Crewel Tool kit

Currently I have been working a lot in crewel embroidery. Mostly french knots and bullion stitch to describe wounds in my fine art work. It is most definitely a labor of love because the work is so tiny yet so many hours go into each piece. I hope that it will translate well when I have my group exhibition in October at the Ohio Art League gallery.

Anyways it got me to looking at my tool kit and also a nudge from a friend about an embroidery toolkit contest going on in the UK. I thought why not. If she thought it was interesting enough to suggest I might as well share it.

So here it is:

In my kit starting at twelve O'clock going clockwise:

• My appleton crewel threads hoop, which I made
• Clover embroidery hoop stand
• Embroidery pocket guide
• Clover embroidery hoop
• Thread heaven
• Embroidery scissors
• Thread snip ring by clover
• Needle pull pads
• Paper piecing hexagons
• Thread
• Seam rippers
• Eraser, pencil, post it notes
• Felted Wool ball pincushion
• Magnet to catch stray pins
• Clover embroidery needle threader

Below are a few more in detail shots of everything.

 

My little magnet pin holder inside the metal tin. It works pretty perfect while I am on the go because i know any loose pins inside the tin will find their way to the magnet so it's not an explosion of pain every time I open it.

My wonderful little collection of cutters.

The favorite is my green pen scissors. They are tiny and fit on my cell phone or in my pocket and have been tested to be airplane safe so far. the ends are a bit rounded which is why I think they have been approved so many times. I got these little wonders off of Jetpens.com

So that covers what is in my embroidery kit!

It was also a nice exercise to get everything reorganized. There is a lot of organizing going on in my life right now with the move out of my studio and back home and prepping for summer and all the festivals and events at work. My biggest challenge is the balance between working on my fine art and working on my fashion for the summer show with the Alternative Fashion Mob.

I was very proud of myself for putting out some of my fine art watercolors at the last AGORA X this past weekend. All three pieces were sold to the same person and he really liked them. It was a sort of unbelievable moment for me because I've only ever sold fashion or craft work and never fine art work. I might of blurted out in his face an enthusiastic "REALLY?!"

Oh silly me and my tactfulness.

 

Sold bruise studies #1-3

Well I hope you all have a good week and I'll try to think of something fun for next week's post!

Cheers!

MIA

Sorry friends and blog watchers. I have been seriously MIA on here because big HUGE changes have happened in my life.

1. Quit my day job
2. Took new day job
3. New job started the same week as the organizations biggest yearly fundraiser, a gallery opening and the following week when I needed to process and balance everything from fundraiser event and opening there was another Gallery closing.

Suffice to say life has been BUSY!

Let me start with saying I LOVE my new job. I love it so much and what it means to me that I took a pay cut to be where I am. Gallery Manager and Organizational Administrator for the Ohio Art League.
It is everything I was looking for in a job. Working in the community, working with other artists and organizing events and meeting new people to make opportunities for other artists and friends.
I learned from my years being a part of Independents day and this year amping up what I do with Craft Alley that this was the kind of work I really enjoyed. More importantly it was something that didn't kill my passion for my personal art as well. Instead it enhanced and inspired me more.

2012 has held a lot of pitfalls and disappointment for me in the professional area with my missed teaching opportunities, failure to get into an MFA program and financial woes. At the end of 2012 it is looking like a very bright and happy future for me.

My friend Erica who I can't thank enough for always believing in my fashion work and promoting me. She helped get me into the Dead Island 2: Riptide music video. It is my linen skirt and silver halter top that you can see at:

Marks 2:45, 3:08 and 3:15




Directed by Don Tyler
DP: Noel Maitland
Art director: Erica Stewart

Costume designer: Erica Stewart
Wardrobe stylist: Dagmarette Yen
Key makeup artist & hair design: Erica Stewart
Key hair stylist: Jessica Stadel

Ups and Downs

Polyps #1 by Jonah Jacobs

The past week has been a little bit of a roller coaster! Being able to finally announce my participation on the new TLC show Craft Wars. I've been juggling a flood of e.mail from friends, day job, organizing craft vendors for two upcoming festivals, teaching my Pattern class at CCAD, and prepping for my College Preview High School Class also at CCAD. My best friend called and asked me how I find the time to do all of this as I was sitting in a gallery doing some volunteer work for Ohio Art League. I told her I just do. My day job is so unfulfilling that I need to fill the rest of my life doing things I love to counterbalance it all. The above art was one of the pieces that was on display at the Columbus Metro Library exhibit I was volunteering at for artist pick up. I loved all the colors in it and how it reminded me of a deep sea surface covered in barnacles. It reminded me that I need to get back to making art myself and finish up some projects I have been holding off to the side.

I sat down this weekend and took another long look at this Overshot weaving pattern and finally decided to just dive in and get it started. I have my warp threads measured out over a month ago it was time to just try it all out. I was hesitant because I haven't been able to go to my weaving classes regularly with my teaching schedule conflicting this summer and it is a format I have never tried before. I'm one of those people that also hates to waste anything so I feel like if I mess up that I will have wasted some decent wool yarn and a lot of my time.

 I got about half of it threaded in the heddles yesterday and I hope to finished the rest tonight and give it a test run. I've also been obsessed once again in finding a loom for myself to keep. I'm thinking even a rigid heddle is better then nothing. I've taken a gander at Inkle table looms as well but I have a feeling they are not my cup of tea.

In other news, not sure if it's because of the weather or just because I have been much more productive the good ole hands and elbows have needed braces as I work on knitting, tatting, embroidery or typing. I know several other ladies my age who are having the same problems being long time crafters in needle arts. It makes me a little scared that if it's this bad now how much worse will it get as I age? I could never imagine life without being able to craft and create. I think I would just down a bunch of pain pills and carry on.

Do you have any slightly embarrassing injuries to claim?
Tonight is another Episode of Craft Wars! I'm not sure I will get to watch it as it airs due to Red, White and BOOM! tonight but I'll be sure to find a way to catch up on it and blog ASAP!

Cheers and Enjoy the Holiday my Fellow Americans!

Decision, Decisions

Hello Friends!
I've been a bit absent for several reasons mostly aren't excusable but I thought I would tell you anyways.  My older brother for some reason thought it was a smart idea to take my 4 years old netbook instead of his snazzy new macbook with him on a business trip to Korea so my photo uploads have been bunk.  Usually I would upload photos as I watch dramafever and knit on the couch (it's still multitasking even if they are all fun things).  My wonderful husband has also updated my computer which is amazing!  More memory updated programs for my Macmini but it also put my scanner out of commission because it is so out of date it won't install the drivers so once again none of my snazzy fun fuiji instax (polaroids) have been scanned or uploaded (major fail).  Lastly these video submissions I have been working on have been gobbling up more time then I had expected.  It's tough to film something and then try to edit or even upload some 2 hours of footage. 

The image at the beginning is a new piece part of my "delicacies" series that I photographed for my current portfolio.

Aside from giving you all this amusing excuses that isn't what I really wanted to talk about here.  I've been working on another Graduate School Application and this time it was for CCAD where I teach Continuing Education. I had a long talk with the current President of Enrollment Johnathan Lindsay about the state of the school and it's goals and a lot about that fashion department which is my end game goal here.  This application is slightly different then other MFA's.  Instead of asking for a letter of intent they want a project proposal.  This sounded like a fun idea until I read more into the details.  They wanted examples cited and pictures, materials etc etc.  It sounded just like making a proposal that you would make as a working artist for a grant or gallery submission.  This got my wheels turning a bit faster then normal and then to a halt.  As I began my outline of different projects I could possibly propose I thought to myself I don't really know what I am doing and this is kinda what I wanted to go back to school for, to learn how to write a proper proposal as an artist.

Taking a break for a few days I met up with a friend at a coffee shop who has been helpful in my grad school applications and just shooting the shit artist to artist.  He formerly worked at CCAD which is how I knew him.  We discussed the CCAD program which is very exciting and conceptual.  Basically every semester you work on a project for which you proposed, it is an interdisciplinary program so you are free to take classes in any medium.  This also allows you to choose a different mentor/professor to work with each semester as well.  From what I've heard, a majority of these students are also teaching undergrad fine art classes, which I think is excellent. I agreed with my friend that I think this is a great MFA program for someone who is aspiring to be a fine Artist full time.  For majority of artists if they are going straight from undergrad into a grad program this would be useful before they are flung into the real world as it seems they are always able to show their work at the end of the semester.  As my friend pointed out it will enforce people to make their own schedule and deadlines, teach them how to source and network as well as gallery presentation.  As useful as these things are I have been out of school for about 9 years, these are things I have already mostly learned and would rather not learn by trial and error at my stage in life.  After this conversation I found more that it isn't the fit for me in terms of grad school.  As fantastic and open and it is I feel like I would not be getting enough of out it for myself.

On the flipside is OSU who I am still praying that I get accepted.  If not this year I will try again next year.  I look through the coursebook online and I see the potential of things I could take to make my education a cut above other artist and fashion instructors I know. I see learning about practical business skills because let's be honest a fine artist is still a business, you have taxes to pay and deduct you advertise yourself and your work.  You are a merchant for your art.  There are possibilities in getting to critique and discuss with a wider audience of people as majority of the campus are not fine artists but their insight is still critical.  I was discussing with another friend how silly it is sometimes when artists don't branch out to get critiqued by others.  How can you compare yourself to yourself?  I know how to write a proposal but still to take a class to help me make a more powerful or concise artist proposal and statement is what I need.  Perhaps OSU won't have the same close mentorship program that CCAD does but my education does not just stop on what is available on campus. 

Outside of Grad school there are also a plethora of opportunities that I can take advantage of.  I am a committee member now of the Ohio Art League and they continual have Art Informal, which is a meeting of members and free talking/critiquing of the arts in our community.  Through Ohio Art League I know that I could find someone willing to be a mentor for me in my work and it would be just as personal as someone assigned or chosen from school.  There is also no harm is asking a fellow teacher at CCAD to look at my work as a friend and give me a little guidance here and there.  My education is certainly not limited to going to a school but in the end for what I want it is necessary.

End game I want to be a fashion instructor/full time faculty as my JOB.

One Night Fiction

This year's One Night Fiction for the Ohio Art League was in a space at the back of the Library I work at.  Usually I can volunteer for this event one night of set up/decorating and then the night of the event I do ticket sales and other errands.  Since this year was so close to me I got to see the entire set up from start to finish.  I found it pretty amazing how they took such an obscure space and turned it into a great event.  I'll start at the beginning when they were taking in the art work before the space was touched and end with the Video of the Live Auction!

The wide empty space we call "The Cave" was selected for the Event and it is exactly that, large open and dark.  Which is perfect in terms of a gallery since it makes for some dramatic lighting on the artwork and  plenty of walking room without being crowded.

You enter a doorway then through a hallway that opens up into the space.

I am instantly reminded of a Monty Python Quote, "She has LARGE.... Tracks of Land!"

Hanging and Decoration Set up

This was during the initial placing and hanging of the art work

Some of my Favorite pieces

Alissa Head

Morris Jackson

My pieces in the Event
Bubble Scraf Grand (eight feet long)
Tucked Leather -  Crystal Embellished Skirt

During the Event

In the end it looked fantastic and it was another great event.  A lot of successive auctions and happy patrons to the arts.  Having a live auctioneer was a great addition that I hope they continue to have.

The Live Auction of my skirt

Worthwhile

Photo from Dr. Elena 

I have quite a few updates to make but I've been a bit flabbergasted by my fantastic meeting yesterday down at Ohio State University with the Department of Art Graduate Head.  In short all my questions were answered and I'm not behind or in a bad place at all with my application process.  They were very excited to meet me and it was good feelings all around.  I don't want to delve too deeply into it but I made a good impression and they are very supportive of me coming into their program.  The funny thing that I had been pondering, was where I fit in and oddly enough with where my work as an artist is heading I'm going to be more aligned with the ideas of the Art and Tech department rather then the Sculpture department.  Not that I will be giving up any of my  fiber and fashion but my approaches to them and new materials and methods make more sense in Art and Tech. 

In other news this weekend was Fantastic!  I sold both my pieces at the OAL One Night Fiction Event which includes the above eight foot long bubble scarf and my Tucked Leather skirt with Swarovski embellishments.  The Live auction was great!  I had never seen a live auction and to have one of my pieces selected was a real treat.  I got some footage of my piece but I have yet to load it.  hopefully tomorrow I can get her on there with some more details of the event.  I took pictures over the week to document the changes in the space and set up.  It is always interesting to me to see the transformation on spaces by other objects. 

From just these two things I am feeling very uplifted as more then just a fashion designer but as an artist where my heart truly lies.  A lot of people don't know this but I feel more comfortable calling myself a sculptor/artist then I do a fashion designer.  I love garments and I love the way they transform the body but not as much as I enjoy the response to those transformations and the ideas and feelings it sets into motion.  I feel like cloth, fiber and pattern were just the materials I have been working with and I am very happy to set out into a brave new world of technology and new materials.

Just from these two events I am feeling pretty worthwhile.  I've been so long outside of artistic conversations and critique I'd felt lost if what I was going was good work or forced art.  Most people at least in Undergrad hate Critique but I enjoy it if nothing else but for some validity on my work and input from an open standpoint.

There was so much more to this weekend but I haven't loaded the photos yet so I'll continue tomorrow!

In all Honesty

I've been depressed.

To try and combat this I have been extremely busy running errands applying to contests and gearing up for Teaching and finding a job. I did in fact find a job..... Part time at an Express. I know it's not really me but basics are always good there and I can't complain about the discount. It is only part time so it's not like I am selling my soul to the retail industry. It does put a huge kink in my project that I have been wanting to launch so I might have to hold off another year or so. We shall see how I can wriggle my opinionated clothing options into their guidelines.

As for contests I submitted this week for the "Aspiring Designer Contest" at Substance. Substance is this cute store with a large space in the Short North that is eco-conscious. They have high quality cottons and basics which in store they alter with embellishments to match whatever you desire. The have samples up so you can see the endless possibilities and a wide selection of trims and notions to play with or to give their in-staff seamstress to make. It is an extremely unique Idea and I hope them all the best.

I've also been slowing still working on my 100 C's project on my knitting machine for the OAL. And the Tiny Canary Craft Application is now up!

Also I made a bunch of new Cat's Bane yarn guards and 4 new shirts to put out this weekend at Undone for Gallery Hop. I'm hoping at the craft fairs my Cat's bane will do well otherwise it's all bubble scarves and fingerless gloves and arm-warmers again........ I think I might borrow my brother's credit card Machine to use as well. I for sure don't have the funds to invest in getting my own.

I'm all stewing up my designs for the Halloween Highball. I have my theme and inspirations it's just me getting to work on them now.

Its all starting up again

Another long overdue post.

Several things going on in my world right now.
I just sold a piece at the OAL (Ohio Art League) Event One night in a Hundred. It was a great event. I wish there were more people who had come to support us but I think they ended up doing pretty well. I connected with several people there such as the Collier West owners and my Golf Buddy John from the CCAD Golf Outing I did.

Speaking of which that was a good time and another good connection. My Scramble team WON the CCAD Golf outing and I am forever immortalized on a Plaque in Canzani. Having been the ONLY actual representative of CCAD on that team I am also ingrained in the memory of the president of the School ~points~. Also my cart buddy was once a well established woman's accessories designer who sold to Saks, Henri Bendel, and many other high end stores. Also happened to be alumni of the same High School that I am from but many many years earlier.

Along with CCAD news I just finished my first workshop with the High School students and it went perfectly. They all loved it, had a great time and had a lot of things to take home to show their parents. A lot of parents also spoke to me and thanked me for such a great program. Those kids were amazing. They Accomplished more then I ever thought they would. I can't wait for the College Preview to Start.

I have a trunk show coming up at Undone on July 25th. I am trying to get a lot of pieces done that can be worn and interperted with the lingerie. Good thing I have my two interns starting next week to help me get this going.

Yep that's right I have interns this summer. How crazy is that? I hope this will really help me to focus and jump start on advertising myself and getting into some boutiques outside of Columbus.

Other interesting news that has nothing to do with me is that two of my former college classmates have made themselves pretty famous. First is Ra'mon Lawrence-Coleman who is going to be on the new Project Runway coming up on Lifetime. Second Matt Ames was just in an article in W as a rising fashion designer to look out for. Congrats guys seriously! I will be there someday. I'm severely contemplating that I need to do the Project Runway route before I get too engrossed but I hope that I do well enough on my own to perhaps not need that.

Only time will tell.
In the meantime I am going to try several different formats and things with this Blog. I am also going to be moving all my www.torn012.net content to my www.tornangel.com site. As well as making updates with the help of my trusty Andy!