still looking...

for my muse. One of the books I got has some wonderful ideas for using paint on textiles. A lot of the ideas involve rubber stamps, but I have quite a few of my own stamps for this just might work. I've tidied up my studio, and then spent the afternoon putting together some greeting cards. It's mindless work and they seem to sell well. Next I'm thinking of digging out my file of "Fast Friday" Challenges. I've only done 2 out of the nine but maybe if I give some of the others a try, my "artist/child" may come out of hiding. I also spent a fair bit of time today sorting through some painting and dyeing that I did a couple fo years ago. I found some mono-prints and some shaving cream prints that I plan to experiment with. I don't think any of them is great art,but they are certainly good enough to fool around with. So I'm off on a journey of discovery, after having given myself permission to relax and enjoy the ride, without any worries about the final destination.

Got in again!

I have been working very, very hard lately and recently I've had three major projects go wrong. I have to wonder if the stress of trying to do too much, and to meet deadlines, is interfering with my creativity. Technically, things are going well, it's more in the design and creative area where I'm having problems. I recently found a list of 20 creative exercises that are supposed to help a textile/fibre artist learn and grow, but half of them don't make any sense to me. I honestly don't know what the words mean. So, I'm going to give myself a holiday and not attempt anything serious for the next few days. I actually spent the morning making jam! Now I'm thinking of going to the library and finding some simple books on design and creativity, in hopes that they might clarify the list of exercises, but they are going to have to be fun. No serious work for me.

And here is the close-up. I love doing these, and I've been converting my friends to, at least, try the technique. We are finding out that the process works under full-spectrum lighting and that you don't necessarily need the sun to produce a good print. Somehow, I feel that the process of painting, printing and then sitting and watching the sun do it's thing, adds to the whole-ness of the experience. I don't know if it would be the same emotional experience doing it any other way.

This is a second finished sunprint hanging. I've been told that orange will not sell, but I love this piece as the images are so very crisp, and clear. There is no beading in this piece--the colours are so strong that I didn't feel it needed it. This one may not go into the sale.

Boy, I sure don't take very good pictures! This is a close-up that may show you how I've added beads to the sunprint.

Well, I'm not sure what I've done here! the image is sideways and I'm going to have to figure out how to rotate it. This is one of my finished sunprint hangings. My favourrite.

Hot D--n!

Wow! I got in again--can this be the start of a trend? Maybe I need to get a whole bunch of pictures of my sun prints to post before Google kicks me out again.

Halleluia!

I actually managed to get into my blog. I don't know what Google has been doing to me lately, but this is the first time I've been able to get in in almost a month! I have to tell you that Tree of Peace is safely home! I was worried, but it arrived a few days after my last post. Since then I have been working my little fingers to the bone on Sunprints! What fun! I use Seta-Color paint and leaves out of my garden. I've tried it in several different colour combinations and have made so many that I've just about run out of paint! I'm making them up into small quilted hangings and a few smaller ones are matted ready for framing. I plan to offer them for sale in Pinawa in late July. I also plan to make a few applique landscapes and have those framed ready for sale as well. I have greeting cards with applique landscapes, and they look really good, so I'm hoping that the slightly larger matted ones do well. I'm making them in common sizes so that frames will be readily available. Some are 8" by 10, and others 11" by 14". I've invested a lot in this sale--if I don't do well, I know what the family will be getting for Christmas! Wish me luck!

Once I have enough stock for the sale I have to get busy and get ready for my new Grandbaby, who will be here in November. I made quite a few things for my DD's first child and I don't want to have any less for the second one. The family has an antique swinging cradle that we completely refurbished when little Jessica came, but I don't think we want to do that again. We had a terrible fight with the upholsterer who made the little mattress. That little mattress will have to do for at least this generation!

Enough for now. I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can get in again.

This will give a better view of the "mountains", and the gold mesh arches. The bad part of this is that the picture has not yet arrived back from Newfoundland, even though it was mailed over a week ago. I'm getting a little concerned, but was very glad to find these pictures in my camera. Since I wasn't actually the one who mailed it, I don't even have a trace number or an insurance receipt. I'll keep hoping, but I've heard bad stories about art work being stolen while in transit.

Here is a close-up of the tree itself, where you can see how the colours of the silk were used to give contour to the tree shape. I put my source of light up and to the left for shading.

Here is a picture of my piece titled "Tree of Peace". I named it after many people told me that they had a sense of peace after looking at it. I entered it in the Winnipeg Embroiderers' Guild Members Show in February 2008, where it won the Eleanor Thomas Award for members choice-- Best of Show. I was then encouraged to send it off the the Embroiderers' Association of Canada Annual Members Show in St. John's Newfoundland in May of 2008. I was very pleased when it was awarded second place in the Leonida Leatherdale Award for Members Choice Best of Show. It is on silk, and I first put down a piece of hand made silk paper, which I had cut into four pieces. I'm told that this gives an appearance of mountains. Then I put down three arches of gold mesh and couched Japanese Gold around the edges of them. The tree itself, is done with chain stitch and outline stitch using five different skeins of overdyed silk thread to provide the contours. I'm always surprised at what you can do with simple stitches.