Thursday, November 08, 2007

bits and pieces

I admit it, I am obsessed with steaming. After I've spent the day in the studio printing fabric, I spend part of the evening in the kitchen wrapping little bundles and steaming the dry fabric, then soaking it in cold, washing it in hot water and detergent, and finally, ironing it to see what it really looks like. I love the smell of the paper and opening the packages is like receiving little gifts from the studio gods.
I've just unwrapped this and haven 't put in the cold water yet. You can't see the olive green and yellow background in this harsh kitchen light.

And here is what it looks like now that it is finally dry and ironed. The colors are somewhat different,aren't they? I couldn't get the olive green right without changing every other color in the picture, but this is essentially it. I am happy. I have not been doing anything but printing, trying to get an inventory so I can make new pieces. This is one of those fallow periods we all go through and I know that eventually, it will end - but not for a while. My days are mostly cut up into bits and pieces and not enough time to unwind and concentrate in a big block of time. The result is that I don't have any new work - and that is a problem.

The one bright spot is that I now not only have a copy machine in the studio (fortunately thre was a strong man around to lug it up all those hundreds of factory stairs) but yesterday I took my Thermofax over there. Hooray! I discovered, when the first screen came out with holes, that the electric current there is stronger than in my house so I had to adjust the setting - but it was so exciting to be able to make screens while I was working. Now I feel as though I am really settled in. I have the equipment I need - and backup equipment at home for bad weather or nights when I feel like working.

Today, off to the museum to print and to go back into the fabric in process.

1 comment:

lizzieb said...

I love this new piece of fabric! Fallow time isn't really fallow time but time for regrouping and the best thing to do is to make fabric which always leads to inspiration for me...and I know it does for you too!

Life is finally settling down and I am doing art again! whee!

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