Hard Truths In and Out of the Studio

Posted on by Sandy Webster

I tried a collograph this week. Here is the start using a mat board backing and some textures of papers and cloth. Dried weeds from the dam walk and thick card stock for the rocks.

Added a bit and then covered with PVA glue.

Then gessoed to seal it all in while adding a bit more texture to the rocks.

A good coat of shellac.

Inked up and ready to go.

Pitiful print is the result.

The thing I learned here is that collographs take time, lots of time. Especially if you are using different colors. There is a finesse to the process that needs to be learned before you squash the plate completely flat.

And with Lee slipping a bit more this week I have no time to practice this. I have cleaned up the glass plate of mixed colors and am taking a really hard look at whether I really want to bother with this. What you see here is the third print…the first two just awful….one too wet….one too dry. And I think that to do it more precisely I need to use extra cushion between the roller and felts….more felts would be smart. Also a very lightly dampened paper might be another good idea.

The three I did get printed could get stitched into with cloth….if they don’t end up in the bin.

Things just are not looking like you think they should. For example my latest attempt at a new picture of myself.

It is a rather dull light when I look in the mirror each morning to “fix things up”. Then I step into the light. So today I decided to update my picture….my “selfie” so to speak. All I can say is no wonder my niece thought I looked like her grandmother, my own mother. I really thought I was younger….but seventy-five is beginning to show.

 

Or one without the bags under the eye.

And one more thing. We found this brand new 19 Crimes wine in the store while looking for the Hard Chard which by the way hits you a bit like battery acid if you drink it as cold as you think you should drink a chardonnay. …better when closer to room temperature.

But this new sauvignon blanc cleverly called “block” is very good. And the story of Mr. Michael Moore convict is nice as well….”I used to make chains in Ireland, in Australia I wore them…..”

Til later when I have something more exciting than a new wine.

Thoughts with Pictures

Posted on by Sandy Webster

This morning on our walk at the dam. I love the subtle shades of blue as the hills recede. Here are just a few more pictures from our walk there the past couple of weeks.

I love the color of the boulders supporting the dam.

And the grasses along the paved walkway.

And these that we collected some of last year that were dried out so I could use them to make “trees” in collographs.

Lee is having a nap now so I can have time to write this blog. This morning we spread twenty bags of mulch…and I still need more. He did some weeder eating. I learned how to start his truck that the battery had run down on. I knew I should have been starting it every so often once it was removed from the garage, parked by the shed with a brand new battery, but I didn’t. Frankly I just did not want to add one more thing to the list. But I learned how to open the hood, find the battery, connect the right clips, find an extension cord, plug it all in, wait, start the truck, run it forward and then backward, park it again, put all the equipment away. The battery charger is heavy and I really hate having to learn how to do all these things….all these things that before his dementia I just had to ask Lee to take care of. Yesterday I had to locate the window washer fluid holder under my own hood and fill it up. So many things I never had to do before. It has been a tough realization that there is no one else but me. The magic fix it, how can I help man, is simply not coming by.

I will just add it to the rest of new things to look after. I will add it to changing the filter on the fish pond, refilling the fish pond, recharging the yard tool batteries, locating wherever he put the tools when he got tired. It is not an endless list but it constantly grows and I marvel that I can fit it all in and still get a good nights sleep and some of my own work done.

For those who did not see the posting on facebook here is the finished shirt. I wore it to the brewery yesterday for our weekly lunch out.

A detail.

I am not doing a lot in the studio but would like to try some more collographs next week. For now I need to clear the space of all the sewing things. Then I can start something new. And I have convinced myself that I can drop what I am doing, even covered with ink, and go start up the weeder eater or pull out more cord or go get the other charged battery without getting upset. It is a waste of time and energy to get bothered about helping Lee. It is also pretty darn selfish. I am the only one there is to help him right now and he is so pleased to get the small chore he has set for himself finished or at least part way finished. Every day he looks forward to “getting back at it”. He just needs a bit of help.

And I might even be having a student in the studio learning white line printmaking soon. He has been with me before and understands the limited time I might have but seems so pleased to be able to learn the technique. And I am really happy to have someone to pass on one of my favorite ways of making prints. I miss teaching.

Not much else going on. I bought two bottles of single malt scotch yesterday in case a fellow scotch person just happens by. But I doubt that will happen. So I will have plenty for later when the holidays come round. And there is always the every few weeks “scotch talk”  over the phone with my son. Sometimes just saying things out loud makes them disappear.

So til later when I might have a few new prints to show.

One Last Shirt

Posted on by Sandy Webster

I looked at the linen cloth that was left after sewing this past week and decided there was enough white linen to try contact printing the pattern pieces for the cowl neck shirt. Since I planted some small leaved Eucalyptus trees last fall, I decided to try some of those leaves. They are the small ones on this test cloth. The large one on the left is from the walnut tree. There was a Japanese maple leaf in there as well. I dipped them all in an iron bath before putting them onto the dry linen. And because there were some Eucalyptus leaves left from two years ago when a friend had some sent from California, I stuck those on as well.

Those leaves from California were completely dried out but I liked the color. I did not like the purply tone of the other leaves….probably too much iron in the bath dip.

So I decided to try it on the pattern pieces with some adjustments in the bath and steaming. (I love using my hide covered rocks to hold pattern pieces in place.)

Here are the pieces after wrapping them dry around small PVC pipe and tying with cotton string as tight as I could get them. They were then dipped only on their ends into the heavy iron bath from before. Then steamed for a bit over an hour.  They looked like they had too much pale rust color showing so I decided to put several large black tea bags in the water and then just lower them all in that for an overnight soak.

This morning I unwrapped them and gave them a rinse in a solution of dirty iron water with black tea water and vinegar. Here they are wrung out and drying until I can wash lightly, dry and iron before sewing them into the shirt.

Front.

Back.

Sleeve.

The back did not pick up the Eucalyptus leaves from California as well as the front. But I like it overall. The nice grey is from the black tea overnight bath and the beige is not as pinkish.

I will show it finished after the sewing.

The linen is lovely and comes from the online store, FabricStore.com.

More later.

 

Sewing and Drawing and Kudzu

Posted on by Sandy Webster

This must be the best year for kudzu to go unchecked! It hangs over the roads from branches of trees that it has climbed while burying bushes, fences, and likely any cow that stands still long enough. Too bad it is not harvested for something. Something that is not just the novelty of flour and making a few baskets. It is fascinating to look across the landscape and see everything covered with this virulent vine. It would make a good southern horror story.

Kudzu was brought over from Japan in the mid 1800s to control erosion and like cane toads being brought to Australia, someone was not doing their research first. The good thing is that the second it turns to a freezing temperature, kudzu dies back and we can see the trees, bushes and cow skeletons.

Aside from all that drama, I did two days of sewing. New top made from a pattern drafted from a favorite shirt and pants….both linen that I can no longer buy from fabric shops (because most of those have closed), but I can get linen online and hope that it feels like what I thought it would. I miss fingering cloth first hand.

The pants pattern has four darts on each leg at the bottom to give it what they call, “lantern cut” pants. It still did not tuck in enough for me so I did what I often do and that is take an extra pleat after they have been hemmed. This is on the outside seam.

Today I plan on altering a bunch of clothes that I bought, either here or in Australia, into something I am more likely to wear. You know how it is….something on sale and you just buy it for that reason and then hang it in the closet only to shove it aside to find the usual. We will see how it goes and hope that they are not destined to be shoved over forever….or until I just give them away.

Also I did have a bit of time to start the fourth Hands of Responsibility.

I had to hide Lee’s shaving equipment that required soap and a sharp razor. Now he can only use his electric buzzing one. I spent one whole morning unclogging his rototiller because he wanted to test it out on three foot high weeds. It is now cleaned up and stored away til spring. He has trouble getting his work gloves on the right hand. And now cuts everything on his plate up into bite size pieces. And all of it must be cut up before he will take a bite. Funny how our brains work….or don’t work as the case might be. Now he is out there somewhere using his weeder eater until it runs out of battery or string. I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about those outside tools.

This winter I will work more on the Dementia Shawl. It feels lovely in the hands and is so soothing to think I am holding things together.

That’s about it for today.

Til later.