Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro technique called “displacement” from Maggie Grey’s blog. (Maggie Grey is the author of some amazing fiber art books including “Stitch, Dissolve, Distort” and a new book, “Image to Stitch.” (We are waiting for it with bated breathe here in the USA. Those lucky enough to be in the UK or Australia are already getting their copies of the new book!)

Here is what I did with a sunset photo and a tree photo using the displacement filter under the distort filter list in Photoshop Elements. The tree image was saved as a Photoshop Elements file since it was a JPEG before. Then I opened the sunset photo, chose the displace filter, messed with the options a bit, and chose the tree photo as the displacement map. (Any file saved as a PSD file can be used.) To get my final image, I did this process twice choosing different options for the displace filter each time. I also applied an Auto Contrast option under the Enhance menu to see what it would do. I liked the results so I have printed this final image on ColorPlus Poplin to have some more fun with the image by stitching into it &/or painting on it.

Sonja’s link selection:

Crochet Coral Reef, with info on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: http://theiff.org/reef/index.html

Maggie Grey’s blog: http://magstitch.blogspot.com/

Maggie Grey’s Workshop on the Web, the oh-so-inspiring on-line quarterly publication: http://www.workshopontheweb.com/

Fibre & Stitch, a nifty, new on-line mixed media zine: http://www.fibreandstitch.com/

Photo of Sonja & other Lowell Artists with Governor Deval Patrick and MA State Senator Panagiotakos (Sonja is on the far right): http://panospin.blogspot.com/2008/06/governor-senator-with-artists.html

More details about the photo: http://friendsfabricart.blogspot.com/2008/06/art-with-governor.html

Dirty, Smelly, Noisy exhibit: http://www.dirtysmellynoisy.com/

Orphan Works - Something all artists concerned about copyright laws should learn more about and if possible, act accordingly: http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/opinion/20lessig.html

Upcoming Events & More…

§ Sonja and Ann are co-writing an article or two about hand needle-felting techniques for Fibre & Stitch, an on-line art zine that explores mixed media techniques from fibers to papers to stitch. The article for Issue 5 will focus on the basics of getting started with needle-felting to create artwork with various types of fibers from silk throwster’s waste to bamboo to sparkly Angelina fibers. Check out issue 4 which has a wonderful article about “inspiration from Africa” by Mary Sleigh who wrote “African Inspirations in Embroidery.” (This is a great book. We only have one copy of this book left in stock and it is not clear whether we will be able to reorder it.)

§ Quilt/Surface Design Symposium 2008 – June 14-27 we will be vending again at the 19^th annual Q/SDS at the University Plaza Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Q/SDS offers a wonderful series of 2-9 day classes by world-class teachers. We urge you to check it out. http://qsds.com/mainsite.php
Even if you can’t take time for a class, if you’re in the area you can stop by to say hello and shop a bit. They have a nice little vendor mall and a few art exhibits that are open to the public. Hours are Saturday thru Tuesday 10-7, Wednesday closed, Thursday 10-7, and Friday 10 to noon each week.

August brings the Lowell Quilt Festival from the 7^th through the 10th. Sonja and I will be doing another joint exhibit, this time at The Loading Dock Gallery. The title of our show is Fluid Blue - Fabric Art. We’ll have wall art (Sonja) and wearable art (Ann’s jackets). Our opening reception will be held on Saturday night August 9^th 6-8 pm. Not only will there be food and beverages but there will be a fashion show with by WGBH radio’s own Margot Stage as MC. It should be great fun. We hope you’ll save the date.

Click here for full information on the festival. http://www.lowellquiltfestival.org/index.shtml

For progress and thoughts between newsletters, go to Sonja’s blog: http://friendsfabricart.blogspot.com/

Upcoming Workshops

Gelatin Mono Prints

July 5, 2008 10am-1pm

A simple printing plate made from unflavored gelatin allows you to capture incredible detail from plant material, textured cloth, and other such items. We’ll use fabric paints to create positive and negative prints on cotton fabric and paper.

$75 covers all materials. We’ll create at least one yard of cotton fabric.

Optional: Bring items you want to use in printing such as leaves; these objects should be thin and expendable, as they will get covered with paint.

Altered Board Books

August 2, 2008 10am-12 Noon & 2-4pm

Turn a plain book into extraordinary art with paints, fabric collage, fibers, metals, and more. Choose a theme such as a family holiday. We can make color copies of your photos to use them in your book without ruining the original photos.

$125 covers all materials. This is a 4-hour class with a 2-hour lunch break to allow time for you to get lunch and visit the rest of the artists in the building.

Mixing Media

August 9, 2007 10am-12 Noon & 2-4pm (Special workshop during the Lowell Quilt Festival.)

Explore exciting possibilities to add dimension, texture, and shimmer to your art projects. Work with fibers from barks to silk cocoons to bamboo. Mold and shape PaperClay and Model Magic. Add shimmer and shine with foils, Stewart Gill paints, metal shim, Angelina fibers and Glitterati film.

$125 covers all materials. We’ll create several Artist Trading Card (ATCs) or fabric postcard size pieces. This is a 4-hour class with a 2-hour lunch break to allow time for you to get lunch and visit the rest of the artists in the building.

Workshop Registration Information

These new workshops require pre-registration at least a week in advance. To register you can call us at 978-458-4200 or go to our website http://www.friendsfabricart.com/Workshops/SaturdaySeries.html Enrollment is very limited, so don’t hesitate. If at least one person signs up, the class will be held. Registrations cancelled with at least 24 hour advance notice will receive full credit toward a future workshop. NO REFUNDS OR CREDITS will be given for registration cancellations with less than 24 hours notice. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Have a wonderful relaxing summer with plenty of time for art.

Ann, Sonja & the store dogs—Jacques & Ole