Those Lines Aren't Straight!

You know it's time to tidy the studio and inventory your work when you happen upon a piece that you started a couple of years ago, finished many months ago, and realize you still haven't put a label or hanging device on it!

As I considered what to call this piece, I was reminded about something that happened while working on this piece at a show one day. I got such a chuckle out of a young boy who said to me, with some concern in his voice, "Those lines aren't straight!" 

And so, I have decided to use that as my title.

Another Look at a Work in Progress...

A while ago I showed you a few shots of a new piece I'm working on. Life (and puppies) are keeping me busy, but I am still working away at it, so I thought I'd show you a few more images. Today I've been working on some machine stitching before I get back to the rest of the hand stitching and beading...

I should be able to show you the finished piece before too long!

Time For Some Reworking...

I did this piece several years ago, and just didn't know where to go with it from this.  I've never been very happy with it, and the other day I was looking at it and decided it was time to rework it somehow and make something of it.  I don't know what that is yet, but the first step is recognizing that it needs "something"!

What I'm Working On...

I've started a piece using my recent indigo and other hand dyed fabrics, so I thought I'd give you a little preview of what I'm up to.  The piecing has been done and I'm now adding hand stitch and some beading before I do the machine stitch/quilting on it.

 

Henry's Haircut

I had an opportunity last Spring to see some alpaca's being shorn and was given some of the alpaca hair to experiment with in my fibre art.  Using my embellisher, I needle felted the fibre's to create a base using the darker grey hair.  I then incorporated some of my hand dyed cheesecloth over top of the alpaca felt.  I added some circles in a lighter colour of alpaca hair, and intentionally left some of the long dark strands hanging so that I could later add beads to them.

I did a lot of machine stitch/thread sketching over the cheesecloth to bring out more of the copper and turquoise colour before moving to the hand beading.  As for the title Henry's Haircut...you guessed it, the dark gray alpaca's name is Henry.

Threadworks Fibre Art Show: April 20 - June 4

I'm thrilled to announce that my piece, "Ode to Dr. Seuss" has been accepted into Threadworks, a juried fibre art show.

This piece was made with machine felting, hand embroidery and beading, free motion quilting, three dimensional fish and a nod and a wink to Dr. Seuss.  You see, there are two fish, each about 4 inches long and heavily beaded.  One fish is red, the other blue.

Threadworks is a juried exhibition of needle arts, and the theme of this year's show is "Water".

The show runs from April 20 to June 9 at the Wellington County Museum and Archives in Fergus, ON and then will spend the next three years traveling to museums and galleries across Ontario.

Threadworks is a special project of Ontario Network of Needleworkers' in association with Wellington County Museum and Archives.

Exciting News...

I'm excited to announce that "My Year Unravelled" has been accepted into the 6th ANNUAL OPEN JURIED SHOW at Beaux-Arts Brampton.

The show, which runs from April 9th to May 4th, will consist of work in any two or 3 dimensional media with the exception of photography (for which they have a separate show in May).  For more information about show times or other participating artist, click on the image below.

Bead Journal Project: February and a Red Herring

Here's the next instalment in my BJP 2013. I was a bit worried about how the puzzle pieces would come together since it's tricky to bead a perfectly straight edge when using little round beads, but as you can see in the second photo, showing the first two months together, the joint is not too bad.  Working on the little interlocking 'tabs' of the puzzle pieces is a bit tricky, and of course I have to be careful to make sure I'm using the right colours so that the little buildings match correctly from one piece to the next.  The bright sky is a nice juxtaposition to the gloomy February we've been having...I can't wait for Spring to get here!

Okay, it might not be a herring but it's a little red fish!  On Sunday evening, while watching the Academy Awards, I added the beads to this fish that I had sewn up earlier in the day.  He's about 3 1/2" long and he's going to be used as an embellishment on a piece I'm planning to enter into a juried show.

Bead Journal Project: January

After the large undertaking I took on for BJP 2012 (you can see the finished piece here, or in person at the Cultural Centre in Georgetown where it is currently hanging in an art display to celebrate the grand re-opening), I decided to scale things back slightly.  I chose to use puzzle pieces approximately three inches square as my shape.  I drew up a basic plan for the final overall picture, and each month I will complete the next piece of the puzzle, literally.  This means that the journalling aspect has sort of gone by the way side, but since I'm keeping an art journalling calendar too, it will record the on-going events of my life as it unfolds over the course of the year.  However, having said that, I have snuck in a bit of journalling because I wrote something down on the piece of stabilizer, using a Micron, before I started beading.  I plan to record what I consider to be the most important event that transpired during the month (or at least the first 3 weeks of the month) as a secret journal entry that I will know is there, but others who look at the piece would never guess!  So don't tell anyone, okay...  I'd hate to think someone might take the beads off to see what was written underneath!  

Work in Progress

It's been a few days since I've posted so I thought I'd give you a peek at a tiny part of a piece that's a WIP.  It's a piece that I'm planning to enter into a juried show in April, so I'll hold off showing you the entire piece (once I finally finish it) until after I find out whether or not it's accepted.

I started by machine needle felting hand dyed scraps of batting with various layers of rovings, hand dyed cheese cloth, yarns and other bits and pieces of fibres.  I've added a lot of hand stitching as well as free motion machine work on top.  I'm now adding some beading and a whimsical little surprise embellishment.  I've been working on this piece, off and on, for two and a half years.  I've never considered it a UFO though.  It's always been on my mind and sometimes just had to rest for a while as I considered possible next steps.

BJP 2012 and Best Wishes For 2013

My Bead Journal Project 2012 is complete, and just in time!  Yes, I finally finished the December piece of my BJP 2012 on Saturday evening.  Yesterday I stitched the pieces to the cotton velvet and then mounted them onto the wooden painting panel (18" X 24" panel).  I didn't want to use a stretched canvas because I thought the weight of the beads would need the support of the solid wood panel.  I like the cotton velvet because it absorbs light so that the beads are highlighted without having the more formal look of silk or viscose velvet.

The December piece includes many shades of blue and my beloved spirals.  I'm often drawn to blues and I seem to come back to spirals in my work so often, that I thought it was a fitting end to the year.

I've got the rest of today to further think through my idea for the BJP 2013 plan that's taking form in my head.  I have yet to determine if it will work but I may just have to jump in and try it!


I wish you and yours a JOYfully wonderful New Year and hope that 2013 brings you good health, happiness, inspiration and creativity!

Hugs,
          Linda

Planets Triptych

This week, I've been finishing another UFO.  It's a piece that I started in the summer.  I started working on it after seeing a piece that my friend Diana did based on Carol Ann Waugh's Stupendous Stitching. Later, after signing up for Carol's online class, I had set this aside and I did the large colourful piece called Spirals, Lines & Serendipity.

In an attempt to finish up yet another of the unfinished pieces that I have lying around (thanks Tracey for your challenge!), I pulled this out and got back to it.

Each of the individual panels are mounted on 8" X 8" canvas squares, and the intension is to hang them vertically as shown here.

I've called it Planets because of the various spheres and the batik patterns on them.

Bead Journal Project: November

I'm two weeks late, but my November bead journal piece is finally done (Sorry for the time warp Eliza...it really is December!).  I was using the excuse that I had set up the blog for BJP 2013.  But really I was just in a beading slump and couldn't seem to get motivated to get this piece going.  I finally started it a few days ago and made it my only focus when I needed art time (which is really all the time) and so I got it done rather quickly.  I can't believe there's only one more piece to go and this spiral will be finished.  I can't wait to see it done and mounted and ready to hang!  

This November piece is about a journey I'm taking right now (another reason it's been hard to stay focused on my art).  Engraved on the back of the silver hand centrepiece is the word "healing".  The three large triangles represent very personal struggles and the red Chinese knots have a dual meaning.  On the one hand, they represent the literal idea of a knot, to be struggled with and untied.  The other meaning, taken from the Chinese culture and story behind these knots is one of harmony and peace which I seek on this journey of healing.  

As has been the case with all of the BJP 2012 pieces, the colour palette comes from Vicki Welsh and her Colour Palette challenge. 

Here is the spiral showing all of the pieces from January through November:

I've already started planning my BJP for 2013.  I've got my plan pretty well sketched out in my head and a little of it on paper.  It's going to be a challenge to pull it off, and I'm still not totally sure if it will work, so that's all I want to say about it for now.  I'll explain my plan when I reveal the first piece in January because by that time I'll have figured out if it will work or not.

 

Stupendous Stitching...

After having seen a beautiful piece of art done by my friend Diana, I took Carol Ann Waugh's online class, Stupendous Stitching.

I started out as the lessons suggested, first making my stitch bible and then I got into the couching and decorative stitching (you can see some of this in this previous post). This is where I just couldn't stay the course...

As is so often the case, I started to stray from the lessons and play around with my own ideas.  I cut away a bit here, machine appliquéd some pieces on there...etc.

I then cut away the two side strips and because I just can't seem to waste anything, they became another small piece that you can see here.

What I had left was then layered over a larger black piece of fabric, hand stitched and quilted to within an inch of it's life, and then I added some beading and buttons on the lower part as well as big, fun buttons on top to create the hanging loops.

Here are a few detail shots:

 

And here is the finished piece:

Bead Journal Project: October

Vicki's colour palette this month was an interesting surprise.  I guess I was thinking all things October and expected to see oranges, reds, yellows...the colours of changing leaves, pumpkins etc.  However, that is not what Vicki had in mind.  I wasn't sure where I wanted to take this piece, but I liked the original design in the image Vicki used so I decided to essentially stretch it and make it fit my shape for this month.  

My husbands birthday is in October, and this year was a milestone birthday so I've also subtly included his age into the piece using stylized numbers.

And here is the full year's spiral in progress.  It's really coming along!  Hard to believe tomorrow will already be November.  Where has this year gone?

Bead Journal Project: September

Don't you just love the colour palette Vicki came up with this month?!  I found it really easy to get inspired to work on my BJP piece for September because these colours are right up my ally.

 The 'journal' aspect of the piece was calling out  loud and clear to me this month as well.  September is about new starts for those of us in teaching, but for me, since I'm still not back to work it's a struggle between accepting me as I currently am and fighting with the knowledge that the summer is over and I 'should' be back at work.

I know I'm supposed to avoid the 'should' word, but I find myself going around in circles, trying to come to grips with accepting myself and at the same time working to heal. Big circles, little circles, randomly scattered all over...sigh...

Below you can see the entire year to date.

Bead Journal Project: Update of Progress to Date

I'm home this evening, getting ready to help our son move into his apartment tomorrow.  He's starting graduate school in the law program at University of Toronto next week.  I can't believe he's already finished his undergraduate degree!  Where does the time go?

He's busy with his last minute packing, so, as promised I'm back to show you the July and August pieces, properly photographed on the black background and then again with the rest of the pieces done so far, so that you can see how the year long project is progressing.

July

August

January - August

  I can't believe how the time has flown.  Only four months left to go!

Bead Journal Project: August

I'm happy to say that I'm all caught up.  I finished my August bead journal project piece last night and I'm ready to jump into September!

Here's the August colour palette that Vicki created:

And here is my BJP piece:

And here's the growing spiral:

Bead Journal Project: July

I'm still trying to get caught up with my Bead Journal Project pieces by it seems a bit of a loosing battle.  I did finish July a few days ago, but I haven't started August and September is fast approaching!  Oh well!!!

I've included the colour palette from Vicki Welsh that is my inspiration for colour.  

Here's the finished piece, and below is a close up of the centre 'bead'.  Since I spent a lot of July photographing the many variety of birds the visit us at our cottage feeders, I thought this was an appropriate centre piece.

Bead Journal Project: June

Well, I know it's actually the middle of August, but I finally finished the June BJP piece!  (insert sheepish grin...).  As always, the colour inspiration came from Vicki Welsh's Colour Palette Challenge. 

June's piece includes a few more literal symbols than I usually use, but it was a lot of fun to create. My husband, Bill, and I went on an RV camping trip to Northern Indiana for a week and while there I found that cute little truck so I just had to make an RV to go behind it.  We also saw some amazing quilt block gardens in which flowers were planted in quilt block patterns.  Very unique idea.  My son's birthday is on the 23rd of the month, thus the larger pink/red beads.  I wasn't really too excited about all the pink in this colour palette, but I'm happy with the results.

And here's the growing spiral, January through June.