PeaceHeart2 -- Fun with School Glue!

So, I have been using hot wax in batik for over 35 years (OMG, that's a very long time)...but in the spirit of the very first post here (can this old hippie learn new tricks?) this is an experiment with school glue as a resist, thickened dyes painted in for flowers and foliage, then unthickened cerulean blue for the background, again painted on. We shall see...first pic is design drawn on unbleached muslin that has then been stretched in an embroidery hoop.

This shot is after dyes have been painted on.



After the dyes have set and the piece has been ironed and washed, there will undoubtedly be touch-ups with fabric crayons...this is very typical of my girly-girl style...watch this space for the final version...all feedback welcomed!

Real Goods, Hopland California

Wow! Real Goods, a wonderful store/learning center located in Hopland, California (just south of Ukiah) recently placed a small order of my hand-dyed organic baby clothes and youth tees in the store -- and enough have sold that it is time to restock, just 2 weeks later! I am giddy, this is so cool!

Here are a few pics of the baby goods, from the slideshow I posted a couple of weeks ago

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I am stoked, this connection to Real Goods means lots more folks will be seeing my stuff, and buying it! Yay!

Tee Art

Last week I submitted my entry for the Earthday Tee Shirt art contest at Mendo College...tadaa!

Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils on watercolor paper, Sharpie outlines and lettering, 12 x 18 inches.

The winner of the contest gets $100! So cross your fingers...in any case, it was fun, and ate up two days I should have been doing homework...

Organic Cotton Kids Stuff

Tomorrow I have a presentation for my Art Marketing class, so I have been working on that...Here is a movie I created featuring new all-organic cotton kid/baby items:

These goodies are being sold at Real Goods, in Hopland, California. Real Goods is a very green, solar-energy kind of place, and these seemed a good fit for their clientele! So soft, so colorful...and looks like I was able to insert the slideshow, even if I can't get it to center very well.

Glad You Is.

PeaceHeart

The basic design seen here is at least 20 years old...although details vary from one batik to another. I am currently incubating ideas for a new series of batik wall hangings, and they too will be anchored by my favorite icon, the peace sign.

PeaceHeart, Teri Johnson

Hot-Wax Batik w/Rit Dyes

Sign of Peace

This is a detail from my SweetPeace Design banner/sign:

This is a view of the whole sign...batik on heavy cotton drapery panel, Procion mx dyes and hot-wax resist applied with tjanting.

Pics of batik process:

Thickened dye has been applied, after background was waxed (tjanting tool). Next, dyed areas will be waxed, leaving spaces to create final outlines in the design. A trip into the freezer will chill the wax and help make the crackle sharp, then a deep black overdye will be applied, to create crackle and outlines (spaces left unwaxed).

Below, the black overdye has been applied and air-dried. After removing excess black dye on waxed areas with wet papertowelling, wax will be removed by ironing. I don't steam or boil out my wall hangings, as I like to leave a little wax to provide sheen, and added weight and body to a hanging. In this case, the combination of wax residue and the heavy nature of the fabric makes this sign hang well, even in outdoor venues, and store easily when rolled up (and no wrinkles if not squashed).

Batik by Teri, sign construction by Virginia.

Peace Witch

Detail from a batik I made some time ago, using Rit instead of Procion mx dyes...I have always loved to slide in a peace sign if at all possible, and since I draw the picture... .

Full view:

Witchy Woman

Teri 1991

Hot-wax batik, Rit dye, deep brown crackle and overdye

terijane.com - argh!

terijane.com is turning out to be a real learning (or rather, not-learning) experience! Evidently I am NOT currently tech-savvy enough to figure out how to get the web page up and manage it. I know, I know, not a huge surprise to those of you who know me, but in the spirit of "why the hell not?" I am working at it, with the help and support of my whole famdamily and any strangers I can hook in off the street...thank goodness the blog was so easy to do! I am loving the blog even more after trying to figure out the geekspeak that passes for instructions when you push the help button when working on the web page. Argh.

Yet, I really, really want a web site, so you can expect lots more whining about how hard it is and how long it is taking, until I (well, really, we, my son Jayme and husband Mike and anyone else I can rope into helping or doing it for me) get it up and running. My very first post here was about old hippies learning new tricks, and the blog was deceptively easy to set up and use, I really did do it all by myself!...but the original question is still reverberating out there in space -- "Can she do it?" so stay tuned... .

A picture, just for fun:

Detail from a silk scarf, procion mx dyes (yellow/bronze/red areas) with indigo edges. When I pulled this one out of the indigo pot and unwrapped it, I had to let out a WooHoo!

Peace Apron

by Lolli Jacobsen, Mendocino Textiles



This time Lolli collaborated with local artist Shizuko, to create a stunner! I love this black work apron, which is well-constructed and features handy front pockets, much appreciated by artist-types. The beautiful image seems to both whisper and shout its message: PEACE!!!


Although I almost hate to get it dirty, I couldn't wait to get this picture taken, so I could do just that thing...visualize me in my studio, splashing dye and paint around, inspired by Lolli's cool apron. If you just have to have one too, "e" me or leave a comment, and I can arrange for that to happen!

Give Peas A Chance

PeacePeas Dish Towel

by Lolli Jacobsen, Mendocino Textiles

Created as a statement about the then-new Iraqi war, artist Lolli Jacobsen combined historic (and copyright-free) images from old seed catalogs with free-spirited calligraphy by a friend, to create these charming and useful dish towels. The PeacePeas design is also available on other items, as are many other designs created by Lolli, in her studio in Fort Bragg, California.

More Details:

The Most Fun I Have EVER Had With Polyester...

Y'all probably know (or can figure it out) that I think the most fun thing in the world is to fling dye or paint onto cloth, but the dyes I have always used only work on cellulose or animal fibers. Since I don't wear polyester (it gives me a rash), and the dyes used to color it are, for the most part industrial type dyes, not something you would play with in your kitchen, I had not experimented with polyester...no little polys or esthers got to color at my house. But last semester I got the chance to experiment with Disperse Dyes for synthetic fabrics. Here's a look at one of my projects:

Disperse dye painted onto plain white paper -- this original was used to create prints using a heat press.

Print on polyester fabric (2nd strike off original)

Print on Pylon interfacing (1st strike off original)

Give Pizza a Chance

This was a special order...I tie-dyed the shirt after the logos had been silk-screened on...the front is pretty cool...

But the back is really bitchin'!

This tee had been worn for some time, and got a whole new lease on life (and we covered up all those tomato paste stains). I'm hoping the owners take notice of this employee's good taste, and have me do all the employee uniform shirts!

Gregg's Coat of Many Colors

Gregg's Coat of Many Colors, Almost Spring, 2009

Friend Virginia and I created Gregg's coat (a more-or-less white poly/cotton lab model) with monoprints & a tie-dye-like resist process using rubber bands and direct application of Dyna-Flow paints. We expect Gregg will add his own colors to the mix in the future, as he is a potter. Modeled for your viewing pleasure by the ever-lovely Virginia Hanley!

Details:

Coming Soon!

There are posts coming, I promise. Homework and taxes (ugh) have been sucking up all my time and energy this week, but I have some good ideas for posts, I just need to find a little time...please be patient, I'm getting there, just very, very slowly...In the meantime, here is something pretty to look at...this started out as a plain white cotton dishtowel:

Processes: deconstructed screen print background, with hot-wax batik overlay (stained glass design), navy blue crackle and overdye for image outlines/borders. Butterflies screened on using Lumiere textile paints. This is photographed with backlighting (through French door)..nice dish towel, eh?

OK, here, by special request, is the upside down version of the batik:

What do you think, better this way?

Feldenkraiss Class

So, those of you who know me will be amazed to hear that I am taking an exercise class at the college. Yes, exercise. But it is the most gentle and laid-back of exercises I have ever experienced, performed in a darkened room, lying on your back for the most part, and all designed to enhance one's awareness of body posture and movement, through gentle adjustment of position and awareness of breathing. Mike and I are both going to do it -- the scar tissue and rearrangement (and removal) of muscles, bones and organs from our various surgeries have left us less than wonderfully well, so we know this effort to enhance and use what balance and strength we have left will be beneficial.

The Feldenkraiss method was developed as a way to rehabilitate and strengthen the body...and I hope that its practice will bring Mike and me the benefit of easier movement with lots less pain...which will mean more peace in my life. Yeah, I managed to bring the subject back to peace! We all need more, and deserve more, peace in our lives. Lying in class, "listening" to my body as I moved it, controlling my breathing and quieting my thoughts, brought me closer to that goal. It can't be a bad thing to make time in your life to lie down, breathe deep and be glad you is -- and I'm glad YOU is, too.

Check out my slideshow!

Slideshow! At the bottom of this blog, you will find pics of silk scarves that I created last semester...the pics don't do them justice, but since I am NOT a photographer, they will have to do! I will be showing off various art projects in that space, as the new semester gets underway...and once terijane.com gets up and running, you can visit there and see everything I am up to (at least, in the artistic sense).

I'm really excited about starting the Spring semester at Mendocino Community College...classes in art & craft marketing, the history of textile arts, fabric printing and dyeing and the Feldenkraiss Method promise to keep me busy. 'Cause we all need more stuff to do, right? That's why I also started a blog, 'cause my day just wasn't busy enough -- or I needed another reason to put off housework and chores. Those of you who know me (or have seen my house), know the real motive here, hehe... .

Off to do some of those aforementioned chores, have a lovely day!

SweetPeace

Why SweetPeace? Well, one of my monikers is SweetPea...and since I came of age in the 60s, when love and peace seemed attainable goals, flashing the peace sign has been my thing for over 40 years (no, Paris and Lindsey didn't invent it!), as every picture of me taken since 1967 will prove. The merger of SweetPea and Peace was a happy accident, a juxtaposition of words that created not only a nickname but a description of the hope and good vibes I would like to express in this world...thank you Lisa/Daisy, my sister-friend, for knowing my name.

Peace is going to be something I talk about here...my personal search for it, and the need for it in our world and daily lives. This day, the day before our new president is sworn in, is Martin Luther King Day, and has been set aside for reflection on that wise man's words and deeds...I hope our world, and our view of it and our fellow travelers, reflects more peace in the coming days. I have hope, for the first time in a long time, that this may come true.

Ghandi once said "we have to be the change we want to see in the world." That's a worthy goal, one I think we should all pursue...and it can start here, today, right now, with a change of heart, or attitude, or underwear, whatever! But here's hoping that we can all get more peace in our lives and our world, and along the way I hope you enjoy getting a piece of my mind in 2009...Glad You Is!

Can an old hippie learn new tricks?

Welcome to the cluttered (and possibly addled) brain of TeriJane...where I will post my musings for all to see. Since I already talk to myself, this should be a snap! Hang out and see if I can master the art of being myself online...this should be FUN...