What You Want to Learn

Are you stuck with your art work, or trying to build a better studio practice? Or maybe you don't have room to do what you really want to do in your home studio. Perhaps there is a surface design technique you want time to master, or a series of work that needs your committed attention... What do you want to learn, right now, at this time in your creative life?

You could solve those problems -- or at least take a stab at them by signing up for the class I'll be teaching this semester at the Southwest School of Art: Independent Studies in Textile Art.

Class Sessions: 8, Monday, Sept. 26 - Nov. 14, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Maximum: 10

Location: Surface Design Studio | Navarro

With the assistance of the instructor, each student will design a personal investigation of a surface design technique and creative approach to fiber art, making samples first, then culminating in the design and production of a fused, pieced and/or whole cloth art quilt. Techniques available for exploration include soy wax batik, screen-printing, dyeing and discharge, photo image transfer or combinations of several techniques. This class is suited for students who have had some exposure to fiber art, but any level of experience is acceptable. Supply lists will be developed with individual students. Some basic studio supplies are provided.

Fee: $240 (non-member)

This is how this course will work: the first part of class #1 will be devoted to discussion of what each participant wants to gain, whether a specific technique or motivation, inspiration, good practice or other less tangible results. With one-on-one discussion with me, you'll plan your 8 weeks of study, develop a supply list, and help me develop my schedule of introductory lectures and demos for the course.

The class is held in the spacious surface design/mixed media studio at the school, and there will be a large 8' by 4' work table for each participant. The wet studio is well supplied with dyeing chemicals and easy-to-use wash out area, and a washer and dryer are also available for use. There is a thermofax machine (I'll have supplies available for purchase) and a large light table, a Bernina sewing machine for free-motion stitching, batik equipment, and design boards to use as you work. Just access to this studio can jump start your work into a new dimension.

Thereafter, each class will start with 15 minutes of critique and discussion of work done the previous week, a 30 minute demo/lecture or slideshow of inspiration and examples, and then 2 hours will be yours to work with my advice, assistance, critique and demonstration of techniques at needed. At the end, we'll spend 15 minutes together sharing and planning goals for the week to come.

If you have a project in mind, great! If you want just to play with some new ideas, techniques and materials, that's great, too. Just think of this as training time for your creative practice. Hope to see you there.

P.S. I will not be teaching until November at my El Cielo Studio.

P.P. S. If you are a member of Fiber Artists of San Antonio and don't want to miss the Monday morning meetings, I will work with you to plan an individual make-up session for classes you miss for the meetings.

Monoprints on Fabric

Just a few photos today, from the recent Southwest School of Art weekend workshop. We'll be reprising a few of these techniques with some natural items (leaves, sticks and stones) added this weekend at the El Cielo workshop. I just had a last minute drop out, so if you are interested, email me.

The first and third pieces were done with layers of textile paint applied from plastic plates of various kinds, textured with rollers and fingers and brushes. The second was with rainbow printing techniques directly on a screen. (You'll find more on this blog under rainbow printing in the search field.) Here's the link to Rainbow Printing.

Text on the Surface at SWSchool

Coming this spring to a school in SA:

 Intermediate/Advanced

2560 | Text on the Surface

Susie Monday

Learn to embed text messages into the surface of your art cloth or art quilts, with the form holding as much importance (and as much of the “message”) as any literary element. The words might disappear, remain legible, or become a surface texture; find ways to add letters and text with innovative materials. Some techniques to be explored include soy wax scrafitto, stitched paper cloth with word collages, direct printing on fabric with an inkjet printer, sun printing with letters and words using dye and paint, and making your own stamps and thermofaxes with words, collages and favorite quotations. The course includes handouts and other resources. A supply list will be posted on the SSA website.

Mon, Jan 31 – Feb 28 | 1:00 – 4:00P

Surface Design Studio | Navarro Campus

Tuition: $170 (Members: $155) | 5 weeks

Last Weekend -- and What's Next at SWSchool

 

A few After WORDS. We seven had a fabulous workshop this weekend at the Southwest School of Art and Craft. I, as usual, found it a challenge unmet to take photos while facilitating this workshop! I really must train myself to do so, as it would be a lot more interesting to show some photos after the fact.

Instead, I'll just share one or two images that I've been working with using the techniques that were covered in the workshop. I really love the painterly kind of images that using wet media polyester film allows -- whether in black ink only or with color copies. Sometimes the images completely disappear into lovely clouds of colors, and other times they come out incredibly clear -- its all a matter of the density of the ink and the wetness of the underlying fabric.

The quilt above, which I've shown here before, is one called "FAITH IS A LAW," and it uses several photos of my neighbors Century Plant in bloom. I'm beginning to think of this image as a true icon of the Hill Country summer.

Above: Injet print on tissue paper incorporated into paper cloth and fabric art quilt.

Below: Direct inkject transfer using polyester film (look for the wet media film called Dura-Lar for the best results.)

 

To make prints like these, put a thin, hardly wet layer of gel medium or a mixture of gel medium and water on a piece of flat weave fabric. Blot off extra moisture if you wish. Run a copy or print of your chosen image (the two above were text collages created for my online course Text on the Surface) onto the polyester wet medium film. Flop the image onto the damp fabric and use your hand or a roller to transfer the image. Careful not to move it. Peel off the film and immediated clean it off -- the film can be reused many times.  When the image dries, it will be waterproof -- this does change the hand of the fabric since it uses the gel medium as a transfer medium. You can also transfer onto dry fabric and add water or medium on top to "melt" the pigment and make it permanent on the fabric.  This gives a very painterly look to your transfer and also removes the size restriction for the fabric upon which you wish to print an image.

What's up next at the Southwest School of Art and Craft (downtown San Antonio)? I'll be teaching two offering this fall: Soy Wax Batik on Oct. 30-31

As one of the latest hot wax techniques to make beautiful multicolored fabrics, soy wax eliminates many of the environmental concerns of using a solvent-soluble wax. It can be washed out with hot soapy water! Special techniques allow the application of several dye colors at once. Discover your own vocabulary of marks and patterns. Bring 3 yards of natural fiber fabric (cotton, silk, rayon or linen), an assortment of brushes and stamping tools, and a lunch both days.

2040 | Soy Batik

$165.00

Sat & Sun, Oct 30 - Oct 31, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

And a Monday morning course in October and November on preparing work, finding exhibits to enter, etc.-- a good course for those wishing to work on professional development, no matter what level of experience so far!

Have you ever wanted to enter a juried exhibition but felt intimidated by the requirements, the entry forms, the photography requirements? In this course, Monday will help you find an appropriate exhibit for your work, and your accomplishment level, critique your portfolio of work and help you prepare it for presentation, and guide you through the application procedure including photography, artist statement and biography requirements. You will also spend time working on specific assignments to produce work to fit requirements for a magazine submission appropriate to your media of choice. Acceptance can not be guaranteed, of course, but you'll have a much better understanding of the process. Please see SSAC website for a materials list.

2600 | Surface Design Projects for Exhibition

$185.00

Mon, Oct 18 - Nov 22, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM