Art Archives - Page 6 of 27 - Sherri Woodard Coffey

Category Archives: Art

More cross work

On the loom

They’re baaack

Well, I’ve written about this before. Crosses. The design below has been modified during the weaving process, mainly because of mathematical errors. Yep, no mathematician here! Then there was digging all of the yarns out, finding enough of the various colors to complete each section. Believe me, I have been counting square inches and weighing yarns to make sure there was enough to weave a stripe. Because blacks might look alike, when you weave different dyelots, there’s always a line of demarcation. That won’t be a problem with the stripes because each stripe can be a different dyelot.

Crosses, stripes, border

The middle section is a totally different story

I needed more black that matched for the middle section. First, I looked at two different local yarn stores, but found nothing suitable. That means dyeing. And it’s been really cold. Now, I apologize for that statement to all of you who have had all the really cold and snowy weather for the last few weeks, but for North Texas, it’s been cold. 14 and 16 degrees at night is unusual for us. Highs in the 30s–maybe--is cold for us. And I had to clean the dyepots before doing the dyeing. 30 degrees! They were really in need of cleaning, but not as bad as the image suggests. Lots of reflection going on in the stainless steel sides. The actual dyeing was a relief; at least it involved fire!

Cleaning the pots

These crosses were originally designed with each arm being 4 inches wide, with 2 inch posts. Not sure about the vocabulary here, so here’s an illustration. However, that design changed as I mapped things out so that they would fit on the width of the warp. The cross width is a little over 3 inches, but the other numbers are the same.

cross measurements

Frankly, after the holidays, house guests, it’s hard for me to get back into the swing of things, but the weaving is back, as is the hard weaving bench. I’m also trying to spend some time working on some 3-D pieces. Those are pure experimentation, so we’ll see if they ever see the light of day.

Seems to be a mild obsession

Dynamic Rectangle

First of all,

I seem to have a mild obsession with the cross shape, a shape that’s been around long before it became a symbol for Christianity. Of course, the shape I am mostly talking about is not a Christian cross, but just a cross. However, even that basic shape has many iterations.

Equal Armed Cross – The Equal-Armed Cross, also referred to as the square cross, the balanced cross, and the peaceful cross, is a name for the Greek Cross when this is found in ancient cultures, predating Christianity. The equal armed cross was well known as a sacred symbol. It is often interpreted as representing either the four seasons, four winds, four elements, or some other aspect of physical nature.

An equal-armed cross (often within a circle) represents the planet Earth in traditional astrological-astronomical symbols. The cross could also be used to represent the natural union between male and female.

As I’ve researched ancient symbols (I’m also very fond of the spiral), I ran across Brigid’s Cross. I’m especially fond of it and would like to experiment with a variation of it.

A lot happens between the drawing board to the actual weaving

As you can see from the above drawing of a dynamic rectangle, I was experimenting with a version of nested equal armed crosses. The actual cross drawing was scanned into the computer, where I was able to play around with color.

Drawing

Below is the actual result of the weaving. I don’t remember about adding the purple stripes at top and bottom, but I do remember about the stripe in the middle. My mind kept saying “crossroad” in my head, so the “road” was added.

Crossroad, hand-dyed wool yarns, tapestry, 43.5″ x 74.75″, private collection

Why this discussion now?

As I said, there seems to be a mild obsession with this shape. This nested cross then morphed into bunches of individual crosses, all equal armed, but the nesting idea continued to incubate. Next time, more of the individual crosses, and later, finally, the nested version of right now.

It’s that time of year

No, not the holiday season.

It’s Pantone’s color of the year announcement-time-of-year. This year’s choice is not my favorite color. How ’bout you?

Of course, I wasn’t crazy about last year’s (a baby blue and pink, which of course, had a much better name than mine) choice either. I don’t object to green, nor do I object to this particular color–in small doses.

Maria Killam has a recent blog post about the new color of the year. I like the pictures she posted using this green. You’ll notice that in each picture there’s usually just a bit of this color, except for the wall of grass. That’s just an interesting wall and makes me wonder how they did that.

I do understand the sentiment expressed on this color image. Do you think greenery will solve all the unrest in the United States? Calm the seas, so to speak?

Greenery

Using green

Squares Cubed, hand-dyed wool yarn, tapestry, 25 x 75 inches total, ©Sherri Coffey, private collection

Squares Triptych, commissioned

Your turn

So, it’s your turn. I want to hear from you. I’m really curious…what do you think of these “color pairings?” You can see the color of the year and all the various “color pairings” here.

Circuitous journey to Journey

Coaster, Journey, cork-backed, plastic on top

Coaster, Journey, reusable paper

Rabbit Holes? I got ’em!

Journey, Private collection, ©Sherri Coffey

It’s been a circuitous path to designing and ordering notecards, and on the way, I stopped for a few coasters. At the top is one that’s got plastic on top. As you can see, it is considerable darker than it should be. Next in line is one that is reusable paper. It looks a lot better to my eye, but then again–it’s paper! And just how reusable is it? Just above is the original.

All of this designing/ordering is from Vistaprint. Here’s the notecard I’ve ordered, just to see if I’ve done it correctly. Can you see the problem? The only design they have is a horizontal folded card, which of course, I want to use vertically. In order to get the whole card covered, part of the design is missing. If I put the whole image without cutting off part of it, there will be a border. Can’t decide if I like that or not. What say you? How do you feel about a white border around the image? Help! What should I do?

Notecard, Journey

New homes

Let’s hear it for new homes!

Several pieces have found new homes lately. Here’s just a few pics of their new home situations.

Zebra in its new home. I really like it on this red and yellow floor.

Ancient Symbol in its new home

Headin’ Home hanging on wall. By the way, that’s a loom in the foreground.

And in the category of…why do I do that?

Orchid

… meet my new orchid. I love orchids. Some people are able to keep them going and they bloom year after year. I’m not one of those people. Still, they’re worth the on-sale price for some beauty and joy, however long that is. This is not its real spot, but the other one wasn’t good for pictures. Not sure if this spot is an improvement–notice the wrestling photographs in the background? They just say, put an orchid here, don’t they?

Giving thanks

Thanksgiving Wordle

Here in the United States, today is the day we celebrate Thanksgiving. So, Happy Thanksgiving from Texas, y’all! There’s a lot to be grateful for, but I kept the theme of this Wordle simple: Thanksgiving.

Last week

Fall Series: l-r: Fall 2, 29 x 4″, $232 Fall, 24 x 7.5″, $360, Zig Zag Fall, 28.5 x 4″, $142

I frantically finished the three small pieces above to get them ready for the open house on Saturday. They turned out pretty well, didn’t they? I’ll probably do some more while I decide where I’m going next. These are completely freestyle, some that I don’t do often, but still the finish work is consuming. Maybe I haven’t found the right system for this kind of work yet.

So then these things happened:

–the printer stopped working, and I had things to print for the open house
–ran some errands, including getting a new printer at Costco
–came home to discover that my electric miter saw and other important time-saving electric tools had been stolen–needed the miter saw to cut display boards
–the temporary bridge fell out of my mouth (I stuck it back in)
–after researching the Costco printer, returned it because it doesn’t do images well
–bought new printer just like my old one (it did a good job, and I had had it for a while)
–went to dentist to get temp bridge put in place again (while I was there, the permanent bridge arrived–Yay!)
–returned printer to Costco
–bought a new miter saw

Scenes for the studio open house

Panorama Photo credit: Carolyn Bernard Young

Carolyn taking a break alongside her pottery

Guest wearing a beaded collar-isn’t it amazing?

A confluence of events

A bunch of unfinished small pieces

It’s a giant conspiracy!

I’m late with my blog post, but I managed to get up early to do it. I processed and uploaded some pictures, adding two pieces to the store, and then started on the blog post. That’s when I could no longer access the site. Oh, well… it is Wednesday at least.

The week has brought several planned and necessary things, and a bit of the unexpected. Like hospital visits. Working on my mother’s computer. Then there were the planned. Getting the new and very expensive bridge started, an urgently needed haircut, a gallery opening in which I had two pieces, but forgot to go, and tah dah! setting up for the Holiday Open House in my friend Carolyn Bernard Young’s studio. The home of Earth to Art pottery. You can read about it on the home page and here. That’s Saturday. Then Sunday is the spice dinner. I’m doing the mango salsa, which should be fairly easy. One of the dishes this time is Peppercorn Ice Cream. Unfortunately, I won’t be tasting that. I gave up all sweeteners. That means no more Diet Cokes or ice cream.

Ancient Symbol, Green, wool, dyes, cotton, 38.25 x 28.25 inches $600, ©Sherri Coffey

Ancient Symbol, Red, wool, dyes, cotton, $600, ©Sherri Coffey

Goals for the next couple of weeks

Finish at least one of the small pieces above and decide how to mount it
Get my finances up to date, something not done for several months
Get started on one of the large prairie pieces
Work on a grouping of small blue pieces

Will it happen?

What’s new?

So, this is happening…

Studio open house

Carolyn Bernard Young and I are having an Open House in her studio on November 19. Send me your snail mail address if you want one of these postcards. There’s a little encouragement to bring your card with you when you visit the studio.

And then there’s this…

Working

I started weaving this stripe with some of the Churro Club yarns that I had, but I really don’t like it much. So, what now…cut off, continue, or add something different to it. I decided on the latter. There may never be a picture of the “add something different” version, but I’m going to experiment.

And there’s also this…

Welcome to Golden

I spent several days in Golden, CO at Art Biz Breakthrough last week. It’s an amazing event with artists working in all kinds of mediums. (I looked this up before using that s). There was lots of enthusiasm, laughter, some tears, dancing in the aisles, inspiration, planning, advice and help. It’s over for this year, but if you think you might be interested, sign up for Alyson’s newsletter: http://artbizcoach.com/.

And then there’s more spirals

More spirals

What is it about spirals? Certain shapes just call my name over and over. Picture from across the table in a restaurant, waiting on dinner with a group of artist friends. Design fodder.

I took my little loom, hoping that in free time I could get it warped and start weaving. Hah! No free time, or if there was a bit of time, I needed to process and/or rest. That means it was a great get-together, right?

Again, I have no words

All My Exes... All My Exes... wool ikat, 34" x 65", $920 ©Sherri Coffey

My days are so wrapped up with the sale and all the various emails associated with it, that I feel like all my words are gone. Do you ever just get “talked out?” And then there’s the mammogram, bone density, dentist. Don’t want to talk about those either. What does it say when you have a mammogram at 2:30, and your results are in your email by 4:00? Did someone really have time to read it?

The studio is swept and kind of clean. The warp is tied on again, and I have started weaving. What it will be is still unplanned. Spontaneity is my middle name nowadays. I’m thinking a simple stripe, but with colors that I have never used before, thanks to the Churro Club. Very subdued.

The sale ends October 31, so now’s the time to take advantage of this. And there’s still time to sign up for the emails. After the 31st, things should be back to normal–whatever that is.

Here are the links for the ones so far.

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3 I somehow deleted the link for this one.
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