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I was asked recently by a quilter how I approached a new project. She explained that she lays out the images in pieces on a 2-dimensional surface, but how did I approach a sewing sculpture? I replied that I simply cut-away everything that doesn’t look like the form of the object I wish to create. Of course cutting away all the areas that don’t look like the object in question also requires a lot of mending to rejoin the remaining areas.

Although I do have a fair amount of experience in sewing garments, I’ve decided that this was the best method in which to approach the Bizarre Bra. The skeletal form of my barrel cactus “ta-tas” have been completed, and you’ll notice the muslin forms are not very pretty.  In fact, even though I have no doubt that they will endure 20+ costume changes and intense choreography, the hand stitching is horrendous if this were intended to be a fine quality garment.

But, my primary concern is the sculpture. So I stitch, tuck and tack everything necessary to get the barrel shape I’m looking for…then I’ll concern myself with the attachment to a human model and its final transformation into a “fine garment.”

Drum roll please….here’s the sketch I promised ages ago of the piece I’ll be working on for the World of Wearable Art competition. Unlike my other pieces where support materials (like galvanized wire mesh) for the sculpted form are not a concern, in this case I’ve needed to consider materials with a more sensitive side. After all this sculpture will be protecting someone’s “ta-tas” and I don’t want my piece being the cause of some unwanted piercings. As I’ve said before, 75% of design happens in my head. In this case I think it’s more like 90% just for the the “think-time” spent on working out the details of proper support, and softer ways of making details like the ridges and spines of a cactus. This is going to be fun, if not at times a little frustrating. I look forward to keeping you updated with the successes and trials as this project progresses. Wish me luck…I’m going to need it:)

You know life just sometimes gets in the way of my good intentions to post more often:) I do have the sketch I promised of the next piece I’ll be working on for the WOW show, but first I want to show what took my time between posts…

A good friend recently fell on the streets of San Miguel. While the cobblestone streets of this little town can be treacherous, John’s fall was not caused by the cobblestones but rather by the construction debris on the street. Basically he tripped on a cable wire and fell on his arm shattering his elbow in about 10 pieces. Through John, many of his friends are now seeing the medical profession in Mexico up-close – and I can honestly say I am not concerned about the quality of care I’ll receive should anything similar happen to me. However, there was one item John found could be improved upon – his sling, and I was happy to help improve the design. The old sling had a few faults I think simply because they are mass produced to be worn for a variety of breaks and angles of casts. In John’s case the 90° angle wasn’t ideal as his cast is set slightly less than 90°.  As a result of the conflicting angles the length wasn’t long enough to support the entire length of John’s forearm causing the sling to continue to ride up his forearm and lessen the overall support. Also the connection of the strap to the elbow side of the sling was placed over the center seam. As a result the strap didn’t stay in place across his back and again reduced support.

So John came over first to show me his old sling, then to act as a model for the new pattern and finally to select a fabric from my studio stash. Below John is modeling the new and improved shoulder sling. The ultra suede outer fabric comes from a recycled Clearwater Creek jacket. The lining is cotton canvas for durability. This new model offers proper back support, a strap guard and cell phone pocket. All-in-all much more stylish:)

I know I said I was going to try to post more frequently in the New Year…clearly that hasn’t worked out so well just yet. While there is really no excuse for not taking just a few minutes a few times a week to update, I have been a little preoccupied this past month. I was getting ready (promo materials, pr, etc) for my first local show in San Miguel which was hosted at the Oasis — one of San Miguel’s renown boutique properties and a Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice 2010 Winner for Service and Bargain. Nancy Hooper, the owner of the Oasis, was so gracious to open her doors to host an invitational reception on January 28th for me and Bill Fares, a local sculptor of reclaimed iron. The artwork was well received and I did sell a piece. Flor de la Noche, which recently received a “Special Recognition” in the Upstream People Gallery Juried Art Exhibition, is installed in its new home in Mexico City. I hope the new owner is enjoying it as much as I enjoyed creating it (you may view the piece on my site here).

Below are a few photos from the opening. I will be posting again next week to show the new piece I’ll be starting for the WOW (World of Wearable Art) competition and show. I’m really looking forward to getting started on that piece…it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Andrea Soto Alegria, Textile Artist Wendy Moyer, Alexis White and Oasis owner Nancy Hooper.

Doug, Brett (owner of Shanti day spa in San Miguel), Oasis owner Nancy Hooper, and me. Paraíso is the piece in the background.

One of Bill’s pieces. This piece is hooked up to a propane tank and incorporates fire into the sculpture.

After much prodding from the man in my life to do more promo work, I recently submitted a few pieces to two online juried art shows. I just found out that my work was selected as one of 30 finalists, from 75 artist entries, in the Projekt 30 January Exhibition, and Flor de la Noche received Special Recognition from Juror, Laurence Bradshaw, in the Upstream People Gallery’s 12th Annual All Media International Art Exhibition. Another New Year’s resolution…listen to that man more often:)

So please take a moment to view the shows. Just click on the linked images below. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

“WENDY MOYER shows textile art in a professional manner. Perhaps most successful is her piece “Flor de la Noche” with the black behind the night flower strengthening the subject. The hand stitching adds a nice touch to the simple and direct statement.”

Since my last post, I’ve been working away at the new piece and got totally immersed in all the components and their various challenges that I completely forgot to take photos along the way. Sorry.  My New Year’s Resolution: I will try  to be more diligent about posting and taking “in-progress” photos.

However, I have finished my last piece for 2009. Uprooted (Sp: Desarraigadas) is part of the Textures of Mexico series and is a sculptural interpretation of the lilies that bloom here in Parque Juarez in early spring. The background of this piece is comprised of torn and frayed pieces of shantung and jacquard silk. The pieces were overlaid in a geometric pattern and then machine quilted in place over a heavy cotton upholstery batting and artist grade canvas.  The durability and weight of the background is necessary when adding high relief, 3D forms to the front – especially wire frame forms such as the one from which the root ball is protruding. {If you’re interested, the making of the root ball was covered in my previous post.} Although all the leaves and the flower stems have been tacked into place, each leaf and flower petal have thin wires embedded into the veining allowing them some additional movement and flexibility.

Hope you enjoy viewing this piece as much as I enjoyed creating it. For purchasing info and more detailed photos of this piece please click here.

Hasta el Año Nuevo!

I promise this isn’t going to turn into a sea creature or some otherworldly monster. In fact, this textile element when finished will look like it was pulled from mother earth. Normally I would post after the element is complete, but I am particularly pleased with the singeing/melting fabric and thread thing that’s going on. I’m excited that it worked the way I thought it would building (or rather melting) the outer skin on this element. So thought I’d share this step, even though it’s not yet complete. I’ll post the finished element soon. Hasta….

The last couple days I’ve been back to my most current textile art piece. I’ve finished the top stitching on the background. The top layer is comprised of torn jacquard and shantung silk, neither of which are incredibly sturdy, but by adding the natural batting layer and top stitching (machine quilting) all layers to a canvas back this piece is now strong enough to support the subject. I’ll be starting on those sculptural components in the next few days…as soon as I figure out how best to create them:) I don’t work out everything 100% before I start. Many things are figured out as I go – that’s half the fun!

Hasta pronto mis amigos!

My current project has been on hold this last week as I was asked to participate in a local charity “event”. One of the store owners asked several local artists to make ornaments that can be sold to benefit Hospice. Of course I said I would be happy to participate, and in my classic form, realized only a week before they were due at the shop that I hadn’t even come up with a design. Panic is a great motivator:)

I did manage to finish all three and deliver them to the store on Sunday for the tree-trimming event:) Below are the three ornaments. The first two are “genus: imaginari.” To my knowledge, these flowers don’t exist in nature, but my imagination is full of them. These like my larger pieces of work are entirely made from recycled brand name clothing I find in the mercados of Mexico. The flowers are then glued into a dried cutting from the tip of maguey leaf. People who plant magueys near and around their homes and gardens typically cut the tips off the outer leaves so no one impales themselves upon them. The tips of the leaves are so pointed and strong they can easily put a pretty nasty hole in soft flesh and were once used as needles to sew together animal hides. Each of the flowers are about 7″ in height by 3.5″ wide. The last ornament is an abbreviated version of “Las Tunas” and is about 7″ in height by 8″ in width. It’s not as heavy as it looks. The interior wire-frame gives it more structure than stuffing.

If any of you are in San Miguel de Allende, you can purchase these at Mixta (located at Pila Seca 16A – near Zacateros). $500 pesos for each of the flowers and $600 pesos for Las Tunas. 80% of the price goes to support Hospice SMA (the other 20% to the store for arranging the event). Or if these aren’t your style, stop in and see what the other artists created… No matter where you are, please spread the cheer this year to your own charity of choice.

I’ve started the background…a little different than the previous pieces. The background of this is torn/frayed shantung and jacquard silk. It will be machine quilted into place, but first I need to finish the basting top stitches to hold it down (the large white top stitches toward the bottom). I’ll give you a hint to the weight of this piece….the background is being quilted over a heavy cotton batting onto an artist weight canvas for proper support of the focal point:)

That’s all I have for now. I check back as soon as I finish the quilting bit. Hasta pronto—