Valentines!

The valentines are finished and up at the gallery. The reception will be on the closing date , January 29th which is also the silent auction which is always exciting with people trying to out bid each other.

Here are a few pictures of them in various stages of being done , and some of the finished product before cut off and after. I always think of them as being related to each other, as little families as they were created together on my full width warp. They turned out to be 13" long by 8 ' width. ( I use the golden mean rectangle for my formats sizes)

I will post some pictures from the closing reception when it happens.

And after much Holiday distraction I've begun another large piece and will include pictures of it's progress in the next post as well . Adios for now and back to the loom I go.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I think it was very fitting that I ended the year with a finishing of an old warp (I put on 7 yards and increased my usual 39"-40" weaving width to 47" for the two commissions , see previous postings) and beginning the New Year with a new warp ( 10 yards and back to my usual width). I end a warp weaving 4-5 little pieces at a time. They are a small version of my Feng Shui series that I sell mostly in museum gift shops and some galleries, and are 9-10 inches square.
Here are some pics of them on the loom , as you can see from the pictures it looks quite chaotic but my father always said , " It is hard by the yard but it's a cinch by the inch".

I finish both sides of these " littles " and they don't sell for much but I can often use them to hook people on my work and i sell a lot of them and they are a fun little place to play with color and to keep tapestry skills honed. I did five at a time on that last warp but now I'm on the smaller width.

On this beginning of the warp , ( I always do a bunch of

small pieces at the beginning of a warp just to test it, that way if there are any major problems in the tension from a botched beaming it won't last long and I can re - wind the warp onto the back beam after they are done) I am doing five 13"x8" "Valentines" for a benefit show put on by and to raise $ for our local arts group Arts Alliance . Here are some pictures of them and they are due soon so back I go to weave away!

After Weems the commission is finished

I finished! And they loved it and picked it up. I haven't seen it in situ yet and will take pictures when I do.

Here are some in progress picture. Before I sew in all the ends and after, so my pieces are all reversible and easy to clean. And some finished pictures too!

It was interesting that they wanted a dawn sky and this was at the same time as the thread in the Tapestry on line group about dawn versus sunset. I also am not a dawn person , love those conveniently timed sunsets though. After trying unsuccessfully to capture a dawn sky, ( it's hard to aim the camera when you are asleep) the clients sent their own pictures which was the basis for the sky, and a landscape view from the deck attached to the room the piece will go in was the inspiration for the landscape. The whole circle element is only 9 inches in diameter so the scale was small, and the whole piece is 54" x 46".

many delays but much accomplished

Yes ,after the delays of getting ready for a 3 day indoor Art Show, The Weems ArtFest in mid November and then doing the show then recovering and getting the studio back into some shape I was able to finish the 2cd commission.

Here on the left is a picture of my apprentice Ruth in the booth after set up. She was such great help, not only assisting in the lugging and set up but also coming on Sunday to give me a break. My other two apprentices also came to give me breaks on Friday and Saturday. All in all it was an excellent show , met lots of people with new houses and empty walls and sold 2 big pieces, ( the one to Ruth's left on the top was one of them). It was my 6th year and as lucrative as ever not to mention the fun of pal ing around with my booth neighbors who I get to see once a year as they keep the artists in the same place year after year.

On the right ,a picture of the other side of the booth.

As promised here are a few of the last completed tapestry commission. The Clients were very happy with it, ( I saw a few problems but I don't point them out . Overall I thought it quite successful. Commissions are always a bit stressful as you have a very thought out end product to create and your imagining of it and the clients have to meet somewhere close. And color choices are not always your own. ( In this commission it was a color scheme fueled by the client's handmade quilt on the bed that this was going over) I use this panoramic format a lot for pieces over a bed. Seems to fit the bill for that kind of space and use .As to details , which I think are very informative for both fellow weavers and prospective clients alike, the piece took 11 days to complete, was

30"x 47" in size and cost to clients was $2,500.00 and they paid the shipping costs.

These were collectors and they are already thinking of a third piece so again all in all Success!.

Here is a picture of it in progress and a photo of finished piece.

Next week I'll post the problems and joys of the newest commission, 20'' in on a 55" piece, also for clients who own more than one piece. Here is a photo of their first commissioned piece. They live in the foothills of the Sandias and both pieces have particular views from different windows in their house. Quite a challenge considering the small scale. (This piece is 68"x 40" and sold for $3,600.00)

Old stuff for now

Soon I will have the most recently completed tapestry commission photo posted as well as a picture of the new commission on the loom. Both clients are repeat customers so that really makes me feel that their prior purchases were very valued and that they were pleased with their experience. A great feeling !

This piece is/ was 68"x40" and titled "Fractured Squares" . It is from a new series I have started inspired by Klimt and Vasarely. I finished it 3 days before a solo show and the only ones to see it were myself , a few apprentices, the gallery owner and the clients who snapped it up.