New Work - In Dreams I Started Walking

In Dreams I Started Walking

I am delighted to share with you my newest work, In Dreams I Started Walking. It's part of my ongoing series The River.

In Dreams I Started Walking, detail 1

I have a long-standing fascination with the streams and rivers of western Pennsylvania and the surrounding landscapes, to the point where they literally appear vividly in my dreams. There’s always something new to discover and appreciate in any season, and the best way to explore and experience the vibe is to put one foot in front of the other.

In Dreams I Started Walking, detail 2

Materials used are silk, wool, and mylar fibers; silk, wool, and cotton fabric. 

Techniques include needlefelting, cyanotype, hand stitched hexagons, hand embroidery and beadwork.

It measures 68"h x 53"w.

In Dreams I Started Walking, detail 3

I am equally delighted, and honored, that In Dreams I Started Walking has been selected for the Women of Appalachia Project Fine Art Exhibition at The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, OH. The exhibit will start on January 17, 2025  with an Opening Reception at The Dairy Barn from 6-8 pm, and run through March 16, 2025.

In Dreams I Went Fishing

To add to my good fortune, In Dreams I Went Fishing has also been accepted to Women in Appalachia.

In Dreams I Went Fishing, detail 1

 Inspired by a move to Pittsburgh, I’ve been exploring the landscapes of the three rivers. Imagery in this quilt reflects my thoughts on the past use of the resources of the rivers by indigenous peoples, changes wrought by industrialization, and post-industrialization restoration efforts.

Materials used are wool, silk, and mylar fibers; artist-painted and commercial cotton, silk, and wool fabric; embroidery thread, glass seed beads

Techniques include wet process cyanotype/solar dye prints, needlefelting with hand embroidery and beadwork, hand stitched patchwork, stitching

Size: 49”h x 77”w

In Dreams I Went Fishing, detail 2

These are both large, complex, and very idiosyncratic quilts, and it's not always easy to find exhibit space for work of this nature. I am very grateful to the venue for this opportunity to share my artwork.

In Dreams I Went Fishing, detail 3

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Experiments in film photography - part 3

This experiment worked out really well. I shot a roll of Psychedelic Blues experimental 35mm film, specifically the Psych Blues #5. The camera was my vintage Minolta Maxxum 50.

The film is described as hand-fogged through a proprietary process. From the website: "The color blows-out the edges of the negative and fades into the center of the frame, causing the image to look framed. Throughout the roll you will find a few vertical streaks of light and areas that look a bit like a galaxy, but most of the light is kept off the center of the frame to help retain your exposure's color."

I love a lot of color, which is obvious if you look at my fiberart work. I especially love it when it doesn't come across as gimmicky, but as an alternative way to look at and process the world around me. This film fits the bill. The first three images above were shot at Samuel S. Lewis State Park in York County, PA, which has a great overlook view of the Susquehanna River. 

These next three are of the historic Veterans Memorial Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, which connects York and Lancaster Counties. I used to live near this bridge and have a gazillion images of it; it was fun to capture a new perspective.

This one with the snag rising out of the water is from Lake Grubb, in Lancaster County, PA, another perennial favorite of mine captured in a sparkling new interpretation.

This last set of four photos is from a former Catholic retreat center in Northampton County, PA. I'm not Catholic; I attended an event there, and did my best to treat the subjects with the proper gravitas.

There's so many good pictures from this roll I've got a part two coming up. And I've already ordered another roll of #5.

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Experiments in wet cyanotype - part 93

On a sunny and unseasonably warm day in early November I went searching for leaves still clinging to the trees here in Pennsylvania to use in the wet cyanotype process.

I found sassafras, maple, and oak leaf hydrangea still intact.

This was a spur of the moment printmaking urge, and I was enduring some home renovation that made my normal routine unworkable. Luckily, I had some fabric I'd already treated with the cyanotype chemicals stashed away waiting for a moment just like this.

I had some cotton sateen, and some silk noil. The silk is relatively thick, so it absorbs a lot of the chemicals, and it also has nibs that stick up above the surface a bit, all of which makes for a distinctive type of print. The sun was hot for November, but the daylength and hence the exposure was very short by my standards.

Here are the finished prints. They have a lovely, subdued quality to them. 

The sassafras and maple prints are crisp around the edges, with some lovely marbling. 

The prints on the silk noil are very atmospheric. They are hard to photograph well because of the depth of texture, but hopefully you get the idea.

This oak leaf hydrangea print will benefit from future stitching to give it more definition, but it's also beautiful just as it is.

 This is (probably) the last wet cyanotype post of the year. When I started this series in 2017 I never imagined getting to 93 posts! I hit the 1200 image mark with this post, and I am nowhere near finished exploring this process. Whether you are new here, or have been following along for some time, please know I appreciate your viewership and support very deeply.

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Experiments in film photography- part 2

Welcome to this installment of my experiments in film photography, using vintage cameras. Today I'm sharing highlights from a roll of 35mm Lomography LomoChrome Metropolis I shot during the summer months with a Minolta Maxxum 50.

The film has a very desaturated look, with muted colors. From my experience and from reading about it, I'd say it's best suited for urban/architectural subjects. I really like the way it captured this tunnel on the Montour Trail near Pittsburgh. I've photographed it before and love the chill tones of this version.

I also tried it on one of my other oft-photographed subjects, the Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Susquehanna, as seen from the Wrightsville, PA side. It was a very bright and sunny day, and I think I overexposed it a bit as I would have liked to see more of the blue sky, but that's what experiments are for.

These are the best of my tries at capturing greenery. It's a vibe, for sure, but it's probably not my vibe going forward. 

These last images are from tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark, which I can highly recommend is you are a fan of rusting relics, fascinating historical lore, and the role of labor in industrial societies. Our tour guide was excellent! 

It was a stunningly hot and sunny day, and again the blue sky is very faded, but I really love the colors and tones of the machinery. It's a vintage grunge look especially suited to the subject.

I would try this film again if I were planning on a urban/industrial shoot. "Metropolis" is right there in the name for a reason! It's great that the resurgence of film photography is making these specialty films readily available. 

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Experiments in wet cyanotype - part 92

 Welcome to installment 92 of experiments in wet cyanotype. Today's excitement comes from my discovery of a patch of tall blue lettuce, Lactuca biennis. It's a native wild plant here in Pennsylvania, and as the name suggests, it's a biennial. In its second year it sends up a 6-10 foot tall flower stalk, with leaves descending in size as they rise, topped of with a set of small blue flowers. It has a history of being used medicinally, and is just plain cool to observe. I started with a print on a long panel of cotton sateen, using the standard cyanotype chemicals with just a touch of Solarfast solar dye.  

I made two smaller panels on some cotton I had with small woven dots in it. I will miss this fabric when it is used up.

Here are all the panels after exposure but before rinsing. They are always so dramatic at this stage.

Here are the finished panels.

I had good weather for printing, hot and sunny, and was able to capture a lot of the details in the toothed edges.

So pretty! I am pleased.

I've used these leaves once before, way back in 2005, for the eponymously named Tall Blue Lettuce. It was very popular back in the day.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to revisit this imagery. I'm also grateful for the advanced in digital photography since then! 

Tall Blue Lettuce

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