Saturday, January 12, 2013

"Caravan of Vanities"

10"x12", bleached and overprinted red cotton, four layers of silk and netting, gold metallic embroidery, photo transfer, glass beads.

Caravans have an interesting history. The 'Spice Route' from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel carrying hundreds of pounds of Frankincense on hundreds of camels. The sounds of bells ringing, camels chewing spitting and making whatever other noises they make along with smells of smoke, food and people...would make quite an entrance off the dusty desert sand. Most  caravans carried for trade exotic silks, beads to simple ointments. The photo transfer is just such a jar (NY Metropolitan Museum)of ointment....all of this shopping makes one think of an ancient traveling mall! Most of my fabrics came from my stash but the bottom piece was one of my stamped bleached and overprinted cotton which I'm trying to use in each 'artifact'. I was trying for a look of a colorful tent or a makeshift top on a camels back.

Update: I've changed my preview on my catalog to include all pages. If you would like to view the whole book...click on the sidebar photo!

14 comments:

  1. What a wonderful book! I enjoyed visiting it.

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    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to view the catalog!! I appreciate this comment so much!

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  2. Such wonderful colours, shapes, details, textures. My first reaction on opening this page was, "Oh wow!" I'm struggling a little bit with the photo transfer as it doesn't seem quite integrated with the whole. Could just be the way it comes through in the photo, though. I absolutely love your description of the caravan,

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    1. I like your "Oh wow!" and agree with you on the photo putting the jar too outlined. In person it isn't that pronounced although the colors alone keep it the focus. I might go back in and darken the jar. Thanks for your input!

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  3. Wonderful imaginativeworktaking me on a journey

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    1. Bridget, Perfect time of year to imagine a warm day with bright colors...we all need a sandy oasis this time in January! The rest of the world longs for snow! Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Your lovely piece calls to mind a song (“Night Ride Across the Caucasus” by Loreena McKennitt) and a book (“The Years of Rice and Salt” by Kim Stanley Robinson) regarding caravans. The latter really gave me a new perspective.

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    1. Gina, Thank you for this book regarding caravans...I'm off to Amazon to add to my list of winter reading!

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  5. blown away by this piece - so much detail and it's just gorgeous!

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    1. Jeane, 'Gorgeous' from you is like gold...thank you!

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  6. I like the top of the piece - the way it does not conform to a standard canvas or square.

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  7. The fabrics allows me to make any shape, any way I like or can manage to create and in that way there are plenty of surprises!

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  8. wonderful colors here. cheerful and welcoming. your series is quite special

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  9. Suki, Wonderful you stopped by...colors to perk up the winter clouds!

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