Warm-up Exercise

Home again and settling in.  My cat spent the night on my bedside table, purring and occasionally reaching out to paw at my face, to make sure I was truly there. We finally got up at 4 so we could REALLY visit.  And a question: why does it always take so much longer to unpack than it does to pack???

The workshop with Kerr Grabowski was really fabulous.  18 lovely and very talented ladies, tons of really inspiring work and what a great instructor.  A wonderful week all around.  This photo is from a warm-up blind contour drawing (we did three actually) that Kerr assigned based on an item that we had brought (mine was the pepper mill that I had previously painted in a watercolour...see my post from august 29.)  We then got to enlarge it on the photocopier and were instructed to work further by applying some bits of colour.  I really like layering things so I put the piece that we worked on tracing paper on top of the pen drawing and then put some painted tracing paper on top of that.  A great exercise to generate ideas when faced with the blank page (or blank brain, sigh).  I'd like to try this on fabric with organza.  I'll post some of the deconstructed print work later.

Well, I think I've solved the picture-splitting problem but now I need to figure out how to upload edited photos from photoshop elements.  I have a much more esthetically pleasing cropped piece but it wouldn't load up.  Oh well, one problem at a time!

And google seems to have changed its format for viewing pictures.  Now you cannot double click to get a nice close image but have to be content with a slide show of sorts.  Good grief.

And finally, check out Kerr's website  http://www.kerrgrabowski.com/.  Such a talented person!  I'd recommend a workshop with her any time.

Couching and handstitching

Well, clearly I am having trouble with holding the camera square so please forgive the jaunty tilt of the piece!!  This  piece relies quite heavily on winding the more robust threads onto the bobbin and stitching with the fabric face down on the needle plate.  I love the exciting moment when I turn the fabric over to see what effects have been created.  I also happen to love these colours together...oh yes, I seem to have quite a huge yarn stash as well!  I couched the fuzzy yarn down by hand.

I am heading off to a workshop with Kerr Grabowski in Coupeville.  I leave early (very early!) Monday morning and will be back the following Sunday.  I'll post some pieces from that workshop when I get back.  Have a happy week!  I know I will!

Reflections of autumn.

We are having such a beautiful autumn.  The 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness'.

Such a beautiful time of year.  Even the reflections in the rainy pavement are gorgeous!  Hope you are enjoying yours!

Holiday weekends

A busy week looking after wee grandsons and pretending to do housework and then I had company for the weekend.  Beautiful fall weather and then some drenching rain.  More fall weather!  I am working on the drawings for my sketchbook class and really enjoying it.  Check out the Kemshall's site for more information.  http://www.lindakemshall.com/  And do check out their Design Matters TV and the free tasters.  I do subscribe to Designmatter TV and I really enjoy it.  Have a look.

This is a paper piece I painted with procion dyes.  All of the paper here is rice paper.  It was first rubbed with crayons to create a resist and then painted over with the dyes.  Afterwards the piece was cut in two and then further cut into strips.  I re-arranged the strips, alternating each one, and moved around every other strip to achieve the result shown here.  I am quite pleased with the effect.  I did find that the dye tended to run as I was gluing down each strip, as procion will do, so I had to be very careful to work quickly.  I don't think I would have achieved the same painted results had I used acrylics, however.

I am taking another on-line class with Jane Davies that is to start next week.  http://www.janedaviesstudios.com/
The class is Text and Image and looks as if it will be really interesting.  I'll be a week late starting it, however,  because I am off to Coupeville next Monday to take a class with Kerr Grabowski. I have never taken a class with her but I hear she is terrific.  I`m looking forward to it.

OK!  It's good to be busy, but is possible that I am out of my mind!!!   Yet again!

I'll post pictures from both of the workshops.  But then, that is all still a week away.  The murphy bed is folded back up into the wall and the guest room is ready to become my painting studio again!  I`d really like to get some painting play in before I head off again next week.  We`ll see!

oh my gosh!!!

http://gailcreativestudies.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/layers-of-paper-paint-and-learning-guest-blogger-marny-stevenson/

omg, this is pretty exciting for me!! check out the above link, which is to some of my pieces in the exhibition!!  It really was a great week! 

In the meantime, I have signed up for the Sketchbook class with the Kemshall's and have been working on my drawing skills....which need some work, let me tell you, since the last time I took drawing was in grade 8 art, some many many many.....years ago!!  I am really enjoying it, but we have been ask to not post any of our work on our blogs.  But any other drawing I do I am sure I can, so stay tuned!!

Here is another piece from my stitched book.  Back soon!