Category Archives: Canyon de Chilly

Blue Stone, Canyon de Chilly, Collage Based Work, Columbus Junction, Creative Assistants, Green Grass of Home, Ice on Vincent, Label Blocks, Memory Map Quilts

On Marks

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Con trailsHello,

The sky was so full of contrails –  man made marks and I felt I must comment on my focus subject of this year.    Marks seem to be every were when you start to look for them. IMG_5586_thumb.jpg There are marks left by animals  like these deer and raccoon  tracks are that show marks of passing.   But there is a difference between the mark left behind by nature and the marks made by mankind.   Man made marks are a  conscious decision.  There for my con trails are not really marks on the sky as I have defended it.    Because I live in an urban setting   I seem to find most marks   on my walks.    I saw these marks of love in the sand when I was visiting Susan in Florida.  IMG_5352   Then I found these  marks scratched  in cement on a sidewalk. IMG_5335  I observe many spray painted marks.  I talked with a man replacing a  stop sign that had been grifittied  spray painted  yesterday  on my walk.   Then I found these IMG_5396 two in the stair well of the art building.IMG_5397   They all point to the fact that folks seem to be  driven to make marks on surfaces when the opportunity arises.  Think about all the silly doodles around the note pad by the telephone or look at a students  note book at the end of the school year.  Both are covered with marks.    We all seem to have a driving need to leave evidence of our passing in the world.  Even this strange sculpture is a mark of sorts of some folks existence.  IMG_5592    I can’t begin to explain why we leave behind the marks.  I just know we do and I find it fascinating.

surFACEAbout a month ago I wrote about the “ surFACE”  show where artists were given the plastic masks that Cancer patents used as a part of their treatment .  I went to the opening/sale of the art works that came out of that IMG_5570.jpgChallenge and was amazed by the transformation that the artists did with the masks.   This roman fighter was one.  Some artists cut up and distorted the masks like this flat work that became and elegant  type of painting. IMG_5575.jpg  I was amazed by this wonderful grass hopper were the artist mixed the plastic with corrugated cardboard. IMG_5572.jpgThere were several courageous lions. lots of butterflies and angles  among the altered masks.   Over 90 wonderful creations came out of this powerful challenge.

IMG_5609.jpgProgress Report:  Green Grass of Home  This quilt is 22.5” X 45” and a part of the self challenge project. IMG_5614_thumb.jpg The collage that I started this work with is  in a whole different color pallet- and it morphed as it grew, but I am quilt happy with the final results.    When one  enlarges from 4” X 6” to a bigger size one does need to break up things a bit differently.  IMG_5613  I had a good time with the quilting on this work and it is very flat  even though I did sew at 45 degree angles in some places.IMG_5612

IMG_5624.jpgMemory Map- Canyon De Chelly    This quilt is 18 “ X 20”.  It has been missing for several months.   Some how in my frustration with what to do next it got buried in a pile of fabric  and only surfaced this week when I was putting away fabric form my trip to Chicago.  IMG_5616.jpg    I am so glad it got lost because I was so frustrated with it I was ready to throw it away the last time I saw it.  But with fresh eyes I saw what it needed and now I am pleased with the work.   IMG_5617   It mostly needed more definition and needle work.  It got both this week. IMG_5618.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memory Map- Columbus Junction    IMG_5603.jpg  Finding Canyon De Chelly also got me going on this work that was at a stall too.   I have added more detail to the map section and I am in the process of doing the drawing of the figure for this work now.

 

 

 

 

 IMG_5583Creative Assistants    I got busy and finished up 21 more of these little fellows this week.    I was pushed forward on this project by unearthing a small box of necklaces with wonderful  beads for face parts- but I told myself I could not begin to play with them until I had finished all the started pins.   There will be more.

 

 

Ice on Vincent  IMG_5595.jpgI am building up the texture on this work now.  It is the slow step were it seems like not much is happening.  But I love all the thread play and the tacking down of fabric bits and yarns.

 

 

 

 

IMG_5577.jpg Blue Rock   This work is just a little behind the Ice piece.  I am still filling in the base layer for it.   I like selecting the fabrics and filling in the gaps .

Label Block # 48  IMG_5604.jpgThe building of the  blocks keeps on coming.

Keep Creating

Carol

Canyon de Chilly, Insect ology, Memory Map Quilts, Minion, Paper Quilts

Spring advancement

 

Hello,IMG_3646.jpg

I am so delighted by the changes Mother Nature has wrought this week.  From small buds last Thursday  to four IMG_3645and five inch leaves this week.   It is a wonder that we take for granted.   I ate my breakfast out doors  after I brushed the fallen maple blossoms off the table.    It is an amazing transformation and I can’t get enough.

I have had a full week.   Emily holding Barb's quilt I went to the Spring Weekend  Retreat at the Schweinfurth Art Center were the new Barbara Fenstein  Make Room was dedicated and open for use.   Her quilts lined the walls and her sister Emily found this beautiful IMG_3630_thumb.jpgtop among the  stash as she sorted things.    Some folks knitted,  such as Kitsy, Donna and Linda here.  Some IMG_3628sewed and some did a bit of both.  Linda also  did some beautiful thread painting of a on tree  she had painted.    She had the most extensive thread collection I have ever seen owned by an indivigal.  IMG_3627Nancy finished off this little quilt.  One she hopes to use as a teaching new worktool in the near future.  I started two tops- one both days.  We all had a wonderful time and hope to do it again  next spring if not sooner.

Tuesday was meeting day for me.  Both QuEGs and  Divas meant IMG_3632as it was the first Tuesday of the month.       Linda is taking a  on line class and having a lot of fun with it.  She is turning out a small quilt each month.  This is her line assement.

Corinne is making babyCorrine's elephant blocks  for a baby quilt.  This one has wonderful thread work in it.   I like how she created the shadows on the elephant in the center.

 

DonnaThe Divas also had great work to share. Donna has completed this wonderful mirror.  The frame is done with black Fimo.

Cheri is to the quilting stage on this Cheri's Gardenwonderful piece.  She is  machine drawing / quilting out on to the boarder in the form  of the  white leaves.  She also used the colored leaves as quilting line inspiration  on the surface.  ( you can see the white quilting lines on the purple boarder)  It looks great.

Ruth has reached theIMG_3639 quilting stage with her quilt too.   This is one powerful graphic.  She has discovered that quilting with dark blue in the black areas adds a special interest to the surface.  Cool thinking!

IMG_3644Cindy is working small as she is still teaching.  These are book pages that she will sent to friends of an exchange group.  But even working 6” X 6” , she finds she can  spend four to six hours on a page.   They are all magnificent.

New WorkProgress Report: New  Work 

This is the first top I did on the week end.  I used fabric from the Deconstructed Screen class I had taken last fall for the start of this project.  I added fabrics I had stenciled and stamped as well as one wipe up cloth .   It is ready for quilting and a title.

Insect ology   This is theIMG_3625 second top I started at the retreat.   Funny how the name just came along with the process this time.  I created and printed the insects a while back.  I used oil sticks for the printing with this project.

Paper quiltPaper Quilt I am still struggling away with this project.   It is made up of two pieces of paper that I printed with the Gelli plate last fall.    A little of the Tyvek I melted last week is a part of this work.  Some parts of it seem to work a  lot better then others.   I think I will add some additional paint to the surface as Carol Weibe recommends at this point and see if that helps me move forward.

Memory Map- Canyon de Chelly   This project also seems to be only inching along.     I did  add Rosalie and Marty to the image however…… IMG_3648   I am thinking this work might benefit from some paint too.   The paint could unify sections and take the sharp edge off some areas.   It is not holding together too well for my taste yet.

MinionsIMG_3654.jpg   As this picture shows I am still in the process of assembling the Minions.  None of them have eyes  or legs yet, but each evening I get a little closer.

IMG_3649Place Matts    I was drooling over the wonderful fabric that Regina gave me a few week ago when I realized they could become place  mats.   I now have two new sets and I love them both. IMG_3652

Label BlockIMG_3650  And the stitches go on.    I am enjoying this project as I read the labels- one thing I never really do when they are in clothing.

I am off to visit my friends in Maine next week so there will be no posting for the 14 of May.     I will post again on the 21 of May.

Happy Mothers Day to all.

Hugs

Carol

Canyon de Chilly, Carol, Flag Challenge, Hand work, Lexi, Memory Map Quilts, Nail Castings, Name Game Quilts, Whip Shock Hill #2

Warming up

IMG_2696.jpg  Hello,

We are starting to see the melting of the snow  around here.  It is beautiful in its own way.  But it can become very dirty and discolored before its gone.    With the longer days I find myself spending more time cleaning and sorting.  I seem to have the  clutter rule  of  “ One   thing in one thing out” well under control in my closet and dresser drawers.   But that is not the case in my studio.     I have piles of stuff all around and I need to do some serious culling.   I know that a clean and clear space helps one get going on the creative work and I do love to walk into that sort of setting.  But I have been traveling and working with IMG_2701_thumb.jpgothers so much of late, that I have let the materials pile as I rush from one play date to another.    I have done a good job a voiding going out and spending money on new supplies and materials however.   I have kept my spending sense January at less then $35.   Not bad for two and a half month I think.  But   it is the gifting of stuff from those friends that is getting me into trouble.      I did spent yesterday with my friend Ethel doing screen dye printing.   It was great to play with the rich colors.  Now I have all the rinsing andIMG_2699_thumb.jpg washing to do today.  She also gave me a couple of yards of white duck…… I am hopeless!

I did work a little on the  Challenge Project Susan and I started in   Florida.  I added a blue wash to this piece and think I have decided on the text that I want to add.  I can  already see that the word part of this challenge will be the most difficult for me.    I plan to add some beads tomorrow when I go to see my friends at Turquoise Street studio.

IMG_2706.jpgProgress Report:  Nail Castings   This project started as a  result of  finding the white  plastic units that hold nails in electronic nail guns.  I was fascinated by the shapesIMG_2710_thumb.jpg of the things.  I have enjoyed working away  with thread out of Grandmother Ruth’s needle  basket  and exploring differentIMG_2711types of stitches.

Name Game 1-Carol IMG_2713.jpg Now I know I say that words are not my strong suit- but I do love the shapes of letters and the spaces around them.    To build this top I first printedClose up of Name game out my name in very large letters.  22″ tall  and 22” wide in fact.  Then I stitched around the letters and cut away the negative space.  I stitched the negative spaces shapes to a second pieces of light blue that was also 22” X  22”.    I found that the letters them selves  created  units of the turquoise  that were too big. So I cut just inside the stitch lines close up 2and  then added those new shapes to the negative space piece on the second fabric.  Next I cut both pieces of fabric into 5.5”  squares and began playing with the blocks.  Some I turned side ways or even upside down, always paying attention to the relationships of one square to the ones next to it.   This play part took me a long time and several days.   When I was happy with it I sewed the blocks together.  This is such a fun and challenging design project I started a second as soon as I had the top  all assembled.

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Name Game II – Lexi    This  second   top went a lot faster as I knew were I thought I was going.  I made this one more complex by using a plaid taffeta for the background fabric.     I also made more blocks and will not use all of them in this project.    I think this will create a stronger piece in the end.   In this shot some of the blocks are sewn to one  another.  

Memory Map- Canyon de Chilly  cose up of spider woman I added the Spider Women’s Towers to this project.  I really enjoy working on these Memory Map projects, but they as all very slow in there development.    The ruins are  also attached now too.IMG_2705I am still trying to decide what other elements I want to add to the work.

Whip Shock Hill II      I wantclose up of Wip shock hill  to enter a show where one needs two quilts that relate to one another.    I have been thinking about how much I enjoyed the work on Whip Shock Hill.  The first project shows less then half of the hill so I though I would use this challenge to do the second half.    This is just the roughed out

Whipshock Hill Foundations XXI 44" X 35"
Whipshock Hill Foundations XXI
44″ X 35″

stage.   But I do not think I have shown this step before when it comes to these type of  collage projects that I do.   The base  fabric is only pinned to the buckrum at this point and no stitching has been applied.   This second shot is of the first piece.

I am keeping myself busy as the Spring season gets going.

Keep Creating,

Carol