Behind the Design: Koi

koi in watercolor from 2014-2015

I started water coloring koi about 4-5 years ago and really got into it. My initial method to make the background as smooth as possible and leave the fish crisp and bright was to apply rubber cement before starting the background, then filling in the fish. I use salt on the wet surface to do the bubbly “tideline” effect.

My first scarf that I did in October 2017 started with a rainbow ombre, because it’s what I do… and once that dried, I thought. Oh. Koi. This needs koi. So that’s what I did.

Step 1: ombre - at Mom’s studio in Ohio

Step 2: put in the fish shapes and add color

I sketched in with temporary marker- google image is my friend- then traced with resist. Once that was dry, I added colors that echo the existing colors, plus some.

Step 3: ENJOY - Laura models my very first scarf that I’m wearing today, in fact!

I’ve made quite a few in this theme and they are all slightly different from each other, as it should be. There’s a primarily blue themed koi on chenille available* at Mind’s Eye Yarns, as of 1/25/2019.

*Recommend calling ahead to make sure it’s there if you are making a particular trip.

Behind the Design: My name is Alexander Hamilton

Jenn & Jess - “And when my prayers to God were met with indifference, I picked up a pen I wrote my own deliverance” - photo by Mira Whiting Photography

My primary exhibiting space is at the sci-fi convention Arisia, and sometimes at the bookstore, Pandemonium. At some point pre-scarf art-making, I decided to capture pop culture for most of my designs. It means that a lot of my stuff isn’t meant for everyone, but I am OK with that. But those who do hopefully break out into song when they recognize what I’ve done with my homage to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece of history, political commentary, and excellent musical ear-worming.

I use a stencil to do the graphic at the bottom, then can do basically any quote from the musical that strikes a fancy. I plot out the quote and then apply a type of resist that needs to be ironed to be set. I’m looking into alternatives, because it’s touchy and not as flexible as I’d like. In “Pick up a pen and start writing” (seen below) you can see where I have used a special pen to graph out the general shape. I make sure I’ve spelled everything correctly, then when I go over it again permanently, I get all fancy with the script.

The background evokes a sense of aged paper. I’ve spent my career handling paper dating back to the 17th century, so the neat features that are in old paper: foxing, acidic burn, and watermarks. I’ve been talking to friends about branching out on the iconic yellow- it’s not an easily worn shade.

Currently “History has its eyes on you” and “Raise a glass to freedom- something they can never take away- no matter what they tell you” are available at Mind’s Eye Yarns.

“History has its eyes on you”

“Pick up a pen and start writing”

Behind the Design- Rainbow Ombre

One of the first designs I ever did had a base like this: a blended / ombre rainbow. One of the things I like best about silk painting is how it resembles watercolor, that if you let the color do the work for you, they blend beautifully when you apply enough water. My one challenge with this set of dyes is getting the red red enough- it’s often pinker than I mean. That’s not a problem for me per se, but it’s the principle. Sometimes you need fire engine red, don’t you know. Another feature of this ombre is that I decided that I’d start with blue instead of red, just to mix things up, so to speak.

This scarf featured at Arisia and as of today, 1/23/19, is available at Mind’s Eye.

An Excellent Arisia

It’s the Tuesday after the end of Arisia 2019. I had a great time in general this year and I’m pleased with how well the art show went. I ended up buying a few prints and some folks bought scarves and tins. I’m debating on if I want to bring tins at all next year, maybe just focus on the new mode. I’m not making new content in clay right now, so it’s something to consider.

I sold Archangel (the pinky purple one in the middle that doesn’t have flowers), Starry Night, and Marauder’s Map, as well as the Gryffindor and the Charmander Pokemon tins. Most if not all remaining scarf stock will go back to Mind’s Eye Yarn. If anyone is interested in one or a commission, please let me know.

Oh Hi

Hi!

I’m an archivist with 21 years of experience. After 18 years at the Congregational Library, I’ve stopped asking the universe for permission to do new things, so I’ve struck out for new adventures.

Currently I’m consulting with the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy on a 2 year grant.