Now for Something Completely Different

I have been working on a few different things, mostly involving painted paper or paint on canvas or sometimes a little of both.  Ironically some of these experiments were to get away from the fiddliness of working with patchwork.  Gluing is still a lot faster than sewing. :) 

Summer Carnival, painted paper on canvas.  I use Golden gel medium to attach the paper cutouts to the canvas.

Detail.  Here you can see the different mark making tools I use to make the painted paper.  These include Print Gocco (the fish), linoleum prints (the red dots in the upper left area are a frog), and carved stamps (the white star-like forms and the white stars).

Autumn Lotus

This is one of those things where I got a crazy idea to cut a bunch of lotus stencils out of a sheet of painted paper.  I am unsure whether this is in process or it is complete.

Koi Spring

This technique was so cool that I decided to try it on a larger scale.  My fingers weren’t too happy with me, but it was worth the effort.

Detail, you can see the dots from the sequin waste I used as a stencil and the detail of the red koi shapes I painted onto the original paper.   This piece is definitely still in process.  Stay tuned for updates.

Into the Void  Acrylic on canvas with graphite drawings added.  I am unsure whether this is complete or whether I want to go back into it with some india ink or liquid acrylic to emphasize the lines.

A detail showing the graphite drawing in more detail.  I like the way the paint washes blur the lines of the drawing.

The texture in this piece comes from some rice paper that I had initially adhered to the canvas, again using the Golden gel medium.

And today, after a several week hiatus due to mom duties (hockey and school), I was able to get back into the studio and begin a new painting.

In the Between, acrylic on canvas, and still very much in process, though it was nice to get back into the studio and just play with paint and color.

Process and Progress

I have been working on the coral piece, and managed to make a little progress before the holiday weekend.

I had beaded the corals or anemones in the foreground (I am not sure which, I guess I could just say “sea life”) earlier this fall when I was giving some one on one instruction to a friend.  The ones in the back are embellished with Kreinik braid which I couched as well as used in the bobbin. 

You can see the detail of the gold braid in this picture.

And you may have noticed that I decided to put the yellow angel fish lower in the composition.

I tried making another angel fish for the upper left corner of the image.

But he’s a little too pale for the rest of the piece.

I used some of my friend Diane Eyerman’s hand-dyed fabric for the blue stripes, and couched the outlines with Kreinik #16 braid.

You can see how well the sparkling braid complements the blue stripes.  I guess this little fellow will end up getting his own quilt after I’ve finished this one :)

Summer in the Studio

Some days it’s good to just go upstairs, turn on the A/C and crank the tunes.  Today was one of those days.  On the turntable: The B52’s, Billy Idol and Aerosmith.

On the art table:

“Flower Girl” 4” x 4”, reclaimed cereal box, color photocopy of family photo, silk  flower and shell button.  I had painted the canvas last week, today I put the elements together.

While that dried (I attached the pieces using Golden Heavy Gel medium), I took this:

Added this:

And this:

The bird is from ArtChix Studios, while the circles are punched out from copies of my beaded moon piece.

I also played with another reclaimed cardboard house

The basic house shape waiting for embellishment.

The found textile I used to embellish the bottom half of the house.

Auditioning another bird (also from ArtChix Studios).

The bingo piece I chose to put in the gable.

The house is currently drying in the studio, while the cow awaits the decoration on her dress.  I haven’t yet decided whether to go with more collage images or to paint or stamp shapes using Lumiere paints.  We’ll see what inspiration hits tomorrow.

Shows, Shows and More Shows

Over the past week I’ve managed to put in some good studio time.  Some of the work has been for specific shows, while others have been play/spec.

First, the play.  I have a set of Liquitex Basics 22ml acrylics, and I’ve been practicing my painting:

Cow Bird in process.  This painting is based on my quilt of a similar cow and bird couple.  Right now I’m still building the layers of color.  I love how the table underneath is its own piece of art with all the layers of old paint on it.

Bunny Pierrot II, one of three rabbit pierrot paintings I’m planning.  This one will be on the far right.  The full piece will be 8” x 24” when finished.

I also committed to sending a shoe piece to a show at Ten Women Gallery, so I applied some of my painting practice to this piece, still in process:

I drew the shoes using a regular #2 pencil, then began layering in colors.  The fish are a silkscreen I made based on a stamp I carved several years ago.  This piece is 10” x 10”.

And finally, I mixed the media up in this piece for the Art Quilt Network Fire and Ice show at Galleria Evangelia:

 

So far it’s untitled.  It’s based on the bead drawings I did last month, and I used hand painted paper which has been screened with the fish print.  I sewed fabric onto that to fill out the image.  It measures approximately 15” x 15”.

Detail of the painted paper and fabrics.  I really like how this piece came together and want to play more with the painted paper concept.  I would love to be able to get such painterly colors and crisp images on fabric.  Maybe Jane Dunnewold’s new book Art Cloth: A Guide to Surface Design for Fabric will have some good ideas.  We do have several dry days coming up and there’s nothing like painting in the yard. :)

Tomorrow I will share images from my work for The Sketchbook Project. 

Boogie on the Bricks

Saturday was the last day of the annual “Ohio Brew Week” festivities here in Athens, celebrating home brew and craft brew culture.  The culmination of the week is an all-day festival of brews, tunes, and art.

This year we didn’t sample any brews, we grooved to the tunes, and this is the art we took for sale:

Handmade purses, assorted necklaces, magnets and collage paintings.

We didn’t have display for hanging items, so I made do with these old wine crates my mom gave to me.  I think they worked pretty well.

One of the framed collages on display in the wine crate.

Collage pins made using old name tags.  I love making these collages, they provide the perfect setting for all those odds and ends left over after making bigger pieces.

Izzy got into the show spirit as well:

He has really come a long way from his early polymer creations.

I love how he comes up with scenarios for his creations.  The King Crab is multi-media, it’s made using shells and glitter as well as the polymer clay.  This year he even has two pieces in the Youth Creative Art exhibit at the Ohio State Fair.  It’s a great joy to see the pleasure my children take in expressing their creativity.  Boogie oogie oogie!

Drawings Drawings Everywhere

I have been reading The Confident Creative  by Cat Bennett , which is a different kind of drawing book.  Unlike most books, which go through the mechanics of drawing, this book talks about the spirit of drawing, with a few prompts and suggestions at the end.  She talks about embracing drawing as a daily practice, similar to a daily workout or yoga routine, as a way to connect with yourself and your world in a deeper way.  Product isn’t as important as process, though, as with any practice, daily application will show results over time.

With that in mind, I got out the giant clipboard and pad of paper from art school and drew this:

Jumbo red crayon on “Biggie” sketchpad, it is about 18” high by about 16” wide.

In this detail you can see the rough quality of the crayon on paper.  Sometimes drawing is as much about the tactile nature of the process for me as it is about the results.  Cat talks about this in her book, suggesting that the artist vary the drawing instrument or the surface on which one draws.

Birds are also showing up in my journal drawings.  This is pen and ink in a Moleskine sketchbook.

Another prompt talks about drawing objects from your daily life.  I still love exotic beads and have made several necklaces for myself in the recent past.  These offer portable still lifes, and I can sit at Donkey Coffee and create a new world.

 

You can see my to-do list under the drawing.  This practice isn’t about Art, it’s about seeing and focus.  Later I can develop Art from these beginnings, if I choose.

 

I made this necklace for myself for my 40th birthday.  It’s made with cool blues and greens, like so many of my necklaces.  The sticker is from an organic cucumber I purchased at Whole Foods.  I just love the farm’s name.

This year’s birthday necklace, including a note where I just phoned in the shape of the bead rather than giving it my full attention.

Whether or not these drawings turn into larger pieces isn’t the point.  My intention with them is to spend some focused time doing something I love.  So far I’ve really enjoyed it.  Sometimes the simplest tools give the best results.

A Little Bit High, A Little Bit Low

Yesterday was a studio day.  Lots and lots of sewing ensued.  Even a little wackiness (Lilo and Stitch on the DVD player, earlier McCartney on the turntable, some Shiva Nata in between to loosen up and calm down).

Butter and Egg Road, still in process, the photo print and the fence sewn in place.

A view of the printed out journal page, embellished with machine embroidery.

Detail of the stitching on the image.  I outline stitched the main images once the piece was sewn to the quilt base with satin stitch.

The apron sewn down and the piece is complete with the exception of the sleeve and label.  I really like how it turned out.  When I was in college, my watercolor instructor told me “you really like to work high key”.  I am embarrassed to admit, I didn’t know what she meant at the time, but I can see that in this piece.  It’s very pale, with just the hints of reds in the apron and hollyhocks to make it pop.  No embellishment needed.

And now on to the next piece:

“Day of the Cichlid”, machine embroidery with bobbin drawing, and reverse applique.  The piece at the bottom is auditioning.  When it is complete, it will also have cutouts like the top sections.

Detail of the bobbin drawing.  I used crochet thread for those passages.  Looks like this will be another high key piece.

Back to work, I have circles to cut out!

Years of Experience

Years of experience have taught me that opportunities come from where you least expect them, and they come when you are not expecting them.  Paying it forward and karma are never lateral actions, the good you do does come back, but never in the way you expect.

Take, for example, the massive show prep I put out over the last month.  I was hoping for, expecting, intending, a great show, to sell the wonderful work I’ve been creating.  To touch people and speak to them through my art.

Well, I did get the speak to people part.  But I only sold one piece, and that was to another artist at the event.

I came home disappointed, sad, and yes, a little crushed.  I indulged in a little pajama-moping time, and let myself take a few minutes from the constant go-go-go of creating work and marketing work and breathing work.

And I remembered the many times I’d gotten the rejection letter from Quilt National, and how those same pieces of work had gone on to other shows, winning multiple awards in several cases.  How not getting jobs had worked out to free me to visit family, or to be available for other opportunities which were even better.

I didn’t do the usual beating myself up over prices, because no one even looked at the prices, so that couldn’t have been it.  I told myself I made some great connections with local women artists who I’ve vaguely known over the years, and got to know them a little better.  Connection is always good.  I read the new Mercy Thompson novel.

I took Friday and Saturday, and then I posted the work to my Etsy shop. I kept moving, and I fully expect something better to come along.

Here are some pictures of some of the work I posted:

 

 

I will let you know when that something better comes along.  Until then, I leave you with this: