Completed tapestry and friends

I can now declare the tapestry to be completed. It's all finished, backed onto a kind of ecru canvas that doesn't draw attention to itself, slotted with a dowel at the top and hung in place in the living room awaiting an exhibit opportunity, as soon as the new gallery opens, which will be at some point, not exactly known yet, since it's part of a new library under construction and almost finished.

As usual it's hard for me to apply words to my work in the form of a title, but if anyone has any cool ideas, please feel free to offer them. When I show this work, I plan to acknowledge Carol Q. who turned me onto spinning with a spindle, Paula L. who gave me the fleece, and friends on Ravelry who taught me how to use KoolAid to dye the resulting yarns I spun, dyed, and wove into these three related pieces. And if anyone comes up with an irresistible title, I will duly credit you with that, too.

The big monotype next to the tapestry is one I made years and years ago, and which has earned a good bit of recognition, nice to say.



What amuses me is that I still, as you see, like that long narrow configuration. I also love short wide paintings, too. Just do not at ALL like squares or circles.

Squares are too, um, static for me, despite Albers' Homage to the Square, and circles are too suffocating, no exit sort of deals. I know people make wonderful mandalas and rondels and there's a long honorable tradition of the circle, perfect form and all that, it's just that I would have to hold my breath the whole time and I can't face working in the circle.

I also took a pic to show you the new work and her friends -- bits of glassware I like on the shelves, and a fibre piece hanging from the ceiling which I made a couple of years ago when I was first fooling with string and freeform knitting.



Oddly enough, exactly as I can never explain or remember all the processes of painting or mixed media work I've done, I can't remember exactly what stitches I used in this piece.

There's knotting and netting and trinity stitch and massive increase/decrease things to make the folds, but I would have a hard time explaining it further! the armature is a bird's perch. Relic of my lovely cockatiel, so this is partly a tribute to her. She would have loved to take part, yanking on the strings, and generally creating a lot of new knots and frayed bits.

The string is regular mason's twine, from the hardware store, my favorite art shop.

So do give me the benefit of your creative title ideas, blogista friends! all ideas happily received and examined.