Faces on Friday

 Very quick sketches while she's reading

 At a guild meeting

 The middle one is getting closer

So - the last one up there - how do you draw THIS!?!?

And a little eye candy for you and me just for staying with me this long.

 I ignored other deadlines and played with polymer clay - these might become new buttons for my coat. 

Every once in a while I need to reward myself with something completely non-pressure-dealine.

What things do you do that are "completely different"just for a break?

New Article in Quilting Arts Magazine

I love it when the mailbox opens up to goodies like this one! The newest issue of Quilting Arts magazine is as lovely as ever. It includes an article by little 'ol me.

Enjoy!

For Your Inspiration: seen in Tucson

The sign on the front said "art gallery."

I wish I'd had time to go in.

Teaching: Sarasota Friendship Knot Quilt Guild

Roberta was my chief schlepper!

If you've got to travel somewhere in the cold winter month of January - Florida is the place to go.  The Friendship Knot Quilter's Guild is a fabulous group of ladies and it was a pleasure to spend time with them last week!

We had a blast (and exhausted ourselves!) learning a bajillion different surface design techniques in Surface Design Sampler Platter. We laughed and worked through carving stamps, thermofax screen printing, photo transfer, stenciling, and even beading!

Roberta Miller's Book Cover

Pam Zeck's Book cover

Pat Haas with her absolutely FANTASTIC piece!!

A few of the class ladies strut their stuff at guild meeting.
Pam Zeck, ?, Carol Masulonis, Roberta Miller, and Kim Sherrod.

Catherine Eberly showed off fabric she printed during my
on-line screen printing course at Quilt University.com.

And the food was not only fabulicious - it was pretty and just a bit dangerous!
Seafood stew in a flaming peacock.

Finding Purpose

I've been thinking about the purpose behind both my business and personal goals ...

...trying to distill thoughts and feelings into just a few words.

What is it that I want for myself? What do I wish to give to YOU?

My answer is simply this:

Find Joy

Be Inspired

Create Beauty

I've revamped my Artists Statement to better reflect these ideas.

In a world where too often, the images we feed ourselves are full of violence and fear, my goal as an artist is to create beauty, to uplift, and to remind us of the strength we all possess.  In a many layered process I gather intriguing materials both old and new. I marvel as plain cloth absorbs dye and changes appearance. I cut, piece and stitch, print, paint and embellish. Slowly order emerges from disarray, beauty from chaos.

The tactile nature of cloth, its texture, richness and malleability are what have drawn me to this medium. Fabric has a history almost as old as humankind; we cover ourselves in cloth every morning and wrap ourselves with it at night. Quilts hold a particular fascination for me. During a time when creative women were not allowed to be artists, they were able to stitch together beautiful works of art imbedded in objects of utility. My quilts are freed from utility and allowed full freedom of expression as fine art.

Thanks to Alyson Stanfield's book, I'd Rather Be In The Studio, this was easier than it might have been. She has a great list of questions to ask yourself.

She's coming to Durham on May 20th and 21st for a fantastic No-Excuses Art Marketing workshop. It's part of the Professional Art Quilter's Alliance - South spring conference but is open to the public. I'd love to see you there! You can look here for the workshop description and to sign up.

http://www.artbizcoach.com/durham/index.html

Have you thought about the reasons you do what you do?

What are your gifts? Why do you create? What is your purpose?

If you have any thoughts or critiques on my statement I'd truly appreciate hearing those as well.

Faces on Friday

 Staring myself in the face late at night. My kids recognized the one on the left. PROGRESS!

I need to figure out how to do noses and lips in profile.

 At the airport - surreptitiously sneaking glances at people waiting in the terminals.

Isn't it funny how we draw what we THINK we see rather than what is there.

It's taken all this time to realize how far back to draw an eye in profile.

It's usually way back behind the nose and I've been drawing it too far forward.

Late at night and I don't want to get out of bed to look in the mirror so I made up a couple faces.

The one in the middle is from a photo. Still such a long way to go - but I'm having fun!

For Your Inspiration: San Xavier del Bac, Tucson Arizona

San Xavier del Bac

Tucson, Arizona

Ceiling detail, crossing

lower walls - nave