Beyond The Fringe artist Violette Alby sent me pictures of her quilts.
Untitled
2009
Yellow, colour of the middle
85″ x 75″
Violette Alby’s quilts
Reply
Monthly Archives: February 2010
Beyond The Fringe Interview: Carolyn Hinske
Artist Carolyn Hinske will be in this year’s Beyond The Fringe. The picture above is of her art work space. I enjoy seeing where artists work. It’s a peak into their techniques and inspirations.
What drives you to create?
an internal force
Why did you choose fiber as your medium?
my grandmothers and mother all worked in different fibers so it was around me my entire life
What kind of materials do you incorporate into your art?
any and everything that makes me smile
Where do you find them?
anywhere I can
How much time do you typically invest in a piece?
I have no real response – it can vary dramatically from a day to months
What is your process to turn your artistic vision into the finished piece?
I usually just jump in and hope for the best
What is the special meaning or message behind your work?
I believe strongly in the Navajo blessing to “Walk in the Beauty Way”
Some artists create their art for therapy purposes. Does that apply to you?
usually, except when there is a deadline that is fast approaching
What artists do you admire most?
Dorothy Irving (my grandmother), Frida Kahlo, Faith Welsh
Where do you find inspiration?
the mountains, the sky, friends, fiber
Do you have any upcoming projects or art shows this year?
J Fine Gallery in late March
How can people contact you?
chinske @ gmail . com
Merce Mitchell art pics
Beyond The Fringe curator and artist Merce Mitchell sent me some pictures of her art.
Thrown
wool fleece, natural plant dyes, nylon thread, metallic acrylic paint
hand felted, hand stitched construction
construction 2009
Nigella
wool fleece, natural plant dyes, nylon thread, fiberfill
hand felted, hand stitched
construction 2009
Stellaria
wool fleece, natural plant dyes, lichen, nylon thread, fiberfill
hand felted, hand stitched
construction 2009
My furry assistant helps with the Green Man
I’ve been sewing, sewing, sewing leaves onto the Green Man. Prana has been helping:
I’ve been working on a new leaf. I found this pattern via Crafty Galore’s blog. This is acrylic boucle so I took Prana’s cat brush to fluff up the leaves.
Speaking of Prana, he wanted to help with the photoshoot:
This is one of my favorite photos of him. I call it “Prana in the wooly jungle”
Light at the end of the sweater tunnel
I’m so close to being done with Thebes’ sweater. Here it is blocking:
I started this sweater back in September! After it’s dry I’ll put in the zipper and it will be done. We got some more snow here so Thebes will be able to wear it some before spring.
Sieben and I took a walk the other day. He was so excited about the snow it was hard to get a non blurry picture of him. Here he is running by me:
Beyond The Fringe Interview: Abigail Z
I’m doing interviews with this year’s Beyond The Fringe artists so readers can get to know them better. I love getting to know the artist behind the art! First up is Abigail Z.
What drives you to create?
I have a constant need to make things. I don’t know where it comes from, but it always been there.
Why did you choose fiber as your medium?
Yarn and cloth are one of the first things I played with, right up there with crayons. Besides being completely addicted to yarn, it’s important to me to have a sustainable art medium. I can combine art with craft for unlimited possibility. I use a high percentage of recycled materials and I produce 0.25% waste. All my tools can be carried around in one little basket; I can take it and work anywhere.
What kind of materials do you incorporate into your art? Where do you find them?
Nothing is out of bounds to me. If I see one of my dresses hanging in the closet…and I need it for an art piece, I cut it up without a second thought. I scrounge! I am on the constant look out for something that would be cool and useful at some point. I have an entire room full of things that will eventually become art!! The freebox, the thrift stores, the yarn shops, the craft stores, and my own yard. Nowhere is out of bounds to me either!!
How much time do you typically invest in a piece?
Each large one has been about one year from my first visions to completion. But I’ve been collecting materials for pieces I’m about to make for over a year already!! I do take long breaks from pieces. Sometimes they’re in “timeout” for not cooperating, but mostly I get distracted by life and other pieces. I usually have anywhere from 6 to 12 things in the works at one time. If I don’t, I feel a little crazy.
What is your process to turn your artistic vision into the finished piece?
It usually begins in meditation, or as I’m falling asleep. I build a mental image and then it becomes an obsession. I can’t stop visualizing it. I start to build it mentally over and over. Then I sketch it all out with insane notes onto paper. Sometimes it stops there…and I move on. But if I start tearing through everything I own…then I know it’s going to come to life.
What is the special meaning or message behind your work?
Everything I do is a celebration and expression of how much I love life. Period. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Everything about it and everyone in it. Even when that love is a fighting struggle.
Some artists create their art for therapy purposes. Does that apply to you?
Yup! Sure does! Knitting in itself is therapeutic for me…got to do it everyday!! But on a larger, more intense scale…My Mother/Daughter piece in this show has been an extreme exercise in what art can do. I have both a mother and a daughter who suffer from mental illness and drug addiction. I knew I had to turn my angst surrounding them into pure love and acceptance or it would kill me. I spent the past year focusing on them as I worked and I think I’ve been successful beyond my wildest anticipation. My heart and head healed to a degree I didn’t believe possible. It was all about forgetting old answers and finding new questions.
What artists do you admire most?
Mandy Greer rocks it!! Also: Janet Morton, Abigail Doan, Barbi Touron, J. Larkin, and Merce Mitchell. The types of art I enjoy are: surreal, mythical, dark, baroque, and romantic.
Where do you find inspiration?
In other art, my own heart, the people I love, my natural world, in music music music…everywhere!!
Do you have any upcoming projects or art shows this year?
The Taos Wool Festival in October!! I hope even more than that. It’s always a goal to get out there!
How can people contact you?
email is good: inthewildernessart @ yahoo . com
Mother piece project
I finally started the central figure of my mother art piece.
I had put it off because I hate dolls. They just seem like brainwashing to make girls think they should have babies. Abbey told me to think of it as a figure. That worked for me. Here’s the figure on the womb for scale:
Then came time to open the figure’s womb. As I sat on my bed and cut the stomach open with scissors, I felt movement in my entire body. It was like a weight moving down my face, arms, stomach and thighs. It was intense.
I’ve also been researching images of Endometriosis. Not pretty. But it does translate well to fiber art:
The woven universe piece needs to hibernate for awhile so the Mother piece is going to be in this year’s Beyond The Fringe.
More Faith Welsh progress pics
Faith Welsh sent me some more progress pics for her work in the Beyond The Fringe show.
I see her cat likes to hang out near the art just like Prana does.
You can check out more of her artwork at her website.
Beyond The Fringe Fiber Arts Workshops
Beyond the Fringe Fiber Arts Workshops
March 26 – April 1, 2010
Stables Gallery, downtown Taos
Pushing the limits of fiber arts – express yourself!!!
Gossamer Felting with Nina Silfverberg
Time: Saturday, March 27, 2010. 11am – 5pm.
Cost: $85 (Includes all materials for one scarf).
Weaving with Sticks: Andean Style Backstrap Weaving with Kimberly Hamill
Time: Sunday, March 28 and Monday, March 29. 10am to 4pm.
Cost: $160 (Includes all materials for one weaving).
Colcha Embroidery with Connie Fernandez
Time: Sunday, March 28. 12-3:30pm.
Cost: $35 (Includes all materials).
Fantastic Felted Creatures – Advanced Class with Merce Mitchell
Time: Tuesday, March 30. 10am to 3pm.
Cost: $75 (Includes all materials).
Open Improvisational Quilting Workshop with Violette Alby
Time: Wednesday, March 31. 10am to 5pm (whole or half day).
Cost: Donations welcome.
Get Creative with Cables with Abigail Z and Twilight Kallisti
Time: Thursday, April 11. 1pm to 3pm.
Cost: $25 (Bring your own materials) or $35 (materials included).
For more information or to sign up for a workshop!
Contact Kim at (575) 776-3911 or email her at kwhitneyh @ gmail . com
Woven universe progress pics
The Green Man is going along great. The Woven Universe…not so much. Here’s some embroidery I later frogged:
It was supposed to be symmetrical then just wasn’t. I tried to accept that but couldn’t let it go.
This spiral of creation is nice though:
And this little star and purple bit of space both worked out well:
My vision for this piece just isn’t matching the reality. SO frustrating! Artist angst…blah blah blah.