Saturday, September 16, 2023

My creative week... watching paint dry, and sewing, and taking a workshop

 

welcome to this week's creativity round up! I finished up the painting workshop with two portraits. I feel I learned so much and like both my paintings a lot. Thank you to our teachers!

this was a lesson of layering. It's a version of Gaia... and I love it. It reminds me of paintings on the plaster walls of Herculaneum in Italy, and I only hope I can remember the steps to try it again. I took some screen shots of the process, so... I like the color blending, the way her shirt looks, the stenciled flowers in the background, that is gold and pink blended on the paper. This is how it started, with the resource image, and a neocolor pink crayon on watercolor paper

it looked like a man to me... what makes a portrait look like male or female?

My friend said she looks sad... I don't know, they just show up, I hold the brush and they appear! 

In different lighting...

I also tried the "green lady" class... but didn't have the supplies called for, so I used what I had, prisma color pencils and watercolor paint, 

time, and little additions and inks, and care in where the water went... How lovely she is!

resource image, transfered image on paper, and used SARAL paper

the given image is on the left, I transferred it to watercolor paper using yellow SARAL paper, and it worked so well. 

saral on paper after tracing image


the used saral paper after tracing. It is still good for lots more tracings!

water soluble prismacolors need care in how the lines are placed, and how much water to add

On the sewing front: Turquoise/Aqua scraps took center stage

the larger flying geese units from last week moved to the improv log cabin block, made from random aqua/turquoise strips.4 log cabin blocks half light, half dark, sewn togetheer make the large block.


 then, who could resist these flamingo ladies, in hats, meeting for lunch...












The smaller geese units were sewn together to go on the other strip unit...

some block units were made, some triangle units with white to balance the geese unit colors
all of it done by the improv method of curves. Overlap the two pieces to be joined, face up. rotary cut the curve thru both pieces, then do a thin seam to join them as usual. sprinkle with water, and iron flat.

what if I add in some improve raw edge flowers?

I see it... sort of a landscape abstract growing here. Order of the blocks on one side, like buildings, kind of a waterfall on the right.

what about overlaying a sheer with glitter on it? 

oh dear, now I'm moving the flowers all around

This is about the size to go on my bedside table. But where to put the flowers? and do I put the glittery sheer on top before quilting? Ahhhh, decisions decisions. If you need me, I'll be puttering around in the studio.
Workshop alert: 

quilting workshop starting soon (free) offered by Rebecca Page

 

Zen stitch workshop (free) through Kate Ward coming the following week

you can get all the details over here

and painting workshop thru Tamara La Porte (free ) overlapping the same week

linking with

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

https://songbirddesigns.blog/monday-musings-6-26-23/ 

finished or not

off the wall Fridays 

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

20 comments:

Helen said...

Ahhh... all turquoise piece... yummy!
I'm going to e-mail you about the masculine/feminine thing in a painting.

MissPat said...

Love your green lady and the aqua improv piece.
Pat

PaintedThread said...

I really, really like the green lady. The colors, the movement - everything!

Kathleen said...

The painted portraits are fun. The green lady is really gorgeous. Faces are the hardest thing to make in any medium! Love the teal project with flowers....can't wait to see how it winds up!

Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3 said...

Beautiful work

Gwyned Trefethen said...

The green lady is fabulous. Fabulous how you made do without having all the supplies on hand. How do you ever choose which workshops to attend with so many offerings?

Susie H said...

Your imagination can sure run wild. The improv for your bedside table proves that! I really like those yellow flowers scattered on the turquoise fabrics of the improv blocks. The color is beautiful. As for design? That'll ultimately be up to you. Go for it! Hope you have a great weekend!

Sandy said...

The first lady does look sad. LOVE the green lady and the quilting, it looks so bright and happy to me.
Sandy's Space

TerryKnott.blogspot.com said...

Your green lady is beautiful! Your First Lady looks like a strong capable woman. I love your aqua improv!

Jody said...

Love all of these pieces. I really must start playing with improv quilting! You are inspiring me.

Sara said...

I love what you did with the green lady. Your use of color always amazes me.

Gillena Cox said...

Luv the idea of the flamenco ladies.
Happy weekend

Much🖤love

Claire said...

The aqua quilt is quite interesting. Sometimes I enjoy improv; sometimes I find it tedious. I think the trick is to make more "parts" before I start to plan . . .

My name is Erika. said...

Someday I need to make time to sit down and take an online art class because they look so interesting. And they do push you out of your normal boundaries a bit too, which is good, isn't it? I like your faces, and this week's quilting. I've been doing some quilting lately, suddenly sewing is all I want to do. :) Have a lovely weekend. hugs-Erika

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

What a pretty improv mini you are making from scraps! Can't wait to see how you decide to finish it. Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.

https://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2023/09/20/wednesday-wait-loss-346

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Your teal improv is amazing!!! I love how you keep adding to it and it only adds more interest!!!

grammajudyb said...

I still drool over your improve piecing! Not literally, that would be weird! But I mean it as a compliment! Your Green Lady is amazing! I’m so impressed! Good week it seems, hope Fall holds promise for you!

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Your ladies are gorgeous, you know how to capture the face, and the look! Love your aqua quilts, but as I'm reading your blog backwards, I already saw them finished ;))
Thank you for sharing your week's creativity round-up, and linking up!

Brenda @ Songbird Designs said...

Looking forward to seeing how you finish your improv mini quilt! I would definitely add the sheer glitterly fabric on top! But then again, I'm all about the bling! LOL Your painted ladies are gorgeous. You are very talented! Thanks for linking up with Monday Musings, Leeanna! Have a great week.

DVArtist said...

Wow! Your faces are brilliant. I love them. You are so talented in many Venuses. The quilting is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing with FFO and have a lovely weekend.