THE POWER OF GATHERING OVER TIME

Combining moments of time in woven thread and color has been a journey spanning more than a half century.  Every once in a while, it is useful to throw open the cedar chest and take a look at one’s “treasures”. I always try to save a little bit of everything I have woven. Each individual thread you see was a part of a scarf, shawl, blanket, towel, garment, or hanging.  

Although I have never actually made a quilt, I believe I am “quiltish”. I love putting many small pieces together to create a cloth bigger than the loom and beyond my imagination.

THE POWER OF GATHERING OVER TIME is a material manifestation of the spirit and an expression of gratitude presented for your enjoyment and the enrichment of the community.

The 144 Lavender Pillows are up in addition to 2 other "quiltish" creations. 

Tomorrow is the First Friday opening at The 4 Ravens Gallery in Missoula from 5-8 PM
Below I am brewing up some lavender tea to serve at the opening. It amazes me to see how purple (or you could say "lavender") the water turns when in first contact with the lavender flowers. Soon after it turns a rose gold color.

RETROSPECTIVE IN LAVENDER

AGAIN AND STILL TIME PASSES--I riffle through the comodious cedar chest, selecting bits and samples of cloth woven in other times and places. Some of the fabrics date back 40 years. I've been saving them for something--as it turns out, it is to create 144 lavender pillows for an upcoming show THE POWER OF GATHERING OVER TIME opening May 2 at The 4 Ravens Gallery in downtown Missoula, Montana.

Normally I would seek sewing assistance, but when my computer suffered a severe catatonic episode requiring a week long stay in the hospital---well, what's a body to do? Get out the sewing machine, iron, and cutting board and get into it!

I got so into it! Each pillow became a tiny woven composition. I won't say that no two are alike, but pretty close. 

 

I can't take my eyes off of these little beauties!

I also can't wait to photograph them hanging in a diamond shape on the wall of the gallery. Below (and for some reason I can't get this caption to be where the diamond image is) sample of how I will hang it. It will be like a quilt---well, sort of

WOVEN COLLAGED PAPER

During the last 10 years I lived in Seattle, I taught a workshop called FINDING THE COLOR WITHIN. It was lots of fun and consisted of making a series of collages focusing on different aspects of the student's life and aspirations and then cutting the collages into strips and weaving them. Of course, I had to create my own woven collages for every class that I taught. I carefully saved them in a folder which I happened upon recently. Naturally I had to make a collage of the collages for an upcoming show.

BOTANICAL WEAVING

Way back in the 50's and 60's, weaving with weeds and sticks was very popular. Of course, I had to give it a try. Below is the weed weaving I created in 1961 while I was a student at Rhode Island School of Design. I had someone help construct a real frame loom, and then I used phragmites (those fluffy top reeds that grow in profusion on the East Coast) . I gave this piece to my mother, who kept in hanging in her apartment. Imagine my amazement when I discovered how wonderful the hanging looked 52 years later.

The hanging looks good hanging either horizontal or vertical and the dimensions are 25"x 48"



 I thought I would create some small botanical weavings for the holidays---using dried grasses and flowers mostly from The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas. I am using jute for my  6" wide warp  with dried lavender, lily pods, willow, and I'm not sure what other things are called.

          I just love all the subtle color changes. It is refreshing after all the color I usually work with.
                               
                                        

 Below is catmint and mullen combined with willow and ornamental grasses.
 

These little beauties are so much and easy to make that they make good projects to teach beginners as well as making charming gifts. The assortment below can be seen (and purchased) at Meadowsweet Herbs in Missoula, Montana

The other interesting aspect of Botanical Weaving is that gardeners can supply their own material from their gardens as a way to remember some of their special plants. Some plants can be woven in bloom and then dried in the weaving. (so you watch the weaving change over time). Those brown balls are the seed heads of bee-balm, one of my favorites. And there is no rule that says you can't combine a little leftover ikat yarn in the weft.

SILK BROOCHES

 From my large stash of ikat dyed silk yarn (some dating back to the early 80's when I first started making the brooches), I meticulously wrap and wrap and wrap. It takes me approximately 20 minutes to wrap each individual unit.  I use archival black core matte board and have my framer cut the board into an assortment of small shapes.

 
Once the wrapping is complete, I assemble the piece by gluing to a matte board backing and attaching a pin back.

 I can't tell you how much pleasure I get from creating these miniature works of art. The fact that I continue to produce a limited number of extremely labor-intense pieces (at an affordable price), speaks of a labor of love.

CRAFTY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN

START FROM WHERE YOU ARE!
Although many things have happened since my last post, in Blogland one can only move forward--especially with the holidays fast approaching. This is just one of several gifty ideas I will be presently in the next several days.

My friend, John, calls these "smalls". I call them "thrumballs", (thrums are the yarns left at the end of a weaving). When I was weaving with chenille, I had LOTS of thrums. When I was watching a lot of TV, I used to tie my thrums together and reuse the yarn. 

 

The sparkly stuff in just a little bling. These ornaments are fabulous anywhere. Don't they look divine on my collection of mullen.

So for the first time in several years I am participating in a holiday sale---one of six All-Star Artists appearing for the first time at the fabulous China Woods (one day only!) December 7, from 11-5 (click on link for location)

Like snowflakes, each one is unique and make the perfect gift! And there are 108 ornaments to choose from Why 108, you ask (or maybe you didn't ask, but here it is anyway).

MORE PICTURES FROM 53 YEARS AND COUNTING

I never get tired of looking at this wall hanging with reeds and shells, date 1968.

Above and below are walls of work. You'll just have to ask questions if you want to know what you are looking at.  I am still in recovery mode. Tomorrow is back to work.

ON TO THE NEXT THING

New Show at the Hangin Art Gallery

So besides moving (during a hail storm) and sitting in the middle of a mountain of boxes, I am the featured artist in a show opening on Saturday. Now to stop unpacking and posting, and get busy writing my artist statement. I think I am even going to be in the newspaper. Wouldn't you know that my 15 minutes of fame would come at a time when I can't find where I packed my toothbrush (grin)

DANCES WITH CLOTH

---BONNIE TARSES—

DANCES WITH CLOTH

Weaving Magic into a Living Rainbow of Color

First Friday Gallery Night—June 1, 2012, 5:00 to 8:00 PM (and running through June)

Prudential Montana Real Estate

Downtown Missoula

314 No. Higgins

Still Too Busy to Blog

But not too busy to cook! I was invited to friends for Thanksgiving and decided to make a breadless dressing. I won't bore you with the entire list of ingredients except to say three of them: morel mushrooms, chestnuts, and wild rice.
I am mostly getting ready for my show "Where Weaving Meets Paper" opening Friday, but I had to take a little break and wrap some words. I'll tell you more about this project after the show.


And I had to whip up some more brooches as the stock was dwindling.


And poor Grace, the loom, has been sitting idle for weeks, and this project has been looming (so to speak)
It always feels good to drape warp chains over the loom. I will also tell you more about THIS project after the show opening.

Now that I have quieted the blog goddess, I can go back to the project at hand.

Upcoming Woven Paper Exhibit

WHERE WEAVING AND PAPER MEET

By

BONNIE TARSES

Woven Collage, Virtual Wall Quilts, Kaleidoscopic Woven Images

including works by participating artists and students

from workshops presented over the last decade,

“a puzzle with no wrong pieces”

Presented by: Noteworthy Paper & Press

101 S Higgins Ave Missoula, Mt 59802

First Friday December 2 from 5-8 PM

Show Running through December

Hours: | open mon-sat 10-6 406.541.6683

Involved in my Work

I've been working on getting ready to show some of my woven paper. I need to present a short bio with a picture. Most of my pictures seem to focus more on my cloth weaving, and it was suggested that I find an image that relates to the work I will be showing. And this is what I came up with.... What do you think?
I can't decide if it is stupid, creepy or extremely cool.

Silk Ikat Brooches at Hangin Art Gallery

The Killdeer Artisans Guild will present their Holiday Exhibit with an artist reception October 29th from 2-4 PM.

I decided to make some of my ikat jewelry. Below are a dozen brooches posing with a quarter in the lower left to give an idea of the actual size of the pieces.

I first started creating wrapped silk jewelry back in the 80's. Somewhere in the vast store of slide trays, I have many images of examples (to be scanned one day).

Each segment is wrapped in a manner I have perfected over the years.



I couldn't resist posing the jewelry pieces along with some of my woven images.


I can't decide whether or not the background adds to the effect or takes away from the piece.


Here they are mounted and ready to go. (except that I ended up taking the busy background away from half of them) I will see which ones are left over.


I only made a dozen as the space is limited in the gallery, but I am prepared to make more. If you are interested in purchasing these amazing little gems, please contact Hangin Art Gallery