Wisconsin SDA

Wherever We Go, There We Are

2012-10-18T12:20:00.001-05:00

Summer's hot, sunny days are done and fall is especially brilliant as a result. Gone, too, are summer vacations and weekend getaways. Did you take some time away from home? Who were you when you went?

As fiber enthusiasts and artists, we travel with a particular frame of interest and experience. It's who we are. On some level everything we see or pack into our journey is processed through that screen of fiber and texture. Are those memories and colors subtle or loud in our consciousness? The simple idea that we are what we pay attention to can lead to personal and artistic alchemy. Why not embrace influence and see where it takes us?

I spent a weekend in New York City this summer. Looking back on the trip and seeing how it came together as a fiber journey helped me appreciate and enjoy it beyond my return to MKE.

My short list for the trip:

See my son and his gal Esme
Walk the High Line
Catch the Cindy Sherman exhibit at MOMA
Eat dim sum at Nom Wah Tea Parlor
Visit Habu Fibers' studio and showroom

The High Line is an urban park above street level in Manhattan

It's built on an old railway line

For those cold NYC nights

In Chinatown Since 1920

Entrance to Cindy Sherman's Show at MOMA

Along the way I found and delighted in yarn-bombed statues, appreciated how fibers and colors in Cindy Sherman's photos are as much a part of the characters and caricatures she embodies as she is, and felt a strange mix of serenity and mind-blowing excitement from the beauty and creative potential of the fibers at Habu's studio showroom.

Habu Fibers Showroom

Though I didn't I know it at first, my trip was a fiber journey.

SDA Wisconsin member, maker, teacher and writer Donna Kallner has created a very intentional creativity quest to Ireland this April 19-30, 2013. If you book by Nov. 5, you can save $300! Follow this link: Local Colour trip to find out more.

Wisconsin SDA Spring Meeting May 19, 2012

2012-06-09T07:35:00.000-05:00

Sara Von Tresckow has opinions about over-conscientious meter readers, neighborhood schools that decline her invitations to graze sheep on their athletic fields and the value of doing personal research in textile history and weaving. She says one can be self-taught but first look to seminal works in museums, learn to use bibliographies and check out older books beyond their copyright. Useful links are http://www.worldcat.org/ & http://madcat.library.wisc.edu/
She also knows a good tea when she tastes one. Sara and her husband Hans were our hosts for the Wisconsin SDA meeting held Saturday May 19th at their store, The Woolgatherers Ltd. in Fond du Lac. See Jill Robinson's post about Sara, Hans, the store's history and its unique mix of new and old school supplies.

Somewhere between its mid-morning start and its late afternoon close our spring meeting became a mini symposium. No one wanted to break. We were just that happy to be together to talk about fibers and our lives related to fibers and creative expression. Certain themes around play and risk taking developed. Call it a Fiberholics Anonymous meeting except we shared last names. Also, talk about our substance of choice was not discouraged. There were nine of us around a U- shaped table in the shop's classroom space and over 2 pots of aforementioned tea (Harney's Green with Citrus and an East Freesian Black) we introduced ourselves. We each spoke with humor and passion about our lives and current journeys with fiber and textiles. We found lots of laughs and common threads.

Jean McCulloch Harper and Alison Gates in the shop

Jean McCulloch Harper from the Shawano/Clintonville area started us out. The following day she’d be heading out to Durango, Colorado for a second dyeing and felting workshop with Lisa Klakulik http://strongfelt.com/ whom she met at the SDA conference in Minneapolis last June. It was Jean who said she was devoting the rest of her life to playing with every medium she ever taught in. Not to make light of the wisdom and commitment in her statement, but it reminded me of the notion behind Cooking with Julia but with a lot more courage and fewer dishes to wash. Great artists and teachers never stop growing and learning. Jean’s both.

Textile archeology and gender politics came up too. Fibers help tell history and the history of women is tied up with cloth in a big way. University of Wisconsin Green Bay Textiles professor Alison Gates told us about her involvement with Helen Klebesadel's Exquisitie Uterus Project (Here’s a cute little knit one for you, Mr. Legislator, so keep your laws off mine.) Alison says you can participate in a similar design challenge. The project here is different -- more of a political yet very personal statement. It would be interesting to start a discussion here about the process of embellishing one’s (Spoonflower fabric template) uterus, no? Alison will be posting more on this topic but ladies and gentlemen if you just can’t wait to start your uteri here are the links you'll want: Helen's Blog and Template from Spoonflower What personal political stories and reflections would that call up? I can think of a few worth sharing. Maybe others are interested in exploring political aspects of art in general...

Sara demonstrating her computer assisted dobby loom with Susan Leschke and Jenny McComb looking on

Stevens Point sculptural fiber artist Susan Leschke brought fellow fiber artist jazz musician Jenny McComb. Their friendship started in a class that Susan taught. Both mentioned the influence of grandmothers in their work and that push/pull between play and performance and knowing the rules so you can break them more artistically. With grace and honesty they helped us explore reclaiming physical and emotional space for our studio and personal work. Then Alison mentioned the idea of the older emerging artist. Hits home, doesn't it?

Marcia Anop Romashko, Hans and Jill Robinson loving the linen

Former English teacher Marcia Anop-Romashko of Genessee picked up Alison’s thread when she talked about her formal and informal studies with Gail Harker in LaConner, Washington http://www.gailcreativestudies.com/ She spoke of committing to learn the rules, knowing the structure of textiles and the strength of the community/sorority of artists in her graduating class and the value of buying a puppy to comfort the family we leave behind those weeks away while we're out following our muse. Art quilter and former SDA WI state rep Jill Robinson also reflected on breaking rules, coloring outside the lines (most recently with deconstructed screen printing and soy batik), new leadership and the direction we’d like to take in the national and WI SDA. We explored ways to connect with other members in our own neighborhoods and at bigger seasonal fiber related events and meetings. We are committed and looking forward to building our fiber community both face to face and on line. There’ll be more on how to do that here very soon. As the new SDA Wisconsin Area Rep I’m looking forward to hearing your voice, opinions, desires and needs and getting to know you better. Email me any time. Subscribe to this blog by email or RSS.

I hope you're getting a sense of the depth of discussion and great energy that filled our time together. Join us for our next meeting in September. We considered connecting with the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival weekend September 6-8 in Jefferson County, perhaps meeting in a university textiles classroom or doing member studio tours in the future. Would scheduling a meeting that weekend at the festival be an incentive to come or would it pull you away from the conference? Let me know how you feel about that. I recently moved to a mid-century modern house in Milwaukee (It’s kind of like living on the set of Mad Men because it’s all 60’s all of the time) and would be happy to host but it's quite a distance from Jefferson. Before then check out the blog this summer and if you haven't yet renewed your membership, please do. Alison has an article in the August SDA Journal and you won't want to miss it. Follow this link and click on Join Us in the bottom right corner. You can also learn more about new SDA President Jane Dunnewold and Executive Director Diane Sandlin who are looking at all ways to improve what SDA can offer its members.

From left: Jill Robinson, Marcia Romashko, Alison Gates, Jean McCulloch Harper,
Jenny McComb, Lisa Sattell and Susan Leschke

We closed the meeting by sharing recent work. To call it Show and Tell really doesn't do the level of fine craft and creativity justice, but if you have a better term do post a comment below. I look forward to connecting with you in the months ahead. In the meantime, here are some pics to inspire and enjoy. Talk soon, Lisa

Jean McCulloch Harper's hand dyed silk, felt laminated, and embellished scarves

City Block 5- Jill Robinson's hand-dyed and soy batik cotton art quilt

"Tree Keeper in the Garden" (work in progress) Hand Embroidery by Susan Leschke

Marcia Anop Romashko's machine and hand-embroidered embellished book

Details from Marcia Anop Romashko's handmade book

Woolgatherers in Fond du Lac

2012-06-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

Our last SDA meeting on May 19 was held at Woolgatherers in Fond du Lac. Shop owners Sara and Hans von Tresckow recently expanded their business to this larger store where they have an extensive variety of spinning, weaving, and knitting fibers and supplies.

Sara learned to weave while living in Germany for 20 years. She is largely self-taught through books, some lessons, observation of professional weavers, extensive museum visits/connections. She has always been interested in textile history and archaeology. Sara weaves on countermarche looms, a 16-shaft computer assisted dobby, a 50-pattern shaft drawloom with 8 ground shafts, and Jacquard looms.

Her beautiful woven work centers on household linens and rugs, decorative items from the drawloom, and clothing fabrics/scarves. Sara studied drawloom weaving with Joanne Hall and took three courses in Jacquard design at Eastern Michigan University, Oaxacan rug weaving with Wence Martinez, and Jacquard weaving at Oriole Mill with Bethanne Knudsen.

In addition to selling finished pieces and supplies, Sara also provides private instruction for beginners as well as advanced weavers. Hans, the engineer and woodworker in the family, evaluates, repairs, restores, and maintains looms and spinning wheels.

Hans and Sara are available for seminars, lectures, demos or event booths. Their website contains details about looms, wheels, lessons as well as their show schedule. If you have questions or needs regarding spinning or weaving, these are the folks to call!

Sara von Tresckow

Hans von Tresckow

Look for the Woolgatherers at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson, WI September 7-9, 2012 and at the Townline Art Fair at The Fine Line Gallery in Ephraim, WI.

Many thanks to Sara and Hans for hosting and supporting the Wisconsin SDA!! Sara, who was able to join the meeting while Hans watched the store, brought insights and humor along with her 30 years of fiber arts experience. We enjoyed getting to know you and your shop.

For more information visit Woolgatherers or email Sara.

Fine Line Designs Gallery
Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival

Coming soon--- new rep Lisa Sattell's blog about the meeting.

"Common Threads" exhibit in Stevens Point

2012-04-20T11:14:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin SDA members Susan Smith Leschke and Donna Kallner are among the artists who will be exhibiting their work at the Riverfront Arts Center in Stevens Point, WI. The exhibit, entitled "Common Threads", begins April 20 with an opening reception from 5-7 PM and continues through May 27th. Congratulations!!

For more information, visit:

Riverfront Arts Center: http://stevenspoint.com/index.aspx?nid=170

Susan's blog: http://threadsofinspiration.blogspot.com/2012/04/common-threads.html

Donna's blog: http://www.donnakallner.blogspot.com/2012/04/common-threads.html

Metal and Willow on Silk

2011-11-10T16:55:00.000-06:00

After Donna Kallner's inspiring demo at our October meeting, Alison Gates and Alicia Engstrom dove right in with silk ... Here are their results!

Right and left: Alicia's experiments with willow tea, nails, screws and wire. Alison created the center one by rolling horse shoe nails up, binding with wire and dousing with vinegar.

Beautiful!!!

Fiber Art Exhibit- Prairie du Sac

2011-10-21T09:23:00.000-05:00

Collaborative art partners and SDA members Donna Kjonaas (South Dakota) and Vicki Kessler (North Dakota) are the featured artists at a contemporary fiber exhibit entitled Holding the Holy.

The exhibit will be held at The River Arts Center in Prairie du Sac, a short drive west of Madison.

River Arts Center

Wisconsin SDA meeting October 15, 2011

2011-10-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

Professor Alison Gates, Alicia Engstrom, Dr. Heidi Sherman of UW- Green Bay
holding traditional tools used to make flax

Our meeting at UW-Green Bay was very enjoyable AND educational. We had an excellent presentation by Professor Alison Gates, student and Flax Team member Alicia Engstrom, and Dr. Heidi Sherman, an authority on medieval history. The ground-breaking Flax Team hopes to continue their seed-to-cloth flax growing project. The process was chronicled by student Alicia Engstrom whose special interest areas are spinning and weaving fibers.

One of the plots is located on top of a campus building. Its visibility has created a buzz within the campus community that reaches beyond the Art and History Departments. Members of the team have received advice and support from many who are helping keep an eye on their "babies".

The team plans to start a website to document the progress of the project-- stay tuned!

Alicia Engstrom shows flax growth

Artist, teacher, writer and SDA member Donna Kallner presented a willow and tannin printing demo at the meeting. Donna and other members discussed India Flint's presentation at the SDA Conference, and Donna showed how she uses a botanical dye that grows in abundance in Wisconsin. Donna also makes willow charcoal which can be used to make marks on silk. Needless to say, there was a lot of note-taking going on during her demo and her silk samples were gorgeous.

Donna Kallner (l) , Alison Gates (r)

raw materials for willow print process

willow printed silk scarf

By popular request, Donna is blogging about this process at donnakallner.blogspot.com.

We finished up the meeting with show and tell. Laura Fisher-Bonvallet, weaver and designer of fine art wear, showed samples of her beautiful hand-woven wearables. Laura is a 2-time winner of the esteemed NICHE award and has her studio in Oneida, WI. See more of her work at: www.LauraFisherBonvallet.com

Laura Fisher-Bonvallet w/ woven jacket

Thank you to all of our presenters and attendees-- it was a meeting full of beautiful art, enthusiasm and inspiration!

OPEN STUDIO -- LAURA FISHER-BONVALLET

2011-10-09T12:17:00.000-05:00

National award winning designer, weaver, dyer, and SDA member Laura Fisher-Bonvallet, is hosting an OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND Oct. 7-9, 2011. The 2011 Collection that won the prestigious NICHE Award (Niche Magazine, a national arts publication) will be showcased, along with work from previous collections. In addition to handwoven wearables, Fisher-Bonvallet has also designed two different series of hand-dyed silk scarves. All items will be for sale, many offered at deep discounts.

To preview, go to www.LauraFisherBonvallet.com. Hours are Friday, noon-5p, Saturday, 10a-6p, and Sunday noon-5p. 1150 Hill Drive, Oneida, WI 54155 – Hwy 29 west to Cty FF, south on FF .6 miles, west on Hill drive .4 miles. For more information dial 920.499.9899 or info@LauraFisherBonvallet.com. Come and enjoy some refreshments while shopping right in the artist’s studio!

Laura's website

Flax Project - UW- Green Bay

2011-08-23T19:23:00.003-05:00

Flax flowers

University of Wisconsin- Green Bay students are growing their own flax!

This project sprouted when a History Department faculty member researching Alexander the Great's armor found it was actually layers of linen and not metal, hence his conquering some hot climates. Another faculty member who is an expert in Medieval Russian flax processes joined forces with the Art Department and now the project has taken off.

Flax capsules

"We're going to try to go from seed to shirt- which frankly is even more work than going sheep to shawl " states Associate Professor of Arts and Visual Design Alison Gates. "We're doing this with some help from one of our Scientists who's testing a deer repellant on our flax bed."

UWGB flax harvesting

Four members of the Flax Team recently spent 6 hours harvesting one of their plots which covers 400 square feet. Harvesting is a labor-intensive process which includes pulling, bundling and stacking. Once dry, the fiber will be separated from the stem (retting), broken into short segments (breaking), fibers extracted (scutching) and combed (heckling).

The final step will be spinning and weaving of the flax. The WI SDA blog will be following the Flax Team as they continue their exciting journey!

Online Auction: Looms/weaving supplies

2011-06-28T18:18:00.000-05:00

The UW Oshkosh Art Department is selling equipment and supplies from its Weaving Studio!

They have looms, various collections of weaving magazines & journals, weaving supplies, and patterns.

https://mds.bussvc.wisc.edu/swap/dept.asp?mscssid=&dept_id=108

Fiber Artist Els Van Baarle

2011-03-09T19:09:00.003-06:00

Els Van Baarle's beautifully textured art has been drawing attention, awards, and critical acclaim for decades. Using dyes, paint, resists, and silkscreens, she has created a distinctive, nuanced style which is all her own. During her recent Soy Batik workshop at ProChem in Massachusetts, she talked about her work:

How would you describe your work?

Mixed media- I make textiles, mostly whole cloth. I like to work in layers- layers of wax and dye, sometimes I add paper. Or I work only on paper, with wax and dye.

My pieces often have three layers in order to meet the criteria for a "quilt" in juried competitions and exhibits; showing in these venues gives me more opportunities to sell my work. I like showing work at the Surface Design Association show/conference due to its minimal criteria regarding layers, construction, etc.

When exhibiting with painters and their framed pieces, I often stretch large pieces over a frame; I've found this works well. Wholecloth free-form pieces are sometimes not as appealing when shown alongside framed works.

What is your art background?

I started as a textile instructor teaching drawing as well as training people to be teachers of children. I love teaching and love to work with my colleagues. There is much interest in learning and so many techniques and media; its overall effect has been less focus on specific basic skills such as sewing and quilting which are so important. Young artists have less patience- often wanting to start with a beautiful finished result without learning the basics and taking time to understand the process.

In the Netherlands, the government sets standards for school study. (There are very few private schools.) Thirty years ago, there was a good block of time dedicated to art study in elementary schools. Then 15 years ago the system was changed; blocks of money were given to schools to spend as they wished. Many schools put the money into computers/technology and teaching jobs were lost. Then recently, parents complained about the lack of gym, music and art studies and these programs now are being reincorporated again.

How has your work changed over the years?

It's more loose now. I use colors that embody the theme of the series: browns, blacks, muddy colors and turquoise with muddy tones are some of my favorites. I mix colors- I never use dyes straight from the containers.

Nothing is the Same I & II

What are some of your past exhibit venues?

In 2007, I exhibited my work at Fort Rammekens in Ritthem, Zeeland, the Netherlands. It is the oldest coastal fort in Western Europe. The rooms are worn and decayed; the walls are crumbling and contain ancient marks and writings. It was an intriguing venue in which to display my work.

I had previously met artist Jeanne Beck in 2005-2006 in the U.S. When I was telling her about the coming exhibition at the Fort, I was so excited about it, Jeanne followed us (4 Dutch artists) while we were working on the 2007 exhibit and then wrote about it for the SDA Journal. This wonderful experience led to another great opportunity: collaborating with artists on the Art Cloth group exhibit.

Currently, my work is included in a touring group exhibit entitled Art Cloth: Engaging New Visions. Other exhibiting artists include Jeanne Beck and Jane Dunnewold. It is currectly in Australia and will come to the U.S. in 2011.

Past venues for my work include the Columbus Museum of Art, World Batik conference in Boston, Thirty Moons Gallery in Sante Fe, NM and Quilt Festival in England.

Hieronder Rust
(translation: under this stone is resting)

Hieronder Rust (detail)

What inspires your work?

Antiquity, worn structures and the colors/ textures they display. I've made several pieces from gravestone rubbings. Hieronder Rust is a hand-stitched silk rubbing with Pebeo Setacolor paint. On this particular piece, the year was 1672 and the person was 61 years old. On every piece, I embroidered the year the person died and/or their age.

wax pot, tjaps, tjantings

What is the most valuable tool in your studio?

My tjaps (pronounced chops) are my most prized tools! I've been collecting them for 30-40 years. Authentic tjaps are from Indonesia, formerly a Dutch possession and many of their items are available in the Netherlands. I look for them in our antique shops.

[writers note: tjaps are copper stamps used to apply wax onto fabric/papers as a resist to subsequent dyeing or discharging. They commonly come from Indonesia or Java where the batik process originated.]

What do you miss most when you are traveling?

First, my dogs!! Then, I miss creating in my studio. Teaching, traveling, and seeing others creating art puts my individual work on hold so I'm now eager to get back to my studio work!

______________________________________

Els' works Nothing is the Same I & II are in the touring exhibit entitled Art Cloth: Engaging New Visions curated by Marie-Therese Wisniowski. In this group exhibit, each artist was asked to provide an Art Cloth piece approximately 1 metre X 3 metre. For a complete list of artists and details about the exhibit visit:

http://www.artclothstudios.com/exhibitions.php/

Els' work has been exhibited at prestigious venues in the U.S., Great Britain, France, Italy, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Korea, and Lithuania. Her work has earned awards at numerous Quilt Surface Design Symposiums as well as other textile exhibits/conferences and has been published in the Surface Design Journal, Quilting Arts and Fiber Arts magazines, Textil kunst, and Textil Forum. She lives in the Netherlands.

Her website is http://www.elsvanbaarle.com/

For a look inside Els' batik class, visit: http://blogsfromthecave.blogspot.com/

Fiber Artist Jane Herrick

2011-01-23T15:43:00.002-06:00

Old Man River
23" x 19" x 5"
cotton rag paper, acrylic, cheesecloth, thread

Studio artist and SDA member Jane Herrick loves texture. While some of her raw materials are common in any studio, she often looks to nature for texture and inspiration. Jane's career began with a paintbrush and charcoal, eventually branching out into the world of fiber, mixed media and three-dimensional work. Her pieces beautifully incorporate paint, paper, linen, and ink with treasures such as feathers, snakeskin, leather, nails and even hog casing. Jane graciously gave SDA this interview:

What is your art/education background?

I have a B.A. in Art Education at Michigan State University and an M.A. in Textile and Design from The University of Iowa. I have taught art at the high school level for 7 years and at the university level for 17 years.

How would you describe your artwork? How has it evolved over time?

Transparent Self
21" x 10.5" x 4.5"
fiber rush, waxed linen, steel, enamel paint

I began as a painter but gradually saw drawing as a more direct method for getting ideas down quickly. I began working in fibers in the early seventies but continued drawing and working in collage. Tactile and visual surface textures that I would see in nature as well as other art work strongly impacted me, and I found myself gradually incorporating textural materials into my two-dimensional pieces. I would combine these with drawing, laser prints, and fabric. My latest work is both three-dimensional and two-dimensional. I mold fiber over an armature, and incorporate a variety of mixed media onto a canvas or panel. Both approaches give me the latitude to expand on ideas and meaning through the use of various structures and materials.

How do you work in the studio e.g. do you work on several pieces at one time? What processes do you use?

I work on several different pieces at the same time when I am working in my studio. However, the pieces each have ‘a voice’ and ‘communicate’ with each other. One informs the other. One of my favorite processes, is to experiment with new materials to see what the material can do. I create new ideas and techniques with this approach that otherwise I would not have discovered with more careful pre-planning. For example, part of a sculptural form might find itself in a drawing, painting or collage, and the mark making in a drawing will cross over and become surface texture on a three-dimensional form.

Do you exhibit your work? What type of venues do you prefer and why?

I do exhibit my work in regional, national and international juried shows. I have also exhibited in a variety of galleries in the past and currently am represented by two galleries, the Obsidian Gallery in Tucson, AZ, and Gallery Ten in Door County, WI. I like both venues to show my work. A good gallery owner will work hard to represent and promote their artist’s work, and I find this is an important criteria in looking for gallery representation. Also, I was selected to have one of my pieces exhibited in the Fiberart International Exhibit in Pittsburgh in 2010. The piece will travel for two years to Rochester, NY and San Francisco, CA.

What Do I Call Myself? no. 3
12" x 14"
wisteria vine, raffia, tin bugles, cheesecloth, acrylic

Constraint
12.5" x 12.5 x 9.5
reed, black ash, waxed linen
Currently traveling in Fiberart International exhibit

What inspires your work?

My inspiration comes from materials that I use, my environment in which I live…what I see around me, and the interaction of human relationships. I use a wide range of diverse materials which link ideas to a final piece. I like the unusualness of opposite materials working hand in hand...like fur and staples, and thread and wood. Poetry and musical lyrics also inspire me and I reinterpret these ideas with materials and structures that envelope new ideas but evoke continual questions.

Do you ever get "blocked"? How do you deal with that?

I do get periods of being “blocked” and one of the best antidotes for me is to paint on large surfaces whether canvas, paper or wood panels. I boldly experiment with shape, color, texture and composition, using paint, papers, etc. and a variety of tools. This helps to loosen up my mind, free me from distracting worries, forget about failure and relax! I really feel this is so important for creativity and making art. I also look at a lot of art…traditional and contemporary.

What's the best advice you've ever received/given?

Keep focused! Keep working. Get in the studio everyday. Don’t compare yourself to others. Do what you want to do.

Have you had a "light bulb" moment which changed the path of your artwork?

Mutual Attraction
12"x 10" x 6"

Yes, I can say that I had a “light bulb” moment several years ago when I was taking a paper making class at the University of Minnesota. My roles as mother, wife, teacher and student were fracturing me into pieces and I felt an enormous amount of tension, conflict and burden. A voice within me wanted to create and needed to be heard to make me feel complete and whole. So in this class I created a sculptural piece out of frustration which I titled, “The Beast Within”. It became a metaphor resembling the child within…an irony of adult responsibility conflicting with an inner desire to invent, imagine and discover. It was a release to be able to create what I was feeling at that moment. Since that time, I have listened to my inner voice to direct me in trying to create what is meaningful and important in my life.

Jane in her studio

Jane lives in northwestern Wisconsin. To see more of her art, visit her website and the following venues:

Jane Herrick
The Obsidian Gallery
Memorial Art Gallery of Rochester
San Francisco Museum of Craft & Design

2011 Conference Registration Now Open

2011-01-19T15:16:00.000-06:00

Registration is now open for the 2011 International Surface Design conference. With your SDA member number and password on hand, online registration takes just a couple of minutes. If you're not already an SDA member, you can take care of that online, too.

Since the conference will be held in Minneapolis this time, it's a great opportunity for Wisconsin members to attend. Pre-conference workshops and study tours will be held June 4-8. Post-conference workshops and study tours are June 13-17. The conference itself, which includes speakers, sessions, demonstrations, the vendor fair, a members' trunk show, a fashion show and more, runs June 9-12. There's a long list of gallery shows connected with the conference, and many more opportunities to connect with artists and inspiration.

For more information, visit the conference area of the surfacedesign.org web site. A PDF of the complete conference booklet is online here. With SDA rolling out a brand spanking new web site shortly, if you encounter a broken link just go to http://www.surfacedesign.org/.

And if you haven't heard about the SDA Scholars, check this out: Thanks to a generous donor, there are 10 conference scholarships available to SDA members who teach art in elementary or secondary schools. Applicants may be full-time art teachers or classroom teachers who include art as part of their curriculum. Recipients can receive up to $2000 worth of benefits, including the conference registration, workshop fee, travel expenses and half the cost of up to seven nights' lodging. Read all about it here.

Digital Fabric

2010-11-03T05:33:00.000-05:00

Pascale Gueracague print fabrics for designer Helmut Lang

With so many interesting things happening with digital fabrics, I thought I would share a few links that have crossed my desktop recently.

The image above comes from a September article and slide show on Sight Unseen about the senior print designer at Helmut Lang.
There was May article on how fashion has adopted digital fabric printing on the Wall Street Journal Online. The accompanying slide show includes source photos along with fashions created in the fabrics the photos inspired.
I've been following Melanie Bowles at Make It Digital Textiles as she blogs about an 8-week course that started recently at the Victoria & Albert museum.

"The workshop runs alongside the major exhibition Diaghilev and the Golden Age of The Ballet Russe and examines the exquisite and innovative textile work of the company and the impact it had on the early Twentieth century art, theater, ballet, fashion and textiles. Working with hands on techniques and digital technology we hope the workshop will reflect the spirit of the Ballet Russe era through Slow and Fast textile techniques and paces as well as sustainable design theories."

With my own digital textiles, I'm still inclined to add traditional surface design elements to the fabric. How about you? How do you use digital printing in your surface design process? There's a comment button below this post -- please share your thoughts.

What Do You Demo?

2010-10-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

Color Hue dye on silk

Last Weekend was The Gathering, a biennial reunion at Sievers School of Fiber Arts on Washington Island. I was busy doing a demo on digital fabric and couldn't do the make-and-take with Kathy Sorensen of Island Fibers. So I sent my husband, Bill, to learn about Color Hue dyes. That's his work above -- simple shibori on a silk scarf.

Kathy Sorensen teaching silk shibori

Bill Kallner samples Color Hue dyes

Kathy did a great job of making it possible for people to experience, in a very short time frame, the fun of surface design. My thanks to Kathy and to Carolyn Foss of Sievers for permission to share these photos.

What technique would you choose to share the fun of surface design at an event? Please use the comment button below this post to share your ideas.

"Woven Lives" Filming

2010-07-31T07:01:00.000-05:00

Local Producer Extraorinaire Dulce María Angel Vargas, Director and Executive Producer Carolyn Kallenborn, Videographer and Director of Smiles and Laughter Alex "Luke" Reyes, Assistant to everyone for everything and always curious Zeferino Perez Reyes -- On the steps in the ruins in Mitla

More scenes from the filming of "Woven Lives" posted on Facebook:

Woven Lives scenes

Scenes from Oaxaca, Mexico

2010-07-25T07:59:00.000-05:00

Carolyn Kallenborn's documentary "Woven Lives" is now being filmed in Oaxaca, Mexico.

She posted some beautiful photos on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=183635&id=656399116&ref=mf

2010-07-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

Surface Design Association and the Textile Center present:

Confluence

2011 International Surface Design Association Conference

Minneapolis – St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Just posted: Guidelines for Entering Membership Shows

Members' Show, Students' Show, Fashion Show

http://dev.surfacedesign.org/2011-SDAConference.php

Art in the Park turns 50!

2010-07-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

Appleton Art Center's Art in the Park, an outdoor party celebrating the visual arts, is 50 years old! The AAC also invites people indoors to the art center’s renovated galleries and two new nature-related exhibits.

During the recent renovation of AAC, 3 locust trees were removed from the property. They are now transformed into works of art by 3 local artists including SDA member Sherry Lawson Gates. Sherry specializes in free-motion machine embroidery and adorned an 8-foot-long branch with fabric signs of the seasons.

What: Appleton Art Center’s 50th annual Art in the Park

Where: City Park, downtown Appleton

When: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25th

Admission: Free

More than 215 artists from across the Midwest and beyond will display their works for viewing and purchase. This year’s judge for the juried art event is Appleton mosaic artist Kim Schonfeld. Awards are best of show, best 2-D work, best 3-D work and honorable mentions. Appleton Art Center will announce the winners in the afternoon. Entertainment includes the Geriatric Jazz Band, Attic Theatre’s cast of the musical “Carousel” and the Jana Nyberg Group. The event also features children’s activities and food and beverage vendors.

Where Art Cloth Came From

2010-07-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

An article by SDA member Jane Dunnewold published in HandEye magazine:

HandEye magazine article

"Woven Lives: Contemporary Textiles from Ancient Oaxacan Traditions” Part 2

2010-06-27T18:04:00.000-05:00

Part 2 of interview with Artist/Filmmaker Carolyn Kallenborn:

You have a personal connection to the people and their work as shown in your Ausencia exhibit—could you elaborate?

One of the things that stays with me from my trips is the reality of these people’s lives; there is very little money, few jobs, lots of things they aren’t able to do.

As I’m in these villages and people talk about their kids living in the US having entered illegally. They haven’t seen their kids for years, they can’t get visas to visit the US and for their kids to return home to visit would mean crossing illegally to get back to their U.S. homes.

These are very tight family structures and when the kids leave, the parents may not see them for years, decades. Approximately 30-40% of the young people have left and there is a huge sense of loss of their children.

I wanted to try to tell this story so I interviewed several families. I had someone take me to different families, the stories were unbelievable. One woman had never seen her grandkids; she crossed over the US border illegally to see the grandkids because it’s too dangerous for her daughter to bring them and then have to cross back into the U.S. again.

I created an exhibition called “Ausencia” which means absence, in Spanish. This exhibition is composed of 2000 strings dyed in cochineal and indigo. Each string is attached at the ceiling on one side and tied to a rock below. Some of the rocks are on the floor, and some are suspended in the air, illustrating a sense of isolation, things going away, separating. There’s also the sound of the interviews with the families in English and Spanish. I’m trying to show how this situation feels, the loneliness.

One woman I interviewed pointed out that while I can come visit them, they can’t come visit me [in the U.S.] You’ve got to have money to get a visitor visa and it’s very difficult because the State Dept rules require applicants to have assets in Mexico. A person with assets is considered less likely to violate visa time limits.

The “Ausencia” installation is about drawing attention to this situation and the sense of loss about not being able to see your children. To the see more images of the installation:

http://www.carolynkallenborn.com/ofrendas.html

_______________________________________________________

Carolyn Kallenborn is an Assistant Professor at UW- Madison in the Design Studies Department. She was an Assistant Professor in the Fiber Department at the Kansas City Art Institute from 2001-2007. She served as conference coordinator/chair for 3 SDA conferences and was SDA’s first website director.

Carolyn was recently chosen to have a major exhibition at Wayne State University's new gallery in March 2011. Congratulations!

Learn more about Carolyn at: http://www.carolynkallenborn.com/

Learn more about “Woven Lives” at: http://www.gallifilms.com/Woven_Lives.html

Learn more about Andrew Galli at: http://www.gallifilms.com/index09.html

"Woven Lives: Contemporary Textiles from Ancient Oaxacan Traditions" An Interview with Artist/Filmmaker Carolyn Kallenborn

2010-06-23T21:39:00.011-05:00

SDA member Carolyn Kallenborn is an award-winning artist whose hand-painted garments and sculptures have been shown nationally and internationally. In July 2010, Carolyn will become a film producer as she heads to Mexico to film "Woven Lives: Contemporary Textiles from Ancient Oaxacan Traditions”. This is Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Carolyn:

How did the film project get started?

I’ve been going down to Mexico every year since 2003. Sometimes I bring [UW- Madison] students with me. It was so amazing to see the work of the artisans and weavers so it was always in my mind to bring this experience and beauty here [US/Wisconsin]. I brought this up in a conversation with filmmaker, Andrew Galli, owner of Galli Film Studio in San Francisco about a year ago. I recently received a grant through the University of Wisconsin to pay for production costs.

The movie focuses on 5 different Zapotec families who weave cloth in the ancient traditions of their ancestors. Could you elaborate?

Yes, the film will focus on one or more families in 5 different Zapotec villages. In most of the villages around Oaxaca (pronounced Wah-Ha-Ka), there are craft villages in which individual families are making their individual works in their homes. Each village specializes in one type of craft such as green pottery, silk, weaving. Each individual craftsmen has different type of specialty e.g. rug weaving, backstrap weaving, silk weaving, fat weaving with a fly shuttle and lightweight cotton or hand-dyeing using insect extracts.

For centuries the Zapotecs have been cultivating cochineal, an insect which feeds on the native nopal cactus and yields the world’s most brilliant red dye. For over two hundred years cochineal was the second most expensive export from Mexico and was very tightly controlled by the Spanish; smugglers faced the death penalty. Pirates loved it because it was lightweight and easy to transport. Some Zapotecs still raise the insects that their ancestors domesticated from the wild and which were even used to pay tribute (taxes) to the Aztecs. These traditions have been going since 1000 BC. The Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield is an in-depth look at the fascinating history, uses and cultural aspects of the cochineal.

Many of the dyes used are made from plants and animal sources- mosses make greens, a different moss produces a brilliant yellow, indigo plants make blue, tree bark or nuts for brown, pomegranates for black. By using various fermentation processes, tweaking the Ph and adding other ingredients such as urine, or iron an amazing range of colors can be produced.

The focus of the documentary is on the art and tradition rather than the technical how-to aspects of each craft, though there will be plenty of technical information that can be gleaned just by watching what they do. Each craftsman’s expertise, their eye for color, and how these abilities are used to create art which supports their families will be explored.

It seems “family” and “tradition” are important factors in their work?

Family is central to the making of the craft; weaving looms are in the middle of home, in the family patio or courtyard. Some have separate shops to sell their art but most of the weaving is done in the home. In some types of weaving the men are the primary weavers and in others the women do the weaving. The women often take care of household duties and weave in between those duties. The kids are often helping wind bobbins or just playing around the looms, it’s very interactive.

There’s a strong tie to community and they are required to give time back to community. They work very hard and there’s a lot of trade and barter. In many of the Zapotec towns there is a complex mandatory volunteer system that takes care of much of the village labor: the mechanic, the driver, the cashier for the community bus, building infrastructures like water systems or roads. All are done in volunteer service to the community.

How are the crafts sold?

It varies. Some families have stores in town. Some sell at the market stalls. Several of the villages have a cooperative markets where everyone’s rugs are being sold. Most homes have a space set up to display items for sale for walk-in customers.

Most all of them have done commission work— anything from special colors or sizes to logos, team colors, special orders, or specific motifs are not unusual. One weaver produced hundreds of rugs for a purse and shoe designer.

What are your responsibilities as producer?

My main role is controlling content, storytelling, script, and researching the material. My background is with these people, I know them. I’ve stayed with them in their homes and am now weaving it into a compelling story. The filmmaker will visually capture the story. The editor will pull the sounds and visuals together to make a feast for the eyes and ears.

Where will the movie be released/shown?

The pre-release lecture will be in Costa Rica in September. I’m scheduled to do a lecture in London in November and it will be shown at the 2011 SDA Conference in Minneapolis.

Part 2 of this interview will focus on Carolyn's personal connection with
Oaxacan families which inspired her to create her exhibition called “Aucencia”.

Deconstructed Screen Printing

2010-06-04T11:07:00.003-05:00

Deconstructed Screen Printing- Kerr Grabowski

This is a snippet of Kerr's DVD. Has anyone out there tried this technique?

The possibilities are endless!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZDtbLs4hEw&feature=player_embedded

Memorial Day

2010-05-30T09:58:00.007-05:00

We hope you are enjoying the great WI weather!

Many of you are planning your summer projects, exhibits, show entries- maybe you're teaching a class, trying a new technique or mentoring a young artist. Send it in to us and we'll post it. Artists and others are interested in what SDA members are doing!! (jill[at]thefibercave[dotcom or donnastitches[at]gmail[dot]com)

Have a great Memorial Day weekend as we honor and give thanks for our brave men and women in the military.

Mary Hark- Madison Artist

2010-05-25T19:45:00.029-05:00

SDA member Mary Hark is an artist, teacher, and proprietor of

HARK! Handmade Paper Studio. She kindly gave this interview

for the Wisconsin SDA blogsite:

How did paper become your fiber of choice?

I use paper as an extension of textiles. I love cloth and most of my papers are made from linen cloth. In my studio practice, I combine cloth and paper as well as other materials. My palette starts with something soft and malleable [cloth] and continues to something firm, hard, not absorbent [paper]. Linen rag paper is made by beating factory-dyed linen cloth into a pulp. During the process, I may combine several colors of linen cloth to create a desired color of paper. I would say linen, not paper, is my fiber of choice.

How did your current exhibit "Driftless Reveries" come about?

In 2006, I received a Fulbright Senior Research Grant to work and study in Ghana, West Africa for ten months. When I came back I received support from the University of Wisconsin to continue to research the textiles of this region, and I produced artwork which reflected the impact of my studies. When I was invited to produce a small body of work for an exhibition last January in Madison, I thought that I would use it as an opportunity to focus my attention on home. Having been so intensely focused on a place very different from where I live, I was curious to see how that had affected what I valued and understood about the Mid-West. I considered the cultural tenor of the Midwest, my experience of winter, the night sky, the orderliness of the landscapes and the topography of the Driftless Region.

What is your most vivid memory of working in Africa?

So many things affected me. But possibly the most important was

to experience how art and daily life can intersect seamlessly.

In Ghana, textile production and ordinary daily activities are

easily intertwined. I had an formal apprenticeship with a family

that produced Adinkra Cloth and saw there was no barrier between

domestic life and what happened in the studio.

Have you traveled to other countries in Africa?

This past April I went to South Africa where I attended an international conference on Art and Social Justice. I worked and spent some time with artists in Johannesburg, and visited some Papermaking Collectives in the townships.

Do you work with a plan in mind?

I work very intuitively. I start pieces with an idea; I knew the space for the [Driftless Reveries] exhibit and I used the scale of the space as a boundary.

What has been your most useful tool or found object?

I’m a collector of West African cloth, having that cloth in my peripheral vision is inspiring. My machine (Valley Hollander beater) that turns cloth into pulp is a vintage, cast iron machine probably used as a tester mating for the Papermaking industry. I love my beater!

What might surprise someone about working w/ paper?

Most people don’t expect the high quality of handmade paper. My paper has a real leathery feel and the range of physical qualities is surprising. Based on the choice of raw material (flax, cotton, linen) it can have so many different qualities.

How long does it take to make paper?

I make 18” X 24” sheets from linen cloth. With surface design, drying time, it may take one week for me and my assistant to make 200 sheets. That’s working pretty much straight through. First the pulp is processed, formed with a mold and deckle, dried, painted, dyed, dried and gelatin processed.

When did you start Hark! Handmade Paper Studio?

About 25 years ago. All my papers are for sale but I don’t aggressively market them. I’m known within the art community so people come to me for projects and I will make paper customized for their needs. The Paper Nest, an IA paper shop, also sells my paper and is now in the process of opening a storefront in Iowa City, IA.

You also teach at UW- Madison?

I teach in the Textile Design Studies Department. I work with students interested in apparel and fashion who are following a course of textile design. My courses are all hands on- I teach beadwork, embroidery and experimental design skills. My job is to give them a foundation in fabric and to help them find their voice and ascetic values. An upcoming class will focus on experimental design using recycled materials to create garments and other 3-dimensional pieces.

What advice would you have for studio artists wanting to start a business or market their art?

My advice is- You should ask someone else. It has been a rich life but cash flow is a problem! You have to love it.

*****************************************************************

Mary’s exhibit, Driftless Reveries: Work in Paper and Cloth by Mary Hark, is currently on display through May 30 at Iowa Artisans Gallery, 207 E. Washington St, Iowa City, IA. She is Assistant Professor of Design Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Proprietor of HARK! Handmade Paper Studio, specializing in small editions of high quality flax and linen papers for fine press.

Her papers are carried through Iowa City artist Elizabeth Munger, owner of The Paper Nest.

Learn more about Mary and her work at:

http://www.maryhark.com/
http://www.maryhark.blogspot.com/
http://www.papernestpress.com/