Now It's Time to Make Dinner!

Gelatin printed fabric!

Been busy all day today and yesterday doing this. Now it's time to come out from under and reunite with the world. Going to make good food NOW!

Gelatin Printing

Last night was a special treat. I took the first of 6 gelatin print classes with Lisa http://www.lisaz.com/ . These are just 2 examples of many experiments done on paper. The scans are a bit washed out the colors on these prints are more vivid in person. I think I will be busy this weekend trying this technique on cloth and matte gelled sheer fabric. Friday can not come fast enough!

Published!

Emerging

When I was in my early teens I had a teacher who believed I should pursue a writing career. While I do think I am able to turn a phrase or two once in awhile and have a fairly prolific vocabulary, to be a writer requires a tremendous amount of desire and passion. A task I didn't seem to be able to wrap my heart and soul around.

Be that as it may, I am very happy to announce that at this ripe old age I have become a published writer - albeit not fiction. The April/May issue of Quilting Arts magazine will feature an article I penned (with Melanie's editorial assistance http://my-croft.blogspot.com/ - thank you, my friend!) that highlights a couple of my art quilts and outlines the painting technique I use to create many of my art quilts.

One never, ever knows what paths this life will take us down.

Fossilized

I'm pedaling as fast as I can to get this piece finished. I need to secure all those purple-pinkish rod beads (just sprinkled them in order to take this photo) and then bind the edges. It needs to be in the SAQA trunk show coordinator's hands by 3/31. No need to panic - plenty of time for UPS next day air!

Evolution

Does this prove Darwin's theory? The piece in the blog entry below adapted itself into this when I added some colors to the piece below that made it NOT able to live in my art world (sorry, forgive my juvenile attempt at allegory). Anyhoo....I need to add more beading and ribbon embroidery and then it WILL be the 12x12" piece for the SAQA trunk show and art auction.

Altering Day Today

Gesso'd cloth, silk screen images via thermofax screens, textile & acylic paints all altered with rubbing alcohol. This might just end up as the piece for the SAQA trunk show and the 12x12" piece I plan to donate to the SAQA art auction later in the year. Next step will be to add a bit of copper (maybe gold?) foiling.

Integration

This is my favorite ATC so far. Some of you may remember that whole series of 'Disintegration' pieces I did a while back. I'm calling this one 'Integration' since it lacks that dark element that appeared in the other series. I'm going to offer in my Etsy shop.

I think I'd like to do this in as a larger piece. I have a 3 day weekend coming up (YES) and plan to mess around and see what happens.

Happy Spring to all!

Climb Every Mountain

Sooooo....this started out as an image of the Garden of Eden and morphed into this portal/mountain/large sky thing. This scan does a good job of showing all the textures of the piece but the colors appear a bit brighter than in real life. I don't know where this is going from here. Maybe lots of stitching? fibers? flora images laid on top? It's either going to end up really good or really bad - this one isn't flowing easily!

More ATC's

Time & Sunflower - 2 more ATC's...maybe I'll just make these forever. Time features a teensy, tiny inverse cathedral window done by hand.

Apples of My Eye

I figured it out....making these oh-so-charmingly small ATC's is helping me avoid other art commitments I have made. This weekend I will begin work on the SAQA trunk piece and another collage I would like to do for Virginia's Spiegel's American Cancer Society benefit auction.
Thank goodness it's Friday....my day job has just about destroyed me this week.

Spring Blossoms

Another ATC posted in my Etsy shop. Spring is arriving. I don't really mind winter (love to be cozy inside) but I do like hearing spring birds (red wing blackbirds are back!) and there's something about the sun in the mornings that is energizing.

Cookin' with Gas

Yet another ATC (posted for sale in my Etsy shop). These seem to be pretty popular. All of you who have contacted me about trades and with comments hold tight - please - as soon as I'm able to I'm going to catch up on my email backlog. Where does the time go?

I plan to do a 12x12'er for the SAQA NY trunk show and then donate it to the SAQA fundraising auction. Of course I need to have this larger piece ready by the end of the month so I better get cookin'!!

Artist Trading Cards

When uninspired work small, I say! I made these 3 ATC's yesterday and I have plans to make more. The brightest idea came to me yesterday as I was working on these so all is good with the world (doesn't take much to make us creative types happy, does it?).

The sun is out, no more rain...carpe diem....

Artist's Block

The words at the top of this collage say "The Artist's Love". Well, I'm experiencing "The Artist's Hate". You know...that uninspired malaise that grips you with the anxiety that this is the New You? It is a rainy, dreary day here in New York...perfect for art-ing...but will I be doing that? Probably not. Inspiration has taken a hiatus and must be visting others this week (good for all of you who are blessed). I am going to post this collage on Etsy and then go up to my workspace and do some cleaning. I'm trying to turn the negative into a positive...this is a good thing...I know, I know...but I'm yearning for that adrenaline rush filled with so many ideas that it hurts my brain.

This collage is dedicated to Carla who has been in my thoughts quite a bit the past few days. It was inspired by a quote a fellow artist was kind enough to share ..."keep a green tree in your heart and a singing bird is sure to come." (Chinese Proverb). A singing bird visited me this week and let me know it was alright.

Experimenting

I'm still messsing around making artist trading card sized art. This scan isn't great but when viewed live this piece has great dimension. I like the mysteriousness of it. Acrylic paint, stamps and gold foiling on cloth....

Petite Heart

Last night I made an artist's trading card. I haven't made one of these in a long, long time. I've forgotten how darn cute these little pieces are. They beg you to pick them up, hold them and prop them in unexpected places. I have a line of this sized art work that I've either purchased or traded for sitting on a small shelf in our downstairs bath. Everyone always has great comments about these minature 2.5x3.5" works of art.