24 x 80 Art Cloth Network's Exhibition

"One thousand nine hundred twenty square inches"
24x80"
Silk Crepe, MX dyes, discharge paste, textile paints,
composition metal leaf

I prepared two pieces for the upcoming Art Cloth Network exhibition. The unifying theme for this exhibit will be the consistent size of each piece: 24 x 80."

I started this piece as I usually do, by manipulating the cloth, using physical resist processes — binding, clamping, wrapping — derived from the Japanese shibori tradition. I usually do several layers of shibori using different colors to see what pattern emerges. In this piece, however, I started with an idea of the pattern I wanted, lots of little squares, about a square inch each.  I then made stencils of blocks of informal squares within a formal grid. I used these to remove color and add more colors. I like to work in layers, repeating similar elements, building up color and pattern until that point when the piece tells me it is finished.

"Down by the Pond I Found an Old Fishing Net"
24 x 80"
Silk Crepe, thickened MX dyes, textile paints

In this piece I used an old rusty fishing net I found at a pond near my house. I wanted to explore the design potential of a single tool. I prepared deconstructed screens by printing the fishing net image in dye on the screen. I also used wax resist and stamped with the fishing net. I monoprinted with the net, and then used the tool as a stencil. My favorite feature of this tool is that I can use it as both a stamp and a stencil, achieving a positive and negative image.