Monday, April 21, 2008

My Goodness! Where Have I Been?

I seem to take these little stretches of time off from blogging...not because I don't have anything to say (that never seems to be the problem) but usually because I don't have pictures to show you. I know I like the pictures on blogs, even tho' I know we all read what is written also. I have been busy working on stuff but just haven't gotten any pictures yet!

A week and a half ago, I did a demonstration for the East Bay Heritage Quilters, one of the two guilds I belong to. It was our show weekend. I had failed to get any work submitted by the due date so didn't have anything up in the show except for our California Fiber Artists group that had a special showing there. Anyway, back to demonstrating...I took along my box of tricks and wowed everyone with all of the things one can find around the house, hardware stores, plumbing supplies, etc to get great images on fabric. Even printing with little things such as the eraser end of a pencil or the cap end of a felt tip pen...they all produce great things to be used in combination with other great things. I have quite a collection of drain covers, potato mashers, etc.

Then the next morning off I went to pick up my friend Carol and we headed down to Asilomar for several days with an Art and Soul Retreat. Now this is a true mixed media event without any sewing machines on site. What a difference it was not to lug the sewing machine off somewhere! Well, we made up for it with paints, and lots of necessary "stuff" that we have collected. We both took three different classes with Ann Baldwin, a painter and collage artist whose work I have admired for years. We did cut out paper collages, made our own paper with paint on magazine pages (the cheapest paper around!), used lots of matte medium and gel medium, etc and had a grand ole' time. I came home with several collages that I am quite happy with. I will get photos taken of them to share. I was able to use a lot of the things I print on fabric with to make marks in the paint on paper. Lots of ideas which will translate back and forth between paper and fabric!

I've gotten three larger quilts (well, a little larger, about 20 x 30 and 30 x 40) together in my new style and am quilting them at home. I have used lutradur on the back to make them fairly stiff which I like. On Wednesday when I hit the studio again, I will put a backing fabric on and then stitch around them to finish.

I have to make the most of this week and next as I will then be heading out again for several days in Cambria Pines for the Heart and Hand retreat where I will be teaching for three days.

Also next month I will be doing demonstrations at one of our local art association's gallery each Saturday showing something about fiber...have to figure out just what I will be doing...probably stamping on fabric or something. Then I have all summer to work and I don't travel anywhere until November.

I will be busy tho'. I have a show opening with two other artists, Marion Coleman and Sue Scott, at the Adobe Art Center in May. In addition I will be starting my next class of "Better Art by Design", my on line design and composition class. I still have openings!

Well, back to work...

2 comments:

Gerrie said...

But, I want pretty pictures. Sounds like you are having fun.

Linda Cline said...

Yes, we want pictures. But we still like to here what you are doing. I enjoyed following your link to Ann Baldwin's site.

And I need to know the date for your show in May, so I can come see it.

Can you tell us more about the local art association?