Entering the summer, I am back in the studio with a more relaxed practice than I've had for over a year. With two major milestones behind me, my inaugural show at Boston Sculptors Gallery and my daughter's wedding, I'm finally finding the space to sit back and take it all in.
FiberLAB, one of my favorite activities, is a study group in my studio where during biweekly meetings we test multitudes of techniques and processes while sharing materials and results. Over the past 2 years I've collected several containers full of samples and have been thinking hard about how to contain them, as a sort of journal, in a way that is organic and not too fussy.
Today I devised a signature assembly of the swatches to work like the leaves of a book. The pages include eco-dyed silks, indigo with shibori stitching, sculptural crocheted leaves, weavings without a loom, black doilies from the scorpion... plus more. The binding is sewn with ribbon and it includes several blanks, from my stash of tea-dyed silks, to provide places for additional samples to be attached later. The idea is to document processes and results for reference that is bound together in one place as a singular resource.
I plan to continue this practice with future workshops including while teaching in Skopelos in September. What a perfect keepsake from what is sure to be a memorable experience, documenting place while Stitching Nature and Culture on a Greek Island!
