Yesterday while looking for one thing I found some scanned Santa images I had from years ago. Just about as many years ago Dixie, an old Ebay buddy (Ebay use to be fun and a meeting place for many creative people who joined 'groups' that were similiar to chat rooms), was kind enough to send me a box filled with these shirting samples that she thought I would appreciate. Appreciate them I did but never used them until yesterday. This small 4x6" card will be offered for sale next week at the art/craft show...there are 6 more in line to be hand stitched while sitting watching movies or listening to music. I can't think of a better way to spend time off from the day job. Well, except - maybe - finishing the surface design on those scarves I also started yesterday....and....spending alone time with Steve....and....working on a pastel painting.....sweet.

Postcard Mosaic

Here are 13 (lucky?) 4x6" textile postcards that are finished except for edge stitching. If you're interested in seeing some of the details click on the photo is will get much larger. I hope to have them completed and in the mail this weekend. The Danforth Museum of Art is reopening for the fall season this week and these are destined for their gift shop.

Have to run....that day job is calling....good Wednesday everyone!

Earthly Elements

Another postcard....painted cotton cloth, free motion quilting, painted cheesecloth, hand stitching and beads. I'm going to try an idea I had for gelatin printing today. If it's successful I'll post the results...if I have less-than-stellar results I might still post the results.

I do like the colors in this piece.

Fast Paced Times

Another 4x6"er for the museum. I decided against the burnt interfacing and went for beads instead. I really like this piece, probably because it is such a departure from my usual work. I've painted up some other organza and have an idea percolating for another piece. Maybe my kinetic life will allow me to start work on it tonight? One can only hope! And....sorry for blogging and running but my day job is demanding I get ready and go to it....ahhhhhhh.....

Luscious Color

More postcards in the works for the museum. I think I'm going to call the one on the top "The Writing on the Wall" and the other "Hearts Afire". They both feature pieces of gelatin printed fabrics. Writing on the Wall has inspired me to possibly make a larger version. Maybe this weekend I'll whip up a batch of J-E-L-L-O!

Postcards

Soooo....have I ever mentioned how much I like producing art in the 4x6" size?....I know, only about 53 times....
This card was created by over painting commercial & hand dyed fabric that was already quilted. After adding a few hand stitches and some beads I was happy with the results.
Happy Monday all...it's hot and humid here in NY....I'm already tired!

Tree Ladies Continue

Another tree lady needed to be made last night. This one will be a 4x6"'er and will find a home in Michelle's great little Maine gallery http://www.rougettegallery.com/ . Michelle purchased one of my very early 4x6" art quilt postcards on ebay - when? 2 yrs ago? - and has been carrying them in her gallery ever since. Michelle carries work that is unusual and outside the norm, most you'll never find in traditional fine art galleries. She once said that the beauty of my work helps to offset the edginess of some of her other artists. I think that is one of the most unique compliments my work has ever received.

This piece was created using my own gelatin printed and discharged fabric, plus some painted Lutradur.

After the Thaw II

Sunday night I started messing around and this happened. Tissue paper glued on cloth, painted with acrylics and pigments altered with alcohol, a bit of added foiling and free motion stitching. I don't think I'm going to add anything else, but we'll see....it's always hard for me to know when enough is enough and when to stop. This is going to be a 4x6" postcard for the shop in Montgomery that carries my work. Their customers seem to be taken with the idea of mailable postcard art quilts!

Seeking the Yellow Brick Road

I haven't been feeling well so the last day and a half saw me camped out on my sofa watching movies and bad t.v. Yesterday while watching 3:10 to Yuma (good, good, good) and Elizabeth (good, good, good) I stitched this 4x6'er.

Friday afternoon I finished binding Ruby Slippers. Believe it or not, this one has turned out to be one of my husband's favorites. I think he's responding to the folk arty feeling of the piece. This is listed on Ebay but will - probably - be one of the last pieces I offer on this site. Ebay is making all sorts of changes that will hurt small time art sellers. Ebay use to offer an opportunity for lesser known (but less known by no means implies less quality) artists to have a viable marketing venue. Those days seem to be over.

A Gift

Yesterday morning as I was feeling decidedly unblessed I received an email from a woman I did not know. This woman wrote to tell me how much one of my pieces that recently sold (to someone else) meant to her. She is very ill and explained that she wanted to buy the piece but is on a very limited income due to the cost of her medications.

Side Note: When are we as - supposedly - the most developed country in the world going to provide healthcare that is adequate and affordable to ALL of our citizens?

This lovely lady told me that my piece 'Cradle Me' represented to her the faith she has that she is not in control and there is a power much greater who will take care of her and that everything is the way its suppose to be. Her note brought tears to my eyes.

I will - of course - be sending her an art piece free of charge. Knowing that my work was able to touch someone so deeply is a gift that no amount of money can buy.

The piece above is a 4x6" postcard that is a small study for a larger work I'm planning.....painted cloth, free motion quilting and hand embroidery.

New Year's Day Fun Postponed

Our friends were going to have a New Year's Day party but due to the snow falling here in upstate NY it will be postponed until Sunday. For this party everyone is to bring something NOT Pretty and something Pretty wrapped as gifts for a surprise grab baggy type game. Here's an interesting scenario....what if a gift intended to be NOT Pretty is opened by someone and they like it?

Here is our NOT Pretty offering (cute as heck but NOT Pretty)....

And....keeping with the same mailable item theme here is our 4x6 postcard Pretty offering.......

Happy New Year everyone! May 2008 be a hopeful New Year for us all.

Nice 3 Day Weekend

This arrived on Saturday in the mail from a great textile/collage artist, Karen Stiehl Osborn http://www.karenstiehlosborn.com/ . We agreed to trade 4x6'ers and I think it was a WIN for me! Isn't this small piece of art marvelous? Lots of texture and depth. A really great addition to my growing collection. Thank you so much Karen!

I'm a Painter Wanna-Be so on Saturday I tried my hand at interpreting that squash photo I posted earlier in the week.

An artist's group I belong to was discussing Garden of Eden motifs....one painter had us in stitches (ha! only figuratively as I'm the only textile person in this group) over her thoughts on an image of an Angelina Jolie/Mother Theresa/Evil Snake image. Anyway, this discussion lead me to start this piece that will end up being at least 12x12" (double digits all around - yea). It uses all my hand dyed fabric and is hand appliqued. It's about ready for some free motion quilting and then the embellishments will start. It looks kind of cool in my mind's eye.

Disintegration

These pieces with foiling, beads and shimmer paint are really difficult to photograph....of course, the fact that the batteries in my camera need recharging doesn't help any either! Anyway, this is another in that series inspired by cairns, standing stones and now old stone building elements. Another 4x6'er....but I do think I'm going to start on a larger one today...might even reach for those double digits.

Work in Progress

Another 4x6’er in the works. The photo isn’t the greatest but you get the idea. This is painted & inked hand dyed fabric with foiling and hand embroidery added. It will also have embellished fabric rods attached – maybe with some of those tres cool, vintage, clear sequins I found.

You know, I wish there were a huge demand for 4x6 textile art. For some reason these measurements & I get along really well. I could make this little gem size all day long. But I know that in order to reach my art goals I need to start working bigger more often. I don’t think I’ll ever produce really large work but geez…I might need to at least get into the double digits!

Now It's Time to Make Them!

(4x6", painted sheer fabric, free motion machine quilting, hand embroidery, rusted wire, wood beads)

What started out as a trade with one has ended as a trade with four. I can't wait to get my booty from Jan, Annica, Karen & Deirdre. Of course, me getting my treasure trove entails some production & reciprocating on my end. I have a ton of ideas right now so - hopefully - the inspirational mode will remain!

On another note, I've just about had it with the humid weather. My sweat pants are demanding equal time. I promised my 90 year old mother-in-law I would make her a lasagne but I refuse to turn the oven on when the weather is like this....just seems like punishment....

How Sweet It Is

Can I get paid to just paint on sheer fabric all day long???? Oh, what a wonderful world that would be! The top abstract will be made into 4x6er's - JAN email me, please! The bottom 4x6er is the finished postcard that will be on its way to Deb in GA.

I think I am making all these small pieces to avoid a personal commitment I made with myself. I was planning to create larger pieces for juried consideration for a local gallery but can't seem to 'get to it'. I think I know why....although I'm secure enough to know that juried selection rejection is, often, not a real comment on the quality of one's work; I do find it a bit disconcerting to be told 'thanks, but no thanks'. Of course, the trade off is the sweeeeet feeling when one's work is accepted.

Perhaps I'll be able to settle down this weekend and get to some serious work on larger pieces....we'll see.....