Work made in Montana

(Above:  Composite photo of two, hand-stitched In Box Series pieces entirely stitched while enjoying a one-month art residency in Hamilton, Montana.  They are now both framed with outer dimensions of 21 1/2 x 17 1/2" and with a price of $425 each.  Click on any image in this post to enlarge.)

It's been two weeks since I last posted and much has happened since then!  First, my one-month Open AIR art residency came to an end when Steve flew back to Missoula on Halloween.  He'd driven me to Montana and returned to drive me home!  I am indeed one lucky artist.  It took three-and-a-half days to travel back across this giant sized country.  Sure, we could have shortened the trip by about a day ... but we are now retired and no longer need to rush, rush, rush ... which might be one of the reasons it's taken so long for me to update my blog!  Yet, writing a blog post really couldn't be a priority after being away for a month!

 

(Above:  Three of nine Relic Series pieces entirely created during the art residency.)

 

Putting everything away took time! Catching up with various correspondence was necessary. Going to the Pickens County Flea market was great ... and resulted in plenty of new "found objects" for future mandalas.  There was sweeping and laundry to do and our van needed a new windshield due to a nasty rock that flew off a semi somewhere in Illinois.  Petting Ernie and Minnie was a "cat requirement" too!  But most importantly, I had framing to do!  After all, ten Relics were made while I was away.  One immediately was used for the annual World Affairs Council Award (a commission that was waiting for me!)  I didn't even snap a photo of that one!  Yet, the other nine needed to be matted and one needed to be framed for a potential sale.  

 

(Above:  A composite photo of three more Relic Series pieces.)

 

Each one was created on a scrap of antique Chinese silk using layers of polyester stretch velvet.  Then came the free-motion machine embroidered outlines and details before lots of hand stitching and plenty of decorative beads.  My inspiration is almost always architecture with a little ornate, medieval-like embellishments.

 

(Above:  Three more Relic Series pieces.)

 

The average size of the artwork is 9" x 6" though some are a bit taller and others a bit wider.  Each one is matted to a standard 20" x 16" with a price of $250.  The one that is framed is $325.

 

(Above:  The one that got framed!  Sorry about the reflection from the glass!)

 

I have no photos for the five strands stitched during the first week of the art residency but I'm proud to announce that there are now fifty-one total strands for The Lace Forest!  My initial goal was fifty.  When first shown at Featherstone Gallery on Martha's Vineyard Island, there were thirty.  (Click here to see that show!)  When part of Fiberart International in Pittsburgh, there were forty-six.  Now I've exceeded my original goal and can say that there will be more in the future because I still have plenty of lace!

 

(Above:  Montana Plantlife I.  Natural dyeing with free-motion machine embroidery and hand stitching.)
 

I also matted the two test piece from the natural dyeing workshop and am currently working on the bandanna-sized piece of fabric made in that workshop.  (I'll post when it's finished!  I ordered a photo of a raven taken at Yellowstone National Park during the drive to Montana ... printed on fabric to be appliqued to the natural dyed fabric!  So far, it's looking fantastic!)

 

(Above:  Montana Plantlife II.  Natural dyeing and free-motion machine embroidery.)

 Although I got both these pieces matted, they are still waiting on their frames.  There's a good chance that at least one of them will return to Montana for a show being arranged by Open AIR.  I'm also working on a Montana Mandala for that opportunity.  

 

(Above:  Window CCXXIV.  Framed:  19" x 17".  Layers of polyester stretch velvet fused to recycled black industrial felt with free-motion machine embroidery and unique melting techniques.)

All four Window Series pieces made in Montana have been framed!  Keep scrolling down to see them.  Yet, there was more framing for Steve and me to do!  Why?  Well, before I left for this art residency, I finished five Found Object Mandalas but hadn't mounted or framed any of them.  I've been busy finishing them too!  Thus, it won't be long before I post again ... PROMISE!

(Above:  Window CCXXV, framed.)

(Above:  Window CCXXVI.  Below:  Window CCXXVII.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gelli Plate Botanical Printing Workshop

(Above:  Gelli Plate botanical printing workshop at Explore the Arts.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

I'd read about gelli plate printing and seen examples of it on social media but I'd never tried it.  In my pea-brain, I thought that one had to mix up gelatin and other fluids with precision to create a solution on which paint was poured ... sort of like marbling which I've done but didn't particularly like doing.  I thought this would be difficult despite the fact that it can be done on fabric.  Guess what!  I was totally wrong!  Gelli plate printing so super fun and very, very easy to do!

(Above: Pamela K. Beer, the instructor and talented artist who works in several different media.)

 

Perhaps one of the reasons I found the approach so great was that the instructor had clear examples and lots of patience.  There were about a dozen women in the workshop and everyone was successful.  I haven't snapped photos of any of my prints but that really doesn't matter.  Why?  Well, I will be buying my own gelli plate soon and plan on exploring this medium more in depth.  Yet, one of the best things about this workshop came right at the end! Pam taught us how to fold little paper bags from our test prints.  Now I have ideas for the stacks of vintage and antique paper I have at home!  I can hardly wait!

 

(Above:  A collection of paper bags made from the gelli plate test prints.)

 

By the time I have this blog entry posted, I'll already be on the three-day drive back to South Carolina!  This month has been wonderful, inspiring, and even educational! 

  

 

 

 

Hiking in Montana's Bitterroot Valley

(Above: Selfie along the Blodgett Canyon Trail. Click on any image to enlarge.)

When I get back home to South Carolina, I'll have time to photograph the work I've made here during the art residency and eventually, I'll even have a link to the end-of-session presentation I gave last Tuesday for Open AIR, the residency's hosting organization.  Otherwise, I'm behind on my blogging but that's because I've been busy, busy, busy!  I took advantage of several days when there was clear skies and warmer-than-normal temperatures to go hiking!  In all, I went on five different trails in four different Bitterroot Valley locations:  Blodgett Canyon Trail (just three miles in and three miles out despite the fact that the trail goes on and on and on!); Blodgett Canyon Overlook (three miles round trip); Calf Creek Trail (four miles); Baker Lake Trail (three-and-a-half miles); and Sweathouse Waterfall Trail (five miles).  I love walking in nature and autumn in Montana is truly spectacular as you can see by scrolling down to some of my favorite pictures!

 

(Above and below: Blodgett Canyon Trail)

(Above:  Blodgett Canyon Trail.)

(Above and below:  Blodgett Canyon Overlook Trail.)

 

(Above:  Snowball made along the Blodgett Canyon Overlook Trail!  I could have made snowballs along the Baker Lake Trail too!)

(Above:  Selfie at Baker Lake)

(Above and below:  Shots from the Baker Lake Trail.)

 

(Above:  The hiking duo I joined for Calf Creek Trail.  There are plenty of hiking groups in this area and I got connected to the women's wilderness group that organized this outing!)

(Above:  Pinnacle formation along the Calf Creek Trail.)

(Above:  Selfie at Sweathouse Falls. Below: Just the falls!)

 

(Above and below:  Scenes from the Sweathouse Falls Trail.)

The Daly Mansion

 

(Above:  The Daly Mansion.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

One of the attractions here in Hamilton is the Daly Mansion, a grand home that started when Marcus Daly purchased the once existing farmhouse in 1886.  He had it remodeled for his family by 1889 but renovated and expanded it in 1897 in the popular Queen Anne Victorian style. From 1907-1910, after Mr. Daly died, the house was again enlarged to the current Georgian-Revival mansion with over 50 rooms, including 25 bedrooms and15 bathrooms.

 

There is also a music room, a billiard room, a trophy room with stuffed animal heads, a sun room, a formal dining room, and play rooms for the children. The 24,000 square feet (plus a full basement) were used by Mrs. Margaret Daly for family gatherings and entertaining her many friends.

Mrs. Daly died in 1941. Then the home was boarded up with all its furnishings until ownership changed to a state-owned property managed by the Daly Mansion Preservation Trust, a non-profit started in 1986. That same year, the furnishings were all sold at auction.  The Trust bought quite a bit of the original furniture and items, and over the years, many of the original things have been donated back to the museum.  

 

The home and 26.5 acres of gardens opened to the public in a year later.  More recently, the television series Yellowstone and 1923 have used rooms for filming!  Keep scrolling for some of my favorite pictures taken during the excellent, docent-led tour!

 

Natural Dyeing Workshop

 

(Above:  The three instructors for a Natural Dyeing Workshop with the test pieces hanging to dry in the background.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Last week I was able to take a half day natural dyeing workshop.  It was WONDERFUL.  The instructors were fun, knowledgeable, and very attentive.  They also provided everything for everyone, including ...

... all the plant material!  They also scoured all the fabric and applied the mordant.  All I had to do was show up!

Then ... lay out plant material!

This was the "test" piece ... a way to experiment and learn the process!  Keep scrolling to see what this became!

Next was a bandanna sized piece.  We had to learn how to lay plant material out on only half the fabric ...

... position the "blanket" (a piece of flannel without mordant that was soaked in onion skin dye) over the flower ... and then lay out more flower.  This is then covered in plastic and ...

... rolled up tightly and bound with string ...

... and then steamed in a giant pot.  Obviously, the reason for "doing half" and folding it over has to do with the size of the pot!  The one-inch in diameter wooden dowel has to fit in the pot!

This is what came out of the pot!  (Although I snapped a photo of the back side!)

This is how it looked when dry, ironed, and free-motion stitched!  I have an idea for how I'll use it in the future!  Now ... down below are my two test pieces ... stitched!

Free-motion machine stitched with black cotton thread and densely seed stitched by hand.

Free-motion machine stitched.