The air is heavy with fragrant blossoms, which are multiplying daily. Things are becoming lush and green from all the rain, which is ongoing.
The house is being painted, and the painters have told me they saw the robin eggs and there are five!
I am purging in preparation for a garage sale. The universe cannot possibly deposit good things here, as there hasn’t been any extra space.
Ma, the space around things which creates form, like silence between the notes, so very important in finding the essence. Making space around things, making breathing space, concentrating on energetic space. In visual art, it is what is known as negative space, the area around an object, a resting place.
Here is my current project: Blue Bamboo. It was going to be a mural and now it is going to be a wall hanging, as the client wants it to be removable.
I have stapled the fabric to the wall horizontally, as it is over seven feet long, and my studio ceiling is not that high.
This picture below was created with the use of my camera’s stitch function. Once the support is prepared I will then hang it vertically, probably upstairs where my ceilings are higher, to work on the subject matter.
Finding the proper cloth was challenging. This is Cambric Cloth, which I found in one of the Indian fabric places. Most of it is made in India now, although the original was made in France. It is tightly woven, the original was made from linen, but now is usually cotton.
It has had many uses since it’s invention about 1600, including clothing, upholstery, window shades, and bookbinding to name a few.
The surface has a sheen on one side, produced by putting the fabric through a series of hot rollers during the manufacturing process. Though a versatile fabric, it turned out to be as rare to find as hen’s teeth. This type of support can be also attached to the wall, creating a removable mural by hanging like wallpaper.
I had to re-staple some areas, as I didn’t get it smooth enough the first time. First I am removing any lint and dust with a tack cloth.
Then I am priming the surface with gesso. Application with a roller guarantees a smooth even finish.
The surface is lightly sanded between coats of primer. Once primed, the support has the feel of a fine paper.
Two coats of primer are applied to the front, and one to the back. Once dried, the support will shrink.
As this is a form of stretching the cloth, you must use something slightly bigger than you want your finished piece to be.
Now I need to cut it to size, measure twice, cut once. Then I will begin working on the subject matter. Stay tuned for the next installment!