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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us March 10, 2005 Fabric and art By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Two artists currently exhibiting work in Ashland show just how differently fabric can be used in art. Portland artist Candace Coleman's fabric collages at The Living Gallery are a joyous celebration of bold colors. Ashland's own Ellen Mueller has created elegantly subdued works born out of her feelings of loss over her daughter's departure for college back East. The pieces are part of a stunning group exhibition at Davis and Cline this month focused on diffusion and light. Both artists sewed as children, with Coleman going on to become a tapestry weaver and Mueller attending the prestigious Parson's School of Design before leaving the world of fashion to become a fine artist. Coleman's wall hangings are constructed of fabrics that she dyes herself to create a palette of fuchsia, magenta, maroon, sunflower yellows and oranges, Caribbean blue, lavender and purple. Most of the fabrics are dyed two to four times to create variation and layers of color. "The colors available to me are constantly changing. That means my work is always changing," Coleman said. "Color is really seductive to me." She rips the fabric along the natural thread lines to create squares and rectangles, which she arranges and rearranges before stitching down in overlapping and multi-layered compositions. Mueller's work is multi-layered as well, but slowly reveals its riches to viewers. She drapes sheer fabric in simple folds or delicate ripples on a ground with subtly colored paper or graphite pencil drawings. A sheet of frosted Mylar placed over the fabric softly obscures the image beneath. The glowing, diffuse effect is similar to a wax coating over a painting. Drawing with colored pencils of cream and palest pink, yellow or green on the Mylar, Mueller highlights folds and other details beneath the surface. She turned to the use of fabric after years of exposure to paints and solvents left her allergic to those traditional artistic tools. The sense of loss over her inability to use the media with which she is so skilled was later compounded when her daughter left home. As most mothers know, what is rather dismissively called "empty-nest syndrome" can feel like a divorce and a job loss all at once. "I have felt so insecure and almost stymied," Mueller said. "What is my next step in life? I put so much into it. My job was so important and then it was gone - just like that." The next step Mueller has taken has resulted in pieces that will reward viewers who take time out of their rushed lives to contemplate these beautiful, meditative creations. The Living Gallery, 20 S. First St., will feature Coleman's fabric collages through April 15. Mueller's pieces will be on display at Davis & Cline Gallery 525, 525 A St., through March 26. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams