Texture & Fiber Art for the Visually Impaired

Late last month, I was asked to teach an art workshop for the Charlotte Art League that was in conjunction with the group's October exhibition: Beyond Sight.

I had exhibited a few pieces of my fiber work including: a hand stitched and bound book. I have been working using the book form for awhile and find that it allows me to present to the viewer an intimate experience with the work - similar to the one that I have when making the pieces.

The book is meant to be read by the touch of the hand - and all the pages are either stitched with textures and patterns or mediums are used to make texture. All the pages were then encased in encaustic medium. The encaustic is a combination of beeswax and resin and makes the paper translucent and sturdy while allowing all the relief to remain clear to the touch.


While the intent of this book was to create a piece that is pleasing to the touch it is also quite interesting to look at.

In the class, I taught fiber knotting techniques used in ancient Peru and stitch on paper. We all made stitch patterns similar to the ones in my book.

We all had great fun and made amazing pieces. I had a great time and really enjoyed the opportunity to "see" fiber art from a whole new perspective.

I have been working using the book form for awhile and find that it allows me to present to the viewer an intimate experience with the work - similar to the one that I have when making the pieces.

Artists' Forum at the Mint Museum tomorrow night

Please come hear my good friend Susan Brubaker-Knapp and I at the

Mint Museum 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte
tomorrow evening December 1st, 7-8:30pm for a discussion of our fiber art.

This program is presented through the Mint Museum's First Tuesdays forum and is free to all. We will be talking about our artistic approach, techniques and slides of our work. Q&A will follow the slide presentations.

More about Susan at www.bluemoonriver.com and more about Janet at www.janetalasher.com

This program is being offered in conjunction with the exhibition American Quilt Classics 1800-1980: The Bressler Collection which will hang through February 6th, 2010.

Illuminated Banners Installed at the UUCC

What is new in my studio?? Lots! I will start with my installation in August.

Last month, I finished and installed a set of banners for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte. This installation marked the beginning of the UUCC's "Cycle of Worship" for the 2009-2010 year. In this cycle the second Sunday of month the UUCC service is dedicated to a significant theme to focus and increase our awareness and understanding of the lives of the members. Particularly how to nurture ourselves, our families, our community, our earth, and our universe.

I created this set of five banners each 7.5 feet tall and 62 inches wide to hang in the vestibule of the church.

After some discussion with the minister, Jay Leach, I chose to use a combination of the dictionary definitions of each theme and overlaid a set of illuminated words. My thought was to depict the many ways we learn to understand these topics and to understand the depth of each lexicon, the usage, and the mystery of each theme.

My process began with five lengths of white pima cotton, each was dyed twice in a soft mottling pattern to create the look of old, stained parchment. Then using thickened dye, I screen printed the definitions of each theme word using similar margins, typeface, and spacing that are found in dictionaries. Each of these dye processes take 24 hours to complete to create dye-fast color on the fabric.


In the past few months of traveling I stumbled upon 4 different exhibitions of illuminated manuscripts all over the country. This gave me a chance to see the different types of illuminations and get an idea of the feel for the documents. My versions are no were near the detail or perfection of hand the historic documents I saw - they were so intimate and fragile. But I did get a chance to see many styles and then did quite a bit of research on illuminated manuscripts. Taking my lead from a style using trailing vines and leaves I designed the letters that I needed for this project. I enlarged the sketches and transferred them to the yardage. I then hand illuminated the large initials and the text lettering.



I choose to install each banner wrinkled intentionally to further create the look of old parchment manuscripts.

The banners will hang in the UUCC through August 2010.

My work featured in Charlotte Observer

The first exhibition hung by the 5 artist members of the Charlotte Artery included about 50 pieces of art. The exhibition was a great success we had our "soft" opening on Thursday night the 24th also showed on the 25th and last weekend helped round out the First Friday Gallery crawl in Charlotte with that show.

I am one of 5 artist members of this group which consists of painters, printmakers, mixed media and fiber artists. Our diverse art makes these exhibitions varied and interesting. We have been awarded a grant from the Arts and Science Council to present 6 exhibitions to the public making use of alternative spaces as galleries. This has been a great learning experience for all of us, maybe by the end of May we will have our hands around all of the tasks needed to present a cohesive exhibition starting from bare wall spaces.

The audience for the show was quite diverse and included Barbara Schreiber from ChARTnews and Creative Loafing and Linda Luise Brown. Brown interviewed us while at the exhibition for the Charlotte Observer and her article http://www.charlotteobserver.com/165/story/978297.html which appeared in the October 1st Style section, was a great boost for our small Charlotte artist movement.

What was additionally exciting for me was that the paper selected the picture of my beaded reliquary "Ix Chel" to print along with the text from the images we sent to the paper.

It is great that fiber and mixed media art is being shown in the local press. I got this piece back from the 2009 Bead International Show a few months ago. I am glad to have it back at least for a little while.

We were also asked to participate with WFAE in the Trolley Museum event with another exhibition - for one night on the 2nd of October. So we re-scoured our portfolio of work and pulled together ANOTHER show of about the same size to hang last Thursday.

Our next show is tentatively scheduled for mid-November - right before Thanksgiving. I am headed out to the studio to make more art.

More news from the studio soon. -janet

You are invited to an Art Opening

I just got back from hanging the first exhibition of the Charlotte Artery!

All the work looks really great.

I have a nice collection of art cloth,, embroidered pieces and a beaded reliquary that is just back from the Bead International 2009 show.

If you are in Charlotte - please stop by and see the exhibit.–janet

Opening September 24-25th & October 2nd

6-9pm

at the North Carolina Music F

actory

hosted by the Lesbian and Gay Community Center

820 Hamilton Street

Charlotte NC

With the help from a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council and the Arts and Science Council, a small group of artists have come together with a mission to integrate the Arts community within Charlotte. The Charlotte Artery will conduct a series of six exhibitions at different locations over the next year. Their plan is to transform alternative spaces into temporary art galleries for shows that highlight some of the talent that resides here in the Queen City.

Please join us for our first exhibitions on September 24th from 6-9pm at the North Carolina Music Factory in the Lesbian & Gay Center community room. This exhibition will include hand-pulled prints, paintings and fiber art. The exhibit will also be open to the public September 25th and October 2nd for the Gallery Crawl.

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.