Mounted Work

I mounted five pieces from my Recycled Fence Series #33, on 12" x 12" stretched canvases. They are a part of the Recycled Fence Series. I couldn't be happier with the way they look. I've been thinking about mounting work for years, but never tried it. It's a much more professional presentation.

The piece on the right is going to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, for their "High Fiber Under Five" Art Sale. The four on the left are going to the Visions Art Quilt Gallery, for their shop.

I'm going to mount more small work, as pieces are submitted to shows, and as I sell them. Since my studio is very small, I'm concerned about space issues, but I'll figure it out.


Above is a picture of some of my Orange Construction Fence Series, hanging in my show at the Danforth Museum of Art, in Framingham MA, in 2006. I think they work well they way they are hung, but the smaller ones are better mounted away from the wall.

I don't think it's really an issue, but some day, I'd love to mount the Orange Construction Fence Series. When and if I do that, I'll have to deal with storage and shipping issues.

2008 Weekly Mixed Media Project

I wasn't sure if I'd make my weekly deadline, but I did. This is the front side of my 39th Weekly Mixed Media piece this year. Below is the back side.


My intention was to create a piece with fleece and yarn, but this week was really busy, and my time got away from me. Because of that, I decided to make a collage out of felted scraps from previous weeks, starting with a piece from last week.

I'm three quarters of the way through my year long project. You can see what I've created so far, on my website, and read about it here on my blog.

Rubberband Ball

In this bi-weekly update, I had to share a side view of my family's rubberband ball. It looks more like a mohawk from this angle, than in the pictures below.


Above is the front side, and below the back side.


There are some changes on both the front and back since last time. Quite a few pieces have fallen off, and the main black band continues to hold everything together. The black band is very strong, and not at all fossilized like the other bands, so I think as more pieces let go, or break off, the black band will continue to hold what's underneath it.

If you'd like to see what the rubberband ball looked like in the past, click here. To see what the first picture I posted, in July 2007, click here.

There's also a short movie of my rubberband ball on youtube, that shows the pictures I took from July 2007-June 2008.

New Work - Recycling (More) Older Work

I LOVE cutting up older, unsuccessful work! I had fun with Orange construction Fence Series #33 (created in 2004 or 2005) recently.

I cut it in to three horizontal rows, and then cut them in to many thin strips, rearranged them, and I added more paint as needed. The result was seven new 12" x 12" pieces named "Recycled Fence Series #33", numbered 1 to 7, all mounted on stretched canvas.












One of these pieces is going to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, for their "High Fiber Under Five" Art Sale. Four are going to the Visions Art Quilt Gallery, for their shop, and two I've entered in a local mixed media gallery show.

I'll post the "Recycled Fence Series #33" on my website ASAP. In the mean time, other Recycled Fence Series are already there to look at.


Above is what Orange construction Fence Series #33 looked like before I cut it up.

2008 MacArthur Fellows - Artists

The 2008 MacArthur Fellows have been announced.

Quoting from the Foundation's website: "Each year, the The MacArthur Foundation selects between 20-30 recipients for the five-year, $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship."

"Past recipients have been writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers, and fishermen, among many others."

"All were selected for their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future. Each received a phone call from the MacArthur Foundation with news of $500,000 in no-strings-attached support over the next five years."

This year, two of the Fellows are Artists. One is Fiber Artist Mary Jackson, and the other is Sculptor Tara Donovan.

When I was reading the announcement in yesterday's Boston Globe, and I saw the words "Fiber Artist," and "Sculptor," it warmed my heart.

And, a nice treat for anyone living or visiting the Boston area, Tara Donovan is having her own "survey" (or museum exhibition) at the Institute of Contemporary Art, in Boston Massachusett, from October 10, 2008 - January 4, 2009.

Quoting the ICA's website: "For over a decade, American sculptor Tara Donovan has transformed huge volumes of everyday items into stunning works of phenomenal impact. Layered, piled, or clustered with an almost viral repetition, these products assume forms that both evoke natural systems and seem to defy the laws of nature."

I'm looking forward to seeing this exhibit.

Professional Development as an Artist

I recently participated in a program called the Artist's Professional Toolbox, that is run by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston.

This program is for practicing artists, and is designed to teach the skills necessary to help us work on our career goals, learn about copyright and trademark laws, contracts, financial planning, preparing portfolios, how to approach galleries, etc. Review the Curriculum. Read the FAQ.

I heard about the Artist's Professional Toolbox when it began in 2005, and again in 2006, but I couldn't fit it in my schedule. I could this past year. A friend of mine took part in this program the year before I did and said it was really wonderful, so I was very excited to have been accepted.

There were 30 artists in our class, of various ages, geographic locations in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, art medium, and various levels of experience in the art world. I made quite a few new art friends, who I network with just about weekly, even after the class has ended.

When ever I hear about a really interesting program or grant, that I think would be something I might want to participate in, it's usually in a different state or region, and I'm not eligible. I am really glad (and proud) that the Artist's Professional Toolbox is in Massachusetts, and that I was able to take part in it. Many thanks to the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston for providing the opportunity!

The class schedule includes a 1 1/2 day retreat at the beginning, and then it meets just about every other week, at night. The next course is from mid November 2008 through mid June 2009. The charge is minimal (which can be paid in full at the beginning or in three installments) and scholarships are available.

For any artists in the Boston area or southern New Hampshire, who are interested in participating, the application deadline is on October 20, 2008.

Boundaries and Art

In a time when there are "craft" museums changing their names to "art" +/or "design" museums, and some "art" museums changing their names to "craft" museums, I took notice of a full page ad in American Craft magazine.

The ad, announcing the re-branded, move/re-opening of the "Museum of Arts and Design" (MAD) in New York City, has this wonderful statement:

"Where old boundaries are lost. And new art is found."

Nice!

The Real Dirt on Farmer John

I saw the movie, "The Real Dirt on Farmer John." It's mainly about Farmer John Peterson, who has a farm (now) called Angelic Organics in northern Illinois. It's also about growing up with farming in your blood, and about farming in general, but there's a lot more to this documentary. This guy is an artist. Really. He runs his farm like it's a work of art. There were also times when he created some art to survive, when there were artists living on his farm, when the community didn't understand him and assumed the worst about him, and there are clips of performance art, scattered in this treasure of a documentary. Totally enjoyable on many levels.

New (Affordable) Work - Recycled Multi Fence Series

I am creating small work that is more affordable, because not many people have the resources to purchase a piece of art that is a few thousand dollars. Including me.

I recently created the Recycled Fence Series. Included in this series:

Recycled Fence Series #19, has twelve 12" x 12" pieces that are mounted on 7/8" deep stretched canvas, and eight 6" x 6" pieces that are mounted on 7/8" deep stretched canvas, and are $115 each.

Recycled Multi Fence Series, has twelve 6" x 6" pieces that are mounted on 7/8" deep stretched canvas and are $115 each. The twelve pieces in this post are all from this part of the series.

Checks and PayPal accepted. Shipping charges are minimal, and if you live in Massachusetts, there will be 5% sales tax.

If you are interested in any of these pieces, please write to me at jeanne@jeannewilliamson.com, and let me know which one/s.






















The images in this post are Recycled Multi Fence Series #1 - #12, from top to bottom.

Coming soon, 3" x 3" mounted pieces.

2008 Weekly Mixed Media Project

Above is the front side of my 38th Weekly Mixed Media piece this year. Below is the back side, which is pretty plain.


This week, I decided to use some netting-like fabrics I had in my studio, because I enjoyed using them in my felting in past weeks. I don't know what these fabrics are called. I got the thicker black one in New York City, a few years back, when I was fabric shopping. The thin black, and white, knitted netting, is from fabric shopping in Budapest Hungary in the fall of 2006. I am pretty sure it's made out of linen, but not positive, since there was a language barrier. What ever it is made of, it feels like linen to me, and I love the knitting.

This piece ended up on the large size, as I was finishing the felting. I have some really good scraps after cutting it down to 6" x 6", that I can use in future weeks.

You can see my 2008 weekly mixed media work (so far) on my website, and read about it here on my blog.

12 x 12 x 12 September 2008

This is my 12 x 12 x 12 Series piece for September.

It started out as a color study of fabric paints in preparation for finishing Orange Construction Fence Series #63, which I am currently working on. After I painted the fabric, I cut it up, and reassembled as per my post "12 x 12 x 12 September - more progress." I don't usually cut my fabric, and sew it back together, but this time I decided to do it, for the sake of the design.

If you want to know more about this series, you can read past posts about my 12 x 12 x 12 series here on my blog, or see all of the completed work on my website.

Rubberband Ball

These are the latest pictures of with my family's rubberband ball. Front above, back below.




There are some changes this time. Some small pieces of this rubberband ball's faux hawk have fallen off. The other change (shown above) is two blue bands, from the front upper right, have broken. One fell to the tray, and one got caught on the way down.

I try to post updates every two weeks or so. If you'd like to see what it's looked like in the past, click here. To see what the first picture I posted, in July 2007, click here.

There's also a short movie of my rubberband ball on youtube, that shows the pictures I took from July 2007-June 2008.

Presentation of (Small) Work

I'm investigating different options that I may want to use to mount smaller (12" x 12" and smaller) work, for show and sale. I think sometimes smaller fiber pieces can look like pot holders when hung, and I want to find a way to avoid that. Above are four different options I've played with so far, using stitched scraps hanging around my studio. They are mounted on 3" x 3" Mini Canvases from Dick Blick. The goal is a nice, but inexpensive, presentation.


These are the same mounted pieces, looking at them from more of a side view:

1 - The canvas has white velcro hooks stapled to the top and bottom of the canvas, into the wood. The stitched scrap has car headliner fabric stitched to the entire back of it. This fabric easily sticks to the Velcro hooks, but is much cheaper than Velcro. Unfortunately the headliner has .25" of foam attached to it, which not only makes it puffy, but I assume could also break down over time.

2 - The canvas has white velcro hooks stapled to the top and bottom of the canvas, into the wood. The stitched scrap has the fuzzy side of the Velcro stitched to the back of it, top and bottom. For this one, it's not puffy, but it does stick out away from the canvas quite a bit.

3 - The canvas has white velcro hooks stapled to the top of the canvas, into the wood. The stitched scrap has car headliner "fabric" stitched to the back of it top and bottom, minus the .25" of foam that WAS attached to it. I pulled the foam off, so this is much more successful, though not perfect.

4 - Elmers Glue applied to the entire to the top of the canvas. The stitched scrap was placed on top of the glue. It's on there forever. I know for a fact that Elmers Glue will not break down over time, because I have many handmade books with the covers held together with Elmers Glue, from my college bookbinding class in the mid-1970's, which are still in excellent shape. I love how flat this example is. It is a bit scary thinking about using the glue, but I think it's my best option.

I was hoping to find a way to mount my work, so it can be easily removed. My textile/mixed media artist hero is Dorothy Caldwell. Her small pieces are mounted with velcro so she can swap them in and out of her frame units. It's a very nice presentation, but much more labor intensive than what I'm considering, because I believe her frames need to be constructed individually.

I would very much appreciate any suggestions or feedback on any of my mounting examples, or any other ideas to consider. If you have anything to share, please write to me at jeanne@jeannewilliamson.com. Thanks.

2008 Weekly Mixed Media Project

This is the front side of my 37th Weekly Mixed Media piece this year. Below is the back side.


I sandwiched pieces of antique black millinery trim between layers of pre-felted wool fleece. After needle felting it from both sides, over and over, I cut into five pieces and reassembled it.

You can see my 2008 weekly mixed media work (so far) on my website, and read about it here on my blog.

12 x 12 x 12 September - more progress

It's always scary to cut fabric, especially expensive fabric. I think it's even scarier to cut fabric that I've painted, because it's possible to ruin it, after spending hours and hours on it. I rarely cut the fabric I paint, because I prefer to use the whole piece, but sometimes it's necessary to do. These are pictures of the fabric for my September 12 x 12 x 12 series, after I cut it in to five strips, and sewed it back together.


I decided to cut the it, and sew the front and back sides of the fabric facing out, so I could have a permanent record of what both sides of the fabric looked like. This color study of fabric paints from ProChem in preparation for finishing the painting for Orange Construction Fence Series #63, still in progress.

I'll post final pictures of this piece sometime soon.

12 x 12 x 12 September - in progress

I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but here are the front and back sides of my September 12 x 12 x 12 Series fabric. (The front is above, back is below.)


Usually, when I create my monthly 12 x 12 x 12 piece, it's based on something I'm working on, or thinking about, in my studio. That's the case this month. I got new fabric paints from ProChem, and I wanted a better look at how the paints look on both sides of the fabric, before I use them on Orange Construction Fence Series #63, which is in progress.

I'll post more pictures of this piece in progress soon.

Fabric Paint Swatches

My order of new fabric paints from ProChem arrived. I made a swatch of each paint color, so I could see how they look when painted on the front and back side of the fabric. I like to take advantage of how the paint appears on both sides, when creating new work. I got these new paints so I could use some of them on the piece I'm currently working on.

Getting Unstuck Art-wise

It wasn't be a very artistically productive summer for me, unlike previous years. I did make make one weekly mixed media piece each week, my monthly 12 x 12 x 12 Series, and I also made 20 small pieces that were created by cutting up an older large piece, repainting it and reassembling it, starting the beginning of my new Recycled Fence Series. But, I did not work on a large piece since the beginning of June (above).

I'm not sure if I was stuck because I didn't know what to do next, or if I wasn't motivated, or there was too much going on this summer (work, helping various people move, watching the Olympics, the Democratic and Republican Conventions, jurying a show, socializing with friends who we haven't seen in dozens of years, and etc), or all of it.

What I do know is a week ago, my critique partner came back from a month long vacation, and I got to spend some time with her while I helped her get her images ready, so she can apply to a major show. We chatted for the two hours it took to scan her slides, and resize her images. As she left she asked if I could come over to see the piece she's working on. That was the push I needed.


After she left, I took the large piece down from my wall, put it on the table, got my paints out, and started working on it again. I didn't get much done (above), but I did decide what I want to do to finish it. To do this, I ordered some new colors of fabric paints from ProChem, so I can finish painting it, and start on its companion piece.


Above and below are some "sketches" I did with Photoshop, playing with possible next steps.

One Piece of Fabric - Really!

Why Not?! opened at the Housatonic Museum of Art, in Bridgeport, CT, on Thursday night. My piece, Orange Construction Fence Series #49 is on exhibit there. (detail above)

A friend of mine went to the Opening. She said that there were over a hundred people at the Opening, and it was a very nice event. I'm sorry that I was not there.

At the Opening, she noticed there were a few women hanging out, looking at my piece, when she walked by it. Actually, they were touching it, and flipping the corners over to look a the back! Tisk tisk! That's not good. No touching please.

Anyway, she overheard them remarking about all of the little pieces of fabric I had stitched together to make it. She couldn't resist, and told them we were friends, and she KNEW for a fact that it's one piece of fabric. She said there was a conversation back and forth between these women and her, about how they could see what a good job I did stitching the pieces together. One even told my friend that she was a seamstress, and she could see the seams. (Not!) They were not going to believe my friend's report that everything is printed and painted, on one piece of fabric.

Borrowing from Bill Clinton's phrase, "it's the economy, stupid," "it's the printing and painting" (leaving off the stupid part, because there's no need to be rude.) It's not about the pieces, because there is only one piece.

Ladies, if you're reading my blog, please believe me (and my friend). My work is created by monoprinting, handpainting, and handstamping paint on ONE piece of fabric. Really! Feel free to my email me at jeanne@jeannewilliamson.com. I'd love to discuss.