Friday Favorites

Drawing Update:
No pictures to show but I had a great time drawing our nude model Wednesday night.  I am 57 and I discovered that I had never really looked at a human body before.  Oh, like I have seen mine, and I have seen other women's as we dressed and undressed in the locker room and, of course, there have been husbands and babies, but it was not the same. This time we were supposed to look long and hard and maybe even stare a bit.  I discovered that the human body is really beautiful.  I loved being loose in my drawing and being able to caress the curves with my charcoal.  Very satisfying.



Friday Favorites:
I still don't have the collage technique down yet.  I have read multiple blog entries with instructions, pictures, even tutorials but when I try it...well, it ain't pretty.  But once again I am being lured into another attempt by Jane at Janeville. I like the whole idea of creating my own fabric.  I just need to put my big-girl boots on and keep trying till I have magic like Jane's students.  Any secrets you want to share with me?

WARNING  WARNING
The rest of this blog has to do with eco dyeing.  If you have not yet been sucked into the void, run now.

I have been reading India Flint's book, "Eco Colour."  It is a very personal view point read.  India certainly has strong opinions about how we should be treating the earth.  I doubt that I will become as ecologically friendly as India but I am watching for the first signs of green here in Maine so I can start dyeing fabric with the leaves. I already have my buckets of seawater for a mordant.  I look at them every morning making promises that soon, very soon, I will be using them.

She is going to be presenting a workshop at Haystack later this year but it is my busiest time of year at work.  I asked my boss what he would think if I asked for that week off of work.  I can't remember exactly his response but it was something like, "I would think you are tired of working here."  LOL

Speaking of Eco Dyeing, Kaite has been trying her hand at it.  Here is the fungus she found and started soaking as a dye.  And here is the first results.

Related is the "Out There" project in England.  They grow plants specifically for dyeing.

And Jasmine has her own eco-dyeing/erosion bundle going as wrapt trees.   I do think my erosion bundle next year might look more like these wraps.

I hope you have a great weekend.  I will be home for the first time in several weeks.  I have some dead roses from Valentine's Day that have been waiting for me. We have a date on Saturday.