KEEP: Modern Library

Happy New Year!

My Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship exhibit, KEEP: Modern Library, has been up for a month now and I thought it was time I posted a few pictures here. All of these were posted on my Instagram feed but I realize that not everyone lives over there so thought I'd share them here.

 The exhibit is at R. Blitzer Gallery in Santa Cruz, CA and is up through January 29th, 2016. There is still time to see it!

 You can see pictures of individual pieces on my website here and read my statement for the exhibit here.

The artist's book, entitled KEEP, that accompanies the exhibit is still available and can be purchased online here.

I will be giving an informal gallery talk at R. Blitzer Gallery on Saturday, January 9th. I'll be in the gallery from 2:00 - 4:00 and will start the talk at about 2:30. Hope to see you there! 

KEEP: the artist's book

I've produced an artist's book to accompany my new series and project KEEP: Modern Library.

It's called KEEP 
and was made possible by the Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship that I received.

It was important to me that I did something with my Fellowship that gave back to the community so 10% of the sale price of KEEP will be donated to the Santa Cruz Public Library for purchase of books for their children's collection. The remaining revenue I hope to pay forward into another artist's book project that will also pay back to the community somehow. That's the plan!

My project, KEEP: Modern Library, utilizes withdrawn books from a college library as material for my artwork, so now those books are completing a circle of life by generating funds for books for kids.

KEEP takes the reader/viewer on a journey with me of the last two years of gathering materials, traveling, learning, stitching and seeing, with images of all those things as well as my artwork from the project scattered throughout the book. It is mostly photographs with some line drawings and a few key words that sum up the essence of the project.

The book is 32 pages, in color, and signed, numbered and stamped with the KEEP stamp that was a partial inspiration for the project. The book is an edition of 200.

You can purchase the book for shipping or local(Santa Cruz, CA) pick up on my website here.

U.S. Residents can use the paypal button on my site and for International shipping please e-mail me and I will send you a paypal invoice (wishiwashistudio at gmail dot com).

Also, available on my website shop page is the Rydell Visual Arts Fellows 2014-2015 Catalog.  (Scroll to the bottom of the shop page for that). The catalog includes portraits of all three fellows (myself, Jim Denevan and Elizabeth Stephens), essays on each of us plus one from a juror, and images of our artwork. I will sign your copy!

Check out my Wishi Washi Studio Shop 
and thank you for your support!

Rydell Fellowship and K E E P : Modern Library

It was almost two years ago that I received a very nice phone call letting me know that I had been chosen as one of the next Rydell Visual Arts Fellows. 

Essential

 

That was definitely a high point of my last two years which have been a bit of a roller coaster ride. The fellowship allowed me to be a student at Shakerag Workshops, exhibit at Codex, travel to Japan, breath a little when I otherwise would be scrambling for studio rent, and publish an artist's book, called KEEP, that will give a portion of its proceeds to the Santa Cruz Public Library for the purchase of Children's Books.

Higbee

All of these experiences, and more, are culminating in an exhibit that I start installation on next week.

Here is information about the exhibit:

Rydell Visual Arts Fellows Exhibition

R. Blitzer Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA

December 4th, 2015 - January 29th, 2016

Opening Reception: December 4th, 5:00 - 9:00

The exhibit will include my fellow Fellows: Jim Denevan and Elizabeth Stephens.

My portion of the exhibit is named: KEEP: Modern Library. It is inspired by withdrawn library books, Japanese textiles, the art of repair and a KEEP stamp that was discarded from a library. All of the color you see in these pieces are book cloth that has been stripped, or "skinned", from withdrawn library books. And, the imagery that floats across each piece is from one particular withdrawn library book that became my muse throughout this series.

I realize many readers here are far flung and won't be able to make it to the exhibit. You can see some pieces from the exhibit on my website here. I will add more pieces as time goes on. 

New Acquisitions

 

KEEP: the artist's book is a book that accompanies the exhibit and takes you on a visual journey of my last two years. You can purchase the book on my website

KEEP artist's book

If you are local I hope you can visit the exhibit! 

Thank you to Roy and Francis Rydell and the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. You have kept me afloat these past two years!

I will post photos of the exhibit once it is installed.

Boro Sampler Book Workshop - and more to come

I completed another season of workshops at Wishi Washi Studio with my Boro Books workshop.

Preparing my materials and tools for teaching

 

This is quickly becoming one of my favorites to teach since Japanese textiles are becoming a favorite subject of mine, particularly Boro textiles. 

I'm trying to learn everything I can about Japanese textiles since the history of Boro textiles is intrinsically linked to the history of Japan and the textiles created there.

Boro textile from my personal collection

 

In my Boro Books workshop (a.k.a. Boro Sampler Book) I share my modest but growing collection of Boro and other Japanese textiles so we can examine the stitching techniques up close.

My Boro Book pages in progress

Then we work on "pages" to re-create mending and strengthening techniques seen in Boro textiles. Students are encouraged to bring materials meaningful to them that can include fabric, paper, and other ephemera.

My completed Boro Sampler Book

The finished product is a book, bound with the Japanese side-sewn binding, that can be referred back to for future art or mending projects. It can be added to over time and even used as a needle book! (See post on a previous Boro Books workshop here)

Detail from my current series: KEEP: Modern Library

The Boro aesthetic has inspired my current series: KEEP: Modern Library that will be in my Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship exhibit at the end of this year. I look forward to sharing more of this series in the coming months.

I'll be teaching this workshop twice this summer at Cameron Marks in Santa Cruz on July 11th, and at Handcraft Studio School in Emeryville on July 18th. Come and join us for a day of learning and making!

Wishi Washi Studio Goes to Japan

I'm going to Japan!

I bought a bunch of travel books

 

And, my really really really great friends sent me things to help me prepare for my trip

And, I even took a "Japanese for Travelers" class offered through my local parks and rec department!

This trip is 100% made possible by the Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship that I received.

This is a picture of Roy and Frances Rydell

Roy and Frances bequeathed their entire estate to support the arts in Santa Cruz County and appointed the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County to administer the fund. I am eternally indebted to Roy, Frances and the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County.

Roy’s vision was “beauty in the home, in the garden and in the community.”  Thank you Roy and Frances. I'm taking you to Japan along with me...

I'm not sure if I will create a blog post while in Japan but be sure to join me on Instagram if you want to follow along...