Vino Where You Live

I have the privlidge of having been asked to show my work at a great and unique venue, Vino Where You Live, which is located in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. It is a truly charming and unique wine location. They host events and have live music. They are having a great Dessert Wars event that my husband and I will be attending on December 17th. For more info goto vinowhereyoulive.com .

Here are a few pics, which include a few new pieces I just finished. :)  

"Cocoons", completed Nov 2011

"Rhythm Road", completed Nov 2011

I'm finding I still lean toward the idea of using stitched line as a drawing tool and intermixing that with added, hand-stitched texture. In "Cocoons", the forms just came as I held the airbrush. Bright and eye catching, but conveyed a feeling of closeness and of coveting something dear. I randomly free motioned colors into the background and then hand couched the bolder black lines with bumpy fibers. I am so happy that "Rythym Road" has taken shape. This basic top has been assembled for quite a long time before I finally found the direction to take. I'm very pleased with how it came out. Both of these pieces I will re-shoot pictures of when I get them back to show a more true color representation. I'm so blessed to be so busy with things! 

CHA Animal Shelter & Buddha Girl

What a glorious Friday! The sun is out and I'm in the studio. The renovating is getting to me and making me a little OCD about how things are ascew. I started these two pieces yesterday thinking one would be a donation for a Humane Society auction event and the other would be a journal piece for the 52 project. Whimsical and silly are these....as is the bowling ball cat they show you. Enjoy and more to come!

Buddha Girl #1
52 Journals Project

Buddha Girl #2
CHA Animal Shelter Donation

             

Good letter day!

Great news today! I was notified that some of my work was accepted into the OH+5 2012 show at the Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio. This show includes artists from Ohio and the surrounding states. There were 63 pieces chosen for the show out of the 271 submitted. The reception is in January. I'm dying to know which (or how many of) the three pieces I submitted made it. When I know, you'll know.  This was something I needed right now. :) Here is the link to a description of the show. 

http://dairybarn.org/exhibitions/?section=211&display=single&item=138

Currently I'm going back and forth from making holiday gifts for my family and friends and artwork. I'll definitely be busy! I'll post some of them as I get things finished. Taking this leave of absence to improve my health and to be a full time artist is an opportunity I'm very grateful for. Time management & self motivation are things I'm still honing. Having Donovan home is wonderful. I've always been able to create more easily when I know he's home. The goal is to keep up with the journal pieces and start the large pieces that have been milling around in my brain.The walls of our house are starting to be filled with artworks as I continue to create. This weekend I should be posting a few more pieces so keep your eyes open. Have a great Friday tomorrow and try to notice some of the small joys around you!  

52 Journals Project

I dove into the deep end and committed to a fantastic endeavor. A number of weeks ago I began this project and am creating one piece per week for the next year, ending with 52 pieces that are uniform in shape (8" X 10"). There are a total of 20 artists in this private group from all over the country. As I create autobiographical work, the imagery in each piece was inspired by something I've experienced, seen, talked about, or felt. I'll post more as I go so that you can see! Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

Week 6: "Forest of Blues"

Week 5: "Aloha"

Week 4: "Studio Cat"

Week 3: "Skyway"

Week 2: "Octopus Sleeper"

Week 1: "Hidden Secrets & Spoken Lies" 

9/11 piece

Greetings!

Life has been in the way a little bit, but I'm quickly catching up around here. The piece below is the final image that was in the 9/11 show at the Chicago Fringe Festival. It was created as a dedication to not only those lost on that day, but for the families that remain. It was hand painted with textile paints, paint pens and a laundry marker. It is entirely machine stitched.  More postings to come! 

One of my art quilts is in the current issue of this magazine. :) It is part of the Fiber Artists for Hope traveling exhibit, The Unspoken Truth About Color. Very proud to be considered a part of this group and love the work of the other artists!

On stands now! :)

Chicago Fringe Festival

I'm very excited to share that, as a member of Fiber Artists for Hope, my phoenix piece will be exhibited at this festival in an exhibit entitled Reflections on September 11th, A Decade Later. What a wonderful group to be included in. If I am permitted to post the image online, I will. :)

http://www.chicagofringe.org/pilsen2011_events.php#american-armistice

More from Independent Study Art Camp and misc.!

I still am processing my time spent with Susan Shie as her first Alumni (Independent Study) Art Camper. It was truly what I needed. I was able to work in my own style with what techniques I wanted to express my own ideas. She was a wonderful facilitator and guide who asked me the hard questions along the way. While I've learned a great deal of techniques in classes that I've taken I am not content in classes where the students create artwork with the purpose of making a replica of the teachers pieces. Techniques are learned, artistry is not. By exploring my own style, growth occurs like no other time.Try doing something in your own style - be an artist!
I'm still finishing up my piece,  have taken a break from it for a couple of days to meet a deadline for a show.

Our accomplishments for the week! The pieces on the right are Susan's and I do believe the top one, "Twilight Time" is one of my very favorites of hers.

Godzilla in pins. :) I'll post pics of the stitching when it gets completed!

Currently I'm working on a piece for a show commemorating the anniversary of 9/11 with the Fiber Artists For Hope. Each piece in the show is 9" X 11", will be exhibited in Chicago over 9.11.2011. Here is the initial drawing.

Back to work after eating some wonderful yumminess from the garden! :)

Today at Art Camp

I'm truly enjoying sitting in the kitchen in the morning and having Jimmy tell me the news in the paper over coffee. This morning there was some 'library time' to get centered for the day. The remainder of the day was devoted to adding more painting, adding details with paint markers, and running for supplies. When we got to Pat Catan's it was their sales event. Lucky and I walked in to a woman who gave us a coupon, put a Hawaiian lei around our necks, and ushered us to free hot dogs and popcorn. :) Later I picked up my bamboo batting at Jo-Ann's for 50% off! Score!  Tonight will be for drawing and a little writing. The first two pictures are process pictures when figuring out how to best add details.

Had to hang him up to see everything from a vertical plane - the tale gives such a scewed perspective. The top will be appliqued to fabrics and who knows what else!

The world's sweetest puppy - who happens to look like Lambchop. :)

Day One & Two at Art Camp

Whew! I've been working so hard this past day and a half I chose resting and sleep over blogging. This fibro chickie wears down like an old woman at the airbrush wall. The second half of the first day here was spent coming up with a plan of attack for my piece. I want to mix techniques as I problem solve and started off blocking in color at the airbrush wall. Nothing says what happens like pictures!

I found I seriously needed to block in color before airbrushing to work out the color sequence.

I now know that I furrow my brow like my grandfather when I concentrate hard!

practice

practice

practice!

to give you an idea of the scale of the final piece

first layer on

heat setting the practice pieces

My buddy Libby and I in front of the color blocking

Later on Lucky was working away in her studio adding a tag to her new piece. I love this picture.

Day 2 Patti Sly came for one day to learn to work with an airpen. She was doing great!

Still in progress, but I went into it with dyes and paint by hand. Starting to add details and other fabrics today.

Last night we went to Susan's opening and the work was beautiful. She had done a number of pieces collaboratively with her six year old granddaughter, Eva. My family came and we all went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant afterward. It was Lucky, Jimmy, my husband Donovan, my mother in law Pat, father in law Tim, niece Sam, her friend Jenna, and Lucky & Jimmy's friend Vicki. Lots of laughs and hugs then home to collapse in bed with Otis curled up by my feet! Let's see what today brings!

Turtle Art Camp 2011!!!

Last night I arrived at Susan Shie's Turtle Art Camp. As an alumni who is coming back, the format is more of an independent study. Susan is so gracious about sharing her work and thoughts. The time spent here has had my mind moving from the second I hit the door. Her passion and ability to love and live life is contagious and I feel like a puzzle piece that just fits. I'll share sketches and experiences as the week moves along.
The piece I will be working on will be larger than I typically work and I plan on using different techniques, intermixing a graphic and painterly influence. The sketch below is a rough of the final piece. Changes will be made as the give and take of problem solving arises. We'll see how it transforms!

I was even able to have a model! :) This was the "Godzilla Groom" that stood atop Susan & Jimmy's Wedding cake. They made the outfits themselves. I'll have to take a pic of the bride and groom together. In the background is Otis, my love buddy and wonder cat who came in to snuggle with me in the Lily of the Valley room this morning.

Well, off to airbrush like a wild woman!

Last Night's Painting Adventure

As I was placing things around the studio I was going through storage I pulled out a cabinet door that I rescued from a broken pantry we threw out. I thought I'd do a little painting for the garden and went into it thinking it would be a light, short painting. Well, that isn't how it unraveled and at 5 a.m. I was finishing up.
I've always been drawn to faeries, mermaids, and such as my mother had many images of them throughout our house when I was young - she still does. She had a ring she always wore that as a little girl I loved. It was a sterling silver faerie. I think of it fondly and it came to mind last evening.
 I'm still unsure about whether to leave the yellow frame plane or not. I was thinking text and squash blossums may go there, but I'd like the paint to dry a little more if I decide to do that. We'll see! :)

"Sasha the Squash Faerie", Oils

I'm switching over to fabrics starting this week as my fabric is brought back into the studio - yea! I have plenty of work to do with that too!

Pandora and Summer Sketchbook Pages

Both of these pages were done in the past two weeks and I'm thoroughly enjoying working with pen until I get moved into the new studio with all of my supplies. The first drawing is a partial reproduction of a painting by John William Waterhouse entitled "Pandora" and was created in 1896. I truly love Waterhouse's work. There are a couple of areas with shading that bother me, but, for the most part, I'm happy with how this went.

This drawing I did when daydreaming of the wonderful summer I'm going to have with my husband and kitties in the new house.

I hope everyone has a lovely week. I plan to keep drawing this week as I have at least ten more drawings planned for ink! :) 

"Nina's Dahlia"

This is a painting I did last week (April 28), but wasn't able to post as I went up to the new house for the weekend. It is an acrylic on an 8" X 10" canvas panel. Now that my studio is packed up I'm grabbing what canvases and panels are laying around and using them up - since I can't get to my fabrics, etc.! 



"Nina's Dahlia"

Nina is a delightful little girl who is the daughter of a friend of mine. She has a wonderful little giggle. I'm told she likes dahlias. :)



Iris Painting

In hearing a friend talk of his mother who is spending her last days in a nursing home I really wished there was something I could do. He was dismayed about her having to move there from assisted living due to insurance and money and was concerned about her fragile health with the move to a less supportive, welcoming environment. It has been on my mind in the last week since hearing all of this. I decided to do a painting for him to hang in her room - something bright, colorful, and positive. I'm pleased with how it came out. I've always loved creating images of purple/blue iris'. I think the first one I did was in high school in watercolor. I'm always amazed at how much better student behavior is when I sit at one of the tables, demo there and working along with the kids. I hope he doesn't see this blog before I can give the painting to him tomorrow! :)

"Iris For Jay's Mother" 16" X 18", acrylic on thick tagboard.

It felt so good to paint today. I think I'll drag a canvas or two in to work. Right now the kids are bursting with energy due to sitting silent during testing. It was so quiet in the room after school let out. I sat painting and telling a student the story of why I was creating it. She shared about an aunt who passed some time ago and I talked of my grandfather. At one point she was very anxious and said "I think I'm partly insane". I replied "Sane people are boring" and she told me "that's why I love you". It was a good moment.

First Sketch relating to the move

I'm posting another sketchbook drawing. This one was done yesterday and was originally a plan for an art quilt that is yet to come. I probably won't be able to create the quilt until after the move, more than likely. It is in ball point pen and is me up at the new house, looking at the lake, meditating and at peace. :)

I hope to spend a good bit of time up there asap!

Sketchbook work!

Hello everyone. :) Just sharing a couple of sketchbook drawings. I'll be sharing some photos from the International Quilt Festival soon, which was amazing! For now though, here are my drawings. Have a great week!

A recent inking of Mollycat. Simply Sharpie. 

I just couldn't stop drawing today. I really love drawing with just a ball point pen. I always have. It was great to show my students how to create value in a drawing with just a pen. This is one thing that I did. This drawing began with the recent endeavor - my morning coffee addiction. :) 

I hope to work on the blog this next week and get it all straighted out! Thanks for your patience as I learn to develop this! Peace to you all.

"Nevermore"

I loved working on this little piece! It is 12" x 12" and, yes, I'm back to hand stitching parts of my pieces. I actually started it as a possible entry with a play on words with scale, but I wasn't happy with it in time for the entry so I made it more of my own. :) I particularly identify with ravens and blackbirds so it was a natural choice of subject for me. In a number of weeks I'm about to embark on a wonderful journey - we'll be moving and I will start the adventure of being a full time artist. The piece says how I feel at the moment and is as if he is swinging the cage attempting to escape to fly into the wide blue open. The curtains were from some hand dyed fabric I bought one year at QSDS and the rest of the subject matter was painted with watered down acrylics. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I, like many others, have been very affected by the disaster in Japan and am still trying to process that into visual form. I hope to create pieces in the future about this topic. I send every Japanese citizen healing and peace.