more little books
Still using my
fabric images.


One of the backs:




Another back cover:
back to books
Here is another small book using
fabric prints of my paintings.
heart songs
finished the painting...
painting withdrawals

I've been spending time on deadlines, and the business end of things lately, plus I started working on 8 art journals early this morning, but I was just so uninspired by it all tonight. I think it's painting withdrawals. I just needed to paint. So, I started one of the demo pieces for my next workshop in Kentucky, the first week of June. I'll still add some glazing, texture, and collage, but basically, the painting steps are finished.
Ahhhhh it felt good to be painting again :-)
book cover
I used one of the fabric images that I printed to sell
on etsy, and made a cover for a small book. Here are both sides of the finished front cover:

prints on etsy

I just finished listing a bunch of fabric prints
on etsy. They are giclee prints on cotton fabric of paintings, and digitally altered paintings combined with photos.
I'm so frustrated with paypal... I have them listed as free shipping in the US and $1 outside the US, but Paypal messes up almost every time, and over charges. If you purchase any, and you get over charged, I'll refund it back to you. I wish I could get someone there to help me, but I've tried everything and can't get any help.
I'll be listing more as time allows. These are paper backed, fabric (remove paper before gluing) giclee images, and can be painted on, used in mixed media collage, or even framed if desired. They won't smear or fade.
Enjoy!
Back from Texas
I had such a wonderful time. Sweet sweet ladies, and wow, did we turn out loads of art! I taught them all kinds of background techniques, as well as collage, and even fun with the heat press.
I'm all unpacked and ready to get ready for Kentucky workshop the first week of June... here's one piece that I did as a demo while in Texas. It incorporates the painted tissue that we did as well as wax and paint. I don't really do encaustic work, but I love to coat things in plain old wax. Mmmmm it's so deep and fun to look at.
I'm off to Texas
I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Texas to teach for 5 days. It's going to be so fun... non stop art for almost a week. Will be back late on the 10th.
Had to share a great birthday card from my friend Laveda. Isn't it hysterical? I'm still chuckling...

See you when I get back.. have a wonderful week!
new wall quilt
This is another wall quilt, but the painting is on watercolor paper instead of fabric. Backing and all other elements are fabric though. The binding was part of the treasures that I have that were my gramma's. It was a cotton, white binding tape in her quilting goodies. I opened it up, painted it with acrylic paint, then ironed it back the way it was before sewing it on the quilt. I love having some of gramma in my art work.


I took the large wall quilt (that I finished yesterday) outside, and got some better photos. Now you can see the black fabric better.



While out there, I couldn't resist snapping a couple shots of all the Spring beauty that is finally happening!




Labels: flowers, wall quilt
creating images
Using photos, paintings, and painted backgrounds to create new images.





and my favorite.... the background actually started out as a photo of bowling balls!
really...
cool huh?

Labels: acrylic painting, altered photos, Photoshop
wall quilt
I still have a bit of the blanket stitch to finish around the edges, but had to set it aside to finish up the workshop in Texas, where I'll be going on Sunday. Wish I could get better photos, but the quilt is too large for the scanner, and too large to stand over it and get it in focus. I need to take it outside and hang it up.


finished with the painting...

now I just need to make it into a wall quilt.


Labels: fabric paintings, wall quilt
fabric painting

I was on a roll today... I love days like this!
This fabric painting is only blocked in, and not finished yet. It's 18" X 21", and will become a wall quilt when complete.
Check this out!
Look what I just found!
Suzanne used a painting that she did in my class at Art and Soul last Fall, and made it into a quilt. Isn't it fabulous!
new project

I'm working on a project that will be in a new magazine. This is a crop out of it.
beautiful day

It was soooo warm and pretty today! I took photos of the most gorgeous bulls, cows, and calves .... along with fun farmyard texture photos. It was heaven.... I've been cooped up for so long with this cold weather we've been having, it was good to be out in the sunshine breathing in the beauty.


I couldn't resist altering the texture photos in Photoshop...
This is a hay rake... I think...

This was a big pile of metal pipe. LOVE this one:

Oil can hanging on a wall:

My favorite shot of the day. An old claw foot tub faucet:


This is the side of an out building. Not altered in Photoshop. Isn't that yellow incredible?

More hay rake:

Another favorite shot:

Wooden bunny:
new book
Just the front and back covers here... still need to add the signature. I created two fused surfaces using the heat press and polymer mediums (stuff cooked together under heat and pressure), then collaged over that, and topped it all with vinyl.

more books
more book covers and two more finished. what a nice break, to create fast and simple books. I love the detailed books that take days and days, but I'm enjoying the change from intense creativity, to a bit of production oriented creating. I'm so fickle though... I'll be needing the intensity again soon...




and one more small book started
another small book

This one is a wonderful size. It feels good in your hand... 4.75" X 8". One, wrapped signature with heavy blank journal pages. I stitched on the center page, and added a little tab.
Back cover:

Center page:

Front of signature wrap:

Back of signature wrap:
bound and finished
This little book (6X9) has blank pages other than the collage on the first page, and the painted front and back pages on each of the three signatures. I'm working on making some books that don't take a week to make, that are still fun, and more than just a blank journal with an image on the front. I love making the high end books, but would also love to have some books that I can offer at a lower price. It's hard to stop though... I always want to keep adding.




new book
I'm working on some new books for class samples, and for etsy, and vendor tables.

finally back in the swing of things
Yesterday, while my girlfriend was over, I worked on some background techniques.


Later in the afternoon it was so beautiful... I couldn't resist snapping some photos. It felt so good to breath deep, and be in flip flops again!



We had our first asparagus treat the other day. MMMMMM my favorite veggie.
New Workshop in Pleasanton CA
I will be teaching a one day workshop in Pleasanton CA at the new
ZNE convention Aug 21-25, 2008. Read more about them
here. Complete classes and details will be posted on the ZNE site by May 15th, 2008. They are offering
an early bird registration discount that is opened now.
I will be teaching an altered fabric collage technique. It's the technique that I have been using for book covers, and am teaching in my book classes. I've added the complete description on
my site here.


settling in, and totes on etsy
Wow... after returning home, jet lag hit and I've been laying around for days with a huge empty feeling. I battle that when I come home from a show, and it's so frustrating because the other part of me just wants to go and create. Patience while refueling isn't one of my gifts. Today is good though, and I'm finally beginning to feel better.
I listed two totes on my
etsy site that I wasn't able to fit in my luggage when I went to WI. They are from the group that I created for my
Belle Armoire, artist profile article that will be out in July.
I have a girl friend coming over tomorrow to create and play in the art room. It will be a nice time, and a great way to work back in to creating.

I made it home!
What a trip this was...soooo much to tell! Nine days packed with every emotion from one end of the spectrum to the other. On my trip home, I was one of the hundred thousand American Airline refugees, but am very thankful that it was on the way home, and not trying to get TO class. That would have been more than I could have handled. I can't imagine the stress of students waiting on me while I was trying to get to
Valley Ridge to teach. Although, the students in my workshops were incredible, and I'm sure would have been kind and understanding... I'm just thankful that other than missing one connecting flight on the way to WI, that I got there in time, and the bulk of the American Airline mismanagement fallout was on my way home. It only took two days to reschedule my flight home, and 15 hours flight time, so I was very fortunate.
If I had been forced to stay longer in Madison, and continue the art party with
Randi, it certainly wouldn't have been stressful though! OHHH did we ever have fun. The weather was awful, so instead of photo shoots, we decided to have a motel art marathon. And marathon it was. We stayed up most of the nights creating and laughing. We were suddenly very aware of just how much fun we were having, when at about 2 AM one night, the neighbor banged on the wall. We were so embarrassed, and had no idea how loud we were laughing and carrying on as we worked on our books. Other than that, we were well behaved though... :-)
When I got to the hotel after teaching, Randi had decorated the room with art posters, homey quilts on the beds, a hazelnut candle, and everything we would need for a fun art vacation... even a card table, sewing machine, and an extra chair.
Here's the poster she made for me. It was sitting on my bed with a lime green pillow and matching scarf. The minute I walked in, I knew it was going to be a dream vacation...

We both made a tote, and worked on a book. I'm anxious to unpack and continue working on the book. Creating with Randi was so inspirational, and even though we were doing a variation of the book that I taught while at Valley Ridge, brainstorming and working together stretched me creatively. We went to the dollar store, picked up more goodies for creating texture, found a Half Price Book store and purchased old books for signature paper and images, saved take out trays and silverware for pallets and texture tools, ate M&M's, and made a HUGE mess....

Both of our books incorporate photos from a Rembrandt art book from Half Price Books. Mine isn't bound yet, and far from finished, but here's a preview of the direction that it's going. Hopefully when Randi gets home, she will post hers to her
blog.
front cover:

back cover:





We also played around photographing our art tools. Of course that's always fun.


I also have great photos of my students and their work from the workshop. Stay tuned as I will share them a bit later.