I always have a vision that I am going to do more writing in a given year than I wind up doing – best laid plans… But it has been a busy and fruitful period in so many other ways. Here are highlights from this last quarter of the year, starting with my natural dye workshop which finally happened in September!
I participated again this year in annual Hambidge Auction. I am grateful for the space the Center provides for artists/creators at all stages of their careers to meet, make and/or meander and contemplate. Perhaps one day I will make it there as a resident myself! Meanwhile, the work continues in my own humble studio. See more about 3-D and Stitched Modules. Images L to R: “Receptive 4” plus 2 tannin/indigo/ferrous stitched modules; last: another tannin module with a recently completed piece from the “Receptive” Series.
Petal-Una Collection
The work continues as this facet of my art/design practice enters its next phase. Visit the Petal Website to see more of this work, including the latest pieces created with wax-resist cloth which I produced this past Spring/Summer.
As an artist/designer/craftsperson, I rarely felt alienated from my work during Pandemic 1.0, although the work and focus have certainly changed. Fortunately, inspiration abounds and I continue to make, if only for myself(!). We can all probably attest to the the foundation not feeling as steady as it did before – not quite back to “normal”…and sometimes, we may feel we (collectively) are regressing…. but we press on. And so it goes in my world. Here’s what’s been happening (at least some of it) and what’s on the horizon.
Upcoming Workshop
The third piece in my natural dye series revolves around printing/mark-making (specifically on cloth) with thickened natural dyes. 9/18-19/21, SEFAA Center, Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more.
Current Work
Much of my decorative and fine art work is created with naturally dyed cloth, including emerging 3-dimensional work and hand-stitched, applique layered modules. This work continues. See more about 3-D and Stitched Modules.
Petal-Una in c. October, 2012
Petal-Una in October, 2020
Petal-Una Collection
My “artisan apparel” line, Petal-Una Collection continues, for now. This container for my wearable work is now entering its 10th year! From this point forward, I’ll be celebrating its unfolding as I continue to create a limited number of RTW and custom hand-dyed/painted/printed wearable pieces. Look for changes in the coming year as this part of my practice enters its next phase. Visit the Petal Website to see more.
It’s hard to believe the Summer is almost over – it went so fast and I am now preparing for an intensive month of production in the studio!
We concluded the Surface Design/Fiber-Reactive Series with two back-to-back sessions: The first was dedicated to creating a color study “chart” using fiber-reactive print pastes. Our second day was devoted to using these charts as a resource for a continuation of paint and pattern exploration on a variety of fabrics. For images from our last session see https://posietex.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/surface-design-workshop-i/). Workshops at Studio Mariposa resume next Spring (the schedule will be posted in late-January, 2014). Here are some images from this past weekend:
Our freshly processed color “charts”
A resource for the next round of prints
These are monopritns/transfers from the originally laid-down prints
This past weekend I facilitated another “nuno-felting” workshop. The experienced participants had room to spread out in this workshop so it was possible to work with a larger-than-usual piece of cloth. Keeping the palette fairly simple, the focus of this session was on a few basic surface design elements: the dot, the line, and the circle. 3 ideas, executed within the same format (base dimensions & materials), resulted (of course!) in 2 very different surface design solutions – each having its own distinct character. Here are a some images:
This past weekend I facilitated the first Surface Design Workshop at Studio Mariposa.* This first level is essentially an introduction to using thickened fiber-reactive dyes on cloth. I kept the palette very simple but the results were just amazing! It was a really inspiring weekend for all of us. What follows are photographs of the work at different stages. They are fairly chronological, i.e., the stages leading up to and including removal of the work from the table for setting are first, followed by the presentation (and discussion). The last images are of my demo pieces, both discharge and positive prints. Click on any image to launch the larger format viewer.
*SD 1 & 2 go together. The work will continue in the next level workshop scheduled for mid-August. I will be scheduling a new round in the Fall. If you’re interested, please contact me so I can keep you apprised of the dates.
Kathy Colt 