Can't stop!! Maybe it's the coffee!!!

Here is another one.  This one is a monoprint cut in half and each half painted and elaborated upon. I may do some stamping on it as well, can't quite decide.  I feel as if I'm getting a bit manic about all of this!!!  As if I should maybe stop and breathe a little bit!!  But I'm sort of pushing to get some work done because we're leaving in a couple of months and then I'm signed up for Gail Harker's Level Three Stitch class starting in August and I know there will be a research and work project that will be assigned, to be completed before classes begin.  So here I am, pushing away!!

I think some stamping might be in order in which case I'll show you later.  But for now, I have to digest what is going on here..... Back soon.  I'm going to try and breathe a bit.  Maybe try tea...

Home again, home again......

Gosh, what a week!  After two years of classes I felt the same way I felt at the end of the school year....totally exhausted and yet, somehow, quite satisfied.  It has taken me a few days just to get myself back on track again but I still feel as if I need a (-nother) nap! 
But the week was great.  We spent 4 days getting ready for the exhibition, choosing backgrounds for our pieces, deciding which piece to place next to which and where to finally to hang it.  In addition to our show, Gail also prepared a sort of retrospective of works done by students and graduates of her other programmes....but first the space for that had to be prepared and there were many people working on that side of the building finishing the construction of the rooms and finally hanging that second show.  Finally, there were nearly 400 people that came through the building on the Saturday and Sunday of the exhibition itself.  It really is a lovely venue in a beautiful setting....I hope it will be a great success.  For more pictures of the event on Gail's website, check out the wordpress at   http://www.gailcreativestudies.com/ 
I have tentatively signed up for the Level Three Stitch starting next August.  It's such a wonderful way to learn.  And a sort of  mini-holiday!  Such fun. 

off to the exhibition

One of the last ones for the exhibition.  Canvas, stitched on to and then painted; stamping with various mediums, more paint, stitching on soluble fabric.  And the ever-present carpet!

Close-ups of the stitching on the trellis piece.  It is an experimental piece and I'd do it differently next time, but it was fun laying it out and getting this far.  As for the exhibition, there is no longer time to work on this one.  So I guess that means it's done.  It's funny, the line between done and not-done.  I suppose it's always somewhat unclear.  Maybe it comes with experience but in the meantime I feel as if I'm always bumping up against the line and not sure which side of it I'm on. 

One last one for the show, inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, with my own bits thrown in.  We were to choose an artist and prepare something based on their work.  Frankly, I love Mackintosh's botanical watercolours but this one appealed to me as well.  I've created my own grid, cut out the circles, reversed the black and white colouring, raised  them up and painted them with gloss medium.

So that's it for the show.  I'm catching an early ferry monday morning and heading off for La Conner.  It'll be a fun week albeit exhausting.  The exhibition is the weekend of the 17th and 18th.  I'll post some pictures when I get back.  I would imagine there will be pictures on Gail's site as well, which you may want to check out.  That's it and thanks for reading!!!  Back soon.   http://www.gailcreativestudies.com/  

And again.

Two more little pictures from last week.  My younger son was helping me sort through some of my 'stuff' (of which I have plenty) but I decided I couldn't part with the pepper shaker.  Such a fun thing to draw.  It is amazing what a little bit of looking will do.  How did I miss all this before?

This is a little rudbekia (I think) from the garden.  I'm having trouble getting the darker lines on the petals.  I am using just one brush for all these watercolours (the one with the handy little water reservoir, perfect for travelling) but it's a bit shaky on the lines (isn't that fun how I blame the brush!!!  I'll persevere...it's vaguely possible that the fault is mine!!!)  The lines show up beautifully on the flower in the photo, so perhaps I'll give it another go using the photo as a reference.
I'm also trying to pick out a background for my collaged milk pitchers.

This background was painted with black gesso (matte) onto which I stamped black acrylic (shiny).  It means that in some lights the diamonds don't show, which I kind of like.  Anyway, still pondering.  I have another lighter background, prepared with various mediums, which may work.  More on the final decision later.  I may wait until I go down to gail's to get a final decision.
Check out gail's new location and the classes that she offers.  http://www.gailcreativestudies.com/

Getting ready for the exhibition.

This vase pic is almost ready for the exhibition next month.  I've added a variety of painted and monoprinted  papers: mulberry, unryu, cartridge and rice.  Now I have to prepare a background paper for it to sit on.   And I have more machine embroidery to do because I scooped one of my flowers from another piece to put into this one.  I like the way it looks like a fallen blossom.
Check out Gail's site for more information on her Center and classes offered there.  http://www.gailcreativestudies.com/