Spring Gathering

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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

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.