Sea Kelp Second Layer

Vicki Fisher-Lerer                  "By the Sea"  30" x 40"

The first layer finally dried and was able to add second layer.  Maybe one more, or two, layers to go and I think it will be finished.
Brainstorming how to do this in fiber:)

Sea Kelp First Layer

This weekend I started a 30" x 40" painting on the kitchen counter.  It just fits!  Can't use the counter for eating or cooking until the painting dries; (Using oils.)  I would move it...but there are paintings everywhere in the house/studio.  Maybe it is time to get a show again, or another storage shed.  Still in my kelp series, could be there for awhile:)  Will post again with the second layer.

In My Kitchen

Some people cook in their kitchen. I paint.  It is the perfect spot!  Through out my life the kitchen has been the place to hang out.  While growing up, hanging in my Mom's kitchen, Aunt Madge, Grandma's, and at friends, the kitchen was the place to be.  

In our house we utilize every space.  My husband has his real estate office here, my son tutors and studies in the front two rooms, and I have taken over the living room, dining room and kitchen.  It may look messy to some people but I love living with my fiber and paint.  Always in arms reach. 

Started this piece tonight.  I also worked on two of my fiber pieces.  Paint is much faster to create with, but stitching is peaceful.  Today I was able to create in the two mediums I love.

Time to stitch a little more before I go to sleep.

Thanks for stopping by.

Small Journey-Textile

I am taking a Small Journey with Jude Hill at Spirit Cloth http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/
Actually, I have been on a journey with her for the past year...and what I journey she has started me on!  She has fostered my love of textiles and hand stitching.  For several years I decided to take a side path from painting and learn how to quilt.  This quilting was done with a sewing machine and I was driving fast not much time to think.  Then I found Jude and started my journey with hand stitching.  It is slow and meditative,  True... I have many projects in the works and only one finished hand sewn art piece. (actually was finished until I manage to get purple paint on it.  No worries...I will sew something on it.)  Paint and fabric hard to manage the two, or better yet...emerge the two.

So, this piece I started awhile ago, just stitching, then into the waiting box.  Yesterday I decided to see what to do with it.  This reminds me of a window and that is what Jude's journey has started with. Started stitching on it last night, :)  Until next time...

"By the Sea #8"

"By the Sea #8" Oil on Canvas 24" x 36"    Vicki Fisher-Lerer

On my walks I see so many beautiful things that inspire me.  Most generally I walk in the same location, but each night I see something different on my walks.  Maybe the light is different, colors change, the sky is never the same.  I look closely at the things I see, take pictures, sketch and paint from memory and my observations.  Using this as a stepping stone to unlock my imagination.

By the Sea Kelp #8

This was the inspiration for my piece"By the Sea#8". 

Will post the painting tomorrow.

By the Sea Inspiration

For the past three years(maybe it's four years) I try to end my day with a walk at the beach.  Each time I go there, I get inspiration for my work. Although I never really thought about how much is incorporated into what I create until I looked around my studio/living room, dining room, kitchen. The colors, the texture, the subject matter spill into my paintings and my fiber work.  I have recently completed 14 oil paintings of the kelp I see on my walks.  The shape and the colors of the seaweed are so fascinating and so different each evening that I see them.  Tonight I am working on several fiber pieces all by the sea inspired.
Thanks for stopping by.

Small study for By the Sea Series Ocean Park

Small study  Oil  6" x 12"                          Vicki Fisher-Lerer
By the Sea Ocean Park

Inspiration for my new oil painting series

Over the summer I worked in oils.  This was my inspiration.  I created around 10 paintings and will post some of them as soon as I have the photos taken.  I am very excited about the work!  Hope to get a show.

Sunset 9/8

Due to an infection in my finger on my right hand my painting has been put on hold.  Such a drag.  I have been sewing a little but with some difficulty.  So...many pictures of the sunsets for inspiration for future projects.  Love the color.

Where I get my Inspiration!

Oil Painting

This is what I have been doing this summer!  I am in love with my oils again.  Maybe it will turn in to a fiber piece?

HaleARTS Space Online Gallery

Check out my mixed media pieces at the HaleARTS Space Online Gallery.
http://www.halearts.com/vicki-fisher-lerer.html

Pieces of Blue

Late at night I like to stitch these pieces of blue. I don't know why... but I love little pieces of fabric and paper, so I am hand-stitching them into small blocks of color.  I have stitched probably 30 so far.  They consist of silk, paper, and tea bags.  I paint the pieces of silk and paper with liquid acrylic paint watered down and also use Colorhue silk dyes.  Many of the tea bags I get from my friend January. Thanks January!

Hale Arts Space Opening Show tomorrow night

Opening at the Hale Arts Space tomorrow night.  Hope to see you!

Summer vacation and fiber landscape

Yeah! It is summer vacation and my last day of teaching was yesterday.  Usually I teach summer school but I think this summer I have off.  So...now I can post more on my blog and create.
This piece I have been stitching on for months.  Well, I just checked my older posts and it has been 8 months since I started this piece!  I work on this piece in the late night hours before bed. It is hand painted cloth, paper, silk, linen and hand stitched.  I thought it was finished...but maybe a few more stitches?

Bee visitors

These are our new visitors!  They are right outside our front door.  Friday when I pulled up our drive I noticed them.  At first I was in a panic, but then I realized they were ignoring me and busy doing their own thing.  I  googled ball of bees and found out they are protecting the queen bee until they find a place for a new nest.  I just hope that place is not in our attic, because once they establish a next there could be a lot more bees, like thousands!  So every day for the past three days I have been going out to check on their progress.  May have to incorporate this into my paintings or art quilts.

Happy Mother's Day

Mom passed away in 1995, so long ago yet seems like yesterday. The first year was the toughest. It was the year where everything was the first time without Mom.  I painted to ease my pain. I also had a three year old son who kept me going.  This painting was painted in that first year.  It is, "In Memory of Mom," oil on canvas, 30"x 40."  Happy Mother's Day Mom! and Happy Mother's Day to me.

Hangar Gallery Show at Santa Monica Art Studios

It was a fun night at the show.  Now back to creating.  I will have some fiber pieces to post soon for my fiber friends.

Hangar Gallery Show May 2014

Sorry, I haven't posted in awhile.  I have been busy painting for this show.  If you are in the area, stop by, I would love to see you!

One more Time

Still working on this one.  Every time I post it, I see an area that I want to work on.  Back in my college days, before the cell phone and the computer, I would look at the painting through a mirror to help me see. Maybe seeing it on my camera or online is the same concept?  Subtle changes, but still...

Out of My Mind Series

It's funny when I titled this painting today, I titled it Out of My Mind because it was a landscape from my imagination.  It did not start as a landscape, it started with paper on wood with the color theme blue.   Although when I think about it, out of my mind is how I have felt this week.  (painting wise)  Sometimes called my shit phase of painting.  I probably should have taken a few pictures of the this phase but it wasn't making me feel good.  I did not like what I was seeing and questioned what the heck am I doing!  It is good to question...it makes me think of the possibilities.

Back to Abstract

The top painting is the beginning stage, well second or third layer.  The bottom is what I did to it last night.  Needs more work...tonight.  I feel like it lost the freshness.  On to more layers!

All Roads Lead to LA 2014 Show

I had a great time at the show tonight!  These are my mixed media pieces that are in the show.

There is one more night of the Italian Art and Culture celebration, tomorrow night.  Come check it out 5:00-8:00.  I'll be there!

All Roads Lead to LA Art Show

I will be part of the two day celebration of Italian Art and Culture show at the Santa Monica Arts Studios.  My work will be in the Hangar Gallery.

Santa Monica Mountains 3rd layer

Sometimes I feel like I have several personalities, abstract, fiber and landscape.  Guess I am in landscape mode today.  This definitely needs more work.

Second layer

Well, not sure I like this...needs more work.   The mountains need to fade back.  This would probably work better if I just painted the scene from outside, instead of from my head. It is a process.  Just think this painting used to be a moon!

Santa Monica Mountains

I have been painting this week and stitching a little also.  Lately, the Santa Monica Mountains have been appearing in my work.  They come and go in my work weaving their magic into my life.  I have painted them in watercolor, oil, fabric and thread, and now I am painting them in acrylic.  I have not thought about them recurring in my work until recently. It just happens.  It's no wonder that they are appearing.  I end most of my days with a walk at the beach and look at these beautiful mountains for half of my walk.  For the past 23 years I have hiked them with my husband, son and friends.  They are important in my life.

This is a painting I started last night.  I could not decide what to work on so I pulled out three unfinished mostly forgotten canvases and panels.  This canvas had a painting from my night series, a half way finished moon.  I did not like it but thought I would work on the moon.  Something came over me and I flipped the painting around and painted Santa Monica Mountains from what I could remember from my walk. Not sure where I will go with this but it felt good.

While you were Sleeping

Have I mentioned that much of my creating is done between the hours of 11:00 pm and 3:00 am?
The quiet hours of the night feed my creativity.  That is not to say I do not create during the day.  I do... but not as intensely as the night time hours.  Plus during the day I have my part time teaching job, errands, family and daily life things.  Then the night comes and I have four uninterrupted hours of bliss.

This is what I worked on last night.  I am working on a quilt.  I did a pencil sketch, so I thought I would do a color sketch with watersoluble Neocolor crayons.  The buildings are a little wonky but I liked the mountains and ocean part.  I think it looks better cropped with just the tops of the buildings.  What do you think?

Woke up to an earthquake today!

Today we woke up with a good shaker around 6:30 this morning.  I did not stay up but it has set me on edge  for today.  A reminder to check our earthquake supplies, and to read  how to be prepared as a refresher!
http://www.ready.gov/earthquakes

26 Years

This is my latest painting, "26 Years",  just finished it the weekend before drop off for the Santa Monica Artwalk show.  I am working on some small pastel and watercolor pieces, several fiber art pieces, and a couple of small quilts.  I really want to do mixed media piece.  Waiting and thinking, the wheels are turning in my head.  Too bad I have to sleep.  Lucky I have Mondays off work for awhile...back to teaching on Tuesday.

Back to a little fiber

I am back to this fiber landscape that keeps whispering... "finish me,finish me."  I have been looking at it for awhile now.  I had some woven linen at the bottom but have decided it was too much and I want the painted landscape to be the focus. This piece has linen, painted fabric, painted silk, painted paper and a bit of yarn.  Tonight I plan on adding more stitching. We'll see...is it possible to finish this piece this week?

Santa Monica Airport ARTWALK 2014

It was nice walking in and seeing my mixed media work on the wall.  It looks much better here than in my house with the chaos of all of my other artwork.  My husband Jay is the photographer;  he did an excellent job taking pictures during the four hours we were there for the show.  Thanks to my husband and all of my friends who came to enjoy the day.

On the way to the ARTWALK

                                    Headed to the show!

Show's tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the ARTWALK.  Wish me luck!  Hope to see my local friends.  I will post some pics tomorrow.

Hawaiian Quilt

Learning how to make a Hawaiian quilt with Nancy Chong.  Pinned it last night, hope to baste it tonight!

Late Night Stitching

This is what I have been working on late at night.  I love the quiet of the night, no interruptions, just me and my thoughts.  When my husband is asleep, my son is studying (he stays up later than I do!) I turn on the TV and stitch away.  Just caught up with the Shameless series.  The bias I made is 1/4 inch.  Now that I have mastered this technique, probably should say am comfortable with not mastered, I want to create my own drawings with bias.

Story has been told

I am getting old!  I told the story of this painting in a post in November.  I am working on a final painting for the show March 15.  If it is to be in the show, I have to finish it before Thursday.  I think it is almost there...

I have 6 pieces in this show.  The title of this piece is, "Last Day."  It has a very personal story and I will tell it at a later date, as it is getting very late.  Good Night:)

Slowly free forming

So I added a little gold and think I will add a lot more gold.  This piece keeps getting pushed to the side.  It will happen when the time is right.  It is sitting in my living room and I keep looking.  I finally found my artist paint sticks.  Only took me a month to find them in all of my chaos. The thing about searching for something you find little treasures along the way. Thinking about adding paint to this quilt.  My two favorite mediums paint and fabric!

Little Gold Stitches

What have I been doing, you ask?  Little gold stitches, silk, paper and paint about 18 inches.

What can I say? It's a process...

I think what is bothering me about this quilt is not enough color for me!  Maybe I will put a little sunshine in tonight.

Free Form Piece Stage 1

I started a free form art quilt on Friday.  I spent the day with my quilt guild learning this  free form with Sheila Frampton Cooper.  I am much better with sewing curves now! I like Sheila's technique because it is more of go with the flow, there is no pre plan. Although now I have many ideas going through my head. Also I have rearranged these pieces several times and since the picture, it has changed.  Will post tomorrow.

Searching

Painted fabric, applique, hand stitching.  18" x 24"  
This piece started out with a picture of my mom and two friends on a trip to Florida when she was about 20 years old.  They stopped at the ocean took a picture looking out at the water, then turned around and took a picture of the three of them looking at the camera.  I decided to only put one figure in this piece as it seems peaceful and solitary.  Work in progress.

Blue

Stayed up late last night looking to dye the perfect blue for my, "Over the Edge Quilt" from my "Over the Edge" painting of the Pacific Coast.  I used all my blue Color Hue dyes.  I like these dyes because I do not have to mix any chemicals.  They are dyes for linen, silk, and wool.  I have Procion dyes but have yet to use them. I am in an online dyeing class, in fact have taken several, but something stops me from using these dyes.  Well, the something is the warning: use a mask, cover everything when mixing...yada, yada, yada. I have to be careful?  I like being messy!  What can I say?

Oranges and Lemons

Today I am glad I did not listen to the little voice in my head.  The one that said, "You are too tired to go to Pastel class,"  "You are running late, better to go to beach for a walk,"  "The pastels are too messy."
That little voice goes off in my head and I know it is time for me to show up and keep my commitments.

I was late to class but managed to do this quick sketch.  I like it.  These are my favorite colors, but come to think of it... I love all colors!  Anyway I am thinking this would look great in fabric also.  Maybe some still life paintings,  mixed media... This is how it starts!

Free Form Fabric Beginnings

Another project in the works.  Last night I started a free form quilt, not knowing I just started cutting and sewing.  The fabrics are all linen except for the striped cloth which is cotton.  This is the same piece turned vertically and horizontally,using my favorite colors at the moment.  I plan on cutting, adding to this piece and creating more free form pieces in the next couple of days.  My teaching schedule is light at the moment so hope to create more in the next few days.