My 27-year-old nephew, Gee Gee's youngest, is building a house near a swamp in Florida. It's been a huge adventure for him, from land purchase through planning, obtaining financing, finding a contractor, and overseeing the process. He has very definite ideas about what he wants at Pinehaven; Gee Gee and I have watched from afar as each step was made. Karl and his dear Gabby are joining us for Christmas and I know we'll hear lots of details during this brief visit.
I proposed a wall hanging to celebrate this house, and after some discussion came up with a plan. On a pine paneled wall at the foot of the stairs there's a two-storey space perfect for something long and narrow--so I'm working on "Pinehaven," 36"wide and ten feet long. That is a lot of space to fill, but what potential! Here are a few process photos.
I proposed a wall hanging to celebrate this house, and after some discussion came up with a plan. On a pine paneled wall at the foot of the stairs there's a two-storey space perfect for something long and narrow--so I'm working on "Pinehaven," 36"wide and ten feet long. That is a lot of space to fill, but what potential! Here are a few process photos.
Pinehaven: process photo, painting background ,
Painting background, now that hand-dyed repurposed fabrics have been identified and placed.
I love how the cutwork cotton tablecloth blends in, and the embroidery asserts itself with a little paint brushed over.
Painting background, now that hand-dyed repurposed fabrics have been identified and placed.
I love how the cutwork cotton tablecloth blends in, and the embroidery asserts itself with a little paint brushed over.
Pinehaven, process photo--sky The painted sky came first. Sunrise or sunset, your choice.
The indigo-dyed cotton lace tablecloth lies over dye- painted silk canvas and indigo and bois d'arc dyed cotton.
Pinehaven--process photo, water portion This is the water portion, pond and stream. It's made from a blouse I bought at a thrift shop specifically to cut up and use in art pieces--lovely iridescent synthetic. I will add some reflected highlights from the sky.
I'm eager now to get trees and underbrush, ferns and palmettos and a few animals onto the scene. And somewhere, the corner of Karl's house. I can get quite a bit done in the next week before they come.
Isn't it fun when a project fills your mind and you can't wait to get back to the studio? I don't exactly dream about Pinehaven (I seldom remember my dreams anyway) but something happens in the night that gets me up and eager to cut stuff into pieces and fling paint around. I am proud to say that I haven't bought anything for this piece so I can move closer to the goal of stitching up the entire stash (especially the hand-dyes) before I'm dead. I even have a big piece of green cotton that will make an excellent backing for it when I get to that point--the point of adding backing, that is, not being dead.
Local Christmas parade this evening unless it's rained out. Last night we heard drums and went outside to see the Guadalupanas from our Catholic church practicing their parade routine right in front of our house. How cool is that? Small towns are great.
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