Coleyism 52!

Another week, another book, another meeting.  Here's a sneak peek.

Nigerian Textiles, 1970's It has been a busy two weeks and I've fallen behind in blogging.  I've been meeting my mentor at the Smithsonian more often and we have been joined by senior art history fellows (more of this on future posts).
Having my handmade textile books reviewed by art historians has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had as an artist.  They are able to make historical, cultural, and social connections, offering new insights to "reading" my works.  They ask me questions about my process and we engage in discussions about printmaking, textiles, provenance, and conservation.

Time to write the Poetry This week I decided to write all the poetry for the next 6 books.  Once written, I will create silkscreens and print the poems on the textiles.

Instagram I've been on Instagram for six months now, and I must say it has been a liberating experience for me.  I've discovered artists that I admire.  Not only do I get to see their final works, but their processes, studios, and techniques.  And, most of the images and videos are by the artists themselves.
This weekend on Instagram, their "Hashtag Project" is Reflections, and begins "Mirror, mirror, on the wall!"  The goal is to take photos and videos of reflections, both man-made and naturally occurring.  
The following is my entry:
This is how I describe my version of Reflection:
In mathematics, reflection is a transformation that moves a region to its mirror image.  Reflections like this happen when I am printmaking: the printed image is a mirror reflection of the carved linoleum plate.  This video shows a print on a translucent fabric being lifted from the linoleum master.

This weekend I am printing on very fragile and rare textiles and thanks to Instagra…

Experiments, experiments, experiments Some days I spend so much time experimenting with different techniques and color combinations that I feel like I'm not making a lot of progress.

I have been documenting which textiles I like working with.  They are  linens, cottons, silks and natural fibers.  Most of the African textiles are handwoven and create interesting textures when I cut and manipulate them.

Fabric Manipulation I have been experimenting with fabric manipulation techniques.   It has taken me a few tries to achieve the effect that I envisioned in my mind. The next few books explore the transience of life and this textile manipulation technique is perfect.

This year I decided to use wood for the covers of all my books.  Whenever I get a new batch of wood I must test the inks and stains.
This is a glimpse of the process.