Winter weather bring lots of studio time .
The class I was teaching is over for this term.I’ve joined an new international altered playing card group on Facebook and have been revisiting my old collage theme of birds by the bay.
I enjoyed making use of received batch of vintage postage stamps to create this mini altered book mainly to practice techniques and explore surfaces.
Papercloth cover
The brief for this journal is to track weightloss for a Seahawks fan.Blue and teal paper cloth cover with simple fold text block .Graph tip in, motivational quotes and an envelope for recipes completed the project.
I have recently joined a Buy Nothing Local Group on Facebook.I love the idea of reducing landfill and recycling within my local community.
Last Friday group posted Fat Chance Friday.I offered to make journals for people from my over stuffed studio supplies and was amazed to get 7 requests for very different handmade books.I also requested hummingbird/butterfly friendly plants.
Anne requested a journal to document her vegetable garden project.I created this Scrappy Journal from Terry Taylor’s Eco Book which has been in my library for many years.It has been some time since I explored bindings and have already learn a few new text block techniques from Making Handmade books by Alisa Golden a new addition to my collection.
Cover detail from Anne’s Scrappy Garden Journal
Anne gifted me a big pot of bee balm which is already planted in my garden.
Baby quilts awaiting delivery
Surface design/book play
First crop – I explored growing our own summer vegetables in pots on the deck.Our salad bar was a huge success and this was our first crop of beans-the resident hummingbirds loved the heritage variety and they provided great screening/privacy from our neighbors.
Cover detail of a tool pocket created to hold a set of jewelry making tools which replaced a set which were stolen from an artist’s car while she visited her sick husband in hospital.
Dottee dolls created for an auction raising funds for Ladybug House proposed children hospice in Seattle area
Sample teenager for Baton Rouge project.Sadly this package was returned as contact didn’t pick it up from mailing office.So if anyone wants to pick up this project it’s all ready to go in the studio !
A variety of pieces from 2017 but thought I would share.I have also created a series of boro place mats which are still a work in process so there will be more in the future.I have just recieved my renewal for American Craft Council membership and look forward to reading the magazine and maybe funding my artistic voice this year.
Have been very busy in the the last week.Returning to docent family and starting to learn the new Metalmorphosis show which I will be touring until Feb 4th 2017.We had an lecture from Nick Statius. Nick makes metal tapestries on her houseboat anchored on an island off Portland,Oregon.Her technique is awesome using a vintage knitting machine to create copperwire cloth which is then adorned with different types/colors of gold.Her connection with nature is amazing and her love of gold made me reflect back to our visit to Mary Lee Hu’s home. ( Mary Lee also has a piece in the show)
Wednesday saw my student return to the studio.She has been travelling in Europe and had brought a new artist to share with me and a venue Jupiter artland.
My student also brought back her textile journal which I look forward to filling over the fall days.We bound it using a new technique to her.This took some patience from both of us but we were pleased with the end result.When the computer and phone will talk to each other I’ll post some images !
Well I continued to struggle with Cas Holmes technique so I sat down after a session with my student and just mixed up the paste and added coffee and with no care to the pieces I just made a collage as a pilot.I like it very much and will continue to explore this technique.
I have to add I have handstitched and machine embroidered more sections which are still awaiting assembly.Keep watching I’ll get there in the end.
Ohh and the memory quilt.This is just a really personal piece.The inchie queen just needed to flex her handstitching skill.This is also a great example of (a) how to present and (b) how not present your work.
A little critter for one of my pages
Following the fiber frenzy at the quilt show I decided to have a proper go at making some more fiber books.I really enjoy Ro Bruhn’s style and with warmer spring days and hand sewing on the porch I embarked on this book.
One of the greatest differences in the living in the Pacific Northwest and England is the depth and size of the landscape.We have two mountain ranges, volcanoes , lakes and ever changing weather patterns that great a a dramatic and dynamic environment.
I was working in earth-toned blend-able paper-cloth and thinking about you could give a verbal and tactile description of the landscape to a person of low vision.As I wanted this to be a portable project a book form seemed to lend itself well.
These pieces are currently on Exhibit until mid March at the East Shores Gallery in Bellevue.
So I like to explore different surface techniques and have been exploring in my ongoing altered book “The First Deadly Sin”
