What's On My Board

The question was posed on QA, so I am showing my board and also another project I am currently working on.  Not very orderly, but it's me.  :)   On the left is a piece of ugly cloth I used up some leftover paint on not too long ago.  The colors remind me of blueberry pie, so my thought was to combine it with the hexagons to the right of it (painted dryer sheets) and incorporate a bee or bees?   Any thoughts on this?  Trust me, nothing is TOO radical!   It is definitely in the stewing phase right now.

Here is a closeup.  I have done a bit of stitching.

This morning I have been working on quilting the top for a friend.  She wanted a matalasse type of quilting and left it up to me the design.  I decided on leaves as you can see below.

A closeup to show the stitching.

I have been playing with this face off and on for a couple of months now, hand stitching.  It will be for my daughter.  I made her some curtains a few years ago with material that contains this face, very unusual commercial fabric.  I thought she would enjoy an addition.  :)

I have a few other things on  my board that are also stewing, but in the background right now.  I am off to finish binding Audrey's quilt.

I am looking forward to seeing what is on everyone else's board!

Clean Sewing Room

Yesterday was a work marathon, going through literally piles of stuff that had accumulated in the past month as I prepared for the opening of the gallery  http://www.saltwaterartists.com/ and worked on the pieces for the Archipelago http://www.thearchipelago.net/. 

I do not believe my room has ever been so...so...disheveled? messy? distressed?  At any rate, I am happy to post the following pictures.

Our library had their annual yardsale recently and I found this gorgeous vintage suitcase for only fifty CENTS.  The inside is in mint condition and begged to be seen so I decided to display it in my newly cleaned room.  I loaded it with some of my prize fabrics,  snow dyed pieces of Gisela, http://artaddworksforme.blogspot.com/  some Laura Wasilowski, www.artfabrik.com and some hand painted fabric by Mickey Lawler. http://www.skydyes.com/

 

Not long ago, a friend gave me this gorgeous old kenmore and I thought it would look great on display also.  Isn't the color wonderful?

Now...I am going up to my room and see if I can't mess it up a little.  :)

The First of June

As of today, I have three pieces hanging in Archipelago in Rockland, Maine. http://www.thearchipelago.net//, for the entire month of June. If these sell, perhaps I will be invited back!!

One of my newest, measuring 16" x 24", entitled Lupine Memories.  This started with a used drop cloth, added more paint, some stamping, raw edge applique and finally, I placed a yellow sheer over the top and free motion stitched.

My latest lupine piece using old quilt that I painted with a roller, fused blue organza to the center, raw edge applique green organza leaves and then the french knots.  I am very fond of the french knot. This piece measures 10" x 12".



As a general rule in Maine, if you have your garden in by June 1st, you are good to go.  I just finished my last row and it looks like rain.  Perfect timing.
My bluebird house was inhabited by tree swallows this year and while I am not unhappy to have them - they are very pretty, let me get fairly close to admire them and they eat mosquitoes...the birdhouse was for my bluebirds!  Purchased another birdhouse and amazingly they came.  Mr and Mrs Bluebird are busy at this moment building their nest!

My sheep were sheared about three weeks ago and I have about thirty pounds of fleece to process.  I need a clone!

This is Precious, our white corriedale  being shorn.

...and Precious afterwards  with a new spring coat!

My Lupines are in full bloom and beautiful as ever!

New work entitled Escape.  It really is centered, just bad photography. I printed a couple of dandelion leaves, then free motioned around them. Also made a free motion dandelion bloom in the attempted style of EAE.This measures 16 x 16.

Working Away

I have been working fast and furious and have finished some more pieces I will show below.  However, I have also taken the time to enjoy this glorious spring we are experiencing.  The weather has been fantastic and unusually warm for Maine (spring is not usually my favorite season, in fact, we call it "mud season").

Trillium in my park

Tiger Lily, my walking partner, who wanted her tummy rubbed.

My rock garden in progress that I started last summer

 This was a screen print from my workshop last week.  I placed a yellow sheer on top, stitched the lupine leaves, hand stitched the abstract blueberry and finished the edges with organza ribbon. 

Click on picture to enlarge

Faded buoys, my first attempt at stitching a wood grain.

Entitled Acid Rain, this piece pretty much dictated I make it.  I had several other projects going and I ran across a piece of drop cloth that I had painted gray and pink and orange.  I looked at it and put everything else aside until I had finished it.  It is fairly large 20x12 mounted on canvas covered in fabric that was snow dyed by Gisela:   http://artaddworksforme.blogspot.com/

My Latest

I have worked on this puffin most of today and I am so pleased with him.  After making my "bust" puffin, I challenged myself to do a full body - just to make sure it wasn't a fluke!

Heavy threadpainting is not my normal MO.  I have done a few pieces, including my bust puffin I mentioned above, but I find it very time consuming and usually I like the look of  thread sketching better.  It lends a lighter, more free look.

With that said, here is my newest puffin and I think my all time best!

Productivity Continues

It seems my motivation to complete projects is continuing into this month!  Several additional pieces I have finished are shown below

Sadly, the colors of the water and sky do not truly reflect the beautiful colors in the commercial print I used for background.    12" x 10"

This piece was done on more of my painter's dropcloth.  I used dyed silk rods for the flower, raw edge applique of green tulle, some hand work, and framed it with a traditional binding.  It measures 15" x 24".

...and just in case you thought I was finally through with lupines!  This is another old quilt background, painted, lupines embroidered and leaves raw edge appliqued.  It measures 12" x 18".   I cannot seem to get enough of lupines.  Below is a picture taken a few days ago in one of my flower beds.  They are finally up!

March Madness

This month I have been starting and completing projects like crazy!!  (key word:  completing)  The energy is not new, however, the almost total follow through is novel!  Perhaps a new me is evolving...perhaps my pile of UFOs will quit growing and growing and growing. Hmmm. 

One of my completed newbies:  A Puffin Sunrise.  I attached this guy to a fabric covered (Laura Wasilowski) canvas.  I love her stuff.  When I grow up I am going to be just like her;  funny, talented, etc.

Further March Madness...my Cats are still in the running and will be playing Cornell next.  I have my fingers crossed!

16" x 12"  This is an old quilt that I painted with Lumiere paints, then created lupines with french knots (Love the french knots), raw edge applique for leaves, closed two of the borders with organza and another hand stitch, can't think of the name, painted the other two sides of batting, attached to material I painted with the same colors used on the quilt.  Is it just way too busy?  Perhaps, but it makes me happy to look at it!

And finally, more Lupines!  I saw a piece that Stacy Hurt  http://stacyhurt.blogspot.com/  did not too long ago - she had painted a flower on a background of block colors. It was lovely.  My version is quite a bit different, but the idea came from her.  Thanks, Stacy!

Two pieces of my work will be shown at this:


Exhibition September 6-November 20



"Altering Matters: New Work by Maine Members of the Surface Design Association" at the Atrium Gallery University of Southern Maine, Lewiston/Auburn.



Opening reception: Sept. 10, 6-8. http://usm.maine.edu/lac/art

My pieces will both be influenced by my love of lupines!

Go Big Blue

Now 27-l...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tribute to Paul

My day job is hospice nursing.  Recently a patient of mine died after a long long journey. Paul (not his real name) was a painter, a Mainer who took pride in his work, in his independence.  He fought for his life fiercely and when his battle ended, he passed with dignity and grace.

 After his death his widow who had discovered I do my own painting (barn and house last summer), gifted me Paul's drop cloths.   She was not aware that I also am a fiber artist and I immediately took apart one of the cloths that had glorious splotches of yellow paint spilled on it.  My first piece using Paul's cloth is a tribute to him with impressionistic lupines.   It measures approximately 18" x 18".   I did the quilting in yellow, because the whole piece is all about that color. I am undecided on a border and would welcome any thoughts.  Would the canvas cloth be too thick to do a bias, would it work?

A close up of above piece. 

This is very different from anything I have done.  I added Lumiere paint to the yellow, some stamping, and then created the lupines.  I am very happy with this and am thinking of gifting it to his wife. 

My friend Sam

I have made something for Sam, my best friend, my boyfriend, my husband. 

He has recently put a saltwater tank in his office.  The stand has an opening in the front where he will store the necessary supplies to maintain tank, etc.  With wires running down the back and bottles of stuff stacked in front on the shelf, it is not very attractive.  So...I made this over the weekend for him.  It is 30" x 30". 

I did look closely at Kathy York's seahorse, but unlike hers, I did not use painted dots but thread.  I included a puffer fish hiding in coral also.  My background is a commercial fabric, heavily machine quilted with invisible thread.

T T: Huge Success

Yesterday my "Celebrate Lupines in Winter" went for the gold price of $120.00!!!!!!!!!  I am on cloud nine! 

Fiber Art for a Cause - Tote Tuesday - raised $4157 yesterday for a total of $5675 for the American Cancer Society. And there are two ToteTuesdays to go on February 16 and 23rd.

Check Virginia's site for a mini-preview of the unique, inspiring and beautiful totes donated by generous sponsors/donors yet to be put up for bid:

http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/blog/archives/4265

I was prompted by Robin Koehler's postings to try some new approaches in my quilting. 
http://www.nestlingsbyrobin.blogspot.com/

Old worn out quilt I made in the early 80's.  Couldn't bear to throw it out, it has been much loved and much used.  So...

Using a brayer and some Lumiere paint, I made it new again!  It has an almost maplike quality, don't you think?  Now what?  I have a few ideas and will post results as soon as I have something.

Wednesday, January 20

Same Treescape, different day.

Ten inches so far and still snowing.!

When I opened my fledgling blog this morning, my first thought was how very sterile it looked.  Neat little pictures of neat little projects on a neat little background.  It all seemed like someone else's blog!  Ok, so below please find the real me during and after a project:  and now you know what a complete slob I can be!

 My board. Many of the items showing have been there a long time, some may never make it off the board. Who knows?

First (official) Post

Hope your holidays were just ducky

(my Indian Runners)

This blog was created to fulfill a promise I made to myself to step out of my comfort zone, to put myself out there and let others see my work.  The catalyst that finally prompted action is the above mentioned fundraiser in which I am a willing participant!

My latest projects both include recycling.  I have recycled my husband's old ties.  As a pediatrician, I felt his ties must be teeming with germs :), so, years ago I talked him into wearing bowties.  Not that I had a hidden agenda, but doesn't Woody make a great pillow?

My second recycling project is a pair of mittens I just finished this morning.  They are made from sweaters from a thrift shop and lined with fleece.

FiberArt for A Cause

Logo by Janelle McCall

Tote Tuesday, sponsored by Virginia Spiegel, is shaping up to be a first class event.  Lots of well known names are included and Virginia gave a couple of peeks today on her website.
http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/

I am very proud to be one of the contributing artists and also excited for the kickoff; Tuesday, February  2nd.