How We Work 2

In the last post, we presented the work process of three California Fibers' artists. The goal was to do it in 10 words or less...you'll notice these three are wordy women.

Julie Kornblum, who works largely with recycled materials, says, “Gather materials; they inspire me. Respond to the world & life. Experiment, sample, start over; finish when satisfied.”


Pacific Rim 

We also asked the question of whether you need silence or noise to create, and if noise, what kind? Music? TV? Audiobooks? 

Kathy Nida, a quilter, says, "My process is all in my head. The entire drawing is composed up there over time. Then it all comes out; the rest is execution. So my process is: think/design, then draw, then choose fabrics and colors. The TV is on or I listen to music during the whole process. No silence."


Detail of Awakening the Crone

Charlotte Bird, also a quilter, says, "I do my best work when I stop thinking, letting my hands do the thinking. I am doing more with the intersection of art and science, thinking about subjects like climate change. I get my images from Google rather than drawing.  I look everywhere and take photos, especially of pattern and texture."


Lichen: Living Fossils

She continues, trying to get down to 10 words: "I absorb, write, doodle, research, cut-sew-try-fail-redo-carry on. My work is moving from 2D to 3D. I seem to have a two-year cycle. I work in one series at a time. I listen to books on tape while I work, especially murder mysteries."

Stay tuned for the last in our How We Work installments...


How We Work

At a recent California Fibers' meeting, members discussed how we work, what process we use to get the work done. We tried to get it down to 10 words or less, but some of us are just wordy. From that discussion and followup emails, we'll be presenting some of our artists' processes over the next few posts...and think about it. How would you describe YOUR process in 10 words or less?

Cameron Taylor-Brown says, “I work in series. My creative process is a conversation between me, my thematic inspiration, and the materials.  It goes like this:

(Observe, collect, play, sample) repeat...
Scale up
(Observe, make) repeat...”

The Weaver's Hands

Peggy Wiedemann says, "Think, idea, gather materials, plan, start, change, evolve, finish."

Exploring Too

Lynne Hodgman says, "Read, photograph, think, write, transfer, compose, cut, layer, stitch, wrap!"

Oceanic Grammar

Keep your eyes open for the next installment in how we work...

Soka University Exhibit: Details

The California Fibers exhibit at Soka University in Aliso Viejo is nearing the end of its stay...through May 8. If you haven't been, it's definitely worth a trip. The gallery is in a gorgeous setting on the campus and is a wonderful space to view art.

I recently was finally able to go up and see the show and brought back some more photos of pieces not previously highlighted, plus detail shots that may persuade you to visit...because fiber in real life is very different than it is in photos.

There are two floors of hanging art, with plenty of open space to view the work.

On this trip, I focused on documenting details of some of the work, as well as some pieces that haven't been on our blog or Facebook page.

This is a detail of Lynne Hodgman's Altarpiece...

Next is Michael Rohde's Transect and Chari Myers' Neighborhood, with Peggy Wiedemann's Off the Wall on the opposite wall.


Here is Myers' piece close up.

Marilyn McKenzie Chaffee's pieces Marking Time #4: Contemplating a Forty Year Milestone and Marking Time #5: Celebrating a Forty Year Milestone hung together (#5 is on top)...

Interestingly, the glass panels on either side of her pieces echo the Xs...

Which we spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out, construction-wise. They are fascinating pieces close up.

Next to them is Lori Zimmerman's intriguing series Mending 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3...

Doshi's hand-dyed pieces are a treat to see in person...this is Bamboo...

with a closeup photo of the details in the silk...

This is also Doshi's, Golden Sunset.

This is a detail of the bottom of the kimono, so you can see the bits of silk organza, which look like ashes or leaves floating in the sunset sky.

Susan Hart Henegar's Triptych of tapestries were stunning.

And this is Cameron Taylor-Brown's Indigo Dreams #1, which caught our attention for quite a while, as we tried to figure out what was ikat and what was paint and how it all came together.

Gail Fraser's Impulse also intrigued us...

Part pod, resembling a canoe, but reminding me (the science teacher) of a nerve cell with ganglia on either side...

Resting inside, more pods...

Carrie Burckle's piece Rend 1 reminded us of skin, torn and patched and wrinkled...

especially when you see it as a whole...this is a fascinating piece.

 This is Kathy Nida's Untied...is she falling to Earth or rising above it?

Another of Carrie Burckle's pieces, this is Healing Field 1...

with a closeup of the stitching...

Around the corner is Lydia Tjioe-Hall's intriguing Mother and Child, built on metal electrical hardware...they seem to be speaking to each other...

Here is one of Julie Kornblum's recycled art pieces, Plastic in the Trees 2, made of surplus yarn and plastic bags.

Charlotte Bird's Small Wonders is at the entrance to the exhibit, and pulls everyone in to the room...

Here are some detailed shots of her tiny living creatures...

Under the microscope...

The detail in the tiny pieces and the embroidery could engage you for quite a long time...

Polly Jacobs Giacchina's piece Specimens is another collection of intriguing items...

The attention to detail and use of the wire with natural materials asks you to stay longer...

and is also reminiscent of biological beasts under the microscope or things found in your fishnet at the end of the day.

Carrie Burckle's two hanging pieces Bruised and Empty Purple and Bruised and Empty Pink have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated...

The detail of the dye process and the stitching are subtle (with Susan Henry's Vortex in the background).

Susan Hart Henegar's piece Still the Voices hangs near Carol E. Lang's pieces...

On top is Lang's Tribute in Black; below is Tribal Tribute XIII...

We were (again) fascinated with Lydia Tjioe-Hall's piece Time Warp...

No matter from where you view it...

it grabs your attention.

This is Gail Fraser's Sojourn II...

A mail cabinet with photos illuminated in the back of each section, small canoes throughout...

Definitely requiring some time to experience...

Near there is Peggy Wiedemann's Hanging Out...

And a detail looking up to the top, showing the intricate stitching and wrapping in this piece...

This is a detail of Polly Jacobs-Giacchina's piece Textures Strung Out...

This is another of Doshi's pieces, Illusion Waltz...

with a detail of the discharged fabrics...

Julie Kornblum's Plastic in the Trees 1 hangs nearby.

Looking down the wall, you can see Michael Rohde's Pastorale and Julie Kornblum's The Fifth Element...

This is an overview of the upstairs, with a Chihuly glass sculpture hanging in the center.

This is a detail of Charlotte Bird's Nebula showing the layers of organza and sparkly bits...

That make up this stunning piece.

This is not everything in the show, by far, and the venue is a wonderful place to experience the art. The gallery is open from 9-5 Monday through Friday, and it is free to the public. With only three and half weeks left, you should put it on your calendar.

Coast to Coast Opening at Visions Art Museum

Last weekend, the joint exhibit Coast to Coast between California Fibers on the West Coast and New Image Artists on the East Coast opened at the Visions Art Museum. The exhibit runs through April 19.

Candace Egerley's Garden Window is on the far right.
There is a wide variety of fiber art in the show, from basketry and quilting to weaving and felting.

Ginny Smith's One Strange Bird is on the far left, with Chari Myers' Indigo Dream next to it. You can also see Lesly-Claire Greenberg's Thorns II: Points of Interest on the far right. On the pedestal in front on the right is Susan Hart Henegar's Ideal Woman/Ideal Love.

 A closeup of Henegar's work is below...

And this is Lynne Hodgman's Cryptic Diptych, hidden in the gallery photo...
This section of the gallery contains Mary Beth Bellah's Tip of the Iceberg on the left.
 Visitors discussing Catherine Kleeman's Divide by Red...
 And a view of Verena Levine's Deep River...
 Charlotte Bird's Forest Primeval...
Also seen here in closeup...
 California Fibers artist Michael F. Rohde discussing his piece Tara with gallery visitors.
 This gallery view also shows Doshi's Garden Fable on the left wall.
 A visitor studies Joan Dreyer's Tree of Loss #2, with Dominie Nash's Foliated Calligraphy 4 to the right.
Cameron Taylor-Browns' Colors of Gujarat: On the Line sits on the pedestal to the left of Bellah's work, with VALYA's Speechless Scroll on the far right.
 Guests view Julie Kornblum's Gyre...
 On the wall to the left of it is Polly Jacobs Giacchina's Biosynthesis, shown below in closeup.
Visitors looking at Marilyn McKenzie Chaffee's Marking Time #8...
which can be seen below...
Also in the show...Brecia Kralovic-Logan's Audacious...
 Carrie Burckle's Living in the Margins
Kathy Nida's Buried Under...
 Lori Zimmerman's Unbound...
 Lydia Tjioe Hall's Intake...
 Peggy Wiedemann's Regal...
There was lovely French music played out in the hallway where the food and drink was placed, making for a nice reception.
California Fibers' artists in the exhibit include Charlotte Bird, Carrie Burckle, Doshi, Marilyn McKenzie Chaffee, Polly Jacobs Giacchina, Susan Hart Henegar, Lynne Hodgman, Lydia Tjioe Hall, Julie Kornblum, Brecia Kralovic-Logan, Kathy Nida, Chari Myers, Michael F. Rohde, VALYA, Peggy Wiedemann, Cameron Taylor-Brown, and Lori Zimmerman.