Drop Cloth Coat

Drop Cloth Coat

Dec 13, 2024 | Creativity, Process

Holly B with Celeste in her Sausalito, CA studio

Drop Cloth Coat

Gathering miscellaneous items in the mom studio cleanup, I found some canvas that had been used as drop cloths. Not too splattered, I considered their promise. One was an interesting weave and not too thick, the other a gorgeous, tight woven yet soft, weight. 

In January I signed up for a couple of activities to bring some structure to my life:  a lecture presentation at PENWAG in May, the Peninsula wearable art group, second a fashion show in Santa Clara for the Pacific International Quilt Festival end of July! 

Slowly the creative wheels started to turn. After the years of being in charge of Mom’s care, it was challenging to hop back into my own hemisphere. Having a deadline always helps. 

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”
Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

So back to slowly. The drop cloth-into-clothing-idea was a way to transform my grieving into action.  My niece, Taya, had a wonderful coat that I made a pattern from. Step one. Then, I thought I wanted to embellish the canvas as if it had been splattered. That meant getting really loose and even messy. How fun! How liberating!

Get those juices going!

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”
Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

The first coat made me happy. It was a big departure from my usual painting style. 

It looked marvelous and when I did the presentation at PENWAG it sold! I was a little tender about letting it go, but I knew the woman who purchased it and she knows how to wear it and I am happy she was the one to treasure it.

The second white coat was thicker. I couldn’t even turn the edges in for the facing and collar, so I just topstitched it and let it fray for a really deconstructed look. I’m not sure this coat will sell. It’s more of an object/art piece. But there it is, an inspiration for me going forward. 

Maybe clothing can be sculpture, 3D. And that’s okay.

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The Crossroads

The Crossroads

Oct 5, 2023 | Process, Productivity, Studio

Holly B with Celeste in her Sausalito, CA studio

The Crossroads

Having finished clearing out my mom’s apartment I have started the process of clearing my own space. I can hardly walk into my studio. I don’t know where to start. And I realize I don’t have the bandwidth or strength to work as I have all my life. I’m not interested in production and I’m not sure there is still a market for “wearable art” like in the past.

So I have to search my soul and see what I can let go of. One of the key things about sorting and clearing is: where is it going to go? Most of what I want to shed is white fabric that can be dyed or painted. So that’s what I’ve been doing. Measuring, bundling and tagging all the white fabric I am not ever going to get to. I have one woman who I took an eco printing class with who is taking some. That gives me great satisfaction, knowing where it’s going and what marvelous things can happen to those yards of silk, wool, linen and misc.!

I have to search my soul and see what I can let go of.

In my mind’s eye everything I see has potential, rusty bottle caps on the street, papers of all sorts, plastic bags. And fabric. Getting rid of white fabric allows me to shop for Guatemalan cortes (skirts), and African indigos, and kantha blankets. In order to get current with myself, and what I want to be doing, it helps to go through all the bins of fabrics and reorder them, see them.

I love making clothes. I love dressing. I love color. And I love the scraps in my cutting wastebasket and the little swirls of thread on the floor that magically make a neat composition. I want to explore all of the magic and potential that my studio contains. Now I have time. I can make my own schedule. I can ask myself-what will give me pleasure and take my art to the next level?

Stay tuned. And if you want some fabric let me know!

The Long Journey

The Long Journey

Oct 3, 2023 | Creative Space, Process

Holly B with Celeste in her Sausalito, CA studio

The Long Journey

My mother passed away July 15th at the age of 97. She hadn’t been to her studio since December but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t working. She was still engaged with her art practice till about a month or two before she just couldn’t anymore. Those are big shoes to fill. You can check out her website and see for yourselves: ebaart.com.

My care of her started in 2020. It was our first look into her mortality and it was sobering. She went to the hospital and after her “spa” treatment there, went home now taking pills. She’d only taken vitamins before that. Covid was upon us and life was looking different. I started out coming to her 2 days a week. Then after a bit, hired one companion, then another and then a third. We became her “Team Elaine”.

In those ensuing years, she made a bronze sculpture of a kneeling man in honor of George Floyd, a 7′ x 9’ diptych of the siege of the White House and, mostly completed a large painting of a cello player playing in front of bombed out buildings in Ukraine. She was very political in her later years.

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

Mom’s unfinished painting of Ukranian cellist in front of bombed-out buildings in Kviv. This was her last painting that she worked on.

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

Mom with London Breed at City Hall in San Francisco, posing with her last mayoral painting.

Diptych of the January, 6th. seige on the US capital in Washington D.C.

Header image: Kristina, mom’s main helper, taking a selfie at Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, CA.

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

Mom with Andre Hines, her muse for the Kneeling Man sculpture.

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

Sketch of Andre Hines posing for the kneeling man, which was later turned into a bronze sculpture.

Group photo at Artworks Foundry with helpers and family. November 2021.

I’m telling this story to illustrate the process of a very prolific artist coming to grips with the inevitable from a daughter’s perspective. Everyone’s journey is different according to who they are. I had the privilege to assist mom with her projects and daily needs. It wasn’t easy, but it was such a valuable experience for me. I am still weighing the need to finish everything you have wanted to do, (did I mention she also published a memoire!), or to be quietly introspective and real about what is going on. My mom was very driven, and I think at the end she accomplished all the things that she wanted to say with her work. And we had sweet times of connection: watching our PBS Masterpiece shows, eating yummy food and looking out her window and telling stories.

I miss her very much.

ebaart.com

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Greetings Textilians & Lovers of Beauty

Greetings Textilians & Lovers of Beauty

Jan 3, 2021 | Photoshoot, Productivity, Studio

Holly B with Celeste in her Sausalito, CA studio

Greetings Textilians & Lovers of Beauty

I am not having a holiday show this year so I wanted to reach out to say Happy Holidays! We have all been hunkered down and dealing with this Pandemic in our own ways. I have been doing studio-lite, some small production for the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery.

Playing with Kantha blankets

My latest excitement has been playing with Indian Kantha blankets to create Jackets and Vests. It’s a fun patchwork puzzle and quite satisfying. My brother Marcus took some crazy fun pictures of us jumping for colorful joy in the new pieces.

Marj City by Holly Badgley, Size: 36”x24”

 Assemblages

At the beginning of last year I took an assemblage class, through City College . It was thrilling to learn how to construct  trash to make 3-D art, glueing and bolting my way to bliss. Oh my, that was sooo fun.  It is a medium that suits me. I love to compose using my intuition to combine the disparate elements the teacher provided.  I aim to get back into doing more explorations with all the treasures I have accumulated over the years.

Holly Badgley discussing her textile art at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Holly Badgley discussing her textile art at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Holly Badgley discussing her textile art at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts

  Painting…

I started painting a number of years ago in oil. I had two teachers that specialized in plein air-outdoor painting. My current teacher, Carol Myer, ran a class a couple of towns up the highway in a large open studio. She taught me the fundamentals of painting still life. I love her use of color and brushwork. When we started shelter in place she resorted to Zoom check-ins and classes and an occasional outdoor class. So, I have also been able to keep some continuity in my practice. It is challenging and enlivening to be a beginner again.

 Virtual Rack Tours

If you hanker for something to give you cheer and to wear on your zoom calls, I am available to do a virtual studio/rack tour. Click on the button and we can arrange to connect up via FaceTime or Duo and I can give you a tour of my full rack. I have something for every season in many gorgeous fabrics and styles.

Or if you live in the vicinity I can accommodate a one-at-a-time visit to my studio. (After this latest shelter in place order that is.)

Also, check out what’s at the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery. I have worked with the Weaving Gallery since 1993 or so. They are very supportive and have great taste. I send them some of my favorites pieces!  I am grateful to have a store in one of my favorite places.

Schedule a Virtual Rack Tour

Happiest New Year!

I hope each one of you is finding a silver lining in this wild period we are in. We will endure and flourish! May this New Year bring all that you need for a fulfilling life!

 

Resources Mentioned in this Blog Post

Badgley Photography

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Weaving Gallery

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Yemi & The Photoshoot

Yemi & The Photoshoot

Nov 7, 2015 | Photoshoot, Productivity, Studio

Yemi & The Photoshoot

It had been a long time since I organized a photo shoot. It’s difficult to find a model who would resonate with my clothing, a photographer who has a feel for the clothing along with an eye for design.

A while back some girlfriends and I visited G-rdano a local designer’s shop in Sausalito and there was a striking young woman working in the back, cutting yardage. She was a good height, had a modern flair, and a lively presence. She said she did some modeling. Hooray! Info was exchanged.

But I didn’t call for a while for lack of pieces on the rack. So when I worked up a new group of pieces I Had the forethought to give her a call. We did a pretty informal shoot with my camera and afternoon light, which, it turns out, in my building just doesn’t cut it. Plus my camera is slow, too little resolution, etc. The photos were pixilated and unusable. I had to reshoot the pieces on the mannequin.

However, my brother said he’d be willing to come down and do the shoot for me. Now, Mark does my website, all the evites for my shows and the designers shows. He’s got vision in terms of trends and an eye for composition. I just needed to make something to shoot!

 

Getting ready for the last Acqua show I was steaming-cooking with gas as they say. Pieces fell into place.

The day was clear, the light divine. Mark and I scout a couple of locations inside and outside the building. Yemi arrives.

She has left her hair natural. It has volume and life. It frames her face, highlighting her large and beautiful eyes. I got excited. She was in a very spunky mood. Mark couldn’t keep up with her as she kept doing these rapid moves that were so fun and versatile.

A while back some girlfriends and I visited G-rdano a local designer’s shop in Sausalito and there was a striking young woman working in the back, cutting yardage. She was a good height, had a modern flair, and a lively presence. She said she did some modeling. Hooray! Info was exchanged.

Having a great model makes the clothing come alive. Yemi knows how to move her body to enhance the drape and cut of the cloth. The way she wears the pieces gives them a timeless and almost spiritual quality. This is clothing for all ages of women, offering beauty and style. I am grateful for my newfound team!

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