"Interconnections; Tapestry Weavers West" at the Mills Building

Tapestry Weavers West, a West Coast organization of tapestry weavers founded in 1985 sponsors a regular juried show and this year we will be exhibiting at the Mills Building in San Francisco, a handsome downtown office building on Montgomery Street.

This exhibit, co-curated by Kerri Hurtado of ArtSource and Deborah Corsini, of the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, will be on view from November 14, 2011 to February 3, 2012 during office hours, 8-6pm Monday thru Friday.
It will comprise of 42 tapestries large and small, by 21 TWW artists.

Three of my tapestries were selected; 'Flow 3,' 'Flow 4' and 'Flow: Unfathomed.'

The finished Zori Pillows

I wanted to share some finished images of the  Zori Pillows.

I reinforced the straps at the top so they were not so flimsy and I added buttons on the sole to hold the upper strap in place. Yes, it required a very long needle and good aim to find the buttonholes!
 All the shoes for this exhibition are wonderful. If you are in the area it is worth a stop to see them.  The show is 'A Walk in Artist's Shoes' now until December 29th at Gallery 111 at  the ICB in Sausalito; 480 Gate 5 Road.  There are over 40 pairs.

My Zori Pillows

Here is something a little different. My studio is in the ICB, a community of over 80 artists; painters, print makers, sculptors, photographers, clothes designers, and so much more. Every winter we hold an Open Studio on the first weekend in December (This year the 3 & 4th).  We have a small, volunteer run gallery that we can use to showcase something exciting for the visitors.  This year we are  focused on 'Shoes' to honor a late member of our artist community.

The show is called 'Walk in An Artist's Shoes' and will comprise of a pair of altered/created/violated footwear contributed by each of the artists who are participating the the Winter Open Studio 2011. It looks like it will be a very exciting show.

I wanted to use tapestry somehow in my pair and decided to make some Flip Flops. It involved cutting up a tapestry which I must admit was a terrible thing but this piece was small, old and nothing that I would ever exhibit! With that rationalization I took scissors to warp and weft. It felt so odd but daring.

Here is the result, not quite finished but you will get the idea. I exaggerated the shapes so that no one would consider them wearable..They are about 4" (10cm)  in height. A challenge to make especially sewing the strap which is held in place by  buttons on the soles of the zories. It needed a very, very long and sharp upholstery needle. Here are the details for the show.

'Walk in An Artist's Shoes'

Gallery 111

ICB, 480 Gate 5 Road

Sausalito, CA

on view November 15th  to the end of the year.

 Open during the Winter Open Studio 

December 3 & 4 -- 11am - 6pm

or

Hours are by appointment - contact me for information.

''Interconnections; Tapestry Weavers West' Exhibition at the Mills Building

Tapestry Weavers West (TWW) is a West Coast organization for tapestry weavers founded in 1985. They have been putting on regular shows of their members work and this time it will be at the handsome downtown office building on Montgomery St (at Bush).
 The show will be on view in the lobby from 14 November to 3 February 2012 during office hours, 8am - 6 pm, Monday thru Friday.

Kerri Hurtado, of ArtSource, and Deborah Corsini, curator of the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, selected 41 pieces from 21 TWW artists. Three of my tapestries were selected. They are 'Flow 3,' 'Flow 4,' and 'Flow: Unfathomed.'

I hope you will get a chance to visit if you are in the area.  Here are two of them.

                                            Flow 3

                                       Flow 4

'Interconnections; Tapestry Weavers West'  Exhibition 
in the main lobby at the Mills Building

220 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA.

14 November to 3 February 2012 

during office hours, 8 am - 6 pm, Monday thru Friday. 

A Finalist for the Australian Tapestry Workshop Show

I must admit I would much rather weave than blog.

Inspired by the recent red and black piece, I created a couple of miniature pieces with this exhibition in mind.  The size could be no greater than 30cm in any direction.
It was a challenge to work in a smaller scale as all the elements need to be more precise and well considered. I did a few drawings until I had a good design and then set about planning for the pieces. I used a black warp as I did not want the usual white warp to show at the edges. I sett it at 10 epi; not too fine but closer than I usually work.

Here are a few pictures in detail and the final image.

I am finding that working with the eccentric weft and its rather unpredictable efects quite interesting. It does not seem to matter if it is at large or small scale, it gives new energy and buzz.
This piece called 'Energy Flow' is about 11" unmounted. It was one of the 42 finalists out of a significant pool of international entries in the Kate Derum Award Show at the Australian Tapestry Workshop.  It was  juried by Kay Lawrence, well respected textile professor and fibre artist as well.

A Master Craftsman Show in San Rafael, CA

 I am pleased that my tapestry titled, "Flow: Unfathomed" is included in this prestigious show. It is 45" x 72" and is made with wool on a cotton warp. The 'Flow Series' explores the gentle use of tension that causes the surface to ripple like the water it depicts. 

Material at Play: New Master Works from the Baulines Craft Guild

August 12 - September 23, 2011

at

Art Works Downtown

ArtWorksDowntown.org

1337 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901,

(415) 451-8119

Signature works by Master members of the Baulines Craft Guild in fiber, clay, wood, and metal are showcased at Art Works Downtown. Work is on display from August 12-September 23. Opening reception is August 12, 5:30-8PM, and Second Friday Art Walk reception is September 9, 5 PM-8PM. I will be attending the August date and look forward to meeting you.

A New Tapestry

This is the latest piece I finished. It is small, 20 x 33,"  (48 x 84cm) and I have mounted it on a frame for a better presentation.  I am very excited about this one. I like the energy flow, the patterns of the moving stripes and the simple colors. So far, I have not decided on a title so any suggestions are welcome!
It has given me a lot of ideas for other designs and I am looking forward to getting started.

A Small Show and more

Last fall I was invited to have a small show at the Tam Valley District Office in Mill Valley.  I hung it this week. It is an office space and has a very small area for display. It turned out to be even smaller when I went to hang it as another artist had taken a large wall that I expected to use. I have only been able to include small work but the office does seem to attract viewers. 
  Here are a few images from my Flip Series:  These are small 8 and 9 inches square and mounted on a support. The show includes 3 bigger pieces as well.

Open studios first weekend

We had a lot of visitors from all over the Bay Area. One of them, Jeanice Skvaril, was kind enough to include me in her blog posting. Have a look!
http://suburbanhomestead.typepad.com/blog/2011/05/marin-artists-open-2011.html

Welcome to this tapestry blog.

I want to invite you to an exciting event.

Marin Arts Council Open Studios 

Come see my newest tapestry in the 'Flow Series.'

Open Studios will be held the first two weekends in May.

May 7 & 8 and May 14 & 15  from 11-6pm.

Located in Sausalito, California at the historic 

Industrial Center Building

480 Gate 5 Road, Studio 205

There will be over 40 artists in the ICB who paint, draw, print, sew, 

sculpt, photograph, and of course, weave.

Come join the excitement and enjoy the art.

Free Parking