And it grew and grew!!

This is the quilt top made from the map fabric I made last week.  It was supposed to be for a 12 X 12 art quilt but I was having so much fun adding in the fields, etc. that it grew to what is now going to be a 20 X 20 quilt!! This is just the top. It still has to be quilted and bound. It doesn't fit the size for any group quilt requirements I'm currently working on so I guess this one will just be in my collection!

And it came to mean a lot more to me after driving round trip to Texas in 4 days!! Maps maps maps.

Now, can you see the fun things I put in here?? 

A vineyard which backs onto a dirt road. (purple on lower left)

A forest just right of center on the bottom

A marsh near the upper left top (kind of a mottled green)

Two plowed fields (left edge just top of center and bottom right quadrant)

A corn field just up and left of center above the little pond in the center of the map

Two green fields - probably soy beans

A brown field which is fallow dirt this year

And finally, a golden field - waves of grain no doubt!

Oh and the river, of course

TAKING THE BACKROADS

I named it Taking The Backroads because whether it is on a photo safari or on motorcycles...I LOVE the backroads!!

Besides the map fabric I made, I used my own hand dyed fabrics, rusted, rouched nad painted fabrics. Only commercial fabrics used were for the roads (both asphalt and dirt). I chose them because they look like....well...asphalt and a rutted dirt road. Here is a detail photo so you can see what I mean.

I had a blast making this top. Of course, now I have to come up with another idea for the 12 X 12 challenge this was meant to be!

Creativity - Week 1

One of the goals I've set for myself recently, is to do one thing every week that I either haven't done at all before...or...a twist or tweak on something I'm familiar with.  So yesterday I did some stamping with a dried onion. This is something that Wil did on her visit here but I was doing something else that day and didn't get to play.  So now it is my turn.

I cut the onion in half and let it dry for quite a while...days and days. The background is a piece of my own hand dyed fabric. I stamped with Jaquard Lumiere Metallic Olive Green. I love the effect! Not sure if I'm going to add to it or not. Just living with this for a bit to see if it is fine as is or needs something else.



Then when I was finished with that piece, I had a bit of paint left so I grabbed another bit of my hand dyed fabric and wadded it up then rollered the paint over it.  Repeated this several times until I got the coverage I wanted.



Also made a print of the onion on paper. Thinking I might want to make a screen print of it soon.

Directions

Funny, when I dropped by today to post one of my latest art pieces I realized I must be on a Black and White theme lately!  (see previous post) Hadn't noticed really.

Anyway, I was in one of my "I wonder what would happen if...." moods recently and felt inspired to try something similar to a piece I saw somewhere (can't remember where at the moment - it was just in passing). So I got out my black printing ink, black pigma pen, white ink and a credit card (art is about the best use for one I think!)  And here is what I ended up with. The title is "Directions". Some of the directions of the ink smears seemed headed in all different directions so I just extended them. Then the texture of the swiped ink needed extensions of the black lines or even new directions of their own. I'm very happy with the results. Only problem....printing ink when applied in this manner takes FOREVER to dry completely!! And those of you who know me are familiar with just how much patience is NOT one of my sterling virtues! But I managed...this time!

DIRECTIONS



Journal January 2011 - Day 18

Got inspired this morning and completed TWO journal pages! Well....this second one was rather a fun lark and just playful.  I didn't plan really - just took it as it came.  I had a bunch of tools on my work area so I just grabbed what was at hand and started making funky letters.  It reminded me of how we "decorated" our bookcovers with those big fat letters when I was in school.  Who knew it was art back then???  But the practice came in handy it seems!

And my zebra still likes to peek in and play on some pages now and then.......

Journal January 2011 - Day 18 - Lettering



Now, only day 15 to get to....then 19 thru 24.  Whew! I hope I make it by the deadline! (Obviously the deadline is NOT the end of January...thankfully!)

Journal January 2011 - Day 16

Yep, I'm skipping day 15 for now. There is something I need that I can't find right now and I am going to wait until I find it. 

So, day 16 it is!  Favorite Number is the prompt.  My favorite number is 7.  However, even though I don't believe in "lucky" numbers or anything, I have playing card, dice and dominoes on my page.  I began to wonder....just what attracts us to a certain number and not to others?  Some experience in our past, whether remembered or not?  I wonder if any studies have been done on that subject??  Anyway, number 7 is the choice for my page!

Journal January 2011 - Day 16 - Favorite Number



Journal January 2011 - Day 14

Mirror, Mirror! I chose to consider the mirror in my mind instead of the physical mirror reflection. The mind image is the one that has more of an impact on my art.  Most days now I see the image of a colorful, playful, creative, imaginative, talented artist. But, there are still days when the "other" image creeps in. That image is pale, disjointed and dysfunctional. Boxed in by the long felt demand to be "perfect", to "perform". I have gotten better at ignoring her and brushing her to the side...but there are still times.....

I've recently been learning even more about the joy of just playing and letting art "happen".  It is so much more rewarding and enjoyable!! I am choosing to see more and more of the creative, playful side that I am beginning to recognize as the REAL me!

Mirror, Mirror - Knowing Who You Are



Journal January 2011 - Day 13

And another interesting day! This one is really playful.  The idea is to just draw lines on the page and see what happens.  What do you see?  What forms take shape? Which lines go together?  I'm enjoying the "not having to be perfect" aspect of these recent pages.  I'm LOVING the play time! Now what will be interesting is how continuing this will impact my other art.  Being foot-loose and fancy-free in one's journal is totally different than being that way in the art one presents to the world....and perhaps hopes to sell. But will the playfulness and freedom carry over anyway?  Will it be something acceptable?  Only time will tell I suppose.  Or perhaps the whole thing is to have a very playful area to bring the relief of the precise in other areas??? hmmmmm interesting thought....well....interesting to me anyway!  So, here is my journal page for Day 13 - Taking a Line for a Walk

Journal January 2011 - Day 12 - Taking a Line for a Walk

Journal January 2011 - Day 12

Today was a very weird kind of journaling experience. I've been trying to just let it go and do whatever comes to mind or hand.  Not trying to prove anything to anyone -- just having fun and seeing where it takes me. I started with the face and it turned out really sad and when my aquapen ran it looked like tears...so I let it be tears.  It's been that kind of week so it just came out.  Not too sure where the dead stick-figure came from (perhaps because being sick for what is now 3 weeks and no sign of an end - well, let's just say there are days that the final option is not all that bad!!  LOL!!) Since the prompt for this day was Daily Detritus I challenged myself to work with the bits and pieces from recent other works that were within my reach on the island. I have been involved in many different projects until recently so there were many to choose from but it might have made it all seem just a bit disjointed.  Oh well, that is also my life so I guess that makes this an excellent page!  And here it is....

Journal January 2011 - Day 12 - Daily Detritus

Just a short post before lunch

Just posting a quick ATC before I head into the house for a bit of lunch. 

Sleep has been illusive lately.  On one hand that is not good because it does take its toll on one's energy.  However, sometimes the creative mind does come out to play!! 

One of the ATC swaps I'm participating in has the theme of Snowman.  Here is my first card....

The background is curved computer keyboards and at the bottom is a white keyboard.  His name is Techie Snowman!

Just for the fun of it!

This is an ATC swap that was just for the fun of decorating a moose.....yes....a moose.  Every participant uses the same moose drawing and then decorates them according to some holiday.  I chose some more obscure holidays because.....well....just because I wanted to!  I did all of these with colored pencils. Not a medium I work in much but decided since I'm just having fun it was an excellent time to pull out the colored pencils and be a kid again and color!!!

Here is my herd!

Stamp Collecting Month (October)

 

Great Outdoors Month (June)

Golf Month (August)

Cinco de Mayo

Arbor Day

and my personal favorite (just LOVE his glasses!!!)

Eye Care Month (January)

And yet some more!

More studio time working on some of my new favorite little bits of art - ATCs.

These are for a swap full of fun and whimsy.  Don't know if you can call the "art" but they were a nice fun diversion and much needed play time.  The theme....If Pigs Could Fly.  You just know I couldn't pass this one up.  All the little piggies I get in return will find a new home is MY little piggy's flourishing ATC collection!  Here are the ones I'm sending in.  We could do 6 this time...so with one extra for the hostess...here are my 7 cards.

My How PIGS Fly!
Another play on words kind of. Time flies.....pigs fly.....watch face on the flying pig...

Red-Eye Flight
Silently whooshing through the starry night sky. Winging his way to his destination during the wee hours of the
 morning. Struggling to stay awake!

Swine Flew
Get it? Swine Flew (flu). Couldn't pass that one up. Well, I COULD have but where's the fun in that?

Angel Piggy
Little angelic piggy with her halo only slightly askew. Still, all in all, a heavenly sight.

Pink Pig Of Happiness
Forget all about Blue Birds...This little piggy has happiness enought for everyone! And he's spreading it all around! Just look at that face! How could you see him and NOT be happy?

Pontoon Pig
Not only does this little piggy fly...THIS little piggy can land on water!! There he is now...headed for his favorite island!

FLYing pig IN THE OINTMENT
Poor little piggy! He's really in a sticky situation now! Causing trouble for everyone!

So much fun!  Now back to the "real" world.