Mindful Mapping by Mary Ann Nailos

 

Mindful Mapping was my submission to the ACN exhibition Unfolding. It was inspired by two workshops presented by Textileartist.org by Gwenn Hedley and Ali Ferguson. 

The process begins by making marks on a number of fabrics using a limited palette of black and one other color. I chose chartreuse because it is one of my favorite colors. I used all sorts of things to make the marks: foam brushes, the edges of a credit card, plastic straws, as well as paint drips and splatters.

Then I ripped the fabric up into smaller pieces and pinned them together, adding a few solid fabrics that I dyed. When I got the composition, I wanted I began to stitch everything together using a running stitch.

I added some trim and pops of color to represent different ideas that might pop into one’s head. Then I tied the pieces to each other using lots of different hand-stitching. The stitches repeat, define, interweave like thoughts in a mind map.

 The final cloth was fused to felt and some stitch in the ditch machine quilting was added mainly to hold everything to the felt.

Starting a New Series, by Regina Marzlin

 I want to share a new piece that I made for our current call for entry "Layered". I print a lot of smallish fabric pieces on my gel printing plates. To assemble them into a larger piece is a challenge, but I'm happy with the outcome of my latest explorations and want to continue doing more work in that direction. Fingers crossed that the piece gets juried into our next show!

The piece is called "Late Night Conversations", w 25.5" x H 37.5".

My artist statement for this artwork is this: "Thoughts are swirling and deep philosophical questions are pondered in late night conversations. We jump from one topic to the next, sometimes without any logic, only guided by our semi-conscious trains of thought. The world around us disappears for a while."

Materials used are cotton fabric, acrylic paint, and India ink. The process of mono-printing is my favorite technique to apply paint in multiple layers. To unify the prints I overpainted them with black India ink with swooping gestural application before piecing them together. Here are some detailed pictures:

The machine stitching is very subtle and doesn't compete with the busyness of the fabrics.

One surprising discovery was that the reverse side looked really intriguing, I was seriously tempted to declare this the front side for a while! Another avenue to pursue, for sure.

Wounded Sentinels Redux by Deborah Weir

 I started making Wounded Sentinels during Fire Season in California in 2020.  I have been making them with some regularly ever since building an expanding collection of about 20.   They range in height from 10" to 7'.   Fosshape is the primary medium.  It holds its shape when heated.  Each piece was created over a form from toilet paper rolls to giant tubes used to form cement.  

Recently, I have been going back into some of the earlier ones to add more "ashes" to their outsides.   All kinds of studio detritus serve as ashes which I hand stitch in place.  These will be on display in my solo exhibition, as yet untitled, in January in Long Beach, CA.  Stay tuned!!

From Deborah Weir  FiberFly@icloud.com