Loom set up

Yesterday we finished setting up Mel's loom. The loom had been moved frame intact, so it was a matter of putting all the "bits" back in and on.

I was amazed at how little time it took up to do it. Although Mel has moved the loom a number of times and knows it well.

New scarf warp

2 warps - 1 wool, 1 rayon.





Rayon warp



Draft

--melly

Leaf Cells

It's finally finished. I have to say it was reasonably painful though. But I'm glad I finished it. Maybe in a year or so I'll like it. But I always get like that after a big piece.

A snippet from my artist statement on this piece -

I view my work as cloth becoming a human-constructed metaphor for the cloth of plants – leaves.

As a weaver and avid amateur micro-biologist, I am fascinated with the cellular structure of leaves in particular. I see the interlacement of plant cells and the arrangement of these as having resemblance to woven structures.

As a collector of natural objects, and as is the fascination of many, I have spent years picking up fallen leaves from bush paths and they stay sitting on a table for weeks as I look at them, touch, feel and smell them.

In this piece I have created a discontinuous narrative of the visual structure of leaves.

From the left to right of the panel I have moved from the unseen microscopic view of leaf cells, to the initial representation of leaves held out of reach, to a mechanical, preformed interpretation of a web of cells purely in woven structure.

The left portion of the piece is a graphic representation of Eucalyptus leaf cells, abstractly representing the stomata – the 'breathing' cells - and surrounding cells on the reverse of the leaf.

The central portion is an initial visual of the leaf I have placed out of reach, as a contradiction of the reality of being able to touch and feel the leaf.

The right portion of the piece is a mechanical representation of the interlocking nature of plant cells in a purpose-designed structure.

The materials I have chosen to work with are also integral to the integrity of the work. I have used man-made yarns as a direct contrast to the visual imagery of the work. In particular, the majority of the piece is constructed with rayon, which is a renewable fibre made from wood pulp, so straddling the terms of man-made and natural.

--melly

Love and Hate

Well yesterday I was definitely feeling a love/hate mix towards my loom. 'nuff said really. This is where I got back up to by last night - about the same place as I was at lunchtime.


But after a good relax and sleep and run in the fog this morning I'm feeling optimistic. Not much point being anything else at this point! It also helped to come in and see the images for the upcoming pockets - got me a bit excited again!


So, notes to self after a crappy day in the studio -
1. Swear at your loom sparingly - she doesn't like it, but save it up for a really good one.
2. Sometimes it's better to walk away and read a book for half an hour.
4. Make sure to fix problems (as much as possible) before you walk away.
5. Leave self a pleasant present to come back to the next day.

Seems doable mostly.

--melly

Finished Heddles

So I finally finished threading -


This gives you a better view of how the colours are working.
--melly

Threading Thoughts

I was thinking about why I enjoy threading up.
- I think one of the happy moments is when I'm threading rayon, like now, and given the colour mixes I use, I get to see and appreciate the colours again. I start to get excited again after the winding.
- I put on my favorite podcasts The Partially Examined Life, History of Philosophy, By Design, The History of the World in 100 Objects
- And then I think about all sorts of things from the podcasts to what's going on in my life.
- I also love the methodical systems of the threading sequence - very calming
- and people generally know to leave me alone for a while, so I'm cocooned in my own little space. It feels a little decadent.

I'm nearly halfway through now - it's dinner time!

--melly

Cell Pockets Threading Sequence

I have tentatively called this piece 'Cell Pockets' though I don't think it will stay that way - it's a working title.

The main part of the piece will be a rayon figured tabby and 8 end Satin, with monofilament pockets after it and a pattered section after it.

And I managed to get it onto 12 shafts, so here is the threading sequence -

The rayon is in pink sett at 30 (doubled) epcm and the monofilament is shown in blue sett at 5 epcm.

--melly