A little blur is fine

My first camera cost 100￥ or equivalent to a little over a quarter, at that point in time. Today, it might compare to roughly a dollar. I was in my upper elementary school years.  I bought my film from someone in the neighborhood who might have been a photographer and made a little extra on the side by selling and developing film. All I remember is that he was close by, could develop my film quickly and very inexpensively. I still have those early negatives and for the first time in many years, I’ve been looking at them.

I recently bought an inexpensive (not recommended) negative/slide scanner and have been revisiting  childhood. Some of the images are crisp and clear while others are blurry, skewed or are double exposures. Of course, that makes the viewing frustrating. On the other hand, it’s a suggestion, enough to validate some aspect of the “story” I’m looking for. At this point, sometimes that’s good enough. It takes me back and in a way, I’m looking through the lens of that 100 yen camera again.

Process on a jacket

Process3

Originally uploaded by SOFennell

Several years ago, I began working on a series of jackets (I still have a few left to work with). As I worked with manipulating the fabric I realized there was much more to shibori than I’d given thought to. At that point, the focus was pattern and dye results (and of course, it still is). So, I documented some of the results (before dyeing and untying).

I ran across these images recently while cleaning out files on my computer and I return to thoughts on process again, but I also think about form and the various ways of approaching it.

Paint

painted koi

Originally uploaded by SOFennell

After a meeting with one of the sensei I’ll be working with later this fall, it seemed that further play was in order. I need to make more samples for the kids. This won’t be one since this was needed play for me, but the thought came through on the same wave.

I think I must have needed to push some paint. Besides, I’d bought some oil paint sticks and hadn’t played with them. I also have tubes of paint long ignored, so this seemed the perfect venue.

If I had longer with the kids, I think I would go in this direction, but as each class is only 45 minutes (and actually it comes to less in reality) and I see each class only once, time is of the essence and materials have to be fairly quick drying. The kids will “play” with suggested imagery though and I hope to see a lot of variation in their work.

I’m still a few weeks out from any workshops and I have to admit, I’m enjoying the time to play, experiment and work on the upcoming.

It doesn’t always work

Black1-detail

Originally uploaded by SOFennell

It started out as a very dark purple (black dye, actually) and it seemed the excess dye would never wash out. When I thought it was, I kept finding the pigment on my hands. That didn’t work, of course, so I discharged it thinking that might help and it did. However, the result, in the end is quite faded. I have a feeling it isn’t due to the washing or bleaching action, but the age of the dye. The pattern seems quite diminished or degraded.

I’m sure I’ll find a context for it, but what I originally had in mind is probably not going to work. I’m not sure.

In the meantime, workshop jikan (time) has shifted, leaving a much more open schedule in this early part of the school year. It was unexpected, but I’m wondering if that’s also something in my favor – more studio time and I’m enjoying that a lot.

I also wanted to add that while things didn’t quite go the way I’d hoped, there’s an element to this technique that I like.  The colors that result can be quite surprising and I like the various “halos” that appear around the original colors.  It’s another kind of magic (although I want to be properly protected – mask, gloves, in the open air, etc.).

When you are going good

black

Originally uploaded by SOFennell

I never come back to a blank page. I always finish about half way through. To be confronted with a blank page is not very nice. But Hemingway, a great American writer, taught me the finest trick when you are doing a long book which is, he simply said in his own words ‘When you are going good, stop writing.’ And that means if everything’s going well and you know exactly where the end of the chapters going to go
and you know just what the people are going to do, you don’t go on writing and writing
until you come to the end of it because when you do then you say, well, where am I going to go next? And you get up and you walk away and you don’t want to come back because you don’t know where you want to go. But if you stop when you are going good, as Hemming way said, when you are going good, stop! And you know what you are going to say next, but you make yourself stop, put your pencil down, and everything, and you walk away. And you can’t wait to get back because you know what you want to say next and that’s lovely and you have to try and do that. Every time, everyday all the way through the year. If you stop when you are stuck, then you are in trouble.

Roald Dahl

I’m not stuck, but I have found that referencing this idea very helpful in keeping the momentum going.

Indigo day

Indigo1

Originally uploaded by SOFennell

My horoscope this morning indicated that summer isn’t over yet, not by a long shot. I didn’t need to “consult” that aspect of the paper to figure that out. We’d planned this day some time ago, so I hoped for good weather and it did work in our favor. The cicadas were not so strong, but their lament still hung in the air.

We focused as usual on the indigo and what kinds of patterns we could create on the silk by dyeing and then over dyeing, sometimes several times over. I was amazed to see the subtleties and the depth of hue.

We took a light lunch break: salad and bread with a fruity drink topped with a sprig of mint. Then we went back to work. The day passed quickly but I think the results were quite satisfying.

Taking a day like this reinforces (for me) the necessity of not getting too deeply entrenched in my usual production efforts (ie. prepping for schools). I’m finding that a few hours with friends keeps things fresh and engaging. I also gain inspiration and innovative approaches to my daily activity.

蝶の たまご/ Butterfly eggs

アゲハチョウ

If I find any other terminology for a butterfly’s egg, I’ll write another short post on it.   So far, the only one that’s been suggested and that I also found, was in this illustration in a Japanese childrens book.  It uses the term tamago (たまご）, which is the generic term for egg.

I learned some new words from having read this short entry.  One, sakusen, which seems to be the topic of this book, means “operation, strategy or plan.”  So it’s about the swallowtail butterfly’s (アゲハチョウ・agehacho) strategy for protecting her eggs.  As illustrated, the mother swallowtail lays her on the backside  of the leaf (happa no ura・はっぱの　うら）.  Another term is teki/てき/enemy which I should have picked up from watching  the Taiga Drama, Tenchijin.  And why does the mother swallowtail do this?  It’s in this little phrase:  みつからないよう/mitsukaranaiyou/so that it will not be found.

チョウ・蝶/Butterfly

All of a sudden it’s September and I’m realizing October isn’t that far away. I’ve been preparing for several residencies coming up, but haven’t had “real” confirmation that they are going to happen. I’m certain of  one, but I still have to prepare for the others. If they fall through, I’m ready for others later on.

I spent all of last week at the serger & sewing machine and this week is mostly the same. Today, though I stopped to do some research from the Japanese perspective on butterflies, since that’s due to be one of the themes in one of these residencies. Since I reference Japan, I like to expose the students to the language and of course, to make it relevant to the topic.

So, today I went exploring, looking at butterfly imagery and things related, such as milkweed, chrysalis and caterpillars. I also looked up some of their vocabulary (in the Japanese dictionary, of course).

I couldn’t find the specific word for butterfly egg, but I found insect egg, which is chōran (虫卵). A caterpillar is kemushi (毛虫), a word I recall from childhood. A chrysalis is sanagi (蛹) and lastly, the butterfly is chō (蝶)or sometimes chō cho.  Madame Butterfly is referred to as Chōcho fujin (蝶々婦人) or Lady Butterfly.

A butterfly proverb:

諺とは蝶々のようなもの。Kotowaza wa chōchō no yō na mono.
Proverbs are like butterflies.
人に捕まえられるものもあれば、hito ni tsukamaerareru mono mo areba
(if they have the ability to be caught [by people])
逃げるものもある。Nigeru mono aru.
(Some flee)

The “J”dictionary translation:
Proverbs are like butterflies, some are caught, others fly away.

I don’t know about proverbs, since I don’t write them, but I do find the butterfly elusive, especially when trying to “catch” them with the camera.

Semi/せみ・蝉

Semi/せみ

They are so loud this time of year, these cicadas (or semi/蝉). This morning their sounds filled the woods behind my house.   So, I lingered a bit and listened.  I couldn’t see them, but I could definitely hear them. This time of year I like to look for their shells, but haven’t found any as yet.

“Wiki” says the male insects have timbals, loud noisemakers that make a clicking sound.

According to Merrily Baird, the cicada is a symbol of prosperity and fecundity in China. In Japan, they signal summer. Their shells have come to reflect the fragility and shortness of life in Buddhism.

For me, they are one of the many enjoyable aspects of summer.  I look forward to their sounds in the summer heat. Last night, I could even hear them droning as the priest presided over the televised burial service in Arlington Cemetery.

Haiku:
やがて　死ぬ / Yagate shinu / Soon to die
けしきは　見えず / Keshiki wa miezu / But not knowing it
蝉の声。/ Semi no koe. / The cicadas sing (or the sound or voice of the cicada).
芭蕉 (Bashō)

Indigo & Shibori at Artspace

I made it clear to at least one of my 3-4 assistants today that shibori and indigo dyeing is not really the  intense and frenzied experience it felt like today at some points.  This image also doesn’t honestly reflect the few hours I spent at Artspace this afternoon. None of the pictures I took really captured that essence.

I’d arrived later than I’d wanted (of course), as on the way down realized I didn’t have an important ingredient for the “soup” and had to stop for it (good thing it came to mind).   Of course, that took a few precious minutes.

My concern always is, when I set up for indigo, the time factor.  Indigo needs time to work properly as it seems to be temperamental or sensitive (it really does seem to be “alive” at times).  It has to be nurtured.  So, I was under the gun but it responded well in that creative environment and we had a nice potent vat.

Then the kids and families started drifting in for this hands on Japanese tie/dye experience.    The kids bound 12-inch cotton squares with rubber bands or glass “pebbles” to make simple patterns that received a quick dip in the indigo.  It was a too brief encounter with the experience but they seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

Before I knew it, we had lines and it felt a bit frantic as my assistants and I hurried to open their bound pieces and put them in bags to carry home.   The pace never really slowed until it was time to stop and quickly clean up.   In spite of the seeming craziness, it was a lot of fun and the kids and parents seemed to be very appreciative.  Arigato to all who contributed to its success:  assistants, Lia & Artspace.