Yesterday we took my work over to the ARTS gallery in Fayetteville so the staff could set up my solo show, "Stories in Needle & Thread" which will open on Saturday October 24. We talked with Executive Director Jeanne Schilling (on the left here) about the pieces, their stories, how they could be hung, etc. She assured me that they have mounted many shows, and not to worry. Except that I had forgotten one quilt and had not brought enough dowels for hanging. So back to the hardware store, put everything in the car so my anxious brain would not leave it behind, and today we went back to complete the job.
The show is going to look just wonderful. They do know what they're doing, and they want it to be successful as much as I do. This is the first fiber art show they have held, so it's an experiment of sorts. Sister Gee Gee is busy recording the whole process in photos (including the ones in this post)--no one is safe.
I had been wanting something new and interesting to wear for the reception. We found a loose white cotton shirt online, and I painted some large designs onto it--but white isn't my color. Gee Gee and I discussed what color I might dye it, concluding that a nice lavender would compliment the paint colors. I explained that the paint would act as a resist, so that any dye would not affect the paint colors but just bond to the white background. So: a not-too-intense solution of liquid Rit in my studio sink, and in went the shirt. The directions said to agitate it constantly for half an hour, but it was really purple after only five minutes! I washed out the extra, rinsed and rinsed, and now it's dripping dry. What does one do with a sinkful of purple dye? Well, I dyed a piece of silk canvas and a rectangle of white felt, then went looking for white tee shirts, found two that I haven't worn because I look dead in them. Now they're purple also. One nice thing about Rit is that you can dispose of it down the sink, so cleanup is easy. I think I'll get some more colors and play around a little.
In the meantime, it will be hard to miss "the artist" on Saturday evening.