Creativity

Creativity is a fascinating subject and always worth a long conversation. Can you imagine how many books have been written on it, and how many classes have been taught and how many hours have been spent by creative people trying to be - creative?

I personally find the subject an endless source of discussion. Last weekend I drove up to Waynesville, NC and visited my textile-artist friend Suzanne (whom I met at a creative event) and discussed creativity, and the art of, with her and her fine-woodworking husband, John.

Inspirational western North Carolina landscapes

This weekend, I am spending time with my daughter Kate discussing creativity - she is on her iPhone right now participating in a “tweet chat” (a conference via twitter) with hundreds of other creative people. On Saturday, Kate taught a class on block printing (and I was the class assistant!) at the Loft Art Supply in Athens, Ga. - so I got to play at creativity all day!

Here are some photos from the Loft workshop. Kate will be posting more photos on Love & Reason this coming week - so keep your eyes open for it if you’d like to join us the next time she teaches a creativity class!

Kelli cutting a corn cob for the pigeon she drew!

Rene inking geometric shapes.

My sources of inspiration for the day, from upper left to right : R.Shoemaker Wren, C.Flight Speed, H.Matisse Le Retenu, R.Shoemaker N. Pope Street, and H.N.Werkman Compositie.

Athens Artist Market

Getting ready for participation in the Athens Artist Market December 11, 2011 - Indigo Hotel, Athens, Ga. 11am-7pm. See http://www.athensartistmarket.com/

Put it on your calendar - hope to see you there!

Shades of Blue

Boy, the autumn colors are beautiful right now. The leaves turning red and gold, the sunsets glimpsed through the silhouetted tree trunks and branches, the sunrises in the clear starry sky, and the infinite intense azure canopy above.

A new shipment of dyes arrived in the mail this week. I now have a sky blue, an ice blue, a blue grey, a periwinkle blue, and a turquoise blue, lapis, wedgewood, cobalt and teal blue. Do you think I went a little crazy with the blues? I cannot wait to start experimenting with them! I plan on dyeing silk charmeuse scarves in solid and shibori patterns. I’d like to layer the colors one over another.

A few weeks ago, I promised a tutorial on tub dyeing. Included here is “Rene’s Quick and Dirty” tub dyeing instructions. If you want to try it, and have some questions about it, feel free to send me a message.

Rene’s Instructions for Vat Dyeing

1) Wash and dry (natural fiber) fabric

2) Dissolve un-iodized salt (1 container or 2.5 cups) into 2 qts hot tap water

3) Dissolve dye: 1 tablespoon Procion dye to 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir paste into the hot salt tap water

4) Mix salt water & dye to dyepot to make 2.5 gallons dye bath - use a plastic or stainless steel tub

5) Wet the cloth completely with regular water, squeeze excess out, then submerge in dye bath, using gloves and stirrer to protect your hands

6) Mix 4 tablespoons soda ash or baking soda into 1 cup hot water. Dribble this into the dye bath slowly, and stir

7) Stir occasionally for 15 minutes

8) Rinse in warm water to remove excess dye

9) Wash with synthrapol in hot water, and rinse until the water is clear

10) Air dry – and enjoy!

the autumn sky

Working With A Photographer

Before they left home, I took the Birds! collection to my favorite professional photographer, Walker Montgomery in Watkinsville, Ga. I’ve been going to Walker for over 3 years now, and I highly recommend him! I appreciate the fact that not only does he take great photographs, but he’s very professional, AND shares his process freely. I wanted to share these photos that Kate snapped of Walker at work.