Texture and Pattern: Wood

Nature walk in Monterrey. I saw some really beautiful patterns and textures tree in stumps and dead wood that had been withered by wind and time and worms.

I can see a great repeat type pattern in this, perhaps for a very graphic black and white pillow or large wing back chair...

Trying a new thing here.....Im going to try and start posting more regularly! What a concept...also will try to post more inspiration style photos - like found patterns during the early part of the week, maybe mid week florals and Friday color inspiration...weekends I will reserve for how to's and my "early years" textiles. Everyones gotta start somewhere right!

So here it is......

More from the "early years"....
These are from my textiles 2 class. The concept was to create a textile collection based off of a movie or book. I chose one of my fave movies Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill, Kill from the amazing Russ Meyer...starring Tura Santana...if you haven't seen  this film go immediately and watch it.

Here's how I did the collection. I always ALWAYS start with a mood or theme board. I have to say I make pretty awesome boards...
I paused the movie when ever a still of a face came on or when a fight seen came on. There were a lot of fight scenes. I mean a lot. I took polaroids of the stills with my old school polaroid camera, and by old school I mean circa 1999. I then blew up the polaroids on a b/w copier, then copied them on velum in a b/w copier. Kinkos hated me I'm sure during this time, but I know they made a killing off me... With the b/w copies you get a lot of really good levels of pos & neg space. And thus making really cool images.

In this set I threw bleach on a black fabric then poured water on it and watched the magic happen. The bleach bled out more and created almost levels of color. After they dried I printed some of the rust patterns on them. 

This one is bleach then discharge. You get a lot of great levels of faded out color. 

I took woven cotton spandex and wrapped it around barb wire and rusty objects in my back yard and left it there for weeks while continuing to work on the other parts of the collection. The rust patterns on their own could have been an entire collection.

A lot of my textiles were created in my back yard and bathtub, I always have plenty of buckets in the garage for when I get a crazy itch to bleach or dye something. 

More from the early days....

I was still discovering new techniques, refining my craft and generally just playing around. I love color and still love it today. These are more from my early works in textiles 1 class. Discharge technique on stretch hot pink pique.
Enjoy!

From my early collections

This first collection was inspired by Dr. Suess. I had just started my first semester in textile school and knew nothing about pigments, techniques or even the process. In this first collection I tried my hand at discharge and quickly found out what types of fabrics are receptive to this technique. As soon as I finished this project, I knew that I had found my passion of textiles and surface design.


The grey stripes are discharge on silk blend. The black Suess flowers are standard screen printing inks.

The below is pigment discharge on a cotton blend poplin. 

Discharge on cotton blend poplin. 

Grid Pattern

I love lines made into a grid pattern and filled in with color. 

I feel a great disturbance in the force....

My house, my sanctuary was burgled last week. My lap top was taken along with all my vintage and newer jewelry. Many 1940's cuff bracelets, art deco rings, 1960's pop art style necklaces and rings. I have no photos to post right now....as they are all gone...all gone. I will be taking the next few weeks to recoup from the disruptions in my life.

Stay Tuned for more pattern!

Enjoy these photos of my cats & dogs.

mossy trees

Photos from Pt. Lobos state reserve near Monterey. 

I was mesmerized by the moss and lichens growing on the trees. 

The trees were windblown and made for a beautiful landscape. 

Pattern & texture is everywhere if you look for it.