Painting/Printing on Fabric

Painted/printed fabric in progress, here is my interpretation of the building under construction near the ICA in Boston. The building is on the left, and the painted/printed fabric is on the right. Most of the "building" is done. Now I need to figure out how to deal with the small and tall windows. So far, this piece is significantly brighter than the actual building. Gotta decide if it should stay that way. I also need to think about how to stitch it later.

I might also make another version that has the back side of the painted fabric facing out. I'll need to mirror it if I do it. The back side won't be as bright.

Pieced Together: Historic and Contemporary Quilts and Fiber Arts

The postcard came for Pieced Together: Historic and Contemporary Quilts and Fiber Arts. It's being held at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster, OH, from April 28 - September 2, 2007.

The participating artists are: Katherine Allen, Sue Benner, Lisa Call, Nancy Crow, Lindsay Ketterer Gates, Amy Lipshie, Donna Rhae Marder, Eleanor Mccain, Joan Schulze, and me (Jeanne Williamson).

More info can be found at: The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio.

Pieced Together: Historic and Contemporary Quilts and Fiber Arts

I got an invitation for the Opening for Pieced Together: Historic and Contemporary Quilts and Fiber Arts. I have four pieces in the show. They are Orange Construction Fence Series #40, 41, 44 and 45.

The show is being held at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster, OH and is from April 28 - September 2, 2007. More info can be found at: The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio. If you're in Ohio visiting Quilt National in Athens, and the Quilt Surface Design Symposium in Columbus, you might want to also visit Pieced Together.

Orange Construction Fences


From a construction site on South Ave in Natick Massachusetts.

Thread Color

I just finished stitching the last of the six pieces I've been working on since October. YEAH!! Refer to the other Thread Color and Thread Color posts in my blog, to learn more about these pieces.



Here are close-ups of sixth piece and it's companion piece, both stitched with white thread. The left side shows the painting on the front side of the fabric, and the right side has the back side of the fabric showing. It's interesting to see the difference the white thread has between both pieces, and how the other two similar sets of work differ when the thread is black or has color.

I'll post full images of the six pieces after I visit my photographer in a few weeks. I'll also post them on my website then.

For easier thread color comparison, here are the details of the six pieces I just finished.



The top row shows the painting on the front of the fabric. The bottom row shows the details of the three pieces that have the back side of the painted fabric showing. The left images have colored thread, the middle have black thread, and the right images have white thread.

Drop Cloth

I printed a construction fence over a drop cloth I had been using for probably a dozen pieces. My main reason for having a drop cloth is because the fabric paint soaks through the main fabric, and sticks to the cardboard I have below it. Its hard to separate them with out getting pieces of cardboard that I can't remove from the fabric. I now try to remember to have another piece of fabric under my main fabric to soak up the extra paint, as well as to possibly become a new piece on its own.



Here is the back of the same piece of fabric.

Getting ready

As a rule, I never finish a piece without having a new piece to start on right away. So.... since I had no printed fabric ready for the next piece, and I'm about to stitch the sixth out of the six pieces I've been working on since October, I spent some time yesterday printing fabric. Here are three pieces of fabric hanging to dry in my official drying area, otherwise known as my shower.

Thread Color

I just finished stitching the second of the three pieces that have the front side of the fabric showing. Each one of the three in both sets have (or will have) different thread colors in the stitching. These pieces have black stitching, which is easier to see than the two pieces stitched with colored thread, which I posted a few days ago. The left side shows the painting on the front side of the fabric, and the right side has the back side of the fabric showing. It's interesting to see the different visual effect the black thread has between both pieces.

I'm going to stitch the 6th piece shortly. That one and it's companion piece (painting on the back side of the fabric showing) will be stitched with white thread only. I'll post the next set of pieces after I finish stitching this last one.

Thread Color

As I've mentioned earlier, I have been working on six new pieces. Three will show the front side of the painted/printed fabric (as you would expect), and three will show the back (or "wrong") side of the fabric. I've stitched the three that have the back side of the fabric showing, and I just finished stitching the first of the three pieces that has the front side of the fabric showing. Each one of the three in both sets have (or will have) different thread colors in the stitching.



It's hard to see, but here are a details of the two pieces that are stitched with colored thread. The left side shows the painting on the front side of the fabric, and the right side has the back side of the fabric showing. The colored thread is harder to see on the left side, but it is there. I usually stitch with black thread, so I think it's interesting to see the different visual effect the colored thread has between both pieces.

I'm working on 5th piece now. That one and its companion piece are stitched with black and dark gray thread only. The last two are stitched only with white thread. I'll post the next set of pieces in a day or so, after I've finished stitching the 5th one.

Inspiration!

On the way to visiting the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston yesterday, we drove past this building which is under renovation. It looks like giant piece of construction fence-like grid!!!! What an inspiration!



In a few months, I'll post what I've done with the building image. I've got quite a few ideas. I'm finishing up on 6 pieces now, but I think the next few after, that will be based on the building.

Art with Fiber - on exhibit at the ICA-Boston

When I visit a musum or gallery, I am always excited to see artwork that has fiber incorporated as a main element. Here is what was on exhibit today at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston:

Sigmar Polke - "I Live in My Own World, But It's OK, They Know Me Here", 2002, mixed media on fabric. Online image can be seen at: tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/polke.

Mona Hatoum - "Pom Pom City", 2002, natural wool. Online image can be seen at: icaboston.org/exhibitions/permanent-collection/artists/hatoum.

Kai Althoff - "Untitled", 2004, gloss paint on fabric. Online image can be seen at: "icaboston.org/exhibitions/permanent-collection/artists/althoff.

Rachel Perry Welty - "Two Page Spread", 2006, twist ties. More about her work can be seen at: RachelPerryWelty.com.

Also, as a fiber artist, I really related to an ink and acrylic on painting on canvas by Julie Mehretu. More about her at: Julie Mehretu.

Fiberart International 2007

I got a postcard for Fiberart International 2007. The show is sponsored by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA and is from April 14 - Aug 19, 2007.

I have a piece in the show. It's Orange Construction Fence Series #34. The Opening is Friday April 13 from 5:30-8:30pm. The day after the Opening is the Fiberart Forum on Saturday April 14th, with juror/fiberartist Dorothy Caldwell giving the keynote address. At least 50+ of the 94 artists are going to be there for the opening weekend’s events. I'm looking forward to attending both events. More info can be found at: Fiber Art International.

The Art of Quilting - PBS

I saw The Art of Quilting on PBS, and I really enjoyed it! Thank you to producer Laurie Gorman, and everyone else who worked on it!



I feel very fortunate to be included in the video. I'm interviewed in segment 3 (which features Art Quilts Philadelphia last year), and I am about 46 minutes into the entire video (not including PBS fundraising breaks). There is also a segment of Quilt National 2005, that includes a very special interview with Hilary Fletcher, as well as a few short clips of my QN quilt.



What I really like about The Art of Quilting is that the artists they highlighted discussed where were they get their inspiration, and how they each have a passion for their work. That made it very special.

If The Art of Quilting isn't going to be shown on your local station, consider ordering the DVD online from PBS, to show your support. Also included on the DVD, and not shown on PBS, is segment 4 which has another 20 minutes of interviews and quilts. I highly recommend buying the DVD.

The Art of Quilting website is: www.pbs.org/americaquilts.

12 x 12 x 12

I made a quilt a week for 7 years. Each year I changed the size of the quilts, as a challenge to myself. Depending on the year, the sizes ranged from 8" x 10" to as small as 4" x 6". Last year I decided to take the year off from my project, but this year, I'm making one 12" x 12" quilt a month. The series is called "12 x 12 x 12". I just finished my March quilt.



I photographed the fabric in a few stages, to share my process. I photo below shows the fabric after I printed the texture of a construction fence. The left image is the front of the fabric, and the right is the back of the same fabric.



The picture below shows the fabric after I finished printing and painting it. The left image is the front of the fabric, where all of the paint is. The right is the back of the same fabric. The quilt front is the back of the fabric. If you were to unstitch the quilt, you would see the bright colorful front side of the fabric.



All three pieces are posted at www.jeannewilliamson.com/2007.html. I'll continue to add them each month. I hope you'll check this blog, and my website, throughout the year.

Painting/Printing on Fabric

The difference between the what you can see on the front of the painted/printed fabric vs the back is very inpiring to me. Here is a detail shot of the fabric, unstitched.

Compare it to the back of the same fabric, also unstitched.

And here are two more detail shots. The front, which has a crisp edge to the stamped image.....

...and the back. Notice the edge of the image on this side.

Painting/Printing on Fabric

I paint and print on large pieces of white fabric. For many years, I have noticed that the the back side of the fabric looked interesting on it's own. For the past few months, I have been working on 6 new pieces. Three will show the front side of the fabric and 3 will show the back side. Here is an example of the front of the fabric.

Here is an example of the back of the same fabric.