Sunny Side Sarah

My girls and I painted this afternoon. A nice diversion from the evil glowing box (television for all of you who are not sure what this is). I painted a portrait of Sarah who wakes up every morning with smiles and sunshine. She's pure joy.

A huge thanks to the very talented Mary Martin Akers. I spent a month of Mondays in her studio this fall and learned so much.

Be True to Yourself

While trolling the internet this morning I came across Suzi Blue. She's adorable. I watched a bunch of her videos on YouTube and they all have such a positive message.

The video above was particularly relevant to my recent anxiety about the art I create. And it reflects the words I share with other artists about their work -- be true to yourself and make the art you want to make, without considering what other people think.

But recently I've been working on a lot of class samples -- technique exercises -- with imagery I think potential students might like to see. And not making the art that I want to make. For the next few weeks I will spend my studio time working on a piece that has been in my sketchbook for a long time and for the past few months has been swirling inside my head.

For those of you reading and looking at this blog, thanks for your comments and input, I'll continue to post sketches, Ricë has some excellent journal spanks worth checking out.

Now I'm off to the studio.

Orange Tennis Shoes

Here is a drawing I finished today. Ink and Watercolor paints.
(I used Lumiere Watercolor paints for the shoelaces and grommets. That is the shine you see.)

Finished Work

I love finishing UFO's. I enjoy the sense of completion and accomplishment. This week I finished two UFO's began last year. I'm using these for class samples for my upcoming Art Quilting class at Red Hen Fabrics.

Another journal

On a happier note, I taught a journal class this week at Red Hen Fabrics. It was great fun! I love to teach. Here is one of my class samples.

New Work

I have been very bothered by killing. The recent news of a UN worker who was shot while delivering supplies during the cease fire in the Gaza strip prompted me to make this piece.

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

Ghandi

When will all this end?
Never is what most people tell me.
Rwanda, Somalia, Angola, Sudan, Liberia, and Burundi, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza. . .
I refuse to become apathetic to war.

In the Studio

I've been in the studio most of the last 10 days making gifts. I can't unveil everything for it would ruin the surprise. But here are a few snapshots of teacher gifts I made. 5" x 7" Personal Journals, with a matching coffee cozy. Some have said that these gifts are too generous. In my (not so) humble opinion, teachers work hard to educate our children and deserve a generous token of our appreciation.

While making journals for others, I decided to make a wrap for my daily notebook. After piecing my favorite greens together, I stamped the words in Indigo Lumiere Metallic and quilted the heck out of it. Those quilted lines are the same lines you'll find in my doodles and in my free form batik work. I've decided to pay attention to those doodles and feature them in my work.

Swamped

I am swamped. Me. Not the kids, not the hubby, nothing to do with the normal day to day life of managing the family. Me. So for the past two days I've spent my studio time writing and preparing for the upcoming meeting of Fiber Art Fusion, the class I'm teaching at Fiber on a Whim, and working on two articles for Altered Couture Magazine. Oh, did I mention i'm taking an on-line class from Pamela Allen?

Here's this week's lesson -- my first revision. Instead of going for new imagery, I wanted to see Frida's fruit in all red. What I really want to do is work on that Frida jacket hanging in the corner of my studio.

Post Script: It sounds like I am not enjoying the Pamela Allen class. On the contrary, Pamela is an awesome teacher and I am lucky to have taken a weekend workshop with her this fall. She is a phenomenal on-line teacher as well. The class I'm taking is through Quilters Keep Learning. You download the lesson, participate in a forum (like a chat room) where you can ask questions and you post your work in the on-line gallery. Pamela looks at the work and critiques it. One of the other great benefits to taking this type of class is seeing other people's work and reading Pamela's comments about the work. It's a great way to train your eyes.

#15, #16 and Life in the Studio

Here is #15. It's Sophie's preschool teacher who shattered her ankle in a car accident and will have to have multiple surgeries to correct it.


#16 Rachel Louise Carson who was a great friend to birds everywhere.

And here is a shot of Sophie at my table in the studio. In between everything else, I've been pulling out an altered book and gessoing the pages. Sophie was keen on making her own journal and filling it with pictures and notes, just like Mommy. You can see the glow of the computer in the background as Sarah noodles around on the computer. Today Sarah took her turn at the table and we made her a journal with stitched pages. She's calling it her party journal and is filling it with important things relating to parties (like cake recipes, decorations and ideas for party favors).

Since moving into the bigger studio space I've enjoyed having my children join me while I work. Before I'd work in the small studio and they'd be working at the kitchen table. We now have a greater sense of collaboration and they seem keen on learning new techniques.

Bliss.

Frida Kahlo Still Life Revised

Last night I revised my Frida Kahlo still life. It is amazing what another set of eyes can see. When we are so focused on a piece, we can lose sight of basic omissions. Like the shadow and change in position. Pamela Allen suggestions made this piece so much better.

I also changed the face of the orange to add more contrast to the sections, and put on the watermelon seeds.

Next step is stitching.

Now back to a 5 x 7 today which I will post tonight!

Art today

No 5 x 7 yesterday or today. Seems this head cold that had Sophie down last week has latched onto me.

I'm taking an on-line class taught by Pamela Allen and our first assignment is a black and white composition. Inspired by a Frida Kahlo still life, here is my attempt. Still not fused down because I'm making some changes.

#14 Viva La Frida!

#14

Frog Hunting and #13

Today went frog hunting -- rip it, rip it, rip it! After looking at the tulle on the yoke, I decided it was too sparkley, so I ripped out the stitching on the back, stitched around the edge of the flowers and trimmed back the tulle. Then more ripping as I removed the pockets and finally I stamped the letters and am waiting for the ink to dry.




#13

#12 and more work on Frida Kahlo project

Here is #12 in the 5 x 7 project challenge. I cut out the center and floated bits of fabric between two sheets of tulle.






And more work on my Frida Kahlo project. Today I finished edge stitching and quilted big leaves around Frida.


Three silk flowers are trapped beneath a layer of tulle, then threadpainted.

On Making Art

Now comes the time that I have to decide what counts as a 5 x 7? Does work in progress count? I love making the daily 5 x 7's, but when I am in the middle of a creative burst, I don't want to pause and make a 5 x 7.

Yesterday I spent the entire day with a sick 4 year old who needed mommy to be at full attention, so nothing was done in the studio. Today was my birthday and Joel came home early so I could work in the studio. (Did I mention how incredibly lucky I am to have such a supportive spouse?) And that work was done on a piece for a jacket I'm working on.

Now you can either stop reading here and go on to random select and read another blog, or you can hang in there and read to the end. . .

See how funny the face looks without the details? She looks like an alien.


Now with hair.


And now with facial details stitched in.


Anyway, this is much bigger than 5 x 7, so I'll post it, but won't count it as part of my daily 5 x 7 challenge.

The thoughts that come to mind today are related to what I have accomplished so far in my life and what it all means. What am I? What do I want to be? In the end, the push to make art daily makes me an artist and not a wanna be. It doesn't matter if the world does not acknowledge my art, or buy it, or publish it, or even think it is "good." What matters is that I make the art. Good art, BAD art. We all make bad art. How many are brave enough to show it?

So, I started over and redrew the face. Now she looks more like her self-portraits, which is how people think she looks anyway. And who is she? Frieda Kahlo.


One last paragraph: Yesterday is snowed in Atlanta. The last measurable snow I can remember was three years ago. The flakes came down big and fluffy. It was glorious. My oldest daughter went out to play in the snow until it was way past dark. The younger (and sick) daughter went out for five minutes and came back in, exhausted, but glad she didn't miss it.
The snow is gone now, except for the large snowball which we have in the freezer.

#11 Leaf Collage

#11 - Leaf Collage
Since starting this daily 5 x 7 project my sketches in my sketchbook have radically changed. I usually go for new imagery every time. But now, I've sketched this leaf design in about 50 different ways. I don't think I'll execute all fifty, lest I bore viewers to death, but I'll do a few more in exploring the possibilities with one image. I'm having fun -- and executing art daily is making me FEEL more like an artist. But looking at my posts, I'm not feeling like much of a photographer, I've got to do something about that.

This piece is made with fabric and scrim that I dyed while at the Focus on Fiber retreat at the Atlantic Center for the Arts last Spring. I was under the influence of Sharon Serrano Ahmed and Rosemary Claus-Gray when I thought I'd actually use scrim and dyed it. Now after hanging on to it for 10 months, I see it has possibilities for me.

Tree Jacket Completed

There is no 5 x 7 submission for yesterday, but I might get to two this evening. I spent Saturday night and most of Sunday working on this jacket, Trees. You can see the before here.

Here is the front. And boy, Weight Watchers might have to be in my future. The jacket looks huge. It doesn't help that it's hanging on a small scale french door between my two studios. Anyway. . .


In this picture the color is more true. I put covered buttons on and hand stitched brown swirls over the entire jacket.


Here is the back. Each leaf has a stanza from Joyce Kilmer's poem Trees. And the hand stitched brown swirls which helps it tie together with the collar, which I did not want to replace.

And one leaf features a robin, well looks more like a blue bird, but in my imagination it is the bird in this stanza.

Thanks to Joyce Kilmer for the lovely words of inspiration.

New Altered Jacket Project and #10

I'm teaching a class in altered clothing in February at Fiber on a Whim. For that class I'm making a few more samples. I found some great jackets at Goodwill this week. I love working with denim, probably because I wear so much of it!

Here's the original jacket. Notice the adorable kitty cats on the pockets? Those kitties are also on the back yoke of the jacket.
I removed the pockets, cut out the kitties and inserted little quilt sandwiches with -- guess what -- leaves. I did the same on the back yoke. More leaves, some stamping and hand stitching and off it will go to Fiber on a Whim.


Today's 5 x 7 takes a look at negative space.

#10

Art with Children and #9

Here are pictures of the girls' aprons. I started by having them draw their pictures onto freezer paper, giving them some guidelines about size and not to worry about the small details. I then cut out their designs and ironed onto aprons I made another day. Using stencil brushes and fabric paints (they love Lumiere), they applied paint over the stencils. Once the paint is dry, we removed the freezer paper.

Always remember when doing art with children to give them some guidelines, but let them experience the process. It's not about the end product "looking good," but about the opportunity to make art with grownup supplies and learn what works and what doesn't.


Sarah (age 7) chose a fabric marker to write her name. She learned that next time she'd like to use paint with more contrast for the details on her gingerbread man.


Sophie (age 4) would have no part of the fabric markers. She wanted paint and a brush to write her name on the apron. She did change her mind when adding hair to her angel. She learned she has more control with a fabric marker.


And with leaves still on my brain, here is #9 of my daily 5x7 challenge:

#8 Black and White

The past three days have been quite hectic. On Tuesday night Fiber Art Fusion had our monthly meeting. Sharon and I gave part one of a two part presentation called "The Fiber Artist's Pantry." We cover all the great things every fiber artist should have in the pantry. I spent Tuesday getting my samples ready.



Wednesday my hubbie and I took our daughters to see Annie at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. Sophie fell asleep after the intermission. Sarah was wide eyed in wonder and amazement for the entire musical. She floated home. I think musical theater is in her future!

Today's submission is a continuation of the leaf study -- in black and white.