I’ve worked on these all through my textiles period, ranging from machine done and burn tortured, painted, machine embroidered, free motion, drawing and hand embroidery to the present natural dyeing.

From 2006-2012:

Currently i’ve been working on these 2:

Have progressed further on the one above since photo taken, the one below has tons of notes on a printout but no needle has touched it yet

These backgrounds are slated for face work as well:

Not sure what face will be on the above, but for below, i’m thinking the photo from the lower right of the first photo:

may change orientation

As many artists are, i’ve been fascinated with them for a long time. (LOTS more examples on my Flickr.)

I’m hoping to get enough pieces together to do a solo show next year with this vague theme. (Gallery already contacted!)

Now to work!

In the “Brain and Behaviour” pages highlighting their faculty and programs in Psychology and Biology, here she is:

Scanned, so not perfectly clear

And the original detail she was taken from:

Instinct (detail) 2010 arlee barr

“Monet’s Pond” detail

“Event Horizon”

in the shop!  2 available of each, similar but not identical.

A

hugelybig thank you ♥♥♥♥♥

to all my customers who keep me busy exploring new methods, and supporting my endeavours!!! It’s almost time for an anniversary and a milestone event for FybreSpace also, so stay tuned!

And some eco funnies from this week’s work

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From top to bottom: Anne Fetterley, arlee barr and Karin Millson

There’s a lot of information about using alum if you Google, most of which i have read, religiously followed in the beginning and now pretty much ignore I use it for cotton and silk. I buy the “expensive” version, probably not the purest, in the spice aisle at Walmart, the cheapest place i’ve found it. I use very little really, but always use it. I never weigh or measure it or the amount of fabric. Perhaps not science, but it works for me. Your results may vary. It may be our very hard Calgary water, it may be our 100 year old plumbing carrying that water, it may be pure luck! (If you do Google, and have to have faith in the science, go for the reputable sites like Aurora Silks, Earth Hues, Jenny Dean, Paula Burch and the like, not the pioneer pages, most Ravelry discussions, SCA sites or Miss Natural Marmot Breath down the block.)

And note: i am NOT an expert, not a scientist, but my method works for me My big dye pot holds up to 25litres of water, though i rarely use it more than half full–why heat all that water when half fits in all i need to do and it still floats or can be circulated around each bundle by heat? Then i sprinkle, counting to 10 or 15.

That’s it.

And wait until you see the edging i have planned, ahh so sweet.

And some new listed, reasonable pricing including postage to anywhere in the world as always!

Eucalyptus sampler (detail) –2 packs available (5 pieces per pack)

Rocket, a large piece!

Felicity’s Romance, detail (5 piece pack)

I’m really looking forward to warm days this weekend and this summer as i continue to explore colour in natural dyeing!

She whirls flamboyant and flaming, my onion girl!

Why is enthusiasm considered a bad thing? Or intensity, passion, commitment? Some may consider me over reactive, and that’s fine. We don’t all cruise through our (art) journeys with poise and calm. Me, if i don’t jump in with all hoofies thrashing, things don’t get done, don’t feel right. I may obsessively analyze what i’m doing but i do the work.

I’ve been “shut down” a number of times in the last 6 months by people at workshops, online, galleries and meetings, as being (too) enthusiastic. It drives them up the wall, i guess, but why show up and not contribute or question, not greet new knowledge with excitement, share what ifs, ask questions?????????? Calm and poise may be “ladylike”, but art and making is not calm, poised or ladylike

My working blog is STUFFED with ideas, thoughts, plans and actual notes and sketches of development, a resource i can look back on without boring you all to tears. I might share some along the way, but have found that without an audience it’s more focused there. I rant–but only at myself–i whine, i “what if i did this” all over the place, and started in January of this year, i have 127 posts already full of spontaneous ramblings, incredibly detailed drawings and probably enough stuff to carry me through the next 3 years!

Conceptual Worlds:Craft (Art & Fear excerpt)

Be private, be public, but choose what is what. Enthusiasm is what gets the work done. If i followed only the books and gurus, i wouldn’t learn enough.

And green, ah yes, the green. An illusive exercise when naturally dyeing, except for  over-dyeing yellows with indigo, but howza bout these?

Both of these are cottonwood catkins on silk, a totally unexpected surprise. Thought i’d get smudgy browns and olivey yellows! After 3 weeks of sitting in a very bright spot, there is little to no fading.

I have no idea why this post wrote itself this morn.