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.