Lisa Call

A couple of quick notes:

1) The response has been quite overwhelming for the Color Improvisation catalogs. It’s so exciting to see the enthusiasm people have for this exhibit and the catalog. Thanks to all of you for that support.

I was able to get a second batch and set up a webpage for people to purchase them as all the blog comments were a lot to keep track of. Paypal is much simpler. (If you can’t do paypal I will take a check).

If you want to buy one of the remaining catalogs go here: Color Improvisation Catalogs

Here’s an interesting note – the orange ones always sell out first, followed by blue. We’ll see how the race goes between green, purple and yellow in the next few days.

2) My incomplete projects list is just about done – so a post on that will be coming soon.

3) I have a final design on my landscape and I’m getting bids this week for the work. Someone should be out there moving dirt around pretty soon – woohoo!

4) I’m working on artwork for the Quilt National (a big juried art quilt show) deadline in September. I can’t show the work in progress online so I’ll have to think of something else to blog about over the next few weeks.

5) The Artful Home studio sale ends on July 29th. After that date you are unlikely to see any of this art work for sale again (well except a few of the Chairs pieces). It’s time to get rid of the old and move forward with the new.

If you have your eye on any of the next few days are your last chance to buy them. (here)

If you just want to see images of the work and by pass Artful Home – I wrote a blog post about them here .

If you are interested in a piece but would prefer to make payments over time, I can arrange that also.

6) I’m working on my July studio newsletter and will be emailing it by the end of the month. If you aren’t a subscriber you can do that here: Lisa Call’s Studio Newsletter

6) It’s bedtime. Sleep well everyone!

I’ve been able to acquire 20 additional catalogs for color improvisations, half of which I believe are already spoken for. Everyone that has indicated in the last post that they wanted a catalog will get one.

Tomorrow morning I’ll sort out the details and create a separate page for ordering the catalog to make this a more stream lined process – so please bare with me.

[Update 6/27: If you would like to purchase a catalog, please see my new webpage for that purpose: Color Improvisation Catalogs]

In the meantime – here is a photo of my artwork hanging in Germany at the exhibit (thanks to Janet Steadman for sending the photo):

Structures #111 and Structures #108
©2009 Lisa Call
77″ x 76″ – Structures #111
72″ x 72″ – Structures #108
Textile Painting (Fabric hand dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton thread)

Color Improvisations Catalog – the orange version
 

One of my pages

Catalog Available for Sale

The color improvisations catalog is now available for sale. You can either purchase it from the color improvisations website and pay shipping from Germany. Cost is ~$45 + ~$15 shipping to the US (other countries vary).

Or you can buy it from me as I will have a few extra for sale. Cost is $43 + $10 shipping (for US addresses only – if you live outside of the US please order from the website above).

The catalog comes in 5 different covers so you can place your order based on cover color here (if you’d prefer to pay with a check let me know). You will receive your catalog in early August.

[Update 7/27: If you would like to purchase a catalog, please see my new webpage for that purpose: Color Improvisations Catalogs ]

More Photos from the Exhibit Opening

For more information about the show check out Terry Jarrard-Diamonds account of her trip to the exhibit opening in Germany a few weeks back.

Sounds like a fabulous time – sure wish I could have been there. But I’ll have a landscaped yard soon, so the trade off is okay for me.

Home #55
©2010 Lisa Call
6″ x 6″
Textile Painting (Fabric hand dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton thread)
Mounted on stretched canvas
$190 + shipping

Purchase Home #55 with a single payment:

Purchase Home #55 with 3 monthly payments of $64 each

New Art

I’m excited about Home #55 above, as in addition to sporting my newly rediscovered old hand painted fabrics, I did some free motion quilting on the textile painting. Something I haven’t done in years.

The free motion quilting I’ve done is called stipple quilting. You can’t see it in the photo above as it’s black thread on black (in the background) and the light in my studio isn’t very good in the evening for photos – so I’ll add a detail shot to my blog tomorrow when I have better light.

Stipple quilting is an organic line that meanders about the space, never crossing itself. I felt the organic quilt line in the back ground would compliment the print in the fabric nicely and it does look great.

What fun to revisit old techniques I haven’t used in years.

And chartreuse with black and white. What could be better than that?

I just finished this little piece and I also just finished quilting Dream #40 (photo of completed textile painting coming soon) so now it’s back to Structures #112 in the studio tomorrow.

Landscaping

Today I met with the landscape architect and we talk about a final revision I want in the plan. With this change (well – depending on what he does to the drawing) I think it will finally feel right.

I’m looking forward to moving on to phase 2 of this project – ie actually doing the work. Can you imagine? Getting to go outside of your house and sit down and enjoy the outdoors.

I’ve felt fairly trapped in my house because I have no landscaping. It’s not bad in the winter but during the summer it drives me a bit mad.

It’s help that this year I’m running – so I’m outside more. But I do need to get out and hike to enjoy more of the glorious Colorado summer. Maybe this weekend.

Dyeing Fabric

This weekend I spent a lot of time in my laundry room, dyeing fabric. The above photo are the results – 81 yards of newly handdyed fabric with a total of 65 colors.

Most of these are 1 yard pieces, although I also did a few 2 yard and 4 yard pieces. The largest size are for the backs of the quilts.

The 2 yard pieces were an experiment to see if I liked dyeing fabric this size, as it seems like I’d run out colors less often if I switched. Jury is still out on this one. We’ll see how it goes when I use these larger pieces as I like the convenience of the 1 yard cuts.

Super Powers

I spent about 6ish hours on saturday dyeing the fabric and then another 5ish hours washing it and ironing it. I think I dye fabric quickly.

I think I do a lot of stuff very efficiently.

I’m taking a workshop (more on that later this week), and right now and we are supposed to think of our super powers – I think efficiency is one of mine. When I’m focused I don’t waste movement and I can be very productive.

I have to say I like this super power, although it’s not always available to me. I wonder if I need to eat spinach, or something, to access it.

What is your super power?

More Fabric Photos

 
The above are a few pieces of the fabric that I thought I might sell on my Hand Dyed Fabric for Sale webpage.

But then I liked most of them, so the only ones I’ll be listing are the 2 super multi colored ones (first on the right and 3rd from the right). Click on the image for more detail.

Not sure when I’ll get around to this so if you really want them you can email we and we can work out something that way. It’ll save me time with listing the fabric so I’ll sell it for $30/yd w/ free shipping vs the normal $32 as I like saving time (see super power above).

In every dye session, there are rejects. Ugly fabric that not even a mother could love. This weekend there were only 2 such pieces, those 2 above.

They don’t get ironed. Instead they get shoved into my dye closet and next time around I will over dye them and turn them into something beautiful. All the dark blue pieces in the photo 2 up are former rejects.

Composition

I really liked this composition with the balls beneath the fabric so I thought I’d share the “before I cropped it” view of my hand dyed fabric.

 
These fabric balls are what I do with the selvedges (the fuzzy edges) of my fabric. They pile up into big bags and eventually I will roll it into these balls. Keeps my hands busy when I’m watching movies or listening to something.

I’d like to do this at work during meetings but I suspect that would be frowned upon.

It’s been a super productive weekend. I dyed nearly 80 yards of fabric, although I’m going to bed now with 1 last load still in the dryer that I will iron in the morning. So photos will have to wait until then.

I also started my list of unfinished projects for my quest for completion. You can watch the list evolve here: Projects to Complete.

Making this list inspired me to do something I’ve been putting off for 2 months – uploading all of the landscape “before” photos to smugmug. You can see what my yard looks like now (or close to it – the weeds are much bigger now) : Landscaping Before Photos.

I also started a second black and white Home textile painting, similar to Home #54, but it’s not yet complete. So again, photos tomorrow.

In the middle of the intense day of dyeing fabric on saturday, I took a break in the middle of the day to go to a yoga class. What a fabulous decision, the class was amazing (as they always are) and it provided a much needed pause in an otherwise very busy (and fun) day.

 
How was your weekend?

Home #54
©2010 Lisa Call
8″ x 8″
Textile Painting (Fabric hand dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton thread)
Mounted on stretched canvas
Purchase Here

Hand Painted Fabrics

In 1998 I took a class from Natasha Kempers-Cullen to learn her techniques for painting and printing with Profab textile paints.

For a few years after the class, I spent hours and hours painting, stamping and eventually screen printing fabric with these textile paints. It was incredibly fun and the paints are non-toxic so I enjoyed this activity with my kids.

Our process evolved from that which Natasha taught, mostly in the direction of being very messy as I had a 4 year old helping out.

It was great fun.

It is also a very slow process, so I never did produce very much fabric. I eventually turned to dyeing vs. painting and this era of my surface design came to an end.

Black and White

Last night I was perusing the internet looking at art on blogs and came across some black and white artwork.

I thought now that I’ve completed my purple and orange exercise, it was time to make a black and white Home textile painting.

Solid black and white wasn’t calling to me so in the back of my mind I recalled I might have painted some black and white fabrics. And sure enough – I did:

It’s not much, probably about 1/2 yard total at most, but enough to make a few small textile paintings.

Home #54

So off to my studio I went. Last night and this morning I created the above quilt.

It was fun to use heavily patterned fabrics in my artwork and definitely new, as I’ve used exclusively solids for nearly 10 years now.

The pattern inside the house is from a rubber stamp I made. I never did know what I’d do with it but it makes for a lovely house.

I’m looking forward to make a few more of these before the fabric runs out.

Checking In

I haven’t written lately about how things are going as I move passed the depression I was dealing with a few months back.

I’m still going to acupuncture once a week. This week I didn’t have the familiar “glad I’m here as it’s time” feelings, which I consider big progress. I think I have definitely turned a corner the last few weeks and probably will start cutting down on the acuputure.

Not that I don’t’ love it but I still am not best friends with the needles.

I had a cold 4 weeks ago and just today I finally stopped coughing enough that I felt I could get back to running.

I had just reached a point in June, after 2 really good weeks of running, that I wasn’t struggling with the idea of booting myself out the door to run.

I figure the cold was just the universe’s way to test me – did I really want to do this? The answer is yes. The physical exertion is good for me. So I tied on my shoes this morning and hit the pavement.

Feels great to feel like me again.

Home #53
©2010 Lisa Call
6″ x 6″
Textile Painting (Fabric hand dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton thread)
Mounted on stretched canvas
Purchase Here

Completion Quest

I’ve decided I have too many incomplete projects. Time to clear some up. So I’m on a completion quest – which you can read about in my new post over on my other blog makebigart .

The article is here: A Quest for Completion.

What to join me?

New Art

Above is some brand new art, hot off the iron/sewing machine/cutting table today.

I mentioned in my last studio newsletter that I was going to making some 8″, 6″ and 4″ Home textile paintings. This is the first.

A few days ago on twitter Nemo (I featured his art in my last newsletter – see the above link for more details) asked for someone to name 3 colors.

I suggested purple, lavender and yellowish-orange. He went with green.

So I went to my studio and made Home #53 with those colors.

Speaking of completion, clearly I’m not done making artwork in the Home series – I’m still very much enjoying the process. I’m still thinking about my home, especially with the landscape project in progress.

The outside of the house weighs into the same questions about What makes a house a home?

Misc Notes

My inspiration journal is going well and I have a custom URL for it: inspiration.lisacall.com . You can subscribe in an rss reader if you use one, or you can “like” my facebook art page as the images appear there also.

The first photos from Color Improvisations, which opened last weekend in Germany, are posted. Check them out here. The show looks fabulous and I feel like I’m about the only artist participating that didn’t show up for the opening. Bummer. Looks like a great party. Next time!

Details are still being worked out on how one can purchase a catalog from the show. I hear it is amazing – can’t wait to get mine.

Letting Go

The Artful Home studio sale began yesterday. My artwork for sale here.

I always have mixed feelings about selling my older artwork. Part of me thinks “better keep this around for when I’m famous and need examples of my early work” and part of me thinks “who would want this” and part of me is worried that there are a bunch of art rules about selling older artwork and I better figure them out and follow them.

And then the part of me that likes uncluttered and spare spaces says it’s time to clear the way for the new by cleaning out some of my older artwork. And so I select a few of my older works and offer them for sale at artfulhome during their studio sale.

This time I’m offering this art at significantly lower prices than I might normally. Probably has to do with the state of my mind at the moment – a real desire to make way for something new by letting go of something old. The upcoming college tuition bills that will start rolling in this fall might have something to do with it also.

Whatever the reason, I am prepared to sell some older artwork at the moment. Although not for long, as the sale ends July 29.

Older Work

Some of this artwork isn’t necessarily recognizable as my artwork. Although the Chairs series is clearly a precursor to my structures series.

Smiley faces – hm. Not exactly me anymore. It was made for a group challenge. We were to make a face. I wasn’t going there, so I went with smileys. I was never good at rules.

Lots of beads on some of this work. I still like working with beads. I have a piece almost finished that is encrusted with beads, but this type of work is pretty rare these days.

All of this work is part of my growth as an artist. And for that this is an interesting look at history if nothing else.

The Art

El Nino
© Lisa Call
19″ x 19″
Textile Painting (fabric, netting, batting, rayon and metallic thread, beads, buttons)
$395 (purchase here)

 
 

Smile
© Lisa Call
18″ x 18″
Textile Painting (fabric, batting, thread, buttons)
$175 (purchase here)

 
 

Chicken Quartet #1
© Lisa Call
12.5″ x 13.5″
Textile Painting (vintage fabric, fabric hand dyed by the artist, batting, thread, beads, buttons)
$295 (purchase here)

 
 

Chairs #11:Spring
©2000 Lisa Call
29″ x 46″
Textile Painting (fabric hand painted by the artist, cotton batting, cotton and rayon thread)
$960 (purchase here)

 
 

Chairs #8: Yellow and Blue
©2000 Lisa Call
32″ x 32″
Textile Painting (fabric hand painted by the artist, cotton fabric, cotton batting, cotton and rayon thread)
$840 (purchase here)

 
 

Chairs #6
©2000 Lisa Call
18″ x 18″
Textile Painting (Fabric, cotton batting, rayon thread)
$195 (purchase here)

 
 

Chairs #15: Cerro Grande – Canyons Burning
©2002 Lisa Call
29″ x 40″
Textile Painting (Fabric hand painted and dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton thread)
$960 (purchase here)

 
 

Insalada Caprese
©2002 Lisa Call
24″ x 24″
Textile Painting (Fabric hand dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton thread)
$395 (purchase here)

 
 

Fractured Flies
© Lisa Call
23″ x 44″
Textile Painting (Fabric, cotton batting, cotton thread)
$195 (purchase here)

Structures #111
©2009 Lisa Call
77″ x 76″
Textile Painting (Fabric hand dyed by the artist, cotton batting, cotton thread)

Color Improvisations

This last weekend Color Improvisations opened in Stuttgart, Germany. Two of my textile paintings were included in the exhibit, one of them being Structures #111 shown above.

I have heard the show is fabulous and I’m bummed things didn’t work out for me to attend the opening and am looking forward to hearing reports for those that were able to attend.

See here for a list of participating artists. I’m honored to be included with these fabulous artists.

Exhibit Details

Color Improvisations
July 11-August 25, 2010
Haus der Wirtschaft, Stuttgart, Germany
Grand opening: July 11, 2010 | 2 pm

This exhibition, curated by Nancy Crow, and organized by both Ginie Curzte and Nancy Crow, includes artists who are committed machine piecers, who have studied consistently with Nancy over the past 15 years, and who have developed very individual voices; the exhibition will showcase approximately 50 very large works that are masterful in color usage, composition and are technically, beautifully machine-quilted. The exhibition will travel throughout 2010-2012.

A gorgeous catalogue of all works will be available after July 12, 2010. When I get details on how you can purchased a catalog I’ll let everyone know.