Trees as Fiber Art

"Forest" by Leslie Richmond
Mixed fiber fabric, heat reactive base, metal patinas, acrylic paint, dyes

"Forest" detail by Leslie Richmond

Lesley Richmond of Vancouver B.C. created this fantastic piece of mixed fiber fabric, a heat reactive base, metal patinas, acrylic paint, and dyes.  She starts with taking photos of trees, focusing on the branch structure.  From there, she uses the images to make a silk screen and prints the trees on a silk-cotton fabric with a heat-reactive base.  When heated, the heat-reactive base both expands and becomes dimensional.  

"Forest" detail by Leslie Richmond

She then removes the remaining cellulose/cotton fibers with a mild acid.  What remains is the image and the silk-threads in the background.  The final processes are stiffening the structures of the trees and painting them with acrylic paints and metallic patinas.  

I think this piece may have been my favorite in the whole exhibition.  I really recommend looking at Lesley's website. Her work is exceptional!

"Forest" detail by Leslie Richmonds

"Untitled" by Scott Fife
Archival cardboard, drywall screws, and glue

I had the pleasure of sitting next to one of the artists during the BAM High Fiber Diet Symposium, Scott Fife.    Scott's sculpture is large... life sized.  Loving our Northwest beaches, it's amazing to encounter a humongous piece of driftwood leaning up against the wall of a formal art museum.

Actually, this sculpture is probably 12-15 feet in height.  It's made from archival cardboard, drywall screws and glue.  He chose to use cardboard as a way to honor and reclaim the product that originally came from a tree.  Scott's recent work is particularly interested in the mortality of trees.


For the last year, I've been learning to make driftwood sculpture.  The type of sculpture I'm making is based of the Luron method... a way to take an interesting piece of driftwood (you need to choose a piece with interesting lines, curves, and grain) and the remove the outer dead layers of wood to find the inner heartwood.

Below the detailed images of Scott's driftwood log are a few of the beautiful pieces made by members of the the Northwest Driftwood Artists (and two of my teachers).

"Untitled" detail by Scott Fife
Tree knot

"Untitled" detail by Scott Fife
Tree knot 

"Tumbleweed" by Dave Sao

"Wildfire" by Dave Sao

"Emerging Swan" by Tuttie Peet

"Safe Haven" by Jo Marsh

You Might Also Be Interested In:

BAM High Fiber Diet

Beachpiration

Driftwood Art

For great ideas on freemotion quilting, check out Leah Day's FreeMotion Quilting Project

My favorite tree: Pacific Madrona

Here in the Northwest, beautiful trees and greenery surround us.  Having such a lush environment sometimes makes me a little unaware of the splendor of the amazing foliage I see each day.  However, the Pacific Madrona (or Madrone) stands up and screams "Look at me!" The distinctive red-rust bark is noticeable from afar, yet gets even more interesting as you get closer.  The bark seems to go in cycles with the rusty outer layers peeling off and uncovering an under-layer of nearly florescent lime green bark.  It has dimples and crags, as if it has been through really rough times.




Now, the Madrona tree does often grow along the rocky Pacific coastline, so it can see its share of harsh winds and weather.  However, seeing these majestic beauties in areas surrounds with other trees, where they aren't subject to undue forces from Mother Nature, they still show all the pock marks and unique characteristics which make them so fascinating.



I hope you enjoy these photos I've taken of a few Pacific Madronas.  Expressing them in fiber is on my list!

You might also enjoy:
Skagit Skies
Sunshine and Sand
Finding Inspiration Every Day

Photoshop Fun

WA State Convention Center

I'm spending the day at a Photoshop for Photographers workshop, held in a giant ballroom at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. I've been coming to these specialized training a in Adobe Photoshop for about 12 years now... Generally one happens each per year in Seattle. Some are geared for photographers, as this one is, while others for designers in either print or digital media. As my professional background has been in website design and development, I've been a member of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) and always love to learn a few more tricks in this amazing program.

At the Photoshop CS6 for Photographers Class
(about 400 in attendance)

I love taking photos... whether on a trip or around my home. I see beauty in many minute details. Years ago, I was an avid scuba diver, and my favorite things to see were some of the very small and delicate creatures. I'd dive with macho guys who were always searching for big 4 foot long ling cods or 3 foot across sun stars (Pycnopodia helianthoide) while I was content to watch a delicately feathered iridescent nudibranch.

I love taking series of photos on particular topics. For instance, I have many remarkable doors, mainly from Europe, as a collection. I'm excited by trees, particularly their bark, and must have hundreds, if not thousands, of detailed shots. I've thought for some time that my photos would help me move more to series work in my fiber art. One of my struggles is that I've tried many styles, but haven't really found my own discernible style in my art. I've already determined that my number one goal for 2013 is to develop my voice as an artist.  In fact, one of my purposes for having my 5 x 7 personal challenge is to work on developing my artistic style.

After a great day full of learning, I'm looking forward to applying the tricks and techniques shared today on my photos.  I'll share some soon!