The opening reception for the Artist in Residence of the Hungarian Multicultural Center and Library Thoughts 3 took place on Tuesday, August 27th.   It was held at Barabas Villa (1122 Budapest, Városmajor utca 44) and will be open until Tuesday, September 10, 2013


A few of the pieces I created during my Budapest Artist Residency are in the show.  These peices explored the Archeological Remnants concept with more layering.  I wish I could have been there, but I am back in the classroom teaching and having an amazing time.

Library Thoughts 3, AIR/HMC, Budapest, MAVF

Barabas Villa, 1122 Budapest, Városmajor utca 44.
Tuesday, August 27 - Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Opening reception: Tuesday, August 27 at 7:00pm

Opener: István Szirányi és Beáta Széchy
Curator: Beata Szechy, HMC

Library Thoughts 3 - International artists:
Aleánna Luethi-Garrecht, NY, Alice C. Walsh, NY, Barbara Milman, CA, Beth Evans, AUS, Betzaida González, Puerto Rico, Daniel J Wilson, NY, Isabel Vazquez, Puerto Rico, Jan Conradi, NJ, Jill Slaymaker, NY, Kathleen S. Pompe, SC, Liz Obert, OR, Lucas Kunz, D, Maciej Jabłoński, Poland, Margit Hideg, CAN, Nicci Haynes, AUS, Nancy Hart, TX, Patricia Gulyas, CAN, Roland Ruisz, D, Saba Ferrari, Italy, Sandee Johnson, NC

Library Thoughts 3 - Hungarian Artists:
Eva Andorjan, Rozi Bornemissza, Andras Butak, Istvan Damo, Nora Gergely, Csilla Kelecsenyi, Balazs P. Kovacs, Csaba Pal, Lajos Sejben, Beata Szechy, István Szirányi

AIR/HMC, Budapest artists:
Martyna Matusiak, WV, Abbie Merryman, WV, Amanda Carney, WV, Elizabeth Carr, WI, Emily Hastings, WV, Anne Wedler, AK, Eun-Kyung Suh, MN, Katherine Mojzsis, NJ, Rebecca Aranyi, NC, Stephen D'Onofrio, IL, Debra Benditz, TX, Kyle Buttram, NC, Alexis Neider, NY, Rexy Tseng, CA

Video Artists:
Bruce McKaig, Washington DC, Katrina Stamatopoulos, AUS, Lisa Marie Evans, CA, Liz Goldberg, PA

While the indigo vat was going and the eco-dyeing was brewing, I also had a wagon full of rust dyeing going on as well.  This summer I want to experiment with using the rusted elements and dyeing paper.

Here are the results of the rust dyeing. 

I am currently participating in an amazing Artist Residency in Budapest.  If you would like to follow along, please it out: Budapest AIR:

Working on a new piece entitled "Layers."  Using rust dyed fabrics along with some new eco-printed pieces, wax dipped fabric / pattern tissue, reclaimed coffee burlap, and whatever else I find laying around in the studio (or outside).

It reminds me of the layers of soil beneath our feet.  

The deeper we excavate, the further back in time we see and discover.  

Fall has taken hold here in North Carolina.  The last of my rust dyeing fabric bundles have been unearthed.  In the spring I plan on adding plant material to the bundles to explore eco-prints in addition to the rust.

Here are a few images of the process. I have this wonderful collection of rusted objects that I have either found or people have given me (rusted nails, wire, railroad ties, paperclips, etc.).  You would be surprised at what people will bring you once you mention you like rusty objects.  

Here is part of a piece that I am working on to submit for a show.  This will merge two bodies of work - Archeological Remnants and an another series that is in development entitled "Structures." 

Here is the background for a new piece.  Looking forward to experimenting with printing with my vintage wooden tjaps on top of this.

I am honored to announce that "Archeological Remnants: Discarded Book" was juried into the Threads Bared -- Art Inspired by Fiber exhibition at the Nave Gallery in Somerville, Massachusetts.  The exhibition will start on November 10, 2012 and run through December 16, 2012.

I am honored to announce that I have been offered an artist residency in Budapest, Hungary through the Hungarian Multicultural Center in Dallas.  I am so excited to continue my current body of work, Archeological Remnants.

I am still working on trying to finish my latest piece, which is still untitled.  While it is sitting on the easel I have been adding some of the rusted metal pieces / found object arrangements.  Look at them, walk away, move then around, look again, remove them, and then start again.  Ah the struggle to find the right placement.

I am also working on creating other pieces and more found object arrangements while the piece is waiting to be finished.

I have two of these arrangements entitled "pencil box."  they are made out of an old Altoids tin.  I burned the tins in a fire last summer to distress and and encourage rust.  Filled one half with the shavings from my pencil sharpener and a little bit of crystal lacquer.  The other side contains some little pencils from my collection. (When I was teaching, I would trade the  students a new colorful pencil for a small one.  It had to be smaller than 2.5" and you could only turn in one a day.  After doing this for four years I have a large collection.  Part of it sits in a vase in the studio.

I like how it looks on the background.  Not so sure about how it works with the rest of the piece.

I made this journal for a piece entitled "Debris Quilt."  The leather / suede cover came from a journal cover that a friend of my daughters gave me about 5 years ago.  I put old maps, foreign newspapers, vintage book pages, and other bits of paper ephemera in there.  Wrapped the entire piece in twine and burned it with the blow torch for good measure.

Whenever I pass this piece in the hallway I always smile at that journal and I want to create more.

In the spring we unearthed a box of old architectural drawings and mylars in my garage.  When I opened the box I immediately knew I wanted to create some journals out of these large drawings.  So over the next week I will create some journals for my Archeological Remnants series.  As always, I will post the progress along the way.

My next piece is almost done.  I have just a little more to do before I can call it finished.  I really like how the pattern tissue and rust dyed fabric that were dipped in beeswax work in this piece.

I wonder why the last 5% of a piece always takes the longest to complete.

A few details:

The vintage hand-crafted wood tjaps are calling to me from atop of my bookshelf. Maybe I will do some experimenting with printing on top of one of my pieces.  (There are a couple of copper ones up there to explore with the next time I have my beeswax out.)

One of the things that I really enjoy with the body of work is being able to really edit the piece as it is constructed.  I'll put a piece on, put it up on the easel or design wall, move it, take it off, put something else on... just exploring the right piece for the right space.

My current piece in progress.  I am using the wax dipped pattern tissue, rust dyed fabrics, and burlap.  It is interesting how the wax dipped pieces mix with the non-wax dipped ones.  The final piece will be 24 x 36.

This beeswax exploration is working out pretty well.  I have been dipping all sorts of things in this wee crock-pot filled with molten beeswax.

A student gave me the wee crock-pot as an end of the school year present.  When I opened it I knew I was going to be melting some wax in there.  When I told him how excited I was to have this new tool in my studio, he looked at me quizzically and said in that sweet first grade voice, “It’s really for keeping cheese dip warm.”    Some say cheese dip others say hot wax.  Just proves that artists really do see things just a bit differently.

So far I have experimented with sewing pattern tissue, rust dyed fabrics, burlap, hand felted pieces, library catalog cards, vintage envelopes and papers, twine, book papers, and yarn.  The studio has filled with the scent of beeswax and it smells so good.

In my newest piece, I am incorporating some vintage textiles instead of rusted metal.   Here is a sneak peak of it.

Here is a sneak peek of my latest piece.  It is untitled as of today. 

Almost done with my newest piece.  I will zap it with the blow torch and photograph it tomorrow morning (if the weather holds). 

Here are a few images that I am thinking about incorporating into my current body of work.

Another work in progress.  This piece is another in the Archeological Remnants series.