On the lighter side, I've been wading through some French and Italian online bookshops, (somewhere I can pay with Euro), armed with only five years/three months of studying the language 30/14 years ago respectively, Google Translator, and, heaven forbid, an online foreign currency converter.
Thank goodness it's proven to be a tad onerous, I haven't clicked on anything dire. Oh, but a book on Italian industrial designs or French architecture, in their own languages... Or cookbooks.... OK, I need a time out; I'll be at the naughty steps.
2010/05/23
Saturday Night that Was
I blurted out on Facebook just now; it went something like this:
I'm more interested in my ability to make something in real life, something that often starts as an imagine in my head. Whether you can call this a concept, or abstraction, or process, or whatever else it's called. This has been a great relief, because I only answer to myself.
But in discussing art, I've come to know what I like: I like pretty; I like to see evidence of the human-thouhgt/hand-made somewhere in the process; I like something that I could/would have never thought to do, particularly when they start from a similar starting point or in reaction to a similar event or things. And I am very attracted to something that is just beyond my reach - something that has gone one step beyond my thinking, something technically a few steps beyond my competence, aesthetics that's a tad more sophisticated than mine, that which I can understand, but have not been able to make. Yet.
I feel more at peace. And that's great, because I am able to listen to others' opinion a bit more.
EDIT: I used to see the word "juxtaposition" everywhere I looked in 2006/07, and it annoyed the heck out of me because, you know, I don't necessarily like layers. Now I see "contexturalization" all around me. I don't know if the fashion has changed, or it's my thinking that's changing what I am picking up from my environment.
Rosie posed the question: "If you're the director of the local gallery, happen to see a famous sculptor walking on our beach, tell him the gallery would love to have his work, but funding is short. He selects one driftwood amidst a bunch of beach stuff, studies it, signs it and hands it to you. Is it art?" I think Ali thought yes. I thought that would be the same as a Catholic church relic, or,I don't worry so much about what is art and what is not any more, whether it is urban or beach debris, self-indulgence, or heaven forbid, craft, we are discussing. Thank goodness.
more like which panties Tom Jones decides to grab/pickup - more about celebrity, though I do understand there is a slight difference in "intention", and Ali is probably far more inclusive than I. I know it's not about the driftwood, but this morning, I see a piece of log in my head I can't erase.
Or Kusama Yayoi installations, which I compared to mirrored rooms in an amusement park. Again, Ali is always more inclusive and forgiving, whereas I have a narrow, rigid definition of what I like, but I guess, not necessarily what I consider art.
I'm more interested in my ability to make something in real life, something that often starts as an imagine in my head. Whether you can call this a concept, or abstraction, or process, or whatever else it's called. This has been a great relief, because I only answer to myself.
But in discussing art, I've come to know what I like: I like pretty; I like to see evidence of the human-thouhgt/hand-made somewhere in the process; I like something that I could/would have never thought to do, particularly when they start from a similar starting point or in reaction to a similar event or things. And I am very attracted to something that is just beyond my reach - something that has gone one step beyond my thinking, something technically a few steps beyond my competence, aesthetics that's a tad more sophisticated than mine, that which I can understand, but have not been able to make. Yet.
I feel more at peace. And that's great, because I am able to listen to others' opinion a bit more.
EDIT: I used to see the word "juxtaposition" everywhere I looked in 2006/07, and it annoyed the heck out of me because, you know, I don't necessarily like layers. Now I see "contexturalization" all around me. I don't know if the fashion has changed, or it's my thinking that's changing what I am picking up from my environment.
2010/05/22
Jo Wants to Know...
Do you know the best methods or materials to use in transferring photographic images on to canvas partially covered with paint?
I'm not sure what she wants to do, but my first thought was the iron-on printer sheets (??) but she said it goes on paint as well. Naturally we thought of screen printing, but she was reluctant to go that route and I suspect she wants to do just one or a few.
Jo's going to look at some multimedia and surface design books in the library, but if you have tips for her, can you let me know? And no, I don't know what kind of paint, but most probably oil or acrylic.
Thank you again.
I'm not sure what she wants to do, but my first thought was the iron-on printer sheets (??) but she said it goes on paint as well. Naturally we thought of screen printing, but she was reluctant to go that route and I suspect she wants to do just one or a few.
Jo's going to look at some multimedia and surface design books in the library, but if you have tips for her, can you let me know? And no, I don't know what kind of paint, but most probably oil or acrylic.
Thank you again.
2010/05/21
Conundrum
Today being Friday, I went to drawing in the morning. It was OK, but as you know, I don't like drawing contours, (I love my friends' drawings, though); I don't like drawing small; and my gesso'ed paper were all stripy and difficult to work with. Enough said. Ronette said I should try doing thin application in multiple layers; Jo said I should try applying gesso with a brush. I might. Enough said. Oh, I said that already.
I've been classmates with Jo and Marie since Day 1, and we've been to a few color and painting courses together as well. They're both lovely women. Marie's daughter is New Zealand designer Jill Alexander, of Mad Cat, Work Dog, and Puss Puss corsets. Marie said I could go to Jill's studio and ask for any scarps or sample cloths. For weaving inspiration or collage. I knew of Jill when we both worked at the Polytech, but I had never really met her. Jo sensed I didn't have the guts to go on my own, so she took me there. This afternoon.
This is my loot. One not-so-small laundry basket full of weaving inspirations, dye-practice material, and brocade cloth I can gesso small areas to draw on.
In a heated moment of me rolling amongst Jill's scraps and selecting pieces, she told me she's running a pattern making course, again. I read about it in the newspaper a while ago. But I know nothing about patterns, (Vogue or McCalls?) and can't sew much beyond a straight line, so it was one of those "wouldn't it be nice" things at the back of the back burner. Well, yeah, sitting amidst a pile of beautiful scraps messed with my head, and before I knew it, I was signing up for the course. Five Thursday evenings starting next week. It's either the start of a beautiful new adventure, or the biggest impulsive mistake I've made in my life, but I think I'm putting all my eggs in the synchronicity basket.
Still.
The workshops move progress like this:
EDIT: Ronette also asked that we all photograph our drawings and give her a memory stick full of drawings for Christmas. I told her English is my second language.
I've been classmates with Jo and Marie since Day 1, and we've been to a few color and painting courses together as well. They're both lovely women. Marie's daughter is New Zealand designer Jill Alexander, of Mad Cat, Work Dog, and Puss Puss corsets. Marie said I could go to Jill's studio and ask for any scarps or sample cloths. For weaving inspiration or collage. I knew of Jill when we both worked at the Polytech, but I had never really met her. Jo sensed I didn't have the guts to go on my own, so she took me there. This afternoon.
This is my loot. One not-so-small laundry basket full of weaving inspirations, dye-practice material, and brocade cloth I can gesso small areas to draw on.
In a heated moment of me rolling amongst Jill's scraps and selecting pieces, she told me she's running a pattern making course, again. I read about it in the newspaper a while ago. But I know nothing about patterns, (Vogue or McCalls?) and can't sew much beyond a straight line, so it was one of those "wouldn't it be nice" things at the back of the back burner. Well, yeah, sitting amidst a pile of beautiful scraps messed with my head, and before I knew it, I was signing up for the course. Five Thursday evenings starting next week. It's either the start of a beautiful new adventure, or the biggest impulsive mistake I've made in my life, but I think I'm putting all my eggs in the synchronicity basket.
Still.
Professional Pattern CuttingYikes....
Stage 1: Basic Theory
This is a fast moving, enjoyable 5 week course that covers the basic theory of patterncutting for tops, skirts and trousers. It includes moving the dart, panels, yokes, flare, gathers, button openings, necklines and simple collars. At the end of the course you will have developed your own easy reference notebook to use when cutting your own patterns. This course does not cover block making or how to fit garments. Students need an understanding of garment construction / sewing to fully appreciate this course.
The workshops move progress like this:
Stage 1: Basic TheoryI'm interested only in the very basics at this stage. I think it's time to calm down, read the whole thing over, and think again.
Stage 2: Skirt block making
Stage 3: Ladies trouser block making
Stage 4: Ladies bodice block making
and other 1 day workshops and individual tuition
EDIT: Ronette also asked that we all photograph our drawings and give her a memory stick full of drawings for Christmas. I told her English is my second language.
2010/05/20
Interweave Press Books
I was checking out the Interweave Press book sale this morning. To me, they are the absolute last bastion of weaving book publishing, and not a shabby one at that, but a while back I was sad to see a reduction in weaving books and an inverse (is that the word?) increase in knitting publications. Then, beading. Now it appears quilting/mixed media/textile art/art cloth is all the rage. And though these books are very attractive, it's weaving I'm interested in. And if Interweave won't publish weaving books, I'm not sure whom I can count on to continue to produce quality weaving books. (Not to mention the wonderful books on herbs they also had once.)
A casual perusal yields the following numbers of books and magazine back numbers under these categories, though I think some books appear in more than one category:
Beads/Jewelry: 1266
Knitting: 847
Mixed Media: 471 (Some exquisite books in this category.)
Quilting: 427
Sewing: 58
Spinning: 55
Weaving: 65
Their website looks like Opera.com in that they have everything and, for me, a bit too much, but sadly, there is no weaving community.
I'm glad they continue to do well, and I know it's because they develop new markets and are not afraid of "in with the new and out with the old" policy. But as a weaver, I can't help feeling a bit sad.
A casual perusal yields the following numbers of books and magazine back numbers under these categories, though I think some books appear in more than one category:
Beads/Jewelry: 1266
Knitting: 847
Mixed Media: 471 (Some exquisite books in this category.)
Quilting: 427
Sewing: 58
Spinning: 55
Weaving: 65
Their website looks like Opera.com in that they have everything and, for me, a bit too much, but sadly, there is no weaving community.
I'm glad they continue to do well, and I know it's because they develop new markets and are not afraid of "in with the new and out with the old" policy. But as a weaver, I can't help feeling a bit sad.
What's It All For?
So, I've carded, spun, and knitted, a little bit. I enjoyed each process, but they need to connect, because in the end, I need, (errr, "would like" ?), to be able to make yarns that yield a beautiful final product, yes?
I know a little bit about how yarns behave in weaving. I know I don't want regular stripes in the weft, (because I will only ever use my handspun in the weft,) but I would love sprinkles or blotches/splodges of colors.
I like complementary colors in carding and spinning, but I can't decide if I feel that way in a knitted piece; I suspect it's all about proportion and placement.And in the weft, I would definitely like a more even twist, though I am still game for very-thick-and-very-thin.
As for the tea cosy, after a few false starts, I started knitting it. And, ooops, it grew bigger and bigger and now it's huge. I can get a new teapot to go with the cosy, or I can move on to Plan B.
And I just remembered I don't remember how to close the top end of this loop - you know, after I've got the height I want. Mom is not going to be able to explain this to me over the whole, so I guess I'll be visiting YouTube again.
Plan B
I'm noticing a drastic change in my .... receptiveness?? This is something I started to work on in 2002 when I first encountered "The Artist's Way", though I'm not doing AW right now nor any of the squeals.
Friends comment on something I do or say, (not even constructive criticisms, but just observations or a good laugh,) and I hear suggestions of alternative ways of looking at or making something. And before I know it, I'm doing it.
Most of my life, I've been resistant to criticisms. I took them personally and became good at defense or rebuttal. I had to train myself to ask questions, initially to disguise my hurt and hostility, so the other party had to come up with suggestions, and I'd write them down and think about them for years and analyze them to death, and then sometimes I'd try them, but often put them at the back of the back burner.
I like my new attitude. It's less complicated and less time-consuming.
Friends comment on something I do or say, (not even constructive criticisms, but just observations or a good laugh,) and I hear suggestions of alternative ways of looking at or making something. And before I know it, I'm doing it.
Most of my life, I've been resistant to criticisms. I took them personally and became good at defense or rebuttal. I had to train myself to ask questions, initially to disguise my hurt and hostility, so the other party had to come up with suggestions, and I'd write them down and think about them for years and analyze them to death, and then sometimes I'd try them, but often put them at the back of the back burner.
I like my new attitude. It's less complicated and less time-consuming.
Pics to Picks 2010 Rose Pelvin
My initial scribbles on my reactions to the three images and then, because yarns talk to me louder than pictures, some bundles of yarns that are possibilities for each. I haven't decided yet which one I will choose to follow through as they all have great potential. I thought my teatowel idea might win because I was about to weave some anyway, but it hasn't quite fallen into place yet and it may be the medieval colour and texture that I run with. Time will tell (though I realise there is not a lot of time left.)
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