31 August 2016

Fiber College



This year I am teaching three workshops at Fiber College in Searsport ME. I am packing the containers and getting ready. This is what it looks like...


Thermofax screening


Tyvec beads and embellishments


Thermofax and Tyvec


Fabric to Batik


Batik tools and supplies

Marcella will be assisting me again. I actually met Marcella at the first workshop I taught at Fiber College. She has been my assistant at every workshop at Fiber College and at the Art Greenhouse since then.

29 August 2016

Still working on MY HOME sketchbook



I am certainly taking my time on my "HOME" sketchbook. I did a few more pages but I'm not in love with any of these.


This was done with oil pastels with a watercolor wash over them.



These spread was a map of Penobscot Bay with acrylic painted houses and a watercolor wash. Too dark.


Above is a print from a Catalpa leaf and below are the two sides of the leaf. The spread is 12" X 18" so you can see how HUGE these leaves are.



26 August 2016

Cat's in the bag


After I made the quilt for the Rescue Dog raffle, I thought I might try something for cat lovers. I know how much cat's love getting into bags so I made a quilted bag. Hope it sells at the raffle.




10 August 2016

Layering



I know it is hard to see but I did a pretty nice sketch of my house in pen. Then I painted the words in India ink with a japanese calligraphy brush. I cut the house stencil and painted it in thin and terrible white acrylic paint. I ran a band of green oil pastel along the bottom and blue at the top of the sketch then washed it all in watercolors. None of this was an original idea. It was all "borrowed" from another person.


The acrlic paint acted as a resist for the watercolors


The pastels also resisted the watercolors.

   




08 August 2016

The new addition to our home

KIKI

I LOVE dogs. We have a standard Poodle named Niamh and a "toilet brush" dog named Owen. We got Niamh from a local shelter nine years ago.

We got Owen from Louisiana through PuppyLoveMe.org. He is Mr. Personality and the ruler of all he surveys. Look in those eyes and even try to resist.


Well, a little girl is about to rock his world and her name is Kiki. We didn't name her but we like it and it suits her.


These two are the pictures from the website. She was 3 months old and 10 lbs at that time.





These two pictures were taken by her "foster mom's" Rita and Barbara.


This is the transport company that takes these dogs from high kill shelters in the south to loving homes in Yankeeland. They travel in style with air conditioning and 3 walks a day while in transit. All of PuppyLoveMe's dogs are in foster homes and have been pulled as the best of the best from high kill shelters. They are fully Vetted and neutered. Being with a foster family you know exactly what kind of dog you are getting. Kiki was described as a good girl, a sweet girl. Can't wait. We can pick her up in Maine August 25th after her 5 day quarantine (a Maine law). 


If I could I'd have a ranch and bring as many of these sweet dogs north as possible. I love dogs!!!!!



05 August 2016

Some gelli printing



I wanted to print some of the leaves near my home. It was a great idea but the execution left a bit wanting.





03 August 2016

The front of my house

The front doors in most homes in Maine are strictly "decorative". Some don't even have steps leading up to them. We used to use our front door because it lead to "our" part of the house and the door on the side of the house where the driveway is located was the door to my parents apartment. 

Well, walking up and down those stairs about 70 times a day has finally taken it's toll and we moved downstairs and took over my parents apartment. So now even we use the door in the "door yard" to come and go. It is new and no where near as grand as the front. I have taken a picture of the front entrance and then expanded the image with sketch.


01 August 2016

Another day another sketch

This is my next 18" spread. The page on the left was done with permanent ink pen and watercolors



I did the lighthouse with permanent ink and water soluble pencils







This imaged was traced then colored with water soluble pencils on deli paper. I did not wet the pencil.



4 masted schooner Margaret Todd
Yes the sails are red and she's a stunner!!!


Oysters


I just had to try the DMTV sketchbook. Watercolors over oil pastels rubbed over texture plate.