"Winter Tree"

Remember the limited pallett of papers that I talked about a week or so ago?  

http://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2022/09/limited-pallette.html

Following along with a class by Rebecca Sower, I made my own "Winter Tree" collage using this limited pallett.

https://www.rebeccasowerart.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasower/ 

This is one of Rebecca's hand drawn birds she made available for the class.  

She also made a tree image available...but I used my own.

The winter tree I used was the large ginkgo tree that was in our yard in Lexington. I loved that tree....and I loved "ginkgo day"....when all the leaves fell in one day. Although the photo was very neutral when I started....I did print it with a filter that had some of the blue tones that bled into the image when I adhered it to the panel. I did use Rebecca's sealing technique....but it wasn't enough. This blue tone around the tree was not what I was going for....but it is what it is. Since there other tones of blue in the piece....I'm making peace with it.  It's also looks better person.

This is the original photo.

In all its glory!

What the yard looked like after the leaves fell.

Did I mention I loved ginkgo day?

All the sides have pieces of the painted papers. I enjoy Rebecca's teaching style...and her short easy to understand lessons gave me all kinds of tips for painting papers and collage. I'm excited to use more of these papers in my art....and of course I'm going to make more!

Rainbows and Swirls

We found a rainbow of colors on our walk this morning.

Which leads right into my finished rainbow piece for the Swirls of Color class with Isobel Moore.  I'm known for starting lots of projects....and only finishing a few. I really wanted to start experimenting with some other swirl ideas today....but I thought it was more important to get closure on this one.  

I think I'm going to keep this piece....so wanted it small to tuck somewhere in my studio.  I chose to bind it onto a canvas like I did for a recent fabric stained glass piece....simple and clean.

http://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2020/07/fused-bound-binding.html

There are lots of strings that go off the edge....so the binding a little lumpy...but that's the nature of the project. I'm actually pretty happy with it....which is unusual for me to say. Isobel is such a great teacher....and I can't wait to keep working with strips of cloth and fibers.

I cut my piece the exact size of my 8" wooden paint panel (a reject from my painted papers class).  I prepared the binding with a 1/2 inch of fusible webbing along the edge and sewed it on the piece like I would a quilt with mitered corners. I glued the piece on the panel with thick gel medium and weighed it down until it was dry...then fused the binding around to the back.

Before I read the finishing lesson from the class...I was thinking about binding it with this soft stripe...that blended so well with all the colors. But based on Isobel's advise in the lesson....I chose the simple linen....and fused some of the stripe on the back for extra strength and as a little surprise.  It was the right call!!  Thank you Isobel!!!

This oversized marble that spins on a base looks as if it was my inspiration!

You can check out a little video of this marble in action on my Instagram page.  Just click through the first couple of photos to the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCmdbAMH0Pf/

Practice Patience

...and trust the process.

When I take a class from a professional artist it's always worth it....and I always have to practice patience and trust them and the process.  I'm usually so excited about where we will end up that I forget there are all kinds of important learning steps along the way.  Practice patience...and trust the process...that has to be my mantra.

Last week we introduced ourselves and gathered our supplies for the Fabulous Florals class..  This week we purchased the flowers that will serve as our muse and inspiration and are practicing on single bloom underpaintings.

We are looking for shading, shadows, and simple shapes....not worrying about details and being too literal. We are encouraged to put our own spin on things.  I love the kale ....which is what drew me to this flower bunch in the first place.....but I was afraid to start with that.

I have a table all set up in my studio for painting and printing textured papers with my gel plate to prepare for the collage part....but that's still a few weeks away.  Practice patience...and trust the process. So I set up on my dining room table...and gave underpainting a whirl.  I've already admitted that I'm terrible at painting....and the only way to get better is to practice. Keep in mind that these paintings are not finished products....we will be collaging on top with our torn painted papers. (which I'm waiting patiently to learn to do)  I'm letting go of my embarrassment...and sharing my practice paintings....I've got a lot to learn.  I exaggerated the size of a little burgundy mum for one painting and the green berry looking filler for the other.  

Next I tried a version of the reddish spiky looking flower.  At this point I'm going to practice a little more on paper....and maybe even give the kale a try.  These are on wooden paint panels making them easier to collage....but one can only use so many little flower collages. And if I don't collage them I can paint over them and use them for something else.

Next week we will be sketching and underpainting a whole bouquet....yikes. Don't be surprised if it looks nothing like my inspiration flowers.  I still can't wait to paint my papers and start collaging....but I'm going to practice patience...and trust the process.

Paint Panel

The paint panel is ready for my November project. I'm still amazed how easy it is to fuse fabric onto wood.....slick as a whistle...is that an actual phrase?  I've been known to mix those up.

I think the stripe mades a nice border from the front of the piece...and the polka dot is a little surprise on the edge. Now I just need to finish the embellishments and glue the piece on the panel and it's done!  One more to go!  I'm always curious at this point in the month what the next scheme will be.  November surprised me....what will December bring?

Paint Panel Heaven

I've said it before and I'll say it again....I love wooden paint panels. They are inexpensive and have a multitude of uses. In this case I used them to turn colorful wrapping paper into wall art. Last time I was in Portland I stopped at my favorite art store to pick up a few more panels. I had plenty to choose from....it was paint panel heaven.                                                                                          

Artist and Craftsmen Supply has 30 stores all over the country...but the store in Maine was the first. It's a employee owned company and full of really cool stuff.

You can see all my projects using paint panels by clicking here.

Finish Work

Fabric, Buttons, and Art Papers

The finish work is done on my little mixed media project inspired by Folt Bolt's March color scheme. Like many of my projects there are things I would have done differently...but I'm pretty happy with it.

You can see the steps in this project in several previous posts.

I am a big button fan...so added a few more.

I used a thin layer of gel medium to adhere it to the front of the panel. This gave me the opportunity to make sure it was centered and secured before I fused the border which is backed with Wonder Under.

Then I clipped, wrapped, and ironed.  I had barely enough fabric to wrap around to the back....next time I'll make sure I have a little more. 

Because I wanted to make sure that the sides were fused well I used a piece of the release paper as a pressing cloth. I didn't want to risk scorching the fabric while I ironed.

There are a few bumps and lumps and that might have been avoided if I put a thin layer of batting under the front like I did on the last one. There's always next time.

Bearings

After a trip it often takes me a few days to get my bearings....and that includes getting back into a groove with this blog. So it's a good time to reflect a little more on my trip.

One of the things Becky and I did while I was in Wisconsin was hang a few pictures in her new craft space that we painted last summer.  She has mostly moved in and it's a soothing, pretty, and functional space and it was fun getting some art on the walls. Here's one little vignette we created over her computer table.  

The two small squares at the bottom right are from a set of four calendar pages I mounted on paint panels years ago.  We relocated them and the shelf from her bedroom.  The other two in the set are hanging in another vignette.

Yay!

I finally finished a project....this one inspired by Folt Bolt's February color scheme.
You can read about my process here, and here.

Today I started by fusing a piece of batting to the back that was just a tiny bit smaller than my paint panel. 

Then I settled in to do the hand stitching and embellishing. And...thanks to the most bizarre and dysfunctional press conference (sorry) I've ever seen....I was glued to the television...so I got it all done.

Then with a little snipping, folding, and pressing...I fused the piece to the paint panel. It worked like a charm. I did cover the top of the canvas with matte medium to attach the top/batting.

The back is neat and tidy...no messy glue! I actually tried to lift a little piece to reposition it just a bit and it wouldn't move...so I know it's going to hold. And...seeing this picture reminds me that I do need to add a hanger. 

I like the effect of the leaves and flowers wrapping around the canvas.

A happy little project...and better yet a completed little project!  Yay!

Completed Collaborative Collage

The collaborative collage is done and Connie and I are pretty happy with it. It's a birthday gift for her daughter Andi and it's filled with images of Connie's art...and a little recipe.

I stitched around the the individual parts before I glued them on. That gave us complete control to tweak and change our minds with the layout. I love the addition of the buttons and the stones for texture. I think it's pretty special.

We make a good team Connie!

Collaborative Collage

My dear friend Connie bought this collage from my sale....the one I struggled with obsessed about. From day one she knew she wanted us to make something like if for her daughter Andi's birthday.

Connie wanted Andi's collage to be in neutrals and earth tones. I've been mulling it over for a while...but it was time to get started because Andi's birthday is coming up in October.

I decided nothing would be better than to use bits and pieces of Connie's art. Our starting point is this original watercolor...it has a nice earthy feel and will make a beautiful focal point at the top. Maybe I should make a copy....and not use the original. I'll see what Connie wants to do.

I scanned and resized a few images of Connie's art...the pine tree is actually a sticker Andi made from one of her mom's paintings.

I thought the recipe was a fun addition....it's one their family grew up on...I love that the card has all the smears and smudges from lots of use.  I sized it down and overlayed it digitally onto a creamy back ground. We will likely stitch around it and I didn't want to cover up the writing. I still hear the family reference "Betty Taylor's Oven Rice" and "Myrtle Cox's Chicken."

So here's what we're starting with....we'll be glueing, stitching, and embellishing and finally mounting it on a wooden paint panel. Stay tuned sometime soon for our collaborative birthday collage.