PATTERNS AND TONES

"Flora as Fashion: Jonathan Mills" 2019 Digital inkjet print and yarn 40 x 40 in. In the final days of stitching the last pieces for the exhibition, this 40 x 40 in digital inkjet print was both a joy and a conundrum. There was no doubt I would fill the piece with the ombre colors echoed in the wisteria vine that Jonathan was wrapped in and intended to fill the shirt with a pattern of it's fragrant flower. But after I had filled in the first line of flowers which were attached to the vine, I sat with the piece for a day and came to the conclusion that the image was complete. Simplicity is not as easy as it appears. Although I desired to fill the shirt in completely, it was obvious to me that just a simple line of flowers hanging from a single vine had created a powerful image that expressed exactly what I had intended to present. Using the French Knot embroidery stitch in yarn was a bit of a challenge. I had to do quite a bit of testing before I could properly...

Flora as Fashion: Asia Muka" 2019 Digital inkjet print and yarn 40 x 40 in. When I approached this piece it was a bit daunting. Not only was it 40 x 40 in but it was an overall design I wanted to stitch in detail. I had photographed Asia deliberately in front of an extremely old and prominent organ pipe cactus which I felt reflected her larger than life personality but didn't take into account how long it would take me to execute the piece. I had been studying varying embroidery stitches and hit up on the buttonhole stitch which seemed to emulate the undulating outline of the cactus. The evenly spaced cactus spines gave me a guide to puncture the surface. Turning the cactus into feathers seen in an elaborate Las Vegas showgirl costume came alive with the use of yarn instead of embroidery floss. Three weeks later, the piece was finished. I'm extremely proud to showcase this image in my exhibition which will be opening tonight at MuzeuMM. Julie Green June 1, 20...

"Flora as Fashion: Victoria Wordsworth" 2019 This lovely Trumpet gown was photographed on location in front of the historic Smoke House in Burbank, CA. Like the Mermaid gown, it is form-fitting through the torso and hips and gradually opens out into a floor length flare. The rose bush blends nicely into Victoria's flower patterned frock. This image, as well as 32 other embroidered portraits, will be on view in my upcoming exhibition "Home as Hat - Flora as Fashion" at MuzeuMM Gallery June 1 -22nd. The opening is next Saturday, June 1st from 7-11pm. Julie Green May 25, 2019

"Flora as Fashion: Naomi White" 2018 The last stitched portrait of 2018 is a work in progress that has taken on a life of its own. At first I had the nylon flower petal hat's of the sixties in mind but it grew into a snood of sorts. It certainly is a bridge between my "Home as Hat" and "Flora as Fashion" series , combining both elements of a hat and foliage as the structure of the garment. My dear friend, the lovely and talented artist  Naomi White  graciously posed for this portrait. We have been friends and photographers for 3 decades. As an educator, intersectional feminist and visual artist Naomi has always been very observant of herself and the world around her. She has continually produced a translation of her cross current narratives in vibrant and unique ways. In a way I am happy to show you a work in progress. Not all pieces can be completed in a week and with the holidays upon us, time has become a rare commodity. I will continu...

"Flora as Fashion: V. Marc Fortress" 2018 When I sit down to embroider a portrait, several elements influence what shape, color and pattern I eventually use to embellish each piece. The characteristics of the vegetation I have chosen to place my subjects in front of is the most influential element that helps to shape the garment and influence its eventual pattern. The color selection is often determined from the historical reference a particular piece of clothing conveys. Yet the one component that has the greatest impact on all of these elements is the personality of the subject I have photographed. In this portrait of V. Marc Fortress, I placed him in front of this bush because I was attracted to its structural branches and repeating patterns that reminded me of V. Marc's dreads . But it is his smooth, warm, engaging personality that lead me to the shape of the super hero cape. If more people were like V. Marc, we would be living in a peaceful and just world. W...

"Flora as Fashion: Lola Carroll" 2018 I'm back in the stitching saddle again, creating more pieces in anticipation of an exhibition of this body of work in 2019!  I was inspired to photograph several friends for this series while I was visiting Texas in August. Lola graciously posed for me while we were visiting Blue Hole , a swimming spot in Wimberely, TX. The clear water was in stark juxtaposition to the swamp-like foliage that surrounded the swimming hole. The water was chilly but exhilarating. Being surrounded by old-growth cypress trees dripping in spanish moss while swimming was a novel experience for me.  While I was thinking about the memories my friend Lola and I have shared over the years, t his bridal veil began to take shape out of the foliage in the photograph. I remembered photographing Lola's wedding back in the 9T's in the Palace of Fine Arts  Rotunda and capturing her own veil as it blew vertically straight up into the air. It...

“Flora as Fashion: Ameliana Kamstra” 2018 It seems frivolous to create images that aren't addressing social injustices right now while our American society is crumbling right before my eyes. But it is precisely through this project that I have been able to process the tension our daily world is producing. Stitching  has been a way for me to personally keep it all together.   The transformation of emotional experiences into recognizable form is a vehicle most artists employ. Picturing a song, a gesture, or a phrase leads us on a journey of self discovery and expression. The normal structures of our society, which feels like it is hanging by a thread, is overwhelming. Fear of letting life unravel, keeps me stitching. I’m stitching to reduce the stress levels I have about the onslaught of daily high school shootings, homelessness, our diminishing civil liberties, and grotesque consumerism. It allows me to transform my anxiety into something beautiful - a ...

Flora as Fashion: Elise Wille Deviating from following the exact line of the vegetation surrounding my model, I constructed a floral patterned high-waisted skirt instead. I suppose it was the architectural element of the building behind Elise that inspired me to come up with a different approach to this image.  It was also the vertical nature of the Bird of Paradise she was standing in that hindered construction of a skirt. I just didn't see how I could build apparel that would come up from the ground and still look like something she could wear. I played around with shapes and forms until I loosened my self imposed restrictions of only working within the framework of the surrounding plants and ended up fabricating this lovely tropical sarong. The color choice was certainly inspired by the vibrant flowering heads of the fan shaped crown. A native to South America, Bird of Paradise has thrives in warm climates and coincidentally is the official flower of the city of ...

Flora as Fashion: Erin Anderson I thought a lot about camouflage while pondered how I would approach this weeks image. Flora has always been a place for birds and animals to hide, as cover and protection from the outside world. Cloths can do the same thing. They can explain our mood, make us feel safe and comfy or help provide a barer. In fashion, we can either blend in or stand out. Applying camouflage into the fashion world has brought this utilitarian design to a new level. The abstract print was designed for military use back in the 30's to allow personnel to blend in to their enviroment, away from enemy detection. But in the fashion world camouflage-inspired prints are a perennial trend and a fashion staple that returns, like leopard print, in various incarnations. Rarely do these interpretations blend in as their military counterpart do. The non-representational pattern is a mass-produced visual language that is immediately recognizable. In development of the print...

Flora as Fashion: Loryn Molina Fashion has always taken a cue from nature. Organic forms lend themselves to the artist's eye and can become a starting point for design and inspiration. Mimicking the curvature of natural flora, this piece today slowly emerged from the background. I didn't see the cloak at first but after studying the image for several days, it suddenly presented itself and I was quickly inspired to craft this lovely garment. Symbolically, cloaks are mysterious. They hold intrigue and help disguise its owner. It is a blanket of protection from physical elements and spiritual harm. With this in the back of my mind, I chose a darker palate to accentuate this feeling and I am delighted with the results. Julie Green April 7, 2018

Flora as Fashion: Kirsten Andersen Thomas I've been thinking a lot about the surface of images this week. As I try to break free of the two dimensionality of photography by stitching into the photographic paper, the fact of the matter is - it still remains a surface when I once again photograph it to show you for this blog. You need to see them in person. The fiber of the string creates the texture and depth that I've been striving for. Hopefully I can find a gallery or space to show these pieces so that you can indeed see them first hand. Today's image for my new Flora as Fashion series was a labor of love. I spent every spare moment I had stitching this piece together. I quickly realized that the skirt needed to be extended to fit the agave in front of Kirsten. The scale needed to be adjusted to the proportions of the vegetation. I ended up with what I think is one of my finest pieces yet. I've been excited by the challenge to interpret flora as a garment...

"Flora as Fashion: Edith Ann"  Cute as a daisy, Edith Ann is wearing a custom made ballgown inspired by the flowers she posed in. Seeing dress patterns in flora is of course a lot more organic than the framed hat structures of a roof and lot more difficult to interpret. But it also allows me a lot more visual freedom. My desire to work with fiber on photographs takes the craft out of embroidery. I want to elevate the common thread from a traditionally female domestic craft to a visual work of art. The exploration of feminism in the history of this craft was first introduced to me in The Feminist Art History Collective 's founding member Rozsika Parker's 1984 groundbreaking publication "The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine" . Getting back to making something by hand is rewarding and contemplative. It takes me away from the constant use of technology back to a place where creating takes time and allows for introspection. ...

Flora as Fashion: Stacy Ellen Rich Throughout 2016 and 2017, I crafted 16 images in a series that I called " Home as Hat ". These images where inspired by an image I shot while I was photographing Kim Shattuck from The Muffs for my " Day in the Life of a Rock 'n' Roller " series.  As we walking around her neighborhood, I had her stand in front of a lovely gabled home. I quickly saw through my lens the shape of a hat emerging from the pointed roof behind her and I excitedly snapped the shutter to capture her in front of it. It became clear in that instant that there was a new body of work waiting to be created. I've just started to embark on a new angle to this series inspired by the wildly talented Costume designer Stacy Ellen Rich. The photograph above was taken with the intention of adding it to my Hat series but I quickly realized that the vegetation around her could be repurposed into a colorful skirt and adjusted my perspective to concentra...