Come Walk with Me!

I just finished this piece titled, Come Walk with Me. I was thinking about my childhood... what was important to my foundation as a person - people, places, and things. I grew up with a strong sense of family and parents who let my creative side run wild. I was also blessed with a Grandmother (Nana) who provided unconditional love - I still smile when I think of her. 

The overall size is 41" X 31". 

The base starts with a traditional Grandmother's Garden pattern. I used the raw edge technique rather than piecing - I know the limits of my patience! I was trying to figure out if the trees should float off the edges to liven it up a bit.

I played with the trees for a while but realized the Grandmother's Garden pattern didn't stand out... I wanted my Grandmother's memory to jump out the same way her personality jumped out. I took a deep breath and started clipping the edges. 

There's no turning back now - the piece is already quilted! 

I added some sparkly white paint here and there to give the snowy background more character.  

I think clipping the edges was the right thing to do. Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and jump in... my Grandmother taught me that!  

~ All fabric created by artist ~

Fun with Dye and a Bathtub Mat!

My buddy Barb Olsen invited me over for studio play time! Barb has gathered many cool and unusual tools  over time. I was amazed when she pulled out a number of bathtub mats in all shapes, sizes and textures. It was instant love... the textures on the top and wonderful suction cups on the bottoms were perfect for printing!

This piece started as a folded and Indigo dyed fabric. I was unhappy with the open white spaces and wasn't sure what would make me happier. The suction cups on the underside of the bathtub mat were a great solution! 

In this detail shot you can see how fun the circles are. I placed the bathtub mat on the table and laid the fabric on top. Using thickened dye on a foal roller I rolled across the surface... voila!
Thanks Barb! 

Studio Play Time!

I made a promise to myself to spend more time in the studio with no pressure and no plan. Sometimes I try to be so efficient with my time and energy that I miss the wonderful spontaneous creations that happen when you have open "play time"! 

I started this piece in a free-form screen style. It was a little choppy looking once it was washed so I tossed it back into the bin for some ice dyeing. I thought the added depth of the 2nd dye was worthwhile. I'm contemplating a 3rd technique... but we shall see! 

I still had a hankering to use my giant screens so I ripped up some freezer paper for a random design on the screen. I don't have much yellow/orange in my inventory so I tried to keep it light. The 1st wash was too light and the design wasn't jumping out. I tossed it into the dye bucket again and using ice I was left with a mottled look... which is OK. I think I'll stop here and call it done! 

Next up was an opportunity to use a heavier weight silk. Using sponges I stamped some shapes across the surface. I don't know what I was thinking as it was so random and odd! I guess that was the point of my free play time so I kept going. This piece too got dropped into an ice dye bath and although still unusual looking I kinda like it! 

Ice Dyeing continues to be my favorite so I couldn't leave without at least a couple of wild creations!