When I need a break from my task list, I often grab my camera and head outside for a “photo safari.” My goal is to notice the interesting things around me, perhaps in a new way. I have fun photographing them, studying the compositions, zooming in and out, and moving my body to get interesting […]
Our local group, the Dirty Dozen Fiber Artists, decided to have a play day, and we invited several others to join us. We met at our favorite hang out, RiverHouse, and had tons of fun. Ruth Anne showed us how to use a variety of inks. Of special interest was marking with permanent markers and then spraying them with alcohol […]
Don’t tell my husband, but I own about 1000 pieces of fabric. (Maybe you do, too.) Of course, it doesn’t do me any good to own them if I can’t find them and see them. Plus, I need to be able to easily pull them out and them put them away again. Therefore, I store […]
Last week found me in Venice, FL, teaching my Double Reverse Applique class for the Venice Area Quilters Guild. The project for this class was a high contrast apple. The photo below shows the first few finished apples taped up for display, as the rest of the class is reflected in the mirrored wall. (Click the photo […]
Here’s the final piece, with stitching added. The stitching does three things: – It structurally holds everything together. – It adds texture. – When a constrasting thread is used, it adds a visual line that becomes a design element. The petals are an example of this last item. I used dark brown thread to add […]
Next, I decided on the size and placement of the seed heads. And, I pinned down (literally) the flower centers. Finally, it was time to add stems. Then, on to some much needed shading (below.) This helped create definition between the petals. (Compare the before image above, and the after, below.) To create the shading I used […]
Since I wanted to show all the stages of these flowers, I needed to add in a few buds. (I left the seed heads alone for a little while longer.) At this point, the two small buds (near center top) gained an unexpected 3D effect. Since the petals were not stitched down yet, they flared […]
Did I mention I was going to do a TV interview? Well, last night was the night. After lots of preparation with my co-interviewee, Dij Pacarro, we were anxious to talk about fiber art on “Focus on Art,” a local show. It ended up being rather fun, and we were both pleased with it. (Although we haven’t […]
20Hmm. Yeah, that last flower (on the right) was a little too large. Although it looked fine, I knew that it would crowd the rest of the composition, causing the flowers to overlap too much. That would make it harder to tell them apart, and I’d lose the nice contrast with the background. So, I […]
I was recently surprised to receive an email from the Art in Embassies program. This program borrows art from artists, museums, etc. and installs them in the residencies of American ambassadors all over the world. Artists can apply to participate in this program, but I never got around to it. However, the program found me. […]
