Block Carving and Exhibit

 I've carved some turtles.  This one is a bigger one than I usually carve - 8x10"  I've used a couple for my composition book covers - I had to cut out the turtle though as the 8x10 didn't look right.

Below is a photo from a recent exhibit I was juried in and won "Honorable Mention."  The show was sponsored by my fiber group - Fiber Artists Network, Jacksonvill3, Florida.  The show was exhibited at the Butterfield Gallery, St. Augustine, Florida.  "Wanderlust" is a piece I created several years ago.  The theme for the show was "Faces and Places."  My fabric portraits didn't make the cut.  Oh, well, tis life of an "artist."

I'm on my way to Kentucky to see my grandson and daughter.  When I return, I have 2 pieces to create and finished:  one a book and the other a fabric wall hanging - both figuring leaf prints.  Art on hold as family calls!  And what a pleasure!

Woven Circles



Woven Circles I, II, III, 8 x 8" each $80 created by Diane Hamburg

I don't believe I've written about these pieces which are mounted on gallery wrapped canvas.  I discharged different black fabrics using Softscrub. The fabrics were torn into strips and woven. I then appliqued  different colored silks on top. 

Valerie Goodwin's Workshop

Last weekend I attended a workshop by Valerie Goodwin and created the above map piece.  Valerie had several templates printed out for us as well as the towers printed on fabric.  I'm not for one "doing a project" but I did have a great time.  The highlight of the whole weekend was Valerie's method of creating her background.  That in itself was worth the workshop fee.  I hope I can do justice to the process:  crinoline is used as the foundation (I've been using crinoline in my fabric portraits and love how it allows the finished quilt to be very flat with a straight edge) sew pieces of fabric down using the flip and sew method until the crinoline is covered - any fabric raw edges are machine or hand stitched down.  Next comes some fused pieces of transparent fabric like organza, which can be painted or dyed.  Then some painting - roughly and only in places.  That's the background.  I just love it.

So I came home and created the background to my "3 of Clubs" - oh, I know I did 3 turtles but they'll work for the playing card challenge of my fiber group FAN - Fiber Artists Network.  I followed Valerie's technique and added some stamping as well.

Also, one of the other members of FAN shared a technique of using fused transparent fabric like organza and tracing a motif (the tiny Pisa tower in the above piece and the turtles in this piece) and then fusing the motif to another fabric or to the background.  Cool!

More Spring Postcards

I couldn't stop creating the paper/fabric postcards and had to do one for myself. Fun for sure.

This card started with the large flower. My local "Itching to Stitch" group of mixed media fiber friends gather once a month. This past month, Jayne Gaskins at www.jaynegaskins.com, demonstrated her thread painting using an enhanced photo. Then she patiently helped us do our own. I attached a leaf printed leaf and the flower on a simply quilted postcard.

I've attached the 2 postcards using a ribbon and hung them by my front door where I change out the fiber art according to the season. Some holidays I've added postcards from my marvelously creative sister, Marlene.

Judge's Choice Award

I was extremely pleased to draw the attention of the judges during my recent outdoor art show - Orland0 Expo and Art Festival, February 20 - 21, 2010. This festival encouraged the judges to spend time in each booth and to chat with the artists. After 3 visits from 2 of the judges I was getting excited. The last visit one of the judges asked me to join the award ceremony because I won an award! The judges were to look at the whole body of work for consistency in technique and design. I was thrilled to receive the award. 3 cheers for Mixed Media Fiber Art!