Karen Kamenetzky Fiber Art

I’ve been invited to submit a proposal for a commission to produce a VERY large installation for a new healthcare facility.

This is new territory for me-both in regards to the size and the process. Initially I felt intimidated by it all. But I’m pleased to report that I’ve shifted to a place of loving the challenge!

After spending hours looking at aerial maps of the area AND looking at cellular level images of the healing that takes place at this facility…I’ve started working on sketches that integrate both. Aerial views of course have similar lines, patterns and organic shapes as what you see through a microscope. So it didn’t feel like such a big leap. I’ll be proposing a triptych that includes both views and hopefully ties them together compositionally.
Here’s a peak at a very early loose sketch:

early sketch-detail

Whether my proposal is accepted or not, this has forced me to stretch in a new direction and I’m grateful.

I didn’t know an iron could suddenly die. But it did right in the middle of a lovely afternoon of fusing down many many many small handcut silk pretend letters/symbols/code.

Pretend letters/symbols/code

Work on this new piece, You Are Here, has been flowing. Lots of technical challenges that usually really throw me but not this time! The silk and I were one.Kumbaya. Cutting and fusing and ripping off and re-fusing while listening to my favorite podcasts…

You Are Here-fusing the little bits

…and then-a cold iron.

But I’m still happy. I’ll buy myself a new one tomorrow. Meanwhile there are hours of stitching to be done.

This continues a series focused on the Australian aboriginal notion that the “plant is the dream of the seed”.
While making this piece, I explored some new areas (for me) in construction and composition. After lots of sketches that played with the placement of the seed shape on a larger background I settled on having it curving up at the bottom. Getting the compositional balance to work was tricky.

Seed Dreaming II

Each section of the “seed” was separately built on its own piece of Warm and Natural batting. They were then  attached onto the blue silk covered “seed” shaped piece of batting. After the “seed” had all its stitching and couching (and cussing at mistakes and subsequent repairs) done, it had to be attached to the full size blue silk over cotton cord covered background.

Seed Dreaming II (detail)

By this point it had a bit of heft to it! So successfully hand stitching it securely down was a challenge for my not always up to snuff sewing skills. Once that was done, the background details-green silk cilia, pale blue dreamy shapes and hand stitching- were added.
The finished piece is 30″w x 34″h.

(photos by Laurie Indenbaum)

The blizzard has delayed getting this to my wonderful photographer, Laurie Indenbaum, for professional shooting so I took this picture where it hangs now in my living room.

Seed Dreaming II

Yes, my walls are that color (and other saturated colors). My husband says it’s like living in my artwork. I think he means that in a good way.

I’m very happy with this piece. It was tricky compositionally and the construction was a challenge with all the 3-d elements. I’m really loving working with the rich dyed colors and luscious feel of silk charmuese-and its nap shifts the colors slightly when you move past.
Hopefully I’ll have better photos in a few days that will show details that are lost in this picture.

Any feedback?

On my newest piece, Seed Dreaming I, I tried different ways of creating raised  ridges. I wanted  more 3D lines sharply defined by light and shadow. I’m happy with the result!

Seed Dreaming I

I glued cotton cording onto the batting. After painting a large piece of  silk with acrylic gray tones, I carefully fused it onto the batting.  I love the deep shadows and the contrast of the almost industrial gray and the vibrant charmeuse “seed”.

The title, by the way, is from a phrase I read years ago explaining the aboriginal belief that “the plant is the dream of the seed”.  Something about that speaks to me.