Several months ago i was approached by someone who wanted to use “Instinct” in a publication as an illustration, on agreement that i would get hard copy, and credit. Though her nose got a bit cropped, i’m rather happy about it

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

getting excited again about the plethora of potential possibilities for these techniques—oh oh oh oh oh

“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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The biggest thing i/you can remember to do, that i have learned from experimentation with ecoprinting and natural dyeing, is “add the alum”!

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.

A 11tybajillion little tiny weeny weeny eeny backs stitches to hold all the walnut dyed lace done! Actually it went faster than i thought it would   Still have to add a few slips of colour under roses at edges, do a few more embroidered ones in the centre, and then do the edging and backing, so close, so close, so close.

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

Some older items are on sale –grab ‘em up!

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.

A little more functional, and staying with me, as it’s the prototype.

(Ignore the disembodied finger:) )

These would probably be great yoga bags, something else the young Mommies around here do a lot of. Strap long enough to sling over the shoulder, and bag capacious enough for a lot of Important Stuff.