warp and weft

The class I taught at the visual art center came to a close a while ago, but I thought you might like to see the photos of the works we had going on.

The women in this class were highly creative as far as what they wanted to weave, and the different techniques to use. Some of them even started ideas for a series of projects. I really enjoyed working with them and it was interesting to see all of the different things that they decided to weave to create their samplers.


some of the materials included: jeans, guitar strings, rocks, seashells, buttons, leather, grass-like raffia, plastic netting...and it went on and on.

Give me Liberty!

What happens when textiles meet pop-culture?!? Excitement from this Ana!



This month Liberty of London one of my all time favorite textile houses is collaborating with MAC cosmetics, and Target. Which means that there will be floral prints exploding all over the place in my life, and it would not be liberty without some peacock feathers! Liberty is well known amongst textile junkies, so I already pre-sold my MAC and will be waiting on the 14th for Target to open its doors. It is always interesting when a line that is normally very high end pairs up with places like Target making it accessible to the general public. Can't wait to see what they made!

traditional methods, unconventional materials.

Just wanted to post some photos of the things that my class at the visual arts center is working on. These are samplers, which means that they are "experiments/explorations" of materials, not finished pieces. I will have to keep in mind how attached people become to samplers, because it was like pulling teeth to get them off the looms this week. We are working on frame looms, because it is a way to transport a tapestry, also a great way to learn on a small scale.
The class is about traditional weaving techniques, using un-conventional materials. Some of the things that they have been weaving include, plastic, paper, denim, legal paper, rocks! yep ROCKS! (had to create a new technique for getting this one in there), mesh bags, lace, and the list goes on. As with any class I am learning how to better teach this in the future, but am considering a part two to this class.

tiny toes.

I began this quilt a few weeks ago, when there was a few feet of snow on the ground, and have had to put it down for a little while to work on some other things. I was never one to make utilitarian objects, I used to focus all of my time on making sculpture/conceptual based work. While I still find that to be the most gratifying when it comes to making, sometimes it feels great to make something special like this little quilt. A few months ago one of my best friends announced she was expecting. This threw me off, seeing as how she has never shown interest in having a child. It took me a while to get used to the idea of her with a baby, but I know she will be amazing at it. A few months later, we found out our other best friend is also expecting. So here I am in the middle with my two best friends ready to have babies. What does this mean for me.... well I see lots of sewing in my future, along with a shower or two... oh and I might actually have to learn how to change a diaper!
As strange as it is to see them both pregnant, I must admit that while making this little blanket for baby number 1, I started to get excited to meet this little human, and be a part of her life.
One of the reasons that I decided making some utilitarian objects is important, is because those are the things that we remember when we grow, and that we take with us. I remember a few things from my childhood that I loved most were made by the hand of my mother, or my aunts. To this day I have a pair of mittens my mom made when I was just a few days old, that are always around. So with the baby quilts, I will include my love for these new lives, and hopefully one day they will look at them and think of their "auntie Ana"... Wow, did I just say that???? This baby thing must be rubbing off on me too.

masquerades

stitch by stitch...

thread by thread....

I finally finished this little embroidery. This little piece began as an experiment in transferring the image, as a permanent line. It was a way for me to teach myself a skill, and then apply it to another work. Somewhere alone the way I fell in love with the imagery and the idea of concealing and revealing, with masks. There are parts of us that we show to the world, and others that we hide behind masks, and only very few people are let into. I am happy with the final outcome, and can now tear off all the tracing paper with the final image down on the fabric. Usually I go back over the "sketch" with more stitches or take them out, I really enjoy the "sketchy" look of the line in this though.

I have begun teaching a class at the visual arts center, traditional weaving techniques with un-conventional materials. This has forced me to look into some of the things I used to make and how they were made. This is great, in fact it has the wheels in my brain going again... Who knows maybe I will even pick up a loom again. And instead of making pieces about falling apart, they will be about keeping it together and safe.

when the white stuff falls.

When this happens outside... I do this... (see below.)








For the second time this winter season it has snowed here in Richmond, Virginia. This is an unusual occurrence, considering that in the nine years I have lived here this has happened twice before. I do not particularly like snow, I can live with it, but most of the time find that it gets in my way and makes me feel claustrophobic. While it may be pretty... I do not like being trapped. So when it began coming down the other day I started to think about what project I would work on to keep busy and keep my mind off the snow. I wanted a project that would show me progress quickly, as opposed to the ones I usually encounter that take months and endless hours to finish. So I began making a baby quilt for one of my best friends that is due to have a baby in a few months. I loved working with the size of a baby quilt, so manageable and quick to make, especially when you use a basic pattern. I used a bundle of 2 1/2 inch, 1930's flour sack reproduction strips, and began sewing the strips then cutting then making squares. I got the whole top finished in a day. I must admit that as much as I love working on projects that are very "process oriented" sometimes it feels really great to pop something out quickly, that requires little thought. Just being able to make and keep going without considering why or how... To make something utilitarian can be relaxing at times. I am sure though that this quick, utilitarian project will be followed by a time consuming, mind boggling, embroidery... Because it is already in the works of course.

away and back

Happy New Year to all! I know we are now 11 days into this year, and I have done a horrible job of keeping up with my posts... However its a new, clean slate and I have plans to make, post, and write more on here again. I took a trip to my home country of Portugal for the holidays. It was interesting being in there over the holidays, normally when I visit it is warm and sunny... Not this time, it was grey, foggy, rainy, and cold for 10 days. However, all of the fields, mountains and plants were really green from the wet climate. It was gorgeous to see the oranges and lemons on trees and persimmons and olives too.
I am from a town close to the city of Castelo Branco, which has its own embroidery techniques and patterns. I visited one of the local shops while i was there that sells thread, fabric, yarn and anything inbtween that has to do with textiles, and went crazy for all the different threads and colors. I am drawing out some new pieces I want to make that incorporate the traditional embroidery patterns and some of my own ideas... girls and guns and such. A play on traditional women's work that is in my culture and modern ideals. Hope everyone is having a good start to the year.