Center Gallery, Anaheim, CA - Expressions in Fiber Art Reception

I belong to Beyond the Edge Fiber Artists, a great group of creative fiber artists in Southern California.  Our works range from art quilts, large and small, to dimensional fiber art will be featured from May 1 through June 19, 2017,  at the Center Gallery in Anaheim, CA.  If you happen to be in the Anaheim area during that time period, I hope you will stop by to visit the gallery.

Here is a special invitation to the artists' reception for you.

There will be food, drinks, presentations and a chance to meet the artists.

 

 Here are a few pictures of what one of my studio worktables looks like as I gather the items that will travel to the show. in Anaheim.

Hope to see you at the reception.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

 

"Waiting for Dawn"

It all started with a

one-of-a-kind print from many moons ago

Print Made from Raised Impression on a Small Serving Plate

and some hand dyed fabric remnants

After doing some dying, printing and piecing, I had come to a stopping place with a piece I was working on and started to clean up after making a mess.  Just couldn't bring myself to toss the dyed remnants.  I had 8small,  orange tone triangles and a several feet of left over strips of mottled grey fabric.  As I opened the draw were I save workable remnants, the print of a small bird caught my eye.  It had been hiding in that drawer for at least a couple of years.

I tried several arrangements of the remnants and finally settled on a design that I liked and set about piecing it.  On my worktable lay some green fabric that I thought might pull out the muted green in the print.  Yep.  It worked so I pieced a border with it, backed it with batting and fabric and set about doing simple stitch in the ditch quilting.

I could have bound or faced the piece, but since it was 12.5" x 12.5" and I had a 12" square stretched canvas on hand, I put a boxed facing around it and stapled the facing to the back of the canvas.

Stapling the Facing to the Back of the Frame

To finished the piece I cut a mat board backing, glued it to the back, attached small D-rings and strung the piece with hanging wire.  Waalaa!  Another brain fluff was complete.

"Waiting for Dawn"

 I dearly love the creative moments which come about with no planning, just the joy of making something from nothing.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

"Vetruvian Man" Awarded Prize Follow-Up

Today I received the most wonderful thank you note from the curator, Lisa Anderson, of the 7th Annual Art Scientific show that held by California State University, Fresno and was exhibited at the Sorensen Art Gallery in Fresno, California.

 Along with the note was a ribbon for my Vetruvian Man work and its being awarded a second place in the show, but, much to my elated surprise, there as also a check enclosed. 

Given the high volume of art that Lisa was handling, I am very touched by her personal and heartfelt words.  I am sharing this to show how all curators should respond to artists in their shows.

Award Ribbon, Personalized Note and Check

Once again, here is the work that was awarded the  prize.

"Body Map in Honor of DaVinci's Vetruvian Man"

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

"Vetruvian Man" Awarded Prize

30" x 50" "Body Map in Honor of DaVinci's Vetruvian Man"

Am very happy to learn today that my work which pays homage to DaVinci's Vetruvian Man has been awarded second prize in mixed media at the Sorensen Gallery in Fresno, California.  This work was juried into the 7th Annual Art Scientifique month long exhibit at the Sorensen Gallery in the heart of Fresno.  Yearly the Departments of Science and Mathematics at California State University, Fresno put out a national call for art entries which deal with some area of science and/or mathematics.  Because many of the submissions are from scientists and mathematicians, I have been exceptionally thrilled that my works have been accepted for two years in a row.

This was my work that was juried into the last years' 6th Annual Art Scientifique exhibit.

36" x 36" "Gray Matter Unveiled"

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved

From Drapery to Scarf - How To

A while back I had to shorten microfiber drapes that left me with several, 74" x 20" lengths of fabric that I could not bear to throw away.  They sat dormant in my fabric stash for several months until I recently had a brainstorm on how they might be used.

A Microfiber Remnant from Shortened Drapery

The softness of the fabric was a tactile delight that I thought might feel wonderful wrapped around the neck in a scarf.

After cutting two 7" strips from the microfiber fabric, I soaked the fabric in water and then wadded up each 7" wide length and wrapped a few rubber bands around each clump of fabric.

In a microwave safe Ziploc container I then mixed up a batch of a Rit Dye product made for synthetics* in hot water, submerged the fabrics into the dye mix and lightly laid the lid onto the container.

Rit Dye for Synthetics

I then placed it into the microwave oven and heated it on high for about 3 minutes and then let it soak for a while.  After washing out the dye, the original beige microfiber became a lovely, mottled orange.

Of course, enough never seems to be enough when playing with fabric and color, so I resurrected a stamp that I had made a long time ago.

Original Leaf Stamp

Because I did not want both fabrics stamped with the same color, I picked orange and dark blue Setacolor fabric paints to use as the stamp colors.  I let the fabric dry to the damp stage and then poured the paints on an old, plastic meat tray.

It was time to print the leaf shapes onto the fabric.

Setacolor Fabric Paints and Old Meat Tray

Fabric with Orange Stamped Image

Fabric with Blue Stamped Image

Throughout the entire process, the fabric did not fray but I chose to line at least the orange stamped fabric with a pleasing color satin that I found in my stash of fabrics.

Satin Fabrics

 I merely laid the stamped fabric face-to-face on a 7" satin strip, stitched around 3 sides, turn it right side out and hand stitched it closed.

This is almost like a vestment stole that clergy wear.  It lays flat as it cascades down the chest.  I have another color satin ready to line the blue stamped fabric, but I'm not sure if I am going to line this one.  Without lining, it will drape loosely and lend itself to a variety of scarf configurations.

* I purchased the Rit Dye from Michaels; however, is available from some fabric stores and on a variety of on-line sites. 

To me, brainstorms are the spice of life.

Always remember, never fear to experiment.  

Sometimes wonderful things happen.

© Linda Friedman 2017.  All rights reserved