Creatively Organized Spaces
What can we learn from simply observing how artist organize their space in a co-working environment? Lots I think!
While I was at Arrowmont I took the opportunity to walk around and look at other artists work but I also was observing their creative spaces.
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.
I live by the sea and I drink it up every chance I get but the mountains literally call to me.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Happy 4th of July, happy Independence Day America! Here’s to next year bringing us more celebrations of Freedom and Equality!
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!
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”!
The Vat Shack set up
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.
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).
Heather K Powers with Wire Hanger Mandala
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!
Charleston community tries their had at Shibori
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!
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 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!
