Pen and Paper

The longer I go without blogging, the more difficult it is to start again.

Much has happened since my last post - some good, some bad, some I am indifferent to.

I do have a really fun post coming up - introducing Lyric Kinard's new Thermofax CD!
I can't wait for the blog hop and giveaway, so stay tuned for that.

I'll include a few images from random artwork I have been creating.

A lot of percolating, a lot of time spent thinking about what I want to do next.

I'll be honest here and say that I am not too sure that I want to keep going in the direction I was heading in.
Seems like everyone wants the same thing.

I want to lead a path that is truer to what I really feel led to do, instead of being lead by the motion of others.

While I have been thinking about those things, I've been drawing, a little hand stitching and writing.

I churned out a few pages of brightly colored abstract doodles.

Obviously I am orbiting around circles...

 I (evidently) lost interest in these since two of them are not finished...

Sometimes You Need a Little Help From Your Friends (and Strangers)

I am going to take a break, of sorts, from non-posting about art/creative type things to posting about a different type of oxygen or much needed thing.

It's about friends. And the things they need.

My good friend, Jill Berry, needs your support.
Now, right now.

Go to her blog (via the post above) and read her story.
She can tell you much better than I can relate it to you.

She is in a perfect storm of medical emergencies.

Say a prayer, light a candle or however you ask for help that is beyond and above you, then please do that.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled break.

Fiberart For A Cause Fundraiser

Virginia Spiegel is at it again!

Special thanks to Jeanelle McCall for designing the beautiful logos!

I am honored to be an invited artist for "The 100" to be held on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 (that's tomorrow!).

The goal for this fiber fundraiser for the American Cancer Society is to raise $10,000 in one day. What a noble undertaking!

How? 

All the details are here: http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/FFACThe100Fundraiser.html

I'm sure you will want to be one of the very exclusive 100 patrons who will be randomly assigned artwork from an extraordinary line-up of international fiber artists.

Fiberart For A Cause has already raised $240,000 through the generosity of fiber artists and patrons.

I have lost so many family members and close friends to cancer.

It is a devastating disease and the only chance we have to destroy it is through research.

This is a fantastic way to procure beautiful artwork for your home AND donate money to a worthy cause!

I'll be contributing one of my textured, stitched and rusted small works.
All framed and ready to grace your walls.

Layers of natural dyed fibers with teeny tiny stitches.
I used all kinds of different fabrics/fibers.

Machine free motion stitching motif on top of the
hand stitching on top of the rust and natural dyed fibers.

The fiber art is framed in a shadow box to avoid
smooshing the textural effects.

The frames is deep enough that you can sit it on a shelf
rather than hanging it on the wall.

Won't you join the fight against cancer and grab a piece of artwork at the same time?

The Speed of Life

And it is so fast, isn't it?

I am happy to report that I am still alive and kicking, er, drawing, that is.

I have been working in my Etsy shop today, adding new thermofax screens for your printing pleasure.

I am adding a new perk to the shop this go round.
I will be offering at least three different sizes for each individual image. You can pick and choose which size suits your needs!
And, as always, I continue to offer custom sizes as well.

Have a peek at a couple of new designs I added.
Then run over to the shop to see the remainder.

This is a scan of a doily that I made years (and years) ago.
It makes a wonderful print!

Thank you for hanging around, waiting to see if I would re-emerge.
A girl just needs a bit of time to pursue other interests now and then, doesn't she?

Pursuit of Color

I mentioned that I was consciously trying to use more color in my art making.
I am your basic neutral color gal - white is a wonderful color- as is cream, gray and black.
And rust.
Love the color that rust gives up.

I talked about the colorful monoprints that I made in this post.

Here is another colorful  monoprint posting.

I love to see artists use bold color and I almost envy their command of it.
But I have never really used a lot in my own artwork.
So I have set out to do a few small pieces doing just that.

Here's the beginning of the first one.

lovely sheers atop handpainted cottons

vintage purple sheer (not a lace or a sheer but...an open fabric.
I guess.

thermofax print

running stitch over screen print with reverse applique

yummmmm

More color to come!

Summer Work

I'll continue showing images of what I have been doing in my absence.

You saw some of the drawing that I did. But there is more.

I drew the following images and tweaked them in PSE (Photoshop Elements) (making the lines fatter and more graphic).

After getting the images like I wanted them, I used the outline to make the (positive? negative?) opposite printing screen. (wasn't that an awkward sentence?).
Like this -

One screen printed the color of the flower or leaf and the other screen printed the outline, enabling me to use all kinds of funky colors.

I used a piece of paper that I bought long ago (but liked the pattern on it) as a guide, I laid a pattern that was pleasing to me.

Here's a couple of shots of the project in progress.

I taped down my cotton (PDF) fabric
before screen printing.

Wonderful sparkly gold paint.

It looks beautiful after I add the outline.

I tried several different brands of fabric paint on this project.

Adding the pink background

I really don't have an idea of what I will use the painted fabric for - I just created it to stay inspired while was feeling particularly uninspired. 

Sounds ridiculous but this is the type of thing I do to keep the creative muscles pumping. 

Kinda like priming the pump to get the water flowing, ya know?

Holy Cow!

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I posted!
It must be true that the older you get, the faster time flies. It sure seems true to me.

What have I been doing in all that time?
I'll see if I can round up a few photos to show you.


I scanned one of the doilies that I made years ago and converted it into an image that is suitable for a thermofax screen.

The doily was too large for the scanner bed
so i had to seam it in PSE.

What a beautiful screen! I'll try to remember
to post photos of fabric that I screened with this.

I've been drawing some.

Okay, drawing a lot.
When I am relegated to the couch (with an ice pack) (back/hip issues), I tend to draw or hand stitch.
Or read.

Here's a few of the drawings.
I made most of them into thermofax screens for my personal use. I need to put them into my Etsy shop but haven't had the mojo to do it.
If you see something you like and want a screen, email me about it.

I love these shapes.
They look so sensual to me.

This is an abstraction of a shadow that I saw on my wall one night.
I loved the shape and quickly sketched it out at about 3am.
I went back a few days later and tweaked it a little.

That poppy shape keeps creeping back into my drawing.
I love the possibilities of it.

I just realized how out of place this image is with the other ones.
It began life as paint blob and, thanks to PSE, became this
wave type thing.
Or maybe stripes from a tiger.

More to come.
Maybe the color will appear next!