And another thing . . .

We have some great friends in Vermont who are not afraid of paint. In fact, I think they've elevated house painting to an art and looking at their house just makes me smile--hope it will you, too.

The Fly People

While working today I was listening to the BBC and there was a delightful story about the traditions of naming genes. It's a fun look into the creative and quirky lives of geneticists, and the reporter did a nice job of going with the fun. And for you artist folks, check out the image that goes with the article on the BBC. It's beautiful!

Monotype Class

Monday I took a five-hour gelatin Monotype class with artist Kathy Gibian (offered through the Kingsport Art Guild). I had a great time and learned as much from seeing what other folks experimented with as from what I worked with. Monday we worked predominantly with silk screen inks, but yesterday I did some tube watercolor work with the plate as well. (Kathy was kind enough to allow me to take my plate home.) Interesting the different effects one can get--will have to experminet with combining them next time.

Anyhow, here are some of my favorite experiments. Definitely will take a lot of time and practice to perfect (just as with any artform) but am looking forward both to making monotypes for their own sake and incorporating them into my fiber work.

This is why I took the class. I've been wanting to do some work inspired by local industrial sites, most notably Domtar Paper and Eastman Chemical. The first image (silk screen ink) shows the first pull on silk gauze and the second pull on heavy paper. The silk takes the image very well but leaves a lot of ink and some texture for the second pull.

These three are done in watercolor. Used a wash followed by painted pipes for the first pull. Added three strips of paper for a resist, more watercolor, lifted the strips and printed the second pull. Really nice ghost image from the first pull. Added more painted pipes for the third pull, still have a ghost of the first, shadow from the second.

This is the local farmer's market site after a rain when there was still a lot of (very still) water on the pavement. My reflections aren't long enough, but for a workshop setting I think it's still pretty cool. (This is silk screen ink.)

And here are a couple details of doors and panels on the old industrial buildings at the farmer's market. I especially like the horizontal ghost lines in the top one, left from cleaning my plate, that evoke grain lines. Top monotype is printed with silk screen inks, bottom with watercolors.

Print on 3mm silk habotai mounted on freezer paper (silk screen ink):

Last, but best, are my two favorites from the two days.Tthe first is silk screen ink worked with brush and sponge and is a landscape of Dart Moor in Devon, England.

The second is a three-part watercolor print. Created the background and lifted a print from it. Added the foreground details except the wires and insulators and lifted this print. Once it was dry I went in with a Pigma pen and added the wires and insulators.

I think what I've learned about the two inking media is that watercolor leaves a really nice, even ghost image while silk screen ink is more workable for foreground detail since it's stiffer.

Fall/Winter Class Registration Open

Well, I've been pretty sick this week with H1N1 but am finally beginning to feel better. I have gotten some work done in between fevers, mostly because being sick is BORING, so I really relished anything to relieve the boredom--well, anything that didn't require too much brain power or physical exertion. So I updated the "Class Schedule" page on my website with my Fall/Winter classes. Yea!

So check it out and sign up for a class 'cause I'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to teach again very soon. I also finished the print version last week, which you can download here.

(Photo coming soon, but the camera is all the way upstairs and at the other end of the house and that's just too much physical exertion right now.)

Early Morning Treat

Well, about 6:30 this morning my youngest bounced on the bed with a birthday gift. This showed a lot of restraint, as the various stages of creation (choosing, making, admiring, and wrapping) had finished only last evening. With light-dazzled eyes I slowly unwrapped the gift (slowly because we use funny pages for wrapping paper and kept pointing out to each other the particular ones we had enjoyed).

Inside the first layer of paper . . . was a second, followed by a hand-made box with lipstick lips labeled "My forever kisses for you" Inside it all was this little darling! Isn't she adorable?!

Now she's hanging on a little 4" wall near my sewing machine, my private little treat. And had to give her some bubbles, too. Can't wait for my youngest to see this after school--my gift right back!

Christmas in September

Just received a yummy batch of wool from New England Felting Supply. Mmmmmmmmmmm ....... eye candy ....... lovely ....... soft .......decadent!

And more is less with their new (and still limited) wholesale program. 26 colors of Norwegian C-1 batts are discounted $12/pound with a minimum total order of $250 and a retail certificate. Not bad!

I've felt (no pun intended) a little distant from my studio for the past month as I rushed to catch up on all the things I neglected in favor of studio work in July--things like getting my Tennessee driver's license after a year of living here--quick before the Massachusetts one expires on my birthday--Friday! Ah, procrastination.

Fun workshops coming this fall--I'll post them all soon. Meanwhile, consider joining us for ongoing second Monday Indpendent Study classes--$10/session, $30/4 sessions. You bring your project, I provide moral support and guidance when necessary. Please let me know a week ahead if you plan to come. Class size 1-6 students.

Finished Product

Here it is, the final product--"After the Storm II." Color slightly off but close--good enough until I can get a professional photo taken.

You can see the nuno felted trees and bushes and a little of the very dimensional quilted field here. The green field in the background is nubby raw silk, and the background trees are composed of a variety of cotton and silk fabrics.

If your guild is interested in learning any of these techniques, just contact me. I love to share the joy!

Extreme Quilting

Well, my solo exhibit, Cindi Huss: Extreme Quilting, is up at the Kingsport (TN) city hall. Yea! Here's a tour:

Main wall with "After the Storm II," sign about my work (with an image of "Wending Onward" which is currently at the Belger Arts Center in KC, MO), and "Contemplating Madness."

Smaller works wall with "Night Life," "After the Storm," "Labyrinth," "Molehill," and "Mapping the Subconscious Mind."

Wall of studies with "Labyrinth II Study" (photography), "After the Storm II Study" (watercolor pencil), "Stone Wall Study" (acrylic and quilting), and "Ralli/Shisha Study" (for a commission in progress, embroidery and quilting).

The process wall, which has some touchable samples of hand dyeing, needle felting, and extreme quilting.

Up Against the Wall Gallery framed "Contemplating Madness" and "After the Storm II" and did a variety of other things to help me prepare for this show. Just have to say that they were great to work with. Frequently I left the store with a smile after having entered in a tizzy. Everyone there was kind and patient with my sleep-deprived, highly caffeinated self.

American Quilter Magazine

Just got my contributor's copy of the September 2009 issue of American Quilter and my article "Auditioning Your Quilt Design" (page 62) looks great! In the article I explain two methods for auditioning the quilting design on paper before you commit to needle and thread.

Another tip for folks who might still feel a little nervous about committing to needle and thread: Do the first bit of your quilting with water-soluble thread (no, I did not get paid to add this link--Superior Threads is just great to work with).

• If you like it, go over it with regular thread then dissolve the water-soluble thread.
  
  
• If you don't like it, dissolve the water soluble thread, dry the quilt overnight, and try again in the morning.

Either way, it all comes out in the wash--literally!

This avoids tedious ripping and gives you the freedom to experiment with something new and perhaps unusual for you.

Down to the Wire

After the Storm II

Working like a maniac to all hours to finish this in time to have it framed to hang next Thursday. Not time for a long post, but thought I'd keep documenting the process.

Have created "speed nuno" for the trees (on silk) and bushes (on kona cotton). There'll be more dark bushes in front of the trees on the right as well, but haven't cut the felt yet. Also, field'll be a little less tilted (but only a little).

Had originally planned a straight edge for the field (my traditional roots are showing) but found the curved edge evoked the sense of motion I needed. I passed several fields like this in the Midwest last summer and snapped one photo from the window of the car to remind me I wanted to make this.


This work isn't based on the photo per se, but rather is a melange of memorable images.

The whole thing will be constructed on canvas wrapped stretcher bars and framed.

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Later . . .
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Final composition more or less, but the angle of the field is just a tad too flat. Pay no attention to the white bit--it's the paper placeholder for the field, not actually part of the quilt.

Less is more

My starting place, but too little contrast and too literal

Added some basic trees without many layers, got better definition.

Removed some layers on other elements for better definition and like where it's going. Less literal, more suggestive.

Thought I was going to sculpt with layers, but looks like I'm back to sculpting with the quilting stitch. Not that I mind. A couple of years ago I thought I would soon break away from purple, green and gold, too, but hey . . . :-)

Why knock a good thing?

I have a tree!

Just finished my first tree. Well, it's actually more of a bush and will actually be mostly behind everything else, but I figured that made it the best one to start with.

Anything else I need to do will, I hope, become clear as I finish more pieces of the picture. Has been fun for me to realize I needed to invert all my shapes--the trees all needed concave rather than convex curves and pointy bits rather than rounded bits.

I frequently beat up on myself for working too slowly, but really I'm coming to realize that I can't rush when I'm trying to figure out how to make something work--I need time to stew and ponder. Once I've found a solution I'm happy with I work pretty quickly, but if I rush in before I'm happy, inevitably I'm very unhappy with the final product. It's all part of my creative process, I guess, and fools rush in.