Journal Revolution

I won a copy of Journal Revolution from Maria Hammon and it arrived over the weekend. Here is my first experiment with one of the techniques described in the book (using white out pen to draw and add details to an image):


Full view, the big green area is Jo Sonja iridescent gouache stippled over sequin waste ribbon.

Detail, leaf painted in gouache and watercolor, fish stamp hand carved by me, drawing with the white out pen.

Sequinized Swimming

I am working on Marilyn, with a goal of entering the piece into the Ohio Designer Craftsmen Best of 2008 show.

Here is a picture of quilting in progress.

And a view from the back, seen a lot while tying off knots. Good advice from Susan Shie, use fun fabric on the back, too, since you'll be seeing it a lot while you're tying knots, etc. I got the floral print from Honey Fork Fabrics, it was one of their bargain bolts. And the purple is from my MIL, Sandy.

And now, dessert. Sequinizing with the lovely new sequins from C Cartwright (they are the iris finish, I just love me some iridescent goodness).

And a wider view of the piece, I love my little ceramic dish and collect different kinds that are great for this kind of work. Once I get the top third sequinized, I will make the sleeve and sew it on, as I always leave that for last and never really like doing it. I figure getting to put on the rest of the sequins will be a good bribe (that, and having the piece done when it's done! Wow! :)

Volume Four

I have been doing plain drawings with a black BIC crystal stick pen in one of my sketchbooks and I decided to take it out of the book and onto the wall.


Full bunny so far, Setacolour paints and machine embroidery on cotton twill PFD.

Detail of mushrooms and holes.


Detail of bunny eyes and cloud.

Once the machine embroidery is complete, I plan to put him on a quilt sandwich and bead him. Then, who knows? I'll keep you updated!

Volume Three

While waiting for the weather to cool, and wanting to make something that was faster than a jumbo quilt, I started playing with the beads again. There is a version of blue iris out there that is almost black, so in the vein of the Cabinet of Curiosities piece I started back in November, I made these.




Coral and shell forms, sculptural peyote stitch and designed to be strung. Done in the blue black iris and a matte white/black stripe iridescent.

I also made a full necklace, still awaiting a good gold clasp. Done in winter whites and champagnes.

Full view, minus clasp.

And detail of coral, this was so much fun!

Volume Two

Several years ago I did an online healing doll class with Barb Kobe. While I never did complete the class (life got in the way and when you make art for your living, making art for yourself sometimes takes the back seat). I did get my shadow doll done, and she has sat in my studio this whole time. I thought I would hate her, but I found myself having compassion for this constantly needy side of myself, with her constant screaming for more, her pig nose, her blobby body. Everything I felt was bad about myself.

Yesterday, while working in the studio, a car went by, and I heard a rattle begin. When I looked, it was the doll, sitting on top of my printers drawers. I moved her to next to my sewing machine, and the rattle stopped. But as I looked at her, I realized she was no longer complete. At the time I made her, she expressed all my rage and anger at my bad qualities, but now I found I am ready to love all of myself, even those parts that may not be pleasant. It is time to love my shadow.

New Year, New Stuff, Volume One

I hadn't realized that it's been nearly six weeks since my last update. I have been madly working in the studio and having family home for the holidays (twice!) and having a boy with pinkeye (still, but it is almost gone now, thanks to the wonders of sulfa drugs) and fighting my own battle with the cold and temporarily losing my voice. But I feel positive about the new year and without further ado, I bring you this:

Marilyn, approximately five feet high by seven feet wide. The more I quilt, the smaller it gets, which I suppose is a good thing. I had started this piece in early October, before the AQN retreat, and had begun quilting it in late October, when it was still quite warm in the studio. Having literally sweated through too many sessions, I left it on the wall and waited for my second wind. I never really thought about why my Granny would quilt in the winter, but now I get it. Even machine quilting is hot business when temperatures are still in the 80s.


The full view, still in process ( blue tower still needs quilting; I have sequins for the background and of course it still needs binding).


Detail of yellow tower. Love that freemotion zigzag!

Marilyn is one of my pieces based on the water towers that are between The Plains and the Columbus Road exit on Route 33 leading into Athens. I have driven past these towers for almost 24 years now, seen them in all kinds of weather and light. For me, they are the haystacks of my life here (ala Monet). When I first moved here, people would still grafitti them, but that hasn't happened in so long that I prefer to show them in their unadorned glory. I played with images of the towers during my stint in graduate school, and had grand plans of a multi painting installation of the towers in all sorts of colorways, but was afraid at the time to attempt such a grand plan. Thanks to time and experience, I dive in.