slow cloth, slower camera

I really dislike photographing artwork, which explains why these posts are so few & far between. Either I have to find someone with the equipment to do it right -- which usually means having a few pieces ready to photograph! -- or I do it myself with sad results.

But it is Friday, Fridays are for finishing things up! Last Friday I cut Cloud off the loom and today I will finish it for you by posting this little photo by me. Also here is Alders, which I wrote about in the post Slow Cloth a couple of months ago. Both are woven on the same warp, of wool and curly mohair. Alders was woven with wool ground weft and linen floss, along with a gorgeous japanese chenille. Cloud is made with linen ground weft, rayon, and cotton floss.

just for fun

I have been fascinated with doilies for the last couple of years -- I have designed lots of things with them, some of which will be coming out later this year, but I decided that I wanted to try my hand at some surface design techniques for a change. I am really rusty here -- the last time I remember doing anything like this with textile paints or printing techniques -- outside of teaching them -- was at KCAI when I was student there in the 70's! But I have been frustrated with the limitations of my abilities recently, and my friend Christine Tarkowski visited a couple of weeks ago and she is always great at challenging me. (Chris has a terrific show at the Chicago Cultural Center right now, closing on May 2 with a concert with Jon Langford, but go if you can and see her kick-ass prints!) So these frilly doilies are for you, Christine!
(above, textile paints on cotton batiste, Laura Foster Nicholson; below, Last Things Will be First and First Things will be Last, Christine Tarkowski, 2010)

big moths

I stepped out the door this morning and saw at my feet a gorgeous and huge moth clinging to the lower edge of the door. Look at those eyes! Made me want to go in an put on more eyeliner, just to keep up. He must have been 4" across. I love moths -- except for bread moths, which are hatching again right now, and clothing moths, who make little bites across my wool threads. So I weave moths into my tapestries as talismans and protection. This fellow's eyes will protect him!
The Moths tapestry is at Hibberd McGrath Gallery, Breckinridge, CO.

Historic Preservation

Next week, there will be a statewide historic preservation conference here in New Harmony -- perfect place for it! --and the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art is hosting a reception for it on Wednesday April 7, 5-7 pm. We are mounting a series of my rural architecture tapestries for the event. I think it will be a great audience for my work.