Displaying Daily Practice Art by Barbara James

Like many textile artists, my daily art practice is comprised of making small 4”x 4” compositions out of my hand dyed and printed scraps of fabric. I do not try to make these perfect, but just play with my fabric and the composition. Each piece has raw edges and the elements are hand stitched in place.  By making these little art works I keep the creative juices going between making larger works. 

These little treasures stack up in my studio and I often wish that they could be displayed. While browsing my local hardware store I thought of a solution-window screening. 

 

Here is what I did to make a larger piece. Window screening comes in convenient rolls. I cut a piece of screening to measure 22”X 44” and turned the top back 1.5” to form a pocket for hanging on a plexiglass rod.

 

I mounted each small composition on a 4.5” piece of black felt to form a mini frame. It was fun to hang the screen on my design wall and move the pieces around to determine the best placement for each piece. 

Once I was satisfied  with the composition I hand stitched the small pieces in place using invisible thread. Here is a photo of the back of the piece.

 To help to provide connection between elements I cut small bits of fabric and screening and sewed these in place.

 

The finished work is whimsical and a creative way to journal my work.

For more art by Barbara James visit my website at <barbarajamesart.com>.