Working on the Work

Now that Tree Study I is finished and posted with the rest of the wonderful 15 x 15 quilts in our "Texture" challenge, I've moved on to Tree Study II!  This one is going to finish at 10" x 10" and be mounted on stretched canvas that size, because it's my donation to a silent auction fundraiser for the Lacombe Arts Endowment Fund.  This is the body that sponsors the annual Art Show and Sale, and gives scholarships to local arts students.  It's stated mission is to "[be] a catalyst designed to build a legacy in perpetuity for the arts that supports the education, awareness, appreciation and development of the arts thereby contributing to the quality of life for residents of Lacombe & Area."

The theme of this exhibit is "The Unknown Artist" -- meaning that the works will be displayed without any identification.  Artists are asked to sign their work on the back of the pieces.  The subject matter and medium are up to each artist.  The work will be displayed in the Lacombe Memorial Centre from September 12 through 29, during the annual Culture and Harvest Festival, and there's an opening night preview allowing attendees to purchase work for only $200 per piece -- a first come, first served sale for those people only.  Pieces not sold on that evening will be available for the Silent Auction with a reserve (minimum) bid of $100.

None of my local friends follow my blog, to my knowledge...but just in case, so I can remain relatively "unknown"...I'll post a bit about the process but not the finished piece till after the exhibit is hung.  Of course, I expect to be the only textile artist in the exhibit -- based on the participants in the annual Art Show and Sale -- unless someone using textiles, unbeknownst to me, is participating!  That alone would peg my piece right there!

Detail of Mountain Ash tree with fungus/moss

Anyway, back to the process.  In an earlier post I showed you my plans for working with water soluble fabric.  I have some early results and am very pleased:

Embroidery worked on soluble fabric

See the wee holes in the fabric in the above photo?  Those appeared because I left the piece on my work table under a partially open window -- and we got a thunderstorm!  Yes, some rain came in and...well, let's just say the fabric lives up to its name!  :-)

Section of embroidery on soluble fabric, before washing

 In the next photo, you can see how the fabric dissolved in water, leaving wee gaps (planned).  The embroidery is wet in the photo, so shows up darker in colour than it does when dry.

Section washed and drying on a towel

Below is a view of my 10 x 10 piece, bordered in complementary fabric which will be wrapped around the sides of the stretched canvas given me by the exhibit committee.  I've auditioned the washed lace on the piece and as a result, have prepared some more of the soluble fabric for stitching.  My current task is to finish embroidering several more small bits of "fungus", and then to attach all to the quilted background with a few tiny beads in toned-in colour for more texture and for a sense of dew/damp on the bark that was there when I took the original photo.

And...that's as much of it as you'll see for the next while!  Later in September, when the show goes up, I'll post a finished photo and, I hope, photos of the other pieces, as I fully intend to be there for the opening reception on September 18!

Before I get back to my stitching, I'll link this up with WIP Wednesday over on The Needle and Thread Network.  Pour yourself a cuppa, sit back, and enjoy reading about what everyone's up to!