Category Archives: Natural Elements

Collections, Comfort, Daily Practice, Forest Fire, JIG, Kindness, Label Cards, Memory Map Quilts, Mulberry Memories, Word Forms

Summer

 

Hello,

The summer is in full bloom in this area.   Lots of flowers and vegetables are available in the farmers market.   It is a great time of the year.    The weather has been so pleasant that Liz and I enjoyed dyeing   yesterday.   Now I have three layers   of color and pattern on my fabrics.  That was my goal for this summer.  I only need to do the time consuming wash out now.

I also went on a trip to the Fenimore Museum with a couple of my buddies.      The museum has a great Native American  collection.  I enjoyed it very much .  This mask is only one of many  beautiful works of indian art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Mulberry Memories  I am moving alone on this project and now I am adding in the landscape and foliage to fill many areas.   It is the fun detail stage now.IMG_1754

 

JIG    All the text is raw edge appliqued down now.    I am beginning to do the reflective quilting now.

IMG_1755When the quilting is done I am going to run this work through the washer and dryer to get even more fraying of the edges of the words.

 

Collection 3   I am  now  to the hand step  of the work on this piece .  I enjoy  adding in little found objects as well IMG_1749 to add even more texture.

 

 

Wild Fire   This is the third in the elements series.   I am also distressed by the Wild Fires in the west so this seems like a good way to think about natures power of destruction as well as creation.   I am using Angelina to add the sparkle of fire light to this  work.

 

 

  Daily Practice I am nearing the end of the hand work on this piece I think.  Adding the embellishment of the metal and beads seems like a good place to stop I think.

 

Cards: Kindness    This is a wonderful concept.   I agree that Kindness is underrated.

Comfort  There are times when it is necessary   to be still and consider our  citation.  Then are  also time to move forward.  Most of us do not spend enough time contemplating and just act.

Keep Creating

Carol

Baby Quilts, Daily Practice, How, Ideas, Ideasa, Label Cards, Natural Elements, Sky, Why

Summer Days

 

Hello,

The yucca is blooming and the smell fills the air.

 

My big event for this week was to help hang the Associated Artist show at the Beaver  Lake Nature center on Sunday.    Aa Brial Patch It was fun and I enjoyed helping and talking with my fellow artists.   This show will be up until the end of Aug.

It was so hot on Wed that Liz and I did not dye.   I made screens with house paint and  interfacing instead.IMG_1452The light gray areas will allow the dye to pass through and print on the fabric below.

The heat has kept me in the studio and I have accomplished a lot.

Progress Report:   Linda’s Luck   This work is 36” w X 41”l.     It has been created with the use of the cut aways  from several other text pieces.   IMG_1456I used the vertical parallel stitching to do the quilting job.IMG_1457

Summer Heat     This in the start of one of my new pieces.     The center block is a scrap  of painted silk and the started the whole thing.

Beth’s Baby Quilt   This quilt is ready for the detail work now.   I have not done a baby quilt in about three years and it was a bit more difficult to get back into this process then I expected.IMG_1461

How and Why    The addition of the word why really helped this quilt work for me.  I am doing the quilting step now.  I am sure it will be finished by next Thursday.

 

 

 

 

 

 Why   I had to create a quilt using Why and this is it.  I like the strong contrast  between the text and the background.

Sky  IMG_1459I painted this piece of fabric to create  the base for my sky from the class I am following.

IMG_1451New work-  Collections 3  This is step one in the collections works.  I just lay out a few squares of fabric to build on top of.

Daily Project    I finished the   orange coring.  Then I moved onto the rickrack.  It is going very slowly as I am being so elaborate with the stitches I am using to tack it down are complex.

Label Card: Ideas

I think  that a good idea is like the cracks in mud, because it can lead and connect to so many other things.   One just needs to be open to that idea.

Enjoy the summer  and keep creating.

Carol

IMG_1445

Asters, Daily Practice, Dill, Fiddle Head Ferns, Layers, Talk

Spring Retreat 2018

IMG_0797 Hello,

The big event for last week was  the Schweinfurth Spring Retreat.  This time I was in the dry studio as I seem to have a lot to catch up on and I did not feel I needed to work wet again.     As is the point of these little retreats we all worked away on our own challenges.  This first shot is of Linda quilting a piece for her self.  She finished it and pin basted seven more baby quilts that she had waiting.  Liz spent the time doing a mystery quilt that the guild is doing.  She was weeks behind and did accomplish a lot. IMG_0814   Nancy spent the week end building a quilt for one of grandkids.  Linda S. worked  thread painting/quilting on this owl and a hand painted sea shell.  She does such beautiful work.    And so detailed!IMG_0824Kitsy  worked away on these two projects.

One of our usual participants  is fighting cancer so we all make blocks to put into a quilt to encourage her to wellness.   Each block is to have a W on it.   Liz went a bit crazy  and did five.   I brought mine block all finished.IMG_0795

 

Maureen was  in the wet studio and she did some beautiful shobori work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I worked on more thread painting and use of wash away techniques that I learned  from the class I had  last fall.IMG_0823T he branch is  from the class and made thread painted  birds to be a part of that project.       The intensity of doing the tight work  with the  sewing machine , made me tense.  So I did two scarves as a

a way to relieve that tension.IMG_0812This green one has silk paper along with yarn ribbon and sequins on itIMG_0844  The brown one has lots of ribbons and yarns only.   IMG_0849I also did drawings for several other birds. 

Monday I went back to the Schweinfurth to help take down the “Both Ends of the Rainbow” show.      I picked up and returned several of Sharon’s pieces tooIMG_0798  It has been a busy week.

Progress Report: Dill   This work is  12 “ X 12 “.   The seed heads are beads that were IMG_0842stitched on top of the thread painted dill plants, that were stitched onto a wool and fabric background.IMG_0840      Then I stretched the piece  to finish it.    I enjoyed the process.

Asters  I am to the stage where I am ready to add the flowers on to this work.  I am doing the petal’s now  and will add the faced flower centers on top of the 1/2” petals next.  All is done with raw edge applique.

Fiddle Head Ferns   The fiddle heads are all done and the background is ready for the addition of actual open fern leaves now I think.

IMG_085212” X 12”    I am starting work on my entry for the SAQA  12X12 auction.     At this time it is only tacked up.

Altered garment    After purchasing a great jacket in Florida  with lace applied to it –  I wanted to alter a jacket of my own.  I am auditioning lace on this coat now.     I  have a great collection of old lace and tatting that my    grandmother and aunts did.   I will give these works a new life with this project.    Again things are just pinned down and nothing is stitched.

IMG_0854Daily Practice   I just keep adding stitch work to this top.   They are adding up but not to the degree that I want yet.   But that is to be expected as this is only the second week. 

NecklacesIMG_0831  I stopped at Jo Ann’s this week and because I was tempted and the beads were 50% off I purchased some.   I told myself I would make at least one necklace with them using beads from my stash.IMG_0833   These two necklaces are  the result.

IMG_0850Parts     I did make two more patches for the parts project.   It is growing slowly too.

Cards:  Talk   One of the best things about friendship is talking and sharing fun, problems and pain.

 

 

 

 

 

Layers   As I age I feel like  I keep adding layers and layers of experience on top of one  another.   I wonder how much gets buried this way?

Keep Creating

Carol

3 Witches, Collage, Glyph IV with Beads, Hand work, Indian Pipe, Indian Pipe, Label Cards, Medusa, Radial Joy, Spring Forest, Winter Apples

Spring Approaches?

 

Hello,

March in its typical approach can not seem to decide if it is ready for spring or if winter should still dominate.  I saw these Snow Drops on my walk yesterday and I did hear a Robin’s song this morning.  But there is also snow in the air and in the forecast  for this evening and tomorrow.     Mother Nature is a bit fickle.

Progress Report:  Indian Pipe   This work is 16” t X 20” w.     The background is felted and it is  based on a photo of a rock cut along a  road in Washington state.  IMG_0480  I selected the Indian Pipes as my subject from one of my mother’s slides.   The steams are made from organza that is wrapped around a pipe cleaner and the heads are satin ribbon.IMG_0481

Winter Apples This work is 27.5” t X 29.5” l.   It is based on a photo I took of a crabapple tree at Thanksgiving when we visited the Turning Stone Cession for our family dinner.    IMG_0494The crystalline snow is made up of silk with a lacy ribbon on top.   IMG_0495

Radiating Joy  I am to the quilting step with my work on this piece.  I did reflective quilting in the rainbow letters and I am doing strait line quilting in the dark areas.

 IMG_0459Frozen   I continue to move very slowly on this piece.   I am just about ready to cut the wholes in the ice where the rocks stick through.

Glyph IV I am happy with the progress on this piece as the top  of the O is now complete and I am working down the right side.

 

Spring Forest    I am done with the quilting on this pieces as well  and have moved onto the beading of the trees.  I had help selecting the beads that I am using.IMG_0469

   IMG_0465Afghan    This work is now done.  I like the colors and it is worm.

Daily PracticeIMG_0474The daily hand work is moving along.  All of the parts are at least tacked down with stitches now.    I look forward to playing with decorative   stitches on the rest of the surface.

New Work IMG_0477 I pulled greens out of the stash to begin a new piece based on an image of asters.   IMG_0489

Star Gazers   This is collage #9 and is called Star Gazers.

Card- Medusa IMG_0490  I always saw Medusa as a very tragic figure.   All that constant noise and motion around her head all the time.  Must have been tiring.

3 Witches  These three women from a clothing add made me think of  the 3 witches from Macbeth.  They seem to conjuring  trouble to me.

Keep being creative

Carol

Collage, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Glyph IV with Beads, Radial Joy, Shaman, Winter Apples, Zapped

Snow Fall

Hello,

After several warms days with warm temperatures and lots of melting we back to winter again  this morning.  Beautiful big fat flakes are falling now.    It looks like a crayon  drawing out there.   This week has been busy.   Liz and I taught a collage card workshop for Associated Artists on Sat.Workshop 2 Everyone had a good time and asked us to do it again in the furture.   FAB meant yesterday and  Nancy had three projects to share.   I think she did a great job with movement with her interpretation of  Aerobic  Twist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report: Zapped  This work is 35” w X 34 “ l.   I think this new form  of the word Zap works better then the old version as it is crisper and sharper.  IMG_0434 I used fabric that I hand dyed for the letters this time and I even used some in the background too.   Liz and I are doing a personal challenge to use our hand dyed fabric in our work this winter.   I am having fun doing so.IMG_0433

IMG_0425Radiating Joy  I am to the point where I am doing the zig-zag applique step on this work now.   It is backed with tear away paper so it is stable with all the turns and changes in direction I should be able to avoid bubbling and have a flat final piece .

Winter Apples All the satin apples are hand stitched appliqued now.  It took several trials before I found a way to show the crisp crystalline snow  on the fruit.   It has layer of white satin with  silver ribbon on top to get the effect I am after.  I am stitching it down by hand too as each apple  has a different type of snow cap on it.

IMG_0427Frozen  The  operation has hampered my progress on this project and others as I can not yet work for a long time at the machine.  I also need to look a lot before I add  new lines to the surface of the ice here.

New Work    This new project  is full filling two challenges.  The Associated Artists next show  theme is Rebirth.   Spring certainly is a time of new things and that is what this project is designed to do.  This piece also fits with the Liz challenge .    I designed the stencil and l printed it  at one of the open   studio weekends at the Schweinfurth a while back.  I am free motion quilting with two different colored threads in the top of my machine to  draw in the limbs of the trees here.

Daily Practice IMG_0440   A personal challenge for this project is to try to use as many variations on the strait stitch as I can on this work.  I continue to work on this project during the news every night.

IMG_0437New Daily Practice    Sometimes chance play a part in what I do.  This is and example of that  happening.  When I was cutting up the fabric for Zapped it happened to be piled on top of this piece of  purple  hand dyed.  I liked how it looked and realized I had never tried orange and purple together before.  So I decided to go with that thought for my next base  in this series.

Collage- Blue on Blue After watching my friends have a good time on Saturday at the workshop, I sat down at home and created this bit of collage myself.  It is too big to be a part of the series but I sure had fun.

IMG_0413Collage- Fading Memories  This is 8.5” X 11” and is # 7 in the collage series.   It has a little stitching in it too.

Card Sharman  This is my high priest card.

Keep Creating

Carol

Amber Empress, Collage, Frozen, Glyph IV with Beads, Hand work, Series, Winter Apples, ZAP

Operation

 

IMG_0411Hello,

I had my operation for carpel tunnel on my left hand yesterday.   It went well and because I had the right wrist done 14 years ago I felt no fear.  The world of medical has  improved sense that first one  and it all seems to be smoother.   I can already do a few things that I know took a week to do last time.    Simple things like touch index finger to thumb.     The Doctor anticipated a smaller opening this time too- but because it is all wrapped up under the soft bandage I can not see that yet.   One Hopes for the best.

Progress Report :  Glyph IV
I did a lot of beading on this project this week and I am at the intersection of the O and L at this point.   I am pleased with how it is going.

.Frozen   I have started to applique the cording down to represent theIMG_0398frozen edges of the ice on this work.   Because I want the organza to only be connected to the base were the stones stick up through the ice, it is still free floating on top.

ZAP   I layered this work and started by stitching down all the text.   I have even begun the reflective quilting around the forms.   I am unsure about what way is up, so every time I hang it between work sessions, I try a different orientation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Joy I used the pattern that I showed in last weeks blog to create the shapes for this radial design.  It is based on the word JOY.  It is easiest to decipher when you look at the fourth of the pattern on the left.

Winter Apples This new work is based on a photo that I took last winter of snow on a crab apple tree.  IMG_0402

This is the shot.  I made a paper window and focused in on a smaller section.

IMG_0401This small section is what I decided to build the new work on.   I have selected a printed fabric that goes along with the theme and I have free motion quilted down the limbs I cut in wool.   I have made about twenty Satan apples  to hand applique down on top.   I used the double fabric method  to create the apples .   After I turn all the apples  I will applique them  and add steams.  I am still thinking about how to create the snow.     IMG_0403

Daily Practice  I have started with the second of my hand work daily pieces.    The fabric shapes are all cut-aways from other projects and all of them except the orange ones are fused to the background.

Collage 6

I am continuing to do the collage work.   Perhaps I need to start to think about adding titles to these pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amber Empress  This is my newest card for Susan’s challenge.

Happy Chinese New year.    It is the year of the Dog.

Keep Creating

Carol

Collage, Diva Meetings, Double Joy, Glyph IV with Beads, Indian Pipe, Indian Pipe, JOY II, Orange Essence, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Scrap Happy Quilts, Spirit, Ths Sun

Snow days

IMG_0348  Hello

We continue to get snow here in New York.  The wind is not blowing however as the snow laden  windmill shows.   Its just the light fluffy  wet  lake effect stuff.   The snow is piling up however.  It was much nicer earlier this week and I went to the QuEGs and Diva meetings.IMG_0324   At QuEGs there were only three of us so we meant at Liz’s home and did a bit of Gelly Plate printing.      Liz says she will use some of hers to make Valentines. As a part of the season Judy Sent me a cheerful water color Valentine to celebrate too.

The Diva group  meeting   had lots of folks with lots to share.  Mary did this delightful piece of her grandson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regina  shared her new work where she used some of her hand dyed fabric. ( the orange)  I am glad she too is doing that with her stash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice is getting ready for her show at the Women’s Museum and this is her most recent work.

IMG_0332Noel made this pillow using her fabric form her Mothers old clothing.

Progress Report: Joy II This work is 34.5” w X 39.5” t.  I am so fortunate to have a group of folks to bounce ideas off of.  I took this work to the QuEG’s meeting and they gave me some valuable suggestions.  I went home and applied them and then took the work to the Diva meeting that eve.  The gals in that group pounced it completed.   IMG_0364This close up shows where I did some of the altering.  Before I reworked this area the orange in the letters and the orange in the background where too close to the same color.  I used a colored pencil to darken the background. IMG_0366  The high contrast is  what it needed.

Double Joy   This work is 28” w X 40.5”t.    I used the cutaways from  Joy II to create this work.  I  like the vertical movement of this piece.  IMG_0367I feel the color gets a bit washed out in the full photo.IMG_0368

IMG_0356New Work I seem to be in a rework mode at the moment so I redesigned the Joy to use as a radial design for the next piece in this series.

New ZAP This word also a rework and I am playing again with.    This is a close up of the word. IMG_0352The letters are cut from some hand dyed fabric I did at a QuEGs play day a few years ago.

Glyph  IV I keep beading away on this project.  This side of the O is almost complete.

 

Indian Pipe This felted project  is at the build stage.  I am struggling along with the  integration of  the plants into the setting.   I think I have just about completed the bracken on the forest floor.   Now to work on the pipes themselves.

Frozen  This work is also proving to be a bit of a challenge at the moment.   The organza ice is on now and I need to decide where to let the stones poke through so I can build the flow patterns  around them.  I am just unsure about how to start.

 Daily Practice-Orange Essence  I have decide this daily practice work is done.  I do not know how I want to finish the series so I am setting this work aside for now .  I will begin the next one this week.

Daily Practice  This is the second work in the series, it is base before any stitching has been applied.     Again I will try to limit the number of stitches I use on this work.

IMG_0361 Scarp Happy    When I do not know what I  want to do next I keep myself in the working mood by doing a project that requires little or no thinking on my part.  I am doing that with this project as I have done many  of these scrap happys.  I pulled out the box of left over  blocks from previous  Scrap Happys and started  a new project.   I know I can always find a home for these quilts.

Collage    This is collage #5.  I am please I have kept up  this series and feel I have a routine now.   I know this   summy work is in response to the snow and cold too.   The environment really does affect my work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan challenged me to do a collage where I used the sewing machine and this project is the result.

 

 

 

Tarot- The SunIMG_0341  I did this tarot card the same day I did the  collage.

Spirit   This piece was also an avoidance project.  But I feel staying in the working spirit  helps me move forward.

Happy Valentines day and Keep Creating

Carol

Buggy, Diva Meetings, FAD (Fiber Art Dames), Glyph IV with Beads, Label Blocks, Make Belive, Pond Water, Quartered Glyph, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs)

Water Main Break

  Hello,

One of the  big excitements for this week was a water main break on Sunday morning.   I was washing up after making muffins and suddenly no water came out of the tap.   I looked out the kitchen window to see the road full of muddy water.    I went out doors and discovered the gal across the street  had just called the water department. The water was bubbling up and running down the street- it overwhelmed the street drains  and ran all the way down to the park – four blocks away. IMG_9390  The water was so powerful it cracked and threw up the street.   The men came in about 20 min and turned off the water.  A little later they were followed by a  repair crew who started about 9.    First they broke up the tar via and cleared away all the mud and stone to expose the pipe so they could replace it.IMG_9393  The whole was about 8 feet deep and 10 feet wide.  It was huge.  They cut away the broken area of the pipe and then put in a new section.  It was about 3:30 by that time.   Then they began to fill in the whole with loads of stone.  It took four trips with dump trucks full to do that job.   Lastly after 9 in the evening they patched over the  filled opening with tar via.   There was lots of mud on the street and the street sweeper made five runs up and down the road to get it up on Monday – but it is still dusty here.

IMG_9437This shot of a side walk that got flooded and is still muddy this morning when I walked.   The street sweeper could not get to that space.   It was  quite and adventure.

FAB meant here last week too.  Marty came as she is in town.  She brought  her newest little project.IMG_9383

Patty had just finished a new scarf that she shared with us.  I think it is grand- only knit and pearl she tells us.   Judy brought one of her Disappearing Four Patch blocks that she started  up at camp when we were there. IMG_9382It was a good meeting and we all had fun.

The  first  Tuesday  of the month came this week so I had QuEG’s and Diva meetings too.

 

IMG_9398Angela is taking an on line class in felting and having a grand time.  She showed us about ten pieces she  had done already.  These two show different wools on the left and adding  different silks on top of the second one.Linda is finishing up this “ Almost Black and White “ top.   IMG_9406   Sally is working away on Christmas gifts and this bag she made was full of them- hand bags,   soft toy bags and such.  She dose great work.IMG_9404Corrine had this wonderful bracelet to share.  She made it from and exchange she did at a conference where she traded a great luggage tag for the charms.

 

  Before I went to the Diva meeting, I stopped and had a little private  visit to the Rock Garden Show in Homer.   Cheri and Terri- the gallery guru  show me through.   They both  had work there of course.   Cheri’s was one she started in the class she and I were in with Kerr at QBL.   IMG_9411   Terri’s work is much larger and full of texture.   It is a great little show with nine artists  and wonderful work.   IMG_9409  This work is Cheri’s too.

The Diva’s were hopping as well.   Lori had this wonderful little bag to share with us.  She did it for her entry for the Embroidery Guild of American  2017 challenge.   She got feed back on several other  stamped and hand dyed projects that she is working on.

 

 

 

 

Alice has  almost completed her Mary Colter quilt for the Woman Museum.    It looks great.

 

 

 

Liesa has  completed her quilt for the “Threads of Change  Show”.   Let Us Stay-is wonderful commentary I think.

IMG_9427Regina  wowed us again with all her indigo dyeing.  She is creating up a storm of beautiful work.

Anne has finished “ Blind In justice”   her work on the American’s with Disabilities Act.    All those brail dots are three dimensional.

IMG_9430 Ruth’s wave is moving along as she wants it finished for the  quilt show  this week end.     It was a powerful meeting and I enjoyed my self .  Came home all hipped up again.

The other thing I tried this week was dyeing with wall nuts.  IMG_9384It is great fun and I got some real nice browns.

Progress report: Buggy   I am to the reflective quilting stage on this project.  I  added two more oil stick stenciled insects to  it this week too.

Glyph IV  IMG_9449I just keep putting in my hour a day on this project.  It is moving forward.

Quartered Glyph   I started this one up  at camp.  I am ready to start assembling the  four units now that I have trimmed away the second layer.    The Cut aways are so beautiful that  I may need to do another  work using these shapes and  pieces. IMG_9450

Pond Water   This project has become my short term evening project.  I am hand quilting it so this is a good replacement for the time being.   I do have a new nightly project in mind however.

IMG_9432Card   Make Believe  This is my newest card.   I am so distressed by the shooting in Los Valgus that I want to escape into make believe.  Thank goodness I have art as a way of getting away into my own world .

Label Block quilt.  All the blocks are assembled now.   I will stitch in the ditch quilt it and finish the job.

Keep Creating

Carol

Diva Meetings, Label Blocks, Natural Elements, Quilt Exploration Group (QuEGs), Teasel III

Preparations

 

IMG_8653Hello-

I am getting ready for the start of Quilting By the Lake  this week along with the usual stuff.    I always get excited about seeing my gal pals that I only see for these two weeks every year.     It really begins tomorrow for me as I will spend the day helping to hang the quilt show that is a part of the two week event.

This week was busy.  I did go and dye with Liz one day and we did a few more pieces.  I will take a lot along to use in my  class the first week.     IMG_8646   These are Liz’s  dyed works that she shared at the QuEG’s meeting on Tuesday.    She also finished her piece that is her entry for the Finger Lakes Fiber Artists show that is a part of the QBL show .  IMG_8645  This is not the best shot of it and I will try to get a better one.    Alice's work There was also a Diva meeting this week.  This it a shot of Alice’s new work for the Women’s museum.  It is early in the process so things will change.  But a strong beginning. IMG_8673 Anne is working on this piece for a show about folks with disabilities.  This is braile.   Both meetings where stimulating and I enjoyed them.

 

Three Jacks  My Three Jacks was finally installed in its new home with my friends Dave and Betty.     This is a shot of it’s place of honor over their new fireplace..   I am quite proud of how good it looks there.

Teasel III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress Report:  Teasel III   This work is 17” w X 22” l.   It is going to my friend Vyvian who lives  in England .    I will try to get it shipped soon.   IMG_8641It is the last of the teasel works that will have this shurbi  dyed fabric in it as there is none left in my stash.

IMG_8642  I hope she enjoys the piece.  I certainly enjoyed creating it with her in mind.  IMG_8643

IMG_8607 Prayer Flags  I made up three more of these little guys this week.  They are so much fun and go so fast.  I often get nice positive comments on then too.

Label BlocksLabel Blocks  Two more label blocks are done now.  I am nearly finished with a third.  It was my plan to have three as I will be away at QBL for the next two weeks and there will not be any posting until I return .  The next post will  be  Aug 4.

Enjoy summer

Carol

Curvie Cuts, Felt Work, Label Blocks, Little Jellyfish, Rainbow Tree, Teasel III

Travel

2 Comments

 

IMG_8511Hello,

Summer is here and the long days are warm and pleasant.   I had a good time on my travels to visit Frank Lloyd Wright Houses.  Falling Water I saw four from dramatic Falling Water  to the simple Duncan House.  The house I really loved and thought I could live in was the Kentuck Knob house.    It has a hexagon themeIMG_8505 that he repeated over and over.  We were only allowed to take photos outside the house so this shot of the ceiling over the porch is my best example.  It was all built on one level under the brow of a hill and had  a studio.    I really liked the  crenulation and  the cutouts he added in the window openings too.IMG_8497 His use of local materials is wonderful , epically stone ,as well as his love of fire places.

Gray Stone Gray Stone, outside Buffalo was the only place we could take photos inside and IMG_8550so I am showing this shot of the fireplace.  Please note the black fire irons so you get a sense of scale here.  This house was very livable too.   The association that owns this house is restoring it and some of the local artisans are building furniture from photos to fill it. IMG_8551This table is an example.   I had a good time and enjoyed seeing all the houses.  It was  a trip to see an American Artist whom I have long admired.

 

AngelaBefore I went on my trip I went to an opening at the Edgewood Gallery where my friends Angela, Carol and Sharon were showing their work.  Angela’s felted works looked divine.  She did  25 new pieces just for this show and only showed  18 of them.    She is a powerhouse.  Carol and Sharon's workThis shot shows Sharon’s new style- on the wall and the sculptured bird is Carol’s.  I was so thrilled to know three of the four artists in this show.

IMG_8576I have had two dye days with Liz sense I wrote last too.   This is a shot of the ones from last week and the new stuff is in the wash this morning.   We are having fun and  I am working on a quilt using some of the fabric we have dyed now.

Little JellyfishProgress Report: Little Jellyfish  This quilt is 34” w X 43’ l.     I was working with transparency and feel I still need to explore this subject.IMG_8594  I have learned so much about jellyfish sense I started exploring this topic. Their only predators are sea turtles and they come in a wide varietyIMG_8596 of colors and shapes. I love how they can change there appearance with ease.

Rainbow TreeRainbow Tree   This work is  16” w X 20” l.     I had a good time adding all the beads and sequins to this work.IMG_8590 Everything I used on this work except the wool I felted with was a gift to me at some point.  Yarn form Judy,IMG_8589beads from Ethel and sequin from Sharon.  Perhaps I should call this a friendship tree.

Wool  1 IMG_8570 Cut up some wool from  Tanya with the idea of using it to build bases for the three sets of 12” X  12” stretchers  that Joyce gave me a week ago.

IMG_8572Wool 2  This is the second start.  It takes me about an hour of work at the felting machine to  build this base.

 

Wool 3 IMG_8575  All three works are based on the light and dark patterns from one of my rock face photos.  I was liberal with the colors though.

Bits and Pieces Bits and Pieces Liz challenged me to use the fabrics we have been creating.   This work does some of that.

 

Teasel III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teasel  III  I am creating this work with my friend Vyvian in mind.    She liked my first two teasel works but they were too big for her use.  So this time I did the design with her  in mind.  I am to the hand stitching of the spears around the heads now.  Six completed and five to go- with one half way done.

Label BlocksLabel Blocks  This was the only project I took on the trip with me.  It is small and easy to transport.

Keep Creating

Carol