Monthly Archives: September 2013

Betty Vera: From Hand to Computer-Assisted Loom: Following the Thread

Betty VeraColor relationships play an important part in Betty Vera’s weavings, which combine techniques such as dye painting with both hand- and loom-controlled weave structures.

On Thursday, November 7 at 7 pm, Betty Vera will present slides of her work and discuss the way she has incorporated digital techniques. The program will be at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center located at 1300 Gendry Street.

Betty Vera Program

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Like many artists who are madly in love with hand weaving for its color potential and tactile qualities, I am also part of the digital age, using new technologies in my work.  This slide talk will explore the relationship between my hand-woven tapestries and my more recent body of work consisting of computer-assisted weavings.

My hand weavings incorporate loom-controlled weave structures, painted warps, and discontinuous tapestry-woven wefts, combining personal techniques I have developed over time.

My computer-aided Jacquard weavings include monochromatic damask images rendered by manipulating the relative amounts of warp and weft showing on the face of the textile, as well as Jacquard tapestry utilizing complex weave structures with a rotation of six or eight colors in the warp, along with two or more weft colors.