Category Archives: Fiber Musings

A change of season

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Here is one day in May where color, shapes and sounds announced new life in West Virginia. The natural cycle continues. As of the end of the month, with the squeaking song in early morning of the Indigo, all of the migratory birds have returned.  We are ready for summer.

My artist eye  looks for shadows, highlights and textures to exaggerate. When you look around what catches your eye and how will you show us the results?

Ninth Retreat Whitened

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Early in April for the past nine years fiber enthusiasts have traveled to Hampshire County, WV for a weekend at Peterkin Camp and Conference Center. Anticipation of renewing friendships, flashes of pinks from native redbuds along Route 50, and pulling loops until midnight energize us.

Snow but no travel on Saturday

Snow but no travel on Saturday

This year the weather included snow! We also had rain on Friday and bright sun on Sunday to travel home. In past years there has been hurricanes, tornadoes, and a full weekend of very warm sunny weather. Mother Nature is fickle in April in West Virginia.

We worked away on a wide variety of rughooking projects. Many of which will be works in progress next year too – they are quite intricate.

Too quickly the packing began and vehicles headed north, south, east and west filled with memories of conversations and visual fun.

Join with a friend or two and pull some loops soon, your mind and work will benefit.

Travel Sketches-Seattle

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Beginning a new series based on my travels. The challenge is to simplify the experience.

I decided a journal approach will help develop style and studies for larger art. Less pressure to “nail it” the first time and as you will see, the exercise leads to my goal… concise yet informative designs. Techniques and materials are not clarified yet, although my new supply of cotton fabric and threads will be tapped into.

Thanks go to the students in my design class at Puget Sound Rug School, who energized my own creativity. The first sketch is a result of one of the exercises. List a topic, describe it in words and motifs.

Initial Sketch

Initial Sketch

Over the past week I have developed three separate designs inspired by the trip to Seattle. The City View has seen 6 versions so far.  Next steps to decide size, techniques, materials and begin with my favorite tools-my hands. Slowly I will communicate.

 

Exploring Seattle

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Two days ahead of Puget Sound Rug School I have immersed myself in Seattle visually and physically. Who knew you could “hike” five miles in a city?  Camera in pocket and rain gear on here are some inspiring compositions.

Okan Arts Japanese cottons

Okan Arts Japanese cottons

First stop was a fiber mecca for me. Patricia Belyea has amassed an amazing collection of Japanese yukata cottons available for  US quilting and fiber artists from her shop in Seattle or online at OkanArts.com.  I selected bold patterns and intimate repeats of lines to be combined into my art.

Pikes Market produce

Pikes Market produce

Vendors carrying produce, flowers, artisan products, and baked goods entice the tourists at Pikes Market down along the waterfront. The blast of color and natural shapes caught my attention.

The city is filled with contrasting shapes, lines of different strengths, and shots of color in the structures, everyone vying  for attention.

Coffee Beans

Coffee Beans

And then there was the sensual allure of roasting coffee at THE Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room.   Notice the gentle curves of the copper tubes and the warm color of the roasted beans awaiting the personal selection.

All of my senses were heightened. I am sure to end up with some visual artwork from these hours spent in the Emerald City.  Traveling from the West Virginia mountains to a metropolitan area increases the awareness of structure.

What am I learning?

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Sketches and small studies reveal patterns, address color nuances and encourage decisions.
What will be explored again, how large, using what materials, techniques, how many times?

Searching for Inspiration

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5 inch hooked mats Susan L Feller

5 inch hooked mats Susan L Feller

Granted I have 365 sketches to “inspire” me creatively. But there is something about beginning to do that has eluded me for a block of time. Don’t fret, we are not holed up here in the mountains though rather traveled to new museums and collected inspiring details.

 

 

Studying a favorite, Georgia O'Keefe

Studying a favorite, Georgia O’Keefe

The Chrysler Museum of Art is in Norfolk, VA and open (free) every day. Galleries are filled chronologically covering worldwide history. The contemporary exhibits change and a separate Glass Studio includes opportunities to watch work in progress.
Labeling can add to the experience and the information with the artwork enhances our understanding of time and technique. We also found the docents to be the friendliest and most knowledgeable.

 

Shadows in Contemporary Gallery

Shadows in Contemporary Gallery

 

At the Michener Museum, Doylestown, PA  color was abundant. Kaffe Fassett presented “Blanket Statements” exhibiting quilts from a British collection alongside the contemporary results through Feb 21, 2016.

 

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Bucks County Impressionist collection

Bucks County Impressionist collection

The Michener collection focuses on regional artwork and features the talent of Bucks County Impressionists hung in a salon manner with labels as handouts not interspersed on the wall.

Inspiration can and should come from traveling. Vancouver, BC was an exciting trip filled with Emily Carr’s vast Pacific Northwest rainforest, city structure, and studio visits. All made extra special by spending with several art friends.

Shapes, texture, color, scale and awe.

Then there are the every day scenes filled with memories that can trigger a design.  I am energized by selecting these scenes and with a snow storm predicted will gather materials and tools for a long weekend of creating.  Hope you too are prepared or will find inspiration in the days ahead.

 

Revealing Squares

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4-24-14 Positive Negative; hooked

4-24-14 Positive Negative; hooked

I am thrilled to announce the administrative work is completed and you can virtually explore the Year Study – square by square.  Review the exhibit here online.

From November 2013, through November 2014 the  individual squares are listed for sale at squareup.com/store/Susan-Feller-ArtWools select STORE then the month you are interested in or scroll through. Sold pieces are not listed on the sale site but you can still study them at www.ArtWools.com/year-study.

Looking forward to conversations in person, here online and through articles about creativity, process and product.

Premiering Year Study at Sauder

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Year Study Journals

Year Study Journals

One month to go! The prep work is administrative now – scanning journal pages, photographing, cropping and uploading images and creating labels for the only public exhibit of all 365+ squares.  The YEAR STUDY will be hung as twelve panels (months) at Sauder Village Rug Hooking Week in Archbold, OH August 12-15. On Saturday morning I am conducting a gallery talk, sign up for this or enjoy the visuals while at the show.

The variety of techniques, materials and composition styles are sure to encourage fiber artists. Taking the time to educate myself with these elements has been more important than I first expected.  As an artist there are times when everything clicks and volumes of pieces are the results.  The satisfaction of sales and ease in making similar work just keeps flowing along.

BUT I have observed the spark of the artist does not end up in every one of their pieces. Back in my college days when a roll of photographs was taken there was probably only one or maybe two which were great, artists know when the object has a soul.

Working in uncertainty everyday to create a visual record was helpful to learn how to communicate visually.  Besides improving drawing skills I learned to simplify, enhance shapes, use colors and values to direct the viewer. Using a variety of techniques within one square, I have been able to create interest in a small object.

Several themes are haunting me and the studio has been reorganized, purged of clutter and is ready to be used for creativity. While cutting up the panels and adding the finishing to each square is still ahead, knowing they will be purchased and enjoyed by others makes this step enjoyable along with educational.

Traveling Inspirations

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On the road again teaching, lectures and just because the weather is nice and making a point to visit all the state parks in WV. Coopers Rock State Forest was just three miles off the Interstate on my way to Cedar Lakes last week.

Cooper's Rock State Forest WV CCC construction

Cooper’s Rock State Forest WV CCC construction

A breathtaking view of undeveloped forest and valley atop a massive ROCK.  The CCC program instituted by President Roosevelt employed thousands and left structures built with native materials which decades later are treasured.

Cooper's Rock State Park, WV

Cooper’s Rock State Park, WV

Birch Catkin

Birch catkin

 

The birds were singing, sun shining and wind blowing trees with bright new leaves and catkins. Picked up a book with trails described, will be sure to return in other seasons.

 

Arrived at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley for week long rug camp directed by Tomorrow’s Heirlooms. Always enjoy the early morning fog lifting off water surface and structures. How could this view be interpreted using fiber techniques? The reflecting light is what fascinates me.

early morning light

early morning light

Traveled to Charleston and visited the Capitol Market. Plants in all sizes, colors and leaf shapes.  Inspirations everywhere if you pause to see what you are looking at.

Charleston Farmers Market detail

And finished this stop with lunch at Soho which uses Homer Laughlin Fiestaware (WV company) for serving dishes along with local ingredients for fresh salads.

Fiestaware at SoHo

Fiestaware at SoHo

Inspirations collected depict space, scale, color, value, contrast, depth, texture, nature and history. May I encourage you to experience new visuals and sounds and add them to your work.

Virtual Studio Visit – Susan L. Feller

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Transfer design to linen backing

Transfer design to linen backing

As a creative person I would love to stay in the studio and work, but no one sees the results unless they visit. These days a virtual visit can be arranged if some of that creative time is put into developing websites, blogs and social media avenues.

Here are ways you can view, learn about, and purchase some of that artwork:

Ruckman Mill Farm color logo  We are revamping the website www.RuckmanMillFarm.com It is back up now. Hope you check it out regularly to see new and favorite rug hooking patterns, supplies, and my teaching schedule.  Use the coupon FaceShip when checking out to receive free shipping until March 31.  And please send me comments on the navigation and order process, we can improve with input. Here in the hills of West Virginia it is loading SLOWLY……

The site you are on now,  www.ArtWools.com serves as my identity as an artist and also acts as a blog. If you are new to it, I invite you to look on the right sidebar and sign up for automatic posts . Search the pages to view Galleries and biographical details.

We are now on Facebook on two pages Ruckman Mill Farm , Susan L. Feller, Artwools , LIKE them for news feeds.

And I have several boards on Pinterest at Susan Feller at Artwools

Hoping to hear from you after “visiting” 24-7.