For the last couple of months I’ve been weaving in black and white. For years I have thought about presenting a show at The Artery featuring black and white weaving. The Artery in Davis is an artists’ coop with 60+ members. It is set up like a regular store where we all have a small area for our own pieces. There is pottery, woodworking, art quilts, jewelry, paintings, gourd art, other fiber art, and more. There is one room known as the gallery where one or more artists can fill the room for their own show. With 60 members we obviously have to take turns. My turn came this October. When I found out a year ago that I’d have the show I wondered if I’d have enough to fill the room (although in the past I never had that problem), so I asked Jock Hamilton, one of the photographers at the Artery, if he’d like to share the space with black and white photography. It turns out that we could have both done our own shows with the amount of pieces we brought.

I wanted to give Jock most of the wall space since he would exhibit photos. I needed to figure out a way to display my pieces where they could be seen without just making a pile of folded textiles. I gave Dan the task of creating A-frames for me. I also brought home several of the wooden mannequins that needed re-painting.

The show was to be in place by Friday and I brought things in on Wednesday. Jock and I had a plan of sorts—that was to bring all of our things and see how they fit together. Hmmm…maybe not much of a plan. I needed to get things out of boxes and start spreading them out. I had to be home by 2 that day but returned later in the day when Jock could bring his photographs. We spent most of Thursday arranging things and I went back Friday morning to finish with signs and tags. Then I had to go to Lambtown in Dixon to set up my vendor booth for the weekend.

The following photos are how the gallery looks now. This show will be in place through October 24 and I hope many of my followers will be able to see it. Any items that are purchased may be picked up after the 24th or arrangements may be made for shipping. If you can’t get to the Artery but want to see most of the pieces here is a link with Jock’s photos and my woven pieces.

It seems that I turn everything into a learning experience. I added these baskets of wool and the sign to the table at the front. I wanted to somehow make people aware that I didn’t just go to the yarn store for all this yarn. Almost all of it is the wool from my Jacob sheep or the locally grown Timm Ranch wool that I have processed. I have handled every fleece before it ends up in the batch that is spun. Most of this is mill-spun but there are a few pieces woven of handspun yarn as well. There are also a few scarves woven of rayon chenille.

I also wanted to explain the name, Shades of Black and White, so I made this sign.

This is the first view of the show when you walk into this room.

Jock’s photographs are along most of the walls, but I hung a few of my pieces.

These are all v-shawls.

I should say something more about the photographs. They are fabulous views of mostly local landscapes. My photos of the photos can’t really show them, especially with the glare. Make sure you go to the link above to see them properly.

This rack holds shawls and scarves. Two of these are chenille but the rest are all Jacob wool.

Blankets that are woven with Jacob wool weft and Timm Ranch wool warp.

Another view of blankets and shawls. Those pieces on the mannequins are mobius shawls.

You have to touch the textiles to feel how soft they are. I was certainly pleased with the Jacob wool the last couple of years.

I hope that a lot of people will see this show. It was quite an undertaking.