Sunday, January 30, 2011

blogging from the beach



A friend has been asking what our strategies are for beating the winter blues. I have many but this year I am fortunate to do the best one....escape to a warm beach for 3 weeks.


 Now, one can not spend ALL day basking and reading and swimming in clear turquoise waters can one? No, one needs a project.   

I just happened to watch a video of Susan Carlson (www.susancarlson.com/) on The Quilt Show (www.thequiltshow.com) demonstrating her collage technique using glue. Perfect. This could also be an exercise in working with value for me. I DO have bags and bags full of tiny scraps from all my projects. I wanted to take my whole studio. What if I needed that one scrap of silver or that purple with the gold bee? How could I leave all those precious pieces behind? I decided it would be an exercise in working with what I have at hand and brought some packets of batik jelly rolls and 5 inch squares I have been collecting. So here is the work in progress.

  I am finding not enough contrast in value and colour in the batiks. Colour and value are not absolutes. Both depend on what they are next to. It seems to me the batiks are too similar. We'll see. I am however having a lot of fun. Stay tuned and please send your comments and advice.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Dweller Within

Finished this a while ago and am just now getting around to having it photographed. The central figure is a photo I played around with and printed on fabric. The photo is of rock formations in the Arizona desert. I thought it looked like a spirit appearing. It felt to me like that radiant presence that is always waiting within. I have to be very still and quiet to hear the guidance of this inner self. There is always a feeling of homecoming and deep joy when I come in contact with this presence. In the depths of darkness there is a radiance. I am fascinated with the oval shape and the "oriental" doorway shapes and want to play around more with them. It is a female shape. a mysterious opening to another world.
Of course there is some shiney too...more holographic gold thread and joy of joys, HOLOGRAPHIC GOLD RICK RACK donated from my dear daughter from her stint as circus wardrobe mistress. ( or QWEEN OF WAR DROBE as she prefers to be called.)