Life-What a Ride

Wow, is it ever hard to reconcile oneself to not playing in the beautiful blue seas every day!
The sea in all of its incredible daily dramas is so much like life and such a paradox. One can bob along waiting for the 'big one' while missing all of the great little rides, or be so immersed in the little stuff, that you miss the big one!

Live mindfully and intentionally no matter where the next wave takes you as long as you don't let it take you down. Some days that is the tricky part.

I recommend "Life is a Verb" by Patti Digh. I've just started it, but it looks like a winner in living with intention.

Going, going . . .

I started to play with this little piece this morning because I couldn't settle down to pack and get done what has to be done before a holiday. I have some crochet to take but won't take any stitching, though my fingers itch to start on this little scene (and the many more stacked up!). I'm sure I'll be plenty inspired to sketch, watercolor and take plenty of fab photos like the two below.

This is the view I'll be looking at for the next 10 days. Aloha!

A Monet kind of day

This was the scene of my studio last Tuesday. I have to say again: painting on fabric is so much fun! I could have never stopped. I was going to change palettes in the middle of the day but I became enamored of the softer lavenders and teals.

I painted on several pieces that had been repurposed. My favorite was this linen tucked blouse front. It has alot of potential. I see a garden and rolling hills.




This is cotton sateen that was used as a blotter piece under what I was painting on top! I love how the colors have muted and blended, creating soft, watery vistas.



Detail of what could become a background for 'Shangri-La' amid the mysterious mountains somewhere in Asia.



Another lovely backdrop begging for ribbons, threads, beads,. . . on egyptian cotton.



I've had this bolt of not so pretty batik for 2 years now and I've never really liked it. So I gave it water and paint and it has sprung to life! Now it has lots of potential.



The picture above has the original color of the fabric in the center with paint on both sides.
The picture below shows it after it has dried.



And that was as far as I got. That night I slipped on a water hose and a very large garbage can to suffer a smashed and broken nose. This required a trip to the ER and a resetting and then several days on the couch.
Lesson learned: Stick with the fun stuff-it's safer!

Peeking Through the Fence

Originally this was a painted piece of fabric that I then cut into strips. I like the contrast of black so I added some of those. These weren't sewn together at this point.



I looked at it for quite some time on my design wall and wondered what to do with it. I played with the widths of black and the size. I needed a 12" square piece for the SAQA Auction that begins September 20th. So I chose a section with a nice color range and sewed it all together. What to do next?

I sketched up a little pastoral scene showing birds frolicking in the early morning sky and pond. Normally I like to do hand work, but I need to start practicing using my machine more so I used black thread, and machine stitched the scene. Too much fun and effective too!



I love ribbons, button, beads and stuff. In my mind this was looking pretty stark without things growing up and around the fence pickets, so I couched ribbons and threads down with beads. This is where I get to do the hand work I love so much. I'm as much a process person as I am a project person. I like the journey as much as the completion. Already my mind is full of ideas for the next quilt.



This is the finished piece and I'm happy with it. It will be on the SAQA 2010 Benefit Auction that starts September 20th. Click on the SAQA logo on the side bar and go to 2010 Benefit Auction to view some of the other pieces that will be for sale. Studio Art Quilt Associates is a fantastic non-profit promoting the art quilt medium in a variety of venues.



I'm not one to bust through walls, and I can get tired of climbing, but while I work through the process of completing a piece I can see progress. I have created a fence that I can peek through, see the promise of a beautiful new day and climb through when I'm ready.

Hitting the Wall: Part One

For reasons still unknown to me, I hit a wall when I returned from my San Francisco Art Quilt conference. I was overwhelmed on several fronts and just now feel like I am finding my way out. I have been reevaluating the past three years and what progress I have made and where I would like my journey to go. Heavy stuff indeed.

I took several photos of textures where nature tried to overtake that which man has made, where solid and concrete stuctures were slowly being hybridized by the natural world. Retrospectively, I would say that I needed to find where I fit in with what it takes to be successful in a given area, what my definition of success is, where my true self begins and what I'm willing to do to achieve my goals.

When these times hit, I tend to go within and organize my immediate surroundings. So I've been tending my nest and getting my gardens ready for a new season. Two trailer loads and two truck loads of farm compost take ALOT of time. Not to mention the usual poulty palooza that goes on around here, two lab dogs (one still a puppy at 85 lbs.) that need training, grandkids, and the beginnings of moving the studio. Which means that cleaning and organizing really can't be put off.



I also collected eggs, the first rhubarb and made omelets and apple/rhubarb pies.







And as usual, it is stitching something that really pulls me out of the doldrums. Tomorrow I'll show what I sewed up this week for the SAQA Quilt Auction.

Winds of Change

I'm sure you've seen the t-shirts and other kitch that one can bring back from a trip that say "I went to San Francisco and this is all I brought back". Well, this is all I brought back (we won't mention the 3 dyed silk scarves from a conference vendor!).

This little twig was on the ground on our way to the car on the last day and it just said 'pick me up'. And I'm so glad I brought it back with me. It will help me reflect and meditate on all that I learned and absorbed over the 3 days of information pertaining to the art quilt and how the art world perceives them.

I'm not quite sure, yet, how it will all affect me and my art, but I believe I'm in for a profound change.

The twig's branch is smooth and mellow, the wood is bent a bit and it looks to be perpetually blowing in the wind. It has already weathered quite a bit and its greenery is struggling to have its spot in the sun.

Isn't that what we are all trying for?

Painting the Sky

For years I have been amassing a collection of books pertaining to fabric dying and painting. Just a few weeks ago, I finally jumped right in, bought some egyptian cotton and started painting. What all the books failed to mention was just how much FUN it is to paint on fabric and I've only just begun!

I've always wondered why so many fabrics in art quilts are hand-dyed. Now I think I know; it is just so cool to see how a piece of fabric wiil react. A few weeks ago I painted my first background for a large wall piece and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. What is even cooler is that I use muslin or other fabrics underneath the main piece since I get the fabric really wet. The residual soaks in and I get secondary pieces. Over time they will become amazing pieces of saturated color that will spark all manner of ideas.

These pieces were what happened yesterday. I needed sky for a new piece and after auditioning a dozen or more commercial fabrics, decided to just paint it. I think it will work, but I have to wait until next week to see. The top smaller rectangle of aqua/blues were the 'leftovers' and the blue paint water. I see a pond with maybe some water lilies, fishies and froggies.



This section was created from leftovers after painting the large background. I have plenty of ideas for this. Environmentally, it could speak to the fact that things are going to get alot hotter. It also makes a stunning reflection of the sun on the water.



This was my first trial at painting. I then cut it into strips and I'll sew it together with the black strips then add something over the top. This will actually end up being 2 pieces approximately 12 inches each.



Next week I'll list some of my favorite books and paints. Since I'm just beginning, I'm keeping supplies and techniques very simple.

I'm gathering food for the troops and clothes for me today. Tomorrow it is San Francisco and the SAQA Reinvention Conference!