"She Has An Eye For Detail"

Leslie here.  I thought I would share a couple of the pieces I have completed for our upcoming show at the art center in Old Forge.  Since our theme of "Off The Hangar", I wanted to focus on some details that go into the idea of fashion in these two pieces.
Originally, I contemplated doing these in encaustic.  Since I live in South Texas and it is still pretty hot I got "chicken" about how to safely ship them in the heat, so I opted instead to work with acrylic layers.
The first piece is mounted on cradled panel.  The dimensions are 8x8 inches, and the panel is 1-inch in depth.

First, I want to talk about this new pen I've been playing with:  a Pilot FriXion erasable pen.

I'm obsessed with it!  My friend, Melly Testa, introduced me to it.  For the textile artist who hand or machine embroiders, this thing is the bomb!  Let me show you why:

Here, I am drawing a smiley face on my stitched cloth.

Watch what happens after I hit it with a small bit of steam from my iron:

Whoops!  All gone!

I am in love.  

No more pencil marks ghosting under your embroidered elements.

*Note:  I have been cautioned that it is possible the mark may return with exposure to cold.  Be sure when you are using this pen that you mark only where you plan to place stitch.  

Machine-stitched on pieced silk organza

For these pieces I wanted to layer some ethereal elements of stitching that suggest details of a 

garment.  I chose this partial dress with a waist and box-pleats for my experiment.  First, I drew 

the design onto the organza, then stitched on the machine and removed the drawing with steam.

Using Yes! glue and a palette knife I secured the small embroidery onto a previously collaged cloth and paper surface that is mounted onto the cradled panel.

Using another piece of white organza, I stitched another dress form in red thread 

and embedded it onto the upper left corner.

My second piece is mounted on a 1.5 inch deep gallery-wrapped canvas, also 8x8 inches.  The background of this piece is a collage of old book pages, joss paper, shredded paper, and pattern paper.

Using the same stitching technique, I embroidered two dresses and one hangar, then layered them onto the surface with Yes! glue.

Each piece was finished by wrapping and glueing a length of trim around the side of the panel/canvas.

"Chaco Canyon: A Topography of Loss"

Leslie here.  I took an unusual path to create my piece for our "Empty Spaces" exhibition.  Although I love hand-stitching I simply don't create many pieces using embroidery.  My love of hand-stitching was re-ignited in March when I was fortunate to have a one-day workshop with the amazing Mary Ruth Smith.

This piece is a good example of how interesting it can be to allow oneself to work intuitively:  I really had no idea where this was going when I started.  I worked with these shapes, free-cutting the cloth into what turned out to resemble topographical contours.

 The more I looked at the piece as it took form the more I felt it looked like a desert landscape.  Halfway into it I realized I was thinking a great deal about my late sister Priscilla, who passed away in March of 2001.  Interestingly (and I doubt this was a coincidence) I began working on this on the anniversary of her death.  These anniversaries have a way of bringing forth memories; I've learned to honor them.

My sister lived for many years in New Mexico and developed a deep love for the culture and landscape, especially the indigenous peoples of the area.  She immersed herself in the history of the area, particularly the ruins of Chaco Canyon.

When I look at images of the ruins of this place in the high desert I wonder how it became the center of such a thriving culture:  it had a long winter, short growing season, and scant rainfall.

I am captivated by the juxtaposition of the man-made contours of the ruin to the vast emptiness of the landscape.

My sister chose to have part of her ashes scattered in this beautiful place so it has taken on an honored place in my heart.

To finish, I elected to use a facing method for the edges.  I will later stretch this piece onto a frame, and this facing technique works well in conjunction with that and gives the piece a very nice finished edge.  Using white background is highly unusual for me, but somehow it works in this piece.

Once the facing was stitched I clipped the corners and turned the facing.  I had previously fused the facing pieces, so they will adhere nicely to the back of the construction.

I admit that I have not decided which way I prefer to have the piece oriented.

What do you think?

Here are a few details.

Thanks for reading about my journey making this piece.  

Introduction-Leslie Tucker Jenison

I am inspired by repetitive patterns and textures found in both natural and man-made environments, from the microscopic and beyond. I am especially fascinated with the effects of pressure upon objects. Much of my work on cloth and paper focuses on the interplay of these themes. Using paint, dye, photography, and stitch to create unique imagery, my work can be found in the form of quilts, paintings, art journals, and the printed page.
It is not uncommon for me to use unconventional objects in my work, either in the form of embellishment or as a mark-making tool. I like using things that had a "different job" before I use them in my art.