Colour...
There are only so many colours.
Or are there?
When I returned to the Contemporary Realist Academy for this winter session my focus was colour. (Is we are half way through.) So I set out doing Colour Studies. That is to say a 'sketch' where the primary focus is colour. So no drawing is done (the form is represented, but there is no effort to make the form accurate -- note the disproportionate arm on the right on the first example versus the third) only an effort to find colour.
This is a useful step (a) to learn to mix colour, especially in oil, and (b) to learn to see colour (the colour that is actually there, not the colour you think it is...).

So the first example is in oil -- my first attempt. It is crudely drawn (as this is not the point) and that ended up being my biggest headache. I was quickly reminded of why I am not in love with painting -- finding colour!Second I used coloured pencil, Prismacolor brand.

A note... the first example in oil is not well photographed. There is shine impacting the image you see. This example is grainy. So I am not a professional photographer. Here is proof!

Third is Tsudeneko Permanent Inks on cotton fabric.

This was exciting. working from life, not a photograph, and creating realism on fabric.

If only it were larger it could be quilted! Alas this image is about 9 inches each direction. Though now that I have done it once I see that I could do it again larger!

We shall see what comes next! Stay tuned...

Don't...

Don’t allow others to dictate who you are.
Don’t let another’s opinion stop you from your self expression.
Don’t let your miss-spoken words keep you from trying to say it again.
Don’t stop your voice because your ego wants to be liked.
Don’t move into inertia because of fear.
Don’t stop living life because the current lesson seems hard
Or you make up that you are a bad person.
“Pick your self up
Dust yourself off
And begin again”
These words spoke from our President
Along with an apology
Give us faith that we can
“Begin Again.”
From wherever we are
Whoever we are
No matter out past
Our seeming future
Nor the circumstances that we seem to find ourselves in
Don’t
Just DO.

In November I traveled to Paducah, Kentucky where I took a class from Nancy Crow ( \http://www.nancycrow.com/ ). It was an awesome experience.

This class was her beginning class, The best of Strip Piecing I and II. It was fascinating. Cutting solid coloured fabrics into strips, sewn together, re-cut and re-sewn... We worked on a design wall -- which I have done, but really working at looking at each step from -- in a vertical orientation from a distance. Funny the things you know yet don't do and their impact when you start!
I am currently working on a version of strip piecing for a challenge quilt. It's image will be revealed after the acceptance or rejection of it (Summer or next month!). I am very excited by the process. I am anxious to show and get feed back, but am following the guidelines...

Speaking of guidelines -- or perhaps just common sense... I am hoping the public is not falling for this!
I was working in the studio. The television was on and here comes an advertisement for "High Fructose Corn Syrup". The first commercial for HFCS got an audible laugh from me. Subsequently I have grown ever more irritated.
THEN I found this article talking about the environmental impact of HFCS. You should check it out!



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030603294.html

Let me know what you are up to or what you find irritating.

Eighty! Can you imagine eighty birthdays? That's a lot of cake, candles, gifts, days, everything! My Father just turned eighty this month. He is quite the musician; playing the sax, tuba, and saw amongst other instruments. I recently purchased a dulcimer and have had so much fun I thought it might be something he would enjoy.

So this is his present for his eightieth. The base clef sign (for the sound hole) is in honor of his sixty-fifth year playing tuba with the Cedar Falls Municipal Band. Underneath is a patchwork bag I made and quilted to hold the instrument while not being played.

My pal Kate, at right is such a joy... for a holiday gift I made her a pillow with a stumpwork initial, beading and quilting. Not the radiance that she portraits, but lovely none the less.

And speaking of radiance...

Yesterday Christopher alerted me to the impending beautiful sun set. He could not have been more correct... and here is one shot of the sky filled with colour.

So how were your holidays? What gift were you the most proud of giving? Did you make something as a gift? Please share...

Stripping...

Nature and Decay
Why are we so interested in these things?
I was at a party last weekend at a friends farm. This structure was on the property adjacent. I was fascinated not only by the whole, but the parts -- Ghosts of the past immortalized in the barns...

And this has the look of a pieced quilt. Linear, repeating with variation. Quite interesting.

What in your world excites and stimulates you visually?





This piece: a top that is pieced but not quilted yet...
Has a similar quality.

Here the light filters around smaller objects. Perhaps the Sun rising or setting viewed from behind a, iron fence or prison...

This is a present in process. I am hoping that the recipient will not see it. I had to share it as I am SO EXCITED that this little bag (it will be) has it's points matching. And I only redid two seems. Not bad!

After this election I decided I could try anything!

If someone knows what this manner of setting is called -- please let me know. Streak of lighting? Or is that only with 'Log Cabin'?

Visual Splendor

This weekend was spectacular…

Most of you probably share my opinion about spiders: I don’t like them. However during the past year living in the country I have grown to appreciate and understand them. They must have had a convention over night because when I took the puppies out for their morning walk around the pond Friday there were the most beautiful spider webs all kissed with dew. Thankfully no spiders were in sight!

Saturday I was introduced to the Ghost River. It is part of the Wolf River basin. There you will find a beautiful boardwalk over a swamp. The diversity of plants; berries, leaves, lichen, bark were all visually intriguing. And the light – the light filtering onto the plant filled watery surface was spectacular – a few rocks, trees with knees and buttresses, a turtle and the occasional water lily.

Where have you gone that you were inspired by what you saw?

The portrait is finally finished or at least the embroidery part is finished. Now the question is what next... perhaps a layer of trapunto and then a painted layer under that to give more dimension like in "Icon". Here is a closer look at the 'back stitch'. In an earlier post there was another version of this image done in 'chain stitch'. I was not please with the ease of manipulating the stitch. Another embroidery artist, Michael Aaron McAllister (http://www.michaelaaronmcallister.com/) suggested the 'back stitch' was more suited and his preferred stitch. I love the ability to create lost and found edges with this stitch.
After a year in Tennessee I went to a Quilt Guild meeting. There I met a group of art quilters who have a bee. I so miss my bee in Florida, BeeArty. Now I have a new group to play and learn with. This is the tart of my version of the current challenge. The challenge, a cliche...
Can you guess what mine is?
Whether it is cliche or not the autumnal colours are breath taking. And best, they are just beginning. This year I promised myself I would not miss photographing the change. Here is one if the first bursts of colour.