Nebraska Squared

The inaugural show of the Midwest Fiber Art Alliance has begun at the Jewish Community Center Gallery in Omaha, NE.  The exhibit will hang until August 4th.  I have three pieces in this, my first, show.  There are a total of nine artists exhibiting work in the show.  We hope to make this show an annual event in the Midwest.  

This year our theme is about Nebraska shown in a squared format.  1' x 1', 2' x 2' and 3' x 3'.  Each of the artist's works centers on this theme.

Foundling

Weeds?

Here It Comes

My work was done beginning with fabric that was "snow dyed".  Snow dyeing is a process where dye concentrates are added to cloth over 6" of snow.  The fabrics were treated with a mordant that allows the 

slow melting of the snow to form "crystal" patterns on the cloth.  After reviewing photographs in black and white of the resulting patterns, I use a technique from the children's game of finding cloud animals.  I visualize scenes and sketch them on the cloth with a sewing machine.  Pastels are used to enhance and shade the completed scene.  

This series was a real change from what I have done previously.  Surface design techinques are my first love and I rarely use commercial fabrics in my work.  I hope that the work is as well received by the viewers at the show as it was by the groups attending the artist's reception last weekend.  I know I had  so much fun explaining my work.  Perhaps some workshops will come out of the show.