Mandala XXII

(Above:  Mandala XXII. 42" x 42" as a diamond; 30" x 30" as a square.  Found objects stitched to a section of a vintage Grandmother's Flower Basket quilt.  Found objects include: keys, clock gears, zipper pulls, clothespins, paper clips, metal washers, loose leaf binder rings and flat paper binders, film reel, chop sticks, buttons, beer caps, and wooden Mahjong tiles.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

This is the fourth and last large mandala made on the vintage Grandmother's Flower Basket Quilt. There are, however, four small, single-motif mandalas that are finished and in the process of being framed.  I'll share them later.  Anyone following this series knows that I have been challenging myself with each piece.  Those made on the Grandmother's Flower Basket quilt presented unique challenges due to the lack of horizontal and vertical symmetry.  Basically, the "flower basket" motifs just don't line up that way; they line up only on the diagonals.  

(Above:  Mandala XXII, detail.)

On the last, large mandala, six plastic spoons were positioned at an angle.  They created a sense of motion and took a viewer's eye away from the asymmetrically aligned motifs.  I liked the effect so much that I wanted to expand it.  Twelve chopsticks did the trick.  Quickly, my husband and I started referring to this mandala as a pinwheel. 

(Above:  Ernie making sure the pinwheel stayed in place so that I could continue stitching.)

Of course, Ernie had to help with this piece.  In fact, the more I stitched with Ernie, the more I realized that I didn't actually need to fill the outside corners (which was where Ernie often slept.)

(Above:  Mandala XXII, detail.)

So for the first time, I left the corners open.  For me, this solved another challenge ... a way to leave enough of the vintage quilt visible that viewers would recognize it.  

Sharing these mandalas has prompted many questions about my stash of found objects.  Mostly, others want to know how I've come across so many multiples.  Well ... my collection comes mainly from Bill Mishoe's weekly auction. Until this year and COVID-19 restrictions, Bill Mishoe held two auctions every week. Friday night was for "better items and real antiques and furniture". Tuesday was for "used household items" generally sold by the "table lot".  What's a "table lot"? It's everything that was loaded on and often under a card table.  These table lots are generally the result of downsizing ... because a person recently died, was going into an assisted living situation, or was moving across country.  Some lots come from storage units with long overdue bills. There are lots of reasons why a table is piled full of things ordinarily found in a linen closet or a pantry or from shelves in a garage.  There are lots of flea market and antique mall dealers at a Tuesday night sale.  Like them, I sort through the remains of other people's lives.  I'm not searching for retail; I'm searching for wooden spools, bobbins, buttons, and the precious things some anonymous woman once cherished. It is my job to give these items a second life.  During the pandemic (after closure orders ended), Bill Mishoes started silent auctions. The photo above shows a sewing basket that became mine about two weeks ago.  It was one item on a table lot.  I got it and everything else on the table for a whopping six dollars plus 10% buyer's premium.  Most of the stuff on the table (chipped plates, cheap holiday decorations, and ugly knickknacks) went into our dumpster.  There was a brand new space heater. It went into our garage.  There were two unopened boxes of ink pens and several boxes of envelops. They went into our office.  We gave away a perfectly good, glass-covered cake stand and a wall display unit (still in its box).  All I really wanted was the sewing box with more than thirty wooden spools.  I had no idea that I also got three boxes of metal paper fasteners ... but I did.  Twelve of them are now on Mandala XXII.  The plastic rings (which I didn't see when bidding) will be used this way too.  I'd like to think that the woman who once owned this sewing box is happy knowing that the things she used are finding a place in today's world as art!  

 

(Above:  Ernie supervising the framing of Mandala XXII.)

As art, these mandalas are also all professionally framed.  It is, however, a challenge!  Some of these pieces have parts that extend beyond the relief of the picture framing moulding.  It is necessary to raise the piece off our work table.  We use the red plastic containers holding screws and mirror hangers, one under each corner.  Ernie thought this was a game.  He seriously wanted to crawl under the piece! 

  

(Above:  Mandala XXII, detail.)

 

Here's another image of Mandala XXII.  The Mahjong tiles also came from Bill Mishoe's auction.  Unlike the metal paper fasteners, I bought them specifically for use on these mandalas.  I don't know who once owned them, how old they are, or how to play the game.  I do, however, know how to drill tiny holes in all four corners and stitch them down!

 

Altered English Pub Trays

(Above:  An altered, English pub tray.  12" circle.  Collage of antique prints and letters clipped from various ephemera.)

The other day I was deep into an experiment, using artist-grade epoxy and unraveled thread.  It was exciting, especially since it worked out perfectly. (Blogged HERE.) Yet, I did something else at the same time.  Why?  Well, artist-grade, UV filtering epoxy is expensive.  A two-gallon kit runs almost $120 plus shipping.  As such, I never want to waste any of it.  When setting up an epoxy pour, I always have a few things on hand for any excess epoxy.  The other day, I knew I wanted to pour at least a little dribble over the white-lined sphinx moth that I found on the way to Nevada and used for a program called "Art in the Dark" while an artist-in-residence at Great Basin National Park.  That specimen was perfect and found at a most serendipitous time.  I brought it home in a plastic container and have ever since been meaning to affix it inside a porcelain container with epoxy.

(Above:  The white-lined sphinx moth ... set with epoxy in a lidded, porcelain container.  To read how it figured into the "Art in the Dark" presentation, CLICK HERE.)

Both the moth and the container were in a back room used to store "stuff" ... lots and lots and lots of stuff that I've purchased over the years from Bill Mishoe's estate auction.  This is the bulk of my found art object stash.  When I went to retrieve them, I found a small stack of English pub trays.  They weren't with the larger stack ... a stack numbering more than fifty.  At that moment, I vaguely remembered collaging antique and vintage images cut from magazines and books into these trays.  This was done well over a year, perhaps two years, ago. It occurred to me that epoxy was under consideration at the time ... but I never did it.  I grabbed the moth, the porcelain container, and just one tray ... assuming that I wouldn't have much more excess epoxy (and I didn't).

The next morning, I was almost surprised to see how nicely the tray turned out.  Later that afternoon, Steve and I poured another small batch of epoxy for the remaining seven.  They are not perfect ... but like any good experiment, I learned how I might do better in the future. Whether I do more or not doesn't matter. I learned something. I have drawers full of other antique images and at least forty more trays.  It wouldn't be hard to get more "metal appropriate" spray paint for the base.  There is, however, never enough time for all my hair-brained ideas!

 

Exposed Threads

(Above:  Me holding the finished experiment now known as Exposed Threads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

On and off for several years, I've been thinking of potential ways to use the leftover thread from my installation Threads: Gathering My Thoughts.

(Above:  Threads: Gathering My Thoughts while it hung at Gallery 80808 ... before being accepted for a solo installation at the Mesa Contemporary Art Museum in 2016.  Click HERE to see that show.) 

There are three, giant leaf bags filled with thread in a downstairs closet.  Keeping Ernie, our new cat, out of the closet made me revisit some of these thoughts ... which were truthfully more fantasy than anything approaching a workable plan.  That is ... until now!  An idea occurred that I couldn't resist.  I had to act on it even though it was really just an experiment.  After all, it might not have worked ... but it did!

 

Above:  A composite image showing a 24" x 14" frame in which a piece of Plexiglas was sealed in place.  Clear, waterproof caulking was used ... and because the lip of the frame is so narrow, some of the caulking was smeared along the perimeter of the Plexiglas ... as if a slightly blurred transition from the frame its coming contents.

 

 

Everything needed was gathered into the garage.  The work table was covered with plastic.  I got in my Tyvek suit, disposable gloves, and carbon filtering ventilator mask before stirring the two-part epoxy from one container to the next.  This is an artist grade, UV filtering epoxy that doesn't yellow over time.

 

The frame was put on four wooden blocks.  This was done to prevent any leaked epoxy from sticking the entire project to the table.  Thankfully, the frame did not leak!  I poured the epoxy, tilted the frame to achieve an even coating, and then ...

 

... changed into a new pair of disposable gloves before piling the thread onto the epoxy coated surface.

 

 

The idea was that the threads on the bottom of the mass would become saturated with epoxy but that the threads on the top remained looking "exposed".  I kneaded the threads, making sure they covered the entire area.  Steve even took a very short video.  It is HERE.  When all the threads seemed adequately "massaged", we left the experiment to cure overnight.

 

(Above:  A composite image of the finished piece.)

By morning, the epoxy was hardened.  The piece was held upright, shook while upside down, and blown with a stream of air from our air compressor.  Success!  The threads held in place even though the surface looks just like ordinary, unraveled thread.  The means of attachment aren't obvious or even visible!

 

The detail shot is great too.  It really shows the beauty in all this colorful chaos!

 

What's more, the other side of the piece is pretty cool too!  This is the front of the frame but the back of the exposed thread.

The detail from that side is equally cool!  Now ... to decide where to take this experiment!  Ah, the possibilities are endless.  There is hope to reclaim the downstairs closet!

Mandala XVII

(Above:  Mandala XVII. 30" x 30".  Assorted found objects hand-stitched to a section of an old Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  Among the items are brass hinges, felt covered piano hammers, clock gears, beer bottle caps, Tinker Toy wooden wheels, white plastic rings, Mahjong tiles, keys, baggage zipper tabs, blue concrete screws, plastic spoons, binder clips, tiny ceramic insulators, name badge clips with rings, two early 20th century metal awards, alarm clock face, and half of 400' film reel.  $550 plus sales tax and shipping. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Even as Mandala XVI was enjoying hundreds of "likes" and "shares" on social media, I was busy stitching on the next piece.  Like the earlier one, I challenged myself to allow the Grandmother's Flower Basket pattern to play a integral part of the finished look (as opposed to covering up most of surface, almost obliterating the quilt pattern ... like I seemed to do with Mandala XV.)  Because the motifs do not actually perfectly align either horizontally or vertically, (they align only on diagonals!) this really is a challenge! 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XVII.)

Because of this, I also attempted to create a sense of motion by placing the plastic spoons at an angle.  I think it really worked.  The fact that the center hexagon on the top motif is slightly to the left of the center hexagon on the center motif isn't any more noticeable than the center hexagon on the lower motif being slightly to the right.  It all looks symmetrical ... even though it isn't!  Success!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XVII.)

I am also quite happy with the colors of the quilt impacting the whole.  It was fun to drill holes in the Mahjong tiles.  It was hard to separate the two sides of the 400' film reel but I managed.  This means I still have another side for a future piece.  Without separating it, the reel felt too thick.  I had to use a flat head screw driver and a hammer to break the solder holding the two sides together.  It was worth it!

(Above:  Ernie helping to ship Mandala XVI to California ... or attempting to become a stowaway!)

These mandalas are truly challenging me and I'm loving every one. What's even better is the fact that others like them too.  In fact, a nice lady in California asked her "Santa" to arrange a special holiday gift.  It was carefully wrapped in fabric.  A piece of upholstery foam protected the front.  It went into a large conservation glass box ... which is when Ernie, our new cat, decided to help!  He truly seemed to be thinking about becoming a stowaway in the large, corrugated box in which the inner package was placed! 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XVII.)
 

Of course ... I'm already stitching on the next mandala!  Love doing this!

Mandala XVI

(Above:  Mandala XVI. 30" x 30". Assorted found objects hand-stitched to a section of an old Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  Among the items are square cut nails, screw eyes, keys, sewing machine bobbins, little ceramic insulators, clock gears, buttons, cabinet hinges donated by a cyber friend, wire key rings, brass knob plates, loose leaf binder rings, one-inch white plastic rings, an old rotary telephone dial, and lots of Scrabble game tiles spelling out words.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

The last mandala I finished was the first one on a scrap of an old Grandmother's Flower Basket quilt.  At that time, I was perplexed about the alignment of the hexagonal motifs.  With only two small, hexagonal pieces between the larger, colorful floral designs ... well ... nothing really lined up, not vertically and not horizontally.  So to combat that, I sort of loaded the work with plenty of found objects that more-or-less obscured the quilt pattern.  Only the central motif is in a perfect place, in the dead middle of the square, and it's the only obvious part of the underlying quilt.  That mandala looks wonderful.  (CLICK HERE to see its blog post.)

(Above:  Detail of Mandala XVI.)

When approaching this mandala, I challenged myself to let the vintage quilt be part of the overall finished expression.  I attempted to add more color by back-stitching around the floral designs and to allow the asymmetrical alignment to show.  My thoughts were to encourage viewers to see the old, comfortable "Grandmother's Flower Garden" as well as the found objects.  To further that end, I added Scrabble tiles.

 

(Above:  Mandala XVI, detail.)

I don't think I had an entire set of Scrabble tiles but I was able to stitch words like Art, Hope, and Love near the perimeter.  Around the center is "Wonder and Joy".  These are words that I think compliment the spirit of the old quilt.  At the very center is an old rotary telephone dial.  I ripped the inserted paper to show only the area code, not someone's once-upon-a-time telephone number that might well be some other person's current number!

 

(Above:  Ernie, inspecting framing hardware, in the back room where pictures are closed.)

Of course Ernie was involved in the entire project.  I really wanted him to sit still beside the finished piece so that I could show a sense of size and scale.  Ernie, however, has a mind of his own ... so ...

...I had to do it!

A totally hand-stitched In Box and a Commission

(Above:  Detail of In Box CCCLXXXVII, a totally hand-stitched artwork.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

I don't know why it happens so often, but frequently several pieces on which I'm working come to an end on the same day.  It happened again this morning.  A commission for three Seasonal Leaves got finished, framed, photographed, and documented on the same day as In Box CCCLXXXVII got done.

(Above:  In Box CCCLXXXVII.  Layers of polyester stretch velvet fused to recycled, synthetic felt with hand stitching and melting techniques. Unframed: 15" x 11"; framed: 22" x 18".)

I stitched this piece during the drive to and from the Philadelphia area. Steve and I went there last weekend and stayed with friends who picked up my artwork from Wildflowers Too, a seasonal art gallery on the New Jersey shore.  We also got to visit Longwood Gardens. It was beautiful!

(Above:  Me with In Box CCCLXXXVII.)

So ... here's me with the finished piece. I'm trying to remember to take this sort of photo because it is a good way to really show the presentation, scale, and size of the finished piece.  In the background are two of the three Seasonal Leaves commission.

(Above:  Three Seasonal Leaves:  Summer, Winter, and Autumn.)

This commission resulted from an invitational show held last February at the Carrollton Art Center in Georgia.  I had a set of four Seasonal Leaves on display.  Later, they were sold through an interior design firm to Children's Hospital in Boston.  Then last month, a nice couple from Carrollton contacted me to purchase three of them.  Obviously, I couldn't sell them again ... but I offered to recreate the desired three. 

(Above:  A composite image showing the palette of polyester stretch velvet for Winter and the resulting foundation layer of the piece.)

When accepting a commission, I try to take photos during every step of the process.  These are used to write a PDF for the client.  It lets them see the stages of development and explains my techniques.

(Above:  Summer, constructed and covered with strips of sheer, scarf-weight chiffon.)

I didn't take photos of all three pieces in every stage of development, but the PDF does show the progression from the basic construction ...

...to the free-motion machine stitching using 100% black cotton thread ...

... to being stapled to a stretcher bar and melted.  In fact, I shot a fourteen second video to illustrate the melting.  It is HERE on You Tube.

I included this image too.  It shows how I trim the excess, partly melted felt around the perimeter.  This fringe is really just a line of cotton sewing thread to which the felt is still attached. All the little "bridges" between the polyester stretch velvet shapes are also just a line, back-and-forth, of cotton thread.  The cotton thread does not melt; it holds the shapes together.

(Above:  Seasonal Leaves, Autumn.  Unframed: 29" x 17"; Framed: 33 1/2" x 21 1/2".)

(Above:  Seasonal Leaves: Summer.)

(Above:  Detail of Seasonal Leaves, Summer.)

(Above:  Seasonal Leaves: Winter.)

(Above:  Detail of Seasonal Leaves, Winter.)

Mandala XV

 

(Above:  Mandala XV. 28 1/2" x 28 1/2".  Hand stitched on a section of an antique Grandmother's Flower Basket quilt section.  Assorted found objects include: textile mill spindles, felt piano hammers, brass lamp fixtures, keys, Nehi bottle caps, slides, buttons, metal washers, pieces of a folding yardstick, clock gears, perle cotton labels, square cut nails, assorted paper clips, U-shaped brackets, single pronged drapery hook, bolts, plastic and metal rings, and hardware from a bi-folding door donated to my stash by my Facebook friend Kim Davison.)

 

 

(Above:  Mandala XV, detail.)

I was a little sad when the last scrap of the antique blue-and-white quilt turned into Mandala XIV.  Why?  Well, I didn't have any more of it left.  I was going to have to find another vintage or antique quilt to use as a base.  I wasn't sure I had such an old quilt but then I found this battered, well worn Grandmother's Flower Basket quilt in my stash.  It presented a challenge.  Could I go from the now familiar square blocks to one with all those little hexagons? 

 

(Above:  Mandala XV, detail.)

Not being a traditional quilter and never really inspecting a Grandmother's Flower Basket quilt as closely as needed for this project, I was temporarily stumped.  The rows of hexagons don't actually line up.  The rows can be viewed horizontally and vertically but also on every diagonal imaginable.  Stretching a quarter of the quilt over my stretcher bar took a lot of concentration but finally worked. The only way to approach this was to first trace two giant circles around the center motif.

  

(Above: Mandala XV, detail.)

Once the two circles of brown buttons were stitched down, the spindles were put into place.  The rest of the piece came together quite quickly after that.  I'm already stitching on the next mandala ... so come back again!