Tidal Pool III completed

"Tidal Pool III"  21x12 inches

detail

All the quilting is done!  I enjoyed the stitching while watching the Australian Tennis Open.  

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.

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

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

Melted Fusion I Sold



Melted Fusion I (sold)  © Diane Hamburg

Sad and happy at the same time.........  This is a piece I ice dyed awhile back and then started to hand stitch it in February.  I finished it and hung it at my local island Art Association.  It's been gracing the gallery walls for 2 months.  Sold yesterday.  How I loved that piece.  I am glad it will be gracing the walls of the buyer's home.

Guess I'd better stitch faster!

Speaking of stitching - here's a work in progress - check earlier blog entries.  Here's what I've done so far.  I sure love this hand word business.  I have many things going.  This one is close to finishing.

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

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

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.

Recent Workshop

I had the pleasure of taking a workshop from fellow FAN member Mary Rhopa, St. Augustine, Florida.  Mary is an award winning fiber artist who uses repurposed fabrics and a lot of hand stitching.  Her trees fascinate me!  I wish I had my camera with me.  Mary created, I think, 30 8x10" trees - each and every one of them different and ever so beautiful.  I loved getting into the ladder stitch - the hand stitching!!!  The tree trunk was twisted seams of the old garments.

Oh, Mary gave the workshop at the Piecemaker's Quilt Guild, St. Augustine, Florida.