Stripes #3

   

 Stripes #3.  Mono-prints, ink, stamping, paint pens, stencils, drawing and collage. 12x12" mounted on painted wood panel. 

 

I am having a wonderful time making these collage paintings. Right up my alley! Instead of getting out of my comfort zone, I have taken up full residence. Why not? Should I instead strive for anxiety? No way! I hope art can smoothe out the lumps and bumps in life and bring about some peace. God knows we need it.

Available for $100 plus shipping. Email me at fibermania at g mail dot com. SOLD

Stripes #2

 Stripes #2. Gelli mono-printed papers, ink, drawing and collage. 8x8" mounted on stretched canvas.

These monoprinted papers serve as a platform for further exploration of marks, or in some cases stamping and collage. I am using paint pens, fine point permanent markers and brush pens. SOLD.

In search of a method

Collage 8/25/21. monoprinted papers, ink, and paint pens. 8x8" mounted on stretched canvas,

The search for the best way to compose a collage continues. My enthusiasm for fusing paper with Wonder-under was short lived. After one day my composition began to bubble and pucker and my heart sank. So I got out my iron to smooth out the surface and that made it worse. So nevermind. For this piece I coated the back of all my papers with matte medium, let it dry and then constructed my design on the release paper from the W-U and protected the surface with a teflon cover sheet. When I was happy with the design, I was able to peel it easily off the release paper and work into it with ink, and paint and then using matte medium again, mount it onto an 8x8" stretched canvas. Phew!I think at last I have found the method I will use...I hope!

Paper, Paint and Fusing

Stripes #1

Gelli printed papers, mounted on painted

10x10" wood panel. Image is 8" square.

This morning I got all excited about making some painted papers using my smaller gelli printing plates. I used the 3x5" and the 5x7" plates, and printed a bunch of surfaces with stamps, stencils and string. Then I trimmed off all the borders and got out my bolt of Wonder-Under and fused just the smaller 3x5" papers, butted together in a line, not overlapping. I was trying this idea to get away from using glues which often resulted in the papers buckling or bubbling. Plus I didn't want to have to paste my papers onto a base or matrix, making the collage stiffer and usually causing warping, which would have to be dealt with later.

So with fusing, I could construct my design onto the release paper of the Wonder-Under and then peel the whole composition off when I finished my design. This worked just great and I am thrilled. 

After completing the design I just mounted the collage directly onto a painted wood panel and used my iron to secure it permanently. 

Clicking Needles

 While it may be the Dog Days of Summer, I am gearing up for fall, in the nice air conditioned house. Long time readers are aware that I love to knit and love to make things that other people can wear and love. So each year I offer up a design and colorways and see if anyone bites. To amuse myself, I try out my ideas first and see what I enjoy making, since I often will be making multiples of the same design. Don't wanna offer something that is a beast to knit! For example, I have made a gorgeous shawl which included double decreases and increases on alternate edges, and which meant paying attention and often un-knitting the thing to get it right. The end result doesn't show the annoyance it gave me, but I don't want to make it ever again. Ha! On the other hand, I have two shawls which I loved making and will make again at the drop of a hat. Then there are my fave cardivests and triangle shawls which are now featuring the dots and dashes of last year's cowls, so everything I love to knit is coming back again this fall. 

 Some things are still a work in progress, because when I get a new idea, I put aside the current project in favor of trying out the thing that sparked my imagination. But the finish line is near on those which were set aside. I know if I want to keep the sample for myself, it will be the very thing that others will love too. So I will be ready with lots of yummy yarny goodness in just a few weeks. Stay tuned!

2 of 3 panels

Two of the three panels that will be the new Dark and Murky quilt. So far, before quilting each panel measures 18-19" wide and 57"ish long.  

Despite the original title, it sure doesn't look so dark as I had imagined. I am happy.

Remaking Dark And Murky

I made and blogged these blocks in 2011 and just saw this image again pop up on Pinterest. Here's the finished quilt;

I used the flip and sew method and remembered that is was a fast and easy way to assemble and quilt the blocks. I sold this quilt and now I figured it was something I could make again and use some of my collected Dark and Murky hand dyeds. 

I invited my pal Patsy over to help cut the fabric into strips and squares and we divvied up the fabric and decided we each could make a quilt from our cuts. I suggested an 18" block and we went off to sew, each in our own sewing rooms. 

Here are my blocks, just placed on my table. Then Patsy came with her blocks and we added just a few strips to make them all larger than the initial 18" (for seam allowances) and then cut them into quadrants.

 Somehow, we each got a mixed pile which included both hers and mine and now the assembling fun begins.