Weaving and waterfowl featured at library

The Friends of the Sisters Library have two colorful exhibits hanging in the library this month - weaving and waterfowl photography.

In the community room and lobby display case are eye-catching displays of woven, fabric, and felted art pieces from the members of the 42-year-old Central Oregon Spinners and Weavers Guild (COSWG). On the walls are 24 original pieces, among them scarves, shawls, wall hangings and table runners, some of which are for sale.

One piece - already sold - is Linda Davis' stunning hand-dyed, woven, and sewn top. Davis first created the fabric by laying out warp chains of yarn in groups, daubing on the dye in shades of purple, orange and gold, and then weaving the yarn into fabric. Where the different colors intersect, new colors were created, like the yellow and purple combining to make pink. The fabric won Best in Show at the 2014 Deschutes County Fair.

Davis then used the fabric to construct a colorful woman's top, complete with machine applique around the neck, incorporating space-dyed cording. The result is a one-of-a-kind design that was awarded 2015 Best of Show at the Deschutes County Fair.

"Designing fabric for garments is actually my favorite thing to do," Davis said. "It's how I got into weaving. I had gotten away from it for a while and it was fun to be doing it again."

The rest of the beautiful items on display are woven from a variety of materials - cotton, handspun alpaca, wool, and bamboo rayon - and one large wall-hanging is made of felted wool.

In the lobby display case is a feast of unique woven items including hats, scarves, pillows and felted bowls. There are several handcrafted necklaces incorporating hand-woven cording.

The 65 members of COSWG meet the third Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m., at Highland Baptist Church in Redmond, to share their latest projects, learn new techniques, and expand their knowledge of the history of weaving and spinning. For those who can't attend the Wednesday meeting, there is also one on the third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m. in the Sisters Library community room.

A year-round philanthropic activity for the guild is to weave scarves, hats, gloves, blankets and mittens for the residents at Bend's Bethlehem Inn.

Guild members display their work as a group as well as individually in galleries, at conferences, at craft and county fairs, and national and international art fairs. They give demonstrations at county fairs and at Sisters Around the Block Fiber Arts Stroll, which kicks off Quilt Show week. Many also teach and draft their own designs.

The exhibit of woven and felted items will be available for viewing through November during regular library hours.

The images on the walls of the computer room are those of Doug Beall, local Camp Sherman photographer, whose subject matter for this avian display are all waterfowl.

Beall explains that the term "waterfowl" means any water bird, especially one that swims, from the German "wasservogel" - 1250-1300 A.D. The descriptor on the computer room wall explains Beall's interest in waterfowl.

"The infinite colors, habitat, and behaviors of our water birds present a constant fascination for me. Experiencing the calls, flight patterns, feeding habits and flock communications nourish my passion for capturing their image within my photographic pallet."

Before moving to Camp Sherman, Beall lived in Salem and worked as a professional landscaper. Since retiring, his photographic hobby has become his new vocation.

Each year Beall produces a calendar of bird photographs. The 2017 "Oregon Wings and Feathers" calendar contains his favorite images of birds taken in the past year. The calendars are now available at Sisters Gallery & Frame Shop and Paulina Springs Books.

The waterfowl photos will be on display through the end of October. More of Beall's work can be viewed on his website, www.abirdsingsbecauseithasasong.com and at Sisters Gallery & Frame Shop.