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Archive for weaving

Order From Chaos – Janis Huisman

By Station Gallery
 on July 17, 2019
 with no comments

Sometimes life just seems to be spinning wildly. So many things occurring outside our ability to control.  Issues fill the mind with things that need to be done, should be done, or could be done.  People relying upon us for advice and physical help.  Going, doing, seeing, being, helping,  birth, illness, death…blend together like a tornado of effort rushing through our lives and take on a dynamic of their own often deciding  a path on which you were not prepared to travel. But in reality this is life. We cannot determine everything that happens to us in our lives, but we can determine how we react to it. We learn to take the bad with the good and create the best from it.

Being creative gives an outlet to this chaos but sometimes it adds to the chaos.

Spinning helps to settle my body and mind,  the constant rhythmical movement of the wheel turning fibre from  mounds of cleaned, combed fleece into spun yarn twisted together and strong. The yarn  may be the pure  colour nature has given it or I may add dyes for riotous colour.  I take the fibre, whether lamb’s wool, linen, alpaca, angora or bamboo, and let it move through my fingers to become yarn.  I merely guide it and let its inherent nature become the yarn it was meant to be.  Seeing the singles twirl together on the wheel is calming, but when plying two yarns together an exhilaration of excitement comes over me. When the singles yarns are twisted together to become plyed yarn they take on a new life and usefulness.

Knowing that there are sheep in a pasture being cared for by their owner who will shear them and provide fleece to be spun into fibre, which will become a garment or household item to give warmth to a chilly day.

From a mounding mass of fluffy fibre to a silken strand of useful yarn: order from chaos.

In categories fleece, spinning, weaving with no comments

Too Many Irons – Janis Huisman

By Station Gallery
 on May 24, 2017
 with no comments

“You’ve got too many irons in the fire!” Mom’s words still reverberate in my head each time a new creative idea wanders in. How can I choose on which to spend my energy and resources. These ideas seem to flood in and fight for attention in those “tiny grey cells” as Hercule Poirot would say.  So many ideas, so little time.  The beauty of nature from micro to macro cause visions of intricate texture and explosions of colours to overwhelm my mind. Then I must try to confine these ideas to only a few selected mediums.

So, it seems only fitting that I call my Studio, “Too Many Irons” in honour of my Mom’s assessment of my nature. And as I consider having all these various creative interests   I think I must agree with her. My primary textile interests are weaving, spinning and tapestry creation… but then there is fibre dying, felting, paper making, water colour painting, split ash basketry, beaded buttons, sewing, crocheting, knitting, I’ve even tried quilting and tatting….Too Many Irons

Janis will next be at the gallery on May 26th & 27th.

In categories Artists, fabric, wall hangings, weaving with no comments

2016 Change, Challenge and Chance

By Station Gallery
 on August 23, 2016
 with no comments

Change

As Heraclitus said:

“The only thing that is constant is change.”

Holding true are the changes in my life this year. I’m looking forward to the homecoming of one who has been gone so long, and in June welcoming home my new granddaughter. In April I said farewell to my Dad who passed some creative talent genes to me along with the desire to make beautiful things.

Joining The Station Gallery and meeting new artists whose talents inspire me is another positive change and there will be more this year including the passing of another decade milestone.

Change is good.

Challenge

Following the completion of last summer’s challenge by Photographer/Artist Robbie Craig to create in their artistic medium a representation of his photo of the aurora borealis, I have set four new challenges for myself in 2016.

Challenge #1

Microsoft Word - 2016 a year of Change Challenge and Chance.docxIn mid December I learned of an artist who put out a call to weavers from around the world. American conceptual artist Helen Mirra was organizing an exhibit titled “Standard Incomparable”. Weavers were to submit two identical pieces with specific parameters. Each piece was to be an arms breadth wide and an arms breadth long. Each piece was to be divided into seven equal stripes. The stripes could be differentiated by either colour or pattern. The pieces were to be minimally finished with a rolled hem. The yarns used had to be locally obtained and undyed. Did I mention my entire family was coming home for two weeks at Christmas? I had to find these yarns. The pieces were to be at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston by February 27. I had researched patterns and had several potentials selected, ones that would showcase the yarns. By mid-January I had found two local yarn sources, beautiful wool and mohair blends, one light in colour and one dark.

Having the yarns I could now determine the sett (the number of threads per inch). After finalizing the patterns and the math I began the process. I wound the warp on a “warping mill’ (this keeps each yarn the same length and parallel). In taking the yarn from the mill you “hand crochet” the groups of yarn into a “chain”. After weighing the warp I began to “dress” the loom. The warp chain is loosely attached to the front of the loom. Each thread (408 threads) is put through the proper size-numbered “reed” (that keeps the yarns evenly spaced across the loom). The threads are then individually put through the heddles (a large ‘eye’ in a wire attached to the harness). There are four harnesses on this loom which allow for the design of different patterns. The yarns are then attached to the back beam and wound on with tension leaving the ends of the yarn at the front to be tied onto the ‘breast beam’. After checking for consistent tension some trial samples are woven. When all is satisfactory the weaving may begin.

Up to this point not including research and obtaining materials, several days work have occurred. I had set the loom to produce three pieces. One for the exhibit, one for exchange with another weaver in the world and one for me to keep to display with that weaver’s piece. I wove, washed, line dried and pressed the pieces. Where is that SAD FACE ICON? I was not happy. I waited several days, and fretted and looked at the calendar. I had so little time. I decided to redo the entire warp. Standard-IncomparableI started over, right from the beginning using a different technique. I’m glad I did. The second warp was remarkably better. I was amazed as I weighed and measured each piece, they were exactly the same size and weight to the tenth of an ounce. I packaged and mailed the pieces to Boston.

The exhibit will open June 4 at The Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, California, and will be opening September 21 , 2016, at Raffaella Cortese, Milan, Italy.

The collection in its entirety will be published. It is rewarding to be part of a collection such as this.

Challenge #2

huisman-3To improve my spinning techniques I have been practicing on my spinning wheel and spinning using drop spindles that were turned and carved by my Dad. I have sought out advice from the spinners in the Kawartha Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild and enrolled in a workshop at the WASOON Weaver’s Conference in Sudbury, May 2016.

Challenge #3

I set a goal in December to reach 70 woven projects this year. That did not seem like such a monumental task at the time, but life has been nibbling away my creative time.

Challenge #4

Alberta blended merino

Alberta blended merino

I am in the planning and gathering stages of my largest tapestry project, a homage to Canada as it celebrates its Sesquicentennial July, 2017. The piece has been ‘mapped’ out dimensionally and some technical issues investigated. I am really hoping to be able to complete this project as I may not be around for the celebrating of the 200th Anniversary.

I have been collecting images of each province to provide inspiration as well as materials of different colour and texture to interpret those inspirations: unspun yarn roving, hand spun yarns and specialty yarns of Canada, such as buffalo down and qiviut fleece (musk ox fibre) This fleece is picked from bushes where it gets caught or combed in managed settings. Qiviut is eight times warmer than wool and is softer and lighter than cashmere. It is priced around $125.50 per OUNCE! Canadian wool can be bought for $13.00 for 16 ounces.

Chance

That brings us to Chance, I don’t believe in chance but I needed a word to complete the alliteration so I checked with Mr. Webster and eureka definitions #6 “opportunity” and #7 “possibility” were the definitions I needed to make this work.

2016 is a year of opportunities and possibilities. I hope I can meet each of those calls with enthusiasm and perseverance!

Meet me at the Gallery on August 26 or 27th.

In categories Artists, weaving with no comments

A New Idea – Sandi McNeil

By Station Gallery
 on June 8, 2016
 with no comments

peeling branchesIn the process of gathering cedar bark I cut down the entire tree. However I use different parts of the tree for different purposes, and nothing is wasted. After cutting down the cedar tree, I cut all the limbs off, leaving a short stub on the trunk so the bark will lift off more easily.  The peeled trunk is put aside and is used for landscaping, bridge building and kindling wood. The cedar bark that I peel off, is processed into weavers, and is one of my favourite materials to use for basket weaving.  Large branches and small diameter trunks form the legs for twig furniture.  Smaller branches are put to one side and are also used in twig furniture. This year however, I found a new use for the small cedar branches that I haven’t thought of before!  I  love it when I get a new idea that I am pretty certain will work out successfully.  I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this idea before!!

branchesIn the past, I have often peeled vines and used them for basket frames. I have peeled basswood branches for wall weavings. I almost always include peeled willow and peeled dogwood in my baskets, but I have never peeled cedar branches with the intent of making a basket frame.  Impulsively, I decided to peel a pair of small cedar branches, exposing the creamy coloured wood that I knew was underneath. Then I carefully bent and flexed the cedar branch over my knee so it would bend to form a fish basket shape without breaking.  This worked well because the branches were so fresh, so I made several fish basket shapes and wired each pair together.  I have set these frames aside in my studio to let them dry out.  If I keep them out of the weather they should slowly age to a yellowish patina.

I will use the peeled cedar frames in my basket courses this summer, and I look forward to using them myself to add to my basket repertoire.

I will be in the gallery next, on June 10th.  Perhaps I will see you there!

In categories basketry, Fenelon Station, gallery, wall hangings, weaving with no comments

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