This and That

I've been trying to switch a lot of my computer files over the past few days

so I don't have much artwork to show for my time...

I do have a small (~4" x 6") painting that I finished at a ballgame this past weekend.

This is reminiscent of my "Sisters At The Beach" that I did last year, As well as the series "It Takes A Village" that was so popular at the West Greenville Arts Festival last fall.
One lady told me that they made her happy when she looked at them.
Cool...
What more could an artist ask for than to make people happy?
(other than to make sure "they" buy your artwork that you're worked so hard on and spent so much time on...)

But I mean emotionally - I want to make people feel some emotion when they see my work.
Happy is a good emotion to feel.

Well, I never intended for the blog post to go that way but it did, didn't it?

Yesterday I had a Wonderful Day.
I drove to Asheville (via Fairview) to spend the day with Judy Coates Perez .
She is there for a lecture & classes with the Asheville Quilt Guild.
I met Judy online several years ago and we struck up a conversation and subsequent friendship.
I have taken two (in person) classes from her - "Whole Cloth Painting" and "Mixed Media Painting".
Both are wonderful! If you want to learn how to paint, whether whole cloth quilts, or small fiber pieces or even on canvas - Judy is THE teacher for that! She teaches you color mixing, glazing, background painting...tons of wonderful information.
I highly recommend her classes! She is SUCH a great teacher.
I also took the very first "Color Theory" online class from her.
Another excellent class! If you are unsure of what colors to use, what combinations to use or color mixing with painting - then Judy's class will definitely help you!
I learned so much about mixing paint colors in that class it was unbelievable!

Now, I don't make any money from Judy
if you take her classes but you could tell her that I sent you...maybe she would love me more!

All jokes aside, if you have a chance to take any of her classes - you will not be sorry!

We spent the day just messing around in downtown Asheville NC-
except for that two hour shoe store visit...
I NEVER shoe/clothes shop but this store (Discount Shoes) was AWESOME!
They had a bazillion pairs of really cute (and comfy) shoes!
Highly recommend this shop...
We had a great lunch at Roman's, ate some sinful chocolate at Chocolate Fetish (OMG!), did some girlie clothes shopping at Virtue's, met Gwen Dien for tea at Dobras, then topped the day off at Bookworks in West Asheville.

My.
Oh.
My.
What more could a girl ask for?
(well, except money for another pair of shoes in that seriously awesome shoe store).

Rattle Them Bones

A few years ago, my husband and I took our kids to Washington, DC.
We went to all the tourists haunts, pulling the kids behind us.
But there was one place that everyone loved.
The Museum of Natural History.
The kids ran from top to bottom, pulling us along
talking excitedly about this exhibit or that one...
I loved it all - the beauty of the hauntingly sorrowful changes that our world had suffered through...
The recreations of all the magnificent animals that roamed before man ever began leaving his footprints...
But my favorite place was the rooms that housed hundreds of skeletons.
I was just fascinated with all of those animal skeletons.
I honestly never realized that until I walked into that room...
It was breath taking.
How could the natural color of the bones
be so alive in a creature that had drawn its last breath?
It was facinating that they could make these skeletons seem so alive- so real- when they were strung together by a man's hand.
I was eventually pulled from the rooms because I kept going back and forth,
looking - reading...
making up stories about them...
some kind of odd attachment began brewing in that room all those years ago.

Since then, I've been known to collect bones...
wherever I happen upon them...
and whatever kind I find.
I have began adding them to my mixed media work in the last year or so.

A few months ago, while reading my friend Judy Perez's blog,
I saw mention of where she had gone to a SOFA expo.
She had a couple of photos of work done by Geoffrey Gorman.



He picks up found objects, screws, bolts, weathered wood...bits of this and that
and fashions them into the most beautiful sculptures I have ever seen.
He assembles some into animals, some into men...
allowing Mother Nature to have her input on them as well.
If you get a chance, look at his work.
You might be as taken with it as I am.
Be sure to visit his blog too.
He offers some insight into the process-
you know -
The why of The what.

Judy, Judy, Judy...

This weekend I traveled to Atlanta...
a 2 1/2 hour trip by car

to meet the most extraordinary woman by the name of

Judy Coates Perez.

(hey, is she standing on a box? I look like I'm about 5 foot tall!! Oh, I am...)

She is one of the most generous and talented artists that I have ever met.

I went to Fiber On A Whim for 2 days of classes with her.

The first day was a Mixed Media Fabric Painting Class.

Oh What Fun!

We transformed a plain white piece of PFD fabric .

into a riot of color and texture.

I loved the non-stressful way of creating the most beautiful piece of fabric

I wanted to make a tote bag out of it
but my husband suggested making a wall hanging out of it...
hmmm...
I can solve that dilemma by making more fabric!
Yay! An excuse to get back in to the studio and
Play The Judy Way.
I'll post pictures of my creation (keep in mind it was my first time!).


Oh, and guess who else was there for the first class?


My buddy Cheryl Prater!



(I'm seeing double!)
How much fun was that?!?!

Cheryl and I "met" online and have been talking to each other for a while
so it was great to meet her in person.
She hasn't been feeling too good lately, so she had to leave a little early.

If you read this Cheryl, I hope you're feeling better!


Here are a few pictures of the class.

This was one that Judy painted. Looks great!

And here are a few samples of her work that she brought for us to see. Beautiful!

The second day was even more exciting!

We played with Tsukineko Inks.

Have you ever painted with them?

They are awesome!

I loved the organized way that Judy presented the information...

the way that she led us through exercises

that helped us to gain confidence with using the inks.

I'll post pictures that show the progression of my own work with them.

This is the first one...just getting used to the applicators...
trying to do some shading..

Notice how flat everything seems,

no real shading on the leaf at all..too dark.

Here's the next exercise.

Shading is getting better with the help of a few tricks that Judy shared. Now, try my hand at a flower. Looking better!

Here is the final painting that I did.

I picked a beautiful beetle and, encouraged by Judy, added some bold colors to it!

That was quite an improvement, wasn't it?

I will definitely be using them more, not only in quilting but general art work as well.

I may use them in the piece that I will have hanging in the Pickens County Museum

this October...my art class will have a show.

How exciting is that?

Back to Judy...

Here is more pictures of things that she brought to share with us.

Paintings with Tsukineko Inks on fabric.

Awesome...

I had the pleasure of having dinner with her, Kristin and Jan on Saturday night.

We sat at the restaurant for about 2 or 2 1/2 hours during a horrific lightening storm...

but not as bad as what Judy had when she went back home on Monday...

We had a blast! Great food and fun, entertaining company.

Judy and I met for breakfast on Sunday am as well.

It was so awesome to get to spend so much time with her...

she really is as sweet and fun as everyone says she is!

So, if you EVER get the chance to go to one of her classes,

RUN DON"T WALK

and sign up!

They are well worth the money, the drive...

you will NOT regret it!

The Big League World Series, Etsy and Judy Perez

Well, we're in the middle of The Big League World Series here in Easley, SC. My husband is the Umpire In Chief (UIC) and is on the Tournament Committee, so he is here everyday...every minute of the series. I am here almost every minute...

I love the BLWS (above) and like to be around all the local and visiting people. We have people from all over the world here, as it is one of the only true WORLD Series. I'll try to post all of the teams later...I am in a bit of a rush right now.

I really wanted to post that I have made a few changes in my Etsy shop. I have re-done one listing and added a couple of more. Now each auction will be for an individual piece of fabric. I have added pictures of the front and back, as each side is so different. I have several more fat quarters to list, just have to find the time to take pictures and get the listing up. Probably not until the BLWS is over, which will be Saturday August2. Please visit the shop at www.carolsloan.etsy.com.

But I will be out of town Saturday and Sunday. I am going to Atlanta for 2 full day classes with JUDY PEREZ!!!

I am so excited about this!

I've been taking her Color Theory Class online, it's been awesome! I'll have to dedicate a post to it...again, when I can find the time. I have really learned SO much from her about color, mixing paint colors...I highly recommend the class!

Well, I finally gave in

and started my own blog. I read others and really enjoy them. What I really enjoy is seeing what all the other artists are creating...how they are creating it...I enjoy the learning experience as well as the sharing of info with others.

I will begin my Blog with a picture of my latest project. I went by Judy Coates Perez directions in the Apr/May Quilting Arts magazine. I changed a couple of things so I could use what I had available at home. Instead of using tea bags, I used an awesome product called Kimwipes. It's a low lint wipe used in a lot of industrial settings. My awesome husband is a sales engineer in an industrial setting, so I have access to them. They come in a box of 140 and measure 14 x 16 inches , plenty of room for a large design image if you want. And I believe they are reasonably priced ( even more so if you figure just how many designs you could put out with that many sheets!).

Anyway, here's the (unquilted) paper quilt.

I have had so much fun with this and learned quite a few things. Some things that I will do on the next one and some things that I won't. The tree in the center, the key hole and the small tree are all from the Kimwipes. Notice how the wipe paper almost disappers into the fabric background. It is also very transparent so it's easy to trace images. If you are interested in trying it , let me know and I'll try to get some.

Well, this has been a great week so far...I've actually been able to cross off a few things from my (growing) "to do" list...this blog included.

More later.