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.

Contemplating-sketchbook ideas

It is a new year and I am contemplating where I want to go with my art.  I love trees, ocean, mountains, flowers, sunsets and cityscapes. Thus how do I focus?  Currently, I am working with fabric, pastels, dyeing, and pencil sketching. I have so many ideas going through my head but how do I lasso them into some creative order?  This year I am going to try to write down my ideas, maybe use my blog as my sketchbook of ideas.  So this is my first entry:
Idea:  Create this tree with fabric.

Dyed Fabric

Last night and this morning before work, I dyed fabric with colorhue instant set dyes by Ginny Eckley.  Little pieces of silk and linen.  I loved the surprise way the colors turned out!  The various pieces of lavender was the eggplant dye, different pieces of fabric and different times in the dye bath.  The dark piece was black and rose.

Bumpy Tree

I spent the day sketching in one of my favorite spots in Santa Monica.  It is a park on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  I have been painting here for years.  Today I sketched with one of my former students.  The texture on this tree is so beautiful!

Unfortunately, my sketches were not so beautiful, but I enjoyed the day!

Change of flowers

I can't stop!  I keep arranging these flowers, cutting more flowers.  The weather is in the 80's here and it does not feel like spring but more like summer.  I need to look at this in the day time, as it is 1:00 am and my photo isn't the best.

Three takes on flowers

What did I tell you, I'm in a flowery kind of mood.  Yesterday I spent the day at a workshop with my Westside Quilters LA group. www.westsidequilterslosangeles.org/

The workshop was with Jean Impey.  To prep for the class she had us cut out individual flowers from as many different fabrics as we could and when we arrived we could swap fabrics from others.  What I found out from this project was I love cutting things out, maybe why I love collage, mixed media, and quilting. I have not started quilting on this piece and I may change it for the hundredth time.  The picture below is phase one.  The picture above is phase two.  Not sure I am happy with it.  May do some more rearranging tonight.  Then I can sew everything down and quilt it.

Flowers

I must be feeling like spring.  I know the rest of the country is cold here in the states, but in California the weather is beautiful.  Today I attended a pastel class taught by Bruce Trentham.  The still life was a vase of snapdragons. This is my rendition. I see a pattern emerging:geraniums, snapdragons and currently working on a quilt collage of flowers. Getting ready to do a workshop on Saturday with Jean Impey through my quilt guild. Westside Quilters of LA www.westsidequilterslosangeles.org/   

Should be fun! 

Geranium

This is a piece I started a while back,(maybe 2 years ago?) and then stopped. I have decided to finish this piece! The flowers are machine free motion quilted but since I am in my hand sewing phase, I am hand quilting the border.  I sketched the geraniums in my back yard and hope to get out and sketch this week. (hint...hint to my painting friend, January.) The weather is beautiful here in Southern California. 

Thinking about blue.

Blue is my favorite color...sometimes my favorite color can change.  I recently looked at everything grey (closely related to blue),  gold can also be a favorite but I never wear it.  My college days I painted with red a lot!  Now I will add a little red sometimes but not much.  I always go back to blue.  It makes me feel happy.  What is your favorite color?

Feeling grateful

I try to walk every day...it calms me and makes me feel grateful.

Happy New Year!

Happy and Creative New Year!