USA tour - month two

So I've been slacking in my posting. You know what? There are several reasons why.

Here's one. Life's just peachy.

We've been hanging out with my friend, Debi, and friends, on her 'dirt farm' as she calls it. 'Damn near perfect' I call it. This was taken about 2 hours' from her, just at sundown on a western Floridian beach.

There have been parties with fire dancing - you know the way it is....

And then there's checking that the pool water is the right temperature.....

But more importantly, there's been fibre fiddling. Meet Marvin Morgenstern. What he doesn't know about Overshot weaving, ain't worth knowing. The man is a genius. 

And luckily for the weaving world, he's documented every overshot pattern that he's ever woven. The library is extensive. I just hope that someone out there with the necessary archiving skills approaches Marvin and gets this stuff down officially. If there was a website with this stuff on, it would go into meltdown.

For our own projects, we've started sculpting loom weights from clay. Fir cones took our fancy. We've got 40 ready to fire. We'll build a neolithic-style loom to hang in the cathedral of trees on Debi's farm.

And then we've been acquiring new skills, like warp thread painting.

And there are three looms to explore no less.

And then there's the dyeing, the spinning, the rug hooking.

And I want to share it with you all, but, you know, it's hard to sit in front of a laptop when the sun is shining, the Thanksgiving cassoulet is bubbling on the firepit, and there are balls to throw for Lil' Bit.

 

And right now, we're busy in Washington D.C.

We're visiting artists at Pyramid Atlantic paper and print making studios.

Creative Director, and buddy, Gretchen Schermerhorn, gave us a crash course in papermaking.

 

Including bashing the heck out of gompi bark that we boiled. It makes THE MOST beautiful paper.

And we went to town on the process, adding in my wool, pieces of embroidery, peacock feathers from Debi's farm and anything else that didn't move quick enough to escape our clutches.

But you know me, I wanted to go 3D.

And to the onlook and thumbs-up of workmen working in the street outside, I created a few coral forms.

 

And then a few more....

It was SO exciting to watch as the paper dried in the hot box.

And the result of my labours?

I'm pleased to announce that I have fallen in love with papermaking.

It is a fibre after all.

 

And a HUGE installation is now in the pipeline. I'll need a space to exhibit, but I'm hoping that opportunity will present itself...

here's hoping.

Comments

[mrs moon]

ooohh, am jealous!

[Daina]

your paper corals are so beautiful...they really prove now your love with paper making!

[rockpool candy]

why thank you kindly.
wish y'all were here with us, too. Sure is purdy.....

[Diana Troldahl]

It all looks like such fun!! Thanks for taking the time to share a bit of it with us :-}
P.S. Your fiber is slated to become a wonderous crazy lace shawl...

[Mary, Queen of Recycling]

Thanks for taking the time to describe the beautiful things you saw and learned about. The photos aren't too shabby either!! Wow, there is SO MUCH to learn!

[Yarn-craft-revival.blogspot.com]

Oh Inga you are such an amazing artist and I love that you document the wake of creativity you leave in your footprints on this earth : )