Fabric, Fabric, Fabric

Mechanical, yes, but I like it too! Lately I've been painting less and working more with fabric. As some of you may know I'm a retired tattoo artist, and I have always enjoyed the actual process of art. In tattooing I loved the machines, the needles, the grips; everything mechanical about the application of the tattoo. So someone gave me a sewing machine and I've been poking holes in fabric instead of skin! I made myself a couple of gaiters for winter, only because I lost my favorite one, and then started looking at what I could make and produce to sell at some of the shows that I do, along with my painted art. I made a few cloth wallets, which were satisfying in the whole idea of following a pattern, and rather complex, but they were not items that garnered any attention. Next I moved on to oven mitts. Of course I am limited to the fabrics I find, but I did discover some pretty neat fabrics in my travels and dove in headfirst. I researched the heat insulation, and decided I would make oven mitts that not only looked great, but that you would NEVER burn yourself in a million years with. I use a metal strip insulated batting (you can hear it crinkle), that is natural fiber and not bleached along with another natural fiber that is super soft. I enjoy making these pieces and am getting pretty good at making them! In that same span of time I also started wood block printing and silkscreening scarves that I hand dyed myself. These are creative for me in a different way. I get to splash things all over the place, get messy and go back to my printmaking roots. Here are some photos of what I've been up to!