Fiber Fascination: New Adventures in Art

Sometimes an artist is called away from his or her familiar mediums and subjects to something entirely new and seemingly unrelated to his or her previous work. Often the time away from the usual art materials is, ironically, a way of deepening a connection with the original medium. In my case, my foray into acrylics ended up strengthening my connection and love for watercolors and inks. I learned new skills from my exploration in acrylics and if I hadn't tried working with acrylics for three years, I wouldn't have discovered my love for inks on canvas and clayboards.

Sometimes exploring a new medium develops in a whole new kind of creative expression. For over a year now, I have been exploring fiber. In particular wool. It began with knitting, which lead me to spinning yarn, and now to felting. Unlike, acrylics which returned me to where I started, working with wool has lead me to a whole new vision for my art. Painting will always be an important and necessary form of creative expression for me, but working with wool is opening doors and new creative possibilities. At this early stage, I have been exploring needle felting and creating felted wool "paintings".

I believe the physical nature of working with wool appeals to me, as painting, though a physical act in its execution, doesn't require the tactile manipulation like working with fiber does. I have the opportunity to explore sculpture and other three dimensional forms of art, which my painting does not permit. In some ways, working with both art forms balances out my creative expression with the fiber arts tapping into the physical and painting focusing on intellectual expression. Yet, both forms of art require an emotional and spiritual connection, which unites the creative energy in them. I don't believe I could give up one art form for the other, to me, they are a healthy balance for the whole of artistic expression.

Another aspect of working with wool is that it satisfies the eco-conscious side of my artistic goals. The wool requires no harsh chemicals, like varnishes or toxic paint pigments. It is 100% natural, biodegradable, and sustainable. I purchase my wool from a local sheep farmer, a small family practicing hand processed wool, committed to environmentally sound dyeing processes. The wool is also low in carbon output, as it requires little in the use of gasoline for transit. While, I have worked hard to choose products for my painting that are environmentally friendly and purchase only from companies that employ environmentally sustainable practices, there is no way to completely eliminate toxic or questionable materials without sacrificing quality or durability. With the fiber arts, it is very easy to choose safely and in favor of the environment.

I will soon be revising my website to incorporate this new aspect of my creative expression. Until then, I have created an Etsy shop featuring my needle-felted creations. All of the creations there celebrate and are inspired by nature. Please check out what I have been working on. Check back often, as I will continue to add more felted creatures, as well as other felted art works.

In the next post I will describe the needle felting process and give some background on this fascinating and relatively new art form. I am currently doing some research on the history of needle felting and wasn't quite ready to write about it at the time of this post.

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Spring Migration Nature Art, Craft & Children's Festival

If you don’t have any plans this weekend please consider coming out to the wonderful Spring Migration Nature Art, Craft & Children's Festival! Learn details about the festival at www.gscincny.org.

In addition to the fun and educational events going on at the festival, I will have a table with my art, prints, greeting cards and newly created felted creatures. I hope to see you there!

Saturday May 2nd 10am-4pm
Sunday May 3rd 10am - 4pm

8375 North Main Street, Canastota, NY 315-697-2950

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Dandelion

This post begins a series of semi-regular posts that feature the supposed "pests" of the world and elevating their status a bit by highlighting some of their virtues. The first of the series is taraxacum officinale, the Dandelion.

The Dandelion, one of the first immigrants to North America along with the European colonists, had an established and long history in Europe where it was used medicinally, as a source of dye, and as a culinary herb.

As a medicinal herb, it has a reputation in for its effect in treating diabetes, liver ailments, and curing anemia.

The Dandelion was and still can be used to dye wool. The leaves create a yellow dye, while the whole plant creates a magenta color.

But, perhaps the place that most of us can take advantage of the Dandelion is in the kitchen. In the spring, before it flowers, the leaves can be eaten like a salad green. The flavor is a mild bitter-sweet, not unlike escarole. The raw leaves are a healthy low-carbohydrate food, more nutritious than spinach. The USDA Bulletin #8, "Composition of Foods" (Haytowitz and Matthews, 1984) lists Dandelion greens as the fourth in the top of the most nutritional greens. You can eat the leaves later in the season, but they will need to be blanched and cooked to remove the stronger bitter flavor that develops. If you wait until the autumn, after the first frost, the bitterness will have dissipated again. The photo here is of my spring harvest, which soon became part of a delicious mixed green salad. My family, who are not particularly daring in their food choices, all enjoyed the added flavor that Dandelion contributed to the salad.

Additionally, the root can be roasted and used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute. The flowers can be used to make a wine, or stir-fried as a vegetable. They are particularly tasty dipped in a light batter and fried like tempura.

So, before you start spraying noxious chemicals on your lawn, consider the source of nutritious food you might have right outside your door! Dandelions are high in iron and in vitamins A and C. At a time when grocery costs continue to rise, why go to the store to purchase foods with less nutritional value, when you have a free food source right in your own yard? (NOTE: avoid harvesting near roads, since road salt and and other toxic chemical may be present.) Don't be afraid to experiment, there is nothing toxic about the plant, so no matter what you do it cannot harm you, and you just may appreciate a great use for what was once considered an annoying weed.

Please do share your ideas and uses of the Dandelion by posting in the comments below!

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(The Dandelion, 4 x4, ink fresco)



DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Helping the Bees

Last year in America, a third of the honeybee population disappeared, which came after losing a third of the population the year before. This is happening all over the world. Without some serious intervention, we are looking at the very real possibility of the extinction of the honeybee.

There are many theories concerning the reasons for their decline, none of them yet confirmed. But, regardless of the official reason, one of the theories that has a real impact is the loss of habitat. As more and more houses are built, and suburban sprawl widens, the subsequent deforestation rids the bees of tree cavities to nest in. The fields, once filled with flowers, turn to sterile, chemical-laced lawns, and the few flowers that do get planted in yards often do not provide food for the bees.

Some simple things one can do to help honeybees is to refrain from using pesticides and herbicides on lawns and to plant flowers that attract and nourish the bees. Some of the bee-favored flowers are Asters, Clover, Marigolds, Poppies, Sunflowers, Buttercups, Clematis,
Crocuses, Echinacea, Foxglove, Geraniums, Hollyhocks, Hyacinth, Roses, Sedum, Snowdrops,
Tansy, and Zinnias, plus many vegetable plants, herbs, and flowering trees and shrubs.

The decline of the honeybee has created a serious problem for everyone, for we are losing a key pollinator. Without pollination, our very food supply is threatened. One way to help ease the pressure off the Honeybee is to aid the Blue Orchard Mason Bee, by making homes for them to nest in. They are very industrious pollinators, a single female bee pollinating over 1000 blossoms a day! The male Blue Orchard Mason Bee cannot sting and the female rarely stings, they are not aggressive and safe to have around your home. They are great to watch and a perfect project for families to work on together, as it is very easy and enjoyable.

Here is a link to instructions for making your own Blue Orchard Mason Bee house. It is important to get the houses up soon, as the bees are starting to wake up and will be seeking homes. If you don't have time or really don't want to make your own bee house, here is a link where you can purchase one. I am making mine this week and will post a picture once I get it set up!

Let's do our part to help the creatures whose homes and food we have taken away, and whom we cannot live without!

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Black-Capped Chickadee

Black-Capped Chickadees are the acrobatic clowns of North America. They frequent the bird feeders outside my window and bring joy on the dreariest of days with their cheerful call and comical antics.

Despite their small size, they are quite brave. Often I can stand very close while they pull seeds from the feeder. In years past, I have even had them land on my shoulder for a fleeting instant.

In addition to their entertainment value, Black-Capped Chickadees provide valuable pest control, eating many insects that are harmful to agriculture. A huge amount of their preferred habitat has been lost to suburban sprawl and deforestation, but we can give back what we have taken from them by providing feeders and nestboxes. Please consider eliminating the use of pesticides and instead welcome a natural and entertaining form of pest control to your property. For information about building nestboxes try visiting here or here.

(This image is from an older watercolor painting that had been damaged. I scanned a section of the original and did some minor touch-ups using digital software. Prints and greeting cards can be ordered from here or here.)

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Crow, She Brought Light

Crow serves as the gatekeeper to the void, the void being the formless world of spirit. Crow can travel between the spirit world and the phenomenal or physical world of reality. Crow’s black feathers retain elements of the substance of the void with their subtle, fluctuating iridescence.

There are many stories from many cultures that talk about how Crow played an important role in the development and evolution of humanity…including the bringing of light out of the darkness. This painting depicts Crow in the between space of spirit and the physical world.

This is one of the first paintings that I felt really spoke directly to me and had a consciousness of its own. I believe all my paintings, when I am working on them, are alive in some way. But usually they simply resonate with the energy that I focus on when I paint them. This painting was unique and individual and had its own personality and energy independent of my own. I talked to this painting. She told me what she wanted.

I started this painting without a preliminary drawing, I just started applying paint and Crow began to emerge. This was a new experience for me, since I usually draw an outline on the canvas for a guide. As a result, I was constantly surprised by what began to emerge. The background fluctuated, it was one thing, then another, until a dark void appeared. I went to bed at night and through dreams Crow assured me that she knew what she was doing…which meant that I just had to trust myself. So, I became a witness to my own painting. It was a revelation for me.

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(Crow, She Brought Light, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30" prints and greeting cards are available here and here)

DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Canvas Print Sale! (20% off for a limited time)

Looking for an inexpensive, high quality gift? Does a friend or relative have a birthday coming up? Are you looking for a unique gift to give for Mother's or Father's day? Do you have a bare wall that needs a little something? No problem!

For a limited time, all of my canvas prints at RedBubble are 20% off.
Hurry! The sale ends Sunday night (March 29th). See what canvas prints are available here.

If you would like the canvas print signed by me, let me know before you complete your order and I will give you my address to have the canvas sent to me to sign. I will send the signed canvas to you (within the US) at no extra cost!


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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.