Really, it should be carving blocks because none of it is actually rubber....
Nasco is the site for softoleum which I got in 1/4 x 3 x 4" blocks. order #9719193 (A)
Softoleum 1/4 x 4 x 6" order #9719193 (B)
Mastercarve classroom Pack 1 1/2" square #9719940
and Safety-kut circle 2" #9725792
They also have carving tools and other sizes available.
The Mastercarve blocks that I got from Dick Blick. Once at their site, go to printing supplies or look up under their search for Mastercarve blocks.
Came back from three days on the road going to Road 2 California. Drove down Thursday which is a six hour drive but longer with potty stops and a lunch break. Went to one quilt store that had tons of Moda fabric and in fact they will be a Moda University. Moda fabric is just not my thing...
Had a great dinner out of steak to satisfy my beef craving and then hit the sack.
Spent the next day at the show and looked and shopped. The show is primarily traditional and contemporary quilts with few real art quilts....most of the art quilts were figurative or landscapes. But everything was really well done. Tons of vendors, but so many of them had all those Moda strip rolls...just not my thing. Very few hand dyes (only 4) but it was fun looking and I did manage to spend some money.
Met Jamie Fingal and bought her new book Embellished Mini-Quilts.. Also met Elin Noble and bought a bunch of her embroidery threads. Jamie's book is really nice and has lots of good ideas.
Drove home the next day and this time I was wiser and let my buddies drive part of the way. Got home, changed clothes and went off to a night of Robert Burns music and Scottish food. Boy did I sleep well last night. Today has been relaxing after church, reading the Sunday paper, watching Comedy Club without doing any hand work and just enjoying doing not much.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
More Rubber!
Oh Boy!!!! A big box of carving blocks came today! Two inch circles, 1.5 " squares, 2 x 4" and 4 x 6". Not enough time to do them all....
so...out of a 2 " circle:
and againn:
and out of a 1.5 inch a little crow which is even smaller...
and a ginko leaf out of 1.5"
and just some more little lines in a 1.5 "
Tomorrow I head off for Road2CA show...a fun drive down with good friends and lots of snacking food for on the road!
The computer goes with me so I can keep up with my students coming on line!
so...out of a 2 " circle:
and againn:
and out of a 1.5 inch a little crow which is even smaller...
and a ginko leaf out of 1.5"
and just some more little lines in a 1.5 "
Tomorrow I head off for Road2CA show...a fun drive down with good friends and lots of snacking food for on the road!The computer goes with me so I can keep up with my students coming on line!
Monday, January 14, 2008
What A Difference A Day Makes!
jTaking Sundays off from work is the best thing to do....however, it seems that by the evening somehow I have slipped back in to working but then I feel okay about it...
A couple of months ago I purchased Jane Dunnewold's book "Finding Your Own Visual Language.
She has pages of suggestions for finding your own voice which are a lot of fun to do. I have done the exploding shapes which gets really neat! But she also suggested carving a stamp a day to get lots of stamps made. I took a workshop from her at ArtQuiltClaremont in April, 2006. She introduced me to carving Dick Blick 1 x 1 and 1 x 2" erasers. I have gone through lots and lots of those...my onesies and twosies and have frequently used them in some of my work.
Well, I ordered 30 new carving blocks from Dick Blick and they arrived mid December so I have been carving since. I am only going to show you five that I have done...I think I have done about 15 of these so far. It is so soothing to do these....lots of times I do it when I need to do something but I don't know what. These are all 4 x 4" blocks...the images are not stamped well as I just used an old stamp pad and did it on hard paper...my sketch book. The blue ones are done with paint but just quickly to check the image.
I have a collection of geometric shapes I have done and more based on circles.
Elin Waterston has been carving stamps also. This very gifted artist has been doing a number of animals which are just wonderful. But she also provided a source for round carving blocks and she has been using a different manufacturer so, not to be left out in the cold, off I went on line to order more carving blocks....can't have enough of those things...especially since I don't knit!
My class is getting all set up and I think I know what I am doing! What an adventure!
And then, later this week I am heading down south to the Road 2 California show in Ontario. Three of us will drive down on Thursday and return Saturday. That will be fun. And then, I anticipate being able to do a little bit of my art! What a concept!
A couple of months ago I purchased Jane Dunnewold's book "Finding Your Own Visual Language.
She has pages of suggestions for finding your own voice which are a lot of fun to do. I have done the exploding shapes which gets really neat! But she also suggested carving a stamp a day to get lots of stamps made. I took a workshop from her at ArtQuiltClaremont in April, 2006. She introduced me to carving Dick Blick 1 x 1 and 1 x 2" erasers. I have gone through lots and lots of those...my onesies and twosies and have frequently used them in some of my work.
Well, I ordered 30 new carving blocks from Dick Blick and they arrived mid December so I have been carving since. I am only going to show you five that I have done...I think I have done about 15 of these so far. It is so soothing to do these....lots of times I do it when I need to do something but I don't know what. These are all 4 x 4" blocks...the images are not stamped well as I just used an old stamp pad and did it on hard paper...my sketch book. The blue ones are done with paint but just quickly to check the image.
I have a collection of geometric shapes I have done and more based on circles.
Elin Waterston has been carving stamps also. This very gifted artist has been doing a number of animals which are just wonderful. But she also provided a source for round carving blocks and she has been using a different manufacturer so, not to be left out in the cold, off I went on line to order more carving blocks....can't have enough of those things...especially since I don't knit!
My class is getting all set up and I think I know what I am doing! What an adventure!
And then, later this week I am heading down south to the Road 2 California show in Ontario. Three of us will drive down on Thursday and return Saturday. That will be fun. And then, I anticipate being able to do a little bit of my art! What a concept!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
I'm Tired
I'm tired of the computer...I have been on it for days without end. All I want to do is to do a little art. Well, I did do a little art, about 8 x12" but right now I am not going to show anyone.
I have spend big bucks to get my Adobe PDF program so now I can post my lessons in PDF. I have spent days in Word creating little pictures to illustrate what I am discussing and trying to find just the right color among however many colors the computer can generate. I sure am learning a lot but I think right now I would rather be a little stupid.
I did spend some time coasting through the web looking at various collage artists and mixed media artists. I love collage and I love fiber and I am looking for my own way to combine the two and also to include paint, in a way that is all mine. I also love surface design and have purchased 30 4 x 4" carving blocks to make stamps and also gasket rubber to make bigger ones. It is so soothing to sit down and carve stamps...just abstract shapes, etc. Organic or geometric, it doesn't matter, they are both interesting to do.
So I have lots of images of other people's work to look at and study and figure out just why I like their work. I like to put the image in my sketch book and then write about it for future thought...if it is the color that draws me in, the texture, the composition, whatever. I will even make little thumbnails of the composition to consider for future use in some way. The trick is to learn from other artists but to not do their work. so I like to collect the stuff, write and draw about it and then let it sink in until I filter it through my processes.
The problem that I have is that I have so many images floating through my head but not the time to start doing them right now. So, I am really trying to be a good artist and jot down notes or thumbnails in my sketch book of the ideas I want to try....like paint two layers of color and scratch through the top layer to bring out some of the bottom layer...this works on stretched canvas or board, I have got to figure out just how to process it for fabric. I have started doing painting on raw canvas using acrylic paints, not necessarily textile paints. My plan is to do these and then cut them up and use them in collages....
Now you know all my secrets...by the time I get around to doing it, everyone else will have jumped on it and figured it out and did it well...then I won't have to do it.
In this last batch of postcards I started incorporating curved lines with satin stitching which echoes the painted lines on some of the fabric. I really like the way it looks. I am starting to see my wiggly satin stitch now in other work so I will not be using that so much...not that I feel I started it, but it is interesting to see elements that one has used frequently but hasn't seen around in other work start to all of a sudden pop up in different work! Just keeps me on my toes. I know there is nothing original in this world but how we put it all together speaks of us and who we are. So we just keep struggling to find the next step up the ladder and to explore more and more to keep those creative juices flowing.
I think I am currently spending about 10 hours a day or maybe more on my art career...either reading about art, keeping in touch with artists, studying art, writing about art and maybe once in a while, creating art...and then there is the business part of it like spending an hour to down load Adobe software, another hour getting it all set up, registered, etc. Not the fun stuff.
Oh well, back to writing my lessons...thanks for listening to me...at least I hope someone besides Gerrie listens to me...what would I do without Gerrie? She keeps me going and makes me feel so good...speaking of Gerrie, it has been really fun to watch her develop her art skills over the past four or five years that I have known her...way to go, Gerrie!
I have spend big bucks to get my Adobe PDF program so now I can post my lessons in PDF. I have spent days in Word creating little pictures to illustrate what I am discussing and trying to find just the right color among however many colors the computer can generate. I sure am learning a lot but I think right now I would rather be a little stupid.
I did spend some time coasting through the web looking at various collage artists and mixed media artists. I love collage and I love fiber and I am looking for my own way to combine the two and also to include paint, in a way that is all mine. I also love surface design and have purchased 30 4 x 4" carving blocks to make stamps and also gasket rubber to make bigger ones. It is so soothing to sit down and carve stamps...just abstract shapes, etc. Organic or geometric, it doesn't matter, they are both interesting to do.
So I have lots of images of other people's work to look at and study and figure out just why I like their work. I like to put the image in my sketch book and then write about it for future thought...if it is the color that draws me in, the texture, the composition, whatever. I will even make little thumbnails of the composition to consider for future use in some way. The trick is to learn from other artists but to not do their work. so I like to collect the stuff, write and draw about it and then let it sink in until I filter it through my processes.
The problem that I have is that I have so many images floating through my head but not the time to start doing them right now. So, I am really trying to be a good artist and jot down notes or thumbnails in my sketch book of the ideas I want to try....like paint two layers of color and scratch through the top layer to bring out some of the bottom layer...this works on stretched canvas or board, I have got to figure out just how to process it for fabric. I have started doing painting on raw canvas using acrylic paints, not necessarily textile paints. My plan is to do these and then cut them up and use them in collages....
Now you know all my secrets...by the time I get around to doing it, everyone else will have jumped on it and figured it out and did it well...then I won't have to do it.
In this last batch of postcards I started incorporating curved lines with satin stitching which echoes the painted lines on some of the fabric. I really like the way it looks. I am starting to see my wiggly satin stitch now in other work so I will not be using that so much...not that I feel I started it, but it is interesting to see elements that one has used frequently but hasn't seen around in other work start to all of a sudden pop up in different work! Just keeps me on my toes. I know there is nothing original in this world but how we put it all together speaks of us and who we are. So we just keep struggling to find the next step up the ladder and to explore more and more to keep those creative juices flowing.
I think I am currently spending about 10 hours a day or maybe more on my art career...either reading about art, keeping in touch with artists, studying art, writing about art and maybe once in a while, creating art...and then there is the business part of it like spending an hour to down load Adobe software, another hour getting it all set up, registered, etc. Not the fun stuff.
Oh well, back to writing my lessons...thanks for listening to me...at least I hope someone besides Gerrie listens to me...what would I do without Gerrie? She keeps me going and makes me feel so good...speaking of Gerrie, it has been really fun to watch her develop her art skills over the past four or five years that I have known her...way to go, Gerrie!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Two Weeks of Activity
I have been really busy for the past two weeks. I've been working on getting my postcards done for the 2007 round of exchanges with my Art2Mail group. I finally have more than enough so thought I would share some of those...I've been working on the background fabrics for sometime but have also combined my fabrics with some of Sherril Kahn's fabrics.
I have also started using some of my upholstery fabric from my huge sample stash...last posting I showed you some of the collages I have done with them. I love the texture they have.
On Jan 2 we went up to our cabin in the Sierra. It is at about 3700 feet and we knew that several big storms were coming in which is the main reason our son-in-law, Dave, wanted to go. The first two days were really nice and my husband did a lot of burning of pine needles and downed branches in our constant effort to reduce the fire load.
I tried to get work done on my lessons for my class which starts up on Jan 21. However, when the snows started it was really hard to work since Jacob was inside a lot and likes to go full tilt and at full volume most of the time. So he was put to work cleaning snow off his father's truck!
I took lots of pictures throughout the six days we were there. This is a picture of manzanita branches covered in snow.
I love the beautiful red of the tree as the bark starts to peel off. And with the white snow, it just doesn't get any better than this!
And looking off in to the distance from the cabin.
and more branches in snow
Up close and personal branch
A California girl's concession to the snow...fuzzy lined red crocks (with warm socks)
And snow depth measure #1 after the first snow
And snow depth measure #2 after the third day of snow...with one day in between with sun so the snow melted and crashed down on top of us from the tree branches above.
Well, I am making great progress on the lessons for the online class. Finally, once I got home and was able to work in my own space. I think I will take a few hours off tomorrow and go down to the studio and work on quilting my California Dreams 3 piece.
It feels good to be back in the saddle again! Or....back at the sewing machine again.
I have also started using some of my upholstery fabric from my huge sample stash...last posting I showed you some of the collages I have done with them. I love the texture they have.
On Jan 2 we went up to our cabin in the Sierra. It is at about 3700 feet and we knew that several big storms were coming in which is the main reason our son-in-law, Dave, wanted to go. The first two days were really nice and my husband did a lot of burning of pine needles and downed branches in our constant effort to reduce the fire load.I tried to get work done on my lessons for my class which starts up on Jan 21. However, when the snows started it was really hard to work since Jacob was inside a lot and likes to go full tilt and at full volume most of the time. So he was put to work cleaning snow off his father's truck!
I took lots of pictures throughout the six days we were there. This is a picture of manzanita branches covered in snow.
I love the beautiful red of the tree as the bark starts to peel off. And with the white snow, it just doesn't get any better than this!
And looking off in to the distance from the cabin.
and more branches in snow
Up close and personal branch
A California girl's concession to the snow...fuzzy lined red crocks (with warm socks)
And snow depth measure #1 after the first snow
And snow depth measure #2 after the third day of snow...with one day in between with sun so the snow melted and crashed down on top of us from the tree branches above.
Well, I am making great progress on the lessons for the online class. Finally, once I got home and was able to work in my own space. I think I will take a few hours off tomorrow and go down to the studio and work on quilting my California Dreams 3 piece.It feels good to be back in the saddle again! Or....back at the sewing machine again.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Happy New Year!
Just a couple of days before Christmas, Jacob and I were busy making Grammy's famous sugar cookies again. He is a deprived child...he had never licked the beater after the cookies were mixed until he came to Grammy's.....something about uncooked eggs....He is sitting on his counter reaching crate as his job was to decorate them again
Christmas day brought a surprise to our house! Santa Clause left things for Jacob and Ashton. Jacob has been spending a lot of time drawing, especially with the caulk on the blackboard! The other side has a dry erase but he can hang paper there also. Santa also left him a Jacob sized folding table and two chairs so he can sit down to play with his play doh that his grandparents got for him.
And not to be left out, Ashton managed to stay awake once in a while, when he wasn't eating, in order to check things out. He was not too interested in what Santa left for him.
And my dad....I keep remembering what he looked like 15 months ago at 115 pounds and bed ridden...it was great to have him with us for Christmas eve and Christmas day.
I have been doing some fabric collages. These are $75 each and are framed but have not been professionally photographed so this don't look straight, etc and the lighting isn't good. These are 14 x 16".
Ginko 1
Ginko 2
Ginko 3
Ginko 4
I have been busy working on my class which goes on line on Jan 21. I only have a couple of slots open at this time. I have two students from Switzerland, one from Australia, two from Canada and the rest from various parts of the US. This is going to be so much fun! I have been busy doing the exercises that I will be asking everyone else to do so I have some examples to show.
It is winter here....now if you live where it snows, don't laugh at me, but today the temp has been down in the low 50's and it has been very windy which makes it feel even colder. I went out just a little bit ago and it is dropping to the 40's fairly quickly and with clear skies I know it will get really cold. Perhaps we need to light the Christmas lights on the orange tree so it doesn't freeze!
Tomorrow we head up to our cabin in the foothills of the Sierra. It is at about 3700 feet and a couple of good storms are coming in so we are all hoping for some snow. That way we can sit inside and do puzzles, eat, and drink hot chocolate. Of course, I still need to do some more work on my lessons for the class. My daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren will also be going up. A week in a small cabin with two young children....well, I am planning on taking ear phones for my new IPod!
I have been praying for peace around the world but I know that the reality of this happening is pretty slim. There are just too many places in this world, including our own country, where violence is rampant and shooting people seems to be the way to resolve problems with each other. It makes me so sad so hear of another shooting, or another drunk driver, killing someone. But I keep praying....
I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year. Life has been good to me. As I was thinking about what I accomplished this year and I am really amazed. It has been a busy year but I am hoping to get back on track, get better control of my depression which has been rearing it's head now and then, and to make lots of art. I have some fun teaching gigs set up, traveling around the country which I am looking forward to...two trips to the east coast...one in March to Cape Cod and then in November to New York. Fun!
Take care, plan well for the coming year and enjoy making art!
Christmas day brought a surprise to our house! Santa Clause left things for Jacob and Ashton. Jacob has been spending a lot of time drawing, especially with the caulk on the blackboard! The other side has a dry erase but he can hang paper there also. Santa also left him a Jacob sized folding table and two chairs so he can sit down to play with his play doh that his grandparents got for him.
And not to be left out, Ashton managed to stay awake once in a while, when he wasn't eating, in order to check things out. He was not too interested in what Santa left for him.
And my dad....I keep remembering what he looked like 15 months ago at 115 pounds and bed ridden...it was great to have him with us for Christmas eve and Christmas day.
I have been doing some fabric collages. These are $75 each and are framed but have not been professionally photographed so this don't look straight, etc and the lighting isn't good. These are 14 x 16".
Ginko 1
Ginko 2
Ginko 3
Ginko 4I have been busy working on my class which goes on line on Jan 21. I only have a couple of slots open at this time. I have two students from Switzerland, one from Australia, two from Canada and the rest from various parts of the US. This is going to be so much fun! I have been busy doing the exercises that I will be asking everyone else to do so I have some examples to show.
It is winter here....now if you live where it snows, don't laugh at me, but today the temp has been down in the low 50's and it has been very windy which makes it feel even colder. I went out just a little bit ago and it is dropping to the 40's fairly quickly and with clear skies I know it will get really cold. Perhaps we need to light the Christmas lights on the orange tree so it doesn't freeze!
Tomorrow we head up to our cabin in the foothills of the Sierra. It is at about 3700 feet and a couple of good storms are coming in so we are all hoping for some snow. That way we can sit inside and do puzzles, eat, and drink hot chocolate. Of course, I still need to do some more work on my lessons for the class. My daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren will also be going up. A week in a small cabin with two young children....well, I am planning on taking ear phones for my new IPod!
I have been praying for peace around the world but I know that the reality of this happening is pretty slim. There are just too many places in this world, including our own country, where violence is rampant and shooting people seems to be the way to resolve problems with each other. It makes me so sad so hear of another shooting, or another drunk driver, killing someone. But I keep praying....
I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year. Life has been good to me. As I was thinking about what I accomplished this year and I am really amazed. It has been a busy year but I am hoping to get back on track, get better control of my depression which has been rearing it's head now and then, and to make lots of art. I have some fun teaching gigs set up, traveling around the country which I am looking forward to...two trips to the east coast...one in March to Cape Cod and then in November to New York. Fun!
Take care, plan well for the coming year and enjoy making art!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Two Days After Christmas....
Finally things have settled down enough so I can finally get caught up here. It has been a very busy three weeks....
I have spent a great deal of time helping my daughter out. Even though her husband is home on family leave for a while, they are both sleep deprived and are tired when a very active 3 year old wants to play. So....Grammy to the rescue. Yesterday I received a plaintive call...Mom, are you doing anything? (Of course not!) Would you like to hang out for a little while? (of course).
so over I go. Jacob would like to ride BART. So we make a stop at the bank, head for BART, ride all the way to San Francisco with the idea that we would quickly look around and then head back. Nope...he spotted the cable car which has a turn table right there at the foot of Powell where we came up from underground. So, an hour wait in line with all the rest of the tourists, and we were able to get an outside seat right in front so he could look out the front window. He loved the fact that we went up high hills and then hoped we would go fast like a roller coaster, coming down. Of course, I prayed that the grip man was on his job and would keep us safely on the cable...which, of course, he did. Got off near Fisherman's Wharf, looked for a place to get a quick bite to eat and then back to wait for the cable car ride back. Again, we had a front seat! Arrived at the foot of Powell, went down to BART past all the street musicians and headed home. On the way back Jacob fell fast asleep almost doubled over and he wouldn't wake up when we had to get off BART...does he ever weight a ton! and a sleeping child is even heavier.
finally he woke up enough to walk to the car but I called his dad to come out to the car to pick him up...then I went home for a nap.
This Christmas has been full of delight for Jacob...his family helped us put up the tree the Saturday before Christmas, after we had picked my son up who had come in from Ohio. He carefully held every ornament and exclaimed over their beauty. I have a wonderful pile of tinsel on one branch, right at his level. And of course, the tree is much more heavily decorated in one section! The joys of a young child.
I took Advent to heart and spent a lot of time in contemplation and then realized I had to get some shopping done. I had already made arrangements with the other parts of the family that come over that we would not exchange gifts, except for the children. The tree seemed a little forlorn without tons of presents but I felt much better about it...not piled with stuff. Of course, I gave my daughter and her husband a new dishwasher for Christmas which, needless to say, was not under the tree!
I received a number of books on art by Sister Wendy Bennet...I have just started reading them and am enjoying her commentary. I also received an 80gig IPod so I can also put books and photos on it. The idea is that I can put pictures of my quilts and grandchildren on it so I can show both around....
I received good news that my piece, Life Circles 2, was accepted in to the final jurying in my David Walker and that it was chosen for the cover of the catalog that is being printed for the FAVA show, The Artist as Quiltmaker XIII which will open in May. That was exciting.
Also received my comp copies of Vicki Anderson's brand new magazine, Machine Quilting Unlimited. She is the publisher of Professional Quilter. I received comp copies because I have an article in the very first issue! And the photo she has of me is to die for!
I have also been busy making robes etc for both three large kings and three small kings for the Christmas pageant at church. They all looked good although I wasn't able to be there...I go to the midnight service which is so calming and affirming.
I have done a couple of little things of birch trees....they are each 4 x 6 inches and are mounted on black mat board and framed with a matt black metal frame. These will go for $75 each and are ready to hang.
Birches 1
Birches 4
Birches 5
I am also finishing up postcards for the Art2Mail group which should go out in a week or so.
I've been busy cutting out rubber stamps that are 4 x 4" and have had a good time doing those...
And....writing the lessons for my on line class...I am really excited about it and feel it will be really good. Lots of exercises and fun things to do! I still have a couple of places available
The class will start on January 21 and will go for 6 weeks. Each week students will receive a lesson with a number of exercises to do. Each student will post their exercised in the folders on our Yahoo site and then we will discuss them before we go to the next lesson. This is all about the elements and principles of design.
I am feeling like I am about ready to start doing to serious work again. We will go away for the first week of January with our daughter and her family and go up to the mountains and hope it snows so we can sit inside where it is warm, eat home made soup, and watch the snow. What could be better? And then, it is time to get back to work! My studios await me!
I have spent a great deal of time helping my daughter out. Even though her husband is home on family leave for a while, they are both sleep deprived and are tired when a very active 3 year old wants to play. So....Grammy to the rescue. Yesterday I received a plaintive call...Mom, are you doing anything? (Of course not!) Would you like to hang out for a little while? (of course).
so over I go. Jacob would like to ride BART. So we make a stop at the bank, head for BART, ride all the way to San Francisco with the idea that we would quickly look around and then head back. Nope...he spotted the cable car which has a turn table right there at the foot of Powell where we came up from underground. So, an hour wait in line with all the rest of the tourists, and we were able to get an outside seat right in front so he could look out the front window. He loved the fact that we went up high hills and then hoped we would go fast like a roller coaster, coming down. Of course, I prayed that the grip man was on his job and would keep us safely on the cable...which, of course, he did. Got off near Fisherman's Wharf, looked for a place to get a quick bite to eat and then back to wait for the cable car ride back. Again, we had a front seat! Arrived at the foot of Powell, went down to BART past all the street musicians and headed home. On the way back Jacob fell fast asleep almost doubled over and he wouldn't wake up when we had to get off BART...does he ever weight a ton! and a sleeping child is even heavier.
finally he woke up enough to walk to the car but I called his dad to come out to the car to pick him up...then I went home for a nap.
This Christmas has been full of delight for Jacob...his family helped us put up the tree the Saturday before Christmas, after we had picked my son up who had come in from Ohio. He carefully held every ornament and exclaimed over their beauty. I have a wonderful pile of tinsel on one branch, right at his level. And of course, the tree is much more heavily decorated in one section! The joys of a young child.
I took Advent to heart and spent a lot of time in contemplation and then realized I had to get some shopping done. I had already made arrangements with the other parts of the family that come over that we would not exchange gifts, except for the children. The tree seemed a little forlorn without tons of presents but I felt much better about it...not piled with stuff. Of course, I gave my daughter and her husband a new dishwasher for Christmas which, needless to say, was not under the tree!
I received a number of books on art by Sister Wendy Bennet...I have just started reading them and am enjoying her commentary. I also received an 80gig IPod so I can also put books and photos on it. The idea is that I can put pictures of my quilts and grandchildren on it so I can show both around....
I received good news that my piece, Life Circles 2, was accepted in to the final jurying in my David Walker and that it was chosen for the cover of the catalog that is being printed for the FAVA show, The Artist as Quiltmaker XIII which will open in May. That was exciting.
Also received my comp copies of Vicki Anderson's brand new magazine, Machine Quilting Unlimited. She is the publisher of Professional Quilter. I received comp copies because I have an article in the very first issue! And the photo she has of me is to die for!
I have also been busy making robes etc for both three large kings and three small kings for the Christmas pageant at church. They all looked good although I wasn't able to be there...I go to the midnight service which is so calming and affirming.
I have done a couple of little things of birch trees....they are each 4 x 6 inches and are mounted on black mat board and framed with a matt black metal frame. These will go for $75 each and are ready to hang.
Birches 1
Birches 4
Birches 5I am also finishing up postcards for the Art2Mail group which should go out in a week or so.
I've been busy cutting out rubber stamps that are 4 x 4" and have had a good time doing those...
And....writing the lessons for my on line class...I am really excited about it and feel it will be really good. Lots of exercises and fun things to do! I still have a couple of places available
The class will start on January 21 and will go for 6 weeks. Each week students will receive a lesson with a number of exercises to do. Each student will post their exercised in the folders on our Yahoo site and then we will discuss them before we go to the next lesson. This is all about the elements and principles of design.
I am feeling like I am about ready to start doing to serious work again. We will go away for the first week of January with our daughter and her family and go up to the mountains and hope it snows so we can sit inside where it is warm, eat home made soup, and watch the snow. What could be better? And then, it is time to get back to work! My studios await me!
Monday, December 03, 2007
Where Has the Time Gone? or, Why Haven't I Written Lately?
So much has been going on... for the past several weeks I have been trying to get my piece together for a show Larkin Van Horn is curating this spring. The title, "It's good to be green" can not include Kermit but may be anything else. I have gone through five different attempts to do this piece, which also happens to be 18" by 45" in the vertical. So, between a number of other things, like Thanksgiving, on Monday Nov 26 I daughter went in for a planned C section to deliver her new son. Of course, the night before I sure didn't get any sleep.
I had finally gotten my green piece together enough so that my plan was to get the facing stitched down while I was waiting.
We got to the hospital just shortly after she had gone in to the operating room. Three years ago, she gave birth to her son, Jacob, via an emergency c section so a planned one was much calmer and she was awake so she could see the baby immediately, etc.
David, my son in law, came out just 30 minutes after we got there to let us know the baby was in the nursery getting cleaned up...not much work done on my green piece then!
Of course, it was off to the nursery to goo over the new baby, Ashton.
this picture is actually within 30 minutes of his birth!
Of course, then in to the recovery room to spend time with our daughter and then the baby too. We hung out there for a while, got home later in the afternoon and then I picked up Jacob at the babysitter's and took him out to see his baby brother. Ashton is his baby...but he lets his mom feed him!
He is so cute with the baby and insists on holding him daily and giving him kisses. And of course, his dad has to help him change the diaper on the baby doll that I got him several months ago. The doll can wear the same clothes as Ashton.
Mom and baby came home this past Thursday. But what long days it was while there were at the hospital. I think I made two round trips per day which were 40 minutes each way. I spent the night at the hospital Tuesday night to help my daughter as staff did not return as quickly as she needed after she nursed the baby at night and she couldn't get him back to the nursery as she had had the surgery...so picture me running around the hospital wearing my bathrobe in the middle of the night pushing an isolet to the nursery and then plopping back down on the plastic chair that stretched out so it looked like a bed but wasn't until the nurse brought Ashton back to us an hour (that's what it seemed like) later. I went home and collapsed and then took Jacob back out in the afternoon.
Then I spent the night at his house and then finally got word that they were coming home on Thursday afternoon. I am too old for this not sleeping thing. I was so happy when I finally got past the hot flashes and constant need to get up at night to go pee...
So now, I deliver meals, take Jacob out to ride the train, ride the kiddie roller coaster which is really herky jerky (I don't especially like roller coasters), and have him over to make cookies.
Jacob is a child who has not grown up with sweets...his parents are doing all the right things! He has only had cake on his birthdays! Well, just look at this face as he enjoys Grammy's sugar cookies! He ate four...completely surprised his mother but I know what magic those cookies have!
Now this is one happy little boy!
This is a small part of my green quilt....I wrote a whole lot about being green but most of it is covered up. I have been doing this a lot lately...writing on my quilts and then covering it up...the thoughts are there but are not necessary to appreciate the art...at least that is the plan.
Our church and another one have a youth art group together. They are looking at the 8 millennium goals of the UN and made six walls pieces on the goal of providing education for every child to the eighth grade. These plaques have casts of their arms and hands, raised as if in class with the answer. On the side of each on the back board is a prayer and then their names are on the bottom.
I met with each group as they decided what issue they wanted their board to focus on and then located images via the web which would express their thoughts. I then printed the images and did get transfers on the the back boards above the hands. The images come out a little rough which really is a good look with these pieces.
so, I have also been quilting my California Dreams 3 piece, working on my lessons for my on line class and now have a list of people to notify that they can sign up for the class. And all this is in between running a catering service to my daughter and playing special grammy to Jacob. Oh, and after I get my hair cut tomorrow, I finally get to go to my studio away from home!
I now have Pay Pal live on my website and will start registering for the class on Dec 4. But first I have to notify my list!
I had finally gotten my green piece together enough so that my plan was to get the facing stitched down while I was waiting.
We got to the hospital just shortly after she had gone in to the operating room. Three years ago, she gave birth to her son, Jacob, via an emergency c section so a planned one was much calmer and she was awake so she could see the baby immediately, etc.
David, my son in law, came out just 30 minutes after we got there to let us know the baby was in the nursery getting cleaned up...not much work done on my green piece then!
Of course, it was off to the nursery to goo over the new baby, Ashton.
this picture is actually within 30 minutes of his birth!Of course, then in to the recovery room to spend time with our daughter and then the baby too. We hung out there for a while, got home later in the afternoon and then I picked up Jacob at the babysitter's and took him out to see his baby brother. Ashton is his baby...but he lets his mom feed him!
He is so cute with the baby and insists on holding him daily and giving him kisses. And of course, his dad has to help him change the diaper on the baby doll that I got him several months ago. The doll can wear the same clothes as Ashton.Mom and baby came home this past Thursday. But what long days it was while there were at the hospital. I think I made two round trips per day which were 40 minutes each way. I spent the night at the hospital Tuesday night to help my daughter as staff did not return as quickly as she needed after she nursed the baby at night and she couldn't get him back to the nursery as she had had the surgery...so picture me running around the hospital wearing my bathrobe in the middle of the night pushing an isolet to the nursery and then plopping back down on the plastic chair that stretched out so it looked like a bed but wasn't until the nurse brought Ashton back to us an hour (that's what it seemed like) later. I went home and collapsed and then took Jacob back out in the afternoon.
Then I spent the night at his house and then finally got word that they were coming home on Thursday afternoon. I am too old for this not sleeping thing. I was so happy when I finally got past the hot flashes and constant need to get up at night to go pee...
So now, I deliver meals, take Jacob out to ride the train, ride the kiddie roller coaster which is really herky jerky (I don't especially like roller coasters), and have him over to make cookies.
Jacob is a child who has not grown up with sweets...his parents are doing all the right things! He has only had cake on his birthdays! Well, just look at this face as he enjoys Grammy's sugar cookies! He ate four...completely surprised his mother but I know what magic those cookies have!
Now this is one happy little boy!
This is a small part of my green quilt....I wrote a whole lot about being green but most of it is covered up. I have been doing this a lot lately...writing on my quilts and then covering it up...the thoughts are there but are not necessary to appreciate the art...at least that is the plan.
Our church and another one have a youth art group together. They are looking at the 8 millennium goals of the UN and made six walls pieces on the goal of providing education for every child to the eighth grade. These plaques have casts of their arms and hands, raised as if in class with the answer. On the side of each on the back board is a prayer and then their names are on the bottom.I met with each group as they decided what issue they wanted their board to focus on and then located images via the web which would express their thoughts. I then printed the images and did get transfers on the the back boards above the hands. The images come out a little rough which really is a good look with these pieces.
so, I have also been quilting my California Dreams 3 piece, working on my lessons for my on line class and now have a list of people to notify that they can sign up for the class. And all this is in between running a catering service to my daughter and playing special grammy to Jacob. Oh, and after I get my hair cut tomorrow, I finally get to go to my studio away from home!
I now have Pay Pal live on my website and will start registering for the class on Dec 4. But first I have to notify my list!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
On Line Class in the Works
Well, I am committed to doing this. I have set up the Yahoo group and am working on the Pay Pal stuff to collect the money, have a description ready and have outlines for the individual classes.
So, before long I will be announcing enrollment in my on line class on the Elements and Principles of Design. This is getting exciting.
The E&P of design have been the topics of conversation on the quiltart list for a couple of weeks now. I know Pamela Allen is setting up a class but I think our styles are different and how we approach the class will be different.
We are going to explore the elements of design, learn to understand how they work together to form the Principles of design and do lots of exercises so that the ideas become ingrained in our subconscious. Doesn't that sound fancy?
But most importantly, we will look at each other's work and learn from each other as we discuss what makes a good design and learn the gentle art of critique. Not criticism, critique. There is a big difference.
Oh, this is going to be fun!
Stay tuned!
Oh, yeah, I've been working on the ideas for my green piece...following directions I would give others...what a concept!
So, before long I will be announcing enrollment in my on line class on the Elements and Principles of Design. This is getting exciting.
The E&P of design have been the topics of conversation on the quiltart list for a couple of weeks now. I know Pamela Allen is setting up a class but I think our styles are different and how we approach the class will be different.
We are going to explore the elements of design, learn to understand how they work together to form the Principles of design and do lots of exercises so that the ideas become ingrained in our subconscious. Doesn't that sound fancy?
But most importantly, we will look at each other's work and learn from each other as we discuss what makes a good design and learn the gentle art of critique. Not criticism, critique. There is a big difference.
Oh, this is going to be fun!
Stay tuned!
Oh, yeah, I've been working on the ideas for my green piece...following directions I would give others...what a concept!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
In a Muddle
For a year I have known that I had a piece to do by December 1 of this year. All year I have been thinking and thinking about it, trying to decide how I wanted to approach the title of the show "Its Good to be Green". should I do things around conservation? green building? green cars? or the color green? or things that are green?
Well, I still don't know.
I spent a couple of days dyeing more green fabrics and then spent a day playing with some and doing some cutting and piecing...not fusing...piecing. You can tell that I don't enjoy lining things up the way I should so the line is continuous. This is just a small piece to play around with the idea but it is a no go.
So here is a pile of fabric that I have dyed and painted on my work table.
And another view in case you didn't see the first one well enough.
Then I started painting on some of them and did this mono print.
And did a bunch of silk screening on fabric and then pulled out a piece of white and just had fun painting.
and here you can see part of the design wall when I left yesterday with lots of printed and painted fabrics.
and the rest of the wall.
so today I went in and worked all day and got something that was just horrible. I will not show you what it looked like but I was very unhappy. I will be able to use the fabric in smaller pieces and postcards for my Art2Mail exchange.
So then I pulled out some more white fabric, put it down on the floor and did and brush design, let it dry some, put it up on the table and then painted in the background.
Not sure that is going to work either.
I am in the middle of a lack of confidence and also I want to move in some different directions but I am not sure which way so things are really puzzling for me right now. I will work it through, I know, but I would like to have it all worked out right now!
A side note, Mr Gills, the person we were working on the house for in New Orleans, died. It is so sad as the house only had about a week's worth of work to go but his body could just not hang in there. Please keep Miss Jackie in your prayers.
Well, I still don't know.
I spent a couple of days dyeing more green fabrics and then spent a day playing with some and doing some cutting and piecing...not fusing...piecing. You can tell that I don't enjoy lining things up the way I should so the line is continuous. This is just a small piece to play around with the idea but it is a no go.
So here is a pile of fabric that I have dyed and painted on my work table.
And another view in case you didn't see the first one well enough.
Then I started painting on some of them and did this mono print.
And did a bunch of silk screening on fabric and then pulled out a piece of white and just had fun painting.
and here you can see part of the design wall when I left yesterday with lots of printed and painted fabrics.
and the rest of the wall.
so today I went in and worked all day and got something that was just horrible. I will not show you what it looked like but I was very unhappy. I will be able to use the fabric in smaller pieces and postcards for my Art2Mail exchange.So then I pulled out some more white fabric, put it down on the floor and did and brush design, let it dry some, put it up on the table and then painted in the background.
Not sure that is going to work either.
I am in the middle of a lack of confidence and also I want to move in some different directions but I am not sure which way so things are really puzzling for me right now. I will work it through, I know, but I would like to have it all worked out right now!
A side note, Mr Gills, the person we were working on the house for in New Orleans, died. It is so sad as the house only had about a week's worth of work to go but his body could just not hang in there. Please keep Miss Jackie in your prayers.
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