Mixed Media Collage

Last September I took a workshop with Deborah Fell.  The workshop was a blast, and while I'm not sure I learned anything new in terms of technique, I did seem to get a lot of inspiration and I came away feeling like I had "permission" to do some of the work I've always wanted to do.  At the workshop I got started on several different pieces, but no where near finished on any of them.  When I got home I continued to work with one piece in particular.  I mostly took apart what I had begun at the workshop and revamped the whole thing.  Something about this process really spoke to me and I completed this piece in record time.  I began with color washes on a piece of canvas.  Then I collaged papers and fabrics on top with glue.  These collage items were created in a frenzy of mark making and painting until I had two tons of materials that I began randomly tearing up.  So fun!  When I had a collage I was happy with I added batting and backing and began stitching.  There is more paper in this "quilt" than fabric, and quite a few layers in some places but I had no trouble stitching it.  I love everything about this process and I'm thrilled with the result, although not so thrilled with the photo, LOL!  Here is the final piece.

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BOP Abstract 2015

New website and blog!

Welcome to my new website and blog!  After much prodding from a good friend, I finally got around to updating my on-line presence.  It is my hope that the new web site will prove to be a more professional way to present my art portfolio.  I kind of doubt I'll ever be an amazing blogger, but I do enjoy the chance to include more information about what I'm up to than the web site alone would afford me.  So!  On to business as it were!

The early part of this year I was busy with art journaling and I do not yet have photos to share.  As always, I got back around to mixed media art quilting and this is what I was working on:

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Sorry for the somewhat blurry photo!  I have this opinion that "in progress" shots are not worth setting up the tripod.  I think I need to look into a better camera because if I don't use the tripod with this camera, I get blurry pictures.  Anyway, last year when I took the workshop with Sue Benner I cut out about a million pieces of prefused fabric in blue, gold, and olive green.  Since I had so many left over from the previous two projects, I decided to go for a third!  I did add some fusible to an inner office envelope for variety, and I spray painted through alphabet stencils to create the lettered fabric.  To make the green spirals I took pieces of green fabrics and fused them into a square shape.  Then I used a rotary cutter and cut the square on the bias to make multi colored strips of green.  I've done a little monoprinting and splattering with acrylic paint.  I was considering giving up on this project because my stitching came out much wonkier that I liked, but I've shown the piece to several people and they all think the wonky stitching goes well with the general wonkiness of the piece, so I guess I'll go ahead and finish it.

There is more to come on other projects in process, but one blog post at a time!  Thanks for stopping by.

2013: More catching up!

In April 2013 I took a workshop with the amazing Sue Benner .  The workshop was all about abstraction and we were asked to bring some examples of artwork from another artist we admired.  Sue showed us images of artwork done by past artists who had used artworks they admired as inspiration for further abstraction studies.  The artist I chose for my inspiration was Lynne Perrella.  This was my first workshop with the Front Range Contemporary Quilters and I was hugely intimidated by my fellow students and Sue herself.  In spite of that I had a wonderful time and learned more than I could have hoped to in a few short days.  At the end of the workshop I had two very incomplete pieces of art, but seeing as I would be jetting off to Connecticut three weeks later I was not able to continue working on these pieces when I got home. The workshop in CT with Lynne Perrella and Michelle Ward was one of the best things I have ever done and also left me with unfinished artwork.  I spent the summer working on those pieces and then along came the workshop with Katie Pasquini Masopust and more incomplete art.  Well, I'm happy to say that I have now finished all the artwork I started in these various workshops.  At the end of the Sue Benner workshop my first piece looked like this:

And now it looks like this:

The photo does not do it justice as you cannot really see the lovely sheen of the silks and the sparkly organzas.  My best friend made the little polymer clay faces for me and I just love them!  Wow, putting these photos together is an interesting instruction in photography!  Hmmm.......  

The second piece that I began at that workshop looked like this when I got home:

Sorry for the blurry and off color photo.  Knowing it was nowhere near finished, I did not put much effort into taking a good shot.  I was pretty excited by this piece as it was quite a departure from my usual stuff and I liked where it was going.  After practicing on other things to explore monoprinting and quilting options, I ended up with this:

One of the most important things I learned from the three workshops was that I tend to be much too literal.  I am now exploring ways to take things further and to expand on my original concepts.  Invaluable!  Each of the pieces I began in a workshop last year has led to other pieces of art and more ideas.  I learned new techniques and made friends and I can't wait to do it again in 2014.