Let's discuss art...

Let's talk about art... each of us has their own definition of art, which doesn't bother me a bit.
After all being individuals, we all have our own preferences.
When making art, I want to express myself, when buying art I want to feel something. There is an emotional content to it's enjoyment for me. And I want to enjoy it in the making and the viewing.

What do you think of this composition?? On Saturday I took the ripe nectarines, in that rosy coral golden richness of color, put them in the bowl bought at a craft festival years ago in the Adirondacks. It was sitting on the teatowel and before putting the bowl on the pass thru, I sat the lemon down for a moment.

Suddenly the artist in me was engaged. The lemon turned the tide. We try to have water each morning with some lemon juice squeezed in, and I always enjoy seeing and smelling the fresh lemons. On this day I loved the interplay of color and line, then added in the cup also bought from a craft show, holding a tea bag.
I like the old school Constant Comment tea, using them to make iced tea.

Now the rule of three elements was in play. There was a mix of line, straight lines repeated in the towel and the spoon handle and the horizontal lines on the blue bowl. There were curves repeated in the fruit, the cup, the carvings on the cup, the edge of the bowl, the hearts.

The color scheme is almost analogous, but the blue bowl brings in complimentary color, blue with orange.

My artist's eye was happy. I love this picture for the homeyness, for the balance and sense of moment. It captures a moment in time, and is as good to me as a painting of the still life would be. My husband came in and asked "what's the deal with this stuff on the counter?"

It's still life with an artist I reply.
Please tell me what you think about the whole concept? Does real life sometimes stun you with it's beauty?
This is a cropped image of the above scene and I do not like it nearly as well...

What quilters can learn from ice skaters

There are many lessons that ice skaters have for quilters...
While on vacation in Lake Placid, yep that Lake Placid, I visited the Olympic skating rinks daily to watch future Olympians and regular folk move around the ice with ease.

Olympian, Paul Wylie teaching people my age

Lesson one: it's not too late to learn a skill you always wanted to learn. These people are vintage. Learn from the masters... these skaters come to LP to study with master coaches.
 Quilters who know everything they need to know, can still learn new techniques that might come in handy. You never know....

Blade guards

2.When you buy tools, buy the prettiest  most colorful useful items you can find. Then use them every day.
Color is good, and a well placed crystal is a good thing.

3. Skating is solitary for the most part, but keep supporters around to help in the down times. Coaches (quilting experts) point out areas that need work, families tell you you are fabulous, friends pick you up when you fall.
Skaters put in the time practicing though. Quilters take note. Some things take practice. And don't be afraid to put in the time, and expect to fall now and then.Skaters don't expect to achieve a move right away.

4. If you have practiced and find yourself in a "death spiral" either work though it or admit that technique is not for you and move on. There comes a moment in most quilter's lives when they have ripped a seam out too many times, or a technique moves from challenging to irritating, to cursing and they are allowed to say they choose not to use that technique or pattern ever again.

Row of pretty water bottoles waiting for their owners

5. Stay hydrated. Skaters have a lot of breaks built into their workouts. They try a move, either succeed or fall, skate over to the wall, sip water, adjust their ponytail, take off a layer, check their phones, whine, then do it again. We need to take breaks while sewing. Stand up, move around, drink water, adjust our spanx.

6. Be careful... wear protective gear. This woman's hat of fur is not just decorative. It's a helmet protecting her head from the hard ice. We need to close the rotary cutters, be careful not to sew over fingers, respect irons when putting on said crystals, do our craft with a nod to ergonomics.

Yep, he's thrown her in the air, she's using her core to stay there

7. Work hard to master a move. Do what is seemingly impossible to do. Work hard to achieve.
Quilters, there is no reason to always take the easy way out. We don't get to Heaven faster if we make more simple quilts. Some quilts take a while to finish and that's okay. Keep working at it.
Finally...

6 yr old who can do a double axel with ease

Pets are on this journey with you, they are there to celebrate the wins and help lick away the losses

Cole's version of swimming

Let's see... do we need one of these??? No, silly! 
Every day on vacation we walked down to the beach to go for a swim.
You will be needing a squeaky floaty toy, so you can fetch and make the other dogs jealous of your intense squeaking ability....

oh, it's kind of crowded today. Let's see, there are several dogs with their peeps, people setting off on kayaks, people swimming, ducks, etc.



The water rose up a bit when these two got in....

I threw down my toy for this little doodle to play with, just for a moment you know, not for keeps since the squeaker is REALLY loud which is cool in doglish.

She ran around with it for a moment and I have to admit I considered a poodle summer romance but she was dog-tired from swimming so much.
Let's discuss swimming. Now I'm 13 and a half. My idea of fun is to wade out CAREFULLY up to and only up to my elbows. That's living! Doesn't matter how long that takes, or how many sips of lake water it takes to complete one round.
 Life is not a race.

Momma and Daddy are really good at throwing it just where I like except this time... uh oh... too far. It kept floating toward the middle of the lake, oh noooooooo
We all tried to get a retriever who was already out there to bring it in. He swam over to it, touched it with his nose, then left it. Not his.
Well, why were all the peeps looking at me??
EVERYONE knows I don't go up to privates height in the cold water.
Finally Daddy went out and brought it back, FETCH DADDY! Good boy! (BOL) (BARking out loud)

Maybe next time we should take a boat?

On the way back to the room, I stopped for a cold one. Every year Momma takes a pic of me playing with the shaved  rink ice outside the center. Usually I dig in it, because what's more fun than digging in snow?

Sure wish my people would carry me home too....

young labradoodle being carried by dad

No sound came through, but I had a funny running commentary going trust me.
The link is on youtube here

Want a pen like mine??

Available at Twisted Sister store in Annapolis

We three went for a little outing in West Annapolis and visited some terrific shops.  As luck would have it, ended up in the Art Supply store, where I found something for you...

No silly, not this ENORMOUS brush! (actually I'd like to have it and it was on sale for 12 buckeroos)

I found some more of the faux fountain pens in even brighter colors! I got you one.... 

or at least one of you.

 The purple one, a bit darker ink than my polish, can be yours. This is for my peeps, my fellow writers, my lovers of color, my friends who read my words time and again and leave fun comments.

This time, to win the pen, please leave a comment about what you would write with this pen...
anything from sudoku puzzles to grocery lists to notes to a lover to poems to letters-to-the-editor to your memoirs.

Tell me what you'd write, and to be honest I'll probably pick the one that entertains me best!
Either humor or sentiment or honesty. All good.
And thank you for your continued friendships, it's so good to see your comments and know you've shared the creative life with me each day!!

Pens purchased at Art Things in Annapolis

 See the original post about my discovery of these little wonders of ink here, just...CLICK

I just became uncomfortable wondering if I can send an ink pen to Europe.... well if the winner isn't in the US I'll have to check the rules.
UPDATE! A winner has been chosen and it was hard and I am still not sure that I won't go get another one because there were so many GREAT answers!!! I love you guys! 
The winner is   Quilted Fabric Art!

PleinAir Painting

Every day while staying in Lake Placid I walked around the lake on this...

beautiful brick sidewalk. A three mile walk around Mirror Lake. Smelling the fresh pine, hearing wind through the trees, seeing many people and dogs,  and taking a lot of pictures of flowers and rock walls.
I did this walk in the morning, and again at night.
Lovely.






One evening near sunset I met this man, Patrick,  http://www.patrickmcphee.com/

Plein Air painting. He was painting this view...

with these oil paints...

Isn't it a bit of fun to see an artist palette? I think so.

The artist looks at the object to paint, chooses or mixes colors to use, has all the tools to use, and the magic happens.

I spent about 10 to 15 minutes talking to Patrick about his art, choices, capturing light, realism vs abstract, and other aspects of art. So fun!

He said the other plein air artists think one must paint quickly and sort of sketchy if it's outside.

He does not roll that way. He is painstakingly careful about each stroke of color, and I watched him dab a tiny amount of light onto a branch then dab away extra color to blend the teensy dab further. He regarded the painting and did it again on another branch.

We also spoke about the current painting's size. I asked if he always painted this size and he said, "oh no, usually much smaller. This one is huge" then he pulled out detailed replica's of the mountains in sizes of about 3 to 4 inches.
WHAT!!??

When I told him I am most comfortable working at 40 X 50 he was astounded!

Having seen him at work, I can understand his reaction. He is incredibly focused on each tiny detail.
He said his family will say, the art is done.
He knows it isn't because there is a bit more light needed, one more tiny dab of paint here...

He is not into portraits like his girlfriend, he paints landscapes. He's done it all his life and makes his living at it. They are incredible in person.



I learn so much by talking to artists working in different mediums than I do, and although I paint, I like watercolors. I like how they behave, how I apply the paint, how they smear and blend and show the paper, or fabric, under them.  Patrick  takes time and care with details. I already do that with my quilts but it was good to see another artist ignoring the people who tell him just do it fast, or that it's done. Know what I mean??

There is a fab book store in town that also sells artist supplies. I visit several times during our stay and this time I left with these supplies...

I have been writing a lot. Words are my passion along with color.
DH found this spiral bound, hard cover, lined book for me to pour out my stories. He bought this and a wonderful pen that lets ink flow out smoothly, as I prefer to write in longhand. Then, I found these pens and books ...

The pens are like old fashioned fountain pens, but easy because they are self filling. Oh it's so satisfying to write with them. And the colors!!

Reminds me of my teen years, and I was the only one writing with fountain pens, with the cartridge that you pierce with the nib. Scritch, scritch.

These are fabulous, and I've written many essays already in my book. I don't share them here but am considering starting a blog just for them.

I met an editor for the NYTimes on this trip and he asked what my genre is. Well, that's a hard question, as my writing style like my personality defies definition. Essays, characterizations, reflections, humor, fable, details noted about a moment in time or a person in particular that caught my imagination.
My engineer husband loves them, which is a rave review.
Writing is another art form and I'm all about the details.

Cole-di-Locks and the Big Bad Bed

Once upon a time Cole-di-locks needed a place to lay his little poodle head. Is this the right bed he asked??

Maybe for a moment, if Daddy is in it.

You see, Cole has not enjoyed being on the big bed since he was a young pup."I need my own space" he says,"These long legs, you know"

The only times he gets up there is during big thunderstorms and the only reason he does that is to comfort his poor pitiful parents who are scared to death of loud thunder...




This bed is TOO BIG! (even with a daddy to guard me)
He tried this little bed

but he kept falling off it. This bed is too small. (Not to mention too hard) (And smells like soap) (ewww)

Oh don't worry about me... I'll just lay down here like a dog on the hard cold ground...

Long-Suffering Poodle

(Sound of snoring)

What's this??? the perfect bed? Soft, cozy, in the room with my peeps but not having to actually touch them or put up with their endless, "Cole! Be still!" or "Cole, MOVE OVER" or "Cole.... your breath"

Just me, and my new squeaky vacation ball, and my night time trail mix of kibble and cranberries. Ahhhh now this is the end of the story! The poodle slept happily ever after!

Of course we're home now.... reality bites.

Shiny Sparkly Beads

Yum! Look at all the pretty shiny sparkly beads! These little sparklers require a good pair of reading glasses.

Beading has returned as an obsession.
 I never stopped caring about them, and beads find their way onto most of my quilts, but I had forgotten just how much I like peyote stitch. Now I am doing free form even count flat peyote instead of tubular. It has opened up a world to me creatively. Mainly because I can't follow someone's else's directions, so I make up my own path.
Much more satisfying.

Recently on vacation, while DH Drew was doing this...

That's my husband in blue on the SUP for the first time

 Cole and I were doing this...

I took along the beads I am using for my Geogia O'Keefe piece, but stopped in the local bead store, "just to look" and left with these little tiny squares and bugles of color. I spent the next few days playing with them to see how they behaved...

It is fun to just play with color, size, line, and finish in this format instead of painting or quilting.

I had prepared some baggies full of thread, needles, and beads but you know how stimulating new materials are!!

I haven't shown you any of the 8 pieces I've done so far. You can just see the start of some circular mandala's on the brown bag above. It's grown now into a beautiful piece. It will go on the Georgia o'Keefe  quilt along with a teensy painting I did a la her style.

I haven't wanted to be in the studio at the machine, so am enjoying summer and hand work. What about you?