Indigo

Last Friday Pam and I had an all day Skype studio session and it was amazing. When we began, I'd planned to continue working on the sketchbooks, but soon found myself putting them aside and getting out screen printing materials to print in indigo on white cotton, then monoprint off the excess paint to create layers. The photo above is just a sampling of what was created. 

Oddly enough, while I love indigo fabric, especially Japanese working kimonos like these

which were exhibited at the Surface Design Association conference in 2005 in Kansas City, it never occurred to me to work with the color. However, I'm addicted now. 

Last Friday night found me dreaming in shades of indigo as well as dreaming of indigo. I woke the next morning filled with ideas for screen printing, hand-stitching, painting, text, etc. All things that could be added to the indigo prints. 

As I sat at Starbucks Saturday morning, the notebook came out so the ideas could be listed. And it didn't stop at Starbucks...the ideas continue to flow while I sat for a pedicure (an indulgent delight discovered only last year...the foot massages rate right up there with dark chocolate in my opinion) and then while I waited for the chemicals the colorist put in my hair to do their bit in hiding my grey. See what I mean about being addicted?

The week since has been busy and more ideas have been written down. Still, I've managed to grab a few moments of studio time to screen print on organza and even got in a stitch or two. There's a series in mind which will take time.

Visions of sections/details of pieces keep flitting in and out of my creative consciousness. As much as I'd like to actually create the visions, I know that an open mind is needed because the art has it's own ideas of what should be done. If I'm quiet enough and receptive enough, hopefully I'll hear the art and together we'll create something worthy of high indigo or indigo high. Hmmm...which should it be?