Sewing Paper

A local group I belong to, The Fiber Art Options group meet today, and I had to miss the meeting. It made me sad that I didn't have a chance to visit with the group and share about all of our new work. So here is my August update. I am cross posting - so if you see this twice, I apologize in advance.

A friend once said that I went to food markets like other people went to museums - it is true. Whenever I go to a new city I have to scope out the food markets, of course in Seattle and all over the US but also in France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and Japan. Sometimes this makes the people I travel with crazy - why spend a half day looking at lettuce, cheese, and olives, why in deed, but we always have a great time and learn about new foods and customs.

Last week I went to the farmer's market near my house with the camera and took a bunch of photos and brought back a few bags full of avocados, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, mushrooms etc. I love to arrange still life compositions on the wooden cutting boards and bowls that live on my kitchen island - these give me inspiration to chop, saute, and cook - but these images rarely find their way into my fiber art.

The past few months I have been sewing almost exclusively on paper. Most recently, I have been playing around quite a bit with sewn paper collages using handmade papers that I stain with watercolors and dyes. The paper gets torn up, arranged, repainted, and then machine sewn to a heavy paper foundation. Quick and fun to do. I had planned to spend some time in the studio working on collages when I decided to use one of the still life photos from the farmers market as inspiration. Here is the first veggie still life.

It was very fun to do and I am likely to do more from my 1000s of photos from the food markets of the world. -janet

Rust Hunting!

Well, Last week my friend, Bev Nagy a gifted weaver and basketmaker, drove out into the country braving the 100 degree weather to a great "junkyard" in Mount Pleasant NC.



I was hunting for rusting items to stain some paper and fabrics and Bev needed some old bird cages - we were artists looking for inspiration and supplies. As usual, we had to collect piles in strategic places of the things we were thinking of buying... hoping that we would remember where we left our stashes, I think I missed a pile or two - I am sure that these items will be there the next time I get out there.



We had a great time slogging through dust, junk, great stuff, every imaginable thing you could want. I think we were also both very happy that we had gotten extra large cold drinks on the way there, it was really hot! I could hardly resist the porcelain glove molds.

As we trekked through the knee high grasses - Bev was sure that there were snakes just waiting for her we saw a wonderful wooden horse in the mix. Looking at the picture of it now - I might just go back there and bring him home.

It is so interesting to see all these artifacts - mixed up together - great items, strange items, and something for just about everyone - if you can brave the heat, snakes, bugs, spiders. Next time I am going to bring gloves.



I found some great iron pieces and wonderful rusted pieces. Here are some of the pieces in my new stash.
Who could wish for anything so wonderful! Very old junk, left out in the rain to get old and rusty - what a great find. I also got a great rusty fireplace screen - it should make some interesting stain patterning.







I need to go back there - with more cash and a large truck. I think there are some great wheel hubs and saw blades that are quietly calling my name. Some of the rusted pieces are now setting up in a tub doing their magic in the back of the studio.

I peeked in at the top of the pile - so far so good.

Stay tuned for updates.