Old Project Completions...

Last semester I took an undergrad course in Crafts taught by a locally well-known art critic and artist Geraldine Velasquez, PhD. Dr. V led the class through various fabric dying methods, including batik, marbling, and silk painting - it was a WONDERFUL experience. I fully enjoyed learning the new techniques, of course, and I'm even using some of those techniques in my artquilts. But it's the art/design journal we were required to keep that has been most helpful in the long term. It re-opened my eyes to the amazing beauty all around, to the elements of design in the simplest things, to the color combinations that "work" and those that don't. Keeping my art journal is like having a fabric stash - it's a place to go for inspiration where something in it will somehow jump-start my creative juices and develop with my help.

Back to the class, I had several painted silk scarves on which I had used a gold gutta which I thought would remain following the dry-cleaning. Alas, the beautiful metallic gold disappeared at the cleaners and the scarves suddenly looked dull and boring to me. I put them away in December, but happened upon them this week. They really didn't look that bad, after all, but the gold gutta WOULD add the sparkle that I felt was missing. The photos show the 'before' and 'after' for one scarf, and only the 'after' for the others. I'll also add the one scarf I like best - that didn't loose it's gold gutta: Autumn Leaves.

And so I'm putting all the supplies away & packing up the supplies for Saturday's class with Rayna Gillman entitled Words & Images: Personal Mark-Making. It sounds like a great course in surface design using text. I'll let you know next week how it turns out!