These are SO perfect for so many types of projects. I have been having a blast using these in all sorts of ways---- not just for weaving!
THIRTY-THREE / a personal art journal
I fell in LOVE with this all black journal at first sight. I suddenly wanted to do allllll the art journaling. I bought it immediately.
LUTE 365 WEAVINGS / 1 - 100
100 days ago, I made a creative commitment. I decided to push my own personal boundaries of what I considered "weaving" into strange and almost daunting territory.
ART INSPIRATION / louise zhang
As I have been spending most of my time in a rainy studio busily dyeing vintage garments for the upcoming spring collection launch, all of my dye inspiration has been bright, abstract and a little strange.
MAGICK DYE / rosemary
Ever wonder why certain herbs or plants are considered sacred or mystical? While not readily studied much in the Western world, herbalism has existed far longer than modern allopathic medicine, and in the development of plant medicine comes a whole treasure trove of folklore and mystical associations.
ART INSPIRATION / shiva linga art
Shiva Linga, a symbol of the Hindu Lord Shiva, is a form that reminds one that the Omnipotent one is formless. Composed of the yoni, the female apect and the lingam, the male aspect. The form itself goes beyond phallic worship, but speaks more of the passive space and active time from which all life originates.
PRODUCT / fire sunset tote bags
Like a phoenix rising and falling each morning and night, Father Sun burns brightly and leaves majestic fiery sunsets for the world to marvel at. Similarly, the internal fire of passion and love can be represented in one's own personal cycle of rest and rebirth, stronger each day and more focused on the path ahead.
VIDEO INSPIRATION / pendleton woolen mills
Next Wednesday, I'll be releasing a (very) limited run of two handwoven totes made from the wool scraps of Pendleton blankets. I acquired a few different colors of blanket scraps when I purchased my used Macomber floor loom along with tons of other rag rug weft. My first thought was not rugs, but tote bags. I love the look of rag rugs and I think the fabric would make wonderful, sturdy totes for everyday use.
ART INSPIRATION / benjamin mackey
If it is certain that there are two things in life that I love (besides my husband obv) its Twin Peaks and Tarot. I have been obsessed with these renditions of the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck done entirely in Twin Peaks characters. It's eerily "accurate" (trust--- this is from someone who has seen the entire series more times than I can count) and equally as thought-provoking.
EQUIPMENT / new year, new loom
WELCOME 2016!
I took a break in December to enjoy the holidays with my family, decompress and reflect on the year past and plan for the year to come. I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.
ART INSPIRATION / ben venom
Thank you, HAND/EYE for bringing Ben Venom's incredible quilt work to my attention.
THE WEAVING KIND / implant (october 2015)
I guess you could say I felt a bit of pressure when trying to decide on a weaving concept for my October submission. Considering that I was the one who came up with the challenge idea, I wanted to really push myself to try something out of my comfort zone.
VIDEO INSPIRATION / how it's made: avl dobby looms
AVL Looms in Chico, California makes floor looms for both small scale and production weaving. They are most known for their dobby looms, which are computerized floor looms with a set number of harnesses. They are similar to a digital jacquard loom, but not as sophisticated a machine. Each thread is not individually controlled, as you still have different harnesses, but there is a great deal more design work available to you when working at 16 or 24 harnesses versus 4 or 8 on the standard floor loom.
RESOURCES / textile magazines
Even with all of the endless sources of inspiration online these days, I still love thumbing through a gorgeous print magazine. It calms me, enables me to escape into its pages for an hour or so and truly appreciate textile work on a whole new level. I love to collect textile magazines and honestly, I don't have enough. I wish I could subscribe to every single one, but as a niche publication tends to go, they can get quite pricey. That's why I am always on the lookout for back issues at thrift stores, used book stores, flea markets and occasionally eBay (if I'm looking for a particular issue).
VIDEO INSPIRATION / sasha duerr
Sasha Duerr, author of The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients, has been a natural dyer for years. I was fortunate enough to sit in on one of her natural dye classes in college, which subsequently, sparked my own interest in natural dyeing. This video shows her experimenting with some native California plants. Great inspiration to look to your backyard or neighborhood for dye material!
NATURAL DYEING / 50 mordants
I know some dyers have concerns about the toxicity of using mordants in natural dyeing. Yes, some can be extremely toxic if misused, but there are a lot that are also extremely safe. I have compiled a list of 50 mordants that can be used in natural dyeing. I have not removed those that can be considered toxic (like chrome and tin) as to not exclude any possibilities. Do some research and make the decision for yourself, it's everyone's personal choice what substances they feel comfortable using and I'm not here to preach one way or the other.
VIDEO INSPIRATION / the chemistry of natural dyes
Wonder just exactly makes a plant or natural substance dye fiber? BytesizeScience teamed up with the Brooklyn Textile Arts Center to break it down for you, all in less than six minutes.
ART INSPIRATION / india flint
Most of my favorite natural dyeing inspiration comes from India Flint. The organically beautiful way in which she paints and pounds with plant color is awe inducing. Fabric bundles crammed with leaves, flowers, mud, and rust are left to cure for weeks at a time, only to later reveal gorgeous prints and color combinations only nature could achieve.
THE WEAVING KIND / october challenge - natural dyeing
Instagram has become my favorite place to meet fellow weavers. One of these awesome weavers, Sarah Neubert, has created a wonderful community with her monthly challenges via The Weaving Kind.
The Weaving Kind releases a new assignment every month to challenge and push weavers creatively and technically in their work, while simultaneously exposing you to new artists and fellow weaving peers. Talk about inspiration overload!
VIDEO INSPIRATION / mastercrafts - weaving
I was so incredibly moved to tears while watching this little documentary / UK television show called Mastercrafts, that focuses on different crafts each episode. The only one I watched was the weaving episode. Full disclosure, I'm an empath, so I tend to get really emotional when watching any sort of TV (also why I can't hardly watch anything scary, but I digress) so you may not be as "moved" by this as I was, but it really resonated with my path as an artist and as weaver.