Summer to Autumn | Home Vessels

Home Vessel 01 | Abigail Doan (2016)

The transition from season to season is not always easy for me. Possibly because 'seasons' seem so short these days, or rather, are increasingly indistinguishable in terms of their uncharacteristic temperatures and specifically, evidence of drought and foliage shock. It makes me feel quite nostalgic in an unsettling way.

Our return to NYC after close to two months in Europe left me pining for the long mountain walks of summer and serendipitous notations for Walking Libraries (WL) documentation. 

As autumn slowly seeps in, I am examining what it means to (re)occupy my home vessel – in part because of the undeniable need to have a foundation that our family operates from as an efficient system, and also because I am delving into new (old) materials as a way to return to ideas that I had decades ago. I am gently letting go of working with fiber (cord, string, thread) and shifting the balance so that my vocabulary might become stronger and my course more focused.

Hover Craft 01 | Abigail Doan (2016)

A vessel feels like the right concept or sentiment to explore, i.e. a container, a ship, a hollow tube through which liquid or simply a new life force might flow. A raft for what remains.

This is where you will now find me. Not the textile artist you once knew but the aggregator and documenter of stray (travel) materials and seasonal reflections.

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News of 'Home Vessel' pieces in an upcoming group show will be announced soon.

Research and work in process photos are always findable at Lost in Fiber | Instagram.

Best wishes for a multi-hued and textured autumn for all home bodies and bold adventurers.

Lost in Fiber | Summer Travels | 2016

The summer tempo has arrived, and it is a true gift to be in Bulgaria and environs this July and August for quiet studio time as well as travels for further Lost in Fiber investigations as well as research for our small family foundation, the Haemimont Foundation.

I will be continuing with plein air excursions for Walking Libraries 2016 – comparing and contrasting various materials gathered during solo walks on urban pathways in NYC and Sofia, coastal California, as well as my childhood farm fields of the Hudson Valley.

New work and project updates will continually be added to my artist website – with news of upcoming press as well as movement/performative studies for late 2016 – 2017.

Throughout the summer, you can follow my art travels via Lost in Fiber on Instagram.

A special thanks to dear friends and family, near and far, for helping me to build these ongoing dialogues and investigations into the meaning of place-based making.

Slow Stitch | Re-Print Available

a detail of Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art

I am thrilled to announce that textile artist Claire Wellesley Smith has re-issued her beautiful book, Slow Stitch: Mindful and Contemplative Textile Art, published by Batsford Books in the U.K. This exquisitely illustrated book is a visual feast filled with one-of-a-kind studio ideas related to stitching techniques, sustainable art/design practice, and the cultivation and preservation of slow textiles. 

My work is included in the 'Locality and localism' chapter and the visuals of all artists included has made 'Slow Stitch' a go-to inspirational source for me.

Learn more about Claire's work and process via her very informative blog.

Lost in Fiber interview | Anny Crane

a materials collaboration between artists Anny Crane and Abigail Doan

It is such a pleasure to finally profile the work of artist friend and collaborator, Anny Crane. I originally met Anny during her time at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn/Manhattan and subsequently continued a creative dialogue with her after her move south.  

Anny Crane's Invasive mixed media installation at the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan

Anny works magic with thread and paper, but in a manner that challenges more obedient ways of embroidery stitching and hand illustration. Her intuitive drawing process peels away layers of memory while also anchoring oneself in pockets of textured vulnerability. Anny's thread-heavy works and meandering ink trails are emotionally charged and rich with personal memories, narratives, and internal byways.

Walking Libraries | 2016

Walking Libraries 2016 | Abigail Doan

Since the conclusion of 2015, I have been occupied with new collaborations and print publications for Lost in Fiber | agency. I do not update this blog very often these days, but given how long it has been online, I feel an allegiance to this 'older platform' and the thread of continuity. 

2016 is moving so quickly, and with this in mind, I have launched a new 'slowing down' project called, Walking Libraries. This art initiative will involve my archiving of the granular aspects of landscape exploration and tactile finds out on the trail. My goal is to incorporate more movement into my work as means to further explore personal mapping concepts as well as fluidity between materials and documentation methods.

Lost in Fiber | agency + tools

Lost in Fiber | atmosphere

I am thrilled to announce the launch of my new website, Lost in Fiber | agency. 

In addition to ongoing studio and cultural preservation projects, the development of an 'agency' is really a long-overdue effort to formalize creative conversations that I have cultivated with talented individuals globally. 'Agency' in this instance refers to the role that relationship-building plays in providing solutions and meaningful material exchanges.

Lost in Fiber | destination

The site is organized into the following themes: atmosphere, cultivated, destination, historic, materials + studio life, objects + tools, worn, Lost in Fiber print tools, and Lost in Fiber stories. The edited selection of images represents art and design initiatives from my own archives – this includes documentation of cultural outreach efforts, historic artifacts, travel, styling projects (see worn) as well as a collection of stories that have influenced my development as an artist and collaborator. The news section features interviews, current projects, and announcements for events. The print tools page will be active during early January 2016. More on this soon.

Lost in Fiber | historic

The site is very much a work-in-progress with more documentation to be added, but for now, I am eager to share what I feel is the next step for me in terms of personal community building tied to documented narratives. A special thank you to everyone who has contributed to the development of this creative concept, with inspiration and cheer.