Discharged leaf art quilts

      In my last post, I wrote I have to work at what I do. I always had strong visual ideas. I had no art in school until high school which was was rudimentary busy work. I had no art supplies. Initially, I did not go to art school (art ed) as I was discouraged by counselors forecasting looming layoffs in teaching (it did happen). I didn't get my graphic design degree until much later and my art ed certification and masters at 42. I struggled to learn fundamental art and design concepts and skills and college did not help. Back then, art at the SUNY schools was all about feeling and abstraction and therapy and making marks. There was disdain for techniques and color/values/composition-they said it had no soul. I had to learn on my own sketching, examining, taking workshops to what was close to where I wanted to go. One of the reasons I became an art teacher was to bring children a solid art program. 
     Art is my passion in creating and finishing. Process and product are not separate for me. When I am done with a project, I want to move on.

     Since last summer, I had a bunch of fabric that I discharged leaves. Real leaves were harmed in the making of the discharged fabric. I weighted them down with pennies and sprayed the bleach/water mixture over all kinds of blacks, dark greens and other solid colors. The black worked best, but I did use the green in two border strops. 
     Everytime I took the pieces out, I had no clue. Well, now I am forced to come up with some work for shows. I made two at once because when I stuck working on one, I go to the other.
     I have this hate relationship with fusibles. When I needed leaves, I cut freezer paper leaves out and wrappd the edges of the batiks to the back and used a glue stick and dry iron. I removed the paper and then used a blind stitch on my 70's Bernina with monofilament from YLI and an 11 needle to applique them onto the backgrounds. I made a lot more leaves than I used. The sketches I made were not what it ended up like. I don't like doing applique, but sometimes, you just need it.

In process figuring made fabric border

Finished top of art quilt, 24 x 24, but not quilted

The rectangle art quilt, 24 x 30

     The mess of fabrics from making these was put away, but then the landscape quilts fabrics have spilled over also (not seen).

The heART of it

     I don't like interruptions. Even vacations. Somehow I got pursuaded to take two this summer. And then all the summer get together stuff, my children's remodeling projects (ceiling removal, floor refinishing, revamp entire front garden, etc.), the flu in June and on and on. So, I am overall mentally derailed artistically.
    I am one of those people who have to work on a pretty daily basis to keep my direction going and the projects flowing. It is work for me.
     So now, I am facing two huge deadlines- a show starting Sept. 1st and our guild show Oct. 3 and 4. Not done. And hard to move ahead quickly on the remaining projects. Despite notes and sketches, I am like "what was I thinking? What does this mean?"
     On vacation in the Adirondacks, I took a class with the masterful Kurt Gardner on photographing sunrises. I brought home over 300 photos taken in a three hour window. Most are not good, but I was learning and adjusting the camera like crazy to follow the swiftly changing conditions. I did take them all off the camera and labeled them. 
    Before I show photos of the art quilts I am working on, here are some ADK (Old Forge, NY) lovelies from my workshop, no retouch, with my old Canon DSLR.

Recent work- on paper

     I shared some of my Maine sketches a few posts ago, so I will be brave enough to post some recent watercolor paintings. I love waterlilies and I take photos of them in the Adirondacks around Old Forge, NY. I am ready to leave for our yearly one week stay. Last year's photographs were used as reference for this year's paintings. Keep in mind, I probably shoot over 200 photos, and maybe 10-20 of them are useful for paintings.

Painted on Arches paper that was brushed with gesso first.

Arches bright white cold press 140 lb paper

A half sheet of Arches cold press 300 lb paper. You think fabric is expensive. this paper is in that ballpark.

     Also, a dear friend's mother is going through a bad time with bladder cancer. My friend shared a photo of her mom two years ago from her 90th birthday holding her great granddaughter. I finally, after many sketches and attempts, girded myselft up, painted, framed and delivered it. They were happy with it.

      Keep in mind, I am a very amateur photographer and I cannot get the true colors of the paintings across in these posts. Transparent watercolor is hard to reproduce.

Card Party

     Every once in a while, some friends and I get together to make what I call "card components". I have always made my cards and it helps to make a lot of pieces that can be fashioned into a card later. When I buy the 50 cards and envelopes pack (with coupon) at Joann's or Michaels, I can use the stamped pieces to make cards later. I usually make 4 or 5 at a time.
     When you work with friends, you share stamps, techniques, tips and materials. I have a large well lit 2 1/2 car garage that we set up with tables, spread out and make lots of pieces. I provide lunch and we have a lot of fun.

All kinds of component pieces

A few sample cards put together.

Slow non-nine patch

      I am slowly working on the non disappearing nine patch cat quilt for a friend's friend in a nursing home. Because I did not have green batiks the full 6.5" x 6.5", I had to use 3 1/4" x 6.5" rectangles to make it work. That means cutting lots of pieces and chain sewing. I wanted to have lattice strips in between the blocks. I figured it all out and then realized my lattice pieces were cut at 2", not 1.5", so I had to recut. I wrote the wrong measurement down, even though I was trying to be precise.
     It will be 3 blocks by 4. Each big block finishes a little under 19".

Kit all cut (fussy cut the cat blocks) and page of notes.

Laying out the big block for sewing as it is not a nine patch really.

Four done, eight to go.

Rocks, sand and salt water

     Last week, I was fortunate to spend Monday through Friday in Ogunquit, ME. I had not been there in 3 years. Part of the reason is although it is not a great distance to drive from Buffalo, NY- the traffic when you get near Boston, Mass is a horror. It used to take 8 1/2 hours about 5 years ago. Now it took 10 1/2. And it crawls along the expressway. We try to find alternates, but there it is.
     One of the best things about Ogunquit is that it has sandy beaches for miles to the north and rocky coast paths to the south. The hotel we stayed at, The Beachmere, sits on the boundary between both. So, you can walk the beaches for many miles, or take the Marginal Way along the rocks to Perkins Cove to see boats, shops and eat. All without driving. The views are stunning and the salty air clears up my head. I took about 250 photos and did a lot of sketching. I also caught a gorgeous sunset I will show another time. 
    The sketches after the photos are done in watercolor and pencils, about 5 x 7, on location. I don't like to paint outdoors because the light changes so much, so I do sketches and take photos to paint later. I had a crazy experience with people wanting to buy the sketches and asking a million questions.

Our room was just below the 2 blue umbrellas, where the line of flowers are. Photo taken from beach towards rocks. At the green bush level is The Marginal Way path.

The coast where the inn is on the rocks.

The view from the inn towards the beach north to Wells

Parts of the beach are crowded, but the further out from the parking, the less people and unbrellas. I only like walking on the beach.

End of Marginal Way, Perkins Cove coming into view.

From rocky coast, looking to beach to the north.

The ocean, how calming

A little beach area off the Marginal Way.

 

 

 

 

Squirrel Time

     I thought I had my schedule all made up of what to work on. Our guild show is the beginning of October, so I have tops to quilt. I have an art show in September that I need a couple of small art quilts for. That was my priority. Changed.
     One of my friends, who volunteered to take care of my cat so he would not have to boarded,  told me of her friend who was stricken with an illness and is incapacitated in a nursing home at 63. He has refused PT/OT.  I knew I had to make him a quilt- Squirrel time. He loves cats and flowers. He was an avid gardner and cat owner. We chose some fabric online (wish I had some local quilt stores with choices) and when I got it, the print was smaller than I thought, so I had to rethink the design. 
     A while back, I made this Disappearing 9 patch with lattice and thought this would be a great idea.

     So, I thought I would use brown squares to repeat the idea of the window frames in the cat fabric. Well, big mistake- way too dark and overwhelming. Ripped it all apart. 

    I kept thinking about and thought green batiks might set off the squares.  However, my scraps were not quite the 6.5" I needed, so I used 3.25 x 6.5" scraps. Have a box of green scraps, so I cut those sizes. That means the quilt will not be assembled as a Disappearing 9 Patch, but chain pieced squares and strips.

   I like that much better, so that is the way I am going. A friend said the white looks like a hole, but I want a relief block in the quilt, so it is staying white.

     The quilt will be 3 by 4 big blocks, with some border, will have to see how it looks. Maybe florals.
     I wanted the back of the quilt to be interesting also. I can't imagine laying in bed all day and all night. I thought if the quilt reversed, it would be more fun. The back of the quilt will use this panel of cats cut into separate squares. I cut two of them, put a grey border on, and will use the Grunge Pear Green around all of the squares.