Hollyhocks

Isn't this a pretty quilt? It is from the American Folk Art Museum. I may just have to go into the city and visit this one.

January Launch

Well I have made some progress on some six inch blocks B-1, Bachelors Buttons, A-5, Cathie's Campfire, Lady of the lake , (not DJ), K-2 Grandpa's Chickens-my way:), M-9, Fan Dance, over the course of the first couple of weeks. None are perfect but I do like the colors. I took the photo with my phone in indoor light so the colors are not a vibrant here as they really are. I think I need to add some light colors-maybe yellows and orang are next?
Other than that I am recuperating from a nasty one two punch of the physical ailment nature whose details I will not enumerate here. But I am left weak and tender. I am hoping to be better enough to go into work tomorrow, but I will wait until then to decide.

Stashbusting with Judy

I have joined Judy Laquidera's Stashbusting party. So far this year I have busted maybe a yard or less, lol. It is not easy using up on my fabric sewing six inch blocks.
All joking aside-well, maybe not all joking-I really do not need to buy any more fabric. So I will toss my hat into the ring. Currently I am actively working on a new sampler and Lollipops. I have decided to use machine applique for the lollipops to give it a chance of ever getting finished. I have a an abundance of bright and hand dyes and Kaffe Fasset and Amy butler fabrics to use on this project. O an I hope to make a ST Marks quilt from Bella Bella on my upcoming vacation. Kind of a sewing vacation for me since I won't be going any where. I am not complaining. I like it here.
So Judy-if you are reading this I do not know if I signed up to mr linky correctly and I was unable to get the code for your thingy-
but Here i am!

Surface area-studio

My painting studio is actually the front porch and entry way to our house. Not entirely conventional by any means. There are twelve north facing windows so I guess this is as near perfect as you can get in this latitude. This space has evolved into my play room and doubles as storage for tools and toys of all kinds. You might say we are messy. you might ay we are not afraid to fuel our passion. In your life you can be conventional and try to fit in and reap whatever rewards come of that. Personally I have never been able to find a place in the conventional world, and trying to squeeze myself into a wrong mold has been excruciatingly painful. Through time, errors and wise counsel, I just decided to be who I am and rejoice in my own gifts, whether or not they could be seen by anyone else. I have been fortunate to have found a partner who rejoices with me. I can say I have succeeded in life for this, if for no other reason. We have journeyed far to find each  other. And we are happy. My legacy is to show that in spite of what may be done to you, you can be happy. You can be joyous. You can create and share art and poetry and love which can inspire one person, or many, and that will be a life well lived.
Well, how did I get to that ramble? I will leave it in. At different times in my life I have been asked about my passion, my motivation, my legacy and this is my answer. I guess I just needed to make it evident.
In my life, I have endured many losses, including the complete loss of my family of origin due to insanity mostly, divorce and death. But I am a joyful, Somehow I found that , even broken, I am beloved and that is they key to my survival and my victory.

Surface Area-sewing room

 My family would be justified in kicking me out of our small abode, lock, stock and sewing machine. I simply take up too much space. And I am not talking about my girth! That is another blog, not yet aborn.
I came across a blog which is about the creative space of creative people and so I thought I would show you mine. It is somewhat embarrassing and at the same time exhilarating. Take a look  at this blog. I enjoyed seeing how other creative souls populate their work areas. I want to say it is sacred space. There, I have said it. Since I work in paint, glass, wax, fabric, fiber, words, I do need a lot of surface area, and shelf space and wall area, and floor feet and drawers and music and dvds and time. All of the elements convene, and if I am lucky and diligent I get to be there too.

details

What I love about encaustics is that it encapsulates and preserves. It was use in ancient Persia to make the images on shrouds. Some examples still exist In the Metropolitan Museum in NY. I also love that is can be buffed and shiny and textured and opaque or translucent.

As I look at this painting there are thing that I want to explain and things I want to add or take out and then I remember that I am finished. It is what it is and I am going to let it remain so. As hard as that is for me.

Originally there was a book in her hand and I did not complete it because time passed and it was no longer being read. The image of the window is from a photo taken inside the stairwell at the church at the ground zero site. The lace is hand beaded belgian lace, beaded by my grandmother. The model is my daughter. It is painted on a panel of birch plywood, over which canvas is glued with archival glue.

These are some details that might interest you.

done

     I finished the Bailey painting and I am satisfied with it. I like it not because likeness or finesse but because I went way out on a limb and did things I never did before It is mixed media. I used oil, oil pastel, fabric, paper, encaustic wax and powdered pigments from Sinopia, heat, netting and ink on rice paper (printed photos) and lace and beads. Yep. and it is done. The original picture was taken three years ago and it is hard for me to believe it took that long. I learned a lot from doing this and that s what I like best about it. One can theorize endlessly about technique. As you are in the creative stream and actually doing and seeing and smelling the paint-then you are learning.