Dress-Up Laverne Zabielski Truly Wearable Art Look Book with Poetry Spring 2016
Dress-Up Grandmother raised seven children in a small house on a cotton farm in the Texas panhandle seven miles west of Matador.
Shoulder Shawl shibori silk devore $175
As a child when I went to visit she never put pots and pans on the supper table. It was always “set.�
Tunic shibori silk devore $225
When we went to town we dressed up. Wearing my newly sewn dresses and my hair in curls, town folk would say, “Why you must be Stella Tilson’s granddaughter.”
Caftan Coat shibori silk devore, black crepe $375
Bernice (Bessie) Kotowski Zabielski April 15, 1896 to December 1981
Dressing up changes your stance.
Dress shibori silk devore $275
Dress-up is a power tool.
Sleeveless coat shibori silk devore, black crepe $275
Dress-Up makes a statement. Not so much by wearing the latest fashion but by the way you layer what you have, whether it’s brand new or make-do.
Eco-Topper Up-cycled shibori felted merino silk crepe, vintage button $475
With conscious attention to textures and palette you create movement and balance.
Eco-Bolero Topper Up-cycled shibori felted merino silk crepe, vintage button $425
You say, I know who I am. I know what I’m doing.
Eco-Topper Up-cycled shibori felted merino silk crepe, vintage button $475
Shopping for fabric with my mother was a peak experience. It made perfect sense that I created clothing when I learned to shibori dye fabric. Instead of buying patterns, I tear and piece the colors that speak to me.
Eco-Poncho Upcycled shibori felted merino $225
When I see dressed up, in Sunday best or painted blue jeans In paintings or photographs I see soft. I see caring and tenderness.
Long Circle Vest shibori felted merino $250
Stella Butterfield Tilson
October 17, 1896 to January 29, 1979
I see take a stand. I see power. I know who I am. I know where I’m going.
Medium Circle Vest shibori felted merino $225
Take a stand. You know who I are. You know where you’re going. Dress-Up!
Grace Laverne Tilson Zabielski January 13, 1927 to December, 2011
Shawl shibori felted merino $130
The Shibori technique is based on manipulating fabric. The fabric resists the dye and creates a pattern. I always place at least three colors, or shades of one color of dye on the cloth. This creates movement and depth. The art created is complicated, simply. With my wearable art my intention is to create opportunities for you to interact with the art, to become the art and enhance your self-expression by transforming your experience into a dynamic “performative” artwork. For me, art is an interactive life experience. Rather than react, which comes from the gut, I prefer to respond, which comes from the heart. When I live in that brief pause between reacting and responding, I am living a creative life. For instance, when working on a piece of fabric, if I spill some dye, rather than react, and toss the piece, I respond and consider how to work this new phenomenon into the finished art. I began as a writer, writing the truth about my experiences, no matter how painful. As my children became teenagers, I became a visual artist. While much thought and contemplation goes into visualizing a piece of art, the actual tasks for completion are somewhat routine and can be completed in the midst of chaos; wrapping, dyeing, steaming, rinsing, ironing and then finishing the edges to create truly wearable art which is vividly layered and intrinsically contains the stories of my life. In my memoir, The Garden Girls’ Letters and Journal, using a form of organic discussion, I created an interactive “performative” dialogue. My wearable art is my expression of the visual facet of this layered conversation. Because of the amount of energy involved in the creative process this energy is still present in the finished art and the wearer of my art is only moments away from my story. Ultimately, my hope is that my art inspires you to ask questions. This is the first step to becoming an artist. What if . . . ? I’m not a big believer in talent. What produces creative results is desire and the willingness to take risks. Photos by MS Rezny Model, Rupal Patel
Laverne Zabielski, MFA Lavernez@gmail.com 859-576-4625
Where to find my art
Rules I Learned from My Art Teachers 1. Never let lack of money or materials stand in the way of your art. --Jim Foose 2. Art is responding, --Arturo Alonzo Sandoval 3. You are prolific. --Marilyn Haman 4. Write what you know. --Nikky Finney 5. Painting is putting marks on paper. --Robert Tharsing 6. Follow color theory --Me 7. Make your own rules and stick to them. --Me ELEMENTS OF ART line, shape, color, value, texture PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN harmony, variety, movement/ rhythm, dominance, economy, balance, proportion Lavernez.com
Appalachian Fireside Gallery, Berea, KY Copper Moon Gallery, New Albany, IN Kentucky Artisan Center, Berea, KY Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY Janjobee Gallery, Louisville, KY Koi Gallery, Galt House, Louisville, KY Main Cross Gallery, Lexington, KY MS Rezny Studio Gallery, Lexington, KY Bellagio, Asheville, NC Great Artist Collective, New Orleans, LA Damselfly Gallery, Midway, KY
How to Shibori
My Etsy