Back in the Swing

Yes, I am back.  I was planning on doing a post last week. I will have some big news soon and I thought I would post about it last week but I ran into a few bugs. So its back to a regular blog post at least till I am ready.

I have been doing collage in my art journal lately. Sometimes just placing different images together can be so satisfying. I don't know why I don't do it more often.

Both of these pages started as maps. I think maps are a great starting place, you can keep them or paint over them or leave just a snippet of them to add interest.

These next two pages resulted when I had leftover paint on a page and didn't like the combination so I covered it up.

I just pulled scraps out of my scrap box and decided to see what I could create.

Weaving

On Sunday I decided it was time to visit my neglected looms

On my big loom sat a rug so I decided it was time to finish it.  It has a linen warp and the weft is hand dyed rug wool in shades of blue. The warp is the vertical threads and the weft is the horizontal threads.

This is the rug just off the loom. I will be braiding the fringe to finish it off. It will go in my kitchen as a rug right at the stove. I didn't use half the yarn I dyed so I will be weaving more rugs in the future.

Here is a close up of the rug where you can see a couple of the colors.

This is how the loom looks right now. I am threading a new blanket, this is just a few of the 384 threads that will be threaded before I can begin weaving.  It is a gift I am making for Christmas.  I need to do this early since I have another big project planned for the same time frame.

In The Construction Zone

While I have been recovering I have also had construction or should I say de-construction going on in the house. We are removing this old fireplace insert and installing a new wood stove.

Here all the bricks have been removed and the insert is out but there is a whole lot more to do. There is another big steel piece that needs to come out.  Luckily Dave is doing all this work and not me.

Now we have a big whole that needs to be filled in with brick and mortar.

Each day Dave worked on this while I stayed outside away from the dust and mess.

Now the wall is filled in and next it has to have a backing and then brick and then the stove can be installed. It is amazing how long this takes.

I know this does not look much like a hat but it will eventually. I work on this while I am outside away from the construction mess. I have been beading too, but there is not much to see of that yet so I will post a pic later on.

My studio is just a mess, as you can see my work table is full of every possible supply, This is one of the backgrounds I worked on today. I have been playing with Inktense blocks, they are a fun way to lay down lots of color. This has many layers and more depth than the picture shows. I have a few others started too.  I am just waiting for them to dry before I can keep going with them.  Sometimes I use a heat gun and other times I just like to work on several things at once and let them dry naturally.

My friend Cyndi is coming for the weekend.  Its time for the Snake River Fiber Fair.  Its a chance to see old friends, be inspired by others, buy wonderful fibers and finished goods and more. I am looking forward to it. Have a great weekend.

Hanging In There

Still hanging in there, this old body of mine is having a hard time re-adjusting to this new plumbing I have or perhaps I should say lack of plumbing. I have been reading a lot, knitting and doing some beading. These are all things I can do in my chair in the backyard. I haven't really felt like doing any art, although a couple art journal pages have managed to pop out of me.

This face is all gelatos otherwise known as oil pastel. I like the soft look it gives. The only problem with using oil pastels is they are so hard to write over.  Only a copic marker seems to do the trick.

This page I had started before my surgery and decided to work on her this morning. The background is made by layering several colors of acrylic paint, adding a stencil, spraying with an alcohol/water mix and blotting off the excess.  It takes off some colors and not others.  Its a fun way to start a piece or artwork. The figure was found in the background.  I love it when that happens.

Do you find your art often surprises you?

Painting a Mural

Check out this mural painted by Sarah Whitmire. Then go here to see more pictures and read the story about this amazing work of art.

What's A Girl To Do

When recovering from surgery or an illness often part of you wants to be back doing things but your body is telling you otherwise. It is a frustrating place to be. So what is a girl to do to prevent herself from going bonkers just laying around. I often turn to books.

I got this book recently, so I spent time reading it from cover to cover. It is quite a lot like the class I took with Katie but has some new stuff too I like it.

I did this face in my journal a little bit at a time. I started with pan pastels and added wc crayons, acrylic paint and some oil pastels, It sure felt good to play again.

In looking for entertainment while I heal I pulled out this book which is full of good stuff.

and this one too.  Its been nice to revisit these books. There is so much good information that they really deserve a read several times.  I may not be able to do much but I can read and dream.

I have been reading this and loving it. Its set in Ireland and talks a lot about spinning and weaving and the history of Irish knitting patterns. It really made me want to be knitting again. So I picked up this pattern for hat and began it again.

I had started it last year but the yarn I chose was not working so I set it aside. I am now using the same yarn, double stranded and it looks great.  My yarn is a silver grey handspun that is wonderful to work with.  I am in a happy place with it.

Recuperation

I am at home recuperating. This time around the iPad is my friend. I watched this movie on Netflix last night. It's called The Way and stars Martin Sheen. It's about the camino spiritual pilgrimage in France and Spain. I first heard about this trek in a book by Shirley MacLaine The Camino. In the movie Martin Sheen son dies on the trail. He decides to take up where his son left off and deposit his ashes at different spots. Along the way he teams up with a cast of characters on their own journeys. It's a really good film. The scenery is breathtaking and the quest is heartening. What an amazing thing it must be to take a journey like this. Check it out if the subject interests you I really liked it.

Surgery Update

Hey everyone!

This is Kate's daughter. My mom just wanted me to give you guys a surgery update. The procedure went well and she's at home recovering. That's all for now, but I'm sure she'll be back online soon. :)

First Layers

I am having surgery in the morning, so there is not much art or anything else to share. I haven't felt well most of the week so all I have to share is a couple works in progress.

This is a 12 X 12 canvas that I worked on today. I wanted to do something in reds and oranges but this is mostly orange now.  I haven't a clue what will happen next but it is a start.  First layers include heavy bodied acrylic paints and stamping.

This is also 12 X 12 but its a wood panel. I started working on this in Katie Kendrick's class. The board was heavily textures with molding paste and then just sat.  I threw some heavy bodied acrylic paint on it the other day. There will be many more layers on this one. Sometimes I feel like pieces need to lay around for awhile and then I get inspired to work on them.  I have been wanting to move out of the art journal and start working on canvas and other substrates, so it feels good tio finally be doing that.

I hope you are all having a great week.