"ENTER AQUA" TEXTILE PAINTING, BOOKS ABOUT HOUSES FOR SUMMER READING

"Enter Aqua"  14" X 11", Lori LaBerge  2018

Last week's post was about the design of this work. This week bright colors, houses and water are going through my mind as summer moves along. "Enter Aqua" contains all three of these. Bright colors of green, turquoise, pink and white dominate the central area. The turquoise building becomes reminiscent of water with a combination of vertical and horizontal lines through it. Houses surround the center welcoming one into the scene. 

Angles are everywhere in the underlayer of this work with more created from the painting on the top layer. The juxtaposition of straight lines against a few wavy or jagged lines lend an imperfect feel. The white lines were done by hand and left as they are for the same reason. 

Close-up of "Enter Aqua"

As summer moves along vacation is approaching. Our destination will be Maine and I started stacking a variety of books I can relax with (it is vacation after all) that contain houses as an important element. Here's the list (fiction and non-fiction):

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen-  a parody of the Gothic novels I read as a teenager and still love

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne- the story of the Pyncheon family and how a cursed house affects them

Death in the Castle by Pearl S. Buck-a story of a couple obsessed with their castle and their reluctance to let a buyer move it piece by piece to its new location

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- a mystery is contained in the inheritance of a family home

The Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie- Guest are invited to Sittaford House and before they know it they are involved in a murder case

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James- a governess is hired to tend to two children at a country home as supernatural events begin to plague her

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton- A woman is not happy in her new home and received a miniature replica which she proceeds to furnish with the help of a miniaturist. Secrets become revealed.

A Mansion in the Mountains by Phillip T. Noblitt- Moses and Bertha Cone create a mansion off the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. (We have visited Blowing Rock Manor numerous times, the family made their fortune in denim in the textile industry.)

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett- A monk decides to build a great cathedral. Set in 12th century England.

The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan- Consuelo Vanderbilt writes of life in aristocratic times, including Blenheim Palace where Churchill was born. (I picked this up on our first trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC)

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe- A classic early Gothic written in 1794. A woman's parents die, she is kept prisoner in a castle as her abductor looks for her to marry into money he can then possess. Lots of description and a tour de force of the psychological state of the characters.

Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier- A woman marries a man whose first wife drowned. The truth of her death evolves throughout the story. Mrs. Danvers is one of the best characters in fiction.

The Gormenghast Novels by Mervyn Peake- An odd assortment of characters live in Gormenghast Castle. This was a PBS series and the author is said to rival Tolkien though he never became as popular.

The Fate of the English Country House by David Littlejohn- The author covers a variety of country houses throughout England and discusses their downfall, use as tourist attractions and the importance of Britain protecting these homes along with their place in art history.

GEOMETRIC TEXTILE "URBAN BLUSH", PAINTED ROCK FUN IN SPRUCE PINE

"Urban Blush"  11" X 14"   Lori LaBerge  2017

This week's work keeps with my love of roadways and architecture while lending itself to a variety of interpretations. 

The repetition of the red sections, the black partial circles, the gray color, curves, straight lines and diagonals keep my eye moving throughout the piece. There is quite a bit going on yet it retains its simplicity. The bottom of the white half circle comes close to the edge, creating slight tension. The red also adds tension, yet the analogous color scheme created by the addition of pink creates a sophistication which is amplified by the neutrality of gray, black and white.

Los Angeles

"Urban Blush" brought back the sense of both excitement and sophistication I feel when I visit cities. There is so much to see and it is a struggle at times to take it all in. Excitement abounds in all the activity and sophistication shows itself in the architectural surroundings. It is a different feeling from the humble architecture and quieter lifestyle found in rural areas. "Urban Blush" definitely contains the city feeling.

We often walk through town in the evenings. The other day we found this:

A painted rock was sitting on top of a larger one. The local areas are participating in a painted rock find. You find a rock, can keep it or place it elsewhere, and paint a rock to place somewhere in town for someone else to find.

Painted rock,  Lori LaBerge  2017, done for painted rock find in Spruce Pine.

Above is the rock I painted. It will be placed somewhere downtown on our next walk. Bright colors were used to attract local kids to art and a metal washer was glued on top much as I stitch washers to my textile work. I am hoping to see a lot of children participate in this project. This is being done in various places throughout the U.S. 

NEW ARCHITECTURAL GEOMETRIC ABSTRACT STARTED

Work in progress,  14" X 11"  Lori LaBerge  2017

A title for this work has not been decided on yet. It is based on city buildings. The white half circle developed from the shape on top of one of the doors on a building, though I placed it sideways. The black circle was divided into 2/3 on the right and 1/3 on the left.

The textured gray section has bits of red running through it to play off of the red sections of the work. There is a bright turquoise and a duller turquoise running through it, also. This gives the gray a bluer look overall. It works well with the red and I'll see how it works once the pink is added.

The idea was drawn out in a sketchbook. There are plenty of erasures before I get to something workable. The photo shows where I had originally placed a triangle in the back. If I think a composition is headed in the right direction, even if future changes may be needed, a check mark is placed next to it.

 Color planning on work,  Lori LaBerge  2017

Photoshop was used to work with color planning. A left section of the black was added to the original sketch along with an angle on the bottom gray.  I wanted to repeat the angle from the red for more cohesion. This will be added to the hooking as I work.

The piece reminds me a bit of mid-century modern design with the bold shapes and wild colors. Mid-century modern was set from approximately the 1940's to the 1960's. It focused on graphic design and included furniture and architectural designs. It was a time when pop art and other ideas were developing. 

Enjoy some wild mid-century artwork and color by clicking here. It may bring back some memories if you were born in the 50's or 60's.

HOOKED TEXTILE WORK, ART INTERPRETATIONS

"Bridging the Gap"  Lori LaBerge  2015

Someone once said that a piece of art is never finished until it is sold.  I am finding this to be very true lately as I add to, subtract from or alter pieces I am working on.

This week "Bridging the Gap" was framed and the two pieces connected with metal bars. The original plan was to have the "bridge" go straight across.  As I was connecting the two sections, I really liked the shift that was created by pushing the smaller piece upward.  The work is movable so the pieces may be shifted up and down at various angles.  I enjoy the idea of someone being able to alter this piece to their liking and not necessarily to my intention or point of view.

"Interpreting Art: Reflecting, Wondering, and Responding" by Terry Barrett

This thought led me to researching point of view or interpretations related to artwork.  I think art should lead us to think.  To think about artist intent, to think about how we view the artwork and how these two thoughts are or are not related and why.  To think about art we simply enjoy for the beauty of it and art we connect to due to the message it sends.  We all approach art from our own past experiences.  What may mean something to one person may have no bearing whatsoever on another.  

When I find myself viewing a piece of artwork I don't understand I often ask myself what I am missing about the artist's intent or what I personally could derive from viewing the work. 

The majority of artwork I have collected is because it said something to me.

"Shadows in the Alley" by Bruce Docker

This is a piece I just had to have the minute I saw it.  The architectural lines and my love of old buildings drew me to it.  There is a bit of mystery with what is lurking in the alleyway.  What awaits when you enter places that few people go?

 Hooked vessel by Molly Colegrove

The hand shapes attracted me to this work.  It is almost as it they are reaching for something they can't quite get to.  There are six hands, each touching another at some point.  It reminds me of family and how though we are separated at times, we are still always together reaching out to each other.

 "Red" by Louise Oppenheimer

Red is such a vibrant color and yet there is the calm of floating leaves, some attached to others, some separated.  It is the calm within the excitement that draws me to this work making me believe that even in times of chaos the calm will prevail.

 "Quasimodo" by Woody Higgins

 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is one of my favorite novels and there is a chapter dedicated to the description of the cathedral which I've read over and over again.  There is also the view of the admiration of old architecture and the character's perception that the newly renovated cathedral does not even compare to the style the original projected.  This goes along with my own love of historic architecture.

Think about what draws you to certain works of art, determine how you could try to better understand those works you have trouble interpreting and have a great day.

SOME LANDSCAPE RUG HOOKING, SOME SKETCHING

"Nesting"  14" X 19 1/2", Lori LaBerge  2015

It seems like we are finding more and more hornet nests around our property. They are up in the timbers of the porch and lower down in timbers under the deck. A walk in our woods cannot be made without seeing one.  

I used soft, pale colors in hooking the lighter portion of the nest above.  This will be surrounded on one side with dark brown and on the other with a bright green, which has also been brought into portions of the nest.  The browns and greens will create a woodland background.  This work is based on a smaller plein air piece and will be part of a 2016 landscape exhibit.

A good size nest under the deck.  We found this one when my husband bounced a basketball on the deck and hornets swarmed around him.

Here a variety of dark browns are being hooked around the off whites and pale colors of the nest.  The dark colors make the nest stand out.  A dark, bright blue was used for the entry to the nest.

"By the Pasture"  graphite sketch,  Lori LaBerge  2015

I've also been doing some sketching in preparation for next year's landscape exhibit. These will be used to create hooked pieces.  Since working in plein air, I've found myself doing quite a bit more sketching than usual. The black and white of graphite sketching is a great way to study values.  I would recommend purchasing a group of graphite pencils of various softness and hardness to create different types of lines and textures.  

When sketching I rarely use the whole page.  I often leave room around the sketch to allow for adding to it or cropping it for a pleasing composition.  In this sketch I have not yet added the dark values to distinguish the shadows and separate out the trees.

Enjoy sketching this summer and fall, treat yourself to some new drawing materials, and have a great day.

"BROKEN GLASS" RUG HOOKING, ART CHALLENGE ON FACEBOOK

Work is still continuing on "Broken Glass".  Here is how the week went as far as hooking.

"Broken Glass" in progress, Lori LaBerge 2015

I started filling in the outlines hooked last week on the lower blue areas.  The blue here is slightly grayer than the blue above it.

Outlines were filled in on rest of the left hand side, then on right hand side.  I ran short on the blue-gray wool being used and decided to add a different shade rather than dye up a perfect match.  There were shadows and reflections all over the actual window and various shades work better to depict this.  

 I moved on to the upper right hand side and added a medium and dark green.  The upper dark corner will balance out more of the black that will be added in the lower half of the piece.  Sometimes a little can do a lot.

It is hard to see here, but more light blues were added on the left.  They don't show up well against the white monk's cloth.  The piece is coming together and I'm getting excited about seeing it done.

Here is where the piece is at now.

I only have five more full days before surgery and I don't think I'll be able to complete "Broken Glass" in time, though I'll give it a good shot.  I've been told I'll have one week total bed rest and up to one year for my hand to fully recover.  Here is my plan for the week of bed rest:

 A little fiction, a few workbook exercises, some non-fiction, plenty of painkillers (not shown) and dreams of Pinot Grigrio as soon as that is a possibility.

As many of you know, artists on Facebook have been participating in a challenge to post 3 photos for each of 5 days, along with nominating other artists to do the same.  I have been really enjoying all the work created by everyone.  I was nominated by textile artist Susan Feller.  Susan creates contemporary work and also has an interest in Fraktur Folk Art.  You can read about Susan here

I wanted to choose artists from different fields so the artists I have nominated so far along with links to their websites are:

Kathleen Turczyn-  Kathleen is a painter creating beautiful landscape scenes as well as portraits and animals. Her new website is still under construction, but you can get to the gallery pages.  

Louise Oppenheimer-  Louise is a tapestry artist.  My husband and I purchased one of her works on our trip to Scotland.  She has a distinctive style that portrays the nature around her beautifully.

Alicia Keshishian-  Alicia is a rug designer and color expert.  I met Alicia when she was an instructor at Penland.  Working with her to design a rug for our home was a wonderful experience. 

Simona Rosasco-  Simona is a glass artist.  She creates both functional and decorative glass art.  Her work first caught my eye a while back due to the use of stripes (we all know I love those!) in some of her pieces.

I may not be posting for a couple of weeks, depending on how recovery goes.  Enjoy exploring art on social media, participate in challenges if you'd like to and have a great day.

RUG HOOKING AND RUG PUNCHING IN THE STUDIO

Studio desk, messy and productive

The countdown to wrist surgery has begun and I"m dividing up "Missing Glass", a 36" X 60" piece, to see if I will be able to complete the hooking process before the surgery date of February 6.  That gives me 13 days (as I write this).  If the unhooked sections are divided into 13 parts there are some full days of hooking and dyeing ahead.  

  Upper section of "Missing Glass",  36" X 60", Lori LaBerge  2015

This week the upper section was filled in with three light greens: a value 1 spot, a value 3 spot and a solid. A medium green will go above that on the diagonal and a dark green in the upper corner.

Close-up of "Missing Glass"

New frame sitting in the workshop waiting for stain to dry.

Pete and I are working on creating various size frames for hooking with an easel. This is the third Pete has put together for me.

Happy in the studio with a rug punch.  No make-up and serious expression.  I have priorities.

One of the new frames was put to use this week.  "Mountain Reflections", a 20" X 20" work, was started.  The reason for starting this piece while still working on the larger one is to practice rug punching with my left hand to be ready to work after surgery. Trying to use a hook solely with my left hand just was not working out.  I'm still working on inserting the wool into the punch needle with left hand only.

The operation I will be having is called a proximal row carpectomy.  Three bones in my right wrist will be removed due to a completely torn ligament and bone rubbing against bone, which is pretty painful right now.  I will end up with limited movement but no pain.  I'll see how recovery goes.

I have never punch hooked before, other than a quick practice round with Melina White at the Green Mountain Rug Show, and found it quite simple to adjust to with my right hand. When I switched to practice with my left it only took a few minutes to get used to it.  Looking forward to working in a new way.  This is the Oxford punch needle created by Amy Oxford.

Textileartist .org has a good article on the mind-set of professionals here.  It mentions adversity and determination.  You may have to change the way you do things, but you can be creative no matter what.  Don't let anything stop you.

Give rug punching or other rug techniques (braiding, shirring, standing wool, proddy, etc.) a try and have a great day.

"MISSING GLASS" RUG HOOKED WALLHANGING, MAKING A LIGHT BOX

"Missing Glass" in progress,  3 feet by 5 feet, Lori LaBerge  2015

The latest piece has finally received a title.  I had to think about what really drew me to take the photo of this old window in the first place and it was the two missing glass sections. Most of the abstract pieces I work out in my head start with a title from which the idea develops. Pieces I work out from photos or actual things that I have seen tend to be titled after the piece has started.  Not sure why this is. Possibly because, for the latter, the visual is already there ready to work on rather than imagined.

"Missing Glass", close-up in progress,  Lori LaBerge  2015

Larger pieces can be a bit overwhelming at times.  I like to break them down into sections and then each section gets broken down as it is being hooked.  The majority of this work is done in a meandering manner which allows me to set up the outlines and then fill them in making each section seem to move along faster and giving me a solid idea of how the color fits in with the overall work.

Section of new gallery set-up

This week was also filled with moving the gallery section of the studio.  I have downsized the area for winter.  Older works had been hanging in the work section, but since this is the area people enter first it is in the process of being updated to show the direction my work is currently going in.

  

I have been thinking about making a light table since finding out about needing hand surgery.  I will be slowing down and anything that will help to speed things up is welcome. The workshop section of the studio/workshop/ gallery is done so my husband and I went out to buy the materials this week.  Here is how the project progressed:

A box section was pieced together and self-adhesive super bright led light strips were attached to the bottom of the box.  We used thin wood for the bottom and 3/4 inch wood for the sides.  The box measures 30" X 36" to fit the measurement of the glass and acrylic for the top.

A hole was drilled into one side edge for the lighting.

Metal L-bars were cut to size and spray painted. 

Glass and acrylic were placed on top and the L-bars were screwed into the sides.  Here it is lit up and ready to go.  There is even a remote control for the lighting.

We all face adversity at one time or another.  If slowing down is an option, enjoy the time to relax.  If it is not an option, think of how you can make things easier on yourself and have a great day.

RESULTS FROM "HOOK A RUG WEEK" AND STUDIO UPDATE

Hook a Rug Week has come to an end and I have to thank Laura Kenney for coming up with the idea. It was much like being at an intensive rug camp.  I am hoping she does this again next year.  She allowed each person to choose the size piece they wanted to work on, which allowed for each person to challenge his or her self.  This is the piece I created:

"At the Coast"  30 X 30,  Lori LaBerge 2014

Here is how the work developed:

Saturday and Sunday-The design was planned. The figure was measured out and the background was roughly drawn on linen, the work was color planned and wool was dyed.

Monday-- The challenge started.  The figure was hooked with an orange and green spot dye.  A section of the background was hooked.  This was when it hit me that I only had a week to finish a 30 X 30.  I needed to figure out how much I had done this first day to know how much had to be completed each of the other days.  I usually use a 6-cut for this size, but am glad I decided on an 8-cut for this challenge.

Tuesday--I worked on the opposite side of the figure.  This gets tricky if you want things to line up as the hooked figure starts to distort the straight line of the backing material.  I did not want each of the striped background sections perfectly straight, but did not want them off balance either.  When drawing out the design, it helps to draw a line on the back of the design also.  As the hooking is flatter on the back, it is then easier to find the straight line across the figure.  

Wednesday-- With a 30 X30 piece I figured I had to complete at least 5" X 30" each day to be finished by Saturday afternoon.  This is a lot of hooking.  I took 10 minute breaks for each hour of hooking to stretch, go for a quick walk, or do arm exercises with a resistance band.  This helped out as I had no problems with backaches or my hooking hand bothering me.

 Thursday--If you look at Wednesday's photo then this one you can see a huge difference in the darker blue color.  The actual blue is somewhere in between.  I brought in a line of green below the black that was the same wool used in the circle.  This was the middle of the week and I felt pretty good about being able to finish at this point.  There is something about looking forward to seeing the end result that keeps me going during these kind of projects.

Friday--I worked on the bottom beach section with a soft beige textured wool.  The hooking went faster with this wool due to its thickness.  I brought the brighter blues down for balance. 

Saturday--I ran out of dark blue wool and had to do some dyeing.  A brighter blue was placed near the top.  The piece was completed at 3:00 p.m.  I still need to cut off some loose threads, steam and maybe tweak here and there.

Think about the things you can do when you challenge yourself, learn from each challenge, celebrate when finished and have a great day.

STUDIO UPDATE--

I purchased some closet storage units to use as a base and two 24" doors to use as a table top.  After searching the local antique and salvage shops I just could not find anything I liked.  This will give me a 6 1/2 foot by  4 foot  table top to work on and plenty of storage underneath.  The shoe cubby is perfect for holding skeins of yarn and smaller items while the cabinet will hold finishing materials.

This is the other side of the table.  I already had one maple storage unit and purchased the 6-cubby unit.  If you've been reading regularly, you will notice the fabric I had on the right hand shelving is gone.  The plumbers had a kerosene heater that smelled terrible and I did not want the fabric to pick up the smell, so I packed it up and brought it in the house.

Here's Pete painting the larger garage area.  Part of this area will be used for larger projects (I've really been wanting to do a large punched rug and build a light table) and further display space during open studio tours.

A utility sink was placed in the garage area.

The workshop area was painted.  It is a mirror image of the studio area.

 An attic door and the moulding around it were installed.  This needed to be done in order for the insulation to be blown in.

Here is where we ran into another problem.  We had not planned on installing the overhead doors as, quite frankly,  the doors we like are over budget right now.  The final inspection can not occur until they are installed, which means heat and water may not be activated.  I suggested plywood for now and the inspector said that would be fine.  So, hopefully, heat and water will be running this coming week.  Oh, wait, we are supposed to have a huge snowstorm this week.  Life goes on!