this week I made the yellow feathered star block for rainbow scrap challenge... used more yellow scraps. When it was finished I noted the center yellows looked too similar so I got these out
copper paint, tested on a yellow scrap, perfect! Dab paint on with sea sponge
then went over with gold paint on the test scrap... maybe... I like stenciling a lot
these blocks are paper pieced (foundation) from this book
so stenciling was easy with the paper backing. Iron when dry makes it permanent. I also shaded that one with brown prisma color pencil
the four colors so far
I also worked on the two yellow improv pieces, the tops aren't done yet so hopefully I'll show those next week.
I wrote some stories this week, and painted a bit. I signed up for a mixed media workshop free online by Laly Mille who's work I like. I don't work like her and am allergic to the mediums she uses to make the gorgeous work. But, I tried. First I tried drawing with my non dominant hand (Left) with the stabilo crayon, then daubing with water. I added in just a bit of watercolor paint.
just on some old recycled copier paper. I like it! Then she had them cut out...
the goal is to make collages with them, like paper appliques... she wanted us to layer paints and collaged bits first and I can't do it with her supply list. I tried working in series by using painter tape to section off the paper. I scraped on acrylic paints with a knife. Then tried drawing over it, but it repelled the pens, and inks, so I used elmers glue to add in bits and bobs
Posca pen didn't even show up well. I cut out words, flowers from sheet music, sheep, and some sparkly scrapbooking geegaws in my stash...
I plan to make cards for a few people
and like them... I cut them out to make 6 small paintings to attach to card stock that I can mail from the house.
I finished my table scraps challenge piece for next week also so... that's about it for this week y'all
I loved this video and want to do things like this: enjoy
watching tutorials : I like paint and paper, paint and fabric, and these ideas of how to free-cut then collage were worth a try:
it's been a week of learning (Zen Stitch workshop online) and making
Drawing faces and flowers, painting on paper and fabric, designing an Autumn quilt, trying techniques new to me like setting shisha mirrors and stacking straight stitches in embroidery. Trying some stitches in a slightly different way than I've done them before, using my supplies, getting new supplies...
Toward the end of the week I just watched the lessons and stored up plans to try them later because my mind was full. (plus the occular migraines take a lot out of me)
I often try out ideas on scraps of weird fabric, or oddly shaped scraps of paper. These are contained in a box of parts... bits and pieces of lovely components waiting to be turned into something new.
One of the lessons was reverse applique in a bold primitive fashion. I've done it in heirloom style where you don't see stitches so this idea was bold. One lesson was painting fabric by squishing it in your hands, no thanks, but I reached into the magic parts box and pulled out these three painted pieces to try the embroidery method.
The fabric is apparently poly so it frayed like crazy, and I was too lazy to find a hoop to control it, so I just stitched the stamped bit with a big perle cotton in turquoise, cut out the center, pulled it back and tacked it down with coral perle cotton colonial stitches. I do french knots but now have this knot in my arsenal to use and I like it!
I expect this to turn into a sketchbook cover soon, after more construction!
I am learning Shisha techniques for fabric, and by learning I mean I made a dogs dinner of the whole thing...
The instructor had us make a pin cushion... (an ENORMOUS one) I had to use a button instead of mirror for my experiment, and never quite got the concept down but finished the pin cushion.
I liked the shape, the colors of felt and thread I chose, I liked adding a tiny circle and stitching to make little flowers, the colonial knots are very cute. I'll tune in to learn shisha from Sarah Humphrey instead of this teacher I think.
the trimmed bits of felt caught my eye, and I arranged them into a dragon fly... I like the idea of adding this to something, with beads of course and pretty threads
While watching the videos I sketched two teachers, while having my morning coffee...
of course on scraps of paper from cutting out the pin cushion template... using just pencil
I kind of like the triangle shape of the paper!! When doing a portrait from a photo I look to see what makes that person different from other people... tiny angles of an eyebrow, shape of a nostril, lips... etc
it is training my eye to see... to draw what I see not what I think I see
speaking of which one very talented artist who does thread sculptures decided to teach instead, how to notice lines in organic matter to be stitched later (here is an example video of hers )
these were drawn with my new birthday pressie from dh... which I'm finding very useful for lots of things... calligraphy as well as sketch. One of them is gray, the others black different shaped nibs
I would use the leaf drawings to do this with thread onto solvy, then dissolve that to have the lines left to use in art. whee!
I discovered this person because amazon sent me an email that I might like her... and I do!
I did another exercise by creativecove on drawing iris
and I loved it, but I also love iris' colors so I added in a bit of paint
Koi watercolors, small round brush
over the pencil and shading, pretty effect. Then adding a few black inked lines and white gel pen
I dug into my orange scrap bin this week to work on the blocks for my "portal" quilt... a walk in an autumn forest
cut 2.5" X 10.5" rectangles, pair them up, both face up, cut on diagonal....
pairs ready to cut on diagonal
sew two colors together into two blocks, retrim to 2" X 10" and go to the design wall to start that process
I love using fabric like paint, taking it down to color with the added excitement of the prints! All from scraps and now becoming a beautiful whole piece because they are all working together, cooperating to make something greater than any one of them.
In my heart this is the way humans should be... each unique, each bringing beauty to the whole, working together to make life better for all.
It's a dream, but it keeps me going in these days of insecurity
I am holding on emotionally by a thread of hope
As artists we are people, we are influenced by what goes on around us, our thoughts and feelings, and as artists we seek to interpret what we see, hear and feel.
To keep sanity I use art to escape and since autumn colors make me feel peaceful, that's where I'll be...
immersing myself in color, in slow stitching and fast stitching like these blocks, in color and letting it soothe my spirit
welcome to my creativity round up for the last week of October 2022.
Relax!?? when there is so much to do??
no not raking,
ART-ing!!!
The little index card with a message for me on it is about all I've painted except for fabric this week. I started with a word written with stabillo crayon, and wet brush dragged the paint into a shadow. Then leaves drawn with pigma marker, painted with watercolors, it was done!
A workshop lesson this week was to try block printing on fabric
square stamp with spirals, lumiere paint
I used a foam brush to spread paint on a square stamp, stamped 8 times around a square with Stuart Gill metallic blue paint. Then a dog running was stamped in a loose circle with copper paint, and tiny hearts stamped inside in a 9 X 9 format.
I think I needed padding under the plastic bag for a better impression but like the idea of using one stamp repeatedly to make a pattern.
another instructor suggested making a hand stitched needle book with overlapping scraps...
front and back
and pages insde from batting to hold needles
I thought, these are cute little Christmas gifts... hey here's a little Christmas fabric scrap 2.5" X 3.5"
little sequin stars and some beads
it holds needles believe it or not!
who doesn't like a miniature thing?
rainbow scrap challenge color of the month is light green, so I did my wish upon a star block to go with all the colors so far....
all done in repro feedsack fabrics
the block with cutest little repro prints
I did a few little hexies in light green....
a piece of hugo's thread control plastic bundles them to use later
