Artistic Expression

I love artistic pieces that calm, serene and of a limited palette...I really do. I could look at Toni Grote's work all day, getting lost the quietness and beauty of her paintings. I find it quite interesting that what calls me isn't what comes out of me. All of my work tends to be about multiple layers and hidden depths and busy-ness. Is anyone else drawn to work that is much different from their own? Perhaps this makes perfect sense on some level...being attracted to art work that is different from my own holds an element of mystery about the artist, their method and their motivation.
I stitched together this piece from different cloths I've created in the past months.

Surprise!

In the mail today there was a great treat....a cellophoned package containing this inspirational magazine was waiting for me. All of a sudden I remembered I had sent in an art quilt answering a call for submission ages ago and then promptly forgotten that I had done so! How nice to see my quilt featured in this first Somerset edition of Art Quilting Studio. Besides loving the fact that 'Begin Anew with Love' is in print I am taken with this magazine. There is so much inspiration in these pages I am itching to start creating. This weekend is going to be fun. I can feel it.

So the Saying Goes....

....one woman's junk is another woman's treasure. I found these at a yard sale up in the Catskills Mountains yesterday. They are very old and very cool but my husband and I can't exactly figure out what they were used for. We know bigger crocks were used for pickling and salting foods but wonder if these small bottle vessels were used to store oils, vinegars, etc. Did people bring these to the local store and get them filled? The larger crock in the forefront has the stamp 'B&B' on it. Steve said that is a brand of liquor. Perhaps this bourbon? brandy? was sold in these pottery containers? If anyone knows can you be so kind as to fill us in? We'd appreciate it.

Cleaning

Ok...so...I had the best intentions this afternoon. I was going to start cleaning and organizing some of my art materials. About 20 minutes into the task I discovered a piece of dyed fabric that demanded I overlay with some dyed silk organza. An hour or so later this piece emerged. And now there's a bit more mess to organize...tomorrow is another day, isn't it?

Memories

This is the most ambitious pastel painting I've tackled so far. The inspiration was a photo I took of a cabin in the Adirondacks. I came upon the cabin when, during a hike, I ventured off the beaten path. It was open and was obviously an offering of rest & refuge for weary hikers or campers. While very rustic it was swept clean, free of debris and ready for the next explorer...offering a place to contemplate their past, present and future lives.

"And the seasons they go 'round and 'round

And the painted ponies go up and down

We're captive on the carousel of time

We can't return we can only look behind

From where we came

And go round and round and round

In the circle game"

Circle Game by Joni Mitchell

First I painted white cotton with inks, let it dry and then washed the fabric. Next I swirled soy wax on it and then overpainted it with black and maroon textile paint. Messing around with fabric dyes, paints, screen prints, soy wax, etc is kind of like doodling with pens - although quite a bit messier.

Yesterday I took a vintage damask tablecloth and stuck it in a blue-grey dye bath. I then took a piece of dyed and painted silk organza and laid it over a piece of the dyed tablecloth. After adding a bit of pink silk organza, some vintage lace, a few beads and some hand stitching this piece emerged.

I am at a crossroads in my life right now in regards to a business opportunity. The next week will probably be the deciding one in regards to a decision to move forward with the opportunity or not. A crystal ball would help right now, anyone out there have one for rent?

Farming

Barns, cows, vegetables, old tractors, farm implements....you name it...they call to me. We (well...really hubby) are going to plant a garden this year. We (well...really me) will spend time prepping the harvest for canning and freezing to enjoy throughout the winter. My sister-in-law grows the most scrumptious blueberries and right now I have the last frozen batch simmering on top of the stove. When finished they will make a wonderful syrup that we add to Greek yogurt (have you ever tried this stuff? The Best) and put over pancakes. There's something very connecting about growing, storing and eating your own food. Work for sure...but the best kind. Much better than vacuuming or that dusting stuff.

The pastel painting above is done from a photo of a local barn on the other side of the Shawangunk Ridge at the foot of the Catskills.

Music

Interwoven layers circling around, surrounding us, reaching deep inside, creating or touching emotions, transporting us to other places and times - if even just for a few minutes.
The ATC above is an interpretation of music. It consists of dyed cloth that was discharged, soy waxed, painted and then screen printed. There's also a bit of cloth that was rubbed with oil pastel sticks...and some free motion quilting...and a lot of joy.

Artist Trading Card

And here's the ATC with some stitching and a bit of added dyed silk organza pieces. Still looking for an oil or acrylic artist to trade with. Anyone interested? If not, this piece will go into my Etsy shop.

Inspiration

I have been unable to create this past week....due to many reasons. This morning I knew I had to feed my soul or run the risk of these lethargic blues overwhelming me. This small piece of cloth happened. I plan to add a bit of stitching and make it into an ATC. Because I need to surround myself with inspiration I'd like to trade this piece for an ATC done by an oil or acrylic artist. If anyone is interested please email me at daumick@hvc.rr.com

"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." (John Maxwell)