My creative week... quilting plus watching paint dry and sketching

 

Another week at chez LeeAnna was spent in the pursuit of art and color!!! Sometimes it was an effort to escape physical pain, sometimes an effort to learn a new skill or just see color move across paper

I signed up for Tamara LaPorte's week long painting workshop... sometimes I was inspired to try it sometimes I opted to just hear part of the videos. The first image is poppies done in watercolor, using my kuretaki paints, and my new tube of daniel smith opera pink

I didn't follow her instructions to use masking fluid. I didn't need to, and often adhesives give me migraines now. I would do the backgrounds the same way, but next time I would look at a nature reference photo and be more mindful of actual lines in poppies. She was haphazard about lines and color. What I do love here is the warm color against cool colors, and the watery look of the stems as well as the drops of color not found in nature

Index cards took a back seat this week, but here are 4. It was hard to interpret glyph when I can't pin down an actual definition. Typewriter was fun... in opera pink. I learned to type in high school summer school class, and that skill has carried me along my whole life

I had a turquoise travel typewriter which went missing in some move. I inked in four black squares, then used a while gel pen to letter on top of them

superstition started life as my drying paper towel from three painting sessions. When dry, I glued it to an index card, then inked on a sort of black cat. I love a black cat myself! I liked the texture

I originally wanted to use the dancing image as an inspiration for moonlight, but out of time I printed it off google images, and glued it to the index card and called it a day. I still want to do some version of my own on a larger paper

butterfly done over collaged card

fuchia  with a quote collaged over

I do not like collage much, the random quality plus I can't use gel mediurm without a migraine so that makes it all hard. This week I tried a collage initiall put on with glue stick. I liked it, but it needed a surface so I attempted to put a super thin layer of gesso over it... 

unfortunately the gesso totally obscured the magazine cut outs. I inked over them in effort to give some meaning and definition to them

another one of the kaleidoscope taster sessions by tori Burt was a wee birdie

my little pencil drawing before paint

I like a close up... how about you?

I just love him... such a sense of vulnerability... I've found when I imply an eye and don't overwork it, I like it better 

another lesson was a stylized portrait... I love the long neck a la Modigliani!

my pencil drawing, then gone over with stabilo crayon in black

Not my usual style so it was a really fun exercise in exaggerated features, no fuss!

stabilo crayon will dilute easily in water, so when I drop watercolor over it, the black line automatically creates a bit of shade. The idea is to paint fast, drop in color. I love how it looks impressionistic. Sort of a baby of Picaso and Modigliani, a bit fauvist in the bizarre colors and wildness. There is no attempt to be symetrical or exact just exuberant use of color. 

on the quilting front, I am mostly finished with quilting this set of blocks from last year's rainbow scrap challenge. 

here on the design wall in sections to be put together next

I quilted the top and bottom borders first, using a mix of walking foot and free motion and cotton threads in three colors... pink, yellow and white

I just love art deco so a lot of the quilting lines remind me of that era. Pardon my poor images here, the room was too dark so when it's done I'll find a way to take better pictures

I have to do person sized quilts in sections because of the wear and tear on my body pushinng and pulling it through my little machine. This requires advance planning and putting sections together after

trimming, pulling the flap aside, machine stitching top borders to the top of the center, then opening it up, turning the raw edge of the flap and pulling it over the seam, to be hand stitched closed and top stitch quilted by machine for strength. It's all invisible when done.

Thanks for sharing my week of learning, playing with colors, and fabric choices

I'm looking forward to this big quilt's finish... It should be about 55" X 70" when done, and I will need to make a binding choice at the end... for my non sewing friends... that's like a frame on a painting, and finished off all raw edges for use. Remember the satin binding on blankets growing up?

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com

patchwork Sunday   

oh Scrap Sundays

slow stitching Sundays

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

https://songbirddesigns.blog/monday-musings-6-19-23/ 

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://myblog-lunchbreak.blogspot.com/

Living the Creative life.... painting + quilt making with scraps

 

I stayed very busy this week, with the workshop thru Willowing... the above painting started like this

workshop by Kaaren Poole

It was taught by Kaaren Poole who reminded me I want to increase my illustration skills... on two pieces of paper, painted with watercolor over pencil sketch. 

I love the whole thing, and the dandelions floating off.

It will get words when finished

and most of all the little ear...precious

Also love this little guy taught by Willowing's Tam LaPorte....

lots of sewing this week....continuing on my scrap challenge in Fall colors (sent by Jan)

so far I have a Halloween runner, modern banner, a quilt runner, some odds and ends, the latest 60 deg diamond runner from a strip set... one block less than I needed so I filled in with a pieced diamond

on bottom right here

carefully cut the strip set with zero waste with this

organize them in fun way,

and start sewing in sub-units that can then be sewn in straight lines

don't forget to match up areas and be careful of bias stretching

next I wanted to add some green scraps to another working design. I had a brown scrap 2.5" X 12 so I cut it into 6 squares, cut the squares thru the center and inserted purple and green strips...

did some more improv geese units too

still have some scraps left. All these fitted into a small envelope so I had no idea the riches inside!

The design wall is glorious this week!

I have a sewing machine story that will have to wait as this post is already long... happy Arting!

 friday face off 

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

patchwork Sunday                    

oh Scrap Sundays

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays 

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

Midweek makers wednesdays  

http://www.myquiltinfatuation.com/ 

off the wall Fridays   

peacock party

tgiffriday

finished or not

watching paint dry.... and learning, always learning

 

 

For this week's painting round up, the focus is on learning... doing things differently but as always enjoying color! 

I am taking two intensive workshops with 3-4 hourlong videos each this week. It's sad when good things overlap and a person has to make a choice of what to leave behind. I started a lot of paintings this week, and hope to get to them later but a few things were made.

the owl seemed plain til I thought to add in mice! The cut out word was done on an index card, then cut into a leaf shape, a calligraphy word and some leaf drawings then taped to the piece, sitting on the mantel now

new pens!!!

 speaking of calligraphy I'm signed up to take a free workshop next week and tried my new brush pens. I like them a lot!

the workshop this week, CreativeU asks each presenter what color they usually leave off their work. 

I like all colors, except beige...and although I enjoy vibrant hues and saturated color, I am finding a use for the quiet, neutral colors where there is less contrast. It seems to be peaceful and allow the viewer to complete the picture. 

one presentation on illustration, said to paint with a watercolor back ground in all colors, then paint over the negative space... 

I painted two backgrounds, then in darker colors the negative space  leaving the pretty colors to become the image

 

next time paint darker color around the images

the top index card is the leftover from cutting out the fall leaf at the top of this post. I glued them to the card, and painted around the bits...

Kind of amazing that trash can become more...

it's all in what you see when you look at it...

since I can't really share the starts to lots of projects, I'll show you the last one. I do a lot of female portraits, and have developed my way of starting them. This presentation from Willowing's Life Book taster sessions, had a different approach. Just start laying in blobs of color... made me uncomfortable and I don't like it but...they don't all work, and there is beauty in all

dh's reaction wasn't positive... "your other portraits are a lot better" he said. I know, but it's a different approach. I'm using a new paper to me, Dick Blick brand 90 lb watercolor paper. Very inexpensive for learning on, don't worry about wasting it, but it absorbs the paint like crazy. The colors dry to paleness.

colors are much more intense in real life the photos are washed out

I think her technique deserves more attempts later, and like the quick line drawings done in staedtler black ink pen. 

More videos today, can't keep up but I can try....

linking to: face off party!

                Gillena(lunch break) of art

paint party friday mandalas and portraits

 Welcome to paint party Friday, let's enjoy color!!!

I started the week with this idea... a bookmark. What if I painted blobs of lightest yellow in a circle. Then slightly darker blobs outside that between the first ones. Then darker, darker darker. What would it make? 

It made the wonderful energetic flower above!

that became, what if I changed the colors...

and what if I paint cards for some friends who've withstood loss this month? 

each one alike, each one different

how would it look to add leaves?

Oooooo I like this one a lot... as always, my signature

 

next on the learning curve was watching the BBC show The portrait artist of the year. I saw it on youtube and there are several seasons, but I've only seen a couple episodes. Fascinating exploration of style.... the artists are painting a famous live subject, at the same time, and it shows their approaches.

  In this episode (youtube) one British artist uses watercolor, live subject, and a wall sized paint brush to do paint Ian Mckellen

the link
 so I got the grand idea to draw my own take on him... here is the start to it

yes, after studying in I got the nose wrong... it's more of a swoop in real life,... and noses really define a face (which is why I don't like stars getting nose jobs... their faces lose unique character to me)

I meant to add defining color and shadows but quite like it as is. He's watched over my art area all week and I smile each time I see him. I'd like to have at least added in the gray hair around his ear but there's always tomorrow...

there was a time not long ago when I would tell people I can't draw. Since then I have studied with instructors online, and just drawn what I see and you know... it's all good. I am enjoying it! Self expression and developing a style is the reason behind the actions.

One of those instructors had a pop up lesson this week, exploring creativity goals, and roadblocks

workshop leader elizabeth foley

we were to write a goal, for example one of mine is to finish a novel I started and get published. Another is to have a one woman show of my quilts. 

Then we were asked why we were reluctant/afraid to do it, writing this over the first sentences in a different pen/color. Representing what's in the way of our goals. Next we were to write in a different pen/color what is the worst that could happen if what we fear actually happened. 

That was the real learning for me. The "so what?" if the worst happened? If no one bought my quilts I'd be very happy to keep them (maybe happier truth be told) and on and on. 

next color over the words... now that goes against my grain so I added in watercolor between lines and over some in a transparent way. Next she suggested we grab a material we've not been brave enough to try out yet or haven't used much. 

I took some metallic paint, and she said to paint what felt like bold lines across the whole piece. 

Oh! Paint over my work? I did and painted the word brave because I am not brave. 

It was an amazing learning experience, I didn't anticipate it because she decided to do the zoom meeting for everyone on her mailing list, at the last minute. Because I once took a workshop this was offered to me. 

Life is kind of like that isn't it? One thing leading to another, experiences are there like plums for the plucking off a tree. Serendipity. Learning. Growth. New ways of thinking or working come up if we are watching for them... 

happy painting!

Linking to:  https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

friday bliss