LINE RELATIONSHIPS IN ART COMPOSITION

"Gallery View 2"  11" X 14"  Lori LaBerge  2018

While I worked with realism in art studio classes in college, I always enjoyed the modern. There is something about breaking things down to basic shapes that fascinates me. I enjoy the relationships, the mystery of finding something new, the experience of figuring out what the artist is trying to get across to the viewer while showing so little. 

"Gallery View  2" has been broken down to shapes from a downtown city scene. It is overall calm with the pink adding a bit of excitement. The pink area also leads one to the focus of the "painting" on the wall. The windows of surrounding buildings are left out, avoiding distractions. There is a feeling of the viewer being on their own, the only one viewing the scene.

The relationships in this work are built through the use of line. There are distinct places throughout where one line passes through multiples points of the work. The red lines below show some of these spots.

The line over to the far left starts at the edge of the dark shape up through the edge of the yellow shape and on to the edge of another dark shape. The horizontal line has the top of the right section of yellow lined up with the top of the light gray shape on the right. Two lines meet at the top of the bright green on the upper right and so on. These relationships hold the piece together as one. 

A study of masterworks will show multiple relationships of line when studied. Another way to study line is through looking at the work of master photographers. Annie Liebovitz places her subjects so various lines meet. (Ex. the profile of one figure may be lined up with the arm of another, making a diagonal line for the viewer to follow). The use of line covers all styles of art.

While not clearly seen from a distance, approaching the work shows how bright yellow was introduced throughout the duller yellow and a green with a glow to it was used to pair with the yellow. This adds a bit of a payoff to the viewer when they look closer. 

Reductionism in Art and Brain Science by Eric R. Kandel

Above is the book on the nightstand this week. The author speaks of breaking work down to its basic elements. It is a study from Turner and his start of moving toward reducing elements, through Mondrian, Rothko and others. The book questions how we view art through the brain process. The more a work is broken down, the less it resembles reality and the more creative we become when attempting to interpret it. How do we comprehend this breakdown? If there is no familiar landscape how does the brain interpret the art? Do we try to make the unfamiliar fit into the familiarity of our own world? A fascinating read.

TEXTILE SCULPTURE, ART NOVEL FOR THE ROAD

Sculptural work in progress,  Lori LaBerge  2016

This will be the third out of four sculptural works to be shown July-August and will deal with a water theme.  The rug hooked portion above will be the base.  I added yarn and am just beginning to fray it around the edges.  The metal screws will hold the felted section.

Industrial felt was cut and manipulated with metal into a teardrop shape.

The felt was temporarily placed to get a feel for the final outcome.  Two longer metal rods will be placed through the felt later on.  Yarns and threads will be stitched on the inside and outside of the felt.

On the reading front I ordered a book of art fiction to read while on the road.

I can't wait to get started on this one.  It is about a woman who forges a painting, later becomes a curator and finds out her forgery and the original work are on their way to an exhibit she is curating.  The plot thickens!

A BUSY TIME IN STUDIO, READING MATERIAL

Plans for the July landscape exhibition are in full swing.  Above is the postcard that will be sent to collectors, gallery members, fellow artists and others.  It shows from left to right glasswork by Simona Rosasco, my hooked work, painting by Kat Turczyn and pottery by Teresa Pietsch.  A huge thank you to Simona for designing the postcard.  We are looking forward to a great reception on July 22 at TRAC Gallery in Spruce Pine, NC.  The show will run from July 16 - August 13.

The last two weeks have consisted of a trip home, purchasing a new computer (my old one has lost its wifi use and a few keys no longer work), purchasing new programs and adding patches to others as many of my programs do not function with Windows 10, cleaning out the studio to prepare for the studio tour this coming weekend, and framing and preparing work for both the exhibit and studio tour.

The studio in work mode

Works mounted and ready for framing

The works above were based on tabletop pieces I made a few years back.  At one of the studio tours a client said she thought they would look great framed.  I found my drawings of the original tabletop works and used them to recreate the works.

"Walking on Art: explorations in carpet design" by Deirdre Dyson

I purchased the book "Walking on Art" and am enjoying the author's thoughts on creating designs.  She writes about inspiration, color, shaped work, carving to define specific areas, pile heights, combining various threads to create color and many other topics.  

We all face busy times.  Challenges can occur when least expected or wanted.  Next week I will continue the learning curve with the new computer and programs.  For now I am using two computers and an ipad to work things out.  I have had to ask for help many times this past week as technology is not my forte.  Accept challenges, ask for help when needed, enjoy the down times and have a great day.

HGA MIXED MEDIA EXHIBIT AND TEXTILE SCULPTURAL WORK

"Sway" ,  34 3/4" X 13 1/4"  Lori LaBerge  2016

"Sway" was juried into the Handweaver's Guild of America's "Mixed Bag: All Media Art Exhibit".  This is an international juried exhibit featuring high quality, contemporary works created in any material using any fiber technique.  The juror was Beverly Gordon, a retired professor in the Design Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of the book below. 

"Textiles: The Whole Story: Uses, Meaning and Significance" by Beverly Gordon

The exhibit corresponds with the HGA annual "Convergence" conference.  The conference will include exhibits, workshops and  textile tours.  This year's conference will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 30-August 6.  Karen Donde and Catherine Ellis, two well known artists in the Asheville area will be holding workshops this year.

Here is what is in progress this week:

Smaller section of "Mother Nature and Child",  5 1/2" X 4" X 4" , 2016.  This will be attached to the larger section.

Larger section of "Mother Nature and Child" being stitched.  24" X 8" flat (the piece will be rounded for the completed work)

Next week, I will go over what I am learning working with industrial felt and why certain decisions are being made as work progresses.

Attend a class or show, experiment with new media and have a great day.

GEOMETRIC ABSTRACT RUG HOOKING "SWAY" AND BOOK BY FRANK STELLA

"Sway"  13" X 34",  Lori LaBerge  2015

I took a a rough photo of "Sway", a new work in the connection series, as frames are on order.  The work reminds me of how swaying bridges bring us from one section of land to another.  Many swaying bridges here in the mountains lead from traveled roads to the calmness and security of a home. Sometimes that change is not only physical, but emotional. 

"Sway"  13" X 32",  Lori LaBerge 2015

The piece may be placed in varying configurations due to the flexibility of the chains. The two sections can be placed closer or further apart as well as moved up and down.  The curves mixed with the straight and diagonal lines, all with varying widths. move one's eye throughout the work.  The chain leads the eye from one section to the other and back again.

"Working Space" by Frank Stella

This book is based on a series of lectures Stella gave at Harvard University.  I love Stella's early work (his protractor series is one of my favorites) but his premise throughout this book is the death of flat abstract painting and the lack of a direction for it to take.  He focuses on Caravaggio's use of the space on the canvas (the working space) and its bringing the viewer into an expanded world beyond the canvas.  He writes of trying to determine how abstract art can achieve this.  

The book is challenging in its concepts.  I find myself reading and re-reading paragraphs trying to comprehend exactly what Stella means by his words. That is not necessarily a bad thing as it has been forcing me to think more deeply about certain aspects of painting and art in general.   

Art has had many movements.  Stella 's point is that there has not been a great movement in art for an extensive period of time.  Where is art going?

If you are in the mood for some reflection on abstract art, and its relation to work before it along with academic thought, this would be a worthwhile read. 

Think about what the art you create means to you, reflect on the style you choose to use and have a great day.

SMALL MIXED-MEDIA, READING KATHERINE KUH

"Tunnels"  9" x 13",  Lori LaBerge  2014

While time is short during these few weeks away, I am managing to continue the work on some smaller pieces.  In "Tunnels", a natural wool dyed with green and yellow provided color against a background of grays.  I went for a blue gray for part of the background as it showed off the green better than a pure gray did and provided a medium value.

"Tunnels" uses lamp parts and chain stitched onto the hooked area.  I was lucky enough to have these parts with me in the box full of metal objects brought from the studio.  I did not, however, bring all my tools.  I ended up borrowing pliers from my father's workshop. That may mean I owe him a Martini.  This piece will be whip-finished back at the studio when I arrive home.  Once whipped, mounted and framed it should look something like this:

"Tunnels"  mock-up frame sample,  Lori LaBerge  2014

Photoshop provides an easy way to play with colors and see how a piece will look when framed.  The dark gray line edging the hooked section is the color of the yarn that will be used to whip the edge.  The mat, which will be gray wool, complements the gray background of the piece and the gold edge takes the color of the metal parts used.  It is a sophisticated look for the work and follows the format used for this series.

I love hearing or reading stories from people who knew or currently know famous artists. I'm always intrigued to hear about their personalities.  Were they fun, serious, spontaneous, introverted, a workaholic?  There are so many different ways in which artists approach their work.  Katherine Kuh wrote " My Love Affair With Modern Art: Behind the Scenes with a Legendary Curator".  The book was edited and completed by Avis Berman as Kuh died before she was finished.  

Kuh owned a gallery.  She bought Kandinsky paintings at auction for $5 and $10, the auctioneer unaware of the works he was selling.  Leger, Klee, Adams, Miro and both Albers were among the acquaintances whose work she showed.  She wished to be a pioneer and show work not yet accepted in the mainstream.  I'm looking forward to settling on the couch in the evening and reading away.

Search out the pioneers in the art field, not just artists, but those who supported them or showed their work and have a great day.

"HOOKED RUGS" BOOK, "WHITE COLLAR" PROGRESSION AND STUDIO CONSTRUCTION

Rug Hooking Magazine includes a section on new books called "Good Reads".  This is always the first page I turn to.  This month they featured a book on hooked rugs and the Modern Art movement.  This is the kind of thing that excites me and I ordered it immediately.  Last week, when I ordered, the price was $89 through Amazon and is for some reason now up to $99.  I am currently about a quarter way through the book.

Cynthia Fowler has done an excellent job covering the modernist view of how hooked rugs fit into history.  She covers the history of businesses which promoted modern rugs designed by artists, how the businesses were run and promoted and and why they failed. I love the ton of references that are included so I can look up more articles and books on the subject.

It brings into question, what is art? what is craft? what is decorative art vs. fine art? are they really that different, can they be merged successfully?, etc.  I like the idea of artists working in different media which led to Modern artists designing hooked rugs.  Everything an artist does he or she learns from and develops new ideas from. 

This book informs the reader of a specific period of rug hooking history, leaving one wanting to build upon the ideas some of those involved in the modernist movement had about promoting the artistic merit of hooked rugs.  

"White Collar" in progress, Lori LaBerge  2014

Hooking continued this week as I dug out three different whites for the background of the mixed-media work "White Collar".  There is white and natural wool fabric along with a bright white yarn.  The yarn adds a glow that wool cloth just does not provide unless richly or deeply dyed.  The background is being hooked in a random pattern.

Relax with a great rug hooking book, enjoy your projects and have a great day. 

STUDIO CONSTRUCTION--

The studio continues to move along.  

This week my brother-in-law visited and did a wonderful job helping out.  Window trim was installed and the first coat of paint was applied to it.

A board was cut and placed along a 4 1/2" ledge on two walls.  It will be coated with polyurethane on a warmer day or when the heating is turned on, whichever comes first.

Here, the doors to the workshop are installed.  A second set of double doors and three single doors were also installed.

Cabinets are waiting to be placed over the oven. 

"BLUE ROAD" IN FINAL STAGES, LEE KRASNER BOOK, JOURNAL ACTIVITY

"Blue Road", 18 X 18, Lori LaBerge  2012

I have been jumping around working on various pieces.  Some, already in progress, were put aside in order to have time to create a few more works for the PAF Gallery showing March 15th and 16th.  The past week included some of the finishing work on "Blue Road". 

The metal and wood parts were placed and I created two tassels.  When researching nomadic clothing and bags, I noticed an extensive use of tassels.  I could not find any information on the meaning these may have had and will continue to try to find out more about them.  Their addition completed the piece and added to its story.  All that is left now is the final labeling, framing and wiring. 

After a day of work, I love to read at night.  With the snow falling outside, I decided to curl up in bed with a hot chocolate and a good book.  This was my choice:

 "Lee Krasner: A Biography by Gail Levin

The book interested me as Lee Krasner was an artist in her own right, painting abstract work before she met Jackson Pollock.  I've only read the first chapter and am glued to the pages.  My favorite part of artist biographies is learning the artist's approach to work and thoughts about that approach.  I find it unfortunate that when I minored in Art History in college there were very few women artists whom we studied.

The journal activity for the week was a different take on brain-storming.  I wanted to take some time to discover how I thought about fiber art and what words I associated with it.  I decided to rip two pages out of a book (any book will do).  I happened to find an old history book from high school.  I then took colored pencils and x'd out words that I felt were not associated with textiles or fiber.  I chose the x as it resembles stitching.

    

The words left after marking others out were then written around the page.  It was interesting that while working with the first page I only filled half a page of background while I filled the whole of the second page of the journal.  I went back after finishing the second and looked for words on the first page I may have missed. Through this process I completed the first journal page.  

Close-up of page

Some of the words I found were: strong, lofty, custom, fringed, cloak, adorned, native, arts, curiosity and time.  The more I worked the process, the more I stretched how words could be associated with textile and fiber work.  When returning to the first page, I found I had missed words such as wander, forward, irregular, becomes and reunite. Why did I now accept these words?  I began to think in a new way:  one can use fiber in a wandering motion, want the fiber arts to move forward, see the uniqueness of irregularities, make plain fabric become beautiful and tear fabric apart to reunite it in a new way.

Look at the words you read in a new way, relate them to your art, hobby, or life and have a great day.

Note--No news on the studio update, weather is really holding things up.

TABLE RUGS IN PROGRESS, BOOK IN RUG HOOKING MAGAZINE

Table rugs in progress.  Lori LaBerge  2012  Hooking, whipping edges and embellishing the rugs still need to be completed.

This week I started work on a series of table rugs which will measure approximately 9" X 12" each.  They would also look wonderful framed if one wishes.  The rugs will be created in a variety of colors and based on the same design.   I also had the chance to do some dyeing this week:

Colors dyed for use on future table rugs.  

The table rugs will be embellished with metal so a trip to the hardware store was in order to search for items to add to the rugs.  When not at home, a good place to find me is in the hardware or electrical section of Lowe's, Home Depot or the local Trustworthy hardware store.  I love those places!

Items waiting to be scraped, cleaned, painted or used as is in work.

I had received an e-mail from the editor of Rug Hooking magazine, Debra Smith, a while back asking for permission to place my book in their "Good Reads" section.

It is in the September/October issue and they did a wonderful write-up on it. Information on ordering the book can be found here.  As I was going through the issue, an article I really enjoyed  was one by Diane Krys.  She combines knitting and rug hooking in a wonderful way and I can't wait to see more of her work.  

Think about how you can create different combinations in whatever your work, hobby or project may be and have a great day.