Thatching Patterns

I found this great little patch of winter thatched grass that inspires my inner paper making diva.

Cell Patterns

Silk rayon velvet devore - natural dyes. Patricia Chauncey 1996


This is a silk rayon devore scarf I made years ago. I was trying to combine cellular imagery with the rhythms of dream time painting from the aboriginal people of Australia. Didn't get close to the intensity and meaning of that work, of course. I wasn't trying to appropriate but to understand.

The cloth was the first complex cloth I attempted. The velvet was dyed, printed, devored, discharged, printed, dyed, printed, discharged and stitched. Dyes included plain tree leaves, onion skin, rust, indigo, tannic acid and Oregon soil I think.

The colour has held up pretty well for something made and worn for a dozen years.

Knotted Hair

Hair Leaves Jenine Shereos
Hair Leaf Jenine Shereos

detail Hair Leaf Jenine Shereos

These beautiful, delicate and haunting leaf sculptures are made by artist Jenine Shereos.
She creates these lacy leaf skeletons by stitching and knotting human hair.

Check her out at http://www.Jenine Shereos.com

Rocks

Lovely new planning notebooks for the next three big projects.

Encaustic painting waiting for holes. Still in process. Patricia Chauncey 2012

Oregon Coast beach rock covered in tiny barnacle leavings washed off by the grinding tide.
Another view of my rock.

Making rocks of my own.

Rock on!

Playing with larger burnt surfaces on papier mache. Ordinary newsprint with no further embellishment other than my secret coating and compulsive burning.

The rocks from the Oregon Coast provide unlimited inspiration.

Colour

Barry celebrates in full colour! Holi 2012. Pictures stolen shamelessly by me.

A beautiful full moon lit my walk home from dinner last night. Bright and clear. Shimmering and exaggerating every surface.

Have been playing in full colour. Planning a community natural dye workshop in Wells. Was approached about doing it a few days ago. A whole forest providing my dye supplies. Still have a couple months to prepare.

Digging into my beautiful India Flint book on natural dyes and responsible methods. And every other natural dye book I can find. Suggestions are always welcomed.

Colour has even been occupying my dreams. I dreamt my darling friend Barry was covered in colour. He is in India having real adventures. The celebration of Holi is happening right now.
He sent this delightful image.

Greens

My jacket and a marbled paper box.


Further developing copper patination for printing


Knit, dyed and felted wool, cotton and silk scarf 2009


image from paint palette sample sheet


Feathers Mark gathered from his peacocks. Gave me a huge vase full. Indulging my Bovary thing!

I have been waiting for green. It is dark, cold and rainy in Vancouver this week. The eye has to search for green in the grey, grey weather.

The greens and blues excite my eye.

And I should be organizing my office and taxes.

Curl Up Inside

Under side of paper wasp nest

Cells paper wasps nest

Turtle shell

Shell



Tiny Pyrography picture Patricia Chauncey 2011

Inspiration globes and rattle

Hive layers

Favourite plate from Fangfoss, U.K.

Encaustic painting detail in process - Patricia Chauncey 2011

Encaustic painting detail - in process Patricia Chauncey 2011

Lantern Patricia Chauncey 2011

Volcanic Rock from Oregon Coast

Saltspring Barnacles

Bark with Woodpecker holes

Sample felt work - Patricia Chauncey 2011

Sections of felt work - Patricia Chauncey 2011

Kathryn came for supper last night and gifted me parts of two paper wasp nests.
There is a little of the hive covering left and four layers of cells. She found them when out for an urban hike.

I am awed. I get gifts of unusual natural objects from friends and customers. Obscure bits of nature that never fail to inspire. Cocoons, insect nests, bones, skins and beautiful stones. Each crawls into the work and come out somewhere unexpected to me.

Mark gave me a collection of thirty peacock feathers from the Wells Hotel. Gleaming with fifty colours and reflective surface. Variable depending on the light. Soft and sensual to touch. Reacting to movement of air and temperature. The remnant of a beautiful calling bird.

They exist in jars, bowls and baskets all over my house and throughout the studio. Collections. Visual and physical reminders of this complex and layered world. Studies on surface, light reflection, form, colour and texture. Absorbed through nostril, skin, ears and eyes. Completely important to my process.

Hunter and gatherer. Collector. Visual explorer. Closet Darwinian.