Tag Archives: acrylic

When the Wind Blows

We have had some Santa Ana winds recently, which are always scary because we are so prone to wildfires. Our Redbud tree has been wind stripped of most of her leaves. I walked out the other day and on the patio next to the tree saw this circle of leaves and asked my husband if he wanted me to put them in the greens recycle can and he said “I don’t know what circle of leaves you are talking about.” He thought I made it, I thought he made it, we knew our adult kids hadn’t made it, and so it has been determined that the wind made it…that or there are some leaf elves hiding out in our garden!

leaf-circle
painted-leaf-on-fab-wip

I’m not a trained painter but enjoy trying my hand at it on fabric, which I believe is even more challenging than painting on paper. I see a lot that is not “correct” about this leaf but the shadow area, at least, will go under my quilting machine needle and hopefully I’ll be happier about it then. One thing I know but too often forget – Painting a drying leaf, in little bits of time, over a few days is not a good idea. Drying leaves change!

I think I work better in the abstract… it is more forgiving (or is it that I’m more accepting?!) and I find it much more relaxing. The below leaf was painted using Neo-Color II Wax Pastels and water and will have more quilting around it. Both of these leaves were painted on a scrap from my A Clear Necessity quilt (which is scheduled to be exhibited at the New England Quilt Museum in 2017).

watercolor-abstract-leaf

I don’t know why it is but I just have a thing for leaves! How about you?

Making Fabric, sort of…

I have been playing with a few fabric design ideas; some are hand painted, others are completely designed on the computer and I have scanned/photographed my hand painted fabric and altered them using software filters. I’m also collaborating with a talented artist (more about that later) and having pieces printed by Spoonflower.

orc sports sample blue

Speaking of Spoonflower – fellow blogger and artist Joanna Mack, The Snarky Quilter has written a couple blog posts about her experience after ordering fabric pieces from Spoonflower. You may want to hop over and read what she has to say. I appreciate SQ doing the research on a few other companies as well, and sharing her thoughts and results.

For the following pieces I used water thinned acrylic paint and an acrylic sheet (aka Plexiglass or Perspex) and created poured “paintings” that I photographed with the intention of having printed on fabric or using as inspiration for hand painted pieces.

plexi paint 1
plexi paint 2
plexi paint 4
plexi paint 3

Below are three designs I’m submitting for consideration to the Andover Fabrics and SAQA Golden Hour fabric line project. Whether any of my designs are selected or not I’m looking forward to seeing other entries. Have you combined fabric, paint, and computer software to design your own fabric?

Breeze
Created on the computer
Cloud Dance
My hand painted fabric after being altered with a filter
Dapple
Hand painted fabric

Quilt, stamp, or both?

I have this little pillow made from my hand painted fabric that was originally going to have buttons but then I made the Terial Magic, painted and stitched butterflies and had some other thoughts.

butterfly flower pillow
5 butterflies washed

I made a flower stamp out of Sculpey Bake and Bend clay so I could just stamp on the right side of the pillow and add some green leaves.

butterfly pillow flower stamp1
butterfly pillow flower stamp test

Or maybe I’ll just use black thread and quilt a flower design OR maybe I’ll do both…

butterfly pillow flower quilting idea1

What would you do?

Painting birds and butterflies

I’m working on a commissioned art quilt that is a little larger than anything I have made recently and it has many pastel colors which is a palette I don’t often use. I’m enjoying the process and the challenge! It was requested that the piece have monarch type butterflies and birds, specifically bluebirds. I am painting and then stitching them which I have never done on such a small scale and never using the technique I’m trying… I have stabilized the fabric with Terial Magic spray and I’m not using a hoop when I free motion stitch/embroider. I’ll have more about the in a future post.

One thing I like about this method is that if the painting isn’t quite right (sparrow’s beak e.g.) I can correct it during the stitching.

Birds before stitching

On the butterflies only the black is stitched and the colors were just left painted. I’m okay with the white fabric being wrinkled because these elements will be cut out and appliqued on to the sky and flowers. But I’m trying a few changes to see if the fabric will always wrinkle when not placed in a hoop. I’ll keep you posted and I’ll post the finished quilt when I get there.

5 butterflies washed
Butterflies after stitching.

New fabric

Well, I haven’t posted for a while! I have been spending way too much time in the kitchen which I love except that it keeps me from my non-edible artwork. But now it is sunny and I’m happy to be creating more in the studio.

We have had down right hot days here in San Diego so here is a bit of comfort in a fabric piece (a whole cloth) I created in honor of winter…

Cocoa Rings and Marshmallows
Cocoa Rings and Marshmallows

Sun prints

I have been spending a little time volunteering at Awesome Camp, a summer day camp near my home. For the past two weeks the kids have learned about fiber art and how it relates to themselves and the world. Today they made sun print bandanas and they rocked it! The more I look at these pieces of fiber art the more I see! The kids are between five and twelve years old. Here are their results…
sun print bandana 1 sun print bandana 2 sun print bandana 3 sun print bandana 4 sun print bandana 5