Tapestry Diaries Old and New

Weaving a tapestry diary has given new meaning to the New Years holiday.  Instead of making a resolution that I feel I SHOULD do, I have a plan for what I WANT to do, and actually WILL do for the entire year.

I got the idea from Tommye Scanlin, and my first tapestry diary was in 2010 (left). It amazes me how 365 very small daily entries can add up to something so substantial!

I decided to weave a row of 7 parallelograms each week, because with that shape, you don't end up with a slit between each day like you would if you wove a square. I had woven some small tapestries like this in the past, just as playful exercises, and they came from my habit of using lazy lines.

Lazy lines occur when you break a solid area of color into smaller diagonal areas, but because all the parts are the same color, it's very subtle, as you can see in this image (right).

In my parallelogram tapestries....WAIT!
I am really tired of typing that word, even though I'm proud that I can now spell it....can I just call them p-grams from now on?  OK!


In my p-gram tapestries I wove a stripe of diagonal shapes all the way across for about an inch, then started a new stripe in different colors. Some of the parallelograms also include thin stripes.

My 2010 tapestry diary was based on this design.

One of the benefits of my tapestry diary is that I make rules, and that takes away the intimidation and uncertainty that can keep me away from my studio, allowing me to make a really simple choice each day. It's a great way to get myself into the studio.

So my rules for 2010 were:
1. Choose a color scheme for each month
2. Change direction each month
3. Weave every day, unless I can't
4. If I miss a day or more, make it up later
5. When I feel like it, weave an image or text relating to special occasions
6. I make the rules, so I can change them or break them

Along with various birthdays and other events that I wove, here I am in my kayak from May 2010!

Every day, I would sit at the loom and weave what I felt like weaving, without over-thinking it. After all, if I didn't like that one small p-gram, it was only one of 365, so no big deal.

It became a daily weaving practice that was all about the process and not about the product. I enjoyed it so much that I remember, near the end of a day that was not going well, I suddenly realized I had not yet woven my diary, and it made me so happy to know I had that to look forward to.

Detail of August and September 2011 (below) 

NOTE: click on any photo for larger image

As the year went on, I realized that the repetition, and yes, boredom, of weaving the same thing every day drove me to experiment and explore, to seek out challenges, so the final product is a treasure trove of new ideas for future reference. As a mother, I always felt that boredom was necessary to encourage children to develop their creativity, and I can see that it works for adults too.

September and October 2010 (below)

At the end of 2010, I didn't want to do another tapestry diary right away, so I did a sketch diary instead. That only lasted about 5 months, as I found it more difficult than the tapestry diary, but it was really worthwhile. I drew a lot of moon snail shells. Read about it here.

For my 2012 Tapestry Diary,  I used the same basic rules, but I made my p-grams steeper (by turning on the same warp twice instead of once), I used thicker yarns, and instead of noting special dates, I had a mission: to explore adding color to the black and white which I have been using so much in my recent tapestries.

I used a loom that could only fit enough warp for 6 months, so I had to cut off and restart on July 1. At that point, I decided to weave the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the year as separate pieces, because, as a finished tapestry I prefer that shape, and because I was starting to love the way they looked, and to see them as possible tapestries for exhibition. So much for process vs. product!

That happened because, once again getting bored weaving the same shape every day, I discovered that I could break my p-grams into 2 matching triangles, or into 3 triangles...and from there the shapes morphed into waves, and leaves and half moons.

So on New Years Eve, I wove the last p-gram of 2012, then I wove the hem, and cut the last 2 quarters of the year off the loom.

On New Years Day I spent most of the day putting on my new warp, and weaving the hem and weaving the first day of 2013.

As much as I love the way the 2012 diary turned out, 2013 is going in a new direction because the diary has to be about exploring new territory!

Who knows where it will take me!





Here are some links to previous blog posts about my tapestry diaries:

Fall 2012

May 2012 with links to earlier posts

December 2011 with links to 2010 Diary

Too Much of a Good Thing!

It's that time of year again, time for all the Holiday Exhibits!!!

It's exciting, but a bit hectic trying to keep track of all the shows, when to drop things off, pick things up, and attend opening receptions.  So maybe by the time I finish writing this, I will be less confused.

The Holiday Small Works Exhibit, at Emporium Framing and Gallery, 261 Main Street, South Berwick, Maine.  Through February 2, 2013.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10-6.

I have 4 small tapestries in this exhibit, including Small Kilim With Bird (above right), and Moon Snail, Moon Shadow (below left)




















 Holiday Art Sale, at the Warwick Museum of Art, 3259 Post Road
Warwick, RI. Through December 22nd.

Hours: Sun, Wed, Fri, Sat - 12.30-5.40,  Tues, Thurs - 12.30-8.30

I have some small tapestries in this show, like Flora Fragment 5, (below right), and also some tiny crocheted and felted baskets.

This photo of the Rainbow Baskets shows them nested inside each other.  You can see that the center of each basket is a bright color that kind of glows.

I had a lot of fun making these.















Winter's Eve, the 2nd Annual Juried Art Exhibit sponsored by the Friends of East Greenwich Library,  at the East Greenwich Free Library, 82 Peirce St, East Greenwich, RI.

The opening reception is Thursday, December 6, 5.30-7 pm, with music at 7.  Through January 4, 2013. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-8, Fri-Sat 10-4.

The tapestry that was selected for this show is The Other Side of Me (right), a favorite of mine.

I hope I haven't forgotten something.

I know, this is only 3 shows, but it's all very exciting, and there are more shows coming up in 2013!

What I really need now is time to weave some more tapestries!

American Tapestry Biennial 9

It's a great honor to be part of this exhibit, the 9th American Tapestry Biennial (ATB), which opened at the Dairy Barn Arts Center, in Athens, Ohio, on October 19. This gallery, in a restored dairy barn, and listed on the Historic Register, hosts the world renowned Quilt National and Bead International exhibits. ATB9 includes 41 tapestries by artists from 11 countries.

The ATB exhibits are sponsored by the American Tapestry Alliance (ATA). On the ATA website you can find out more about ATB9, peruse the Artist Pages, enjoy past and present online exhibitions, and even buy a full color printed catalog of this show and previous ones. 

Sadly, I was unable to attend the reception, as I had to be here for the Open Studio the next morning! Too bad I couldn't just beam myself there and back! The show will be at the Dairy Barn until December 16th, so if you're in the area, do visit.

I do plan to attend the opening reception at the second venue, which is at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Friday, January 18th, 2013. The show will be up until February 23rd.

This is my tapestry, On the Edge of Chaos.  It's part of the ongoing Chaos series, and you can read more about it in a previous blog post.

I have promised myself I will never ever weave cursive text again, but I'm not sure if I'm reliable as I've broken these kinds of promises a few times....

I am also participating in the Holiday Small Works Exhibit at the Emporium Gallery in South Berwick, Maine, from now through February 3, 2013.

(click on the images to see larger versions)

West Bay Open Studios Tour

Saturday and Sunday from 11-5, I was in my studio, with a constant flow of visitors.

It was really fun to show people my looms and explain how tapestries are made. My visitors were a really interesting bunch and I had some wonderful conversations.

I spent 2 weeks cleaning the studio, framing and hanging tapestries, putting price tags up, putting away other stuff.

I had about 50 tapestries on display! The smallest is about 2 x 1" and the largest is 34 x 72." Even the piano was put into service with tapestries on top and on the music stand. I love my 2 new mini-easels on the left, I got them at Michaels for $8.99 each.

People were very interested in the Tapestry Diaries, and the current one was a really good tapestry for demonstrating, since it's pretty simple.  This is the month of October.

I created a powerpoint slideshow with images of the 3 new tapestries that are away in exhibits.

Now I have a nice clean studio to work in, now that's inspiring!

It's an honor to be part of this group of artists. Check out our website, it's really impressive. 

Open Studio Coming Up

Lots of tidying up and organizing this week, to prepare for this weekend's West Bay Open Studios Tour.  It's a free tour, including 22 artists who will all be opening their studios to the public this Saturday and Sunday, October 20-21, 11-5 both days.

I had such a great time last year, and I'm looking forward to doing it again.  The only sad thing is that we don't get to visit each others studios, because we are each hosting in our own studio. There are so many wonderful artists on the tour.

Check them out on the website, and if you're in the area, print yourself a map and come on out!

There are so many shows to enter this time of year, thus my two newest tapestries will not be in the studio this weekend.

Chaos in Darkness and Light (above left) is at the North Kingstown Free Library as part of the West Bay Open Studios preview exhibit. You can see it there for the month of October.

Tree Study (above), which traveled to Long Beach, California for the Pacific Portals exhibit in July, is back in RI, and can be seen in the RI Open exhibit at the Warwick Museum of Art until November 17.

I have 3 new tapestries on looms in my studio, plus the 2012 Tapestry Diary, so there will be plenty to see this weekend.

Hope to see you there!