Karin Knudsen: studio journal

Did anyone else go to the Junk Bonanza last weekend?

I found this amazing vintage apron to add to my collection.

I’ve already worn it to make chocolate chip cookies!

I’ve been working with some cotton muslin I rusted last fall using collected metals (nails, wire, washers, etc) and vinegar. The rust dyes the fabric in unpredictable ways, sometimes imprinting the metal shape and pattern, sometimes dying the fabric in indistinct ways.

I don’t know where this work is headed, but I find the combination of the frayed and torn edges of all the fabric pieces and the irregularities of the color interesting.

I completely forgot to post a picture from the Minnesota State Fair earlier this month! We had an amazing day–the weather was perfect, with plenty of fried foods and good folks to wander with.

Here’s me with my artwork in the Fine Arts building. (Sorry about the tank top people–I thought it was going to be a really warm day.) The work is acrylic on silk and hand-stitched. Yes–all those little squares are stitched down by hand with cotton thread.

Here’s a preview of a work I started yesterday and re-shaped today. The fabrics are all cotton batiks.

I still have some design considerations to work out, as well as more thought about how the piece uses color to create movement. But it’s been nice to work in the studio this week and feel like I’m making progress!