Rainy Ravens

 A very stormy and rainy weekend allowed me to be happily in the studio -instead of having to do the winterizing chores. I put off cleaning out the garden and Daddy-O put all of the summer furniture, hoses, BBQ and even the boats up before the freezing temps arrive -they're just around the corner. 

These Raven pieces of Art Cloth are for my upcoming show at 2 Friends Gallery. 

Each piece of 100% cotton Batik fabric is about 14" x 14" and were my favorite pieces from this weekend of art making. I've been enjoying working in a series of themes, even turning some pieces into small at quilts and wall hangings. 

Not every piece turns out as I envision it and I'm rarely able to replicate some of my favorite pieces, which can be frustrating. 

On these pieces I used various fabric paints, Mod Podge with tissue art papers and digital images printed on Artist TAP paper. I tried to work in layers of color and texture -but this required a LOT of patience waiting for the cloth to dry between layers. I'm not a very PATIENT artist but my perseverance made up for it! 

Art Cloth + Art Quilts 

by 

CINDY SHAKE

2 Friends Gallery

November 2-30, 2012 -Anchorage, AK

 

341 E. Benson Blvd Anchorage, AK 99503 

(907) 277-0404

2friendsgallery@gmail.com

Born To Be In The Wild

Kenai River, Alaska

In 2009 I thought for sure we were going to have the big “Princesses and Banditos Part Deux” blowout birthday party like we had for my 40th. I even blogged about it in "Born to Be Wild."  As it turned out I just wasn’t up for the cleanup, set up or post throw up hang-over. I chose to spend my big FIVE-OH day with my family on the river FISHING! That's not to say I didn't celebrate and my sweet Daddy-O didn't keep my little red drink cup filled! It was the perfect way to spend the Labor Day birthday weekend –including waking up to fresh, French Press Kaladi Brothers Coffee and a Fire Island Bakery birthday cake that my sweetie surprised me with on the dock for breakfast –all while my line was in the water!! What a good way to roll into 50. 

 My fishing boys. Thanks for a GREAT birthday, family! 

xox

Olive Dog wasn't too happy to have to be tethered to the cleaning table... whenever we had a fish on or there was a SPLASHING COMMOTION she wanted to DIVE into the river and bring the fish out herself!

HOW ABOUT SOME ART MAKING TIME!

 For my latest Art Cloth pieces I’ve been experimenting with using different art papers and various types of glues, transfers and fiber paints. Each of these pieces of cloth are 14” x 14”.  The fabric is 100% cotton batiks from The Quilted Raven and The Quilt Tree. The higher the quality of fabric the better results I have. These fabrics are beautiful to work with.

 For this blue fabric piece I hand tore the white art paper and painted Mod Podge on top of the paper directly to the fabric and let it air dry. I'll sew it into a mini-art quilt wall piece.

 This piece has several layers of art papers. The first layer of the woven art paper I actually used a zig zag stitch and stitched it to the fabric. The birds are artist transfer paper and then hand colored with acrylic fabric paints and colored pencils.

Making

A nice rain brought a much deserved break in roofing. I was going to feel a bit guilty if I could have a day of art making while Daddy-O needed to work away on the roof project –it’s much easier with two people. The rain provided the perfect excuse to jump right into some painting on cloth making some Botanicals Art Cloth. Growing around the house are huge ferns and other lovely greens. I plucked several leaves from the ferns, Lily of the Valley and Rhubarb to make leaf prints on 100% cotton batik. For the first pass onto the fabric I used fabric paints and acrylic paints painted directly onto the leaves. Using a brayer I rolled over a protective piece of newsprint, imprinting onto the fabric. I’m finding I have the most success with layering the various colors because the first pass looks a bit flat to me. I also mixed in metallic acrylic paints and hand paint fun details. The next step will be to add some cool image transfers that I’ll either apply directly OR iron on a contrasting fabric and then sew onto the first layer. I hung the fabric outside on lines I strung across the covered deck to dry –otherwise the painted fabric tends to stick to the newsprint. I liked seeing the colorful painted fabric squares flap in the breeze. Some FAB new art supplies from Blaines were wonderful to work with! Check out the photo below of the art paper, pearlescent paint (Genesis Green -one of my favorite colors), the Acrylic Paint Markers(!) from Montana, beautiful Lumiere and Neo Opaque acrylics by Jacquard that gave perfect coverage on the fabric, and finally a good quantity of metallic acrylic paint by Daler-Rowney.  

FAB, new art supplies I bought at Blaines -check out the beautiful PAPER below the supplies. I'm going to SEW it onto some art cloth! The woven PAPER in the background has this rough and stiff texture, I'm going to sew it too! The Acrylic Pens are by Montana -really fun to use.

Some of the finished Art Cloth I've been working on! The Botanicals were from greens around the house. The Halibut fish print was using one of my rubber molds and a brayer with Acrylic fabric paints. The sea stars were made using shapes I cut from foam and hand painted on FW liquid acrylic paints. All Art Cloth is painted onto approx. 13-14" x 13-14" 100% cotton batiks.

All this art making is making for a VERY messy studio! Not exactly ready for a magazine photo shoot -the Virgo in me is going crazy but the artist in me is VERY satisfied.

The front garden is finally in but these cool/warm/cool again temps are confusing my plant starts.  (sigh). It does provide a nice view from the studio window.

Art Cloth Fun

After purchasing some beautiful 100% cotton Batik fabric from the Quilted Raven, I was inspired to make some 12" x 12" Art Cloth. I've had several requests from loyal customers for Art Cloth panels that they could sew into small art quilts, pillows and wall hangings. What an opportunity for me to fling some paint around the studio! I made a mess, cutting out custom foam shapes, altering my rubber stamp collection and trying various acrylic paints, fabric paint, Jacquard inks, FW Acrylic Artists Inks. After painting, printing and stamping in layers, I heat set all of the cloth. The pieces where I used high intensity glitter paints, I think, turned out the best. I'm working on the custom hang tags now and the panels will be available at the Quilted Raven!

I need to get the studio cleaned up and add an extra table for Kristen's sewing machine. She's coming home tomorrow for the Holiday break and my studio is going to look like Santa's workshop because we're going to be knee deep in team ART MAKING!

One place I forgot to clean up yesterday was the bathroom near my studio where Daddy-O found my large, rubber halibut and other fish molds floating and soaking in the sink when he went to shave this morning! Thankfully he's used to life with an artist!