quick and dirty

batik, bumped






The pool is full, if ungroomed. Most of the amphibian denizens now relocated.
There was much running about and stuff to do after two days of slacking but the sun was too bright to put off a quick shoot of some of the pieces I've been working on that I will be putting up for sale in the shop. All you have now is this list of raw, enormous images that may well feature my toes or someone's hairy tail.

In the morning I will be moving them into the shop with descriptions, sizes, prices etc.  If you see something you like today, reserve it with an email. Some of the pieces are large and I will be willing to cut them in half.

Full Moon celebration

Despite the unseasonable cold (it barely cleared 55 here all day) I used hot water and got a couple of great finds into the color today just to see what  would come of it.

There were some vintage finds today at a local antique place that was giving an additional discount for it's anniversary!  I hope the dye solution doesn't freeze in the night.

My little garden pots struggle on and what it that we see in the background? YES, finally! We will be opening a skating rink by the weekend if it keeps up this cold!

Colin & Raquel were here most of the day doing the dirtiest work after we let the pool go totally back to nature this winter, uncovered again. Raquel and I took two five gallon pails swarming with all kinds of tadpoles and polliwogs down to the brook and freedom.  I can swim with a clear conscience.

stitching day

I spent (wasted?) a lot of time wandering the web yesterday and have been inspired by a lot of other people's hand reveries, I picked up where I left off with this one and will spend the rest of the morning with it. I've had my satisfied fill of household chores for the moment.

grey morning

"GreyGrid" is a perfect reflection of my mood this morning.

The weather is the same, dim, uncertain, vaguely threatening - generally unhappy. I was treated to a Braves game at Turner Field last night on Fireworks Friday Night! Coming off a come-from-behind win the night before we were hopeful of a high spirited game but a combination of friday the 13th nonsense plays and bad calls conspired for a loss for the home team. We stayed for the fireworks anyway but the video I so dumbly shot sidewise didn't even come out and today all my bones are complaining bitterly about all that marching around on concrete. Next time rollerskates?

This piece is permanently attached to an 11x14 canvas with matte acrylic gel.

seeing spotz

I'm not sure exactly what I am looking for in the right set of dots but that won't keep me from looking longer.



I may get out the crayons later!

Jake said this looked like a Hubble deep space shot. I'd agree if it weren't for that nasty red blotch.

This was a piece of cotton that disappointed me because I discovered that the cloth must have some poly content that made it resistant to getting strong color from the dye. This was a cleanup rag before the discharge - it may have a starring role coming up.

rich results

If I do say so myself, this cloth came out pretty spectacular just wish I knew it's  provenance. If anyone has any notions please let me know. 

(that's the ever-present critic's paw in the upper right corner)


You can go here and here for some closer looks. This one looks like gila monster skin.


I'll be sharing these and other new pieces in the store over the weekend. Smaller pieces, more variety...

from sublime to spectacular

Remember this score?  Combing through the acres of cloth I finally found a tag. Read it, carefully clipped it off and tossed it "somewhere safe" for future reference. Where that might be I have no clue at the moment.
All I can recall is "cotton" and the name of a company in NJ.

I cut this one up into rectangular pieces and spent yesterday morning using soy wax, dye powder, sugar and salt on ten or so pieces. I lost count.

Wish I knew more about thread count. The hand on this cloth is soft like sateen. The pattern you can see is part of  the weave, not embossed, embroidered or printed on. When wet it feels almost like chamois. And it took the wax and the dye so aggressively that I had to boil everything to really get it clean and ready to iron. When was the last time you looked forward to ironing anything?  

before

....and after.
Well worth the trouble and mess!

until tomorrow

It will be tomorrow before I can see what will become of these. Spent the morning with soy wax, paint and dyes. Now, I'm off to the whine mine to see what happened over the weekend.

the perfect dessert

After a lovely day with family, the perfect dessert hatching out of the washer. Summer is upon us!

Eye candy from the burning deck

It was blazing out on the deck today so I had to work these pieces in stages dashing into the darkened, cool living room to regain my vision. At one point I thought I was working in black and white.


Later, when the game is on, I'll iron all these to heat set the metallic textile paints.

what fun. more later and much of the day tomorrow...

hubris

If the weather stops being so crazy the plan for tomorrow is for continued work on the cloth most recently dyed. Some soy wax in preparation for overdyeing this weekend, some paint, some discharging and hopefully,
some magic.


(Notice the void on the railing in the background. That's Voodoo fantasizing about hummingbirds on a stick.)