my weaving process

Cascade weaving, 2014.

My husband says he can see my brain thinking as I work on a project.  I'm particularly focused and driven at the beginning of a new work, when a whirlwind of ideas and possibilities in my head are funneled into that first action of a paintbrush or weaving stick. And, since I normally start a weaving or painting without a sketch or even a finished idea in mind, I'm constantly configuring and problem-solving in the moment. 

My first and only preliminary sketch of a woven wall hanging. Topaz, 4' woven wall hanging, 2014.

Many fiber artists use a cartoon when weaving. A cartoon is a full scale visual guide for the weaver. I recently used a cartoon for the first time when making Pacific Peak (top, middle).  The weaving was based on one of my paintings of Mt. Hood.

yarn scraps and Pacific Peak on the loom

My weaving process usually begins with me rummaging through my stockpile of yarn remnants, wool roving, and Pendleton blanket scraps.  I try to gather materials that are cohesive in color and diverse in texture. 

I like to keep the weaving process very fluid and intuitive, but this has its challenges.  Halfway through the project, I have to put the weaving aside until I have a clear idea of how to finish the work.

My focus in weaving has been wall hangings, but, for the last few months, I have been exploring functional weaving projects.  For Christmas, I made some herringbone potholders out of recycled cotton yarn and backed them with reclaimed denim.  More recently, I cut up woven sample pieces and made sachets filled with lavender harvested from our garden.

A lofty goal of mine is to make handwoven wearables for my wardrobe. But it has been awhile since I have sewn clothes for myself, and I didn't want to jump right into a big project, like a sweater.  So I started with accessories- a square scarf and woven leather bracelets. 

weaving with wire and leather

When I bought the leather cord to make the bracelets, I also purchased gold and copper wire.  As a mixed media artist, I naturally like to experiment with different materials.  I decided to use the wire as warp for a wall hanging, Misty Morning (above). Since wire has no elasticity, it was a little tricky to work with. But, the gold wire adds a beautiful, subtle shimmer to the piece.

In December, I started working on my first paper weaving using handcolored paper. I cut tiny strips of paper and then wove the strips together by hand. It was a slow and tedious process, but I am so pleased with how the two works turned out. The paper weavings are now framed and available for purchase here.

Round weavings are my latest creative venture! Like most of my wall hangings, these designs evolve during the weaving process. They kinda look like sea anemones, don't you think?

It's been fun experimenting with new designs and materials these past few months, and I have so many more ideas I want to explore.  I look forward to sharing these projects with you. And as a huge thank you for being a loyal reader, here's a 20% off discount code that is good thru Friday, Feb. 27th: INSPIRE.  To shop my original weavings and paintings, go here.  For art prints and small art, check out my Etsy shop.

Summer dreaming

Eagle Creek Trail, Oregon

Summer is nearly here, and you can feel the excitement in the Portland air.  Folks are showing off their dazzling white legs, and there's talk of backyard barbeques, festivals, and adventure trips in the Pacific Northwest.  

Now that the kids are out of school, I look forward to day trips to the coast and mountains.  A couple of months ago, we hiked the Eagle Creek Trail in the gorge.  The water was a little too chilly for wading, but, come July,  I'll be ready for some creek walking!

My summer schedule is quickly filling up with family and work-related activities.  Next week, I'm headed to Vermont for an art installation using food! During the Wanderlust Festival at Stratton Mountain, I'll be creating a 15 ft. mandala for Kashi using only natural food ingredients, like seeds, grains, beans, and nuts.  

I love to cook, but this is the first time I've used food to create large scale art.  It's been fun playing around with the different ingredients on our dining room table, and the vanilla bean, coconut, and cinnamon sticks make the room smell so good!

If you want to follow the the progress of my mandala art at Wanderlust Festival, I'll be posting pictures on Instagram. 

Lately, I've also been busy creating new work for my online shops.  Phenomenon is my newest art print, and it's available in two sizes.  

I've been wanting to mesh my mountain painting and weaving worlds for a while now, and Azure Mountain is the result of that coming together. Created on a lap loom without a drawing, the weaving process was slow-going.  But I enjoyed "painting" with yarn and seeing the piece evolve. 

Azure Mountain is currently available in my big cartel shop, as well as the weavings below.  This weekend, I'm running a free shipping promotion.  Use code HELLOSUMMER, and receive free shipping on your order. 

Weavings: Laguna, Summer Dream, Sea Breeze, Native Land

hello spring

my friend, Korinne, with my newly finished crocheted blanket

It's so satisfying to finish a project, especially one that has taken nearly two years! I started crocheting this zigzag blanket to use up my nice yarn remnants.  I must be horrible at estimating yardage because I ran out of yarn early on in the process.  So, some of you may remember that I swapped art for yarn on my blog awhile back.  I wanted to primarily use remnants or reclaimed yarn for this blanket, but I eventually had to purchase new yarn ($$!).  

Although this project took much longer than expected, I am thrilled with how it turned out.  It's actually quite dense, and the family has already put it to good use on some of the chilly nights we've had in Portland.  

wood and shells from the Oregon coast

My husband was in Rwanda for the first part of March.  When he returned home, we broke away from city life for a day and headed to a remote spot on the Oregon coast.  We had the beach to ourselves, and it felt like time stood still as we leisurely looked for beautiful shells and driftwood in the sand.  The weather at the Oregon coast can be hit or miss, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky!

we stopped at the Wilson River on our way home

And when your husband's away, that's a good time to make big purchases!  I bought this vintage Allen floor loom on craigslist while my husband was in an airplane and unreachable. . . um, it's not like I planned it this way (wink, wink).  I did do a bit of research beforehand and talked with an expert at a weaving studio in town.  These folding looms were made in the 40's and 50's, just miles from my house.  Although it had three owners (mother to daughter to friend), apparently this particular loom had only been used once!

My sweet husband helped me set up the loom within hours of getting back from Africa.

I'm excited to start weaving larger wall hangings.  The first items I pulled off the loom were these small sample pieces:

I liked how they turned out, so I tied them to driftwood and added them to my online shop.  I recently updated my shop with new weavings, including this piece handwoven on the lap loom:

Drift Creek

I was inspired to create this piece after finding a vintage spool of purple yarn at an antique store in rural Oregon.  If you look closely, there are four turquoise dots in the creek design.  For additional information about the weavings shown above, click here.

all things weaving

my weaving corner

a vintage mini loom and a Leclerc rigid heddle loom

My intrigue with fiber arts goes back 30 years.  When I was ten, I learned how to knit from my aunt- thereby making the longest scarf known to mankind.  At this time, I also enrolled in a weaving class and a family friend introduced me to hand quilting.

As an adult, I've had to relearn some of these skills. And it wasn't until I purchased a vintage loom in 2012 that I picked up weaving again. Like quilting or knitting, weaving is very meditative.  It's a great balance to my painting process because it's repetitive and much more tactile.  I love working with texture and color, and weaving has become for me another outlet for creative experimentation and discovery. 

When I started making handwoven wall hangings, I wasn't expecting weaving to become such a fad.  The boho chic movement has definitely helped the weaving craze.  And fiber artists are getting wide exposure as retailers, like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, are carrying handwoven wall hangings and weaving kits. 

The attention has been well deserved for many weavers.  I have been following a few of them for awhile now and have loved seeing their unique styles evolve.  Here are some of my favorites. 

All Roads // Janelle Pietrzak and Robert Dougherty

Native Line // Justine Ashbee

Brook&Lyn // Mimi Jung and Brian Hurewitz

New Friends // Alexandra Segreti and Kelly Rakowski

Maryanne Moodie

As for my own collection, I am currently selling some weavings on the newly launched Hunters Alley, a sister site to One Kings Lane.  My handwoven wall hangings are also available in my Big Cartel shop, and, this week, I'm running a 20% off sale thru Feb. 15th.  Just enter promo code MADEWITHLOVE at checkout.

waking from hibernation

seeking beauty and solace at the Oregon coast

Finding balance between two worlds- family and work- is probably the greatest challenge for a working mom/wife.  Add the home as the workplace, and the lines get blurred even more.  I pride myself on being an effective multi-tasker, but even then, there just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done.  So dishes pile up in the sink, a shower is skipped, and time at my art desk is captured in wee hours of the night.  It's not the ideal situation, but I am grateful for it. 

The last six months have been some of my busiest- new collaborations, commissions, and the holiday hustle and bustle.  With the labor force still at one (just me), juggling all the new commitments have been quite precarious.  To maintain some assemblance of sanity and order, I've had to say 'no' to many things.  I wasn't expecting one of those sacrifices to be my blog.  But looking back these past few months, it was much needed.  I guess it was a hibernation of sorts.  Animals hibernate to store energy and survive the winter.  I was trying to preserve my creative energy.

Now that the busyness has waned a bit, I'm getting back into my old routine.  I'm breaking in a new sketchbook, and I'm currently working on a couple of paintings and weavings- not commissions, just for fun.  I'd like to get back to blogging on a regular basis, ideally a couple times a week.  I have over a dozen unfinished posts sitting in my draft queue, but I'm curious to hear topics of interest from readers.  If you have an idea or two for blog posts, feel free to list them below. 

Thanks for sticking with me.   

2014 commission: 4' x 8' chalkboard drawing of Pebble Beach

art show in adelaide, australia

When I opened my etsy shop four years ago, I didn't expect such overwhelming international support, particularly from Australia.  I have sent more art to Australian addresses than to local buyers, so I have a deep appreciation for the artful communities Down Under.  

A few months ago, Australian artist Fruzsi Kenez invited me to be part of a group art show in Adelaide.  The Tiny Universes show opens this Friday, and this is the first time my artwork will be showcased in an Australian gallery.  I created nine new pieces for the show.  Going along with the tiny theme, the works are no larger than five inches.  

A sneak peek of some of the art can be found here, as well as more information about the event.  I wish I can attend the opening night in person.  If any of you can make it, I'd love to hear about it. 

In other news, my weaving made the Editor Picks in Flutter Magazine, which is a print publication in Southern California dedicated to couture wedding and event artistry.  

What a great collection of items! I've been eying that Dream Collective ring for awhile now.  (It's on my wish list in Pinterest.) Hmmm, early Christmas gift for myself perhaps?

The weaving shown here was part of my One Kings Lane show.  It is sold, but I do have a new wall hanging available - largest one yet at 36 x 12 inches. 

In upcoming weeks, I have more exciting news to share involving my art and a well-known retailer.  Details are still being worked out, but products will most likely hit the shelves this Spring.