Re-discovered the work of Elvia Perrin this week, and I can’t stop swooning over her beautiful etchings. So much texture! I just can’t get enough.
Find more of Elvia Perrin’s work in her shop, or check out her website to see more of her portfolio.
To dye, or not to dye (fabrics).
Today I’m compiling swatches of potential fabrics I’ll be using in my next round of textiles, here’s a little peek of the fabrics I’m fond of right now. I’ll have to narrow it down considerably, since I try to stick with just four or five colors for my work, which helps me to keep the focus on the patterns.
I’m really loving the play between the brights and the pastels, but I keep getting into a rut because I can’t find a really bright tomato red. Everything I find is too ruby toned or leaning more towards carrot, which has me thinking that I may start hand dying fabric in small batches… as if I don’t have enough to do already.
Anyone have experience dying fabrics? I’ve done it before, but I’m sure there are lots of tips and tricks I’m unfamiliar with. Say hello on Twitter if you want to share ideas and resources about dying textiles, I’d love to hear them!
Weekend in San Francisco
Took a quick trip up to San Francisco this weekend; very brief, but packed full of activity. I was particularly excited to visit SF MOMA to see the Cindy Sherman show, which was wonderful.
After perusing her retrospective, I found myself wandering through the other galleries, and feeling drawn towards pieces where the artist used very wild, frantic mark making techniques. I captured small samples of two of my favorites, the one on the left is by Julie Mehretu, and on the right is Cy Twombly. I hope to harness some of this loose and excitable energy in my new textile prints, and I feel inspired to return to my work with fresh eyes this week.
Print of the Week – Woodcut by Tugboat Printshop
This little print (“House Tree,” hand printed by Tugboat Printshop) is one of my personal favorites. In fact, it’s hanging in our living room right now! I bought this print as a gift for my boyfriend last year, as a little consolation prize after we decided to move into a real apartment instead of a treehouse. He would have preferred the latter.
View more awesomely elaborate woodcuts by Tugboat Printshop, and learn more about the artists on their website.
A Messy Desk
Lately, I’ve been spending too much time on Pinterest, collecting photos of beautiful workspaces and gorgeous studios, many of which are immaculately tidy. I’d have to admit, though, that my workspace is much less glamorous. In fact, right now it is piled high with my drawings, as you can see from my hastily taken Instagram photo above.
While it might not be as photo-worthy as the studios of my dreams, at least there is some proof of me working! I’ll have to aim for a more “blog-worthy” photo of my workspace in the days ahead.
Guest Post on Whipup.net
Just wanted to post a link to my guest post on the Whipup blog, which went up this week. I talk about the 21st century phenomenon of “Visual Overload,” and how easy it is to become overwhelmed by the incredible amount of beautiful imagery on the internet (and yes, Pinterest is mentioned). Check it out here.
