Latest Fabric Portrait

Sweetie 22x17 in



My latest fabric portrait.  This one of my granddaughter, Brenna.  Her momma and brother call her "Sweetie" and she is a sweetie!  I've entered the portrait in exhibit "Portraits and Figures" at the St Augustine Art Association.  I used double reverse applique method taught by Ellen Lindner.

A Bit late

 

 

 

Hope your holidays continue to bring joy, peace, and health to you and yours.

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Corey and Mary's Advent calendar

A couple of fast and easy Christmas trees - just plain fun.  I'm trying to use up my fabric stash.   It was nice to have quick projects.

Small Works

Most of the piecing and embroidery were down while on a trip to and from visiting my grandchildren.  I am so grateful I can stitch in the car!   These are a part of a seemingly never-ending love of doing beach scenes.  These are 6 x 6" and attached  to gallery wrapped frames.   Just plain fun! 

I'm entering these in "Small Works" an exhibit in my local Island Art Association's Nouveau Art Exhibit.

Yippee!!!!  I won an Honorable Mention!

Show Opening coming up!

 Here's the announcement.  It's always a good feeling to have my fiber work amongst the painters!  The following images are pieces of my work that were included in the show

Monoprinted fabrics along with hand dyes

 Reduction using beach, then hand stitching after minimal machine quilting.

 Beach discharge, minimal machine stitching then hand stitching.

The following two pieces are mixed media:  painted backgrounds, leaf printing, collage.

 Encrusted embroidery,  objects first embedded then hand stitching.

 Monoprints on fabric, piecing, machine quilting.

Wandjini Revisited - my interpretation of Australian primitive art:  discharged fabrics, applique, piecing.

New Work

12x9 collage

28x24"

12x9 collage

The blue pieces are paper/paint collages that I plan to frame.  I haven't named them yet.  Any suggestions?

The middle one is all fabric.  I used the pieces I monoprinted earlier.  Hope it works.  I haven't come up with a name for this either. 

These are among the pieces I plan to hang at an upcoming exhibit at a local bank.

Deep Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6PQRXXn9ko  This is a beautiful video of "Deep Peace" lyrics by Bill Douglas.  It is ever so beautiful!

Morning Tea and Healing Doll

 "Morning Tea" is my entry for the Nouveau Art exhibit entitled "Everyday Stuff" being held by my local Island Art Association.  Last minute is NOT the way to go.  I enjoy my tea each and every morning using an old teapot my old nursing school roommate gave my eons ago.  I thought of that teapot as soon as I read about the theme.  The background is a not-so-great deconstructive screen print I attempted with my sister.  I tore it in strips and did some weaving.  I rather like the effect.  Lesson: never give up on something.  I photographed my teapot and used the outline to stitch upon an old tea towel I embroidered as a little girl.  Just love it.  All stitched down, stretched on stretcher bars, photographed, then realized the teapot melts into the background.  If I had more time, I would have taken it apart and machine stitch or something to bring out the teapot.   Since time ran out, I handstitched around the edge - better, but not great.  Oh well.  Lesson: spend more time in the design!

The next project was a healing doll for a friend of mine just diagnosed with breast cancer.  The whole poem or rather a song of "Deep Peace" is quite moving.  I'll post the source later.  Hope the words I chose and the doll itself bring comfort and peace to this dear friend.

  

Recent Monoprints on Fabric

I used a foam padding with plastic on top as the printing plate, spread my paints, pressed some texture plates, added dried leaves and laid the fabric on top.

Usually I use my wonderful gelli plate but wanted to try out a Pinterest idea and voila these gems, if I say so myself!   Now all I have to do is design something!

Hand Stitching

6x6" Beach Scene  $40

6x6" Beach Scene $40

6x6" Beach Scene $40

The above 3 are examples of some beach scenes I've been stitching.  I've mounted these on gallery wrapped frames.  It seems this size is a good choice as a few have been sold already!  My fiber art group had a little workshop a month or so ago and got me back into doing little beach scenes.  I can stitch these up while traveling in the car (as a passenger).

Tidal Pool 16x16"  $250

 I saw a piece on the internet that sparked my creativity.  Hope you can see the encrusted items - items stitched in place between the top layer and the backing. Then I added embroidery stitches on top.  The folds reminded me of the ripples on the sand left by the tide coming and going.  This piece I submitted to the "Tactile Show" at the St. Augustine Art Association.

The following is a bowl that was a little over the top - lesson learned - simplicity is better than complex.  I thoroughly enjoyed the process and will make another - with less of everything.

This "encrusted" work was first introduced to me through an English magazine called "Stitch."  I don't subscribe anymore but my old issues are getting my attention once again.

Fabric Bowl

Commission Piece completed, sent and appreciated

I was tickled to death when a lady emailed me saying she loved the two portraits of my grandson, Max playing on the beach, that were hanging in my local Island Art Association.  She had been tempted to buy one but wondered if I would do a piece of her two granddaughters.  I said "Yes!  I'd be honored."  Well, this piece was a long time in the making.  Several starts til the above.  My customer was satisfied!  That I am thankful for. 

Commissions are a tricky business.  The two I've done - portraits - took much longer than I ever anticipated, curtailed my creativity in other areas, anxiety ridden as well.  I'll probably reframe from accepting another commission though utterly thrilled to be asked.

Onward to other creations!!!

Progress

I though I needed a focal point, so choose some circles.  First running stitches then the couched yarn.  thinking about adding more stitches to the running stitched lines to make them more visual.  Liking this process.  Loving the free stitching.  Loving letting the piece tell me what is needed.  When do I stop??????

Handwork

I discharged this piece ages and ages ago.  Loved it so much, I just didn't know what to do with it.  I certainly knew I didn't want to cut it up!  I machine stitched, using the bleached marks to guide my way along.  Then the piece sat..... and sat...... and sat.

My taking Jude Hill's class, I brought out the needle and thread - the latter being in my stash of threads - just the right color.  I've spent the last few days stitching.  Here are my thoughts:

Journey
crooked paths - leading to the same point of it it away from that point?
One step at a time - or should I say - one stitch at a time.
crooked steps - still in route
Decisions : which path to take
stepping around obstacles
The journey not necessarily the distinctions is important
Breath in, breath out

Jude Hill has a story - really many stories.
Where are my stories???  I don't talk about my work much and when i do I don't express my stories well.

Time.......  the journey

Sun, Moon, Stars

Sun, Moon, Stars

I believe it's finished.  This is the product of Jude Hill's online class entitiled the same.  I've loved her way of teaching and have just signed up for more.  Her artwork is fabulous!

Serene Seen completed

Serene Seen  by Diane Hamburg 29x18" $290

Don't you love my husband's play on words???!!!  He is asked on occasion to give me some suggestions of titles.  I had hinted on the feeling of serenity when I look out of my studio window upon the sea.  The feeling of serenity/peace/contentment seldom fails to come over me.

I am so grateful for the loan of this piece of land to me and mine.  It belongs to the universe but the feeling, I believe, is mine.

Painting beach scene

I painted some fabric for a beach scene.

 

 

This is the wet fabric all scrunched up.  I let it dry over night.

 It wasn't dried the next day, but I ironed it.  Here it is ready for me to layer: batting and backing.  Then machine quilting comes, followed by some hand stitching I believe!

 

Gelli Plate Class

I'm in the middle of taking an online class with Carla Sonheim.  It's wonderful!  I'm learning a lot.  She is presenting a whole new way of using the gelli plate that I have not explored before.  The following are images from Day One.  http://www.carlasonheim.blogspot.com/

I lost 2 others in cyber space......
The folllowing images are influenced by Jane Davies.

Day 3 of Carla's class - Day 2 was my gathering stencil/stamp material.

These are not my best.  Hopefully I can salvage them during Friday's printing class!

Things I have learned so far
1.  A whole new way of gell printing:  ink up part of the plate, print just part of the paper, watercolor effect (adding water to the leftover paint on the plate), hold 2 ends of the paper and dip onto plate
2.  always add a second color to the plate - don't use paint right from bottle/tube
3.  Cardstock stencils may stick to the plate - ugh - leaves pulp behind
4.  Cardstock stencils end up looking beautiful with layers of paint - great collage material!
5.  Work in a series.  Carla had us print 8 papers - of course 8 was not enough for me.....

I'm sure there's more.......  I'll return to gelli printing again after Friday's class.

I highly recommend Carla's class.  Check the Flickr link to the class images.  A real treat.  http://www.flickr.com/groups/2247646@N22/pool/with/8784377807/#photo_8784377807

Teaching Kids and Slow cloth progress

The first two images show some examples of stitching using the straight stitching:  running stitch and the ladder stitch that I used for the classes I taught at my local Island Art Association's youth art classes.  I taught elementary aged children, none of whom said they've never stitched before.  I had a good time sharing my love of stitch.  Most seemed to enjoy themselves.  I hope I inspired the rest to stitch some more. 

 These below are just my stitching along side the children.  Way too much fun!

 

Here's some works in progress.  I am sure enjoying the needle and thread, stitching in and out, filling up the spaces.  Added some words:  machine stitched and hand stitched.

 





Decided to machine quilt the woven strips of my own silk tie dyed fabrics, then tacked the silk red heart down.  I've done some more work on these two.  I'll take some more work in progress images to document my journey.

The background is hand painted and printed on this last piece.  All the fabrics are recycled ones:  a blouse, ties, dresser scarf.  Even the painted and printed background - I clean my brushes and brayers on a damp old bed sheet. let it dry all scrunched up and then leaf print and stamp it.