Stitched Waterlilies

July Picnic Portland Art Collective Swap

Every July the Portland Art Collective has a picnic.  It's always about beautiful weather, good friends and good food! We also hold an art swap.  Last year we did a cookbook where each artist brought a front and back page with arted up recipes.  Other years we did Prayer flags and Equisite Corpses.  This year we decided to use our old show postcards as a surface and the rules are you make one piece of original art for each person in the swap. The pieces will all look similar by artist. Notice mine are similar but definitely different.  In the end we will go away with a pile of original pieces of art.  No two alike!  I am sure many of these pieces of art will be framed!  Here's several versions of mine.  Notice I incorporated my new found freeform stitching into it!

Wedding Cards

My niece is getting married soon and I decided to make several card prototypes to be able to key into the one I like the best.  I practiced my new stitch caligraphy after collaging.  I got a lot of practice!  What do you think?  Which do you like best?

I've been working on something new!

Collage and paint with machine freemotion stitching!

I purchased a sewing machine 4 years ago and took a class at the time but for some reason, I did not feel comfortable working with paper and freeform stitching.  I wanted to try using my handmade papers and fabric and stitch onto a piece of art.  There were too many roadblocks with the machine clogging and thus making the projects move slowly.  I decided that I either need to learn how to use it and give it a try or sell the machine.  While participating in the Prosperous Heart Book by Julia Cameron Yahoo Group, I put it out there that I wanted to take another lesson or class.  Sandy Keating, Master Fiber Artist, volunteered to help me!  Last week, I took a lesson with her.  In just 2 short hours I felt comfortable to make a go of it on my own.  She gave me a lot of great pointers and showed me how to solve many of the issues I had originally been experiencing.  On top of all that I was able to spend time with her and get to know her better.  It was really a treat for me and I really appreciated her generosity!  I will be posting several different looks that I have created in the past 4 days...  These are all made card size so I will try working on bigger surfaces next!

Cardmaking with friends

Last Christmas I got together with 2 friends for an afternoon of cardmaking for Christmas.  Lily and Isa had so much fun, we decided to have the class again.  It was not so much a structured class but I was on hand to help them both with suggestions.  They both made cards for Mothers Day that turned out beautifully!  Lily thinks I should work with them teaching students art when they start their non-profit working with autistic kids.  I truly have fun working with Isa because she is so talented!

Lily

Lily's work

Isa's work

Isa

Isa and her work

Spring has Sprung at my house!

I have come to look at my yard as my art.  It is full, full, full!  It also reflects riotous color.  I have always spent a mint each year adding to my collection of plants and have got to the point where I should probably stop but can't.   I still buy and actually went to a local plant sale on Saturday where I purchased 3 boxes of very healthy plants!   I am also lucky to have friends who also have a lot of plants and totally enjoy exchanging with them.  This past Fall, I purchased a few more tulip bulbs to add to my front yard bed along my driveway.  I'm really glad I did as it looks so pretty!  I just had to share!  Later in the summer I will share the back yard.  The perennials are getting taller but not quite there for your viewing pleasure.  Till then...

Mother's Day and Spring Cards