Unforgotten II - ready for prime time!

My latest mobile is now hung and ready for the Chatham Studio Tour. 

Unforgotten II

©Christie Minchew 2013

approx 36" x 36"x 18"

wire, mulberry and rice papers, beads, Joomchi

The poem that was the inspiration for this piece:

Unforgotten

I know a garden where the lilies gleam,

And one who lingers in the sunshine there;

She is than white-stoled lily far more fair,

And oh, her eyes are heaven-lit with dream!

I know a garret, cold and dark and drear,

And one who toils and toils with tireless pen,

Until his brave, sad eyes grow weary – then

He seeks the stars, pale, silent as a seer.

And ah, it’s strange; for, desolate and dim,

Between these two there rolls an ocean wide;

Yet he is in the garden by her side

And she is in the garret there with him.

                                                                                Robert Service (1874-1958)

Meanwhile, back at the easel...

Impression of an Impression IV (a diptych) is coming along...

The green strip going through the middle is just the surface I'm working on.  Chuck's working on the frames and I'm hoping to finish the two panels...soon! 

(The Chatham Studio Tour is only 2 weeks away - AAACCCKKK!!!)

The Garden: during...

Believe it or not,

 this will be The Garden in Unforgotten.

Trust me...it will come together in the end :)

The Ocean: after

After all of that 'wet' work, here's what The Ocean looks like...wet.

Then I tore it and scrunched it and laid it out to dry.

Et Voila, two waves up close! 

 The texture and color is all in the paper.  The top wave shows one side with the darker blue paper on top, and the lower one is basically flipped with the turquoise paper on top.  But the other papers show through.

The Ocean: before, during...

The Ocean

For "Unforgotten II" I'm using a technique called Joomchi for the elements.  Joomchi is a Korean technique using layers of mulberry paper, water and hand agitation to make the layers bind, or felt, together.  

The papers in the photo, above, are layered and wet down, below.

Then I gather up the wet stack carefully

 and begin agitating it by squeezing and rolling the paper in my hands.

Stay tuned for the "after".

The Process: Unforgotten II

For a long while, I've been wanting to develop some ideas for mobiles.  I've been brainstorming on themes, forms, techniques, ways to hang...

A couple of years ago, I made a cloth and felted triptych of the poem by Robert Service titled Unforgotten. I love that poem enough to do a second telling of the story in my next mobile.

Here's the poem...

Unforgotten

I know a garden where the lilies gleam,

And one who lingers in the sunshine there;

She is than white-stoled lily far more fair,

And oh, her eyes are heaven-lit with dream!

I know a garret, cold and dark and drear,

And one who toils and toils with tireless pen,

Until his brave, sad eyes grow weary – then

He seeks the stars, pale, silent as a seer.

And ah, it’s strange; for, desolate and dim,

Between these two there rolls an ocean wide;

Yet he is in the garden by her side

And she is in the garret there with him.

                                                                                    Robert Service (1874-1958)

In the Studio...

A huge thank you to all of you who visited me on the Alamance Studio Tour.  It was a great weekend (minus the weather) with so many visitors making the trek to Pam Watts' beautiful farm.

And now, on to getting ready for the Chatham Studio Tour (first two weekends of December).  I'm experimenting with a technique called Joomchi using mulberry paper.

It may look a little like a mess in the photo, but I promise it will come together.  The technique is very much like wet felting and the white paper above even has some orange wool fibers and green silk pieces along with threads in between the layers.  I'll be using this to create elements for a new idea for a series of wire mobiles that I'm working on.  ...and did I mention I'm also working on two more pieces for my "Impression of an Impression" series?  Yikes!

Stop 26 on the Alamance Studio Tour - can't wait!

Watercolors, acrylics, mixed media, fiber, wearables, hangables - we've gotcha covered!  For directions, go here.  This weekend - Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th.  10am to 5pm both days. For more info on the Alamance Studio Tour, go here.  I hope to see you there :).

AAACCCKKK! Oh, it's just Halloween

Thought, in addition to Christmas ornaments at the Alamance Studio Tour this weekend, I would include some Halloween ornaments....

©Christie Minchew 2013

approx 5"-7"

wool, wire, hand felting

Three of Four: the beginning of a new series...

...or should that be "mini-series"? The first two will be at Stop #26 of the Alamance Studio Tour this coming weekend, October 12 and 13.  See here for directions.  The third one below is at the preview exhibit at the Graham Library, Graham, NC (next to the Alamance Arts Council).

 Impression of an Impression I

©Christie Minchew 2013

15" x 15"

wool, silk organza, paper, hand felting, hand dyeing

Frame of local walnut by Charles Minchew

  Impression of an Impression II

©Christie Minchew 2013

15" x 15"

wool, silk organza, paper, hand felting, hand dyeing

Frame of local walnut by Charles Minchew

   Impression of an Impression III

©Christie Minchew 2013

15" x 15"

wool, silk organza, dryer sheet, hand felting, hand dyeing

Frame of local walnut by Charles Minchew

Ta Daaa!

 No.3 Vessel is finished and mounted.  Here is a sneak preview...

 The Unique Effect

©Christie Minchew 2013

11" h x 9" w x 26" long

I think it's easier to really "see" it in person, but this give the idea.

Wool roving and black yarn are going in the left side...

©Christie Minchew 2013

detail

Handfelted objects are coming out the right side, close up of one below:

Come and see it from all angles this Saturday, August 24th, at Come Out and Play Sculpture and Art Show.

And take the shuttle bus from Storybook Farm (just 1 mile north on the same side) - it's free and easy!

Vessel Series no.2 is off the needles!

Vessel number 2 is finally off the (knitting) needles!  It's about 24" long.

(Vessel number 1, of copper wire, is crying out to be something different.

 And I was anxious to do this in silver-toned wire and make it bigger.)

As it doesn't sit on it's own, I put a hammered wire along the back center.  

After doing that, I realized I can hang it, too.   

There is still more to do to complete the concept.  So you'll see this at least once more.

I've started vessel number 3 which will resemble this one.  I am working on the shaping a bit. But, in general, I'm happy with how my idea is progressing :).

The knitted brow, I mean vessel

 I'm in the middle of knitting the first (and second, below) in my vessel series.  Stay tuned to see them progress from limp-ish messes to, hopefully, something closer to my vision :).

I added 2 colors of thread as I knitted part of the neck of the silver.  It drove me nuts as I tried to keep the thread from getting tangled up in the knitted wire, so I stopped using it. I like the effect but the aggravation, not so much.

Stay tuned!

I got it!

Here is the final prototype that I started here. I'm excited! It may not look like much, but it's just what I needed to do to see the possibilities of crocheting wire for a 3-D object.  I messed around weaving in a little dyed silk organza just to see the effect and added some of my felted pieces plus a washer as I crocheted.

The heavier wire ring around the bottom and the vertical wires were added after I finished crocheting in order to give it structure.  

Next: Knitting with wire in 3-d to see the difference.

I'm getting it...

(yogurt cup with 24 and 28 gauge steel wire)

It may not be pretty, but I'm getting it!  In my effort to really expand my three-dimensional and more sculptural objects, I am experimenting with crocheting wire.  While at the Surface Design Association conference earlier this month, I had the extreme pleasure of seeing an exhibit of, and talking to, Naomi Wanjiku.  That conversation got me all fired up to try this technique again, but for a 3-D effect.  Once I get the wire crocheting/knitting thing downpat, I'm hoping to incorporate felt and cloth...and whatever else strikes me.  Yea for experimenting!

Be a veritable spring flower yourself!

Look familiar?  Ahhh, but some of them have been dyed yet again and now they are all ready to go for this weekend.  Dang, I love these colors!  Got a favorite?

Adding a little something extra

Two different scarves...

 ...embellished with dyed silk organza, yarns and threads.

In the Studio - Silk Scarves in progress

This week is all about scarves.

Saturday, I dyed silk chiffon scarves and silk organza fabric for ribbons and embellishments.

Some of the scarves will be left just as they came out of the dying process - they'll be beautiful wrapped or rolled or otherwise tied as is.

Others I'll add a little ribbon here, some stitching there.  Just a little something to make it that much more special.

To my surprise, I've discovered that the handwork is actually a pleasure.  Almost a meditation.  And, in the midst of the frantic preparations for ArtBrake, I can use a little zen therapy :).

My DNA

Triple Helix

Fabric, yarn, thread, wire

From In The Midst to in the gallery. If I didn't know differently, I would think my dna was more like this...which might explain a few things....

And Another....

Second Study...

...for Call of the Wild.

It's getting a little wilder in the studio :)

In my studio...

First study...

for Call of the Wild

In the midst...

Getting ready for ArtBrake! and the studio is a beautiful, colorful wreck :)

but things are coming together...

2013 Art Brake is almost here!

May 4 and 5

10am to 5pm both days

For more info: www.ArtBrake.net

Needle Felting Class comin' right up!

©Charles Minchew 2013

My January 26th Needle Felting class is full to overflowing.  But there is room available in the Saturday, February 9th class.  Here are the details:

• Date: Saturday, February 9th
• Time: 10am to 2pm
• What: 
• Learn the basics of needle felting
• Complete one practice project
• Make an art piece to wear or display
• All supplies provided
• BYOBL (Bring Your Own Bag Lunch :))
• Price: $45

If you are interested, please drop me an email at ChristieMinchew@christieminchew.com.  Or if you'd just like to be on the interested parties list for future classes, let me know that, too.It's a very fun time!