Every once in a while, we check in with members to see what they’re working on. This is one of those moments…
Elise Marks Vazelakis says, “Lately I’ve been making my own bioplastic yarn and experimenting with twining, crochet, and weaving to see how the material behaves. Working with a biodegradable material feels very different than the post consumer plastics I usually use, and I’m excited to experiment with materials that could become part of a more sustainable future. Testing it through traditional textile techniques that I work with in my practice has opened up new possibilities and continues my interest in material experimentation.“
Brecia Kralovic-Logan has been working on a series of four large weavings based on the elements: Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. She also relates them to the creative process and has titled them: Imagine, Ignite, Nurture, and Flow. She completed three of the weavings and is currently working on the weaving Imagine (stay tuned for a future update on Imagine).
For each weaving, she creates sketches or paintings for inspiration and then gathers materials. She uses both commercial yarns and yarn she hand dyes, as well as her own hand-dyed silk fabrics (see to the right). The weaving is all done on handheld looms made from soda straws and string. This is the same weaving method that she used for her international weaving project, Women's Woven Voices. Learn more here: www.womenswovenvoices.com
Above you can see the bottom piece during creation, using the soda straws in the weaving process.
Below you can see the first three pieces completed.
Kathy Nida has been experimenting with dye painting as a different way to create work. Last summer, she made over 10 dye paintings on an artist residency in Temecula.
In the last few months, she started finishing them into quilts, adding hand applique, beading, and embroidery to embellish the pieces.
She appreciates the slower, more contemplative nature of making these quilts, plus the challenge of deciding how to embellish them.
Stay tuned for an upcoming post about a recent meeting where members shared their work in progress.