Some production, some exhibition weaving

One of the things which stands out in my mind from the lectures by Maryann Stamford at the Professional Weavers Network seminar in March was her saying that it was near impossible to be a production weaver and an artist weaver at the same time.  I'm very much inclined to agree with her as I feel I'm being torn in two at times.  I do a lot of production work for Pauanesia and thoroughly enjoy the collaboration we share.  This year I have two pretty big exhibitions I am working towards and that doesn't take into account the Creative Fibre exhibition showing now in Blenheim or Creative Experience later in the year in Hamilton or Fibre and Fleece at Opotiki.  So I keep weaving, not very time efficiently, but one brings in the pocket money, the other inspires creative development and I want both!

Now on to the important stuff.  Remember back here, well here it is drying on the deck rails

and a close up of the twill structure

and now production has started

and just so I don't relax too much I've started on an exhibition piece.  Inspirit Gallery invited me to join several other artists in an exhibition called "Spinning a Yarn" to honour wool and the land while the Field Days (a huge agricultural exhibition) are on.  The warp reflects the colour of the tui and I'm crossing it with wool called blue lagoon though it also reminds me of the Coromandel seas I look at each and every day.  The structure is false damask 3:1 and to make it easy on myself I'm lifting the "1" shafts but all the glorious warp colour is on the bottom and I see the weft dominant side.  You'll have to wait and see what I do with the "gap" in the warp.  I have a plan!