Storm Watching

Last week Ron and I went over to the west coast to storm watch (and for our wedding anniversary).
We saw several 1sts, including surfers riding waves while it was snowing.
And we walked on a snow-covered beach for the 1st time.

But over all the weather was mild

At times it was sunny while it was snowing

So it was a surprise when we drove back home over 4 mountainous passes on icy, snowy roads to find the storm had happened across Canada, including Victoria (all schools were closed) while we had been in the mildest place in the country.

But last night a wind storm hit Victoria. We lost power twice, the 2nd time we decided to go down to the coast to see what was happening.

Birds had come in from the sea and all stood facing into the strong winds.

And, finally, we got to see how those massive logs were tossed high up on the beaches like toothpicks.

The breakwater at Ogden Point had waves breaking right over it.

While we were having hot drinks in a cafe to warm up, we phoned home and found the power was restored so we went home. Storm watching over.

Dyeing - 2nd layer

!st layer - 2 blues










2nd layer - with complements addes

Left - 2 layers, right - 1st layer

2nd layers of 2 blues + complements

left - 1st layer, 2 blues     right - 2nd layer, complements added

pure colours                                                                                     pure colours + lower intensity colours 

These are the samples I am using in class where the students are learning tray dyeing.

We are all looking forward to see the students results.

VCA Students' Tray Dyeing

Each of the students filled a tray with folded fabrics....

...in the colour palettes they had chosen.

We are exploring analogous colour schemes.

The students took their trays home to put in a warm place for 24 hours to batch.

Then they will rinse, dry and iron...

...before bringing their beautiful fabrics back to class to add another layer of colour.

Victoria College of Art Student Work

This is Esther Paterson's display of work she did in the Pattern Design for Artists course.
Esther chose to work with an eye motif and produced many patterns she will use in her work.

Sonia Park was a student in the Mark Making With Thread course. She had to return to her home country, Korea, before the Christmas show so she has sent us images of her completed work.

Sonia's needleweaving sample on her stamped ground

Sonia's 3D project using needlweaving techniques

Results From Tray Dyeing

here are the results from the tray dyeing I did to make samples for the next Mark Making With Machine session

i torn up a single bed sheet so all of the samples are on the same fabric

some samples were wet, some were dry

some were folded in a rough pattern, others folded randomly

6 different effects from one small tray - its a great technique Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn have developed

Mark Making With Machine Course

Mark Making With Machine started at the Victoria College of Art this week. The students spent the day getting to know their sewing machines better and settled on a colour palette they want to work with.
Today I am preparing tray-dyed fabric samples for next week's session. We will use Leslie Morgan and Claire Benn's method because it is simple, an easy way to dye a lot of fabric, and a hands-on method for learning how to develop a colour scheme.

This tray has fabric folded in 6 different ways which will produce 6 different line and textural effects.

The 1st colour, a middle blue, was flooded on the bottom of the tray.

The 2nd colour, a warm blue, was poured over the top.
As well as the different folding producing different marks, we will also be working to produce a full gradation of values.

Victoria College of Art Student Dana Davies

Dana has a dry run to practice explaining her work before the opening of the College Christmas Show

Dana's completed presentation of her work

Dana's 3D project using needle weaving techniques

Dana used a darning technique to explore here chosen colour palette

Victoria College of Art Student Su Mei Moon

This is Su Mei's display of her work, produced during 12 weeks of the Mark Making With Thread course

Su Mei's 3D project began with the lid of a box that she crumpled then worked over with needle weaving stitches

Su Mei chose to explore a very warm palette

She showed skill working with varying temperatures and values to get pleasing contrast in her samples