the right tool for the job

My new chopsaw!  I am making frames for my Ketchikan show - this little gem has made the process painless and fast: the right tool for the job.

I am using three colors for painting my frames: turquoise (shown here) plus a tomato red and natural wood.

The finished product: my quilted painting attached to the stretched canvas with stitching at the corners and centers, beautifully esconced in its new frame.

stretching canvas

Here are my paintings on the newly stretched but as yet unpainted canvases - I am curious to see the work on colors. I have a beautiful turquoise and a powerful red - but may use a neutral color and finish the edges with a bright frame.

Saturday I stretched about 15 canvases - put a blister on my hand! I have about 8 more stretchers to go. I am deciding now what color(s) to paint them as backgrounds to my artwork.

Flossy (background) was a great help as usual. (In the foreground, on the ironing table, are the fresh dye-paintings from Thrusday and Friday rolled in plastic to stay wet for curing).

Scarves and sketches

Sketch 4 (6"x4") hand painted Procion dyes on cotton, acrylic, machine quilting

Sketch 3 (5"x3") hand painted Procion dyes on cotton, acrylic, hand stiiching, machine quilting

Sketch 2 (6"x4") hand painted Procion dyes on cotton, machine quilting

Sketch 1 (2"x2") hand painted Procion dyes on cotton, fiber, machine quilting

Sketches layered with backing and batting ready for stitching on Friday.

Laying out template on hand painted fabric prior to cutting and stiching into sketches.

Silk/rayon velvet scarf (60"x11") low water immersion dye method with Procion dyes

Silk/rayon velvet scarf (60"x11") low water immersion dye method with Procion dyes

These scarves are still wet, having been rinsed and readied for machine-rinsing and washing in HOT water to set the dye.

Refreshing Hawaii Results in Renewed Energy

'Guardian' (20.25"x31.75")

'Guardian' (detail)

'Change in the Weather' (32.25"x19")

"Change in the Weather' (detail)

Last week at this time I was enjoying a bit of a break on a warmer island, Oahu. The water was an incredible changing palette of aqua, turquoise and every shade of blue imaginable. HUGE surf pounding on the North Shore - the morning of the Tsunami warning I found myself sitting on our hotel balcony for almost two hours, doing absolutely nothing and feeling no guilt about that! Home again, I realize I live in Paradise North, and am back into my studio routine truly refreshed and working well.