Be Delighted

"Oh my my my my, what an eager little mind!"

Auntie Mame

Friday, September 14, 2012

Fallow

It's a cool post-rainy, soft grey day and I am in a demotivated mood despite a commission I need to finish (see last blog), two Day of the Dead projects I need to work on, choreography for Flatlands Dance Theatre, and a possible entry in an upcoming photo competition, High and Dry. (Photography is not my specialty but I am game since I shoot lots of photos for art ideas, most of which never happen). I also have a stack of unfinished art quilts, a family photo album that needs organizing, and a huge pile of laundry. Not much happening in any of those areas. I have been browsing my sketchbooks though........maybe looking for ideas. Maybe realizing I have my moments when art happens. It's just not this moment.






So....in the meantime I continue doodling and playing in my various sketchbooks. My Moleskine sketchbook is nearly full now, which means I will have the pleasure of opening a brand new pristine one soon. Anyway, here are a few images for a fallow Friday:

Monday, September 3, 2012

A work in progress

At this moment I am working on an art commission for a friend. Well, no, at this moment I am typing this blog, but nevertheless.....I have a commission! This is both good and bad. Good equals an interest in my work plus money. Bad equals pressure, pleasing customer, making mistakes, stabbing finger with needle, bleeding on white fabric (this did happen).
Anyway, the commission is a quilted wall hanging to go over the headboard of a bed. The room is sunny in white and soft yellows. The bed is a four poster of white painted metal with little bird carvings atop each post.
  So, I started with a palette:
Then I decided to use white linen as the background and began envisioning a tree branch and cascade of leaves. I also carved some leaf stamps and printed them on beige linen:
I didn't want too much colour so it would remain subtle. The main problem with all that white, lovely linen is that it wrinkles like crazy:
So I densely quilted it using the stippling technique:
I've added a sun to the large expanse of white:
And now I am  hand embroidering and embellishing details on to the leaves:

There are still a few problems to resolve. I am unpicking quite a bit of stitched yellow tulle net. I thought it would add a soft sheer sunshine glow over the background. Instead it looks like someone peed on the quilt. I also need to add a border, a backing, and a casing to hang it. My goal is to get it done in the next two weeks because then I have three other art shows to prep for, and some choreography to work on. I guess I'd better quit goofing around on Pinterest and Facebook and do some goal setting.