Jan/Feb issue of Somerset Studio Magazine

It's a great treat to be published in a Stampington Magazine. Two pieces were published in Somerset Studio's Jan/Feb 2009 black and white challenge section. This clown came from a very old Japanese photo (below). I love his round WWII era glasses. The photo came from an old album that John brought back from Sydney on his last trip to Australia.


I made this color collage of the clown before the black and white one.


The house collage uses one of favorite images from an old CDV. (original is below)

These two girls must have been sisters. Their eyes are wonderful. You may remember their eyes from my old blog banner:

The sisters were also used in the mixed media piece "Cocoon" that was exhibited at Glenview Mansion show. Their gaze is so direct. It would have been a treat to know them.

Vultures circling Arlington

On Friday I had a strong premonition that I should put my camera in my pocket when I left to run some errands. I listened without a second thought (yes, listened to that voice in my head) and I was glad I did.

As I was driving I saw a huge bird that I took to be a hawk land in a tree. I pulled over to get a better look. A woman stopped on the sidewalk to look as well. She said "it's a vulture - she's been in the neighborhood eating road kill for a few days". It hopped from the tree to a nearby roof. I took these photos as the bird posed beautifully. It looks like an ornament on the peak of the roof, doesn't it?


I knew that turkey vultures lived in forested areas near here but I've never seen one in the suburbs before. We have foxes in the neighborhood, opossum, and some say coyotes too. Deer have been spotted trotting down the nearby bike trail. So why not turkey vultures to eat the carrion?

Who knows what caused me to feel I had a premonition or why I followed it so blindly. Seeing a vulture land in a tree and hop a couple roofs was pretty cool. Having my camera with me was cooler.

Wikipedia says "Creativity has been associated with right or forehead brain activity or even specifically with lateral thinking." I think that by having my camera with me I was open to seeing the bird landing out of the corner of my eye. Who knows what I will see next time I'm driving around.

Short clip of vulture in motion

Shibori Dyeing - latest results in deep blue on white cotton

Here are some of the latest results in my Shibori dye experiments. All of the blue ones above came out nicely. The white bundle below was an attempt to get some circles by tying marbles into the cloth. I believe that I didn't tie them tightly enough because the dye bled through all the fabric. I'm learning.

Shibori dyeing with organic results

The white bundles in the photo became the colored pieces you see below. Since starting my "dye phase", I came across this website: TOBASIGN which has some good photos on how to sew and dye in the SHIBORI method. The how to photos were captioned in Japanese, so it's a good thing I'm a visual learner! The larger blue piece looks like a fossil to me and I like the organic look of the results.

Heavy with their drink - drink of color that is.

I've been doing some dying for a banner project. I decided to dye some other fabric while I had the dye pot going. Here's a banner detail on left, and other fabric for the pot on the right.

Here is a basic dyed banner piece . From here I will add other embellishments to fit the subject matter and add some contrast colors.

I either got into a roll or got into an obsessive mode because I am continuing to dye fabric even though the banner part is done (22 banners later). So here are some detailed photos below of the color and textures I have dyed.







This rust colored set was made by wetting fabric in vinegar and laying the cloth to dry on rusted metal.This will take much more experimentation before I get pieces I really like. The piece in the center was laid out on the rusted cutting blades of a defunct paper shredder. Laying the cloth on shaped rusted bits will yield some interesting patterns, but I will wait for warmer weather before doing more. Apparently the weather does not bother the process, but the cold bothers me! This is a job for spring. For now, I'll continue making more pieces inside.

How will I sew the dyed bits together and what will I make with them? I don't know yet! At this point they are hanging on a clothes rack and are feeling 'too precious' to use. If I live with them a little while, I'll get over this feeling and I'll begin sewing them together into something. I'll get back to where I began - back to the old Singer.

7 things, 7 quirky things.

Awhile ago, Bev of Studio Panorama tagged me to write 7 quirky things about myself, and recently Dayna of Alley Art Studio tagged me for 7 things about me. So thinking as I do that I am quirky anyway, my 7 things are both about me and quirky. I know, it's a bit of a cop out, but I've combined them together and if you look at number 3, you'll see why it's hard for me to write all 14 things.

7 things

1. I listen to Coast to Coast AM on the radio for hours until I fall asleep. I like the ghost stories best.
2. I'm a very picky eater and I won't eat anything from the sea. I think I have a kid's palate.

3. I don't feel comfortable writing things on my blog, but I love reading them on other people's blogs. Since I've been tagged and I have enjoyed reading other people's posts it's only fair I give it a go.

4. I'm shy - see number 3.

5. I love the scent of fresh picked parsley.


6. I didn't fly in an airplane until I was 18.

7. I hate to travel and I love to travel. Getting there is horrible, but being there is wonderful. (Do you think number 6 caused number 7)?

I'm supposed to tag others, but I think I've procrastinated so long to do this that everyone whose blog I read has done this already. If you want me to tag you, let me know and I will make it so.

Graffiti in Italy

Dayna's 'graffiti'

Dayna of Alley Art Studio blogged her four week trip to Italy. She bought a red marker along the way and added some of her own 'graffiti' here and there. It motivated me to get out the graffiti shots I took in Italy to post here. Say hey to Dayna when you visit her and be sure to look back as far as her October posts - there are many great travel photos and stories to be enjoyed.

Detail

Detail

Ambitious graffiti on the train tracks.

This isn't graffiti, but it is in the style - danger on the train tracks!

There was some more personal religious graffiti too.

I love this stenciled piece. What a great idea!

John found this one near the bus stop at Tarquinia.
It seems appropriate to end this post with this piece.

Daily Window Bags

The nice folks at Daily Window have added a post to their blog about a bag I designed for them.

This project was fun and they've asked me to design more bags for their inspiration gallery and I'm looking forward to the working on them.

One of my next ideas is to display an icon or Christian image. I bought some iridescent gold pigment in Italy and I've been looking for a good excuse to use it. From Daily Window: "The bags were originally designed so that women/men could carry their inspiration, meditation, affirmation with them while on the go…as a learning/memorization tool, as a ministry. So we love when the craft world combines the artwork with the inspiration".

Click on this photo for detailed image.

The bags are sturdy and good quality and they make an excellent canvas. I made a 'regular' TM collage and added some fabric pieces to go with the collage. I dyed a vintage doily and created a flower to crown the composition. I tried to make it tasteful - something I would actually carry rather than just an art project. I hope you like what I've done with my first one. I enjoyed revisting one of my favorite themes - the mermaid - and what's better than a Paperwhimsy gal for the main figure!

Good news - I'm being republished...Stampington Publication.

I just heard from Stampington that they will be republishing my article from 2006 in the upcoming Stampington Publication called Artist's Cafe, Volume II. The magazine is coming out December 1, 2009

Santa Maria del Popolo - Rome

Here are John's photos of the Caravaggio's from Santa Maria del Popolo, in Piazza del Popolo, a Renaissance church in Rome which has a chapel that features Caravaggio's Martrydom of St. Peter and Conversion of St. Paul.