shape up

I need to get better about keepign my blog up to date. I need to get the visions of sugar plums dancing in my head out so I have room for other things! What have I been up to in the last 2 weeks? Well, as always, I have overloaded my schedule. I am finishing a sweater, doing another portrait painting, making a large art quilt and writing and illustrating a children's book. The quilt and the book need to be done in time for Christmas as they are going to be gifts. The sweater has been done for a month and just needs to be sewn together. As always, I need to learn how to finish one project before I start another. It is typical for me to have several things on the go. I have struggled with this problem for years. I keep telling myself that once Christmas is over I can get back to the business of making the art I want to make.

After Christmas I also have a long to-do list which includes applying to take my masters in painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I would be studying while keeping my job teaching. I also need to work on my portfolio, particularly the portrait painting. Maybe someday I will learn to just relax, but I doubt it.

Changes

I am happy to say that I am still on a creative roll. I have recently finished my fourth oil painting (portrait) and hope to start a fifth in the next day or two. I am really enjoying painting again, and every time I paint it seems to get better. Lots of creative ideas are flowing. Just the other day I wrote a short children's book for my soon to be 6 year old son. I am in the process of creating some simple water color illustrations for the book. When that's done, I plan to turn it into a book with the oh-so-convenient book maker on my mac. I recently created a nice photo book with the program to give away for Christmas. I am slowly getting to know what my mac can do. It's pretty awesome.

Speaking of creativity and feeling pretty good these days I have had the urge to make some minor changes in my appearance. Nothing that involves a scalpel, I promise. Just a bit of freshening up to give me the little pick me up that turning 41 has made me feel like I need. Hello new hair cut and new eye color (via contacts of course). Now if I could just lose that weight......

On a Roll

Lately I am just buzzing with creativity when it comes to my painting. As always I am interested in adding something dark and twisty to my paintings. I am painting portraits of women now and of course had to include myself in my third one on the weekend. In this image I have severe bed head, an old shirt, and I am knitting in a corner of my bed. On my shoulder is perched a black crow. I find the crow a perfect symbol for dark thoughts, as crows have been associated with evil things that lurk in dark corners of the mind. After that painting I had another revelation. As I like to paint lonliness and depression (go figure), I thought one way to add a small twist of humour was to have the symbol of darkness doing something fun or interesting. Anyone familiar with the painter Hans Holbein (painter to King Henry VIII) may be familiar with his series of woodcuts entitled "Dances of Death". In each image we see a skeleton representing death leading some hapless victim towards their maker. I am going to include small elements of some of these images in my paintings. I'll have to wait and see if it works.

Another Lightbulb Moment

If any of you are familiar with the book "The Artist's Way" or the sequel " The Vein of Gold", you'll know that it is a great resource for artists. I did the Artist's way almost 9 years ago after several failed attempts. I say failed attempts because the book requires that you do a lot of exercises and soul searching. I tried a few times but found it all too much . Finally I got through it. After that I left a terrible relationship, had my first solo exhibit, and started painting regularly and taking jewellery design courses. It was like the damn had been opened once I cleared away all the clutter. Well, I have started for the 4th time "The Vein of Gold". Some of the exercises are emotionally painful to do, but go a long way towards understanding yourself and clearing away that clutter. Recently I found myself bogged down in regrets, people from the past, toxic work relationships, and other equally instrusive negative thoughts and emotions. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting at this very computer and my mind was racing with thoughts. Suddenly I sat there and said to myself, all of these thoughts are taking up space and energy in my brain. I don't have the time or the energy for this, it is all so draining. I need to just get rid of this stuff . I literally visualized myself sweeping people, emotions and thoughts away into a corner. I suddenly felt as if I was lighter. I am serious when I say that within several minutes I had several creative ideas pop into my head. I was giddy. This really worked! I think I was ready however, ready to move on and get back to what mattered, my family and my art. I wasn't ready before. And there's the thing. You have to be ready.

When stress is a good thing

No one likes to be depressed, upset, or generally stressed out. However, as an artist there is sometimes an upside to this. I get some of my best ideas for artwork when I am in my "dark place". Perhaps it's because the emotional part of my brain is active, which also happens to be where the artist in me lives. However, my art that is created in this mindset is usually not bright and sunny. It generally reflects my mood. Feelings of depression have plagued me over the past few months as my oldest son graduated high school and has started the next chapter of his life. I really miss him. I think these feelings have influenced my latest round of work, which is painting portraits of women who have experienced their own issues as a result of depression. One of my portraits is actually of myself. I am also painting the daughter of a friend who has been struggling with depression. So, while I certainly don't like being stressed out or sad, I can see that there is a silver lining in every cloud for me.

Fighting with Technology

The thing about technology is that it's great when it works. I had the bright idea of printing out some images I created onto cotton transfer sheets designed for the printer. Well, I don't know what printer they were designed for, but it certainly wasn't mine. I have been cancelling print jobs and trying to yank stuck cotton on paper out of my printer all day. So much for doing a little bit of art quilting tonight. My printer had other ideas. I would be surprised if it still worked tomorrow. I guess it's back to the drawing board. I had better luck transferring on silk a few months ago, but Michaels no longer carries those printer sheets. Time to take a deeeeep breath!

Having a Thick Skin

One thing you must have when painting portraits is a thick skin. I think mine is only half way there. Everyone will have an opinion about a portrait, especially the people you painted and their family members. The bottom line is that everyone wants a painting to be a photograph. My answer is, if you want a photograph, then take a picture! Still, it's hard to ignore the hushed whispers of "there's something not right about the eyes", or "well, the hair looks good." . It's not that people are purposely trying to burst your bubble. They just can't help themselves. I forgot about how upsetting it can be when you paint portraits, because you are subjected to criticism like no other kind of painting (except maybe abstract, but that's for another blog). It is hard to ignore. You have to be tough and be able to take it. I experienced it today, and felt like throwing the painting in the fire or scraping the oil right off the canvas and starting again. I need to get over this if I am going to continue my series of painting women and children. I'll let you know how that goes. ;)

One down, many to go

Last night I just about finished an oil painting of a child. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, although I'll have to wait a few days for it to dry before I can do a couple of touch ups. I had forgotten how dirty painting with oil can be. On a more exciting note, my copy of A Needle Pulling Thread magazine arrived yesterday. It was quite thick this time, and I was thrilled with how the cardinal project I designed turned out. The magazine did a great job with the layout. It's always really exciting to see yourself in print. Now I will have to go out and buy copies for family members! It's the third time I have been published, and I hope it won't be the last.

Finding my way home

Most people who know me know that I started out for years as a musician, playing the piano and french horn. It was what I planned to do for the rest of my life. Hours of orchestra rehearsal did not bother me. I felt like I belonged when I was with fellow musicians. Then of course with all the foresight a teenager usually has, I cast it aside and took a Bachelor of Arts so that I could follow a boyfriend to Ontario. Naturally the boyfriend and I have long since parted ways. It was during my first degree that I started to develop a longing to be painting, drawing and creating. I had always wanted to paint, but when I had the brush in hand I had no idea how to use it, how to mix color, how to show value. My work was awful. I finally took the plunge and signed up for some lessons, and the rest, as they say, is history. Two more degrees later and I dare to call myself an artist. The problem is focusing. I tried clay, then added that to what I did. Then I started wih jewellery classes, and the next thing I knew I had a torch and a jewellers saw. Finally it was fibre, and I am hooked to that. As many of us know though, life often comes full circle. Last night I started painting again. It's not that I ever really stopped, it's just that I lost my focus. Last night I took the bold step of pulling out some oils and ended up staying up late and painting most of a portrait. I have a strong urge at this stage to do portrait work, so no one is going to be safe around me. I want to paint women doing everyday things. I am planning to do a self portrait of myself knitting. I have decided to leave the clay and jewellery behind and focus on my fibre and painting now, and hopefully I'll stay in this place. I am feeling the fire again.

Post Sale Relief

Well, I do believe the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival will be officially over today. I can already see a lot of improvements and gains over last year. I was part of the Fibre bazarre yesterday at the Tantramar Theatre and I am happy to say that it was really well done. It was an intimate setting, the preparation was wonderful, the vendors were fantastic, and it was well attended by the fibre community and other interested folks. I was lucky enough to have been invited to be part of it. As always I was surprised by what did sell and what didn't. I threw 3 pieces that I had displayed last year in at the last minute and low and behold two of them sold. I also found my knitted sterling silver rings to be popular as well as my needle felted polar bear kit. People hardly looked at my hand painted kerchiefs or my landscape felting kits. That being said I made some new friends, had some great chats, made a couple of key contacts, and got invited to go back next year. I am just thrilled that there has been such a renewed interest in all things fibre around the globe. What's not to love? One of the coolest things I saw was yarn that was fair trade and made from banana fibres! I've got to get me some of that!

Freaking Out

I am freaking out now with the Fibre Arts Sale just a day away. There are several reasons for my panic. Will I have everything together in time? Will I look dumb next to some others, will anyone even show up? I guess only time will tell, but wouldn't it be nice if I could sell something and actually come close to paying for a fraction of my art supplies? If you are an artist then you know what I am talking about. Just breaking even is a dream for many of us. I was up late last night sewing, and for the second time my sewing machine was not cooperating. I spent the weekend taking it apart and oiling everything in sight. Last night I also broke 3 needles. What is the lesson here? Do NOT leave things to the last minute!

Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival

It's that time of year again folks. For the second year Amherst is hosting the NS Fibre Arts Festival, which promises to grow each year as more people become aware of what is being offered. Last year I was lucky to be asked to have a solo exhibit, and this year was even luckier to be asked again. My small show is at the Amherst Town Hall on Ratchford Street. I included several felted pieces, as well as several art quilts. This year I have done some stitching on my felted pieces. I think the stitching is an evolution of what I have been doing. As well as the exhibit I have been included in a fibre arts sale which takes place on Friday from 11-7 at the Tantramar Theatre. I am looking at it as an experiment of sorts. I have decided to include some pieces I displayed last year, some sterling silver wire rings that I knitted, as well as 5 different felting kits of which 4 are brand new designs. Whenever I take part in any of these endeavors the nay sayer that lives in the heads of many of us tells me that my work isn't good enough, that somehow I will look silly. As an artist I struggle with those types of feelings all the time. I think it's because my art is part of me, so by putting it on display I am putting myself on display. Criticism, while it can be productive, can also really sting. I'm sure that anyone who creates has felt that sting from time to time. The only cure is to suck it up and keep on going. Hope to see some of you this week as part of the festival!

A Needle Pulling Thread

Just to let everyone know that one of my pieces will be featured in the Canadian Publication of "A Needle Pulling Thread" magazine, the festive issue. The best place to pick up a copy is Chapters Books in the magazine section. I haven't had a chance to see it yet but have been anxiously anticipating it's arrival. The piece I did is a "how to" of a felted cardinal in a winter scene. I can't wait to get my hands on it, especially since the wheels were put in motion for it back in February! I have been told it was published on October 1st. It's the second time a piece of my work has been published. Several years ago I had an article and a folk art "how to" in Saltscapes magazine. There's just something about getting published, even if you don't get paid, that's very exciting. Perhaps it's because your work is put out to a large audience. It's like a feeling of accomplishment.

Exhibit is up

As of Friday, October 2nd my exhibit is up. It did not go without a hitch. When I went to hang the pieces with the push pins I brought I realized that the walls were made of concrete. There was no way those pieces could be put up with an type of tape either because they would have fallen on the floor. Luckily the town hall had a large display board in the basement, so that is where my fibre pieces ended up. You can check out the exhibit at the Amherst Town Hall from Mon-Fri until 5pm. The building is closed on the weekends. I would love any feedback people might have.

Upcoming Exhibit

I am afraid I have been slacking off in my blogging. I have also been slacking off in my art. It's not slacking off exactly, it's just that there are so many other things that get in the way. It's difficult to make creating a priority with everything else that goes on in our lives, but like everything else, there needs to be time set aside for just that. Tonight my five year old is still asleep with a four hour nap so far, due in large part to his fever and sore throat. I have taken advantage of the down time to spend a couple hours at my sewing machine sewing backs onto my art quilts. In just two short days I will be hanging a solo fibre exhibit at the Amherst Town Hall. Unfortunately I have been leaving all of the little details until the last minute. I have nine new pieces that I plan to show which include felted art quilts, oil painted art quilts, and watercolor crayon art quilts. I'm kind of worried that I might not have enough pieces. I always worry about that before an exhibit. I keep telling myself that it's the quality, not the quantity that counts. I may be able to get a final one finished tomorrow night, but it's the season premiere of The Practice and another new episode of Grey's Anatomy. I know, I know. Stuck to the TV when there are better things to do. My real worry right now is that art sale that I am expected to be in. I am not nearly ready and am worried I may have to bow out at the last minute. I have been having a lot of trouble with my eyesight lately and it affects my ability to work for any length of time that I have to really use my eyes because I get a lot of pain. Anyway, my eyes are starting to bug me now so I guess it's time for a rest. Better luck tomorrow.

New Mac and Changes to Web Page

Big day today! After much deliberation I decided two weeks ago to purchase a Mac Laptop. Part of the deliberation involved the cost! I finally gave in to peer pressure and ordered one and voila, it arrived last night. I must say I was more than worried about the steep learning curve, but so far so good. I especially like the built in web cam so I can skype with my son at university. For those of you who don't know what skype is, I get to have face to face chats for free with my son. I think I may be a bit more excited about it than he is. (LOL)! I am enjoying the great graphics, but not enjoying the small screen. To save a few bucks I decided to order the 13inch. I'm finding it a bit small and wish I had gone for the 15 inch. Too late now. I have it sitting on my desk, right beside the PC.

I have also decided to make some changes to my web page that reflect changes I am being forced to make in my life. I have now removed the sections of my gallery that involve pottery and jewellery. Instead I am going to focus on my painting and fibre work. It was all becomming too much , and you know what they say; jack of all trades, master of none. While I still love clay and will continue to teach it in high school, that's about as far as it's going to go. I am also getting up the nerve to put all of my jewellery making tools, silver, etc... on kijiji to sell. I am going to have trouble parting with everything, but it's certainly not doing me any good boxed up in the basement. You can check out my web page at lisadaniellemartin.com.

Mentality

Mentality is the name of a Magazine published out of Nova Scotia that addresses the issues and needs and opinions of those who live with a mental illness. I had the chance to check it out the other day and was surprised to see a felted self portrait I had done of myself as part of a women and art exhibit last year that was up at the Dalhousie University Women's Centre. The issue I was looking at was spring 2009, and I had no idea that it had been published. Nice surprise for sure, and something more to add to my Curriculum Vitae. It was a partially completed felted image of the upper part of my face. I didn't finish it because I wanted to show that we are all somehow incomplete, always a work in progress. Who we are today will change by the time tomorrow comes. Although I have already shown it in two exhibits I am planning to put it with my exhibit in the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival as a change from all of the nature scenes I have been felting and art quilting. Speaking of which, I finished another art quilt today with my new crayons. This one is from a picture I took while on a hike at the bird sanctuary with my two sons. We had some bird sees, and the chikadees would fly down and eat the seeds out of our hands. I took a picture of one in my son Justin's hand, and this is the image I art quilted. The rest pf my day today is going to be spent reading art history, knitting, and baking some pies (like I need to be eating pies!).

Crayons Continued.....

Two blogs in one day. Whew! I was so excited about my new crayons that I had to try them right away, and they worked like a charm! My only complaint is that the crayons break really easily, but they last far longer than oil sticks or regular pastels. After applying a watercolor wash to them I simply hung it out to dry for about 30 minutes, and it was ready to stitch! Naturally I couldn't wait to do that either, so I ran out and bought more thread and voila! Done! I think I have about 30 spools of thread and growing at this point. Stay tuned for more art quilts.

Crayons, not just for kindergarten anymore

Well, I have a new best friend in the textile world, and their name is Caran D'Ache Neocolor II watersoluable wax pastels, i.e. crayons. They even look like crayons. My biggest compaint was that they arrived from the states with 5 broken tips, and a $40 shipping fee!! So not cool. Naturally I have now found a canadian supplier, the same place where I order materials for my art class at school. A pack of 30 crayons was $45. A friend expressed real horror at the cost of these crayons, asking if there wasn't something a lot cheaper. For those of us into creating, we know that we get what we pay for. These crayons are truly amazing and perfect for the art quilter or textile artist. You basically color your image onto pre-washed fabric (cotton or muslin), then take a wet watercolor brush and brush water over your image. The next thing you know, you are looking at a fabulously blended watercolor painting! After it dries you can quilt and stitch paint to your hearts content. Just remember however that because it is water soluable you can't wash it afterwards, so it's not suitable for a bed quilt or a wearable item. I can't wait to give it a try, and I think today is the day. I'll post an image when the work is completed and stitched. I know I need to be cleaning my house, and I've started back to work, but a girl has to have her art time.
p.s. the cotton sweater I knit looks awful on me. I hate it when that happens!

Back in the Saddle

Well, I am now back at my teaching job, teaching high school visual arts and graphic design. I just finished putting in a large supply order. It's always like Christmas when all of those art supplies arrive, I can hardly wait to tear open the boxes. This year I ordered some basics for screen printing on fabric. I have no idea how to screen print on fabric, but I guess I am going to learn. It looks like I will be looking to you tube for guidance. It's actually a great resource. I have learned many pottery techniques on you tube, watched videos of various artists, enjoyed the art of van Gogh, and now I will observe screen printing. I usually try to get all of the mistakes out of the way on my own work before I let the students loose. I am thinking this is going to be a short project for my grade 12's to break up the large projects that they do. I am sure it's going to be a lot of fun, for them and for me. I don't like to teach things that aren't at least a bit fun for all of us. After all, if you want your students to be engaged it has to be interesting.

On the home front, I have just finished knitting a cotton sweater. I started to put it together last night and I am highly suspicious that something has gone awry. Tonight I will be trying it on, and I am thinking that some ripping out of seams and re-knitting of the neck line may be on the horizon. Crossing my fingers I don't have to do this, but not overly hopeful.

On a very personal note, my oldest son moved to university today, and my youngest son starts grade primary tomorrow. I am feeling that empty nest feeling, and I don't like it. Expect a lot of depressing artwork in the near future. :)

New Felting Kit

After almost a whole year I have decided to start making new felting kits again. . I originally had 4, but dwindled it down to the one polar bear kit on my etsy shop that seems to have been pretty popular. I plan to create several new kits, with the first one being a small wall hanging of an American Goldfinch. I've been inspired to create this from the large flock that appears in my back yard every night around supper time (which reminds me, I need to fill their bird feeder). Their one of my favourite birds. In addition to the wall hanging I am going to put together a small kit to make the actual bird for those who like to create figures in 3 dimension. I may get to work on that tomorrow, but in just two short days I will be returning to teaching for another year, so time will be hard to find. With everything that goes on in life it's often hard to make creating anything a priority. Something else always has to be done. For me it's taking care of two boys, pets, a house, and anything else that comes my way. I do make some time though, because if I am not doing something artistic I often feel lost, as if I am missing something important. It's almost like therapy. You'll have to stay tuned to see if I can keep it up!

Finally Finished Felting

Today for some reason I have been inspired to get a lot of artwork done. Perhaps it's because I am against the clock with work starting up again in 6 days. Why is it that we always leave things to the last minute? My sewing machine has been buzzing all day as I managed to thread paint and quilt my latest felted piece. This piece was of a butterfly on my lilac bush that I took a picture of earlier this summer. I was on the way into the van and just happened to have the camera in my purse, so I was able to get a couple of good shots. In this piece I also skipped the wet felting step after I finished the needle felting. This was a bad idea, as I needle felt with a single needle by hand, and this means the wool stays a bit puffy instead of being hard felted. This puffiness was FOREVER getting caught in my darning foot on the machine, which is what I use for free motion quilting. I think it practically doubled the time it normally takes me at the sewing stage. When I wet felt it pushes the fibers closer together and I get a hard flat surface, much like the felt is that you buy at the store. The lesson for today, skipping steps rarely saves time. Tonight after I serve my family a gourmet meal (not really) I plan to work on 3 kerchiefs that I have made for friends. They are already painted and cured, and now I have to do some free motion stitching with some funky variegated thread. I gave them to them for free, but told them if anyone likes them to send them in my direction. Can't beat free advertising.

Finding Inspiration

Making art usually is not something that comes to me like divine intervention from above. It is not always romantic (in fact rarely) where I get up in the morning full of energy and fabulous ideas, then create the perfect works of art in a beautiful studio with no worries of the mortgage or other bills. In fact, it's not like this at all. Inspiration comes in bits and pieces and sometimes in the most unlikely of places or times. For instance, I've been feeling inspired lately to create at a time when I have to go back to work, my son is leaving for university and the army, and my credit card is trying to run from me. Sometimes the hardest of times can create the best of art, perhaps because emotions are running high. A few years back I created a series of paintings based on cancer cells. Not exactly uplifting. I was at a time when I had lost my grandmother to cancer and several friends as well. It seemed to be everywhere, and as a result I reacted to the sadness by painting . I have talked to other artists who have had similar experiences. Inspiration can also come on a walk, at the grocery store, anywhere. It helps to get out and have a wide variety of experiences. I am at a stage lately where I am painting and quilting on fabric. I have been sticking with whimsical themes, but the self critic in me thinks that this work is not "deep" enough, that somehow painting pretty things isn't serious art and won't be accepted by critics. I am probably correct, so it helps to develop a thick skin. I'm not quite there yet, but hope to be someday.

So what is serious art anyway? I always think of it as something that has a message, depicts emotion, is well crafted. I also believe that you can be an artisit and be self taught, although in the art scene there is great predjudice against those who have not gotten the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Correct me if I'm wrong.

What's Old is New

As many of you know, what's old is new again. This is certainly true when it comes to the traditional arts, such as quilting, sewing, knitting, and embroidery. What's new about this though, is that the trend is mixed media, which means a combination of things together. I have been drawn to this in particular with quilting, specifically the art quilt, which is not what your grandmother did. I prefer to take felted pieces and machine quilt them, then add highlights with thread. After that I might embellish with beads or yarn. Anything goes. I also draw on fabric with oil sticks and embellish these drawings in much the same way. Lately I have made several kerchiefs and have gotten a lot of positive comments. Far from being frumpy or "granola", these kerchiefs are fun and funky ( and not bad for hiding a bad hair day!). In the pictures I have included I have used organic cotton fabric ( pre-washed), painted on the daisies with oil stiks, then thread painted small leaves using variegated thread and free motion stitching. I hope to post a few on my etsy store to see what happens. Later tonight I plan to draw on 3 kerchiefs that I sewed this afternoon. They will have to cure for several days before I can do the stitching. If I am feeling really energetic (not likely) then I hope to do some felting and some art history work. In reality I will likely crash in front of the TV around 9 and spend the rest of the evening tuned out. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Heatin things up

It's pretty hard to be creative when you are roasting in the heat. I don't know about anyone else, but the heat tends to suck the life right out of me. I admit I haven't worked on my felting in about 4 days, due in part to the temperature, and in other part to the fact I am in or by the pool trying to cool off. I have however been working on some art history, studying Baroque, NeoClassiscism, and Romanticism. When you look at these periods in history its amazing how much of it influences art and architecture today. Take for instance the American President Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800's. He had his house remodeled in the classical style, complete with pillars and a dome. Roman and Greek art were emulated all over the world. As I said in an earlier blog, you need to look back to see how you got to where you are.I can think of the Dominion Public Building downtown in the small town where I live which has a distinct Greek Architectural front. Looking at the past can also give artists great ideas for their own work. I recently saw an art quilt modeled after variations of the Venus of Willendorf, which was a small statue made by ancient man, possibly a fertility symbol. Inspiration is everywhere. As an artist it is vital to expose yourself to a wide variety of experiences, which is like the fertilizer that helps a plant to grow. In the widely popular book "The Artist's Way" the author suggests that people go on a weekly artist date by themselves to expose themselves to new things and to the art of others. Not a bad idea.

OK, so I know this is an artist blog, but I can't help telling you about my latest "thing". Those who know me know I am a total greening freak, much to the dismay of my family. Suddenly I have been inspired to take it up a notch, and am trying to eat only local food for a week, organic and fair trade when possible. I have also been growing some of my own food this year, and hope to double my garden next year. I've attached a sampling of what I picked today, and I can't wait for the tomatoes to start. Oh, and by the way, everything I make has to be made from scratch. This could be a long week. I guess gardening is kind of artistic and creative, and I admit I find digging around in the dirt to be peaceful, much like I find working on my artwork. You are also creating something from a tiny seed, much like you take an idea and turn it into something artistic. After writing this, I realize I have done an art post today.

Here it is as promised. This piece, which is an image of a clematis from my friend Allison's house, is composed of oil stiks on Muslin, highlighted with thread painting and machine quilting. I have totally fallen in love with art quilting as I mentionned in an earlier post. I use the thread for highlighting and for quilting around the edges of the flower and the leaves. I'm pleased with how it turned out and plan to include it in my solo fibre exhibit at the Amherst town hall in October as part of the NS Fibre Arts festival. My next piece is going to be another felted work, likely something to do with butterflies. I tend to gravitate towards nature in the summer as I have it all around me, especially in my numerous perennial beds. This fall I am leaning towards doing some portraiture work, both on canvas with oil, and perhaps some felting and art quilting. I'm learning something new every day, which means I am always trying something new. I hope I am not becomming the jack of all trades and the master of none!

Eco Felt Find

I'm back from my R&R, and I have to say that horseback riding on a trail through the woods is a very peaceful experience. Getting off the horse several hours later is a very sore experience. Loved it anyway. While I was reading one of my many textile magazines today I came across a great product, eco felt!!! Now normally I am all for organic , back to the earth, real deal, fresh off the sheep wool. However, I am also for recycling and re-using. Eco felt, which comes in many colors, is made from recycled plastic bottles. Go figure! It is also machine washable and won't shrink like the real deal. Now, for die hard felters like myself it might not be a great product to try to felt with. However, for those who use felt for craft purposes or as garnishes on hand sewn items, I think it's a good alternative. To find a supplier just google eco felt. I may try some as a background for some of the felted "paintings" that I create.

I know I had hoped to post a before and after of the clematis picture that I have painted and stiched, but it just isn't finished yet. Unfortunately I ran out of the color green thread I needed for the leaves. Crossing my fingers I can post the pictures tomorrow.

Back to my R&R. I was able to slip away to a great wool shop called Mini Mills. They have every color of wool imaginable and also have their own line of yarn. Needles to say I loaded the van with several colors, felting needles, pre-made felt (unbleached) and a new knitting book. Like a need another knitting book. This one however was full of the most beautiful , and unbelieveably difficult, patterns I have seen in a long time. Maybe this winter, after I finish knitting several xmas gifts, I may tackle the knitted coat. Beautiful.

Artist R&R

I'm heading out today for PEI in search of some rest and relaxation at the Brudenell Resort. Going horseback riding, hiking and biking. I'm hoping the weather will be coopertive. It's good to have a change of scenery because it can give an artist a whole new slew of creative ideas for work. I also get to check out the work of other local artists which is the best part. Sadly I am missing one member of the family this year. My oldest son has joined the army and is on his way to Quebec as I write this. He'll be home in time for me to move him to university which the military is picking up the tab for. Hopefully a change of scenery will take my mind off it for awhile.

Last night I did manage to get some work done on my clematis that I spoke about yesterday. I'll have to finish it up when I get back. I've got two cameras packed for the trip in case I see something interesting. I may bring my film camera with some black and white film as well, and maybe a sketch book. One highlight of my trip is going to be a trip to mini mills for some felting supplies and wool. I only get there about once a year, if that, as it's off the beaten trail and almost a 2 hour drive from home. Can't wait!

Good morning. I just got a cool email from Knitting Daily, a group I recently joined. If you become a member (no fee) then you have access to 50 free knitting patterns to download. I love anything free, especially knitting patterns. You can sign up if you go to the interweave.com site. They are responsible for magazines such as Fiber Arts (my personal favourite), Quilting Arts, Studio and Cloth Paper Scissors, to name just a few. I downloaded a knitted slipper pattern today that looks super easy. I haven't been knitting much lately due to it being the summer and because I am busy with felting and quilting lately. I was almost done a summer sweater then realized I had knit the back twice! Argh!!! How did I do that? What took about 15 hours to knit took just five minutes to rip out. I love to knit as a stress release. I admit I am a bit of a yarn snob, meaning I love the high quality, tres expensive yarns. I have 4 big bags full of yarn I have bought just because I liked them. The Lion Brand Yarn site also offers hundreds of free knitting patterns. Sometimes I even dye my own yarn, like I recently did with stewed blueberry juice. See the picture above this blog. I called it Blueberries and Cream.

Art History

Well, after dropping the car off for its inspection and my five year old at the babysitters I find myself with a whole 5 hours of peace and quiet. What to do, what to do. I have to admit having a nap looks tempting and going in the pool even more so on this hot day, but there's work to be done. I am now three months behind on my latest art history course assignment. I have no excuses except to say I sometimes procrastinate. Now things are coming down to the wire. I have to write the rough drafts of two small essays today, and the focus of this unit is the Renaissance period in Italy, 1400-1600. Luckily I am somewhat familiar with this era as I teach it as part of grade 10 visual arts. I actually enjoy art history as it gives my own work more context and meaning, and gives a better frame of reference when looking at other works. The trend in teaching art history is to focus on the most recent 100 years, however I still believe going back to the beginnings of art history has a lot of value. How do we know where we're going if we don't know where we've been?

If I have time I also plan to grab that art quilting project of the clematis that I have been working on. I've already painted it on fabric in oil using Shiva Paint Stiks and let it dry for several days . Maybe I'll be able to post the before and after on the blog tonight. Stay tuned.

Examples of needle, wet felting

My first day blogging

This is my first day blogging, so please bear with me. I'm going to talk about my art, the art I see of others, my job teaching art, and of course my life as I try to live as an artist.

Let me start by saying that everyone is creative in their own way, and just because you think you can't draw or paint does not mean you aren't creative. Maybe you're an awesome cook, perhaps you come up with great ideas to keep your kids occupied during the summer months, maybe you are passionate about the environment (I'm with you on this one).

I also want to start out by saying that making a living as an artist is not romantic. I do not live the bohemian lifestyle (much as I might want to), I do not eat granola (too fattening), I do not dress weird (well, at least I don't think I do), and I do not think I am eccentric ( even if my students say I am). I am not rich, nor do I ever think I will get rich as an artist. It's a lot of hard work, a lot of low pay, and I have to teach to make ends meet. I like to make things that I like, not what I think people want to buy (Perhaps this is part of my problem?). Still, being an artist is who I am, I would be lost without it, and I struggle every day with it.

Ok, enough of that. I want to talk about the direction I've been going in lately, and that's fibre. I LOVE fibre and all things fibre. With this medium I can do anything, and it provides a great way to combine painting, sculpting, design and textiles. In particular, I am "painting" with felt, thread, wool, yarn and oil paints. Instead of just felting images I have been going over them with thread, quilting, yarn, and whatever else I can find. I'll post a couple of pictures to let you know what I mean. I have a solo exhibit I'm getting ready for in the fall as part of the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts festival. Check out the website at fibreartsfestival.com. I also have one of my pieces in the festive issue coming up this fall in the Canadian Publication of "A Needle Pulling Thread".

My job today (besides cleaning the house and doing laundry, VERY romantic) is to pull out the thread and start working on thread painting an oil on cotton work. I think I am keeping the thread companies in business lately.