Thursday, May 29, 2014

Evolution of a process


Several years ago, before I started my tie-dye biz, I used to paint objects - cigar boxes, flower pots, you name it!  Trouble is, they weren't big sellers, so I moved on.  But I always loved doing them, and recently decided to ease back into mixed media a little.
Below is a display of my painted wares circa 1997,

And this is a prayer plant (my design) in a hand painted clay pot... using one of my favorite themes, autumn leaves. 

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you know that I have been busy the past couple of years making coiled fabric bowls, first as a stash buster, but later because I love the process as well as the results. This is a sample of one of my typical bowls:

Well, somehow my brain cells collided and I decided to take the bowls  in a different direction, and here is the result of my first efforts:


I have combined the coiling process with mixed media to create a bowl with a hard surface, which allows me to paint it.  I decided to go back to the autumn leaves theme for this one, and I'm pleased with how it came out.  After I took these photos, I applied Polycrylic sealer to protect the finish.  I ended up using a high gloss, which is okay, but I think I would prefer the more subtle look of the matte finish shown here for future efforts.  And trust me, there will be more of these!  Stay tuned...



Thursday, May 8, 2014

Works in progress

It's been almost a month since my last post... how time flies when you're having fun!  I have been indulging my love of dyeing on some new summer tops:


Once I got started, I couldn't stop!  And I have more on the way...
Meanwhile, I am working on a piece for the Appetizers Exhibit coming up August 2nd... I know that's almost 3 months away, but I really want it to come out right... here's a sneak peak at what I'm working on for embellishments on the piece:

I just made a prototype feather to see how it would look... I plan to use different fabric, and hope to include some fabric beads as well, but for now, I needed to see if the size was good.
What I should be working on, and hope to get into over the next day or so, is a series of posts for "...And Then We Set It On Fire".  I will be posting about a Round Robin Solo surface design project during the month of July, and I really need to move beyond the planning stage into the execution phase!
On the garden front, I have Lettuce and Peas sprouting:

This is my second year growing lettuce, and my first try at peas.  Everything is in containers so I can keep them above ground - our prairie dogs are very resourceful, and I have discovered they even know how to climb, so nothing is safe in the ground!
As for flowers, I am keeping fingers crossed - in the next few days, at least one of my Lilac bushes will be in full bloom, barring unforseen frost!  I will take pix as soon as the blossoms open up.  And I have a coupon for rose bushes from Home Depot... I sorely miss my cutting roses, and think I will splurge this year - buy 2, get one free!  Hope I can find some that will bloom!  More to come...