I can't believe how time has passed and no entries

I have been working, believe it or not.  I've been way too silent.

I'm on my laptop in my studio. A rainy, stormy day - but I still enjoy gazing out to the sea, though it's a bit turbulent.  The beach sunflowers are blowing this way and that.  The bird feeders are swinging back and forth as well.  The prickly pear cacti are pillars of strength - they are blooming big beautiful yellow flowers.

Me, I'm grateful to be inside, cocooned in my studio.

I've been taking an online class from Jude Hill - Sun, Moon, Stars - I'm learning so much.  I had started some hand stitching on the ice dyed fabrics my sister and I dyed awhile back.  This began my journey back to hand work.  The peaceful in abnd out of the needle and thread pleases me.  It's a relaxing and meditative activity.  Here's an image on the last piece I created.  I had the best time working on this one.  I have a couple more ice dyed pieces but the images are on the regular computer.  Melted Fusion I and II are on display at my Island Art Association.   I'll post the images soon.

Circle Play 21x6"  $185

Back to Jude Hill's class - I love her quiet, gentle way of sharing her love of creating through stitch.  Another class is in the horizon!   The following piece is influenced by her work.   I wove the fabrics and stitched them down before I started Jude's online class.  I have since learned an easier way to hand stitch pieces down.  I don't want to say how as I don't want to take anything away from Jude's teaching. Check out her classes!  It's a work in progress.  I've been stitching daily - using Jude's ideas and some from my research on stitching on the Internet - moon jellies and the sea star.



WIP

The next two are pieces I started in planning for a hand embroidery intro for children at Jacksonville's MOMA - my FAN group is displaying, demonstrating, and sharing fiber art to folks - young and old . Next Saturday is a program highlighting a fiber artist, Memphis Woods - who spent part of her life in Jacksonville and was an early supporter of the museum.  The project I've planned is simple applique on felt, using hand stitching.  These two pieces were part of my playtime.  My class with Jude has lengthened the fun.  Check in later for the finished products.

WIP

WIP

I'll be doing some hand stitching of this just created dry felted piece.

These two wonders were my take on a children's art project at my local art gallery - Island Art Association- led by my artist friend Anne Howden.  The fabrics are part of my collection of fabrics/ties/shirts from my father and father-in-law.  I wanted to pass on my love anb fond memories of both these men, especially my dad!  How he would have enjoyed these grandchildren of mine.  Max and Brenna will received these dolls when they visit as the end of the month!


Max and Brenna's dolls

The two next images are products of my raw edged applique and machine quilting.  A fun, relaxing time of creating.  I really ought to title these.

10x10 $85

6x6" $40

The following quilts are hanging at the Island Art Association for the Nouveau Art Exhibit entitled Wildlife.  The heron was awarded Honorable Mention!  Yeah!!!!!!  I don't have the titles/sizes/prizes.  They were last minute creations..........

On display at Island Art, 12x9"

On display at Island Art

This took awhile.  Maybe if I write more frequently,.........  There's always hoping.

Til later, Peace and joy be with you, Diane

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.

Some of my latest.

"3 Faces of Beryl"

"3 Faces of Beryl" is another piece I put in my local Island Art Association's Nouveau Art exhibit entitled "Black and White."  I was experimenting with monotype drawing of the faces - all fabric.  I chose the title as we were in the mist of the topical storm "Beryl" when I was working on it.  It didn't win anything but was accepted into the show, so I was pleased.  This is the same show my book won "Honorable Mention!"

The following are 3 fabric collages that I now have hanging in the Butterfield Garage Art Gallery in St. Augustine, Florida along with several other older pieces.  Butterfield created a really beautiful room for a bunch of us fiber artists.  Two of us are "wall" artists and the others are wearable art folks.  The Opening is this Friday night!  I'll upload some images after the opening.

I spent some time this afternoon collaging old book pages to future leaf printed cards like the one in the middle.  I'll be printing soon.  How I love to print leaves!

The following image, though sideways - sorry, are some of the notecards I made for a very loyal client!  Sieta orders cards every so often!  I'm lucky!  I collage papers and images printed on fabric and then stitch a little.

Lastly, this image is one I've been working on - first on the computer with  Picasa- sharpening it, posterizing it, etc.  It's of my great nephew and my grandson.  Michael took Max's hand and led him to the bubbles!  Ever so cute.  I've done a lot of stitching, working in the faces a bit.  Next comes the background and machine quilting.  I'm trying to talk myself into entering it into a fancy fiber show.  We shall see once I get it completed.  Of course, I ask for some feedback from friends and family. 

Til next time!  Create something, anything - play - it does your heart good!

Early Valentine's

When I taught 3 - 6 year olds at the local Montessori School, I handmade Christmas ornaments and Valentines every year for my little folk.  I enjoyed myself to no end.  I am very grateful and joyful when a former student or his/her parent tell me how my ornaments bring back fond memories of their pre-school days when the holidays approach.  I have continued making the ornaments for my family and friends. 

My sister, who she herself makes ornaments each and every year, reports that I forgot to post an image of this year's Christmas ornament.  I guess the anticipation of Max, my grandson, must have fizzled my brain, so here's the ornament.

The tree was bobbin stitched:  meaning the thick metallic was in the bobbin and the work was sewn with the front side down.  Make sense?????  I was real pleased with the design: simple yet elegant, if I say so myself.

Now onto the valentines - I created a mock up last year and decided to make a bunch of them for my "Valentines" this year.  Here's a bunch but not the whole bunch and then a single one.  The lace in this one and the ones I'm giving to my family is from my wedding gown.  Mother painstakingly sewn my gown with lots of lace on the cuffs and hemline.  Single motifs were stitched on the long, beautiful veil.  Time and the heat of the attic ruined much of the gown and veil, but not the lace!!!!  I've incorporated the lace in quite a few of my art projects.  There's still some left for another day.

So may you enjoy creating valentines for those you love.

Latest Piece of Art

"Kentucky Rose"  23 x 26"  using the double raw applique technique of Ellen Lindner's.  I sure enjoy this method of reproducing an abstract of a photograph.

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?

New Sea bird pieces

This is another pose of the Blue heron that visits the beach.

These are Royal Terns, very stately gulls, I believe.

Both these pieces are done using the same technique I did with the other gull and heron pieces.  I played in Photoshop Elements with my own images to come up with the pattern to applique.  Obviously, I'm enjoying myself.

Laughing gull

How I love the sea gulls. This one is mounted on 20 x 24" stretcher bars. I played with an image in Photoshop Elements and created applique pieces from that. I sure enjoy the process - one that I've used in "The Ballerina",
Blue Heron, and Silent Charlie. I take the image, erase the background, go into filter and select artist:cutout and play with the numbers. I have a portrait of my son in the works - not too happy with the lips and eyes, so more work to see if I can fix the problem. If not, I'll start from scratch.

I've sent the weekend experimenting with gelatin monoprinting again. I am pleased with some of my results, others not so. But isn't that part of the learning curve!? I'll upload my favorites soon.

Quiet for some time but busy

AN EARLY VALENTINE - Awhile ago, I spent some time getting ready for a mini workshop for my local fiber art group. I made a foundation cloth by laying down fabric shapes and lace, layered a netting on top and stitched a grid. I cut 4x6" rectangles to make postcards. I added papers, ribbon, and fabric collage pieces. I free motioned them down. I finished up the card by zig zagging cardstock to the back. I also simply collaged fabric/paper, glued first then stitched to make greeting cards.

Lastly, I sewed a stuffed valentine, making a fabric collage first and then stitching it to another heart. Just fun! I've always been turned on by holidays. My fiber group ended up making just the postcards. But they all seemed to have a good time creating.

More fabric Journal work

I've been working on my "Remains of the Day Journals" - an online class with Mary Ann Moss. I've completed 2 - and 2 more are ready to stitch. I have the pages completed. This is very addictive.

Below are some of my pages: mostly paper with some fabric added. My expensive Bernina - sewing machine does not like sewing on paper so I've been stitching with my old 301 Singer. It seems to enjoy making holes into the paper! I'll save the Bernina for fabric! This is my 2nd journal.

Beach Scenes

My local art association's new theme for its next Nouveau Art Exhibit is "Scapes" and of course, I've done beach scenes. The first is about 19 x 18" and the second is larger 34 x 26" I think. both are abstracts. The first is rough edged. The second is good old piecing which takes an exorbitant amount of time. I haven't titled them yet. I have time to compose.

I've made a personal value to not buy any more commercially printed fabrics. I have so much in my closet, in my drawers, in my bins. I prefer to dye, paint, stamp, stencil, print my own but I feel the need to use up what I have bought. I did use commercial fabric for my brayer play in a previous post and plan to paint, stencil, print, etc. other commercial cloth in the future. Time will tell....

Happy Halloween

Happy Trick or Treating! I'll be away but wanted to send my spooky wishes to you all. This piece started as a demo of fabric collage at my local Quilt Guild - Amelia Island Quilters. I finished it up for my darling daughter, Kara, and her husband, Matt.

My husband and I are heading up to see them and to dog sit Baxter. Then we travel to Annapolis for Jim's 40th reunion, then on to NC to the Nature Printing Society's Annual Workshop. I'll be making paper, journals and monotypes. I'm thrilled.

Do have fun at Halloween. Remember those fun nights dressed up, trick or treating. I remember the infinite amount of candy......

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I'm off to Vegas to visit with my daughter, Kara. She's the professional ballerina who' s performing the Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen, Mirlitons, and Doll for the Nevada Ballet Theatre. Am I ever proud of her!!!!!!

We'll be spending Christmas morn here at home with my son, Corey, the VW man, and his pup, Barley.

Wishing you health and love this joyous season.