Monoprinting on Cotton

On my work table - new monoprints developing.

The figure on the left was painted on top of the ghost of the image on the right. 

detail - color will be applied after the line work cures and the fabric is dry.

I am experimenting with painting on a small foam print plate and stamping these images on the painting.  One of my main objectives this week has been to broaden my range of colors by mixing away from my usual bright palette - to achieve some earthy, amber tones. 

I worked with thickened dyes first and then did washes of thin color, not cleaning my brushes as often as usual.  These pieces are curing and will be washed out next Thursday when I am back in the studio.  It's been a good week - I look forward to seeing this work come out of the dryer.

Orange Things for Halloween

Halloween (my personal favorite among the candy holidays) is almost here and inspires this post about orange - a rival with red as my favorite color.

Traveling home last month, I had dinner with my Seattle daughter.  While waiting for our table at Lombardi's on Ballard Avenue (where we enjoyed a memorable meal) we window shopped at Romanza which was already decked out for the season with plenty of eye candy. 

And speaking of the Seattle kid, this grass plant caught her fancy last fall when she was visiting me - these live along the logging road and are just screaming orange iridescence in fall.

 

There are plenty of orange things in the studio, including my best brush-holder, the pitcher which my great-aunt Ruth painted.

And a final orange thing: Thomas doing laundry.

 Happy Halloween to all!

Picking Cranberries

This beautiful Sunday afternoon drew us out onto the muskeg in search of cranberries.  We found LOTS!

  Last year cranberries were scarce and we hardly got any, but this season they are thick.

 They lay on top of the muskeg like jewels.

We ended up with about 3 cups in a little over an hour of picking.  The day was cool but dry with a little wind - it smelled so good out there.  We also saw:

 A little mushroom in eye-popping orange...

...many other growing things we don't know what they are...

 

...and lots of water everywhere - you have to wear your boots!

 Flossy the Cranberry Queen

Octoberfest Artshare

Today was the big annual craft fair I have been preparing for.  I did well in terms of sales and even better in terms of marketing my studio open house which will be the day following Thanksgiving, November 26.  I was pleased with the way my booth looked.  I minimized the horrid blue tarp which covers the floor and walls by re-using the floor-cloth I painted for Las Vegas and the bifold doors from our recent doors show at the Clausen. 

 

I sold all but two of my new line of cell phone/ipod/ID bags with the Tyvek beads.  Very satisifying!

 

My scarves were very popular as usual.  All but one of the rock-tied velvet ones sold.

The other big news of the week happened yesterday when the sailor came home after 6-months on a ship in the far east. 

He'll be home 'till March or so - see me through the winter - happy days ahead!

Work Progress in the Wet Week

I was grateful for my nice warm dry studio this week as we were inundated with the usual October rains and gales.  I finished my inventory for the craft sale next weekend, worked on some new sketches and put time in on my Sketchbook Project drawings.

Scarf inventory - silk and silk-rayon velvet

 My new line of rock-tied dyes not seen before at Octoberfest

The stack of fleece hats I made while in Denver

New sketches, 3"x5" to 4"x6", cut from dye paintings that were not successful in themselves.  I layer two pieces of flannel and a backing for quilting on my sewing machine.  I will be doing hand stitching and possibly beading as well.

Mid-afternoon Flossy and I took the obligatory Sunday walk.  We went out to see how the storm was coming along at the Water Meadow.  Things were very floody there.

Flossy loved it; all that water to stick her long snout in and bark at.

 

 

The trail was under water - and me without my boots on!

 

I always feel so good when I get out there and walk, wet or not.  It is a rain forest after all!   Tomorrow is Alaska Day, and a holiday at the Mighty Mighty Day Job.  I am giving myself permission to sleep late, and then off to the studio.  Wishing you a creative week!

Flossy, the Ravens and Using Tyvek Beads

Flossy had an interesting encounter with a flock of a half-dozen ravens up the 40,000 Road.  The birds followed us for quite a distance, swooping down over Flossy, landing several feet away and then launching themselves into the trees on either side of the road.  I was not quick-thinking enough to make a video but did get one pretty good still shot of the game.

I thought you might also like to see what I have done with some of my Tyvek beads.  I plan to market these little wearable bags at the Octoberfest Artshare coming up in a couple weeks here in town.  The bags are made with scraps of my hand-painted and dyed fabrics, finished off with the beads and a necklace-length leather cord.  They are the right size to hold credit card/driver's license or cell phone/I-pod.

 

Off to the studio in the morning! 

Playing with Tyvek

My friend Belinda joined me in the studio for a session playing with acrylic paint, Tyvek, and my heat gun.  We twisted up lots of beads using up scraps of fiber I had left over from other projects.  We had so much fun neither of us wanted to quit - positively addictive!

My new stash

 Close up, you can see some of the textures we achieved with the scrap ribbons, yarns, and such.

After the morning's fun, I took a little break and walked through the harbor.  The 'Deer Harbor II' had a collection of lines on her stern which caught my eye.

Later that afternoon I saw these leaves on the path to the library, blown down by the gale force winds we've been enduring.

The house across the slough from my studio had these glass vessels basking in the wan October sun - so pretty.

A Curiosity of Doors Invitational Exhibit

For the past 10+ years, Petersburg has held an invitational art exhibit of new work by local artists created around a specific theme.  This year the 13 invited artists were challenged to create work using an actual door.  I took these shots of our resulting creations as installed at the Clausen Museum September 17 through 27.

 Ashley Duross

 Annabelle Baker

 Aria Peterman with Lisa Schramek's blue door behind.

 Beth Loesch

 Holly Bell Winje

 Pia and Flossy with Chris Weiss's installation - a doorway hung with keys.

 Pia Reilly

 Polly Lee

 Sue Savage

Sue Wood

'Memory's Gates' - Susan Christensen

Artist Statement

I’ve long been interested in portraying opposites in my work.  In this project I explored the opposite ends of my memory’s emotional spectrum: the dark past - addiction, broken relationships, anger, hurt, despair; and the dark, passed - admittance, acceptance, healing relationships, spiritual growth and creative artistic flowering. 

I was thinking of how memory seeps into consciousness - how the past is steeped in the present, like an exotic, fragrant tea.  Although some are hard and some tear my heart with a bittersweet longing nothing can quench, I do not regret any of my memories, instead remaining grateful for every moment that has brought me to this one – the beautiful Here, the one and only Now.