Going to Seed

Finally finished! Copyright protected, no Pinterest or reposting please. 

"Going to Seed" 

16.625 x 22 inches

Jennifer A. Schultz, 2013

Well.
Without getting into it, the studio I thought I was moving into on the 1st has gone to someone else. I suspect, ironically, coincidentally, it's someone I met the night before I got the news. (And spent $85 with on a scarf she made.) I guess they wanted someone less fine-art and more wearables.

So, humorously enough, I've spent the last two weeks working on costumes for the Christmas Pageant at our church. No high couture, but a pretty good bit of improvisation -- 11 costumes, for kids aged kindergarten through 4th grade. No patterns, no shopping, just used stuff from the stash. Visit my facebook if you simply must see what I did. But, I am kinda proud.

Two different artists I know and respect said, about the studio, "Things happen for a reason. New opportunities are on their way." And I'll choose to believe it.

I need to finish stitching the backing on "Going to Seed", and then can start something new if I want -- I'll finish cleaning the sewing room first (organza and cotton sheeting and glittery trims everywhere) -- I have a few notions percolating, including a celebration of "winter whites!"

close to the border...

"Going to Seed" is pretty much done! Just needs a border. (black and white photo for now) 

16x20 inches. Funny how I can make anything that size w/o even trying. :/ 

another little experiment

red dirt, rust, tsukineko inks etc on cotton.

copyright Jennifer A Schultz 2013

an aside

I would have been a goth if I hadn't moved to Georgia in '97. I was primed -- all the music, and to some degree the art and fashion side of the scene. Even after I had the kid, I had punked-out black and orange hair (a move I did NOT make while living in GA), had garnered several tattoos, and had largely the same set of musical tastes. But at some point -- somewhere between giving birth and going to work for the church -- I thought it was time to "grow up." And I've been a fairly successful grownup. I have most of the trappings including marriage for 16 years and holding the same job for 8 years now; have made some of the mistakes. I take Zoloft, and have successfully reached 45 years of age, or "mid-life."

Which is probably why I've started dreaming I'm Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish film version of  GWtDT.

Noomi Rapace, whose character seems more mature and self-reliant than the anemic, childlike Rooney Mara's. 

Something about hearkening back to the almost-goth self is very comforting. I suppose I'm unsatisfied with the woman I've grown into. I've made a sincere effort to show the world a lot of love, but I'm feeling fairly drained now. Not super-cynical, but pissed off about the world and a bunch of the nonsense I've experienced lately. Weary of putting everyone first, and constantly being told I'm not doing enough for someone. While there's no excuse to go back on being a parent, and I can ungrudgingly do my best in that department, I do feel like letting a bunch of other things slide. That won't last, I suppose. But maybe there's a middle ground -- between the 25 year old Goth I wasn't, and the somewhat-too-martyr-like female I've become. This of course draws a bunch of positional conclusions about being goth that are I'm sure very personality-dependent, as everything must be. Tough and independent -- some people would already call me that. Some most assuredly would not. 

Self-expression. That's a question. And why it doesn't seem out of place to talk about this on what is ostensibly an "art blog."

Of course the fictional Lisbeth Salander wouldn't have been caught dead spilling her guts in public. But then I wasn't sexually abused as a child, and can be heartily grateful, since I know so very many women and men who were.   

It's just a point. It's a t-shirt: "Fuck you fucking fuckers," that Lisbeth wears in one of the American movies. 

It's the women my age and older who I know, who are mouthy, independent and controversial. It's the stereotypes about looks and dress and age. It's the musical preferences of the men I know, whose masculine frowns I take too much to heart. It's my desire to be liked by everyone. 

This isn't an anti-male rant, by the way. I like men just fine. But it has become apparent that I really CAN'T please everyone. Or sometimes, anyone. Except myself. 

  

From "The Textile Blog" -

"In many ways, like the children's puzzles and like the labyrinths and mazes throughout history, our eyes can never seem to resist the temptation of complexity. Although we often translate complexity into accomplishment, the involved into skill, and while this is often true, all-over undulating and intertwining pattern can also reflect the wonder that is the complexity of our own lives as well as the world we see around us. We may not always understand consciously, but subconsciously we are supremely aware of the complex framework of dependency in which we are all suspended, we feel it compulsively, naturally, even as we run our hands in wonder over the filigree intricacy of jewellery, or the complex embellishment of embroidery, or the astounding involvement of lace.

The connection between our own complexity and that of the pattern we admire is one and the same."

keep on doing...

Another progress shot for "going to seed." 

possibly maybe

In the realms of professional development there are a few more exciting announcements ~
!!!
First, I've had a piece accepted into the Altered Esthetics show "Knot What It Seams," which opens December 6, 2013. A small exhibit of local fiber artists, and I'm excited, hoping I will meet some new folks and see some inspiring work!

Second, I have made an informal agreement to take on a third of a studio space, in Northeast Minneapolis' best known artist community, the Northrup King Building. This relationship commences January 1. Budget budget budget. The space is large, reasonably well lit, and contains facilities for synthetic dyeing and "cooking up" organic dye projects. Whee!

And finally, I had a portfolio review yesterday and got some great advice on how I can update my website, my CV and my "brand" for better self-promotion. So, all in all a good week for art!

I think the next piece will be called "Fall Down Trying" --- we'll see. 

waiting

My boro book came last week, and I tore through it (no pun intended - fiber geek humor.) And immediately started a piece inspired in part by that aesthetic (cure for pain)... Having recovered from her head cold (yay!), Sweet Pea has mailed my free beads in chosen shades of orange and red (like waiting for a box of chocolates in the mail)...And after too long a delay, I've renewed my subscription to Selvedge, and while there on the site, purchased some fine Retors du Nord embroidery thread...all of which has shipped from the UK by now I hope...And I wonder why I have no money?

I was very selfish today and spent a considerable amount of time sewing. Though I did take a break to visit my friend JC, who is recovering from hip surgery, with another artist, Kristin. And later, to read to my son before bed. And, did some laundry/housekeeping. But mostly I sewed. Taking a break the past week, from dyeing and stitching on "Going to Seed," to work on something that spontaneously arose -- "Cure for Pain" -- see below for an image. It's all hand-dyed and recycled fabric, and hand-sewn. And yeah, it's pretty abstract. I'm letting it happen. The other piece, GtS, has an objective -- or feels like it does -- it's larger, with a complex composition and recognizable imagery. It will take longer. It requires my full attention. This other little piece has arisen out of the seduction of recently dyed silk and organza...the feel of worn-out pillow shams being put to use...the repetitive hand-sewing that counts itself as it calms. Stitching a grid, like a tiny quilt its layers come together. But too the stitches feel like hypodermic marks, or minute points of light. And all of it, in its dense attention to marks and layers, is therapeutic. Time is marked away. Hurtful conversations come and go, along with good moments, and a lot in between. Maybe I should call it "Marking Time." But when I started this, the song "Cure for Pain" was what popped into my head, and maybe that's more to the point. There have been lots of difficult days again lately. This activity is sanity.

another work in progress

Cure for Pain

just a few more...

...from the maple series...

this piece is vintage organza, and elm leaves.

maple series

Another weekend of purple fingers and surprise packages. 

When I unroll the damp cloths after they've set the scent of leafmold and tannin reminds me strongly of childhood; specifically those days (hundreds) spent poking around wooded vacant lots, or playing in the wildlife reserve near an uncle's house. Nothing pleased me more as a young girl than to be alone, exploring the landscape, overlaying it with an imaginary narrative of my own. Fairies and monsters, sure, as a young girl; later I began to the see the natural world as fascinating in its own right. 

Maple leaves on vintage cotton pillowcase. 

Purple is a fermented tanin sprayed on before I placed the leaves. 

I sewed and sewed this weekend. Completed a small piece. Considered a series: "Cure for Pain" 

Credit to Morphine. 

25 minutes

The one productive, artistic thing I did today: 25 minutes of hand stitching on "Going to Seed." From 8:15am to about 8:40. The rest of the day was a total wash, since it's hard to feel great about six hours spent dealing with email, and another several hours dealing with various interpersonal problems.

But yesterday, ah, bliss! A day of quiet. Lots of puttering around, and a goodly amount of sewing. A lovely breakfast. And even though the stuffed squash I attempted for dinner was just meh, I honestly went to bed feeling peaceful.

I probably shouldn't have watched the Frontline segment on retirement funds. Not terribly reassuring.

But maybe in the morning, I'll get another 25 minutes...

pretties

New views, "old" news: left to right,

cotton/silk blend with elm leaf tannin, rust dye, runner bean flowers (ice flower method), and an elm/something else mixture.

The great elm-on-elm experiment, utilizing a spray bottle and dupioni silk. 

Wheee!

I just won a drawing for a bunch of free beads in the colorway of my choosing, from Sweet Pea Path! Lucky lucky lucky me, I'm a lucky sonofagun.... :)

What makes my fingers purple?

After some investigation I've determined this: A distilled (boiled down) leaf tannin will, once soaked into the cloth, hot or cold, react to the cold-soaked elm leaf mixture (which may include alum, I forget!) by turning from light brown to dark purple. This shade when dry has lightened by maybe 50%. I did a number of experiments today, on both dupioni silk and a cotton-silk blend. The dupioni had been boiled in leaf tannin (from a mixture of elm, gingko and caltalpa) as a bundle with the leaves wrapped inside. This dried overnight. The silk blend was untreated. No combination of known dye ingredients on my desk produced the purple results on the silk blend, but the dupioni purpled right away in response to the elm mixture. I soaked another piece of silk in what was left of the boiled mixture, and prayed it with the cold elm -- it purpled immediately. So, questions that remain include -- did I add alum to the cold mixture? I really should take better notes. And, was the mordant from the boiling pot a factor?

As to the second question, I'm thinking the pot was not a factor. I suspect it was iron, for one thing, and for another I believe I produced essentially the same results a week ago and used a different pot, I suspect aluminum.

So, while my cuticles are BLACK, I have learned something interesting!

On the right, the dupioni silk drying in the window. Middle, a piece of similarly treated antique organza. At left, a piece of silk soaked in the runner bean flower dye, a delicate pinkish-orange. 

witchy woman

What happens when you experiment with organic dyes sans gloves? Well, there's always the possibility that your fingers will be stained black and blue. The good news is that, if you aren't rinsing your hands between handling of different projects, you might see unexpected dye reactions on your fingers that clue you in to potential combinations and reactions on your fabric -- a heads-up if you'd like to avoid them, or an interesting opportunity, depending on your point of view. The bad news is that you might wind up with zombie fingers. Though I prefer to think of this as a sign of my inner female sorcerial powers :-)  You know, combining plants and natural compounds to create a witch's brew that will transform ordinary dupioni silk fabric into something reflecting the wondrous complexity of Nature. Magic! Yeah, not so much. My fingers do look very Wicked Witch of the West however. Good thing my nails aren't an inch longer...

in more or less chronological order...

Some folding, some hapa-zome...autumn leaves from dogwood at Breezy Point...blackberries and lime, willow leaf tanin...all on recycled white cotton. 

Hapa-zome flowers and grasses from the summer trip to Lake Mille Lacs, more blueberries and blackberries, more of that reddish-tan willow (whole branches with their leaves soaked in vinegar and water), some over-dyes (I took no notes, thought I'd remember it all, ha!) 

Hibiscus tea! Alkanet root! All on silk. 

A walk through the neighborhood with my son, picking up leaves of red and orange: maple, dogwood, oak leaves. 

Boiled first in a bath of cream of tartar... some pinks, lots of greens and browns. A few of the cottons were pulled out after that first boil, but the less impressive pieces went back in the pot...

And you'll see the results one posting below...

Meanwhile, more cottons into the mason jars, for cold baths of walnut husk, maple leaves, willow, the liquid in the jars growing darker and darker with time. I think I added alum to one of the jars. 

weeks of bundling, rusting, experimentation

A wet piece of cotton...looking like silk...first boiled in cream of tartar, then boiled in alkanet solution, with maple and oak leaves in the bundle... And after all that I wrapped it around my favorite chunk of steel pipe...there may have been a vinegar and scarlet runner bean-flower bath too...so the iron was a post-mordant. 

This was an antique linen pillowcase. I rusted a scrap, leaving it white with spots...then bathed it in the vinegar/runner bean solution. The areas saturated with rust darkened to purple, but the untouched white areas took on the pale orangish-pink of the dye. 

Some other rust-dyed pieces, silk and cotton, mostly wrapped around pieces of rusted iron.

The purples on the two pieces above appeared in seconds, where once the rust-dyed cloth looked like the topmost scrap in the photo, after dipping in the vinegar/runner bean jar. 

A long piece of linen, wrapped and re-wrapped around the pipe over many days. This is about 50 inches long, and 9 inches wide. 

Silk and cotton...multiple baths...maple and oak...I lose track. 

A little bit of what I'm up to

I have a ton of fabric pieces in cotton and silk that I want to show off, rust-dyed and botanical, but first it's time to play catch-up. I'm experimenting a lot with new organics -- elm and maple leaves, willow, birch bark, hibiscus tea bags, even tomatillo hulls...But the blackberry/blueberry experiment, with and without lime (didn't have the alum yet) turned out some very fugitive colors. You can see in the second photo where a turquoise-looking stick is resting -- well, that faded out to a greyish tone in just 24 hours. Not that I have a problem with grey.

I've finally added powdered lime and alum to my arsenal, as well as some alkanet. I have busily built a small library of flosses and threads to match some of the hand-dyed fabrics in the current work-in-progress. 

This odd little bundle, the preview of lovely rusted patterns to come...Give me another day to take good shots of the results.

Autumn in Minnesota is so full of wonderful forms. 

Autumn has come, and with it a whole host of new elements to gather and "pickle" to see what I can see. Pictures coming soon...I have two types of willow (bark and leaves) stewing (in a slow, cold-process sort of way), too see if they really do produce a vinegar-like acidity that would be useful as a dye enhancer...Some pretty red Maple and Dogwood leaves together that are gradually tinting their water a delicate orangish-pink...The skins of tomatillos in vinegar and water, which are a beautiful bright green, may or may not produce a worthy dye...plus there's Birch bark (gathered on the ground), some black walnut/red onion peel combined, and maybe one or two other jars a-brewing. India Flint says the longer you wait, the better the results, and I'm learning to take her advice there seriously as I watch my natural dyed cloths progress from pale and delicate shades to more robust patterns and marks. The lime/blueberry mixture smelled AWFUL when I poured it out, but man, did those swatches look cool... Like I said, more photos soon!

Blues blues blues

I've ordered a pound of alum for dyeing from my co-op, and lucked into some pickling lime this morning as well, so I think I'm ready to work on some true blues! I need to save myself some links, but you can look at them too. See below.
http://waysofthewhorl.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/natural-dyeing-take-3-black-beans/
http://wildcolours.co.uk/html/blue_dyes.html
http://www.spin-knit-dye.com/

Finally!

I have posted most of the photos recently shot by Petronella Ytsma on my website, jenniferaschultz.com. You can see lots of recent work, and some of the images can be clicked for enlargements as well. Thank you Nell! You did a wonderful job. Click that link above for a moving MN Original piece featuring Nell. She's a beautiful woman, articulate, very kind and funny. I'm honored by her time.

"The Stories: I remember" 

2013. Photo by P. Ytsma

Black beans! Raspberries! Zinnias! Onions! Chrysanthemums!

in progress...Going to Seed

Adding some more "hapa-zome" detail to the piece today, after basting on a couple of fill layers behind to make hand-sewing easier. Zinnias, chrysanthemums and morning glories... sitting on the front steps on a chilly September afternoon.

Finally!

Have pushed through a rather fallow period, post X-Voto, during which I just made a couple of small books and produced little else. Dropped off most of the X-Voto work plus a few older pieces with photographer Petronella Ytsma; and can honestly say I'm excited about that! Nell has been on the Twin Cities scene for many years, but has shown nationally and in Germany as well. A beautiful woman, and I'm sure the work will be excellent. The older pieces are those which deserve decent shots, and once this is accomplished I will feel much better equipped to apply for a few fellowships and grants.

I have a piece in progress as well, tentatively titled "Going to seed" in honor of my 45th birthday. :)

The lighting looks odd but in fact, that's the work -- luminous, a little blurry. :) This is a base layer, there's possibly quite a bit left to do in terms of embroidery, collage and other layers. Right now it's a combination of hand-dyed fabrics (my own) and digital imagery on cotton and silk (likewise my own images.) Also some hapa-zome a la India Flint, which I produced while up at the lake this year. Stay tuned.

X-Voto: a quick overview

Here at last are some random informal shots of the X-Voto show, on display through August 3rd at the Nomad World Pub in south Minneapolis. See link on the sidebar for more information! I'm hoping to have the work professionally shot in situ, and take better individual photos once I've decided on a photographer. 

"PTSD Curtain: Joplin" 2013. 

58x68" Digital print, hand-dyed and commercial fabrics, original design fabrics, mixed media. 

"The Stories" 2013. 

Dimensions variable, 6 objects total. Burnt paper, human hair, cloth, mixed media. 

"The Claim" 2013. 

20x24" Hand-dyed fabric, digital print on silk and cotton, mixed media.

Top: "Man On Fire" 2013.

26x16" Digital print on silk and cotton, hand-dyed and original design fabrics, silk yarn. 

Bottom: "The Stories (1/6)" 2013.

8x8" Original fabric, hand-dyed silk, human hair. 

"PTSD Curtain: Silence & Shame" 2013.

58x68" Digital transfer, hand-dyed and commercial fabrics, original design fabrics, found crochet, mixed media. 

Left: "PTSD Curtain: Burying the Dead (12 Steps)" 2013. 

58x68" Found, hand-dyed and commercial fabrics, digital transfer, digital prints on cotton, mixed media. 

Installation view. 

Center, above: "Secret Agent: Joplin Part 2" 2013. 

40x30" Digital print on silk and cotton. 

"Hail Mary/Advent Calendar" 2013.

24x36" Hand-dyed silk, digital print on cotton and silk, mixed media. 

Installation view. 

Lower right: "Non-disclosure Agreement" 2013.

13x11" Digital print on silk and cotton, original design cotton fabric.