For my round up of creative work this week, I'll start with sewing ... this is my feather star block for rainbow scrap challenge ( a different color scraps each month) The 16" block is finished now, here are the 6 finished stars so far, pinned to the design wall, waiting for 6 more colors
I dithered over blues for this background and finally chose this turquoise ish blue but have to wait til I can use a rotary cutter to set it
thank you to those who gave me feedback, you were all right... hugs!
the big this this week was doing Joy's table scraps challenge (watermelon) I love a pin cushion, so I found a free pattern on line and made this sort of following the pattern:, (HERE ) lol
made with felt scraps and dark blue thread for "seeds"
joined with perle cotton thread by hand, stuffed with both fluff plus ground walnut seeds
Love it!
I finished my scrappy socks and started more with the yarn left and hand stitched on my little hexies
The rest of my time was spent watching paint dance across paper... in the kaleidoscope workshop and my Index card a day prompts...
watercolor Henge in plain paper sketchbook. Loved the teacher's ideas on shadow, glazing, color mix
due to physical limits this week, this one isn't finished. It gets words but I didn't like the instructor's poem so I'm seeking one on walking in the light of honesty, or something with light. She taught us with acrylics I can't use (allergies to the binders) so I broke out my gouache watercolors for the moon
This instructor used acrylics too... so I did what I could with watercolor and ink... She adds and adds on top... which is harder with watercolor, but I did what I could with some inkpens for the dots
an experiment to see gold over paint..
layer of turquoise, layer of cobalt, layer of black watercolor, then paintbrush with gold paint on top
For the small index card art:
4" X 6"
I painted "hummingbird" from a google image of a real bird. That's easier for me... I really like how it all came out. A quote from Shakespear, printed, torn inked on the edge completes it
Crystal... looked for an online tutorial on how to draw simple crystals...
"coffee" reminded me of a fave band that played in Tampa during my 20's...they always sang Java Jive
"strawberry" (L) and "Opaque" (R)
For Opaque I used the gouache from the tube... combines opacity with watercolors
now this was a real challenge. "FOLD" how to make art that expresses that? I crinkled a sheet of copier paper, dry brushed paint over it. Then folded it in three places and glued it to the card
I really like how it came out. A pure experiment... these little artworks are a good way to make sure I do something each day.
Sometimes it takes courage to keep going with illness or pain... but an artist type still must "make" art
the prompt for "I Like Thursday" this week was how does life change for you in summer. It's so intensely hot it's hard to be outside... so luckily I have supplies to keep me going!
We live in a neighborhood with a slow speed limit and stop signs. This week, we looked both ways, and I was nearly run down by a young woman who ran a stop sign, turned left without looking, and came within 3 feet of running over me.
We think she was looking at a phone, after she passed me she swerved over to the curb for a minute, no apologies, then sped off.
Did my angels protect me? I'd like to think so but then that day I got another migraine from pesticide spraying in the 'hood, sliced my knee open on a plastic drawer, my knitting needle (small sock needles) punctured my thigh, my back slid and my nerves were pinched to both feet.... and later my husband woke me when he got up an hour after I fell asleep. I think several more things befell me.
I am grateful for my protecting angels saving me from a lifetime of injury. In today's environment, she would have gone to court said, sorry and not meant it, and gotten off without punishment.
the only thing blooming a hardy bush
Today's post will be a short one
the resilient gutter dove mama has babies again, they are probably being fed as you read this... she lost her first three to hail a month ago.
another bird has built a fortress of a nest in our front porch wall. She sits inside, her husband perches on a nearby rock ledge. Both of them are right outside the front door, so have delivery and annoying sales people constantly disturbing them, plus us coming and going. Location location location
Our prompt: do you change your routine
for the summer? Do you have a grandchild come stay, for instance? Do you
go to family yourself? do you tend to stay up later or eat out more, or
become more active/less active because of heat? How is your daily
routine changed because of the change of season?
I would say the time change and daylight hours lasting til after 8 pm make a difference. We eat later, and seem to stay up later. We have a hard time walking because so many people are out later into the night now, and too many people here are aggressive.
We used to be on our screened in porch a lot over summers in Maryland, listening to nature or music, eating out there, reading, having a glass of wine. I miss that.
The heat here makes it uncomfortable to be out during the day, temps around 100F regularly now that the climate has changed, thin atmosphere from altitude, intense sun. We must time walks to avoid it because our dog is wearing a black fur coat. I have to wear sunscreen here as the sun is much more intense and because just a few years ago the temps were lower overall, homes are built here to hold the heat making them less comfortable too.
Growing flowers in summer used to be a joy but they do not thrive here, I'm considering getting silk flowers to hang up this year. Gosh I used to just adore the flowers in Lake Placid NY each summer, and their cool summer evenings... I also used to like going to outdoor summer festivals but it's so hot now.
summer requires coping for me... can't wait for Fall if we have it this year. It didn't cool off the last three years til after Christmas... For those of you that like being hot and like summer, enjoy!
Olympics
the olympics Paris start soon, and I look forward to watching some events on TV. Grateful for coverage allowing me to see the athletes
Reading on audio
an older book, by an author dh and I used to listen to on car trips about a caterer in Colorado.
reading on Ebook
a FAB novel, so funny it's laugh out loud, and I'd like to be able to renew it so won't mention it here. Sorry, hopefully I can share the title next week... I'm a slow reader as I read in bed and fall asleep. I love the author, new to me, and the humor.
knitting
almost finished with the scrap yarn socks done in cotton/nylon yarn. For summer, shorter than usual
painting
finishing up the paint/drawing workshop lessons, and still doing index card a day prompts, all of them are on Saturday's creativity post.
Hiya.... I survived something too. The other night, I was thinking about getting on the big bed to go to sleeps and the Mama EXPLODED! I ran for the other room to hide.
Mama: sorry, I sneezed. The air quality is red zone right now. Just a sneeze
Milo: well it sounded like you blew up and I'd have no Mama and maybe have to clean up the mess
Mama: tell them about your new toy, I like it!!
the shark likes it
Milo: hmph... I don't know if it's a good thing.... now for treats after ear cleaning I have to work to open, slid, and uncover my treats. I used to just be given them right into my open mouth!
Mama: but now you get more and have the stimulation of figuring out how to get them. Some you lift off, some you slide, some you open! Fun! a poodle puzzle!
Milo: so that's how you're spinning it.... I just see it as more work for the poodle
please visit these people to hear their likes this week
welcome to this week's creativity round up... some of this some of that... The work above is my hand sewing for TV time and I added in some solid fabric scraps to the charm pack. I love the colors!
living the creative life... so many decisions... I considered the background in sparkling blue for this blue garden of roses piece. It's just pinned to the wall to think about... what do you think of it?
I chose scraps for my feathered star RSC project in blues... got the foundation piecing accomplished despite the ongoing physical limitations... My wall of blue scraps so far this month...
chose the tula pink background bits, cut them with scissors, since this picture was taken. There's always next week to finish the big block.
I knitted with scraps this week, cotton/nylon socks
love the colors!
I took a free online workshop this week with Tam LaPorte... I did what I could, not much sadly.. but
one teacher talked about painting one line of color, then pulling that with a brush of water only, to create shadows. I tried it first with my sketchbook... hmmmm. Then as she was doing an elaborate portrait of a man, I tried a quick easy one in the sketchbook...from my imagination, surprised it came out a man...
I'm interested in what makes someone male or female in portraiture... again drawing a line of color, pulling it with plain water
I'm still doing the index card a day prompts... one this week was "gold" so I pulled up Klimt art online and was inspired to do this. Above is the first part, no gold paint yet...just pencil, watercolor, inks
I wish you could see the depth and sparkle... I use finetec metallic watercolors in three shades including copper for the wall paper over ink drawings
imagine if I'd done this on decent watercolor paper... I just think I will
I'm a bit behind, couldn't sit at the table, but got 6 days done... and only one failure... the top right prompt was "alternating" and I don't like mine, but... win some lose some.
I loved how terrazzo came out. I grew up with terrazzo floors and pretty durable but don't fall on them.
This took on more dimension when I inked a tiny black line along the colored quartz bits
Ivy started with blobs of red/brown yellow (wall) and blue-green for leaves. Inked in white bricks, black leaves bringing it to life
"Rannunculus " was fun, mixing color on the card with tombow water soluble markers, then inking over with black and white pens, adding some watercolor grass
"beach" started life as a watercolor horizon study.
I grabbed a piece of copier paper to clean my brush, and noticed the colors were nice.
I tore it up, layered it on with elmers glue, til it looked like a beach. Tearing the painted paper leaves a white line which helps with texture and depth.
so that's about it... I never thought I could draw or paint til I took free online classes, and PRACTICED in a sketchbook. Let me hear a whoop whoop from my fellow paint lovers!
