Friday, March 31, 2006
One of My Favorite Inspirations
Adina got a new Intel Mac with a built-in iSight camera and it has some cool features that she has been playing with. She sent me some pictures that she created with it. I have made them my screen saver on my laptop, but thought I'd share them here as she is my favorite inspiration!
Thursday, March 30, 2006
New Work and New Inspiration
I finally got a picture of one of my recently completed pieces. With my piece "Angry Rabbit" off the wall and on its way to California, there was space to hang something new! Which was great, because this wall is also a great place to take pictures - plenty of good lighting.
This piece is for an exhibit with the California Fiber Arts that will be hung later this year in Half Moon Bay, I believe. The theme of the exhibit is "The Naked Truth." So this piece is called "The Naked Truth - The Whole Truth". The inspiration for it is the mix of negative and positive things we think about ourselves. The torso is pieced from fabric on which I printed either positive or negative phrases. The negative side is stained with coffee (I layed the fabric under our espresso machine station for several month - it was thoroughly dripped on!)
I'll be adding this to my website later on with a detail shot.
Now for some inspiration. I have been doing some Spring cleaning in the gardens and today I was cutting down the dried grasses in the pool garden. I was piling the bunches of grasses in the cart, but then turned around an noticed how beautiful the golden grasses looked in the afternoon sun. Now if I only had the time to act on this inspiration!
This piece is for an exhibit with the California Fiber Arts that will be hung later this year in Half Moon Bay, I believe. The theme of the exhibit is "The Naked Truth." So this piece is called "The Naked Truth - The Whole Truth". The inspiration for it is the mix of negative and positive things we think about ourselves. The torso is pieced from fabric on which I printed either positive or negative phrases. The negative side is stained with coffee (I layed the fabric under our espresso machine station for several month - it was thoroughly dripped on!)
I'll be adding this to my website later on with a detail shot.
Now for some inspiration. I have been doing some Spring cleaning in the gardens and today I was cutting down the dried grasses in the pool garden. I was piling the bunches of grasses in the cart, but then turned around an noticed how beautiful the golden grasses looked in the afternoon sun. Now if I only had the time to act on this inspiration!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Days into Weeks into Months
So much for wanting to make daily posts! I don't think I even have enough post yet to join the Art Quilter's blog ring.
Well, I actually haven't had any time to do any arty things lately. This March is Spring Cleaning month at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn and every waking moment is taken up with maintenance and preparing for the very first art quilt workshops!
I am so excited about the workshops. The first one will be with Melody Johnson, followed by Lesley Riley and Laura Cater-Woods. We have added new electrical circuits to the studio to accomodate sewing machines and irons. Each outlet is on its own circuit. We also replaced the hard uncomfortable stools with nice ergonomic work chairs (I'm sure the painters will appreciate this, too) and we order large 4' x 5' form core boards to be used as design walls. (I'd eventually like to make the actual walls of the studio pin-able design walls, but that is for another year.
Ok, so I do have some art news. My piece "Angry Rabbit" was accepted into the 38th Annual Textile Exhibit at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont, CA. The exhibit runs April 14 to May 20, 2006.
It is so ironic that I hardly ever had anything exhibited in California until I left it! Now it seems that I have multiple exhibits every year. Below is an image of "Angry Rabbit". I'll miss it while it is gone because it is usually hanging in the front dining room at the inn. One of the art instructors last year called it "my masterpiece."
Well, I actually haven't had any time to do any arty things lately. This March is Spring Cleaning month at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn and every waking moment is taken up with maintenance and preparing for the very first art quilt workshops!
I am so excited about the workshops. The first one will be with Melody Johnson, followed by Lesley Riley and Laura Cater-Woods. We have added new electrical circuits to the studio to accomodate sewing machines and irons. Each outlet is on its own circuit. We also replaced the hard uncomfortable stools with nice ergonomic work chairs (I'm sure the painters will appreciate this, too) and we order large 4' x 5' form core boards to be used as design walls. (I'd eventually like to make the actual walls of the studio pin-able design walls, but that is for another year.
Ok, so I do have some art news. My piece "Angry Rabbit" was accepted into the 38th Annual Textile Exhibit at the Olive Hyde Art Gallery in Fremont, CA. The exhibit runs April 14 to May 20, 2006.
It is so ironic that I hardly ever had anything exhibited in California until I left it! Now it seems that I have multiple exhibits every year. Below is an image of "Angry Rabbit". I'll miss it while it is gone because it is usually hanging in the front dining room at the inn. One of the art instructors last year called it "my masterpiece."
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Cake, Socks, Office Space and other Important Stuff
Not much quilting or fiber art going on -- I'm still working on quilting the landscape piece. So I thought I'd give a little tour of my office space at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.
This first picture is the view as you step into the office, which is located just off of the main entry to the inn. You can see the PC desk where Mark is busy working on internet advertising and google stats. The view out these windows is of the lawn and garden area at the front of the inn. I want to change the drapes to something more sheer and also get some tie-backs so that you can see the beautiful green lawn while working at the computer. This computer station is mostly used by Kimberly, our office assistant.
This next picture shows the left side of the office. The desk is Kimberly's desk. All those thin shelves are used to hold the supply lists for all of this years workshops.
This final picture show the right side of the office, which is where my desk is located.
Now on to more important matters. I think I mentioned the sour cream chocolate cake I was thinking of making during the last snow storm. Well, here is a picture. I decided on the sour cream cake because Mark had a lot of left over sour cream between workshops and it had to be used up somehow! However, the problem with making a cake between workshops is that there is no one else to eat it but me!
Adina gave me a couple of fun pairs of socks for Christmas. Below is a picture of one pair. And to "kill-two-birds-with-one-stone," my feet are resting on top of a scarf and hat I knitted mostly while on the train going between Vienna and Innsbruk - a wonderful 4 hour trip on the fast, smooth, and clean European trains.
This first picture is the view as you step into the office, which is located just off of the main entry to the inn. You can see the PC desk where Mark is busy working on internet advertising and google stats. The view out these windows is of the lawn and garden area at the front of the inn. I want to change the drapes to something more sheer and also get some tie-backs so that you can see the beautiful green lawn while working at the computer. This computer station is mostly used by Kimberly, our office assistant.
This next picture shows the left side of the office. The desk is Kimberly's desk. All those thin shelves are used to hold the supply lists for all of this years workshops.
This final picture show the right side of the office, which is where my desk is located.
Now on to more important matters. I think I mentioned the sour cream chocolate cake I was thinking of making during the last snow storm. Well, here is a picture. I decided on the sour cream cake because Mark had a lot of left over sour cream between workshops and it had to be used up somehow! However, the problem with making a cake between workshops is that there is no one else to eat it but me!
Adina gave me a couple of fun pairs of socks for Christmas. Below is a picture of one pair. And to "kill-two-birds-with-one-stone," my feet are resting on top of a scarf and hat I knitted mostly while on the train going between Vienna and Innsbruk - a wonderful 4 hour trip on the fast, smooth, and clean European trains.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
The Studio Lives!
It feels so good to get my studio straightened up so that I can actual work on something creative. My studio is small so it doesn't take much to get it unworkable.
I took a bunch pictures after it was cleaned so that I have a record of that brief moment when I could clearly see all the table tops and the floor.
This first picture is to the right as you go in the door. It is my storage wall -- a mismatched bunch of what ever leftover furniture I could find around the inn that could be used to store stuff in it.
This next picture is to the left as you enter the studio. It is my fabric storage wall and you can also see my no frills design wall - a piece of foam core board just leaning against the wall.
This last picture is looking straight into my studio. My view out the window is to the front of the inn, but it looks black because I took the picture at night.
Now for the fun stuff. This is a picture of the piece I created after I finished cleaning up. It is inspired by the pastel painting technique taught by Susan Ogilvie. Susan taught a workshop here at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops last year (and she will be teach two here in 2007). Her work is fantastic. Before beginning a painting, she prepares a board with a textured paint so that the brush strokes create a raised surface. This prep paint is usually in a bright color like an orange or red. Then when she paints an image with pastels over this prepared surface the texture and bits of the unlying color show through.
So in trying to "replicate" this technique in fiber, I used an underlying layer of a bright orange/red patterned fabric and then cut "brush strokes" into the image to reveal the under layer. My brush strokes are just meant to be representative.
I am still in the process of adding lines of stitching, but overall I am pleased with how this turned out and I think I'll explore the technique a little more.
Then because Mark is sick with a cold and someone "must" keep him company while he alternates between watching the Food Network channel and DVD movies, I'm working on a knitting project -- my first step beyond scarves and hats! It is (hopefully) going to be a sweater jacket. What you see in the photo is the back piece and the two front pieces. I'm currently working on the sleeves. I hope this sweater doesn't turn out to be itchy beyond what I can stand. Generally wool does not agree with my skin. Everyone keeps telling me that it is just the grade/quality of wool that is the problem. The yarn for this project does not feel particular soft. I bought it as a kit from Rams Wool because it was going to be my first real piece of clothing and I didn't want to guess about how much yarn I needed or what type. Well, if it doesn't work for me, someone is getting it as a present, so watch out. ;-)
I took a bunch pictures after it was cleaned so that I have a record of that brief moment when I could clearly see all the table tops and the floor.
This first picture is to the right as you go in the door. It is my storage wall -- a mismatched bunch of what ever leftover furniture I could find around the inn that could be used to store stuff in it.
This next picture is to the left as you enter the studio. It is my fabric storage wall and you can also see my no frills design wall - a piece of foam core board just leaning against the wall.
This last picture is looking straight into my studio. My view out the window is to the front of the inn, but it looks black because I took the picture at night.
Now for the fun stuff. This is a picture of the piece I created after I finished cleaning up. It is inspired by the pastel painting technique taught by Susan Ogilvie. Susan taught a workshop here at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops last year (and she will be teach two here in 2007). Her work is fantastic. Before beginning a painting, she prepares a board with a textured paint so that the brush strokes create a raised surface. This prep paint is usually in a bright color like an orange or red. Then when she paints an image with pastels over this prepared surface the texture and bits of the unlying color show through.
So in trying to "replicate" this technique in fiber, I used an underlying layer of a bright orange/red patterned fabric and then cut "brush strokes" into the image to reveal the under layer. My brush strokes are just meant to be representative.
I am still in the process of adding lines of stitching, but overall I am pleased with how this turned out and I think I'll explore the technique a little more.
Then because Mark is sick with a cold and someone "must" keep him company while he alternates between watching the Food Network channel and DVD movies, I'm working on a knitting project -- my first step beyond scarves and hats! It is (hopefully) going to be a sweater jacket. What you see in the photo is the back piece and the two front pieces. I'm currently working on the sleeves. I hope this sweater doesn't turn out to be itchy beyond what I can stand. Generally wool does not agree with my skin. Everyone keeps telling me that it is just the grade/quality of wool that is the problem. The yarn for this project does not feel particular soft. I bought it as a kit from Rams Wool because it was going to be my first real piece of clothing and I didn't want to guess about how much yarn I needed or what type. Well, if it doesn't work for me, someone is getting it as a present, so watch out. ;-)
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Storage of Stuff
We got a light dusting of snow last night. I love the snow. Hopefully, we'll have some on the ground for the next workshop!
It's time to start clearing out my studio so that I have the room to start creating once again. My studio tends to become a storage space when we don't have a specific place for stuff that we need to store, such as for the dining room table decorations. I'm trying to build a collection of decorations that change with the seasons. But at the moment we don't have any designated storage space for the decorations that are not currently on the tables! This is the new Valentines decorations.
Plus my studio is already packed to the gills. So to actually have the space to work on a project I have to sort of redistribute the stacks from one surface to another.
It's time to start clearing out my studio so that I have the room to start creating once again. My studio tends to become a storage space when we don't have a specific place for stuff that we need to store, such as for the dining room table decorations. I'm trying to build a collection of decorations that change with the seasons. But at the moment we don't have any designated storage space for the decorations that are not currently on the tables! This is the new Valentines decorations.
Plus my studio is already packed to the gills. So to actually have the space to work on a project I have to sort of redistribute the stacks from one surface to another.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Now I've Gone and Done It
Yes, I've finally given in to temptation and created a blog of my own. Now let's see whether I can find the time to keep it fresh and interesting.
The plan for this blog is to not only record my Crazy By Design moments, but also the happenings around our inn, The Greenville Arms 1889 Inn, and at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops, of which I'm the art workshop director.
My first bit of news is that I've made my first Crazy By Design sale for the year! Elizabeth Apgar-Smith, who is the painting instructor who just taught a watercolor workshop here, bought one of my Crazy Ties for one of her sons. Below is a picture of a similar tie.
Well, that's all the news that is fit to print at this moment. Now is the time for another latte!
The plan for this blog is to not only record my Crazy By Design moments, but also the happenings around our inn, The Greenville Arms 1889 Inn, and at the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops, of which I'm the art workshop director.
My first bit of news is that I've made my first Crazy By Design sale for the year! Elizabeth Apgar-Smith, who is the painting instructor who just taught a watercolor workshop here, bought one of my Crazy Ties for one of her sons. Below is a picture of a similar tie.
Well, that's all the news that is fit to print at this moment. Now is the time for another latte!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)