"Tropical Fire"

"Tropical Fire",
originally uploaded by hummingwoods2.

remember this??? I posted this quilt a couple of months ago...I decided to entry it into a juried show so I had my Dad photograph it with his great set-up.....he has been working hard ( and spending some money) to get a studio photography system up and running...he wants to be able to digitally photograph art and print for re-sale or digitally enter shows etc......even offer the service for some income.....he is really getting good at my Mom's art and now I am pushing him to deal with the intricacies of textiles...we learned alot with this one and I think next time we will try some different lighting techniques....what do you think can you tell the difference ????? this was my original photo with just my little camera

HENKEL TROPICAL FIRE

HENKEL TROPICAL FIRE,
originally uploaded by hummingwoods2.

improved photo

HENKEL TROPICAL FIRE DETAIL

HENKEL TROPICAL FIRE DETAIL,
originally uploaded by hummingwoods2.

new and improved

"Tropical Fire"

"Tropical Fire",
originally uploaded by hummingwoods2.

original detail

nutcracker cont

allrighty then we have lift off......the first bits are getting fused down...what fun to choose the fabric and decide on the placement ....I cut these freehand till they look right ...lots of the detail will be added with stitching later on



this is the first act ...in a simplyfied form...I simply cannot put every thing on this quilt that is included in the ariginal story and then there have been lots of embellishments throught the years as various ballet companies created their own versions so I am going with the "dummies guide to the nutcracker" version....all the important visual bits ( at least to me) will be there
still part of act 1 ....I need to add the bed above these guys ...and they need swords!!!
and a bit of klimt inspired small work that I am doing for a swap...as a bonus 

process

I like to see the process of creation more that I like the finished product...it's not that I don't like the product ...just that I am more fascinated by how it comes to be...so I am going to show you my process...at least in this creation's case....I am creating a quilt for a challenge off of the quilt art list...the challenge is to create a quilt based on a children's story....I grew up in a ballet school...my Mom was a dancer and my sister and I spent the better parts of every day in the ballet studio....we used to be able to go and talk to her when the class transitioned to "the center" from "the bar"...we were so little I can't believe we were usually so good...even my Mom says so...anyway...every year the big production was "the nutcracker" my Mom was usually the "mother" in the first act and the spanish dancer ....you would think I would just hate the thought of the whole thing but I don't....I love the story ...so we will see if I can capture it in textiles.... this is where I started...making notes of the pieces and parts of the story...did you know the the dances are all based on "party foods"
some thoughts about the battle scene....
choosing the background...this was harder that I thought ...but here it is ..the "batting" will be the wool...I like the subtle plaid you can see under the main fabric
now I am cutting out large shapes to "block" the general scene....top left will be the party...and then the bedroom to the top right ...then middle right will be the battle ...and the whole lower 2/3 will be the palace scene with all the variations ( that's what all the dances are called ) will be..this is a good start I think..... now I am off to my work week.... more next weekend!! 

I made my Mom a small quilt that I mounted on stretcher bars covered with fabric ...I had done some rubbings way back last thanksgiving .....onto fabric I had dyed...then I hand stitched and FME'd etc....I like the way it changed the look when mounted....
then my daughter made me
this....fresh berries and whipped cream...yum

creating without intent

a few weeks ago I spent a saturday painting and dyeing and coloring and tying and ripping and squeezing and spraying and twisting


this is the result in the laundry sink...


I have no plans for any of it...some of it had been played with before...but had been uninspiring so back to the playground..











these 2 pieces are similar in color but one got "splashed" with gold and the other "squared"








this is the beginning of a piece that began with scraps of wonder-undered bits. and paper ..I like the effect that it gives for a " background " against which the image can live ...creating these backgrounds is a pure mindless joy that just eats up time as the piece builds....then at some point it talks to me and becomes more specific in the need to tell the story it contains.....I am just a vessel..... 

a pretty picture for a whiny post

i have not felt well....achy, crabby, sore, tired, for about a month....the best was last weekend...but all in all not the best month...i spend time laying around and then getting up to search the web for info about what my problem is.....poop.....hormones...or lack there of....???...or just general crankiness??? ..... 

look at this moth that was on the side of our house last weekend....it was the biggest moth I have ever seen....probably 3 inches from top to bottom

 

remember this?

I started this a few months ago...with some muslin painted with dynaflow and tissue paper pattern pieces added...it got more and is all finished!!! see below.... 

City Sunset

This is one of those image transfers from a few weeks ago. The quilt is 34" X 27" and includes paper....so I guess it is "mixed media" ...I took the photo from my sister's coffee shop last fall 

On leave

Conrad's home on leave for a few weeks...I used my digital camera to take a video of him playing so you could admire him with multiple senses...but it doesn't want to off load from the devise...oh well beautiful day.....look at that sky 

You go your way I'll go mine

is the name of my new piece...it has crayoned wonder- under (that is the labrynth portion)paper paint and fabric 

rainbow promises

This beauty appeared on Easter Eve....we were eating dinner and somebody said look!! I ran to get my camera...and it was gone.....this happened a couple more times and I was about to give up when I finally got it!!! We had such amazing weather on Saturday ....sun, hail, wind, rain, and a little snow.....even for Oregon in the spring this was good.....now this week I have to make the "promise" of accepting a job...I went back to an office that had offered me a job months ago and I turned it down...mostly due to fact that I was holding out for a more "high-tech" office with toys that make my job easier...but I have come to the conclusion that most of those jobs also come with more stressful bosses cause they have more expenses etc. so I reconsidered this offer and went back to them and said "if you want me I am yours" of course they said they would "let me know" and in the meantime another office that I had also turned down has called me back and re-offered their job ...and I like them better...so ??? I am waiting to hear from the first re-offer... I guess....I feel I have sort of "played some games" with these folks and I don't intend to.......hum....I trying to let go of this and let the right thing happen....I only have to work 3 hours today at a temp job on Salem....then I am on the road north...... 

a new quilt

I completed this over the weekend .... it is 22 X 40 " and is created from a wide assortmant of hand dyed/painted and commercial fabrics pieced and collaged with loads of Free motion sewing/embroidery...I'm really liking this...it is going to hang for a bit in the Easter Season art show at our church and then I think I would like to enter it in a show!!! I am calling it "Morning, Noon, and Night, the First Day" 

freezer paper transfer...how to

Start with a piece of fabric or paper to which you wish to apply the transfer


Also you need some form of acrylic medium, freezer paper cut to size ( I usually cut them to 8 1/2 X 11 " ) a protected surface, printer, image you wish to transfer, and paintbrush









I take the freezer paper and rub the back side against the edge of my counter to take the curve out and then start the feeding processs in to the printer so that when I am ready to print the paper in already to go



Choose your image and print on "inkjet transparency" setting and apply the acrylic mediun while the image is printing...you need only a thin film to cover







turn the wet image over on the wet medium and press lightly



check the coverage by pulling up a corner



the finished image and the detail below





and a second printing to paper as well from the same piece of freezer paper


completed image