Art and Pool Play

Kelly and Eli were back today for art play and a swim. 

Eli worked on hand drawn (by Aunt Kelly aka Aunt Mo) and hand colored painted (by Eli) cartoon characters Stitch and Angel.        

I think they're just fabulous! I love that Eli had all her own ideas and made all the decisions about what to use (markers and Stabilo woody pencils) She cut them out and made and mounted them on the heart mostly all on her own. 

I helped Eli make a quick little hula skirt for her stuffed Stitch....apparently that's a thing. She did a little bit of the machine stitching...but threaded the elastic through the waist all by herself.

While Eli was busy at one table....I helped Kelly make a handmade book for Sam's upcoming birthday on another. I'll share that project tomorrow because...it deserves a post of its own. It was a busy and productive morning in the studio!

We finished the day off with a swim. A perfect day of art and pool play! 

We're all going to sleep well tonight!

What the Heck

....is going on? 

Every day I wonder what the heck is going on in our country!....and I keep hoping I'll wake up and learn it's just all a bad dream. But that's not what this post is about...even though it's the biggest thing weighing on my heart right now. Joy...no matter what...I keep telling myself!

This post is about what the heck is going on in my studio!

I am facing the reality that my studio project may be an ongoing thing for the rest of my life. There will be no magical moment when it's done because the minute a surface becomes available I see it as an opportunity to start something new...or revisit something something old. But it's all good...and I'm just joyfully rolling with it.

When Paul and I looked at the condo for the first time....we walked into the large upstairs family room and Paul said "this is the space I've always dreamed of for you." It's a wonderful space....and I know how lucky I am to have it.

The room is big enough to have several zones....and I wrote about my sewing corner a few years ago when it was pretty cleaned up. 

It's not this tidy now...but even when it's messy it's a wonderful place to sew and create.

My sewing machine faces out...and you can see the table in front of the window where I sit and watercolor and putter. (another photo from a previous...more tidy time.)

Since we moved here full time 4 years ago I've had the room divided in 1/2 with a large wire bakers rack. On the far right side of the room is a long table where I do my gelli printing and other big messy projects. It works well. 

The problem was in the center of the room....the large shelf was big barrier in the room and had to go.

I was hesitant to share this photo....but I wanted to be transparent and give you a little window into my world.  

I was in the middle of clearing off the shelf when I took this photo....there was a lot of stuff to look through and/or plop other places. I was sitting in that bright yellow chair you can see in the above photo...going through my precious fodder.

You can't see it, but my gelli printing table is there behind the shelf and bins. 

Here is the state of the center of the studio today: the shelf is out....and replaced with a table and if feels SO much better. Even though the room is still in quite a bit in chaos it feels so much more open and welcoming.

And as you can see...I actually have my stripes project there on the new table and have been working on it a little bit here and there. 

And there's something new on the table in front of the window I've been playing around with. 

And finally....just in case you were wondering what the heck is going on with my amaryllis! 

Three blooms are fully open and the 4th may be open by morning. I hope so...because Paul and I are going to Deer Isle for an overnight tomorrow and who knows what it will look like on Thursday afternoon. 

(I hope to post a little nugget tomorrow....but I might be late.)

 This is a heck of a Mother Nature marvel.

Make Room

I have been collecting art, craft, and sewing supplies almost my entire life! I've purchased some....been gifted quite a bit...and have stumbled on all the rest. 

But once again I have reached a point where I felt like I was being swallowed up by my stuff. The state of things in my studio had become a barrier to how I envision using this fabulous space....and it was time to do something about it. Again.

Today was my first target date.  It was the one day of the month to make donations to Ruth's Reusable Resources, an organization that collects school, office, as well as art and craft supplies for teachers. I filled the trunk of our car with supplies I had outgrown which included scrapbook papers and cardstock...beads and buttons....and ribbons and yarn...and well as precious bits and pieces of this and that I'm hoping teachers will find useful. It felt like a wonderful drop in the bucket.

I've been working on this first pass through the studio for several days....

...and I know there will be more to donate in the months ahead.

My ultimate goal is to MAKE ROOM.

• I want to make more room for the things that I'm actually using and let go of the things I've outgrown or don't see using in the future.
• I want to make room for others to join me in the studio for a class or art play. Currently...even though it's a big room with several zones...it's not set up to accommodate others.
• I want to make room to spread out and work on a big project without having to take over the dining room table....although sometimes that still might happen too.
• But mostly....I want to make room to breath...so the creating I do there can feed my soul.

I had an indoor awe moment this afternoon as I was cutting up this butternut squash for a chicken stew. Such a beautiful bright orange! 

Janice and Jay are coming for dinner and cards....and all I have to do is warm it up.

 

Back To Mud

I've been doing a little hand lettering practice almost every day.  It doesn't matter what I write...because it's just for me. So I've been using versions of a passage from Broken for You, by Stephanie Kallos, a book I read many years ago that still resonates with me. I'll put a photo of the actual passage I've been using at the bottom of this post if anyone is interested.  

I am taking some liberties with the passage...changing or eliminating words here and there....but the idea of Wanda and her studio belongs to Stephanie Kallos. And I guarantee....there are errors. 

Here I used colored pencil again to fill in most of the negative spaces blending the colors as I went along. There's something visually soothing about blues and greens.....it looks like summer.

Then I switched to watercolor.  

I started with just three colors: blue yellow and pink....made some mud in the middle...and mixed all my own colors. The magic is in the mud.  These are old tubes of paint from Connie...and they seemed to be just fine.

I was reminded how rich hand mixed colors can be and how well they 

can all go together when they are mixed from each other.  It's good to get back to mud....and I need to remember to do it more often.

I actually stitched the black lines on the paper before I did the writing....you can only tell if you look closely.  I wrote out the quote in light pencil first and erased the lines after the black pen was good and dry.  I still made a mistake I had to fix. I think it's inevitable...so I'm embracing the imperfection.

Then I painted. I watercolored just the bottom half of each line...and after it was dry I went in with a damp brush and softened some of those lines creating almost an ombre effect going up in some places.  I think the white spaces at the top add a lot of interest.  

The rainbow joy part of me always wants to use the bright vivid colors.  But when I actually mix my own colors....I am reminded how beautiful and bright they can be while also being a bit muted.  And I love adding in the neutrals.

Wanda's way....is my way too.

The enormous bulletin board on the other side of my studio...the side of my room that hasn't really been organized and cleaned yet. I'll get there eventually.

Ready To Go!

Patty topped off her patio snow cake with icicles.....

.....a perfect example of how to add a little joy to the the job of shoveling 15 inches of snow.

Thanks for sharing Patti....it made me smile.

Even though I've been slowed down by my thumb.....which is improving every day....I still make big messes in the studio.  And I'm trying to establish new habits of pausing every few days to tidy things up before they get out of control again.  It's mostly working.

I sat down to tidy up my table this morning but quickly got sidetracked. Rather than put away the colored pencils that were strewn about....I used them to make another mandala. This time with color.....and a touch of gold.

Sometimes getting sidetracked with whatever is on the table is just the right thing to do.  I did eventually tidy it up.....and sharing results here is keeping me accountable.

Before.....

.....and after.

Before.....

...and after.  It's nice being all ready to go for the next project!

I'm enjoying the process of drawing these mandalas....

it's very calming. 

https://mandalamagicschool.com/

Another calming activity is getting the next puzzle rolling.  I'm doing the winter stamps one that Margie completed after Christmas.....and I'm going to try and work row by row....starting at the top and pushing it up on my table as I go along.  We'll see how long that lasts....probably as long as my clean craft table lasts.  

Six boxes of pieces at my side.....life is good when you're ready to go!

Small Victories

Life is more enjoyable when you celebrate the small stuff.

One of my small victories for today was connecting the top and bottom of my puzzle....with TWO paths at a fork in the road!  

Silly?  Probably.  But I'm going to celebrate these little victories every time!

Another small victory is the fact that I can see the floor and surfaces in 1/2 of my studio. You can see my sewing corner on the left that I already reported on...and how it relates to that side of the room.  I have comfy yellow chair where I can sit and do hand projects with a nice view outside when the curtains are pulled back. My work table is in front of the big window where I get great light and  have a nice view.  This is where I paint, collage, and make my cards.  So far I've been doing a pretty good job keeping this work table....and my cutting table fairly tidy.  At least tidy enough.....I've got projects going in both places.

This is the view from my sewing machine.

That far wall is colorful mix of art and treasures and it includes several "dancers."  I'm not a dancer....although I pretend to be sometimes....and I'm trying to get Paul to dance with me again.  The big chunky yarn spools are from a thrift shop for only $2 each....and I'm pretty sure they're vintage. The watercolor palette in the bottom left was Connie's....and I'm enjoying it as an art piece.  I just hung a favorite print on the top left.....dancers and quote celebrating women who gather.  There is also one of the only needlepoint projects I've ever done. (hearts at the bottom)  The thread spools photograph is from a local artist....I bought it years and years ago.

There are 3 small batik pieces by a local artist, Suzanne Drown...and a circular punch needle project I bought at a small art shop in Monson.

Jane gave me the little fairy on the blocks....and my sister Angie twisted the wire on the bottle.

Everything has a story.

I've done a first round of quick sorts...mostly getting like things together and off the floor......and seeing what all I have. As I have time I will start the second round when I will let some things go. 

I'll start the other 1/2 of the room soon....but I've also got some projects I want to work on.  

I hope we all celebrate our small victories....no matter what they are!

Distraction Projects

This was the 5:00 sky through the woods.  How can I not celebrate that!

I've continued the organizing and clean up project my studio.....and the minute I get a clean surface....I play with something I found. 

This was the surface of my work table in front of the window before I started cleaning it up.

And this is the surface cleaned up....with a few distraction projects.

A few days ago I found this little project I did with markers during the "stained glass" lesson in the Creative Circle Class.  

I was trying to make a card....and did it as a late night lap project with markers.  I ended up not being very happy with it.....so there it sat.  

I was so sold on the concept of cutting up old art for leaves....like I did in my bauble wreath...I decided to cut it up.  I thought it had more potential as leaves than a whole card.  And it was game changer frame the leaves in black.

  

I do that by just tracing around them with a squishy permanent maker. 

But this distraction was a few days ago.....

.....today I found this. It's the actual project I did for the class....which I kind of ruined in the end by trying to make the black lines thicker. 

So I cut it up too! 

This is the two of them combined.....just piled up in the shape of a wreath. I think there's potential for something fun and festive.  It may need some solid leaves mixed in....or maybe just large solid baubles or berries....but that's for another day and another distraction project.

  

The next distraction project happened when I came across this molding paste....I haven't used it in years and was happy to see that it wasn't dried up. I just recently saw someone use it in an art video....so of course I had to give it a try.

Using a plastic card...I smeared the paste over a stencil on a gelli print....then pulled up the stencil. 

You can't tell in the photo....but it has an awesome raised texture.  
It will be good for something....someday.

A mostly clean-up work table....and a couple fun distraction projects....✔