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!

It's been awhile

Hello Blog land! It has been a long while since I have posted, I deeply apologize for leaving any readers hanging. Life has come at me very quickly and the new job (even though it's been 6 months) is still sending me zingers and keeping me so busy I barely have time to craft. In fact I barely have time for anything but MUAY THAI!

I have added yet another element to my life and that is Muay Thai kick boxing. I'm in love. I don't think very many people associate me with being active with all that crafting, video gaming and cats sitting on my lap but I really was, once upon a time. I suffered some pretty major back injuries about 6-7 years ago from a snowboarding accident and have kept on the side of safety. A good friend told me about the gym he goes to and suggested I try it since I was having problems getting into the habit of working my core and my gym routine was pissing me off only doing laps in the pool due to my weak core and back. I went and it's been amazing. It is some of the hardest training I have done in my life since Taekwando in Korea back in the summer of 1999. Not only has it been great physically but also mentally, everyone at the gym is great. They have a real community going there and lot's of love and support for all the students. I think this is also a huge part of why I have made huge efforts to keep with Muay Thai over everything else.

Community, it's an amazing thing and Columbus is well known for having such a terrific one. This is what made me want to work in my job with a non-profit, because I love the arts community and so many of my friends were a part of it. Muay Thai is the same way, such an amazing community in our gym that many days I stay up to half an hour after class just chatting with people. I recently saw the Nina does C-bus show and parts of it put me near to tears with all the love and seeing so many faces of friends in her show. I feel super fortunate of all the places in the entire world I grew up in a place where outstanding communities are all around me.

Now enough of this sap! Let's get to some updates!
I am no longer going to be having an art studio for two reasons:
1. Junctionview Studios will be closing it's doors for ever (boo)
2. I have spent so little time in the studio due to my job that is it just not fiscally responsible

So I have been moving everything home and it's fine, it works a little better aside from the smell of litter boxes next to me. I am set up in the basement in the far side from my sewing studio. It makes a little better sense to all be together, but the yarn..... dear lord the yarn is another issue.

Although most of my studio is already moved back home I will be a part of AGORA X at Junctionview Studios this coming weekend. There is a fancy Preview party Friday from 6-10 pm and then Saturday is the main event from noon-midnight! If you have never been to one, it is not something to miss. One of my favorite art events all year.

I've also been accepted into my first gallery show since college for my fine art and NOT fashion for once. I am super excited for that and it is a group show with two other ladies I have much respect and love for as well, Megan Coyan and Nicki Strouss. I have a lot of work ahead of me in embroidery and watercolor, but I am excited. Here is a peek of my current work still depicting bruises and how they represent interactions in our lives.

Lastly and on a fashion note I am one of the designers for the Alternative Fashion Mob fashion show in June. Once again a lot of work ahead of me. Coming up immediately is this fantastic Couture Cuisine collaboration with the Explorer's Club. I am going to be represented by dessert!

OH and one more thing! I met Ann Hamilton TWICE this month! I will get more into it in another blog entry but just had to share since it was one of the things on my personal bucket list. 

My vow going forward dear friends is to get a blog entry done once a week. This blog like my life is going to keep developing and changing to reflect my personal growth and exploration of the world.

Cheers!

The Little things

A few months ago Rivet Gallery had some pieces from Dalton Ghetti. It was amazing to see his precise and meticulous work in person. You see the pictures and the postcards but to get the real appreciate for how difficult this is you gotta see it in person.

These are my craptastic photos to try and capture how seriously tiny this all is.

The chain really is amazing more so then I think some of the others because there are so many tiny linking pieces. I'd really like to see how his work shop set up was to complete this piece. Amazing how he uses just a sewing needle and sharp triangular blade to work on these. I love that it is just for him. He doesn't sell a single piece or do this for money. He has purely been doing this for fun and his own meditation.

Summer approaching

With Summer pretty much on the doorstep I keep thinking about how great my last summer ended with getting married and our amazing whirlwind honey moon to London, Paris and Rome.
As I daydream of the fantastic time I had I am avoiding the reality of things that will be this summer, the kitchen renovation.

Everyone looks nice and dandy right? Wrong....... when we did the Tear out the cabinets were from 1948 shipped from California and made proudly in the USA by Union workers. The oven is failing, 2 of the three stove top burners are no longer working and there is no dishwasher. The counters and cabinets are also too narrow to fit in with modern appliances. I loathe the vinyl flooring so that will be replaced with the same Bamboo throughout the rest of our first floor.  We are also getting a wall demolished to open the area up, moving the window by the oven to the opposite side and installing a half bath.

In other news the beginning of summer also means the start of summer classes for me to teach.
Over at ye' olde stomping grounds of CCAD for teaching I'll be doing Pattern Drafting and Sewing Construction per usual, then my favorite Summer program College Preview teaching another summer of heart wrenching fashion elective! Sadly my Draping and Fabric Manipulation class did not have a large enough enrollment to happen this summer. I love teaching draping, it is just more my style and such a fun loose class to get creative in.

I also will have a few classes over at one of my favorite local stores Wholly Craft. I'll be teaching beginning crochet and also an Amigurami class for a little Jelly fish doll.

I'm trying to work on some new pieces of art and just jewelry in general that I'd like to sell on Etsy. It's very annoying to be out of my element and without a proper work space. I'm making do as much as I can with just the small handicrafts that I can transport around with me. It is seriously stressing me out not to be able to sew and work in fabric freely when ever I want. Today is just Monday so hopefully the rest of the week turns around. Tomorrow is my first day to teach with the summer class so that'll be exciting to meet some new people and find out why they want to learn basic pattern drafting.

Cheers!

Wounded Work

 I'm not sure if you recognize these from a month or two ago. I started to work on these embroideries of bruises and scabs. Things I would say were just flesh wounds, nothing serious but still take time to heal, like feelings (oh, if my hubby saw me say that he would laugh so hard!). My hubby always tells me and my "artsy" friends things like, "why don't you go draw/knit/paint your feelings"
Anyways I digress. This was the project I started in response to my rejection from Graduate school, and I like it to much I am going to continue it. I found my inspiration from my local bestie Claire when she hit her arm really hard in weaving class and got this stellar bruise.
It made me think about the colors that erupt from that kind of injury and I continued to play on it and different formations. I'll tell you it is not a fun thing to research on google, bruises, scabs, scars, some nasty photos come up. I've been trying to take pictures of friend's injuries I most likely won't post them here because it's still gross, but not for me since it's personal.

Anyways I've mounted the few works I did on canvas and took some nice pictures of them for you all to gander at.

Bruised #2

Bruised #1

Bruise #2 Detail

Bruises are a funny things because if you pay attention closely there are all sorts of colors in there that you wouldn't except. Pops of red and purple for broken blood vessels, that greenish yellow tint around the edges and sometimes a serious black color depending how bad it was. I don't feel like I've got it down quite yet but I will keep working at it.

Scabs #1 and #2

Scab #1

Scab #2
 

I think that I have done a much better job with the Scabs. The irritating looking skin outline and pinkish scabbing texture worked well. I especially liked doing the crack in #1. I think they still give the sense of irritation and itchy that I wanted to convey. I had a really good scar but it was tiny and I think it was lost when I framing the other ones out.

I just got some excellent photos of some biking injuries a friend Jen had so I look forward to mapping those out on some muslin and getting started next week.

TiLT

Just another random Thursday. 

 1. Finding a good Butcher. 
Sorry veggies but I am a huge carnivore and bring brought up on basically Korean BBQ is a big part of that.  I've been on the hunt for a good butcher that understands what kind of meat cuts I need when I can't explain them very well but have pictures.  I was happy to finally find some great butchers to work with me easily at the Market District in my hometown of Upper Arlington.  This is called California style galbi cuts, but in butcher terms it's rib in flank cut.

Photo is from Pour Porter

2. DIY bleached Leggings.
I love the way it looks like she was either spattered with her flesh or that her leggings are slowly eaten by a black plague or disease.  Sure I know it's not a very pretty description but it's fascinating to me.  This photo is from this new clothing website I am digging called Pour Porter.

3. Speaking of which Pour Porter.
This website I found randomly while going through my blogs I read and I am in love with.  It holds the same kind of style I am attracted to wanting to wear as an adult in a job where I have to dress "professionally".  Even though the clothes don't seem professional I would like to think I live in a world where it is.  Lot's of gorgeous hand dyed items and big drapey tops to make you look interesting while covering every bump and unseemly love handle.  Sure it is a bit pricey but so original and things you wouldn't normally see anyone else wearing.

4. Kawaii Cats
I love anything cats so of course when I was in Pittsburgh it was an amazing treat to get to go to this Stationary store (which I will get into more detail later).  I am a crazy cat lady so I am happy to get anything to put more kitties into my life (without actually have more then 3 real ones in the house).  This Character is Kutusita Nyanko Cat by San-X and this store is Shop Kawaii

5. Public Renegade Art
We found this during our Honey Moon in Paris while walking around the Montmartre.  If you do not recognize this it is a "space invader" by a French urban artist Invader.  if you still don't know what I'm talking about then you need to see the movie "Exit through the Gift Shop" and get acquainted with him and some other wonderful renegade artists.  I like the idea that art can be anywhere and people can have as much freedom to express their art and we are supposed to our speech.  I know it's not the same in all countries which is sad but every little piece we do if progress.

Art21

Recently I started to watch this PBS series called Art21 that my friend Jessimi told me about.  It is FANTASTIC!  If you are into art and want to know more about 21st century artists and what makes them tick these mini documentaries are the ticket.  I was especially moved by Ann Hamilton, she is a bit of local legend in art but I was never really motivated to learn more about her until I saw this.  In the first five minutes of her presentation I was floored with how similar our artistic views on fabric and fibers were connected as well as our influences by word and thread.  She basically put into words all my feelings for my artwork.  I am the kind of person that avoids mass popularity and opinion in all things, I believe in experiencing it for myself and making my own judgement.  This has been in all things from music, food, art and movies.  That is the reason why I never explored the genius of Ann Hamilton previously.  Now even if I don't get into grad school I still want to make it a goal of mine to meet with her and perhaps participate in one of her projects.

Her video work reminds me a lot of one of the directions I want to follow with my own work.  Recently while doing my new portfolio I made this raw video of the creation of my Neuron time based piece.  This was after all the stitches were sewn, where I am slowly pulling out the supporting threads and had no idea of the end result and if it would even stay together.


I am very excited for the possibilities in my future artwork.

DIY Photo Studio

One of my favorite things I learned during this portfolio process was how to solve some of my own problems.  With the deadline being shortly after the holidays I could not ask to impose on any of my photographer friends to help me with my portfolio images.  I had to get inventive.  I got some advice through e.mail from several of them and went through a lot of trial and error. The best looking thing would of been white foam board.  The hard thing was finding it large enough to be useful as a background without awkward seams.  Then I tried a fabric tarp but the wrinkles in it made it useless.  Finally on a hunt for larger foam board I bought a roll of extra white background paper from Midwest Photo Exchange.  I was a little wary to spend the $30 but I figured if that is the most I need to spend to make these photos amazing then it won't be that bad.

 It worked flawlessly after I set it up with some ingenuity.  I hung the paper across another longer tube on the inside so it would roll along easier and the cord wouldn't catch the edges of the paper to tear it (which I learned after attempt #2).  On the far Wall I nailed in large headed main on each side giving about 3-4" of space from the end of the paper to allow it to have some drape.  I also put folded pieces of paper between the string and background paper where it would rub and possibly tear.  This helped to make it easier to move the paper over the line and keep it from tearing.   Being able to have the white background on both the top, back and bottom essentially made a light box so my clamp lights had a much more dynamic effect.  I used my too small foam boards as deflectors on either side to help direct the light onto the garments and items while I was taking pictures of them.

For light I just used two clamp lights with ultra bright white fluorescent bulbs which I clipped to various areas to get the lighting and to bounce them off the white foam boards.  I also took all the photos with the flash off (I'm not a fan of using flash anyways).

In this photo you can see how I suspended the background paper.  I used small screw hooks.  Eventually I would like to replace the cord with Chain so that I won't have to worry about it all collapsing on me as it did one time.  That way it would also be easily adjustable.  The other main thing I did was used a tripod for taking all the photos and a shutter release controller.  No matter how stead your hand is you don't wan to take chances and in the end it will save you more time having the most stable pictures as possible.  Even triggering the release by pressing the button on your camera can cause it to be slightly out of focus of move it off center.

You can see my results in this photo. Not too shabby for a beginner photographer.

Silence and Thoughtfulness

Sorry for the silence the past week or so.  Things have been less then pleasant at my day job and then I've been working hard on Christmas presents that I wish I could post here but I don't want to ruin the surprise.  Not to mention still working on portfolio pieces and my Grad School letter of intent.  I am doing my best to stick to my guns in one thing in my life which is to keep a positive position and not to get all fire and brimstone about ethics and the bad turn of fate I am having. 

In other news here are some small quip updates for you!
My husband and I enjoyed the "Grand Illumination" this past Friday.  It might not be as spectacular as some other cities but it's home.  I also got a chance to finally check out the wonderful OSU Urban Arts Space downtown. 

 All the elegant scroll work on this piece was well worth the trip just to view.  It also had this disco ball in the middle that was refracting the shadows like crazy. It was a good reminder of things I have to look forward to doing when I am in Grad school.


Lastly in this small update I am getting back into working on a photo shoot with my friend Adam Leigh-Manuell.  Trying to get some newer work photographed for the portfolio while also getting back into the groove of being the professional artist that lives deep inside of me.  These are some snapshots of one of the dresses that I am taking for the photo shoot.  This dress was made from remnants of another garment and I like what came of the scraps much better. She is a juxtapose between evening and casual, looking unfinished but polished at the same time. Using a sport wear knit fabric instead of a high end silk or wool.

If you have gotten this far I'll tell you a secret.
I don't feel fully comfortable being called a Fashion Designer.  I would prefer to be known as a soft sculpture artist.  I feel like my work really shines more when they are stand alone OOAK (One Of A Kind) pieces.  There is a certain connection that they all have and can be considered a collection but I never set out to follow this collection.  I think it only looks and feels like a collection because of the way I manipulate the fabrics, just like how you can tell if a painting is a Picasso no matter the subject matter that is how I feel about my work.  I make pieces that invoke a feeling of awe when looked at then curiosity when investigated.  I like to break the conventional rules for fashion and garment making ways to obscure shapes and lines.  Things that transform the body and vision of the body through a garment.  So that is how I really feel about my work.  It's nothing new just new to saying it out loud as I prepare to defend my soft sculpture in my Grad School application.

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