Renewal

Due to broken refridgerators (and the need to immediately shop for a replacement), overwhelmingly busy work days and various other assorted unexpected life things...I was unable to submit this piece by the deadline dead for the SAQA trunk show. Oh well, stuff happens.

Hopefully, Renewal will find a happy home as an auction piece in Fiberarts for a Cause Collage Mania to benefit the American Cancer Society. Please click on the link to be amazed at the total $ that have been raised by Virginia Spiegel and her team in the past few years. You'll be impressed!

After making your base fabric (see post below) then you can machine or hand stitch as desired.

A Quick Lesson

If you click on the photo is will get much larger and you can better see all the textural elements.
1.) Stretch silk organza over a frame
2.) Coat with fluid matte medium - let dry
3.) Paint with thinned acrylic paint - let dry
4.) Adhere papers of your choice with matte medium - let dry
5.) Adhere tissue paper with mattte medium - let dry
6.) Over paint with thinned paints - spritz with alcohol - let dry
7.) Spray alcohol on paper toweling or tissue paper & rub back paint in various areas
8.) Repeat 6 & 7 if you so desire or let dry.

Why Small Art?

It seems my art work will have a spot in the Feb issue of the Danforth Museum of Art's newsletter. They feature my small 4x6er's and ATC's in their museum shop and have asked me what I enjoy about creating small art. After much thought the words below flowed out.

"What defines art? I’m certainly far from an expert but I do know that any creative work that is compelling, grabs your attention and makes you keep coming back for more is surely an artistic piece. When art work has made a connection with the viewer, that person has been affected in an extraordinary manner. By its very nature art created with cloth and thread is very textural and calls out to be touched, felt and emotionally embraced. This fact is one of the reasons I enjoy creating small textile art pieces. When the viewer is able to hold a textile piece an intimate connection develops that transcends definition. When a piece can be seen upfront and personal by propping it on a shelf by the kitchen sink, or at a desk, or near other spaces that are used in our daily lives it helps to bring pleasure to our everyday world. I also enjoy knowing that my small pieces are affordable, collectable art that can be enjoyed by those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to purchase artwork. To have the ability to bring a smile to someone’s face is a pleasure that makes this artist’s heart sing."

Virtues of Pastels & Dyeing

I am still exploring pastels. I did this last night during my Thursday evening class given by Shawn Dell Joyce . There's a lot wrong with it but also some right with it and, since I'm just a beginner doing baby steps, I'm pleased with the results. To me, pastels are as exciting and intimate (afterall one gets as upfront, personal and messy with pastels as with textile paints) as working with dyes and paints on cloth.

A couple more texture studies.

The first photo below shows the 'front' of a piece that is silk organza painted with transparent acrylics and torn papers adhered with matte gel medium. I had every intention of securing tissue paper, stitching and overpainting this until .......

.....I turned it over. This second photo shows that same piece from the reverse side. I think I'm going to use this reverse side as the base and add some tissue, stitching and over painting. Texture, baby, texture.

2 more ATC's that will be going to the Danforth Museum of Art. It seems that when people find out what artist trading cards are all about they get very excited and want to join in by starting a collection. Martha at the Danforth told me that one of her customers is spear heading an ATC group at a local nursing home there. I don't know a lot of the details right now but I'll keep you posted.

First One

A piece of that fabric paper pictured in my last post with added gold foiling, hand stitching and painted paper image.

It's all about the TEXTURE, isn't it?

Made this today...so many layers of matte gel medium, papers, tissue paper, inks, diluted acrylics and pigments. I think I'll use it as a base for some ATC's.

Some ATC's I just finished!

These are a couple of ATC's I did using that first quilt then over paint, then spray with alcohol, then paint again, then spray with rubbing alcohol, then paint....you get the idea...technique I've used so often in the past. It feels good to visit an old friend again.

A sketch I did last night that will - hopefully - become the quilting lines for a piece I have percolating in my brain.

Here's a second update on my new year's commitments:

1.) Finishing of 4 pcs for group show - no progress
2.) Writing for article - no progress

Batting a thousand so far

3.) Dye scarves and make ATC's - made another ATC but no dyeing has been done yet
4.) Sketch every day - YES!
5.) Lose 10# - I think I'm going in the wrong direction
6.) Surface Design show piece - thought never entered my mind
7.) Medical tests - wellllll....I called to have a perscription filled and promptly forgot to pick it up so this is a big NO progress one
8.) Practice patience & tolerance - failed miserably yesterday while at my day job but today is a new dawn!

Commitments

In the upcoming months all my best intentions will be directed towards:

1.) Finishing the series of 4 pieces that will part of a new group's show & website (more about this in the near future). The photo above shows a glimpse of one of the pieces that I've already completed.

2.) Write (can't say finish because I haven't started it yet) the article for the magazine that expressed interest in my submission inquiry.

3.) Complete scarves and itty, bitty ATC's for the Danforth Museum of Art and get them sent off.

4.) Sketch every single day - even if a small doodle.

5.) Lose another 10 lbs.

6.) Submit a piece for the Surface Design show.

7.) Get every medical test and probe done that I've been putting off.

8.) Try to be more patient and tolerant.

Wish me luck!

Hearts for the New Year

New Year's Eve in the Hudson Valley brought very low temperatures and very fierce winds. Our electricity went out about 8pm and remained off for many hours. While Steve was tending the 2 woodstoves I did a bit of stitching by candle light until I fell asleep.

To friends I know either in person or through the internet I wish you an upcoming year filled with more moments of contentment than seconds of discomfort.