So Many Challenges

If you are in any artist groups, have you noticed that each one seems to be having a challenge of some sort or some exhibit or another that you need a create a piece for?  Seems like so many more than before.   I've always thought if you join a group one should participate otherwise why be a member.  Since I really like all the groups I am in, I have been quite busy.

Just within the last few days, I have sent in photos of recent pieces to three exhibits and I just finished a small fun piece for the challenge of the Southern California Handweavers group.  Here's my challenge piece after playing with the image in my new CS5 package.

For this challenge we were to be inspired by a quote about color...mine quote was by Jules Fieffer, who said  artists can color the sky red because they know it is blue.  Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we are stupid. 

I've always wanted to make a pencil holder for my studio...while on a trip to the North Rim & Bryce I took a photo of the cliffs from the Navajo Bridge... I had an empty loom...some leftover yarn...everything came together in the end.

Life works that way sometimes.

Can You Name this Beetle?

Two Dozen Beetles

Now that the That's Sooo Seaside exhibit is up and the opening over, things have started to settle down.  Although it was a fun project and the final exhibit was fabulous it was surprisingly much more time consuming than I had ever imagined.  Now that it is over, I am happy to say I actually have time to design and weave!

These are some beetle designs I have wanted to weave for quite a long time.  They are a simple design with a multitude of permutations in the markings and antennae.  I have six done with 18 more to go.

I am creating 24 beetle coasters for an upcoming Designing Weavers Exhibit & Sale in November.   This will be my second set of coasters in a hopefully long series. Last year I decided I would create a new set of coasters with a different beetle design every year.  Something for the collector in all of us.     Last year, I thought I would do a Thailand beetle for the 2011 series but my 16 harness loom is busy on the Beetle Series Take Two project.   Looks like next year will be the year for that.

The rest of this beetle material is for a long jacket lapel.  I am hoping it will go well with some of the material I wove last year as past of my stash reduction project.

I have re-evaluated and re-stated all my weekly goals; my Woven Wanna Do's, through Spring of next year... one of my near time goals is to weave two of these beetles a week until I am done.  Of course, I have other items on the list for the week too...so I am off to weave...

Cheirotonus gestroi at two Setts

I have not been weaving with fine threads for awhile.  After warping up the loom with yards and yards of warping thread, selecting a design to test, checking the threading, I started to weave a beetle.   I then slept wrong and the muscles on one arm didn't like the motion I need to make to weave on my sixteen harness.  Hence the break.

I wove yesterday, enough to get to the top of the beetle and decided after a bit  my arm did not want to weave anymore.  Perhaps this afternoon I'll finish this one up.

As you may recall, I am starting my second series of beetles which I wish to be more vibrant, more realistic yet still artistic and better to view from about five feet away to up close.   I've changed the sett from 48 to 40 based on my Red Totems study of sett as well as now have four colors of warp.  As I weave I will have four beetles finished at a time; each on a different color warp as well as a different background color.  Three beetles will be great but one should be fabulous.

Here you can see the big difference a small difference in sett makes.  I used pretty much the same pattern and same types threads for both of these beetles.  The new one on the right is woven at 40 epi while the one on the left is one from my first series woven at 48 epi.

I just love this photo.  It says a lot so quickly that it would take too much time to describe...

March

March is a month of taxes and warping.  I hope to finish both this month. 

I am putting enough warp onto my sixteen harness Ashford to keep me busy all year creating a new set of beetles for my collection.  I would have put on more; but that is as much as my warping board would hold.   I am planning on this set of beetles to be more brilliant, more colorful,more anatomically correct and include more species from all the families in Thailand. 

I will be weaving four beetles at a time; each on a slightly different colored warp for a richer and more varied result.  The tabby warps; those on shafts 1 and 16 for me, show more on top than those on the other shafts. Thus, the impact of the tabby warps is much greater from a color blending standpoint.  The non-tabby warps are more subtle.   I've varied the colors within each beetle's warp yet kept them on the dark side of value.

Next I will be mulling over which technique to use to roll the warp onto the loom...will I swing it over our rafters in the living room... perhaps roll it on my metal skeiner...or come up with a new way to keep the warp tight and not moving while I thread the heddles.    While I mull,  I work on that other project.

Near Neutrals

As part of my color study group, I did something interesting yesterday with my Munsell color chips.

I created a palette of colors which are near neutral - just this side of grey - with just a hint of hue.   And included a full range of values.   Here is a color photo of the result; which is not quite true.  It looks richer and greyer in person.  Also I took a photo in black and white so you can see that this is a full palette of values.  What the colors have in common is that they are the lowest chroma/saturation in their respective categories.

Here is how I did it.  First I created a column of chips (on the left) that ran from white at the top to black at the bottom - a typical gray scale.  Next I selected the chips with the lowest chroma/saturation from my Munsell Color Handbook.  Since the Munsell color tree uses 10 hues; I ended up with ten columns of differing hues (red, yellow red, yellow,  green yellow, green, blue green, blue, purple blue, red purple, purple).  I lined up the chips within each hue in value order; lowest at the top and darkest at the bottom.

I find this palette absolutely fascinating.  The values are the same across the rows.  Each column is a different hue.  It never occurred to me the breadth and beauty of a palette of near neutrals.  Just the term neutral makes it sound dull and boring.  But there is enough value distinctions and color differences to create wonderful designs for a lifetime.

Results - Stash Reduction 2010

Here are the results for my stash reduction project for 2010. This is all the yardage I wove throughout the year; reducing the number of cones in my stash by 8-10.    (It may not look like much but this project is simply a filler project for those times when the brain wants something simple to weave.) 

There is a hint of purple throughout this grouping; since my goal was to rid myself of six cones of complementary rayon in a muted purple.  The pile on the right and the left include several cones of silk.  And most fun is the 2/3rds of a cone of a variegated metallic included in the one on the left.  All have a nice drape...perfect for light jackets or some sort of wrap.

Looking forward to 2011...I have selected the cones for the next reduction program...mostly cotton boucle' in a southwestern reddish palette.  If I get through these I also have a box of 6-8 greens....

A Leading Indicator

It's time for the holidays so it's time for some woven holiday beetles...

Finishing & Re-Finishing

I am picky when it comes to hanging my tapestries.  I have an image in my mind of how my art should appear when on the wall...and if it isn't right I never like it.  And if I don't like it rarely will anyone else see it. 

 I completed a small tapestry; perhaps eight inches by eight inches back in 2008.  It was an experimental piece woven with cassette tape - books on tape for the ATA small format show.   I never really took to the piece; due to the nature of the weft, cassette tape, the warp lines were wavy and there was a visible pull in as I completed the piece in what I imagine was hurried boredom.  It showed in the ATA exhibit but never again.  I could never figure out how to hang it. 

Earlier this year I finally 'finished' the piece; by finding an acceptable way for it to hang on the wall.  I wrote about it here.  After hanging a bit, I realized this was not quite the right solution.  It was not hung to last; I really could not exhibit, donate or gift it.  The edges of the tapestry began to look sloppy which accentuated the pull in.  The Velcro would occasionally fall off and the glass was way too many reflections for a room with as many windows as I have.

So this week I 're-finished' the piece.  This time I wired  the tapestry to a black wooden board which hangs freely with wire in the box frame.  The black board provides a straight edge on each side so the pull in, although there, is not distracting.  The glass was replaced with plexi which still allows the sparkles of the material backing the piece to shine through and should allow it to be safely mailed. Having the tapestry hang away from the plexi glass provides a wonderful shadow which changes with the light and gives that feeling of the sun actually hovering above the horizon.

I think I may actually like this piece.  

Productive Rainy Days

The raining weather has kept me from weaving anything where color might be an issue. It's dark enough in my house when its sunny -imagine what's it like when its raining. But I did find other things to do...

No more whining looms in the back studio. I have gotten two looms warped; my small tapestry loom as well as my eight harness Kothe Varpapuu shown to the left. My sixteen harness workhorse is empty yet happy in knowing its neighbor, the Varpapuu is testing different colored warps for the next beetle series which will be done on the 16 harness.

I've warped five different colors of serger thread to do various sampling with the end result being a stack of bookmark note cards for the Designing Weavers show and sale in November plus a decision as to what color warp to use on my next series.

For the first time, I tied on the sewing thread to an existing warp. Normally, I warp from the front filling the reed and heddles one by one. I thought tie-ing on the warp, which I do on other weaving projects would be faster. So I thought - why not try it?

Having done it...I'm not sure which I prefer. It still seemed to take me a couple of days to get it all done...it was so boring making knot after knot after knot standing in one place. I kept taking breaks to relieve the back and the mind. The warp rolled onto the beam with about the same amount of hassle as the other method but the best part was...no errors to fix since all the warping errors were corrected in the previous weaving.

So in summary - exceptionally boring to tie but in the end a faster road to actually weaving.

Now if only the sun would come out.

Avoidance

So what's in my back studio?

One small naked Shannock next to a box of beautiful dyed yarn...

...three empty table looms awaiting warps of fine threads...

...no wonder I have been avoiding the back studio...

...their cries are getting louder and I fear I must soon enter...

Taquete Gamps

Here is something fun... taquete gamps in ten colors of warp woven with a 10 and 12 dent reed with one wet finished.

I have always wanted to do this and I finally got the chance due to the convergence of two projects.

The first was the challenge from our local guild - be inspired by a book from our guild library. I selected a book called Color Guide for Handweavers by Joyce Chown and Mary Black where the authors applied color theory to fiber.

The second project was for my color study group; Centered on Color & Fiber. For this period, we were free to select any aspect of color/fiber we wanted learn about it, share it and exhibit it at our local guild festival. I decided to focus on acheiving better results in taquete through weaving a gamp.

I generally weave my beetles with three wefts; generally with a light, medium and dark value plus one colored warp. No matter how hard I beat; the colors of the wefts not on top and the warp color peak out and impact the color of the weft on top. Hence I find it difficult to get the color I really want.

I used three pattern wefts in the gamp; purple, white and red. Not my favorite colors but definately light, medium and a dark value.

I then used a variety of permutations of 'hidden' wefts - those that travel underneath the color which is showing on top. I varied them by value and by saturated vs. unsaturated. Six permutations for each pattern weft.

Gamps are not normally exhibited so I converted mine into free standing pieces. The variety in the colors from the different combinations of warp and hidden weft is quite amazing as is the difference between reeds and finishing.

I am working on a new series of woven beetles and I would like the pieces to exhibit more vibrant and truer colors than my previous pieces. Based on these gamps, I am going with the 10 dent reed and will try wet finishing the pieces. Next I need to select the best warp color - more testing is required.

BOING!

Just did two passes of tabby on my new warp...boing! 17 broken black warps, 3 yellow... 5 dark grey... 2 orchid... turns out the new reed is rubbing, actually cutting the warp! Re-sleying the warp with the old reed and will see how it works...more later...

Today I Feel Like Colour

I am getting back into the swing of things...I have been warping a loom for a project for my Study Group on colour.


For this project we are free to study any aspect of colour that we would like. Thus, I am going for the jugular and studying how I can improve the color gradations of my beetle series.


I would like to weave the 'final 48'...those I want to show as my Collection of Beetles from Thailand. Everything to date has been preliminary, exploratory, fun and rewarding. But the final 48 I would like to be masterpieces. I would like them all in a similar colour scheme with a full palette of vibrant and exciting colours as beetles from Thailand appear to be.

The first phase should answer these two questions and help me move into phase two of my project for the study group.

1. will 10 or 12 dpi reed provide the best perception of color from the viewers standpoint? I started with a 10 dpi reed way back when but switched to a 12 but can't remember why. Perhaps the old loom was 10 the new had a 12? Just can't remember....

2. what color warp will most sharpen the colours I chose? In particular what warp colour should I use and how will it impact the my other colour selections?

Of course, this first phase will answer a few other questions I have had about colour selection in taquete otherwise why else did I put on 2+ yards of warp?

The second phase required me to come up with something to exhibit at our Guild's Weaving and Fiber Fest in November...I am contemplating a Munsell Colour Tree...three dimensional...of course. More later.



ps my black polyester sewing thread [on the left] was quite uncooperative - breaking in at least 12 places...I never have broken warps...oops until now...if the black keeps breaking it is definitely out of this first phase.

The Road Trip Home

Nothing better than a convertible for the road trip home from Albuquerque.

My Beetles Travel to New Mexico

If you are going to Convergence make sure to check out the Old Church in Corralles...I have twelve of my beetles from Thailand on exhibit there. Rumor has it some have found a permanent home and won't be coming back to Southern California.

Happy 4th!

Serendipity

It was serendipity - I ran out of warp at the same time I ran out of weft. Not a bit of either left. The cones and bobbins are empty. The ultimate in stash reduction.

And no real planning....

The unwashed yardage, seventeen feet 7 inches long and 19 inches wide, is a fox fiber organic cotton warp with a silk weft. Both have been in my stash closet for quite awhile. There are random differing pattern stripes every once and a bit to keep it interesting. I tied on to this warp to a scarf I had woven then discovered it was way way the wrong sett. After replacing the reed and and re-sleying in singles vs. doubles the piece has grown from 8 inches to 19 wide.

The yardage is in the washing machine as I write. I expect the silk should lose some of that gold color and end up with more of a green sheen. This silk, which I bought on sale, is not color fast. It was quite a surprise when I took my sample out of the wash; it went from gold to green. Yes, I did sample so indeed there was some planning.

This is yardage #1 in my stash reduction program. The program is actually a conversion program...converting yarn stash to yardage stash. I have been weaving less than ten years but have quite a collection of cones I have bought with the thought that they would 'weave up nice.' So I am weaving them into yardage and eventually plan to have a sewing marathon...

Weaving yardage is a wonderful break from tapestry and taquete which requires such intense concentration. Plus, none of those cones in my yarn stash would work for either of those two techniques.

Tropical New Warp

Whew!

Finally I finished getting my new warp onto my sixteen harness loom. I have a project to weave for my Bezold Study Group. What a few frustrating days. At one point I had my DH threading the warps that went through shaft sixteen whileI did the threads in the rest of the block.

The bottom line problem was the color...I could barely see the reds and pinks. Yes, I know it is sewing thread and sewing thread is thin. But I never had such difficulty with the white or black warp I have used before. And since it was tough to see the threads that meant tough to always get into the slot in the white texslov heddles.

That was quite an effort for a couple yards of warp. Hopefully I can design something to make the effort worthwhile.

The colors a vibrant, tropical and fun. And except for the yellow similar in value as you can see in the greyscale photo. More later.

Flower Beetles

Here is my addition to My Beetles from Thailand Collection. This is a collection of a dozen species of flower beetles. A couple of them I wove both a male and a female specimen. I'm taking a 'beetle break' for a couple of months and will restart weaving my beetles in the summer with the hopes of finishing my collection by year end.