31 August 2018

New product


When I was in England, I visited the Derwent factory and store. The factory was no longer in operation at that site but the store had a museum with films of the processes carried out in the factory. I LOVED the museum and seeing how the pencils were made plus they had the largest pencil in the world there. How many people can say they saw that!! It was yellow.




While there I bought some "Line Painters". Wow, what lovely marks they make. I will probably buy more. They are also NOT water soluble when dry. Permanent paint in a pen!!








29 August 2018

Trip of a lifetime

I have been to Europe and the UK many times. I lived in Italy and Germany but I never experienced such a jammed packed fun trip as this before. My son and daughter-in-law treated me to a wonderful array of places and activities and I got to share them with my two grandsons 8 and 6.
My DIL asked me what my favorite part of the trip was and I had to say BY FAR meeting Linda Kemshall at the NEC Festival of Quilts. Laura and Linda have had a profound influence on me and my art. I learned to watercolor from watching Linda and indigo dyeing from Laura. That's just a start........




I asked Linda if I could have my photo taken with her and she graciously agreed and in turn used her camera to take a photo as well. I was reluctant to show anyone outside my family the photo. I didn't want to look like a braggart. Imagine my surprise when the DMTV Newsletter came out with the photo of Linda and I. I was over the moon about all of it. Our conversation was what I consider private but Linda was more incredible in person than could be expected. I will do an extra post on Wednesdays highlighting the "art" parts of my trip. If you aren't interested just wait til Mondays and Fridays.
In two weeks, the Maine Event will be happening here in Searsport, Maine. I have loads of new workshops and I am sure loads of accompanying photos.


26 August 2018

While in Wales

A while ago, Laura and Amelie Kemshall did a "pottery painting" day together as an activity. While I was in Wales with my family, my DIL planned a trip to the Corris Craft Center. You could paint pottery, make hand dipped candles, make custom chocolate bars and more. All I cared about was the pottery. I had been inspired. So here I am sitting in a tiny kids chair surrounded by kids (did I care - NO!) painting away on my tiny plate. Well one plate lead to a cup/bowl and then another plate. Had I stayed, I would have an entire set of dishes.

Here they are with the glaze paints


Plates the same, cup reversed to see other side


On my porch when I arrived home


Though not as beautiful and artistic as Laura's, I still love them.





Finger print signature









If you visit Corris, make sure you go to Quarry Pottery and get inspired.

23 August 2018

New work


 Here are two new pieces


Image 8 X 8 in a 12 X 12 frame



Image 12 X 12 in a 19 X 19 frame

I am arriving home from the UK tonight so look forward to the work I did while I was there.

Thanks for reading,
Beth

20 August 2018

Handmade book two


Here is another new book with 160 pages of multi-media paper. This paper will take all the water and abuse you can give it. It is covered with my own original scraped paint paper. All of my books are $45. free shipping.  These I've taken to England with me for my two grandsons but if you are interested in one of these fabulous sketchbooks, just contact me and I can email an array of cover papers I have made.




18 August 2018

A few more things



Before I left I took these Windsor Newton half pans out of one container and placed them in this tiny plastic box which I got when I bought picture hooks and brads at the dollar store. MUCH smaller and easier to slip in my back pack.


Also the Art Greenhouse where I hold my workshops was sided in white and my brother painted the trim. We also had this custom green blended for the porch floor. It blends so well with the grass and weeds.


Even though it is no longer green, it is still a Greenhouse because we grow art there.


This is a dog poo bag holder I Velcro on to my leash. The strap across the center attaches to the leash handle and the large flap can be lifted to load the rolls of bags which come out the hole at the bottom.


The purple batik is a small flap/pocket that holds dog treat for all my good dogs. It Velcos closed.


Below is a peak in the "treat pocket". I had to make a new poo bag holder because someone who shall go unnamed got a hold of the old one and ripped it apart to get the treats. BAD DOG!!


16 August 2018

hand made book one


I am in the UK right now, possibly in Scotland but wherever I am at the moment, I am observing, documenting, sketching, painting, photographing and talking to people I have never met before. How exciting is that?? As exciting as this is, it will not fill this page so for your viewing enjoyment I am showing off an interesting book I made. It is interesting in two ways.

#1. I have not used commercial waxed linen that I buy from the Lima Beads Company. They have waxed linen in a massive array of colors and multiple choices of plys. I think I use 7 ply. They are hands down the best quality at the lowest price. This time however, I decided to use my own hand dyed embroidery threads. I used double threads and heavily waxed them using a votive candle. You can use beeswax which is softer and doesn't crumble but my beeswax was out in the Art Greenhouse plus the votive made the thread and my hands smell good. I LOVE this thread and it was such a good match.


#2 the design on the cover is traditional paste paper paint but while still wet, I used water soluble crayons to make marks on it. I have made this before but I doubt if I've shared it. 


You can see the 3-D quality of this paper because the crayon stretched the wet paper into grooves. I think this texture adds to the attractiveness of the book. This book and the next one are for sale for $45. free shipping if you are interested. They have the best mixed media paper and will take all the water you can add and not shred or warp.



Thanks for reading,
Beth

13 August 2018

Tiny observation journal


I am going to the UK August 6-23. I WAS going to go to Festival of Quilts to see Laura and Linda's exhibition. Now that it is cancelled due to health, I have scraped all my plans. I am still going but will spend the two weeks traveling to Wales, around the England and Scotland with my son, Russ, daughter in law, Fiona, and my two grandsons. We will be making many stops for the boys and I will use that time to make "observations". In my tiny journal I will be documenting, sights, sounds, tastes, snatches of random conversations as well as documenting with camera all sort of interesting and textural things. 
A friend came over today and it was a perfect time to make journals together. This will be strictly for written observations and it will include an envelope for ephemera, odd bits of paper, leaves and whatever captures my magpie eye.



Mine above and my friend, Debs, below. What fun we had!!


11 August 2018

Before I left


When I carry my handbag I have a mobile phone pocket so I have never needed a case. Now that I am traveling without a handbag I do need some sort of protection. I decided to look on my shelves for something soft and found a basket of nuno felted squares and scraps. These are wool felted with silk chiffon.


I sewed two together then added a pointy scrap to act as a flap




As you can see by the stitching on the flap I also added Velcro to keep it closed.


Then I placed this button, which was a gift from my friend Rita, on the flap to see how it looked.


Purple and Green. I like it. Now to tie it on.



Hand dyed pearl cotton with purple glass beads. I'm ready to roll.

Thanks for reading,
Beth

09 August 2018

Judith's playdate part 2


I have had to postpone this post because of the MidSummer Maine II event posts. You have probably forgotten but Judith came over a week after our last date and we were going to do books except Judith brought all her supplies to do collage - so collage it was. I had spent a few days folding signatures, covering book board with paste paper and making holes. Well, those two books will be a project for another day

Because of Judith extensive work in printmaking, she had a wonderful collection of papers. Ask if I took pictures of her work? NO! I did however take pictures of my feeble attempts to do a collage.



I especially liked the running stitches with my hand dyed thread and the circle print of parchment paper I roasted beets on.


Batiked newsprint, painted paper and paper with pastels and a watercolor wash then punched with a square punch.


Sky was soot from a candle, painted buckrum and papers with oil pastel and watercolor wash.


And now for the exciting part (for me). I have been through a few months of wondering where I am going and how I will get there. I have rededicated myself to my art work and have made a vow to do something everyday that is creative and feed the path I want to be going down. These pieces are a few of them. I am unafraid of what others think of my work. I am just starting out. These are all exercises that will hopefully take me where I want to go. I have three friends who have had cancer diagnosis in the last few months and after my dance with breast cancer, I know each day is precious. I will never be famous but I want to be happy with my art work. I actually do others things as a volunteer which are significant and help others which is why I am alive right now. But in my "free" time, I can develop my art work.

Thanks for reading,
Beth

06 August 2018

Water Jar


My neighbor had a fourth of July yard sale and look what I found. I have been looking for a heavy glass jar to wash my brushes out and the blue green colored glass was a bonus.


My friend Rita whom I've written about gave me a pen cleaning demonstration so I washed out my fountain pens and posed them with my jar.



This is a quickie sketch of my new jar and clean pens.


Two Lamy's and a Duke flex nib.

I am leaving for my trip to the UK today. I was going to go to Festival of Quilts to see Laura and Linda Kemshall big exhibition but now that it's cancelled I won't be going there just traveling around Cornwall, Yorkshire, Wales and Scotland for two weeks. Meanwhile I have scheduled posts so you won't even know I'm missing!!

Thanks for reading,
Beth

02 August 2018

My Sticks


Marcella brought a  great collection of sticks that washed up on the beach near her house. They were intended to use when making mark making tools. However I grabbed these two for myself. I am going to "do something" to them. Watch this spot.



I love the top stick with that amazing twist. It almost looks like someone reaching over their head.


The bottom stick had bark that sloughed off and these cool boring insect tracts. I will try to get a close-up so you can see the incremental bites the insects made.













What a great twist

Thanks for reading,
Beth