BLOOD MOON :: 6.25" H x 6.50" W :: vintage cottons and linens, sourced from old clothing and quilter's scraps :: woven in strips, torn, patched, and heavily stitched.
I am honored to have my work selected for inclusion in Connecticut Scissorhands at the Canton Artists’ Guild at Gallery on the Green.
A curated exhibit by the Connecticut Chapter of Surface Design Association
April 22 - May 22, 2016
Opening Reception: Saturday April 23, 2016 - 6pm to 9pm
How do you like these threads? Such gorgeous colors, mingling in their basket. Where did I photograph them? At Helena Hernmarck's studio! What a wonderful few hours were had by our small group, nine of us, all members of Surface Design Association (SDA).
Here is the magnificent wall of wool threads ... and this photo doesn't even show all of it. The studio is grandly spacious, with twenty-foot ceilings. The building, which is on the same property as her house, was designed by her late husband, Nils, an architect.
I love this story: Many years ago, they bought this beautiful piece of land and made do for several years, living in the house which was on the property when they bought it, until they were able to build their home, designed by Nils. What did they build first? The studio! That's a definite case of having one's priorities in correct order.
Helena Hernmarck explaining a process at one of the many outstanding looms in her studio. What a very special person she is, to give us so much of her time, her knowledge, her energy, and her spirit. She is enormously talented, with a storehouse of information to share. She is also quite sweet and a charming teller of stories.
Everywhere I looked, I saw threads ... and colors ... and threads ... and colors ... and threads ...
Helena Hernmarck showing us a piece she is working on ... gorgeous! I wish I could explain to you how complex the work is that goes into each of her tapestries. For one thing, it's not just a woven picture: there are layers of weaving, one on top of the other, with some weaving done from the front and some from the other side ... upside down and backward. Everything is mapped out in detail, on paper, before any loom work begins. These preliminary, full-size renderings, called cartoons, look very complicated to me. Perhaps I should have paid more attention in math class because this form of art requires far more than mere inspiration to create a finished piece of work.
And most of Hernmark's pieces are enormous, which necessitates a clever way to view them properly while working on them at such close quarters. A small, hand-sized telescope of sorts is used ... but she looks through the "wrong" end and is thus able, at close quarters, to assess progress on a piece, as it will look when properly viewed from a distance.
This is the back side of the piece above. It is interwoven with marvelous strips of auroraborealis-like color. The reason why there are all those cut out circles is because Hernmarck sources this material from a factory that makes sequins; this is what is left behind, after the sequins have been cut out!
More of her fabulous yarns. They are from a particular breed of sheep which is found in her homeland of Sweden. The dyes are mixed especially for her, to her specifications.
We also had a wonderful visit in Helena's home. I would have loved to take pictures but it seemed like it would be much too much of an invasion of her privacy, so I resisted! I'll have to depend on my memory to revisit the delightful spaces in Helena Hernmarck's home.
To learn more, visit Hernmarck's website: http://www.hernmarck.com.
BLUE WASH I and BLUE WASH II - 1984 20' x 11' Displayed in Fountain Court, Minneapolis Institute of Art. Photo: Minneapolis Institute of Art. Go to MIA to see Hernmarck's tapestry titled, Tablecloth from a five-piece set; it is astonishing.
Helena Hernmarck chats with a fan.
I recently attended a talk by Helena Hernmarck, held at Redding's lovely Mark Twain Library. It was thrilling. To see slide after slide of glorious tapestries, spanning more than 40 years of work and all explained by the magnificent maker herself ... well, it rocked my soul! Hernmarck is a delightful and compelling speaker. What's more, even her earliest work is drop dead gorgeous, so the entire evening was pure pleasure.
Audience members enjoyed studying a piece of tapestry by Helena Hernmarck.
Hernmarck has a unique ability to fool the viewer's eye, as with this example of spatial illusion.
Hernmarck's body of work is so exciting and her accomplishments, not the least of which is her invention of a new way of tapestry weaving, are truly impressive. Give yourself a treat: set aside some time, make yourself a pot of tea, and visit her website: http://www.hernmarck.com. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy wandering around in her online world.
ENVELOPE FROM SWEDEN - 1992 In Our Nature exhibition at American Swedish Institute Photo: Norman McGrath Collection: Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Stitching tiny crosses in each quadrant, but concerned that there is not enough color contrast. Do they disappear into the textile? Also really wonder where I am going with this.
Some pieces are glorious ideas, fully realized in my mind before I start. Even though they may veer off course once I start doing the actual work, there is a certain exhilaration in knowing I am working toward a goal which I already love. This isn't one of those pieces! This is the sort of work where I pick up pieces which I yearn to make into something beautiful and then I hope those pieces will talk to me once I start handling them. It's an equally wonderful process, often more satisfying than the one which involves the pre-conceivd notion. But I sometimes feel a bit lost and quite unsure if I am heading in the right direction. That's where I am at the moment.
It's far too nice a day to get any work done. I hope it's that kind of a day for you, too.
Preliminary Pinning ::
The two squares at the bottom were part of a linen jacket my mother-in-law bought for me while we were on an outing at Canon Beach, in Oregon. The leafy pattern was mostly blue but I discharged much of the color, with bleach. Even though this piece is starting out looking brown, I think of it as being blue.
Starting Stitches ::
As I started stitching the cross pieces, I wondered if this will become another exploration of crosses, a shape I want to investigate this year. Then, during that dialogue one has while stitching, before the meditative peace settles in, the word cross flew across my brain and attached itself to the word blue. And that's how it became Blue Cross. I kind of hope I'll come up with a more beautiful name for it, but I'm not terribly good at naming. One of the best names for my work was a piece called Nostalgia, but Jude Hill came up with that; she's very good with words. Maybe she'll stop by and give me an idea for this one. Or, if you have any suggestions, please do tell me!