Apples

"Oh, Delicious" © Diane Hamburg 12x16"

"Une Pomme" © Diane Hamburg 12x12"

Our local theater, Amelia Community Theatre, is performing "God's Favorite" in August.  Hopefully the above pieces are accepted for their lobby art exhibit.  The theme is "Temptation."  I got the idea of Adam and Eve in my head and couldn't veer from it no matter how hard I tried.  I really didn't want to do people so settled on the apple.  Both are done using Ellen Lindner's technique double reverse applique for the hand and apples.  For the background I adopted the look from my fiber friend, Mary Rhopa.  I took that tree workshop from her last week.  Many of her backgrounds are small pieces of different fabrics.  I decided to use rectangles but I've used organic shapes before.  Viewing Mary's quilts brought me back to my stash of commercially printed fabrics.

Best of Show



So Many Memories  (c) Diane Hamburg  28x22"

I'm thrilled to no end!  My "So Many Memories" - a fabric portrait of my mother won "Best of Show" at my local Island Art Association's Nouveau Art Exhibit entitled "Cherished Memories."  Yeah!!!!!!  I took this photo of mom as she held her newest great grandson, Max, for the first time.  Max was the reason for the smile!

Latest Portrait Completed

I'm pretty pleased with this portrait of a friend of mine and his dog.  It's a commissioned piece.  I certainly struggled with this.  The first one did not turn out very well.  I think I didn't have a clear image to start with and my values of dyed fabric weren't distinctive enough.  So I went over to their abode and took dozens of photos myself.  I am not a photographer, but my camera has 10x.  At home, I played with a couple images in Photo Shop Elements and dyed some more fabric.  If the values of cloth and the image are good, the rest is fairly easy, though time consuming.  Through it all, I did enjoy the experience.  Working a commission is daunting at times.  I sometimes say I won't do them anymore but in the end I continue to offer the service.  Getting my art out there seems to be the driving force.   My "client" friends haven't seem it yet.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Many Roads Traveled

"Many Roads Traveled" by Diane Hamburg, 22x28"  $305

"Many Roads Traveled" is completed.  Having manipulating a photo of my son's vehicles, I appliqued using my own hand-dyed fabric.  I decided to extensively machine quilt it.  I'm happy with the end product.  It goes off to the themed art exhibit "Traveled Roads" at my local Island Art Association.  As I think I've written earlier, every two months the association sponsors a juried themed show.  It's always interesting how the artists interpret the theme in so many different ways and medium.

I've Been Working - Zentangles/photo to fabric

"Inspired by the Zentangle® method of pattern drawing."

This morning was our local artsy quilt gathering.  The group is called "Itching to Stitch."  We get together once a month to catch up with the news, show your art/projects and then do a hands-on project.  I often share some surface design technique.  I decided at last minute to introduce zentangles, something I've only begun researching.  I love to get on google and spend hours on different topics.  So I showed examples, handed out paper and pens and encouraged the drawing.  I think a good time was had by all.  I had stitched up an example as well just to show that one could draw using the sewing machine.  Drawing zentangles is something I'll continue.  Maybe I'll get into the meditative state users have testified about.  Maybe, just maybe I'll stitch one up on a regular basis.  No promises though.

"Inspired by the Zentangle® method of pattern drawing."

The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and is copyrighted. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com

The next piece is one that did not work out so well.  I've spent more time in Photoshop Elements to work on a better value change - more changes.  So I'm just about ready to stitch up another one.  This one I'll practice adding stitching.

I'll be putting up another photo to fabric piece of my son's 2 VW's - a bus, which he's since sold and his original bug, which he still has.  This one is for the new exhibit at the Island Art Association titled "Traveled Roads."  I figured that these two vehicles have traveling many, many roads in their lifetime.

Extinct is Forever

"Extinct is Forever" by Diane Hamburg 14 x 18 inches $140

Here's my latest piece. The fabrics are my own:  the turtle fabrics are hand dyed, the water is painted.  I created this piece for my local Island Art Association's next Nouveau Art Exhibit titled "On the Edge."  I have done many sea turtles before, but this one is using Photoshop to create the pattern after much time fiddling on the computer.  I'm pleased with the result.... so pleased I'm heading down to the studio to create a larger one.  The Art Association just opened their new Art Education Center, with it's large studio, allowing more gallery space in the old building.  The space for Nouveau Art is more opened, allowing viewers to see the art at a better distance.  I thought my new abstract pieces: portraits, flowers and animals would make a better statement.

Also midway completed is a pelican piece.  The quilting is all that's needed.  I'll put an image up when I'm done.  I'll be doing that after the new turtle piece is completed.

Before these works were even thought of, I started tackling my very messy and cluttered studio.  There is so much more work to be done but there has been some progress.  I just had to do some art before continuing.  If I was not into so many techniques requiring so much art materials, the studio might look neater.  But then again, I wouldn't be learning anything new nor having so much fun.  To tell you the truth, I'm pretty messy in my art and never seem to put things back where I find them.  Here's to a neater 2011.

Another piece of my granddog, Barley

Isn't this just the cutest pose of a sleeping pup?  I've used a photo taken by Barley's folks and manipulated in Photoshop Elements.  I am thinking of doing a bigger one.  This one is 10 x 8." 

I am in the process of finishing up another small piece of my mother when she was young and one of my son, Corey (Barley's dad).  I've used the same process as above.  I'm quite pleased with both and will upload the finished pieces when done.

I am madly working as I have the Isle of the Eight Flags Shrimp Festival on my own Amelia Island this weekend.  And I am also getting ready for a small group show at a local bank, which has a lovely venue to show off artwork.  I must be ready next week.  EEK!   Why, oh, why, did I do this to myself?