Pleasant interruptions ( and some not so)and some success

Spring is still here with showers and chilly weather even though summer tried to make an appearance a couple of times. I was pleasantly interrupted by my best apprentice, my grand daughter's visit. She learned how to use the equipment very fast and was a great help.

Below is the "PURPLE WIND of the NORTH EAST/ WEALTH" that is now sold as well as the finished "GREEN WOOD of the EAST / HEALTH" commission !

So clearly I've not been too set back.

The next set back was a ripping front apron on the loom.

Luckily I have a fantastic upholsterer a few blocks away and in 15 minutes he had mended the original canvas apron from AVL with a leather patch and its holding well.

The green Feng Shui was well received by the client and is happily ensconced in a beautiful and restful bedroom with mountain views and a foreground of pinon trees.

Below shows how much a piece changes through the steaming process, especially the fringe as you can see. I use an old Jiffy Steamer that has a lovely metal head that has a lot of weight which I really like.I steam the back and measure carefully, shrinking bubbles and straightening lines ( the purple above needs another steaming but the camera exaggerates a bit). You can do a lot with this finishing technique but you must be careful not to make things worse.

These are 4 of what I call "SKINNIES" that are 45"x9" that I wove all at the same time. Both have the Fibonacci Series as their design basis. Pictures show the piece of plastic that protects the piece from abrading when I rub up against it as I stand and weave. Also shown is my antique sock darner that I got at the thrift store for $.50 that I use to push the needle through the warp channel and the pliers I then use to pull the needle through( my little fingers can only take so much).

I'll Post the finished pictures next time as well as what's on the loom now. I am finally

finished with commissions and can now concentrate on the two shows I have coming up. One is at my local County Commissioners Office/ Gallery from June 1st- July 14th with a reception June 4th.

The other is at the Tapestry Gallery in Madrid ,New Mexico , Firehouse Lane from June 1st - August 31st with a reception right before the HGA Convergence Convention on Saturday July 17th 1 pm -4:30

So back to the loom I go!

IT IS APRIL ALREADY?

It's April already and the rush is on. Taxes and Paperwork and Visiting Relatives and Deadlines!

Here are the pictures of the finished Feng Shui Series piece " Ochre Earth of the Southwest, Relationship Success"(right). It is 41"x 40"and I'll deliver it on Tuesday. Hope the client likes it.

To the left is a detail of the center and you can see the series of lines in the middle which is a trigram from the I Ching , Book of Changes and represents the Earth.

I managed to get a ways into the next one , a green Feng Shui piece called " Green Wood of the East, Health Augmentation" and I'll post the finished piece in the next blog so stay tuned.

Above you can see the differing sizes of the "mountains" or "bubbles " I use for the different widths of greens in the piece. I constantly adjust these as I go by making sure each warp is staying straight and not wiggling left and right along the length of the work.

On the news front I've been ask to put a show together in the gallery/office space of my local County Commissioner. That will be June 4th, reception 5-7pm through July 14th ( right before Convergence so if you are here early you could check it out) and it will be on the 10th floor of our Albuquerque/ Bernallillo County City/ County Building that connects right to the Convention Center. And also a show for my gallery in Madrid, The Tapestry Gallery that will have a Saturday opening right before Convergence begins .So back to the loom

I go.