Mother’s Heart, her true colours

Definitely my new favourite

The full photo is the “face” of the piece. Because this wraps around a 12×12″ canvas, the embroidery is extended down those sides as well. I’m very pleased with the look and the feel–oh the tactility of this one!

Hooping it last night was definitely the way to go to attach the heart. I remember struggling to get the pieces on and together on Every Beat Has A History, a much bigger piece, and had sworn then i would never do it that way again. (I have to retake those photos too as my skills there have improved since as well )

 

Mother’s Heart is done

Sounds like something Mr Bates or his mother would have said

MMmmmmmmmm, wonderful texture again.

Hooped for the remaining stitches to attach the heart to the background:

Here she is, ready to be sent off to San Antonio Texas to the SDA Inter.face conference member’s show.

I”ll retake photos for the submission though as evening light is not as wonderful as the day in my stoodio. That “writing” at the top and bottom of the heart is actually a wine red, not black.

And now to finish Nightmare Interrupted which has been interrupted too long! And sketches for some new pieces, small and big.

 

new worlds

Well, i know the end of the world is not the 21st because it’s that as tomorrow already in Australia–and i heard from a friend there, so all is well

While everyone else is running around in circles because of christmas, i’m just making circles, fattening the sample workbook, building the start of the “Work 2013″ files, relearning old skills–no stress, no fuss, no mess and guess what, no cost either. My pockets may be as empty as ever, but my inspiration bank is fuller every day.

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Sea Change is still travelling with the FAN Waterworks show. She’ll have made a fairly large circular trip herself by the time she comes home.

 

Karin has done it again, the determined dynamo of a scamp–next year we’ll be learning from Lisa Grey in a 3 day workshop, “The Art of Looking Sideways: Connecting Creativity and Play.”

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If  don’t post again before The Day, have a lovely, quiet, calm and warm one.

 

exhale…………………………….blitzed by glitz

A great sigh of relief in the Stately Barr Manor: most of the work is done for the trunk show this weekend, and man and animals are sighing just as much now that part is over

(Photos are 2 different angles of each batch.)

I had 80 of these planned, made 67, finished 48 (beading and attaching brooch backs are a bitch )and then i culled to 38: some weren’t quite up to standard, or not interesting enough. I have had enough of working with bling for at least a week now! It took me an entire evening of beer and “Broochback Mountain” to get all the pins on the back of these!

And how fortuitous that my copy of Art Quilting Studio showed up when it did, because it’s going on the table too as part of the display I have a few other things to go on my table too, but you’ll have to wait for pics on Sunday, the day after it’s over

Now i actually have 2 hours to do NOTHING

(WHOO HOO i get to eat! And shower!)

before i have to pack up everything to transport for set up at 6 tonight. If you’re “local”, please drop by ArtPoint in Inglewood/Ramsay and see what our diversely talented Contextural group has for yourself or wonderful gifts to people you love!

 

staying sidetracked

Going off the path can be a lot of fun too. The little zaps of colour have been a fantastic antidote to grey skies and the resulting grey mind that happens for so many of us at this time of the year. Vitamins for the soul as Nicky (Perryman) says! (And wow does Nicky use colour!!)

I was able to get in on the Contextural Trunk Show after all so am revving up Lalage, putting her through the paces and brushing up on my machine skills, slowly rusting the last year or so. If you’re local, please drop by and see me! (Us) It’s one day only, Saturday Dec 1, at ArtPoint in Inglewood (Calgary) and there are about a dozen of us participating, with some lovely lovely work in a range of techniques and prices.

I haven’t done a show like this in many years, but know that a variety of items in various sizes, shapes, uses and colours are tres importante. When i have a basic set up, i’ll show you. Still, there will be no puce and chartreuse rhomboid options. NARF

I’m trying out the combos and ideas before i go full swing into “duplicates”. I’m not making more than 3-6 of each thing as i get bored Kind of got stuck on hearts until a flash outside at the feeder reminded me of BIRDS! And flowers, why not, but i draw the line at trees, snowmen, candy canes and well, maybe stars. (Too many points to turn as this technique makes the seams stiff.)

I’m having a little slowdown on the Art and just “crafting” art (There will be some Art on my table too.) So, i have now 7 days to really get enough stuff together–i can i can i can do this! Yesterday, i did 7 pieces, getting bogged down with dragging out every gorgeous scrap i own, this second day i did 21 as i focused in on what i wanted to really do. (I really had no idea how much blingy stuff i still own!! Which of course leads me to a million other ideas and possibilities to use it up…later!!!!!!)

 

Rather bleary eyed happiness this evening, and man am i starving, didn’t even have lunch!

 

i think i heard Roquefort

When we lived on Vancouver Island, we were in a semi rural area and somebody across the way had a young rooster that was just learning to crow–or an old rooster who couldn’t get the effort up, not sure!……he wasn’t around long, probably because of his efforts, but we named him Roquefort because his crow was so cheesy as we got the morning coffee going

Anyhoo, the point is i have been up since 330AM, another early morning start for the Greyman and his work bud. I figured i might as well get into the stoodio–i can never get back to sleep after such a start to the day…….

Contextural has a tentative Christmas Trunk Show planned and i thought this year i might participate. Artist run craft shows are a big step up from some of the ones i used to do–no competing with imported jewelry, plastic canvas and plastic beaded “ornaments”, Watson products, gold plated chains, and scavenged Barbie clothes! It also means people are willing and able to spend more than 5 bucks, won’t say “i could make that” or ask if it comes in rhomboid shape in chartreuse and puce…….

I’ve decided to go with the season, whites, neutrals, the spark of russet and the ember of scarlet hidden under hoarfrost. I have a series planned for this little figure; you’ve seen her before but she’s going to be undergoing  some transformations in a few flavours and sizes.

And now it is 930PM and after a call to my mother in Southern Ontario, where i hope she and my brothers are safe during the horrendous “Sandy” winds and rain, i am going to bed!

 

Worked Up opening

Bobbie Olson, strong graphics and colour

Nice to see so much colour and so many warm colours when it’s -5C now!

I have permission from  the artists to show their work. I have appended their copyright to each photo.

Judy Weiss, gestural and fruity

Cheryl Atkinson, captivating machine work with precise details

Barbara Worden, freely expressive collage

Michelle Sirois-Silver, spare clean design

Karin Millson, mark-making with elan

Karin Millson, stunning juxtapositions of colour, stitch and mediums

Anne Fetterly, lusciously sensitive florals

Susan Kristoferson, intensity in patterning

Siri McCormick, planes of shape as line

Linda Hawkes, shape interpretation

Linda Hawkes, negative space and threadwork as gesture and intent

Saaraliisa Ylitalo, Zen and the machine

arlee barr

And what a lovely surprise when i dropped off the flowers: a little red dot by mine!

 

Worked Up and working up

Did my stint of stewarding (docent) at Art Central this afternoon for Worked Up, the follow up show derived from art done during the Jason Pollen workshop we had in June. Fascinating to see the results from so many artists with different styles and viewpoints.

I may be able to show more detailed shots once we have had our opening (First Thursday, the 4th) at Art Central, with the permission of the artists. The works are ripe with detail and colour combinations. I have a few favourites certainly

And i had Anno Suturae with me as i can’t sit in one spot for 5 hours with nothing for my hands to do!  Shots of that closer to the weekend.

 

Creative Stitches Festival

If you go to the Edmonton (oops Sept 14/15 so bye bye already!)  or Calgary (Oct 19/20) show, be sure to see the “From Away” exhibit from FAN. My piece “Winter Prairie” is in there.

I have my “shopping list” ready for looking through the exhibitor/vendor booths. Yeah: Copperfield Books and Jefferson Notions!!  I may even take in a seminar or two!

 

Shock Therapy done

way too much happening –nope, nuh uh, nah

Thanks for the input on my last post and on FB regarding which layout was “best”. As i was editing my statement for this one, i realized that it gave me a clue as well! I’ve decided to change the spacing a bit and use all of the red “tissue” over. And look Ma! No spine! Not a comment on the work, but as it turned out, i just didn’t like it in there no matter what i did with it, which is fine because the inspirational piece had nothing like it. I couldn’t force the issue. Sometimes ya just gotta dropkick an idea into the corner and let it whimper and whine, forgotten. I had nightmares last night that the red roundelles/cells/blood droplets wouldn’t hang properly within their areas so revised the attachment procedure there as well. I was going to do dissolvable threadwork for them too but decided the simpler solution of lacing them to the main piece was better. KISS again!

Jennifer, took your skeletal advice to heart, and the spine may show on another piece someday.

The problem with this one actually is that for this show it was to be mounted on black coreboard to maintain some unity with the other pieces in the show. This is the way we showed the originals (now inspiration for these show pieces) on the final day of the workshop.  I talked to Karin and my solution is to mount it on a framed stretched canvas, presenting it on black which was/is my intent anyways. I feel it supports the weight better visually and literally–because of the way these pieces were made, the front is heavier than the back, if that makes sense. (What a pain to attach to the canvas though…….)

Yuppers, that’s a wrap, pack it up, party’s over

Sue mentioned letting it be more sculptural, in the round, and while that thought was in my mind at one point, the constraints of the exhibition space and the Salon style presentation won’t allow it. We can’t be “deeper” than an inch in 3d, as it’s a high traffic area, and i’m assuming there may be possible intrusion of passing body parts! I’m also quite honestly, while liking the end result, am not in love with it enough to do anything further with it.

On a personal note (and what to an artist regarding her/his art isn’t?), Shock Therapy is not about actual electrocution as “therapy” (abhorrent thought!)—it’s about pulling back your own art skin and finding out where the level of pain and discovery is. This isn’t a definitive representation of what i’ve been through this year, but close enough in that i feel like i’ve been split open, re-arranged and put back together inside out! Not a bad thing really, just part of the process. It’s not all i am either. I know i am not, will never be and don’t want to be like anyone else, style, intellect or practice wise. I am who i am, and that’s all there is to it. If that sounds too serious or self important, well, it’s still better than some of the granola bar phrases i’ve seen around the interwebs

So, that’s out of the way, and i can move to completing work for another deadline now. As full of pressure as that is, i’m getting a lot done this year because of all the deadlines i’ve had! I’ll be revamping the 2012 gallery as well to show the results of all the fretting, spitting, splitting, guh-nashing of teeth and pulling of hair.

Onward and upward! Tally-ho! Andiamo! Vite!