Decisions, decisions

 Now I have two focus blocks.  Have to decide which one to use.  I think I'll ask the mother of my grandson.  Maybe she'll make the decision for me.





A very interesting quote

 

"When you buy from an independent artist, you are buying more than just a painting. You are buying hundreds of hours of experimentation and thousands of failures. You are buying days, weeks, months, years of frustration and moments of pure joy. You aren’t just buying a thing, you are buying a piece of heart, part of a soul, a private moment in someone’s life. Most importantly, you are buying that artist more time to do something they are truly passionate about; something that makes all the above worth the fear and the doubt; something that puts the life into the living.”

Rebekah Joy Plett

Ponder over this quote I just read on Paper Ponderings blog. Time to reflect. Fiona Dempster, the blog writer, had written her thoughts about the quote. By the way, I just love your artwork.

http://paperponderings.blogspot.com/2013/02/thursday-thoughts_21.html

Work Completed

Ancient Travelers 26 x 26"

Ancient Travelers was completed before Wandjina Revisited.  My organization is something to be improved.   This  was again inspired by petroglyphs - ones in the States.  Raw-edged applique over sponged painted hand masks.  Some machine stitching and lots of hand stitching.

The following is some of my leaf and stamp printing on hand dyed silk scarves.  I have these for sale at First Street Gallery, Neptune Beach, Florida.

 I created 10 composition covers for the same gallery.  I do sell the scarves and books at my local gallery as well - Island Art Association.

Work in Progress

I pieced the leaf printed center awhile back being inspired by someone's work - I'll research that wonderful artist - the fabric behind it is one of the ice dyed pieces my sister and I created a couple of years ago.  I plan on hand couching yarn or ribbon to continue some of the narrow strips with minimal machine stitching .

The image below is another of the ice dyed fabric that I machine stitched a little - I'm in the process of handstitching.  How I am loving the handstitching.  The stitching is quite meditative and addictive. I'm thinking another "man" piece.  Time will tell.

The following image is the beginning of a quilt for grandson, Max.  I'm rethinking the pieced center - maybe just using reds and whites.ell with that as well.

New Work - Wandjina Revisited

Detail of Wandjina Revisited before completion

 I meant to post photos in process - failed.  Here is some - I discharged - taking the color out of the black fabric using a product called Decolourant- applied wet, ironed when dry.  I used plain - the white marks.  Then I used the copper.  There is no change in the hand of the fabric - no stiffness. 

The next image is the body - I used Decolourant - producing the white.   The curved design was created using the Decolourant on the gelli plate.  How I love monoprinting with this plate!  The black with the rust like color was discharged using a bleach scrub.  This is the same black fabric.  I love the rusty look but bleach is caustic.


Wandjina Revisited - body before quilting and appliques

Wandjina Revisited 47x20" 

 I thought I'd show you the quilting.  Once turned, and ironed, I did more stitching to attach all the layers.

Quilting completed, before attaching front to backing

I was inspired by the petroglyphs of Kimberely, Australia.  Check this site for the history.  http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/wandjina-rock-art-kimberley-au  

New Work

Full Moon

I was going through my discharged fabrics, should I say fondling them really, thinking I would like to create something new, simple, using minimal machine stitching and some hand stitching.   I love the process of discharging - taking the color out.  I've had this piece of fabric for a long time and have loved it.   I think it was one whole piece to begin with and I had used part of it elsewhere.  I designed the larger middle section and had the 2 narrow pieces just lying around - ended up using all three.  I have this wonder and awe about the moon ever since I moved to the beach and get such fantastic views of the moons, first coming up on the horizon and then traveling across the sky.  I even love the moon in the early morning sky.  So I cut out a circle.

The piece is simplistic with minimal stitching.  How I love the hand stitching, the holding of the fabrics, the in and out rhythmic motion of the mark making.  I started with a few machine lines, then the hand couching on black yarn, the ladder stitching in black floss, the larger red ladder stitches and quilting - lastly the red beads around the moon.  I'm pleased with the result.

Heart Felt

Heart Felt is a technique I remember seeing elsewhere and wanted to try.  It took a bit of work but I did like the process and will pursue it further.  Small pieces of fabrics placed on batting and fused.  I played around with the "zentangle" line drawing using the machine.  Lots of machine work in this one.

These two I entered into a juried show at St. Augustine Art Association in the themed show "Red."  I guess they've been accepted as I haven't gotten a call to pick them up.  I do like themed shows if something pops into my head right away. 

I'm working on a quilt for the grandson - a more modern one - using some scraps plus new fabrics - mostly blue and red.  I've sewn a crazy patched piece for a focus.  We'll see how the design progresses.  I'll be stitching this up in between other projects.