A Little Respite on the Journey

 

Sometimes it is necessary to take a day or two to replenish the well.  Lately I’ve been feeling burned out to the point of just wanting to stay in bed some mornings.  That’s not an option, and I know it wouldn’t help in the long run (I tend to get down on myself for indulging in such non-productive behavior), but sometimes it is ok to take a day to play with something I love to do.  Yesterday, it was drawing with my beloved Caran D’Ache Neocolor II water soluble crayons.

Since the point of this activity was to have fun, I didn’t sweat setting up a large still life or anything complex.  Instead I went to my jewelry collection, and drew one of my favorite necklaces. I chose to focus in on one of the floral beads and the wonderful little coral pieces.  Since I am using a smaller drawing pad (Strathmore Artagain black, size 6” x 9”), this filled the space quite nicely.

Last spring I purchased this happy little bluebird at a local nursery, and today he made a nice subject for a second drawing.  I love the contrast of the bright blue against the sunny orange.

I actually drew this picture a few weeks ago.  I was inspired by my bird of paradise work, and wanted to do something similar with another flower.  A trip to a local florist yielded this beautiful iris.  And yes, it is in process as a stitched image. 

I really enjoy working this way, and have a few more drawings planned.  And tomorrow I will return to the studio refreshed and ready to get back to work.

What do you do when you need to recharge?

From Start to Finish

Sometimes art takes a long time to be created.  I drew this bird of paradise twenty years ago while finishing my undergraduate degree.  It is soft pastel on Mi-Tientes paper.  I still can remember the piles of pastel dust that formed on the easel as I worked.  Having a toddler at the time, I was concerned about her safety, and so the pastels went away.

Two months ago, while cleaning in the studio, I came across the original drawing, as well as some photographs I’d taken of it at the time.  Since I’ve been working with machine embroidery on photo transfer, I decided to revisit the image.

 

I printed out the picture onto Avery transfer paper, after flipping it in my paint program so that it was a mirror image.  I ironed it onto some white twill that I got at Dharma Trading Company, and backed that with several sheets of interfacing designed for machine embroidery.  Here you can see the piece in process.

The piece, stitching complete.

 

A detail of the stitching.  You really can see the bird in the flower in this segment. 

I chose to finish this piece differently than the small water tower pieces, and chose some fabric from my stash to sew borders onto the piece.  Then  I stretched that over a 12” x 14” pre-stretched canvas I bought at Dick Blick.  I preferred to use a pre-stretched canvas because the fabric on the piece would be protected from any acids in the stretcher bars.  If I used plain stretcher bars I would seal them first.

 

The finished piece, available in my Etsy shop. 

I once told a friend that time is never wasted making something we love.  This certainly was true for this piece.  Even though I never exhibited the original, it still makes me happy to see it and has inspired several pieces over the years.

When I Wrote This

I was listening to the Traveling Wilburys a lot when I took these.  And reading Heyden Hererra’s biography of Frida Kahlo.  So, on a chilly March day, with nothing to do with a bored toddler and a few props from the local Woolworth’s, some photos were born.

Here I took a full shot of Deva, wrapped in a simple lace scarf with kitschy fake flowers in her hair.  I was really into the idea of shrines and altarpieces at the time.

I added another lace scarf and a length of gold lame to this one.  She was a very patient model, and took direction so well.

Here I felt a little funny about doing all these Catholic images (my husband is Jewish), so I wrapped her in his tallis.  My mother-in-law said she looked like a little old lady in this one.

And my favorite, with real gerbera daisies from Kroger’s. 
There is a website where people re-create childhood photos of themselves.  Today (February 20th) my favorite model turns 25.  I wonder if she’d be up to a re-shoot?

Friday Flowers

One subject which often appears in artwork is the humble flower.  From the old Dutch masters to Georgia O’Keeffe and more, many artists have  chosen to recreate flowers in paint, clay and fabric.

Over the past twenty years I have created many floral pieces as well.  here is a small sampling.

 Anthurium 1989  Acrylic on canvas.  30” x 40”

Flowers for Keiko 2004  7” x 9”  Machine embroidery, machine quilted.

Flowers for Angie 2006  24” x 18”  Hand quilted, machine quilted, embellished with beads, sequins and mirrors.

Tulip Time 2010 6” x 6”  Machine applique.

August 2002 Journal Quilt Project, handmade felt, machine embroidery, 3D appliques, shisha mirror embroidery.

Hollyhock Journal Page 2009  11” x 8.5”  India ink, watercolor, paint pen and found quote

Floral Medley 2010  24” x 40” Applique, found objects, machine embroidery, machine quilted.

Bird of Paradise 1989 22” x 30”  Dry pastel on paper.  This image is reversed from the original so that I could make a photo transfer with it.

Bird of Paradise II (Study in Orange and Green) 2011 8.5” x 11” Machine embroidery on cotton twill. 

No matter how many times I revisit floral imagery, I always find something new to marvel at.  Do you have any favorite subjects that you return to again and again?