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Fiber Fieldtrip Arrowmont

August 19, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Handmade, Inspiration & Education, Museums & Galleries, Textiles & Pattern 1 Comment

Last week I took a Fiber Fieldtrip to Arrowmont…for an entirely necessary week of learning new creative skills in weaving and spinning. It was pretty incredible and began with my arrival to the smoky mountains after a few summer thunderstorms. I delighted in stopping on the overlooks and gazing at the storms, lightening and lingering clouds in the valley’s.

Fiber Fieldtrip Arrowmont

I live by the sea and I drink it up every chance I get but the mountains literally call to me.

There are times I long to be up high, breathing the less humid air and seeing for miles, feeling the solid earth beneath me. Fiber Fieldtrip Arrowmont

Arriving in Gatlinburg, I ignored all the touristy nonsense and made a beeline to the campus, both isolated from town and right in the midst of it! I’ll just say that once I got there, I didn’t set foot off campus. My entire existence pretty much revolved around three locations, my room-where I slept, our studio-where I spent about 12 hrs a day (in bliss) and the dining room-for 3 great meals a day.Double Glory

Morning Glories greeted us each day before breakfast!

Moon over Arrowmont The moon and sunsets greeted us each evenings along with slides from the teachers, resident artists and

others artists at Arrowmont. Sadly there were too many clouds for gazing upon the perseids meteor shower.Arrowmont Sunset

There were totems and animal totems (no photo of the black bear-sorry!)

Arrowmont Totems

Not having to worry about making or getting food was one of the highlights of my week! To say we were well fed is an understatement.

Fiber Fieldtrip Arrowmont Fiber Fieldtrip Arrowmont

Class began with our teacher, Lynn Pollard, leading us in a mindful meditation on making paper yarn (called Shifu) out of traditional Japanese mulberry paper. The process included slicing the paper, dampening it, rolling it and finally spinning it. Once we learned the traditional process we were invited to explore variations using other materials. Though I enjoyed learning the traditional way, I went with every intention of learning how to spin and weave with the vintage nautical charts that I’ve been indigo dyeing for a few years. We had an indigo vat set up in the classroom and quickly became the “popular kids” with many other classes visiting us.

Making Paper Yarn at Arrowmont

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I didn’t get great photo’s of the spinning process but lets just say that I didn’t want to like it as much as I did. I’ve managed to be a fiber artist for 20 years without spinning and swore I didn’t need to learn another fiber craft skill. Just not possible I guess, I do love to learn new things and this class was an excellent example of traditional and non traditional materials and process. I came home and put a warp on my loom right away to get back to weaving! I’ll be exploring the possibilities of paper yarn in my future weaving’s and can’t wait to share them soon.

Finally I want to share a few highlights from the Instructor exhibit. I’ve even interviewed some of these instructors and have my sights on a few more! What you don’t see here are works by the Artist in Residence, but don’t worry…I’ve interviewed all of them and will be sharing their work and studio’s this fall!

2016 Arrowmont Instructor Exhibition

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There are so many incredible talented artists and teachers that have been ‘Cultivating your Capacity to be Creative‘ at Arrowmont and beyond! The most important take away (besides re-learning Lynn’s “Right way to warp a loom!”, hemstitching and spinning) is how important it is for me to cultivate my own creative capacity and this means setting aside time, both at home and away for creating and making, regardless of what the outcome is!

My ride home was leisurely and I spent the day exploring and soaking in the Smoky and Appalachian mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.

Fiber Fieldtrip Arrowmont Fiber Fieldtrip Arrowmont

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Celebrate YOUR Independence

July 4, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Photography Leave a Comment

As our nation celebrates independence, take a moment to Celebrate YOUR Independence! It’s a bee-autiful thing! Toast to it, light off rockets and celebrate with gratitude!

Celebrate Independence

Happy 4th of July, happy Independence Day America! Here’s to next year bringing us more celebrations of Freedom and Equality!

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Studio Time at the Vat Shack

June 11, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, Handmade, In the Studio, Inspiration & Education Leave a Comment

I’ll be spending a lot of my Saturday’s this summer in my new shared temporary studio, The Vat Shack. This project brings together 6 Indigo & textile artists for a summer of all things blue!

The Vat Shack artists have affectionately been dubbed the “Den Mama’s”.

This project has been made possible by Charleston non profit, Enough Pie in partnership with Clemson’s architecture students (and others) who built this amazing temporary traveling “studio” for this specific purpose.  The Den Mama’s and Enough Pie had regular meetings with the students and professors to share in the process of designing this space specifically for our needs. It was so fun to see it go from concept to reality, they did an amazing job and gave us just about everything on our “wish list”!

Vat Shack

The Vat Shack set up

Vat Shack

The Vat Shack storage

After the “shack” was delivered we came together to set up 3 types of  Natural indigo vats, a Ferrous (Iron) vat, Fermentation vat and Hydrosulphate Vat. These three types of vats were selected to illustrate the evolution of this artform and craft throughout history (fermentation being the oldest type, Hydros the most “modern”). I was really in my element getting to set up the supplies and organize all the tools, shelving, space layout etc.

Vat Shack

Den Mama’s setting up Indigo vats

Last Saturday this project was launched into the community with a public event Awakening:Indigo IV. All the Den Mama’s were there to share Indigo dyeing with the community. All afternoon we gave demonstrations of dyeing with indigo, shibori techniques and people added to the Community Rag Quilt (a Gullah Tradition being revived by the Gullah Lady).

Vat Shack

Vat Shack

Heather K Powers with Wire Hanger Mandala

Vat Shack

The Gullah Lady

Art installations (I created another one of my wire hanger mandala’s above) were onsite along with performances by story tellers (like my friend Sharon Cooper Murray-below) and a screening of the indigo documentary Blue Alchemy by Mary Lance who was in attendance and helped to create a lasting blue memories in Charleston!

Vat Shack

Charleston community tries their had at Shibori

Vat Shack

Vat Shack

Mary Lance creates something blue to remember Charleston

Den mama’s will be spending time in the shack teaching workshops, camps and leading community dye days (first and third Saturday’s each month into October). This project is such an exciting way to bring together all different kinds of people in the Charleston community to learn about the art, craft, science and history of Indigo in the Lowcountry and around the world. I’m very proud to be a part of this and I hope to see you out there this summer!

Vat Shack

All together in Blue! (L—>R Rachel Parris, Cathryn Zommer, Mary Lance, Arianne King Comer, Heather K Powers, Leigh Magar, Cara Earnst, Sharon Cooper Murrah and Kristy Bishop)

 

In the Studio with Tim Hussey-Part II

June 2, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, In the Studio, Organize, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

In today’s interview we will take another peek at In the studio with Tim Hussey. Last week we talked about his background, his new studio space and his creative legacy. This week we dive into organizing specifics and he shares some tips he’s learned through his years as an artist in various capacities. His new space is open to the public, and his latest show Listing, is his first in this new Studio. I dropped by while the show was hanging but he’s also shared a few shots of how he works in his space. These photos are not styled and are typical of what his working studio looks like on an average day.  All the photo’s in this post were supplied by Tim too!

Tim Hussey Art Studio Organization Part II (see Part I here)

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[Read more…]

ABC Eye Candy

April 8, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Home, Inspiration & Education, Textiles & Pattern Leave a Comment

I wanted to share just a bit more inspiration from my March trip to NYC…I spent at least two hours in one of my favorite places, ABC Carpet & Home. This store almost feels like a museum to me, with two buildings (near Union Square) and 5 floors of home furnishings, accessories and more to explore. When I went they had a whole theme of “In Pursuit of Magic“, from their displays to product selection, to the message on their bags…it did feel pretty magical.

PHOTO_20160321_135515  PHOTO_20160321_134454  PHOTO_20160321_150926

What I loved most…the color combinations! I have been really anti neon (having lived it the first go round in the 80’s!) but no more! I saw such amazing unexpected color combinations using neon’s, pastels and earth tones. I couldn’t help but fall a little in love with Neon all over again!PHOTO_20160321_143701I always went to ABC when I was a textile designer because I knew they would be leading trends and showcasing textiles and carpets of exquisite design and quality. I still love to go for that very reason, to be inspired in what I might design or create. Just take a look through this slide show of some of the beautiful textiles include handmade lace, net-like structures, traditional woven overshot, totally modern digital prints and woven structures that enhance color through the use of texture.

ABC Carpet-Textiles

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Finally I want to share some of the products I found for organizing and keeping your home beautiful. There was such a wonderful collection of kitchen and household items including wire baskets (both vintage and new), hand crochet baskets, hand thrown/built pottery, glassware in a rainbow of colors and the combinations of textures, colors and patterns invites us to play with combining our old and new together in a fresh way. Throw out the rule book and use what you love, in any combination!

ABC

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