Ok, lost the last one, so I'll start again. I started out as the most PASSIONATE artist. I planned to BE an artist - to get the degree and have a studio and actually earn a living with ART!!! Then I had a back-up plan - to teach if my art wasn't quite enough. So much for plans. I was young and foolish then ;-) but I DID know what I wanted. I just didn't stick with it... I went to college 1 year and then became a mom and did various other things, but didn't do art. Later I went to college again and learned CADD and did that... but eventually my body said WHOA - and I couldn't work any more. So - to maintain my sanity I stayed home, ran kids around to their various appointments and events, and began to create. First just a little crochet, a little faux painting, then I learned to REALLY knit - not just make placemats ;-) and then I started painting again. This time I was trying to learn acrylics and watercolors in order to avoid the smell of oils. My really cool hubby encouraged me to keep going. After a few fits and starts, I finally decided this summer that I will try challenges and shows and a blog and see what happens. So far I have had one piece in a special exhibit - which to me is exciting and validates me as a "REAL" artist!
My favorite blogs from my site are:
1. http://irishroseart.typepad.com/irish-rose-art/2010/05/accepted.html
2. http://irishroseart.typepad.com/irish-rose-art/2010/05/amazing-experience.html and the video to #2
3. http://irishroseart.blogspot.com/2010/07/music-from-garden-of-gods.html
My favorite blogs that I follow, other than Mrs. Klassen, of course are:
1. http://bushelandapeck.typepad.com/
2. http://swirlygirl.typepad.com/
3. http://prairiegirlstudio.blogspot.com/
I loved Connie's video and am off to make some journal pages and then figure out how to flickr. I am so excited about being able to participate in this experience!!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Touched by Angels
YES, it did get done in time! I got the email yesterday and Touched by Angels is at Hoffman Sulky Challenge location! I am so excited - I can't wait to hear whether or not my quilt will travel. I have learned one thing - the competition in the quilting arena is TOUGH!!
This quilt is based on the snorkeling experience I had at Isla Mujeres Mexico. I was about 15 feet down when I saw a school of angelfish going by. They were gorgeous and were purple and they took my breath away (what breath I had). THEN when they were right across from me they took a sharp left turn and I froze. I knew they wouldn't hurt me, but I didn't know what they would do. They came at me as an entire school, and when they reached me they parted barely enough to swim around me. They touched me with their side fins and tails as they went by. It was TOTALLY amazing and I didn't have a camera, but I have NEVER forgotten that moment.
The angelfish are purple fabric with machine embroidered Sulky thread scales. The lips, fin and tail bones are yellow fabric, and the side fins are gathered mesh. The eyes are black fabric with Sulky thread embroidery.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Book Fairy Project
After I left the book, we had a family picnic. We met at a park and had supper.
As we loaded up and headed for home, I began to have raindrops on the windshield. I had left the book 2 hours ago, but the brown paper would not protect it from the rain. On the way home, I stopped and asked Younger Daughter to dash up the trail in her young fast way and check on the book. (I also asked her to see if Mr. Bluebird was still hanging out, and to take a picture of him if she could - he had been too fast for me.)
She went up the steep hill and disappeared. I waited. And waited. And waited.
Younger Daughter is tall and slim and extremely quick-moving. Not hyper (unless on Pepsi), just quick.
So I began to wonder - did she walk home? Was she thinking I was just dropping her off and would see her back at the house... then as I was entering her name to text her, I saw her moseying - yes, moseying slowly back down the trail, talking on her phone, holding the camera in her hand, and - with the book tucked under her arm. Good thing we checked!
She got in the car and we looked it over. A couple of raindrops had smeared the wording a TINY bit, and someone had actually torn the edge of the wrapping enough to peek inside and see that it was a Book... and they had left it!
I felt deflated and sad- this book had been left for them but they missed their chance... Now I will have to find another day, another serendipitous moment, and another Auspicious Location for the book... my tenure as Book Fairy continues.
As we loaded up and headed for home, I began to have raindrops on the windshield. I had left the book 2 hours ago, but the brown paper would not protect it from the rain. On the way home, I stopped and asked Younger Daughter to dash up the trail in her young fast way and check on the book. (I also asked her to see if Mr. Bluebird was still hanging out, and to take a picture of him if she could - he had been too fast for me.)
She went up the steep hill and disappeared. I waited. And waited. And waited.
Younger Daughter is tall and slim and extremely quick-moving. Not hyper (unless on Pepsi), just quick.
So I began to wonder - did she walk home? Was she thinking I was just dropping her off and would see her back at the house... then as I was entering her name to text her, I saw her moseying - yes, moseying slowly back down the trail, talking on her phone, holding the camera in her hand, and - with the book tucked under her arm. Good thing we checked!
She got in the car and we looked it over. A couple of raindrops had smeared the wording a TINY bit, and someone had actually torn the edge of the wrapping enough to peek inside and see that it was a Book... and they had left it!
I felt deflated and sad- this book had been left for them but they missed their chance... Now I will have to find another day, another serendipitous moment, and another Auspicious Location for the book... my tenure as Book Fairy continues.
NEWS
I am a Book Fairy!
I follow and enjoy a blog (well, several, but this is one of my favorite) by Christine Mason Miller. She wrote a book called "Ordinary Sparkling Moments" and has created the job of "Book Fairy" in which people are given a book and go about the job of leaving them in various places all over the world. She calls this the "100 Book Project" because she is giving away 100 books... well, anyway, the book is wrapped in a brown paper bag and then the front has written on it "this is a gift for you - Yes, You." The person who finds this book (hopefully) is the person who "needs" it at the moment. It is quite serendipitous and actually quite exciting in my mind. I am just really jazzed about doing this. http://swirlygirl.typepad.com/
I got the book a while ago and tried to leave it in one of MY most inspiring places. There is a trail that goes behind our street. On this trail there are some areas with benches for "resting" or "viewing" as I prefer to call it ;-). Actually the trail is very steep in some points, so I do a lot of "viewing" while panting/catching my breath. This one viewing area has an almost-360-degree-view and is a great source of inspiration for me. I have done quite a lot of thinking there! I have never been disturbed while "viewing" and thinking, but I have seen many people on the trail, so I thought it would be a perfect spot to leave the "Gift" - and I thought another thinker would come and think and see the book, take it and be totally thrilled with it... I felt inspired. I needed to do it "now - today" and so off I went...
I follow and enjoy a blog (well, several, but this is one of my favorite) by Christine Mason Miller. She wrote a book called "Ordinary Sparkling Moments" and has created the job of "Book Fairy" in which people are given a book and go about the job of leaving them in various places all over the world. She calls this the "100 Book Project" because she is giving away 100 books... well, anyway, the book is wrapped in a brown paper bag and then the front has written on it "this is a gift for you - Yes, You." The person who finds this book (hopefully) is the person who "needs" it at the moment. It is quite serendipitous and actually quite exciting in my mind. I am just really jazzed about doing this. http://swirlygirl.typepad.com/
I got the book a while ago and tried to leave it in one of MY most inspiring places. There is a trail that goes behind our street. On this trail there are some areas with benches for "resting" or "viewing" as I prefer to call it ;-). Actually the trail is very steep in some points, so I do a lot of "viewing" while panting/catching my breath. This one viewing area has an almost-360-degree-view and is a great source of inspiration for me. I have done quite a lot of thinking there! I have never been disturbed while "viewing" and thinking, but I have seen many people on the trail, so I thought it would be a perfect spot to leave the "Gift" - and I thought another thinker would come and think and see the book, take it and be totally thrilled with it... I felt inspired. I needed to do it "now - today" and so off I went...
Touched by Angels
So as I finished up Magpies, I knew in the back of my head that the Hoffman-Sulky Challenge deadline was coming up. I knew that both the Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival and the Hoffman Challenge had due dates of July 23. I KNEW this... and yet... and yet I couldn't seem to set Magpies aside to start on the Hoffman project.
I had the fabric - I had ordered it online months ago (tho so late that local quilt shops were out of it already). I had been looking at it, imagining the project complete, and thinking about the important "rule" that the quilts submitted could be of ANY shape...any Shape...Any SHAPE... that seemed important and the shape had been in my head from the instant I saw the fabric and read that one rule... and yet I did not start.
Last Tuesday I finished Magpies. That was July 20th. I really didn't want to see another pink flower for a while, and I was really excited about my color palette for my next project. I was totally aware that I only had a few days - 3 to be exact - to GET it there. But then I wasn't even sure where THERE was, either. This is the first year I've done ANY quilt attempts (other than, I know, Older Daughter's quilt still on the frame these past years... well, year and a few months on the frame). This is also the first time I've ever entered any shows of any kind.
I went to the Piecing Partners Quilting Guild meeting (my second month as a member) and that is when I figured out that "Magpies" could be turned in at a local quilting shop on August 7th. That meant, now that I was done with it, that It didn't have to go anywhere for a while. So, on July 21 I came home inspired and started making "Touched by Angels."
What if it doesn't come out right? What if it isn't what I imagined? What if? what if? what if...
I had the fabric - I had ordered it online months ago (tho so late that local quilt shops were out of it already). I had been looking at it, imagining the project complete, and thinking about the important "rule" that the quilts submitted could be of ANY shape...any Shape...Any SHAPE... that seemed important and the shape had been in my head from the instant I saw the fabric and read that one rule... and yet I did not start.
Last Tuesday I finished Magpies. That was July 20th. I really didn't want to see another pink flower for a while, and I was really excited about my color palette for my next project. I was totally aware that I only had a few days - 3 to be exact - to GET it there. But then I wasn't even sure where THERE was, either. This is the first year I've done ANY quilt attempts (other than, I know, Older Daughter's quilt still on the frame these past years... well, year and a few months on the frame). This is also the first time I've ever entered any shows of any kind.
I went to the Piecing Partners Quilting Guild meeting (my second month as a member) and that is when I figured out that "Magpies" could be turned in at a local quilting shop on August 7th. That meant, now that I was done with it, that It didn't have to go anywhere for a while. So, on July 21 I came home inspired and started making "Touched by Angels."
What if it doesn't come out right? What if it isn't what I imagined? What if? what if? what if...
Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival entry
The Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival is coming up, so I made a small art quilt called "Magpies" to enter in it. There is a nest of Magpies at the Sonic here at the mall. This spring the crabapple trees were GORgeous and I took pictures of the trees and the nest. Later I decided it would make a good picture to turn into a quilt.
I appliqued most of the pieces by hand, and then I added some flowers that are not sewed down. They just have a button holding them to the quilt. I hope they will add a more realistic effect to the piece. I also "made" a nest out of fabric pieces and strips. I rolled some pieces of fabric to resemble twigs and sticks as well. I learned that magpies will collect just about anything and they are attracted to bright and shiny things. I wrote this poem to go on the quilt. Did you know that some magpie nests have been found with several pieces of tableware in them? I didn't! I added a spoon to the nest just to make it more real!! These magpies are adding details to their nest as they await the hatching time. The eggs are 3-d made of fabric and stuffed.
I appliqued most of the pieces by hand, and then I added some flowers that are not sewed down. They just have a button holding them to the quilt. I hope they will add a more realistic effect to the piece. I also "made" a nest out of fabric pieces and strips. I rolled some pieces of fabric to resemble twigs and sticks as well. I learned that magpies will collect just about anything and they are attracted to bright and shiny things. I wrote this poem to go on the quilt. Did you know that some magpie nests have been found with several pieces of tableware in them? I didn't! I added a spoon to the nest just to make it more real!! These magpies are adding details to their nest as they await the hatching time. The eggs are 3-d made of fabric and stuffed.
Sunflower IV
This was a picture in my head as I remembered the last time the kids and I grew sunflowers - the flower heads are SO textural. I got a high texture paint and had so much FUN making all the seeds and even giving the petals their own petal texture. This entire series is encaustic coated.
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