Fabric flowers and Cards

Monday I did some fabric painting and this morning I started playing around with the flowery shapes.

I want to make a field of flowers with a few blooms standing out in the foreground.

I started cutting into one piece of painted fabric, using the second piece as a background.

I'll be overpainting the background piece and using thread to define the main flowers.

Just a fun, springy piece which I hope to finish later today!

Also, I was thrilled to receive some beautiful cards which I had ordered from my blogging friend, Libby Fife. Libby is a painter whose work I have followed for several years. She paints local scenes from Calaveras County, CA, where she lives, and she writes about these scenes here. I purchased 10 cards - these are my favorites, but I love all of Libby's paintings! 

Hope your week is going well! Thanks for visiting!

Painting on Fabric and a Tag

Today I did one of my favorite things - painting on fabric. I set up in my laundry room with a sheet of plastic over my washer and dryer, took out my Setacolor fabric paints and got to work.

My first effort was a familiar one for me - landscape colors on a commercial fabric.

Completely brainless, just the wonderful feeling of spreading the paint.

The next piece was done with an eye to later cutting up and reassembling. Just working wet paint into damp fabric, trying different things.

And finally, some sponge stamping and a little textural effect with a stencil brush.

I really want to do another layer over this when I've heat set it.

Throughout the entire process, Rosie watched, fascinated.

Her favorite part was watching me wash up my brushes and containers!

 Don't worry, she didn't drink the soap suds!

On a different subject, I was tagged this weekend by Lorinda at Everyday Endeavors.
I don't usually do tags or blog awards, but I love Lorinda and her desire to learn new things. She is always coming up with new art projects and taking courses. She is also very funny and does beautiful work.


Here are some questions I've been asked to answer:


1. What's your favourite medium for creating?
    I love working with fabric, paper and embellishments.
2. What is your favourite accessory? 
    Scarves, definitely!
3. Books or movies? Or?
    My husband and I love going to the movies and we go often! I love to get lost in a film.
4. Is creating your day job or your night job?
    Creating is my passion and my fun! I do a little tutoring part-time.
5. Glass half empty or half full?
    Half full! I'm very blessed.
6. What's your favourite time of day?
    I'm a night owl!
7. What's your favourite form of exercise and/or physical expression?
    I'm doing a Pilates mat class right now.
8. What kind of music inspires you?
    I like Jazz. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong were wonderful together.
9. What's your favourite month of the year?
    October
10. What's your favorite quote?
    'Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.' 
     Pablo Picasso

11. If you could spend a free month anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would 
      you do? 

     I would go back to Tuscany for an fiber art course and vacation!


I told Lorinda that I won't be tagging anyone else, but if you visit her blog you will find many links to other artists who have been tagged.

I hope that you have had a very good start to your week.

Thanks for coming by!

Yellow All Around

It all started yesterday, when our temperature reached an unseasonable 85 degrees. I looked out from our porch and saw that our hedge of forsythias had suddenly bloomed - and I mean suddenly!

These are the bushes below the porch windows.

In the front yard, the daffodils are about to pop!

At the fabric store, the yellow fabrics called out to me,

And the pansies in front of the supermarket were lovely!

In the florist section, yellow flowers were everywhere,

And some even found their way home with me!

Even the bananas were sunny looking,

And the lemons seemed especially golden!

Maybe the sunshine affected my brain, but the whole day seemed particularly brilliant!

Hope you've had a wonderful week!

Happy Spring!

I was just looking at some photos I took two 

springs ago in Tuscany...

Beautiful, yes?

Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Spring!!!

A Beautiful Day

Sun shining,

warm breezes blowing;

a peacefully productive

and totally beautiful

day.

Hope your week is starting off well!

From my Sketchbook ~ Compassion

This morning I was thinking about compassion, and began drawing this sketch as I drank my morning coffee. I was thinking about how much we need the comfort of a human touch when we feel sad or overwhelmed. But, if that's not possible, even the sound of some comforting words or the connection that comes from a sympathetic glance can act as a salve on our wounded hearts. And, of course, a mother's touch can make all the difference to a troubled little soul!

I spent some time out on the porch, turned on the electric heater and set to work with my pens, pencil, scissors and glue.

The light in this room is phenomenal and, even on an overcast day like today, it is a pleasure to work out there. Keeping me company was my new laptop, which I am so thrilled to have!

Although I've had a mac for five years, I'm taking lessons at the Apple store to really learn all the ins and outs of this wonderful machine. It's funny, though - I really love the simplicity of a pencil or pen in my hand, and like to keep a balance between hands-on and computer-created.

Now to hand-write some notes to a few people I know who could really use some compassion and a little lift. It's so easy to get caught up in my own concerns - time to spread a little sunshine around!!

Hope you are having a happy and sunny weekend!!

A Child's Portrait

 I recently completed this commissioned portrait, derived  from a photo taken in the 1960's of a most adorable young girl. The medium is cut paper, and the face was done with micron pens and colored pencils. I used acrylic paint for details on the cat's face. The cat, by the way, was not in the original photo!

Before sending it off to my customer, who is also a dear friend, I added a brighter sparkle to the girl's  eyes and a few more highlights to her hair. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of those final touches.

It's always rewarding to finish a promised project, and I have another one in progress as I write this.

Hope everyone who reads this is having a very good week!