Emelie's Art of Heart

When a quilt is not a quilt, and a painting not yet done +++

2012-02-08T19:43:00.003-06:00

and the plus,,,I made this silt this morning of things in a large file I wanted to post, none of my notes ring a bell and it is the title of the item in the file.
I hope I have the sparkling water, it was funny all that light danced in the camera lens I have no idea, rainbow lines.

This time of year is a good time for valentines we need that color, red I have red in some of the photos here I think??? also orange.

The orange is a painting that I have only 1/3 showing here, really collage and painting. Not going really well, somehow I have forgotten how to make a different shape lip, I have a sheet of lips here and only half good.

A little hard to concentrate, baking cookies for Richard to take to a potluck. If I leave the kitchen all in the oven is forgotten.

If all photos are out of order with the words, detectives will know I did the post.

I forgot some of you have seen the valentine made from the cat food bag.

So glad you come to see me.

One more

Distracted

2012-02-05T14:48:00.003-06:00

Yes, quite for some reason you may know and recognize how it feels. I didn't even finish a post yesterday did some writing and then..gone.

Thinking of valentines last evening then spent way too long one one small one, sort of fun after it started to come together. I sewed parts of a necktie on it and some odd yarn. It is on embossed paper.

Also a bird stamp, I like to make large envelopes out of scrap booking papers, I like to use the little spread apart brads to hold the folds and give them with little pictures, papers, bracelet, whatever so that is what this part is stamped on. I cut the bird design into foam, painted on it and pressed it to the good paper.

Photo Altering,

2012-02-01T08:06:00.004-06:00

Having this clutterly nature, makes it seem natural to not leave photos in their first state. We use to say develop about photos, now we load them. I take a lot of photos around the house of just stuff, even stuff I have to hunt for, because I have learned from looking at other photos anything can loom good. My husband thinks photos lie and they can, but for me and what I do the lie is OK.

Quilt, ?? Foamies, Watercolors

2012-01-28T18:17:00.002-06:00

The most fun I had today was making these birds, I ad these sheets of foam, called Foamies, less than 1/8Th of an inch thick, I drew birds on them with a pen pushing hard to make a good imprint. You can see the imprint part is not really consistent.
I painted the foam with different colors and then pressed it to a printed fabric.
I made sure the firm was wet, not dripping, quickly trying to wipe away paint out of the lines. I made sure my fabric was on a hard surface not soft.
The foamies are at wallmart, in the children's art supplies. Foamies are the size of a sheet of typing paper and different colors, the different colors means nothing to this project.

The Quilt isn't done is is just things laid out and that looking adding, taking away part of quilting. I am not fond of the face, but I think I will continue anyway.
It is very hard to change something on fabric. We will see how I work around the problems. I am not crazy about the other face either, it doesn't matter that was just an experiment with watercolors and pencil and got overworked

Still doing some landscapes, this is how the landscape looks here now, even some March skies like the scene that looks like rain falling in a distance.

Landscape Refresh

2012-01-25T21:39:00.003-06:00

I have to do this< I have to get out the watercolors and paper and do wet in wet landscapes because I like them and I use to do so many and now I don't so I have to do 4 now in the next days. Your mind has to think differently than when I do the mixed medium much more difficult to correct, except I use a paper that keeps the paint on the surface so you can lift color off, yo have to think ahead do you keep your lights. I don't use white, maybe sometimes a tiny bit.

Also I have several quilts waiting for stitches, but I had to paint and I had to paint a face and do some collage along with it.

Guess what??? ture to form my words and pictures will not be in the same order.

Another thing, those dogs you see with the people in the landscapes, one was an accident the other a partial accident that I just added a tail.

A new Scarf

2012-01-23T22:29:00.002-06:00

This is newly made and of course not easy to wearm but I will when I go to the gallery. I cut up an old forest green wool sweater that had been shrunk to a mat of wool. I sewed lengths of it together, I cut white wool that was also felted to the face shapes and used the Inktense pencils for my faces and felted the hair and some other parts with roving, roving is cleaned , dyed wool in some cases that has not been spun to yarn. Other embellishments have been added, I lined the back with more wool to cover the stitches. I have seen simular at fairs, none with faces. I was surprised that it took a greater part of two days.

Then the quilt that is done fron printed art on fabric, using the printer.

Also Little Elsie who started out being L>C> and is now Elsie. This is true, she love games where I toss cat toys , she sees me gathering and I say...Elsie get ready, I say it a couple times and pretty soon she is down flat like in a punching position with wild eyes waiting for me to start. She gets points if she catches one I get point if she don't. Think I have too much free time?? Maybe/

Fabric painting, and More

2012-01-20T20:50:00.002-06:00

First I hope to get this in proper order so I talk about what is being shown in the right place. UGH makes me blush.
The quilt is 11X14 Face done on a fabric print with Inktense pencils. Very close top stitching and for me a minimum of patterns in one piece of art.

The photos are misc. and truth be it I can't quite remember what.

Lamp Revival and Other

2012-01-17T18:41:00.003-06:00

I saw this old painted lamp i a thrift store, one $$ is not bad and the cord was good. So a little fresh red and cold paint and a glaze for shine, new shade and finial which doesn't show and it has a new life.

The other photos are from an old mill site with a dam , the interesting photos of the ice circles makes one think of lily pads, the most reasonable information I found and others found is about currents that form little bits of ice and they grow into these circles, these had a bit of snow on them. It was a cold day we didn't stay long.

Being Sort of Slow

2012-01-13T21:41:00.002-06:00

If there is a month when slowness it OK it seems to me January is the month, Feb. works for this slowness also. Quilting takes time, seems it takes more staring than painting and painting is so much faster> I really don't need fast,yet, if I want to have a blog that has frequent posts one has to do something to post about. Altering paintings and photos is fast. Maybe I still have some Christmas, this thrift store figurine has done well for my photos, she is in the corner on top of the pie cupboard, even dusty sometimes and has been out year around so I take her photo then alter it as many ways as I can think of, I have not put her in the garden yet I will..

The painting that is horizontal with the layered doily I don't have any more it got painted over. I print some of these and put them in a journal for days when I have very few words about the day.

I don't sau it enough Thank You for coming by, enjoy your visits.

Creating My Own Fabric

2012-01-10T21:17:00.003-06:00

That isn't 100% true, as I didn't weave the fabric and I know I won't be doing that part . I did use my own photos, paintings, the bubble wrap design is from my computer program Print Shop. you can see It show thru, these sheets are for quilts,
I am working on a trial quilt right now, the printing of the fabric sheet was poor.
So 12X1`2 or so isn't much space or time to do a trial, the trial is about merging the fabric a little more with inktense pencils and permanent markers. It is about getting rid of hard lines, getting rid of areas that seem to glare at me.

The photo is of an old plate propped in the window, also you will see a pic of the wrapper of the fabric sheets I use in the printer, they are the same size as printer papers.

So if blogger will let me the the wrapper, the photos, the paintings, the finished fabrics I want to use, designed and altered on the computer. If you do this take your paper out of the printer and do one fabric sheet at a time, this is an ink jet printer, and I do a setting for more saturation than I would for paper.

One More painting the painting with the printing on fabric, and the photo of the fabric sheet package photo.

Sewing, Quilting, Altering

2012-01-08T20:43:00.003-06:00

I did another quilt, 24X24in. This did not photograph well, I like it it looks nice
with pillows and some other things on a sofa. a couple days off and on of machine quilting. I just wanted to touch fabric, quilt, put colors together, and actually this was a runner I cut in half and decided to work on an art quilt, more of a crazy quilt, but they were certainly art quilts. The studio is a horrible mess with both sewing and painting going on.

You will see a thrift store plate, so pretty. That is in a card form and altered in Print Shop.

A friend gave me this scarf, so pretty and delicate. I also took a photo of one of the last decorations before they all came down. Things are back in place now.

A couple more if blogger will allow

Fabric, Quilt,photos

2012-01-03T20:59:00.003-06:00

I have been in the mood to sew, I am not jumping for joy with this small quilt but...it does look nice where it hangs over a small cabinet. I cannot get a photo of that, not enough light there, I will try again when there is more light from a brighter day.

Things Put away, things taken out, Notes on the calendar so I remember easily next Dec. that some things got put in a different place. Also winter flowers.

The Last Day

2011-12-31T10:43:00.002-06:00

The year has vanished nearly, how quickly it has gone, even bad days have gone quickly and I wonder how things I didn't look forward to came and went so fast.

I am missing the garden, many seed catalogs have arrived. I have to remember not to try everything that looks great in the photo. What you may have enjoyed seeing more than another painting or random photo is the mess from the Eggies. You have seen them on TV , as a laugh we got them for Christmas and tried them. They don't go together nicely, you have to use a small egg, they come apart hard, and they don't clean up in the dishwasher, plus as someone reminded me you could eventually pass on from heating that plastic with food inside. They are now in a container all 18 pieces of the set. Maybe never to be used again. Except...one more thing...the giver of the gift may have to try them when she visits again.

Painting from class the beginning of the collaged papers, the painting and additions and then the altered state with Print Shop.

Also every so often I like one of my blurry photos, the beads of light were coming from, I don't know just there around 2:30pm. As I mentioned before missing gardening so had to post a photo of my garden and I know you have seen it.

Christmas Leftovers

2011-12-27T18:56:00.002-06:00

I am not quite done, I don't have to hurry or plan or shop, any of those things, I can do as I please, put some stuff away, take some photos, watch the sun. I took some photos as I was putting away. Sometimes I wonder and can't see where the light is coming from and what it is reflecting to make things look a certain way.

thank you for coming by, so much appreciated. Wishing you a Happy New Year, it is tough to be happy everyday. If your not, then being satisfied is good, or just feeling Ok is good also.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T15:43:00.002-06:00

Wishing you the best holiday, hoping that all things have gone right and of course we know they don't always, wishing you good solutions.

This may not be my last photo of the kings, they travel great distances you know, along with this woebegone, wayfaring , what is she doing stranger??

Tell those you love that you do and even some you don't

Bits, Christmas and Art

2011-12-21T15:34:00.002-06:00

It's snowing as I write this post, of course it wasn't suppose to snow. No feelings here that snow is necessary for Christmas or even December's end.

Of course the wise men looking different today, and working on a different expression for my faces. I can't keep doing the process the same and expect it to come out different. How many times have you heard that? The study of shapes, slants, positions all make a difference, so looking at something might make a difference also. Keeping a style and making it different is a close look at what I am doing.
the term "wayfaring" comes to mind and that isn't even about a look but more of life style.

It's Just Wrinkle

2011-12-18T20:59:00.002-06:00

While doing some sweaters in monitoring the dryer for just a few minutes I started a painting, A paper bag cut up, just not really paying much attention that thing were getting rather creative just having fun. Then of course it took the horrible turn, but I had more things to monitor in the dryer, wool. I kept going and suddenly had a collage/painting. So too bad about the fold in the paper. It does not show as much as it does in a scan.

I am loving these kings these year you may see them again, someone did them in a ceramics class and did them nicely.

Not Too Busy to Paint

2011-12-17T10:53:00.002-06:00

Also,not too busy to take photos, enjoying the Spirit of Christmas, the season more this year. Also taking a break from doing class work, but i see my faces are looking like my faces again. I don't feel bad about that 3 yrs ago I had never painted a face. Also thankful, a year ago the muscles in my leg were nothing I had just had a rod put in from hip and down the thigh. This is much more fun than a broken leg.
Also walking well again, or quite well.

So now off to make so vegeable beef soup and bake some bread.

Christmas Is Everywhere

2011-12-15T14:14:00.002-06:00

Just some things around the house, My quilt from and old 40's sweater with the moose, and some of my daughters weaving, buttons, embroidery of star burst like flowers. This little wooden angel and the Kings.

Wishing you enjoyment from the smallest of things, one of the samllest of things I want to do is make a few popcorn ball, they are delicious, but then maybe the aren't as I remember. I will tell you if not.

My Stars, Warrior of the Stars

2011-12-11T13:51:00.003-06:00

All I could think of was another song title when this painting/collage starting taking shape, "The Keeper Of The Stars" A song by Tracy Byrd, there is an echo of it in my head right now.
This painting/collage has many papers, layers because it was looking so bad, so you see gobs, and bumps, (some I can fix) it has texture beyond the beyond. However I wouldn't have posted it had I not like it.

I have had stars on my mind, I can't seem to get a Christmas card painted, all these paintings come out looking like warrior women. A knife and a spear would fit in.

I like this star in my kitchen it has a look of ice, it is the cheapest of metal at 98cents, and can look so many ways.

Deep Purple

2011-12-09T09:47:00.003-06:00

That is what we have, the light of day is short, the song Deep Purple is lodged in my head, A line.."When Deep Purple Falls Over Sleepy Garden Walls" It is a song of movement, you can feel it as you listen and imagine .

A few photos, a journal page. Not my house, just a beauty in the pines.

Go See Diane She is having a giveaway and you will love her work and there is a good chance you know her already.

having pink eye is not the same as looking at the world thru rose colored glasses.
It must be the inner child, but I have pink eye.

Can't Stop!

2011-12-04T09:21:00.003-06:00

Everything takes on a new look all papers and magazines, as they are used a different way for this type of art work. I did a scan and print of some fabric I have for this one, it has always been a favorite fabric, it never really fit into a quilt I would make or I never got the prints right to go with it. Funny when I think something is just right with something else and it isn't, or maybe it is and I can't see it or extend my artful thinking to get it right because I am stuck on how I think it should be.

Do you know how often something in some area of life has not been right because the image I see in my head is different from what really is? Think of looking for something that someone else has sent you to look for, something your not really familiar with in your household, you get this image from their description and go hunt to no avail. Then they come along all disgusted and find it. It doesn't look like you thought it should.

This is sort of off topic of collage but not completely , it is about mind's eye and what is really.

This is my beginning of glued papers and a face, and my ending, and it really isn't what I saw in my head but it is what I got and both are OK. This collage is about SEARCHING.

My Collage Work

2011-11-28T21:51:00.002-06:00

Tired of this? I always think we talk the most about what is happening right now and is impressive to our everyday. When we listen to people often it is more than small talk it is really right there with them and important. I don't know how important my collage is, but it takes my mind and keeps it occupied with artful thoughts. If you to to "All Nora's Art" You will see the blog with the sites I visit you can see what other artists are doing, all different but the same technique.

November, much appreciated

2011-11-24T16:10:00.002-06:00

It has been a beautiful month. Not much to say except....the woman with her hand on her chine dreaming or thinking, it is a simple glass plate in blue/green colors.
The photo turned just this way, not additions no altering. How many photos does one have to take to get something like this? A lot. I guess tis time no altering, just the stuff right out of the camera.

Class Work

2011-11-19T20:48:00.002-06:00

so I was wondering...if you learn something through instruction, and then you try what you learned....did you really learn it? yes, the hand has a mind of it's own.

Assignments, practice, critique, FUN

2011-11-17T17:20:00.003-06:00

That is the class I am taking and to really get details you have to click the collage with Sharon Tomlinson button to the right. I won't explain what I did here either, another time. Just fun.

Collage, Do You Love It?

2011-11-13T12:50:00.003-06:00

I do I love arranging things, seeing different things together and how they work well and please the eye. Builders, decorators, landscapers, quilters, advertising, all like this something that gives the eye a sense of pleasure.
If you scroll down a bit you see a class with Sharon Tomlinson on the right is a button to click and go see for yourself what you might like.

This painting is a mix ,a lot of collaged papers but my drawing and painting of a face, of course there is a story here and I won't tell it because your story might be better.

November Bits

2011-11-09T08:07:00.003-06:00

This is just that bits, I do some journal work without much writing or sometimes I write later on that page and these faces are because of LynneHoppe she has a great tutorial on how. Her work has such charm, and it always gives me feelings or years gone and people known, that sounds sad, it isn't.

Right now it is get ready for Sharon Tomlinson's class and to the right and down a bit you will see the button to click and find out more. a gathering of bits for the Faces in Collage. Let's not forget the sorting I did of papers and getting the art table cleaned up for a less cluttered work space.

One photo I post here today will make you sort of dizzy and I hate that, but I like the photo despite it's lacking. There are two other things I will post, I can't remember what they are, but, I will see them in the Nov. file. I see now by the file it is frost decorating the landscape, lingering frost of mid morning.

November Daze

2011-11-03T19:35:00.002-05:00

A lot going on these early days of November, but today was fun Angie, my daughter is here and we painted a little she did I finished a painting, and fell asleep on the couch watching an old Bonanza, then an old Big Valley. The paintings are fun and rather different, Angie's is the one with the bouquet and the woman tending it.

You know we don't have a dog now and we have this new little cat that I may Call "Vera" when this little cat meows it is "WAAng" and sort of scratchy sounding
That is a long A in WAAng> One other thought, and I knew this, two cats don't make a dog.

A Mood Lingers

2011-10-30T09:23:00.002-05:00

It has been a great fall weather wise and the beauty lingers as well as the mood and then there is Halloween with the feelings and inspiration. Such a treat to see these Swans come in and land on the water not 5 minutes from us.

These are found rocks that just said...I need a face and a pottery button that is just pretty. The little tin houses are found thrifts.

The painting is a mix of papers, paint, crayon, pastels, ink, and wastebasket. Really is was so close, and I nearly wore out her lips.

Wishing you Happy Spooky.

Why That??

2011-10-24T17:13:00.003-05:00

Things don't always make sense, or are they logical, sometimes one can't even get coordination. cooperation, falling into place, easy as pie, can't use any of those statements. So it is what it is and I sort of like it. Paint and collage of papers.

There is a button here that will take you to Sharon Tomlinson and a new class that will help all of the above words come true.

The reason for two photos is by the time the camera changes things and the monitor I sort of have a mix of colors. Someone is coming tomorrow to help me set the monitor for better color.

Miscellanous Things

2011-10-21T20:25:00.002-05:00

Also there seems to be a dark side, but this new monitor is not adjusting well for me, or I am not adjusting to the fine tuning of it. Also experimenting with colors and materials in the layers. It is not important that I love them, they are sad looking and not a true reflection of how I feel.

A good Friends sends me photos now and then and I love that, so I altered some, and not because they needed it but I like to do that.

Collage and Paint

2011-10-14T21:59:00.002-05:00

The best, this painting is about "YOUTH" That is all I will say and you knew that anyway. Measures 16X20 a paint over of a painting that just was not going to come around too much was wrong.

I hope you can post, I have no idea why some cannot. I did read there were problems around the blogger world of this nature, but it should get cleared up and not go on and on.

A Partial Collage and Misc.

2011-10-12T07:29:00.002-05:00

I say partial as I mix it up sometimes have a lot more painting than collage.

Thanks For your visits. Autumn is glorious this year and now the leaves have dimmed and the deep colors of the Oak are there, but everything fades fast.

Autumn, And All That Goes With

2011-10-10T08:01:00.002-05:00

With one exception, the little cat, she appeared around the time we lost our dog to illness. Some say this is a gift, I am not so sure I need another cat. She has charming ways and is so cute.

The rest, a dusty harvest, a doodle, and the garden. In all truth the garden does not look that good and these photos have not bee touched up. It was the day, the atmosphere was just right, the light perfect.

So Influenced By the Season

2011-10-05T22:24:00.002-05:00

How can one not be, so much color. Collage is so Fun.

Maybe, Certainly

2011-10-04T08:02:00.002-05:00

This collage looks to be about GRIEF. Not intended but feelings come to the surface when doing art, not always, sometimes for me it is just doing and creating and it is superficial, other times the feelings just surface in the artwork. If I sat down and said I feel sort of sad I will paint that now, that does not always work. I miss my dog. There are lots of things to say about that but I won't.

Also some garden and maybe some altered photos. The last things that can bloom in a growing season are blooming and some have gone past peak, I do even grieve for garden, it is such a mainstay from first crocus to last mum, so much in between and so fast that it is gone before one feels they have had enough time to really take it in. What is so good about these things that I miss and will miss is it is not at all hard to do something about them.

Really I should also take a look at overdoing a collage.

Paper bag Painting 17X9

2011-09-28T08:41:00.002-05:00

Trying this again blog was unresponsive to spellcheck and other. This painting has various changes an improved face,that was the best improvemnt, an added bird that was digital, also a little odd in the middle from scanning in two parts, the scrolls are bent looking. Also around the stamp some additions to get more tranparency. I think you can see the notch in the paper, so framing will be a bit tricky. I thought it would be hung in the bathroom for a while.

Always, Art Therapy

2011-09-25T15:54:00.003-05:00

Always when I lose a person or a pet I have to paint, it helps, I have the urge to
think and remember as I work. Once again I read HERE and worked on that technique on a large 16X20 painting of a person and her pets. It just felt good. You will also see the last vestiges of garden and a photo of what is on a table in the sun room.

BTW I thought that (sensible remains) is such an appropriate word in the definition of vestiges.

Lynn Hoppe that is who I refer to, vist her and be delighted.

Journal pages

2011-09-21T21:38:00.002-05:00

I have done some journal pages lately, quite a few there has been a lot to journal about, I usually write something after I post the major part of the page.

I have been visiting Lynne Hoppe's blog here she has offered a tutorial describing technique and info of how to have that beautiful look that she has in her work. It has been so much fun for me. I have been altering a little Bisquick Cookbook with my attempts. It takes the many layers well. I paid close attention to Lynne's advice on treating the paper with matt medium, it does make the surface strong. thank you Lynne for this fun time. When I look at them I get the feeling they disapprove....of something.

Missing Our Dog Josie

2011-09-20T18:00:00.003-05:00

In June she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, it progressed very slow over the summer, yesterday was a hard day for her. A wonderful dog. It did drive me crazy when she would stand in the middle of the road and she did that frequently in her good health. She was a rescued dog, she had 10 puppies and they were going to good homes the day we got her from shelter care. She was a yr. old then and she is 12 now.

I just had to add a photo of our Cat Hermie, we was watching me post this.

Funny Things Happen

2011-09-16T20:47:00.003-05:00

I painted this in the early part of the week, I am a little more partial to it then some paintings I do. Then I visited Sharon Tomlinson's Blog and saw the clothing design in her painting print that is a chance to win now. I have explained this to her.

I saw the design on the cover of this old 1883 book by Mrs. Molresworth, Illistrated by Leslie Brooke, it doesn't seem to me the cover illustration is by this artist.
I was very much inspired by the cover of this old book. The title of the book is "Mary"and other children's stories.

I have been scanning and printing fabric and suing the designs in the paintings, iat seems a littlae easier tog et just what I want for color.

You have to strain your eyes to see the head gear on the woman on this book cover.
So old and faded. The color of the cover altered to get a little better look at the picture. Also one of the photos of my painting has a blurr in the middle, the reason, scanned in two parts. This is the one with the most accurate color.

Tribute to the Ditch Lily

2011-09-14T20:01:00.003-05:00

We have them near nearly every home along the rural roads. If you did a clump up in your innocent though that just a few would be nice in the garden they don't follow that rule of a few they want to be many. I don't just love them, I appreciate them there is comfort in their consistent appearance. If you look closely their color isn't ordinary at all and can vary because of the soil. They are done now, but they have inspired me all summer and in Sept. and Oct. I love orange.

A July Painting

2011-09-10T16:00:00.002-05:00

I never knew what to say about this painting, it has the feel of comic book space travel to me. Not exactly what I wanted that day. The feeling came from a piece of paper in a magazine of some jewelry, that metal swirl in the corner looks like a flying saucer or space ship to me. It is what it is. Even when I mix it up it still has this odd quality and I like odd just not this odd. that's not quite true either I sort of like it, if I didn't it would of been in the trash by August.

Old Wallpaper Feelings

2011-09-06T19:05:00.002-05:00

I remember a lot of old wallpaper, wall paper would get marks from what was under, rough wall, something that leeched, and of course things that just happened in everyday life, it was really a paper and did not have a wipe off finish. I can't get rid of that memory when I look at this paintings background. What inspired the painting was not wallpaper it was the golden glow of late summer mornings, how the sun turns everything golden. Happens in the evening also, like right now, I had to go check.

Saturday Alterations

2011-09-03T16:48:00.003-05:00

Some of the paintings, photos, garden, things around the house you have seen before, they are just put together in a different way for this post. My favorite is the one with the cat, it is a soap bottle that has the plunger removed.

Hope you're enjoying time with family, friends, and time off. Time to be is so important, one of my favorite journal pages is about being. I mean pages also as I do that subject all the time.

Looking at Henri Benoit Emile Matisse

2011-08-30T08:53:00.003-05:00

Sometimes one comes across something that strikes them just right, I came across these paintings on the Internet some days ago. I liked the boldness of the work and the paintings seemed to say these are not perfect but they are beautiful. After all they are impressions. You can see more and read about Henri Matisse here. You can use Google images to see painting after painting and see that Matisse painted in various ways, always bold with lots of color. The amazing thing to me is he died in 1954, and for some that seems long ago but I was 9 then. Also note that middle name.

I will post a couple of his paintings here and then mine which was inspired from his work. Still feeling inspired by Henri.

This is a WIP, there are areas I am not satisfied with. I have already struggled with those areas. Also you can tell which is the altered view. I had to try that also. I have to say I am quite liking the painting even tho it took on my look.
That blurry line in the middle of the painting....I had to scan it in two parts and put it together again with print shop.

While Knowing Other Things Need Doing

2011-08-25T08:24:00.002-05:00

Painting, that what I chose to do, in a messy art room, on a day when garden needed tending, and house needed keeping. Just because it feels good to paint, I didn't even have an idea, I don't go by anything just draw and paint. However I am seeing artists I respect a lot doing some different poses and I like that. very motivational to see. Sometimes when there is very little extra time, painting what is comfortable feels just right. A couple years ago none of this mixed media art or faces were the least bit comfortable.

While Preserving

2011-08-21T20:25:00.003-05:00

The preserving was freezing tomatoes, green beans, making Jam from Rhubarb, making and freezing zucchini bread which is not done as I type this, that was last because I could do that in the late day. I took some photos of things in the kitchen.
My journal cover, still have 3 pages to finish, the current bouquet of Zinnias, and Autumn Joy Sedum that has not really bloomed yet but on the verge. I like the flower cosmos, this variety is Double Click. Vases and figurines that are around.

Painting, Me and a BATB

2011-08-19T15:47:00.003-05:00

BATB stands for "bit about the bat" I have not seen that anywhere on the web.:*)
He stayed there all day, note how he would wave sometimes, I think he thought he was a princess riding a float, that would make him a she I think. I had a grabber with a long handle from when I broke my leg, Richard used that to pick him off the fan and put him outside. I bet she was so hungry and waiting for evening mosquitoes. Bat in Previous post

This is a painting with effort into creating darker backgrounds, also practice on carelessness of paint strokes. It is painted on brown paper.

You need to know this....I have not taken a picture of me or had anyone do that in a very long time, so to have two pictures in a week is unusual. One evening I had my daughter help me with a photo taking and they were horrible, (not her fault) but I sort of rescued one. No one can look bad with stained glass, birds and butterflies can they?

Someone asked, yes my own flowers in blog photos, and those are dill pickles.

A Bat, Pickles, Flowers and Me.

2011-08-17T20:05:00.002-05:00

This will not be a long winded post, this bat was on our ceiling fan all day today, he thought he was at the carnival and the ride had shut down.

A few Days ago I made pickles, the jars look a bit like someone has been eating them, because they have.

One of my favorite flowers Clarissa Sage, with hydrangea.

How can one spend so much time taking photos, altering some of them and getting them ready for the blog. I enjoyed every minute and I enjoy your visits, even when you don't say a word.

Love Altering

2011-08-13T22:41:00.002-05:00

I do I love what a photo program can do to a photo, this is a really unsophisticated photo program also.

so you have seen these paintings and now they are different, the can be in journals or used as cards, small tags, different sizes and different in other ways also as in color. It is a bit of satisfaction when I haven't gotten to paint because it is creating something.

Finny how gardening this time of year is taking away and that is satisfaction there but not as much and it is different because the labor of gardening gives one a different feeling that completion of an art project.

A Wednesday In August

2011-08-10T06:57:00.002-05:00

I could not think of a title, I Did all sorts of small tasks and none of them gave me inspiration for a title.

This painting is rather busy, deep in the layers are photos of rugs, this taken from the Sunday paper, it was a full page add of colorful rug sample photos. also my own stencils, they are easy one just uses the same technique for cutting a snowflake. I give the hand cut stencil a few coats of medium and let dry to give it some firmness and if I I'm in a hurry I use spray starch on it.

Part Two of this post will follow in a day or so I did a lot with this painting, you know if you keep doing things with backgrounds it merges into something else.

Reminders And Change

2011-08-06T16:53:00.003-05:00

You all know how nothing ever stays the same, maybe it shouldn't maybe the mind is better with change, friends I have talked to talk about moving, new jobs, all good things but with some regrets also. So that is what I was thinking of while painting this. Also try as I might I could not capture the colors in this painting, not matter the tries all came out with a washed out look, the colors are rather pale.

The reminder part is about covers we use to buy to cover the opening in the chimney, the opening where the pipe from the stove went in, we would take some of the stoves out of the house in the summer and then cover that in the house chimney opening with a decorative plate that was metal, the designs sort of looked like her head gear, even that part near to her face.

Of course we have to have some garden photos, the day we had some winds with the storms the garden was sort of swirling, it looked like you were mixing white cake batter with a mixer and then dropped in some pastel sprinkles and kept beating. It has been some work to untangle, I did feel like going out there with a large sprayer of Round Up and say I am done with this ever lasting, time demanding, bug infested, beat down garden. that didn't happen just saying made me know I had a choice and often that is all we need, to know we have a choice. BTW notice how tall that field corn is, in that same location in a dry year it hardly came to our waist.

Rains and Rains so I Paint

2011-08-02T20:31:00.003-05:00

That is only sort of true, it has been hard to have motivation with this hot wet weather and that is the poorest excuse, except one can't work outside and now it is soggy, really soggy, we are just short of 5 inches of rain in 96 hours and we were slightly wet before that. So stormy early mornings until noon and then later at night.

In this painting you will see some swirls I made a stamp by gluing pieces of rubber band on a wooden block, it works pretty well, I never really come up with totally new ideas they are just new to me. I am going to look for very wide ones.

The garden, is rather a mess, not in this photo as this is last years but the same if the hard rain and wind had not crushed things. It is going to take some time to get some order back in the garden.

I wonder why I look forward to a rainy day, imagine all sorts of things created or accomplished and then I don't. I do have visions of sitting around reading books and I do that. Elizabeth Berg is a great author, she writes things that I think but don't say and I have always thought that is the secret to good writing. Write what your thinking not what you think you should write.

I know...her eye..I sort of like it that way. I may not change it.

Wishing you a great August, appreciate every moment. Some moments are much arder to appreciate.

When ART Goes Right

2011-07-27T19:06:00.002-05:00

I like an odd quality to my paintings and a little realism thrown in. I always hope that to others it doesn't look like I know what I am doing half of the time. I like this mix, I don't always achieve the look. This was a canvas that had rock star writing all over it, factory done I gessoed it, the surface was great to work on.
14X18.

Also I have these Zinnias in the garden, the are called Queen Red Lime and I love them, the colors are sort of dusty. I put them behind the painting for cards and for a journal page. This is collage as well as painting. Some of what you see in background are the pages from a book on how to do rose malling. Such nice text in this book.

It Doesn't Seem That Long Ago

2011-07-26T20:46:00.004-05:00

These are photos from the 70s, It is or was our anniversary this week, 46 yrs.
We talk frequently about the years and memories. That was our first dog, Googan.
The daughters or one daughter hate that outfit she has on but the layering of the photo sort of hides it and another opinion is it makes it worse. I wanted to look at us from those days, I wanted to think about those times. I especially looked at my knees no scars from replacement, no rod in my leg that makes it shorter and the handsome man there with those cute kids. I think now and so often, appreciate each day it is memorable, or make a point to remember it. Oh Yes, that is why we journal to remember the ordinary. I have always loved ordinary days and ordinary times.

These photos were taken with a small instamatic, and now in 2011 they are altered.

I Found This Difficult

2011-07-20T21:24:00.002-05:00

The painting you see is 16x20 It was hard for me to work this size, I had done a 14X18 previous and found that more confortable. I will keep this up for a while and see how I feel about it. Right now the red feels right with this heat wave, plus it took me quite a few days to do this work. Another problem I don't think I did the gesso heavy enough before I started. The paint didn't work nicely, the pencils didn't work nicely either.

Garden photos, one very blurry, but I still like the feeling it has, sort of a painting, one after a storm when the world was an odd color,the odd color was a neon yellow it come off sort of pink in the photo. Then some normal type photos.

Have you ever felt sun burned and bug bit?

Nelda's Angel

2011-07-16T17:10:00.002-05:00

Nelda has become a friend over the past year, she sent me this at Christmas while I was recovering from the broken leg. I have not put it away yet and I won't. I have it where I can see it frequently. I asked her if I could use it in a photo altering mood I had. you can visit her blog Nelda Interesting and creative.

Also I must post a photo of the clematis that won the yard award. No real contest just my humor.

Painting, Laundry, Garden

2011-07-14T21:08:00.003-05:00

This painting was done while monitoring heavy things in the washer and light things in the dryer. It just happened and then of course I had to fuss with it, scan it and then alter it. Enjoyable to paint when it hardly matters, just using up paint and arranging odds and ends. So it is a collage also and an altered digitally collage plus that.

Of course a couple garden photos. This is peek time for gardens in this area.

Thank you for your visit, your comments.

Inspiration from Diane

2011-07-08T07:15:00.003-05:00

True enough, when you visit Diane
You will see a wonderful face she did on an old map. I had to try this and wish I had taken a little more care to have more map show on her face. It was great fun tho and I will do it again, plus try on some other patterned paper, I see I have a quilt that I did a face on patterned fabric.

I know sometimes it is hard to tell with my postings because one gets the same look from doing digitally altered work, both are satisfying in a different way.

This is a quick post, I have to get outside before the temps get too hot. Near 90 today. I know some of you have had that many many days, we have had it a little more than normal, but, July is suppose to be hot.

Garden and a ReRun

2011-07-05T20:16:00.003-05:00

Garden photos of roses, lilies, Missouri Primrose, and other various plants.
We have been enjoying strawberries, our patch has produced 36 quarts that is a lot of picking. Most likely on picking left. Summer is so enjoyable, really the heat the bugs, the work, it is hard to understand liking it. I am hardly ever clean always garden dirty and ratty clothes. Thankful for the dirty, the sweat, the endlessness of a garden. In early Dec. of 2010 I was wondering if I would garden again, I could hardly walk. Even in January still the walker was helping me. If you don't know I broke my leg in late November. Thankful, even if that leg is now an inch shorter. I am not gracious about it everyday.

This is a small quilt 6X6 and I am sure I posted it before, I like it, the fact that the sequins shine like they really do. A painting of mine printed off on fabric, and recycled clothing. I do want to quilt a bit it has a calming effect on
me.

When I visit your blog and see the beauty of what you have each created it is such inspiration. Thank you all for your visits and your blogs, it is like a gallery visit each day.

Family Art

2011-06-29T18:47:00.004-05:00

We visited family on Monday, my BIL and SIL had this old memory book of my Husband's mother. There are pressed things, tickets, mementos, calendars of real dates she and my husband's dad went on. It was hand made from manilla paper, and this was from 1929 to 1931. Then, here was this page of faces that she had doodled with ink and a fountain pen. So charming. So I made copies of them and also did an altered card for my journal and some writing to accompany it.

Also the other art of collage is my daughters faces, and my alterations. This is framed and measures 11X15. Also I have a copy of this for my journal work this summer which is suffering, I have things tucked in and some things glued but not really finished.

Do you ever feel like talking about something in your blog you didn't post about?
Happens to me all the time. I most always have no photos to go with the thing that is pressing my mind.

That is my MIL in that wedding photo which I have always thought beautiful.

Summer Girl

2011-06-26T08:46:00.003-05:00

The background has impressions, impressions of large buildings, when really it is music and just texture if you look closely, Then it might not look like that to you at all.

it is amazing what a new yellow can do, It is the most inexpensive acrylic you can buy in the little bottles, I bought a color called Pineapple, a pale yellow and mixed with kelly green, dark night blue, true burgandy and ochre and I get these colors. Also a lot of gesso for the white.

When your done with a painting do you try to go back and count the layers? With this I can remember 6. Portions have been sanded with an mery board,if you sand the edges of papers adhered to your work you can achieve a smooth surface and get an aged look. Also sanding any stamping you have done so it has a hit and miss appearance.

Also a summer favorite, poppies and delphinium. Garden perspiration gives you strength for the rest of the day.

Feeling Over Inspired

2011-06-21T12:20:00.003-05:00

I have been out visiting this morning, we have a gray damp day with winds that whistle if a window is open a tiny crack. If you shut your eyes and seperate your mind from reality you might think it January. However I just picked a bowl of strawberries so it is June. the first berries this year from my berry patch.

That is not the point, the point is this visiting of blogs, and then not even speaking to the artist of the wonderful work and thoughts. I don't speak because I think I need to get to the art room and paint, this is making me feel so over stimulated, over eager to go and do. I will, today is such a day that one can do this without guilt. It is now a day getting on hours so I better get moving.

First I will share this woman of passion. I will also share some beautiful peonies, these plants are 50 yrs old, they grow chest high and can have as many as 60 blooms, one can hardly find a better plant than that for performance.

Don't Tell Her

2011-06-17T08:36:00.002-05:00

This is my daughters art work, the digital stuff is mine. I wanted to do a collage of some of her work. I altered it, and now will cut it up and mount it on a layed backgroundof newspaper and paint, and over that some more additions. She can have it or I will hang it for my pleasure. The altering is mostly fabric behind the painting layered with Print Shop. The reason I did that was to help me unify the
paintings with a consistant color.. the paintings are in her journal work.

It is more steps than quilting, doesn't take quite as much time. I hope I can get a good photo of the completed project, I am not the best photographer taking a picture of a picture.

If I am missing for some days it is a computer problem, right now it is acting fine,
Tuesday it was a complete malfunction, some understandable and some not. I don't believe it is over it's illness.

Collage of Sorts

2011-06-13T21:16:00.002-05:00

This is really collage of recycled dishes, candle holders, glass stones, buttons and glue. My daughter was here last week and we made these, on the second day we bout the stake on them with the same Epoxy glue. I have them in the flower bed by our back door. I have learned that many forms of collage appeal to me.

New Painting

2011-06-08T20:28:00.002-05:00

I just had to paint, it had to be familiar and not a huge challenge because there are so many other things that need attention right now it is easy to lose a feeling about some art work started.

Also in this post you will see Alli um in an altered state and I think in a natural state, I say it this way because sometimes lately saved things on the computer do not show up for postings. Of course sometimes I save scans or photos and spell something wrong and I can't find it. I usually save files by month and year, but sometimes, Oh you know how things can be done when you try to really hurry.

Yesterday it was a 103 we live in the north, to night it will be in the 40s. This has really been a nutty spring. For some a really horrible spring in so many ways.

Photos, background, painting

2011-06-01T14:08:00.002-05:00

The day is passing, I can't believe how the week has passed with just small things done, business phone, exercise, weeding (Not done) planting, exercise group in town, groceries, ti goes on and on and now that I see in writing I am not feeling so bad.
I also did some beading making the necklace part for the dominos I put my art on, and fixing a bracelet. Well I have done two necklaces, and lets not forget going to art shows and garage sales. In the meantime some things are dying in the gardens and not sure why, sometimes it just happens to transplants not often to me but maybe this is my year.

The point of this is I don't get something painted and I miss that the most. I have something started and I want white flowers by her face, and pears at her neck. and of course it won't be simple but it could be if I don't use everything that is on the table in the painting.

This is an April painting, a photo from last year of some container plantings and a birdbath I made from garage sale findss, the birdbath in in the photo. There is a piece of striped purple fabric around the edges and the black and white is a design that comes with photo shop and old program I use and only works up to windows XPThis program came with thousands of graphics and little did I know I would use this stuff in a manner that is so much fun because I didn't know a thing about altered photos then.

It has occured to me that if I didn't over explain I would have more time, remember Edith Bunker? I'm not that bad.

Remembering and Testing

2011-05-27T19:20:00.004-05:00

I did this collage for Memorial Day remembering my parents. I wanted a page for my journal, this journal is always on the kitchen table and it is mostly cutting and pasteing. Sometimes is is just junk mail or stamp snippings that I use and I wrote a few words. the graves we would visit are quite far, traffic is terrible as it is
very lake country, we dont' do that.

The other reason is the widget of followers has vanished, if you visit and you have any idea of how to get it back or if you can see it with your computer tell me. I have tried a few things. Have not emptied the cache yet as I don't know what all goes with that, what oculd be lost maybe nothing I have important things written in a note book. Sometimes I can't read my writing tho. Anyway the test is to see if I do a post if they will come back. I miss the faces.

I always Say

2011-05-25T20:55:00.002-05:00

I say that I want to paint these faces and sometimes, quite a lote lately, more body included. what I say is I want the questions to come, who is that, where are they, and am I just imagining this. Or maybe this question, did I really see that image?
I did get that with this painting, but I am not quite or very excited about it. I will put it away for a while see what I think in a week or so.

The problem could be I lose my train of thought and the flow of working on a painting because of there being so much to do right now, or so much I want to do.
A bit scattered. I just had an idea that I could cover a surface with newspaper larger than the painting do some painting on the paper and add some flowers like she is holding and some other, make the whole thing bigger, maybe 16X20. I will let you know if this happens.

A Day in May

2011-05-23T20:57:00.002-05:00

How fast is this month going? Do you try to hold on, slow it down, impossible and the to do list gets longer and longer and not just mine but my husband's also.
Yesterday I set an angel figurine on the window sill just because I am always arranging things. Hope it isn't a compusive thing, probably not, they gather dust sometimes so I must not do it all the time. I like the look of the window screen in the background of this photo, so easy to get a layered look, and the tulips in the background added some interest. What I also learned is, I liked the bouquet of tulips, but in a photo the one that is open wide is distracting.

When I said so easy, it was this time, not always easy to have things be just right,
there are a lot of different things to consider with photos and so much to learn in that direction.

The Garden

2011-05-21T21:18:00.003-05:00

Gardens take a ton of time, this isn't news of course, I love painting and I love gardening. anyway I am going to post garden photos and one altered photo that is two garden photos, and parts of two different paintings.

Spring is so beautiful, and I feel like there is a countdown to a finish, there sort of is, it has started with the very early blooms now gone, gone for a whole year.
I have to really stop and look take time to appreciate. those wild plums won't be there in a few days. The passing of spring is nearly like electronics, something new before you have fully understood the present.

Anyway I must hurry we have advancing storms and I unplug the computer as we have been hit by lightning a number of times and no matter the expensive power surge
equipment it can fry.

Things I Found

2011-05-10T14:52:00.003-05:00

First, at a sale I found a box 3x4 in. and about an inch thick and it was full of little silouettes, very small ones cut from old magazines. They are fun to use in collage and mail art. She has flowers in her heart and wings on her shoulders. The painting is 14X8 in

I also found this photo I had taken last spring, and an old Bazaar magazine, the colors in my photo and the model in the magazine sort of spoke to me, they had nothing in common except color and it seems there should be better reasons for doing digital art but not today.

The Various of May

2011-05-07T19:55:00.003-05:00

It has been quite busy, once the garden work starts, and it has been going for a while with a day here and there nothing with consistancy. Spring is quite delayed as only now are the daffodils in full bloom. We noticed the ski slopes still have snow as of today. That garden is bare except for the early spring flowers.It looks bare there are many things coming to life. I also had a birthday. I did some digital work with a vintage post card and two of the garden photos. I often wonder of when I am quite older if I will be confused by these altered photos of family, time, and location. More confused than trying to remember how I did that?

If your enjoying Mother's Day enjoy every minute If it's not working out just right do something you like, we have the ability to make ourselves feel good, we even know
what to do.

A Mix, an art Mix

2011-05-01T19:14:00.002-05:00

We have heard the word mix a lot lately. especailly since we get snow and rain most days this spring. I also listen to a radio station that is also MIX, I listen for baseball but they play a music mix.

We lave very rural hard to get the good art magazines here, but I did find in a larger twon the Digital Art magazine, I love digital art but it feels sort of like I didn't do much, which is wrong as I have to scan a lot of things, take a lot of photos, and keep files of things to use which takes a lot of time. There is a different sort of excitement for digital art, and my cheating art heart also feels that my degital style recues some paintings that I maybe could of worked harder on.
Everything does not have to be hard!! That is true for all of us, I feel more rewarded sometimes if I really worked hard. Silly.

The original is posted here and the digital altered is here along with one cropped section. Some of my own photos were used in the digital work and they are so distorted they aren't what they are. Some sheet music and a pictures from a collection of pictures. This is just for personal use a journal of altered work.

Don't Argue With Me

2011-04-28T08:13:00.002-05:00

This is spring 2011 in our part of the country, patches of snow everyday that fall over night or early morning. We live near hills, the hills have some vegetation of various colors and seem even blue frequently. In places it is greener but not a healthy green and the wild grasses have not gorwn enough to cover the old last years dead grass. If you are saying that isn't spring it has been our spring.

This is watercolor not acrylic like I usually use, done on watercolor paper. A hard finish on the paper so if I use nonstaining colors I can change my mind and wipe the paint off.

This is a long narrow painting so my photo program had to do a put-together, right now I have too many art projects going and nothing done except this. this has to get framed, I can't just have paintings of angels and faces all over the house there has to be a mix. Also working on an art quilt, I keep changing my mind on the composition of that. This changing of the mind does not mean better work, just going ahead and doing one's idea and sticking with it to the final stroke or stitch is most always better for me in the final exam.

This has been an all day thing, the painting that will not get framed I cropped some parts and they will be smaller paintings that get used for cards, or something.
so this is one whole painting that has a blur in the middle from putting together with Printshop, the rest are parts.

At this time the sun is out and things look spring. I do remember that this cold and snow is better than the destruction in the southern states, the loss of life the devastation the people feel.

OK I Will

2011-04-19T08:07:00.002-05:00

I have not been sure I was going to post this painting, it is one of those paintings that one minute I really like and then I start to pick it apart. I also carry it around with me, upstairs, downstairs, and tape it up so when I have coffee I can look at it. It meets my standards, almost, and then it doesn't, but then it does.
Wishy Washing is Ok as long as you know for sure.

Easter Eggs and Mens Ties

2011-04-15T08:46:00.002-05:00

I am sure some of you know about dyeing eggs using silk ties. In case your don't you cut squares of silk, only silk and wrap the egg with the right side of the fabric against the egg, tie the excess fabric tightly at the small end of the egg. Next tie a piece of what cotton fabric around the egg in the same manner, nice and secire. Use dark patterened ties, green rarely shows up well on the eggs.
If you have 8 eggs and can cook them in a 2 Qt. pan add a 1/4th cup of white vinegar to the water and boil eggs for 30 minutes. Let cool, cut ties and have fun artistic eggs.

These are mine. I have to say that like all things preparation can take a while, cutting fabric, and tieing up these eggs and especially if you have to cut the ties apart, so if you have silk scarves, or some old silk shirts from a thrift that goes a little quicker. I still felt it was worth it.

The Angel Mood

2011-04-13T08:30:00.003-05:00

The mood to paint angels comes over me frequently, I need a wing class tho I think.

I also wanted to do a background with running dripping paint, I did do that and you can see it a bit but a lot of it is under layers. I also lost some of the runs by sanding near her dress, I wanted that vague look around her clothes. I will try this again. You know what happenes by accident is difficult to imitate. That is probably the most profound thing I will say this week. :>) the other thing about the dripping running paint it reminds me of plumbing in this particular work.

Finished,Updates

2011-04-09T19:12:00.003-05:00

Remember in the previous post I said this was a partial painting, that I glued it to a piece of brown paper and worked the background and various other things into the painting to make it larger and to have a seamless look if I could achieve that. In the beginning it measured 8X12 it now meaures 8X20. It had to fit a frame I have.
it does fee good to hang different art.

Then a few post back I mentioned my quilted book and showed some photos or scans of pages, these photos are not super at all but this is how the book looks finished.
It is quite brighter than these photos indicate.

Feels Like Friday

2011-04-07T15:23:00.005-05:00

To me it does, but what luck another day this week, I don't believe in rushing time.

This really is the beginning of a painting, this part is done, but then I wanted it larger so I covered a cardboard with brown paper and glued the painting unto that, then did more background and additions. I will try to get a photo, my photos of things like a painting are not good at all. It has to be me not the camera and I have not practiced at all this winter and early spring. Do I remember how to get photos from camera to computer? Anyway fun painting/collage, there are magazine bits in this, newspaper, napkins, pencil, paint, matt medium, stamping, ink,.

I Lost My Simplicity

2011-04-02T16:32:00.003-05:00

It doesn't matter that I did, what is a surprise it took 3 days to do a painting that is 8X8 and the other evening I did one much larger in just the evening with a few minor things the next day. I like her dress it reminds me of a Simplicity pattern from years ago, especially the design in the fabric.

However I have a spring feeling with this painting, and it has to be a feeling because it is not an actual happening, we still have a lot of snow. It snowed off and on last week and was cold.

I have a friend who always says I will have one of those with everything, meaning she wants birds and butterflies, necklaces, flowers, head gear. This painting also has paint, papers, napkins, ink, pencil, stamping, colored pencils. Do you know what happens .........The painting is not going well and I start this scramble to make it better. I need a little more faith that it will be fine and to stop the scramble.

Simple Efforts

2011-03-27T13:18:00.003-05:00

I am quite amused, last evening we were watching PBS, the show was about people from Norway, the culture, the food, traditions, art, all of these interesting. Then they said that Norwegians can't leave any surface undecorated, my husband found this highly amusing. You understand how truth about another can be serious or amusing.

I did decide then to do a painting and be as simple as I could, I did fairly well.
I will do another also. The painting that is lightest in color is the original.

Fabric, Paint, Cardboard, Snow

2011-03-23T11:09:00.002-05:00

The snow part is we are having a big snowstorm, many inches again on the melted areas we did have. A set back in spring, I don't mind this always use to happen in
March it is just that it hasn't for a few years so we get complacent and then are annoyed when we get normal. At times the snow reminds one of a sheer curtain moving in the wind, gusts carry snow across the landscape giving a tranparent look and an opaque look all at the same time in various degrees and areas.

I started another quilted/fabric journal, I enjoy doing them when the sewing mood strikes me. I think this will be the cover, on the inside pages I want pockets with a small item inside showing a bit. My SIL sent me some fabric that has a pocket design, I want to use some of that fabric. These are previous posted paintings sized small for the book. The journal is 5 1/2 X 5 1/2 in. If I was or if I had been thinking I would of added some text in making my sheets to cut apart for this. I usually owrk how I feel and not write, except in a different journal that is a lot of pasteing and messy writing.

I also have this painting on cardboard, caqrdboard that has been distressed and ripped, the painting is not done, It could be, but I want something else in it.

Spring Gathering

2011-03-12T18:53:00.002-06:00

That is the focus of this angel, the search for spring, if you look carefully a lot of the finds are not from nature. That is how it would be in Northern WI if I searched.

I also noticed a note pad on the table, I liked the cover so I scanned that design into the computer to use in this art work, these pages go into a journal. A journal I have worked on all winter, many of the pages in this blog since last August are journal pages.

Anticipation, Journal Work

2011-03-10T20:12:00.003-06:00

Thought about that word today as spring drags it's snowy, muddy feet north. Anticipation has always been as good as actual doing to me. Ihave thought of poppy pods for a long time, I wanted wonderful, georgous, I didn't get that, but I did get interesting. This is journal work.

I thought about anticipation at 6am, that is the time I get to the fitness center to ride stationary bike, and walk on the New Step, one other exercise and then arobics for one hour in the pool. This is about getting strength back in my leg and it is quite strong, but it is shorter now so I can't really walk even. I suppose this could happen after knee replacement, then breaking that leg and having a rod put in one thigh. You just can't rent a leg stretcher around here. :>) I do well with a cane, and I have called a shoe cobbler about working on the soles of shoes, making it thicker.

There is collage on the original seed pods, also the brighter deeper colors are the original colors, and the pale tones are a digital alter along with a photo of my garden poppies.

Scrappy bits

2011-03-07T08:17:00.003-06:00

Really this is what this collage is, a lot of scraps laying on the table, scraps I sort of like, I suppose I could put them in a folder and title it "My Best Scraps"
Instead I decided to use them workable or not, that is sort of a labor as one thing does not always go well with another so colors have to be added to the background to help the scrap fit in.
Also a lot of texture from paint is not the best when doing a face, lumps and bumps tend to add distortion to an eye, lip, or nose. This all came from inner thoughts of being brave, however the art is having so much a look that is the same. For now that is OK because I did want 4 that were sort of simular using the photos of cut up buttons. Sometimes people want 3-4 prints that are sort of in the same vein. Sometimes I make cards that way to give. The point is brave still turned into a rather typical work.

Also a couple of these are digital alterations, the reason I save the prints of the alterations in a journal. Journals become like shoes or coats, very personal, just faces, just fun prints, small works from other people. I do get satisfaction from seeing several on a table. It even seems at times that I cannot possibly do them fast enough, isn't that missing the point of journaling, being in a hurry to finish, somehow that doesn't seem honest. There is an except.....Journals can be made as gifts and then you just leave room on the pages for them to take their time writing. That is a great gift to give, do people then say.....I could not bring myself to write in this. Perhaps this blogger has scattered thoughts this morning.

Painting, A Struggle

2011-03-03T09:37:00.003-06:00

This painting sat partially done for a couple weeks while I did the quilted journal, and BTW I have not yet taken a decent photo of it in completion. When I did go back to this painting I had the face mostly done and background also. "Done" that isn't quite right, I had done some work in these areas and at the time, had a feeling for where I was going, I was doing a series of faces using photos of buttons for embellishments. Still I had lost the idea, the feeling, however, I do think I ended with the same feeling even if buttons were not used.

I enjoy backgrounds that have been scraped, sanded, paint reapplied, with more sanding and scraping yet it has to hold some clean color, have visible designs and please me. It took several hours to get this to some satisfaction. Winter has a mean grip on the north, I do feel a need for some color, also some flowers, even some temps of 40 would be nice.

The Chosen Cover

2011-02-25T20:58:00.003-06:00

I strayed from my color choices on the other pages and did the cover sort of bold, so it is just another case of not being able to judge a book by it's cover. There is crayon used around the birds to blend them into the compostition better. Honestly the color matches better when seeing the actual work. Still working on some text and a button or flat object for each page. A journal with ribbon bound pages would be nice, these edges are just zig zagged, more than once. I want to do another fabric book, I also want to do some painting, it is sort of a tug of I wants because spring is not so far off, I want that also, but not at all ready for outside work.

Fabric Journal Pages, Some Altered

2011-02-23T09:23:00.002-06:00

The reason I say some altered is because scanning is not really doing justice to the color, the colors are some brighter, and because I was doing a digital quilt of all the pages in my photoshop trying to see what it would look like as a quilt, I have to say I am not all thrilled with how that looks, one page at a time seems better, that is good because in reality that is how it is. There is a small amount of embroidery, sequins and yarn on these. Later posts will show some neo crayon work.

Also I am not quite sure what photos are available, the image gallery is not saving everything the way I am asking it to, meaning probably a computer problem of sorts or me doing something wrong, how could that be?

Could be the Cover

2011-02-19T10:30:00.002-06:00

Could be the cover to my fiber/quilted/ fabric journal it also is a little bigger than the rest of the pages so it works well to go around them, remember the pages I have shown so far are really two pages on one side and two on the other and will get folded in half as soon as I make the decision to be done with them, I am working on one other set of 4 pages. The fold could be too thick but maybe not if I do it just right the total book will have 20 pages. I will try to take photos of it when done, things go a lot slower now that I have to do most my own work again, plus I want to take some time to read, I miss not having a good book going and I have not really found a book that just makes me want to read and read, that is OK. The other thing I have been doing and having some help with is getting closets cleaned out, having less crowded storage areas is a goal. Or we could just simply say I have been artfully slow the past two weeks truthfully speaking.

You will notice that these pages are rather simular and that was done on purpose with these today a little brighter in areaa, I do want this journal to have some consistancy, really if the same artist makes the book that should be consistant enough.

Fabric Jouarnal P. 9,10,11,12

2011-02-13T14:55:00.003-06:00

I really have 16 pages nearly done, and I have not put it together yet as it is still wordless. I have some words ready and some other embellishments to add, I need to tidy up the work area because I have lost some small bits in the jumble of fabric, and fibers.It would of been smarter to not cut the words apart yet. The pages as you see them are long, they get folded in half. I would like to do 4 more it is really enjoyable work. Not work at all, I especially like the used dryer sheets and there is a lot of that with stamping and paint on the pages that are most blue. The Powdered ink also works well on these sheets and will set nicely when ironed between two pieces of fabric, I let it dry and then heat set it.

If I had a grandchild I would use photos of them and create a quilted me book, just photos of them. I imagine anyone would enjoy one of these with favorite photos of their past, I could do one of myself maybe??? or the cousins, you know what that means it means digging around and hunting for things, and then the photos you have in your mind's eye you can't find.

The painting you see you have seen before a couple posts down, it has been digitally altered with fabric behind it and then the magic click that makes the painting or photo transparent. So magic.

Happy Valentines to you, wishing you a day that has some love and kindness.

Fiber Journal cont....

2011-02-08T20:47:00.002-06:00

In these two pages you see small pieces, a lining from a jacket, the pink swirl with brown, used dryer sheets that have been painted, and BTW I have no experience or direction for this I just took a stab at it. The areas around the Goldfinch are dryer sheets also the area above the pink and brown swirl, the face also that is so blue and rather blurred. I used stamps on fabric, and paint on fabric, also some vintage crochet, and embroidery. The embroidery that says "EM". there are portions of a silk shirt, a dresser scarf, and a print of a small painting of mine. I have done 8 pages.

I find this rather relaxing, it is a trial and error sort of thing, an excuse to sew without really having to think that much. Today and now it is today hours later than last evening, I think how to be more dynamic, have more splash in the next pages or should the whole journal be this rather passive looking design and color?
It is amazing the amount of fabric I have and the tiny amount it takes to make a journal, you could take snippets from the hem of your clothing and have enough fabric.

Fabric Collage Book, and other

2011-02-01T11:40:00.002-06:00

I have started on my quilted fabric collage book, I have 4 pages, the quilted collage pieces you see here will be folded in half when I put this together. Really this piece is done on both siudes so it would make 4 pages, the plan fight now is to do 4 of these and then have 16 pages. This measures 6X12 inches. There is no purpose to this really except I want to have made a fabric journal. I will do some script and I have not decided yet how to do it, I might just do some random writings on fabric with different fonts and print it off on fabric, then cut them up and hand or machine sew them. I may use a fine tip permanent marker and write, except I don't ever like my own writing, except it is more original with one's own writing. I see a hint of not being able to make up my mind.

I paint on brown paper a lot, I have said this before I like how it irons when I am working on a painting, the paper wants to roll that is why I iron it and I do use spray starch on the back. I just cut up grocery bags. This is a piece prepared for the painting of a face and you can see the pencil drawing that is quite simple ready for the painting.

Now that I can drive again run my own errands and do just about anything around the house I have less time for these projects. This is not a complaint I am thankful all the time to be able. Remember when I said I will be thankful each day for small things? I will be. Also to have life feel good, everything I do does not have to have a purpose it can just be becaue I like to do it. You can have that also.

Easy One Day, Hard The Next

2011-01-29T09:00:00.004-06:00

Seems that is how art can be, one day things fall into place, the brush can't do wrong, the colors mix in a brilliant way,the erasing and scraping off of paint and graphite are on purpose not because it looks terrible. I have struggled with this painting, erased, scraped, sanded, added and then repeated the process before mentioned. Actually that is rather fun, one has a feeling of ruining, but then what one is trying to achieve are ruins.

This painting is 6X11 approximate. I also used photos of antique buttons for the design around the head and her neck it was all the same button, I had two photos.

It could be that I am just giddy about driving, being done with supervised therapy, and doing pretty well. Nine weeks since I broke my leg, even for me time has vanished quickly. All aspects are not back to normal, a lot are, the leg is still weak, I walk with the cane yet. I still have to go to the gymn for exercise and one should do that anyway, these are strengthening exercises, not cardio.

Thank you for coming by and your well wishes, helps the day and the recovery.

Using Photos of Buttons

2011-01-24T18:37:00.002-06:00

I like to use photos of buttons in my collage, use them whole or cut them up,one cut up button here. I course I like ocmplex backgrounds, this painting has napkins in the background as well.
This painting was in a stage of horrible for a long time, there are many layers of paint and it has been sanded several times with an emery board, I will say in the past hour of work it came together and I had worked 6 hours previous, bits if the very beginning are still there. It is one of my favorite color combinations.

Journal Covers

2011-01-22T09:18:00.003-06:00

This is the journal of 35 pages, it measures 6X9 inches. It was a cookbook, I was not tempted to save a single recipe. The cover has a circular cut out and it came that way, I put a pocket behind the circle so I can have a different face in the
circle. The cover was done with layers of acrylic paint, napkins, papers, pens, and small prints of my art. The back cover does not have the circular cut out. The pages I have shown off and on here. Some are more collage than a painting, some are a mix, and some are just a painted face. I still have 3 pages to do, I will do them, I do have that little fear I may not finish, this is all because I know myself.
I sort of skip around with projects and I do feel the urge to sew.

You would think I have all the time in the world, I am able to do more each week so those things now get into the day also and I am slower moving it seems or tasks take longer. I can drive and I am sure a could of two weeks ago, but the weather has left the ground surfaces where one has to walk so packed with snow and ice. Then of course the problem of getting purchases to the car so you have to choose a drive up sort of grocery. I have to use a cane.

Still I think two months with a major broken bone healing and coming this far is not so bad, two months today . Have to keep positive and keep working to strengthen.

Journal, Creations

2011-01-16T19:13:00.003-06:00

That is what these are just pages created for the pure plasure of putting things together that I like, it does as much for my spirit as writing, especially since I don't really know what to write, and if I did write later in a small space it would be rather a private thing, I proably won't, creating is a joyful thing to me the benefit is worth every minute, even the parts that are cut from magazines, these really are mixed media of collage papers and painting, along with pens, pencil, colored pencil, stamping with paint, gesso, and glazes with the layers.

This journal has 31 pages the pages maeasure 6 X 8 1/2 I have 3 pages left, I started in August. I did another journal also those little narrow pages I show sometimes. These pages I did yesterday and bits the day before and some today.I also did the front cover, I had to, something seemed to be insisting the front cover needed doing.

I drove today, first time in 64 days, we did a shopping trip so it meant walking in a large store, it was good to have help loading the purchases, and getting them in the house, it is all a task when one hand holds a cane. Better than the walker, better than a lot of things, no complaints, thankful. thankful for help, appreciate every effort on the part of husband and daughter that is close enough for travel to help. The leg still needs more strength, exercise, therapy, they are all helping.

thank you for listening, reading, commenting.

Running Low On Inspiration

2011-01-14T18:46:00.002-06:00

In the past 8 weeks I have done a lot of faces, a lot of art, some pencil, some in journals, in the hospital some small journals of just stapled papers. It feels like a new creation is hard to come by, things are getting over done, and sort of odd.
Today I started to put together some thouhgts on a fiber journal not very far, found some materials and cut some pages.

I did this painting last week and will not try to change it, it is what it is. However I sort of liked the bird, I used Print Shop, a photo of the garden and this bird and found that I rather liked that and will use that in the fiber journal.