my creative week with paintings, drawings, and sewn art

 

It was a week of creativity buffering the harsher side of life.... I am starting with a painting done because Cloudia in Hawaii (one of the I Like contributors) mentioned there is a full moon this week, called a Flower Moon

Those words inspired me to try to paint a small (8") watercolor of the moon and some flowers.... I used some new paints like opera pink by daniel smith. Just a quick study as I'm very distracted at the moment.... I like how art helps me focus and stop the thoughts for a bit, don't you? 

early in the week, I took the CreativeCove tutorial on poppies. I used some older kuretake watercolor paints and a half piece of paper torn from my thick watercolor pad... wet the flower area and dropped in mixed colors of carmine and orange, golden yellow and watched them pool up, move around, become.

at one point they were too wet, so I pressed a paper towel on the petals and it caused that lovely grading of color. Serendipity beauty, a gift from the paint muses... thank you...

last Sunday I finished the quilting on my hand sewn hexie petals and it's on the table now! 

I liked the process and night sewing, so I decided to make an Autumn colored piece to replace this one in a few months... gold, orange, purple, brown, tan, dark green....this is the start using orange scraps

at one point in studio, I wanted to hear my audio book but didn't have concentration so I sorted my orange scrap bin...strips, squares, triangle shapes,and because they were there and too pretty to toss...

the color of the month at RSC is orange scraps

I began sewing one bit to another, keep going, and it turned into these sections before I felt content. 

from messy fabric pile to these about 2 hours of nice immersion into color and story telling on audio 

I see a house and tree emerging on the top right piece. 

view from kitchen table computer area in the mornings

I wake slowly now, sipping coffee, catching up on emails and watching videos, then drawing or painting something to slip into the day. On this morning the sun was bright on our patio, birds were taking liberties to walk on it, a squirrel came up and looked into Milo's toybox, the sound of birds starting their day was pleasant. 

this is a small work, about 4" X 6" on watercolor stock. Pencil lines, covered with watercolor (KOI), then inked with black pen (faber-castell) and white pen (signo uniball) time to work in the yard, sow some wildflower seeds in the big planter, return to some serious porch time with wine in the afternnon

 we have persistent dandelions that bees are enjoying, the HOA not as much. 

Heat is already gaining ground, around 80 or more in the sun which beats down on our bedroom wall all day long, reminding us to get out the summer clothes and set up the portable AC. 

time to bring down an older quilt... wish our home was like this...

the bluebird of happiness taken up residence with us... clean, wildflowers, lush, sparkling

I spent much time quilting on my star quilt this week. I sewed the center blocks into two big sections, layered with bamboo batting and vintage backing, and worked

make no mistake, quilting large quilts on my small domestic machine is work. Hard on my back. The jury is out on bamboo.... no matter what I did, it seems overly puffy...

bottom half is now quilted

both big center sections are quilted and ready to connect that seam... pinned, but broke a needle and had to stop to try to find it all (never found the very little tip tho, yikes!) 

sew, press, pull backing over seam and hand stitch in place

One more drawing to share... I wanted to try a profile of a face, difficult for me in the past. I searched online for pictures of women from 1920's... and found this

drawn on a folded copier paper scrap, while having morning coffee

I am not only learning perspective, but shadows and light with just pencil. I did go in at the end and use a stablilo crayon in black, for deeper shadow as it bleeds wonderfully when brushed with plain water.

I wonder about the original portrait, what was her life like? She likely fought for the right to vote, to be seen like a real person, equal at the very least. People want respect.

Well, there you go... a week often harsh with my physical pains, medical intervention treatments for DH, ear pain for dear poodle son. 

Thank God for art. I enjoyed this video on painting with gouache paints... which I hope to do soon

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkDop1LdMrs

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com

https://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/2023/04/april-2023-abc-table-scraps-link-party.html 

patchwork Sunday   

oh Scrap Sundays

slow stitching

https://quiltinglearningcombo.blogspot.com/ 

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

http://www.inquiringquilter.com/ Wednesday wait loss

Midweek makers wednesdays  

http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/ 

https://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/ 

off the wall Fridays   

face off 

peacock party

tgiffriday

finished or not

https://beadwright.blogspot.com/ 

https://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/