Palettes of the Masters

This month I was given the very special assignment: to take total creative control over this month’s sampler collection. This is an opportunity which I have been waiting for since my early days at Artfibers. I wanted to do something entirely unique which has not been done before by any other yarn company. After all, we are not your ordinary craftspeople, we are artists who are greatly inspired by the elements of human experience and the arts throughout history which imitate life itself.

With this project I wanted to honor six artists who have done their part with maintaining an expressive and fluid documentation of human evolution. My intention was to not only translate the color palettes used by the artists, but also to capture the essence and “feel“ of the work.

I started by examining each sample and thinking deeply about what period or style of art I most associate with each unpainted strand, then slowly but surely I began to build strong associations which in turn allowed me to search for specific works. Once I chose the piece or artist that I felt directly corresponded with each fiber, I began developing painting methods and color formulas for each palette. I also had to keep in mind the personality and “dying temperament” of each fiber to make sure that the formulas which I created would be accepted and successfully translated to the very end of each dying process. By considering “dying temperament”, I mean determining all of the elements of processing that will determine the outcome for each fiber; this includes temperature, moisture, pressure, washing, handling and just the right proportions of acid or alkaline processing which will allow each fiber to accept the dyes used with limited washout and fading. Also, I should add that we prefer to use natural and earth friendly methods of processing rather than giving-in to harsh chemicals that many industrial dyers prefer to use (for reasons that I cannot imagine rationalizing.)

So without any further ado, here we go!

Phyz ( 70% cotton, 30% nylon ) is a flat ribbon yarn, very geometric in shape. It is stretchy in nature and is able to maintain any shape the designer desires even after extensive wearing and washing.




I could not deny that the perfect art history association for this yarn is none other than Cubism. It is the intention of an artist working with the Cubist stylistic system to translate three-dimensional subjects and objects by breaking them into pieces that are then re-assembled into abstract and geometric forms. It is with this practice that the artist succeeds in depicting his or her subject with multiple viewpoints from random angles, by distorting sense of depth to represent a greater context.

This movement was composed mostly by the European artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, and Pablo Picasso, they were greatly inspired by the African, Native American and Micronesian artifacts being brought into Europe through the rise of colonialism during this time. As most of Europe found these colonized cultures to be inferior and the artifacts to be primitive compared to their own, it was the artists who found these artifacts to be not only deeply inspiring but exceptional and pure forms of artistic and spiritual expression to which nothing else came close in comparison. I, myself have to agree!

Now, it would have been easy for me to search for a work done by the known father of Cubism, Pablo Picasso, however I wanted to extend my search for an artist with whom I was less familiar. It wasn’t long before I came across Wifredo Lam’s work, Goddess with Foliage (1942, Gouache on paper ) and felt immediately inspired.



To get a closer look, just click on the image!









CLICK
HERE FOR PHYZ!

Some further inspiration: I stumbled across this wonderful pattern and garment made out of Phyz that I would like to share with you. This piece beautiful demonstrates Phyz's natural tendency to be quite sculptural. Enjoy!

Click here for Robin Dodge's Phyz inspiration

Boa #26(100% Nylon) is one of my favorite yarns, I feel it provokes the most playful and sensual nature in me. Both soft and fabulous, the long, thin and shiny Nylon strands brought on the undeniable association of sweeping brush strokes that in turn, remind me greatly of the Impressionist Era.




I wanted to find a painting that like Boa, brought on a feeling of soft luxury and extravagant class. I closed my eyes to open them again and fell in love with Edgar Degas’s Dancers, Pink and Green (oil on canvas, 1890).



I could have chosen one of the more realistic paintings in Degas’s dancer’s series, but I felt that this one in particular has more of the soft impressionistic style that I was looking for. This painting said to me, “Boa!”, so all I had to do was develop a palette and paint a Boa that says, “Degas!”



CLICK HERE FOR BOA!


Ginko #11 ( 87% bamboo, 13% tussah silk) is a yarn that we spin in the studio and one which we can truly call our own. I wanted to find a work of art for Ginko that was both deeply spiritual and colorful to complement its natural iridescence. I was very particular about the work of art to be chosen for this one and after some time in search, I came across this piece and felt that it was perfect!




The Gopis Beseech Krishna to Return Their Clothing: Page from the Dispersed "Isarda" Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu), ca. 1560–65
India, probably Delhi-Agra area
Ink and opaque watercolor on paper







CLICK HERE FOR GINKO!

Pacino #15 (85% extrafine merino wool, 15% Nylon) is another one of our ribbon yarns and is one of my favorites to paint. This is a material that is so easy to handle and work with that you soon realize that no matter what you do to this yarn, it will always look good! I would recommend experimenting with felting this one! When thinking of an artist for this one, I wanted to emphasize color over all else. I wanted something romantic, exotic, and exciting. My choice was one which I never grow bored of by a favorite artist of mine:
Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss!



I used a palette of ten color formulas for this one, more than any other paint project that I have ever done.



I started with an overall base color of the light tones of the lover's skin.




With this I prepared my canvas and applied my colors in the proportions that would directly correspond with the proportions of color in the painting.



I made sure that romantic golden yellow dominated in this palette!







CLICK HERE FOR PACINO


Cheesecake #38 (30% silk, 70%, extra-fine merino wool) is one of those yarns that will never go out of style and will always leave you wanting more. Quick to knit, soft and cushy, and satisfying to paint, I could never ask for a better fiber medium. I knew that I could really stretch my mind to find an artwork that was truly different from all the others. In thinking about it, I realized that all of my inspirations so far have been paintings. This time I decided that cheesecake deserved something different. In my search I stumbled across this piece and was satisfied.




The Harvest: From a set of "Teniers" tapestries, 1712–28
Woven in the workshop of Urban Leyniers (1674–1747) and Daniel Leyniers (1669–1728)
Flemish (Brussels)
Wool and silk

I chose a palette of blended earth tones of greens, golden browns, soft yellows, with a dramatic red to boost the intensity.





CLICK HERE FOR CHEESECAKE!

Last but not least, the newest addition to our collection: Zyme #2 (80% silk, 20%nylon). Zyme is plied with two silk components each painted separately then spun together to create radical but complimentary color schemes.

I did not have to search at all for an artwork by which to take inspiration in this case, as I already had a specific piece in mind; from which I have painted a palette once before, in Golden Chai. However, this time it would be a bit more complicated because Zyme requires a separate palette for each component.



Lord Frederic Leighton’s Flaming June, 1895, oil on canvas

It seemed only natural that I should create two separate palettes, one for the soft blue and green landscape in the background, and one for the intensely warm vibrant reds, browns, and oranges.

Component #1: Jomayu(Japanese, good cocoon) is a fine boucle made from tussah silk, harvested in the wild from cocoons that have already been left by the moth. These strands were painted with a cool palette.

Component #2: Purr consists of a chain of silk strands that reach out like tiny soft eyelashes. These stands were painted with a warm palette.









When knit into a fabric, it brings to mind tiny flowers peeking through luminous blades of grass.







*link for Zyme is coming soon!*

Thanks for reading and come back soon for more fiber inspirations!

'Tis the season for Bjork!

I can sense it
Something important
Is about to happen
It's coming up

It takes courage
To enjoy it
The hardcore and the gentle
Big time sensuality

Bjork, Big Time Sensuality


One of the newest additions to our collections, Bjork (24% bamboo viscose,74% wood fiber viscose, with a 2% silk binder) has knit its way into my heart and has become my new personal Artfibers favorite! I had a wonderful feeling from the very beginning; there will be a beautiful friendship, this new fiber and I. My inspiration for this yarn initially came from my love of Bambusa. I had always yearned to paint Bambusa, which only comes in solid colors, but was unable to use this technique because of the cost of production. Two plies with a silk binder later, my craving was satisfied.




While working on color and product development for a new line, we draw from many sources of inspiration -from the natural world to human culture. For this yarn we wanted to explore a new source of inspiration that was both vibrant and expressive in ways that would expand and invoke a creative response in anyone who came in contact.

In the dye studio we often listen to a variety of music from around the world. The artist Bjork, in particular, is played often. In her music she emits the innocence and energy of a child, while evoking emotionally-charged intelligence that is both volatile and tender in nature. Since we have a deep respect and appreciation for Bjork and her creative efforts in this world, we wanted to use this opportunity to pay tribute to her and the gift of many inspirations she has produced in the minds of many.

Music is an extremely stimulating influence for body and mind, capable of transforming a quality of reality that can extend beyond a personal level to a sociological extreme. This is an understanding that starts in the womb for many, but the question for our team as artists was: how do you translate music into color and texture?

For Bjork it comes to me in three words: vibrant, soft, and impervious!


Bjork#4

The pleasure is all mine
to get to be the generous one
is the strongest stance
the pleasure is all mine
to finally let go
and evenly flow
(the harvest is here)
who gives most
who gets to give most
the pleasure is all mine
women like us
strengthen most
host-like - when in doubt give
in doubt: give

Bjork, Pleasure is All Mine







Bjork #5:

We live on a mountain
right at the top
there's a beautiful view
from the top of the mountain
every morning i walk towards the edge
and throw little things off
like:
car-parts, bottles and cutlery
or whatever i find lying around

It's become a habit
A way
To start the day

Bjork, Hyper Ballad





Bjork# 7:

I tip-toe down to the shore
stand by the ocean
make it roar at me
and i roar back

Bjork, Violently Happy






Bjork# 8:

Mon petit volcan
You're eruptions and disasters
I keep calm
Admiring your lava
I keep calm

-Bjork, Possibly Maybe

Grímsvötn, near the western end of the Vatnajökull ice cap, is Iceland's most active volcano. This is an inferred photograph, taken from space,of an eruption of Iceland's Grímsvötn volcano.









Iceland is one of the most active volcanic sites in the world, with 80 of Iceland's 130 volcanoes erupting since the island's settlement in 874 AD. Eruptions are typically experienced somewhere in Iceland on an average of once every five years.

The Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull Volcano threatened a full blown eruption on May 11, 2010, and is yet again causing some major issues across Europe. This kind of news regarding man vs. nature really gets my creative juices pumping - how we manipulate our environment and how our environment manipulates us in return. But this is a topic for a different kind of blog.

Bjork #9:

The atmosphere
Will get lighter
And two suns ready
To shine just for you

Bjork, One Day






Bjork has worked with experimental beats that reflect the landscape of Iceland. She emphasizes in one of her many televised interviews that it takes years of collecting sounds to produce the kind of "flavor" she has intended for one track. She says that besides being a musician and creator, there is a part of her that must be very academic, a librarian of sounds.

I have attached a music video below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!




Last but definitely not least you can get your hands on Bjork on the Artfibers website through the link below.

Click here for Bjork!

New Colors for a Golden Summer!

There has been much that has happened for me in the past weeks; the perceived present becomes past and distant future events, aka my life revolution is now closer than it appears. New school, new home, and new obligations are going to swiftly enforce change in my personal life, challenges that I am prepared to embrace and conquer.
The past weeks in the dye studio have been equally exciting as we prepare for summer with new yarns and new colors. This is by far one of my favorite activities and provides a release and relief for my creative reservoir.
Some of these new colors will be released in our Yarntasting Cafe Sampler (six samples, 90 yards total, $10 ppd (add $5 outside the US).
Our June sampler kit will be inspired by one of the most treasured and sought-after precious metals of all time, GOLD!
One of my favorite yarns -Bambusa (97% bamboo,3%silk) in a new and improved gold.
Below is a photo of this color in process.



Also included in the sampler is a new painted Scarab (75% viscose,28% nylon). This color scheme was inspired by a photo taken in Venice at Carnevale.



Painting Scarab is one of the most difficult to master, it takes a vast amount of foresight and consideration to finish with your intended result; that being said, I was very pleased with how this color turned in our favor.
It is strange how sometimes your mind drifts in and out of a variety of inspirations, sometimes the finished result of a project can reflect something entirely different than what was first intended. This Scarab has now shown us a new inspiration for our dye studio, Claude Monet. I have chosen an image for comparison below.









Also included for tasting, a new painted Tantra (100% tussah wild silk). This started with a very Golden Chai like base color shown below.



As it is sometimes asked in the studio, which comes first, the pattern or the yarn?
In this case we found inspiration from an unexpected source. During our search for inspirations related to tussah silk we came across this garment and were awestruck with its elegance. Nyle has declared that we will make his very own version with this specially painted Tantra. I am very excited for this.
The finished painted product that will be included for tasting is shown below.



Ensemble, 1920s
Raymond Duncan (American, 1874–1966)
Tussah silk with polychrome hand-painted vegetal motif and wood beads, navy-blue silk chiffon
Source: Raymond Duncan: Ensemble (1990.152) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Rasu (Extrafine Merino Wool 70% Mulberry Silk 30%), is a new additions to the ArtFibers catalog.
For those of you who have been ArtFibers fans for a long enough time, you might remember a yarn called Sherlock. Rasu is almost an exact replica of Sherlock, same components, except this time produced from higher quality fibers.
Rasu is a genuinely unique yarn, the components (silk and wool) themselves are not flexible materials, however when spun into a chainette they are transformed into soft and stretchy bliss.
Color development on this yarn has been a pleasure. My imagination is allowed to stretch as the material, to lengths that extended beyond expectations. In this case, it landed me in a country that I hope to visit in a few years, Ethiopia!
An ancient place for a new mind.



This photo is taken by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher of a Surma girl with a painted eye mask; an expression of affection. This photo has influenced the personal space of my bedroom and the professional space of the studio for the entire month of May. It seems only natural that my attention and intentions should be drawn to it.