2020 Year-End Update

by Kathy Colt on December 16, 2020August 22, 2021

Winding down a crazy year with a final studio update. I thank you for following and look forward to the possibility of seeing you in the new year! K.C.

I’ve been busy with several strands of work since the year began. Each have, in their own way, been integral to my overall practice. Some of them will continue to be so. Here are the highlights:

Natural Dyes. In keeping with my work earlier this year as well as in previous years, I continue my deepening understanding of natural dyes and their applications. In recent months, I have worked in a more focused way with yellow and brown tannins (Cutch and Pomegrante primarily). By blending these tannins with Indigo, and shifting them with iron, a surprisingly wide range of surface design possibilities exist. You can see some of my recent results with Pomegranate rind in my Instagram/FB feed.

Stitching. The work I have been doing with stitching has proved to be incredibly beneficial as a centering practice, as calming as it is creatively stimulating. I recently posted on a diptych I created for the 2020 Hambidge Auction. These stitched works began as modules for a natural dye sampler quilt. As I began to stitch more frequently, I realized that their creation offered space and time for intentional grounding. To that extent, the modules have become elements of a personal time capsule – part of the narrative work that will mark my pandemic experience. As both singularities and parts of a larger composite, they tell me a story of an effort to find some sort of stability in a very unstable, uncertain time. Hand stitching, especially the running stitch, can be deeply spiritual in its repetitive, focused, quiet rhythms. I have found in “stitch space” a calm refuge – necessary more than ever right now.

Artwork: 3-D. I have also begun building 3-dimensional “containers” or “vessels” which I am collectively calling “Receptive”. They are slow-going and emerge when the time is right. 2-D – My work with Black Walnut Hull and other inks continues, as does my work with enhanced monoprints. I will have more to say about these streams of work in the future.

And finally…Petal-Una Collection. Petal continues to be a destination for much of the naturally dyed/painted/printed cloth I produce in the studio. While it has been a slow year, I still managed to pull together a diverse collection. The images below include Cutch, iron-modified Cutch, and Indigo-dyed pieces. I am already brimming with enthusiasm and possibility for the 2021 collection! Visit Petal-Una Collection.

Petal-Una Collection – Part of the Fall 2020 Group

Evolution of a Studio Practice: The Work Continues

by Kathy Colt on May 20, 2018May 20, 2018

This journal has revolved around my enriching experiences running a small textile/fiber studio. Now more than ever I am revived and inspired to continue recording my reflections on those experiences. After a year of health issues, I have returned to the studio to reunite the many strands of my practice and forge a path forward. Here’s a recap/update of how things have unfolded/are unfolding so far this year. My focus until recently has been my wearable work so I will start with it.

I have been spending more technical and production energy on developing fabrics for my micro wearable line, Petal-Una Collection (where you can also find my Petal Insta and FB page links). Between dips in my indigo vat and direct application (painting and printing) of natural dyes, I am shifting my wearable practice to incorporate cloth enriched with more naturally sourced colorants. I have written in the past about my intention to integrate naturally sourced colorants into my work and to address sustainability in my own studio practice. As a small textile and fiber workshop, I am arguably already producing a sustainable product but there is always room for improvement. From examining material sourcing and supply chains, to energy use, and material waste reduction and reclamation, I continue to look for ways in which I can be more sustainable as an artist/designer-maker. It is a process. A major step for me is the embrace of more conscious fabric enrichment practices in my wearable work. About Petal-Una: Every season I produce a ready-to-wear group (as well as commissioned work). I market my wearable pieces through studio events and, when available, on-line.

Other Work:

Decorative/Interior. I have focused primarily on felted works in the decorative realm but I am currently developing a new collection of textiles incorporating the technical groundwork I laid while creating cloth for the Petal-Una collection (as noted above). These decorative works will include a new line of architectural 2-d pieces. Images will be coming in the next couple of months. In the Atlanta area, his work is exclusively represented by Markay Gallery in Marietta, Georgia. Links to the Kathy Colt Artisan Insta and FB pages are in the left sidebar on the homepage of this website.

Special Creative Projects/Artwork. I am also in the process of developing new work pathways in this stream. Of all of my work subsets, this is the most related to personal excavation, elucidation, and articulation. Its development marches behind that of its more visible creative siblings but it is still alive and well. I will have more to say about this work in the future.

Teaching. Finally, looking ahead, I will be reintroducing the teaching component into my studio practice and outreach. Workshops will resume this Fall (2018). Information and a calendar will be coming soon and will be announced in the usual locations.

Thanks for reading!
Late Spring 2018.

Muses & Champions #1

by Kathy Colt on April 2, 2017August 5, 2017

I am into my 10^th year as a full-time fiber and textile artist. So many individuals have supported my endeavor along the way that I have decided to dedicate space in this blog to singing their praises. One such individual, who has been in my life from nearly the beginning of this 10-year journey, is Char Z. An energetic spirit, Char leads an active, rich and diverse life. Among other things, she is a creative herself, working in a variety of media. She is an enthusiastic student of technique and has a cultivated keen appreciation of the creative works of her fellow craft-artisans. Not only has Char been there through all of my felted work but she has also nurtured the emergence of my wearable micro-line, Petal-Una Collection. She wears each unique piece with great flair. I recently sat down with Char, in honor of our 10^th year together, to look at the impressive group of pieces of my work (mostly wearable) she has added to her collection over the years. I am deeply indebted to Char and honored to know her. Here is a gallery of highlights from my visit – the earliest work appears first.