Bright Blossoms and Recent Paintings

The woods have bloomed in earnest the past week under the influence of long sunny days.  These salmon berry flowers behind our house caught my camera eye.

 

I think we can expect a good crop of berries later this summer.  I like to eat salmon berries with shortcake and whipped cream.  They also make a workmanlike jelly if mixed with a stronger flavored juice like apple or raspberry.

Now I want to give you a glimpse of two new paintings: 

'City on the Hill' (working title) acrylic and paper on canvas, approx. 18"x24"

'Fan' (working title) acrylic and paper on watercolor paper, approx. 22"x34"

The spring weather has put these efforts on the back burner as it is now warm enough to dye in my studio!  

I mixed up Procion colors on Monday, after drawing and printing with thickened black dye on dry, soda-soaked cotton for three days.

A big panel, covered with plastic to cure until my next studio day tomorrow.

  I can't wait to get back there tomorrow, but for now Flossy and I are off to the Mighty Mighty Day Job.  Happy day to all!

DC: Proverb or Saying

Patrice A. was the author of a thought provoking drawing challenge this week: ‘proverb or saying’.   

The first adage to pop into my mind was: “one day at a time”, a saying that literally saved my life.  As I walked each morning, rolling the phrase around in my mind, I was also thinking of a book I am reading, Josef Albers’s classic ‘Interaction of Color’.  Albers writes that even if a group of people focus on the same color, so that everyone receives the same projection on their retinas, no one can be sure whether each has the same perception.  I considered my conception of time, which I have always visualized as a circle of twelve months that I am traveling around counterclockwise.   I wondered what others perceive when they think of time.

I decided to illustrate my notion of time using a volvelle built using techniques found in ‘Making Handmade Books’ by Alisa Golden,  an absolute treasure trove of inspiration, instruction and delight for artist book makers.

'Time is Not a River' volvelle; card stock and recycled calendar pages

I titled the piece with another favorite saying, part of an old joke I love: 'Time is a river... or maybe it isn't.'  What do you visualize when you think of time?  You won't be wasting yours if you visit Patrice's wonderful blog where artists are airing adages this week.

The last couple days have been full of glorious sunshine, making the afternoon walk a real pleasure.  After being cooped up for 8 hours in the Mighty Mighty Day Job, Flossy and I really enjoy heading up one of the local logging roads for a ramble.

I keep my walking shoes in my truck so we can stop on the way home at the Twin Creek Road.

Flossy leads the way up 'Maniac Mountain' (Falls Creek Road)

Skunk Cabbage is flourishing now...

...and all the little streams are bubbling and sparkling as they come down the mountain.

Tiny yellow violets are abundant.

This Blue Jay played a game of hide and seek with us as I tried to snap his portrait.

Those incredible blue feathers are a real forest standout!

Coming down off Twin Creek Road, the view up the Narrows is spectacular.

Also making the week a treat: Kim's give-away gift arrived in my post office box!  

 

I absolutely love this necklace!  Thank you, Kim!

Lover of Horses (Philip) - DC

When I was a kid, I was a lover of horses. 

Day and night, they filled my mind.

I wanted a horse of my own more than anything.

On the playground, we pretended. In every game, every play: horses!

 Buckskin, Palomino, Pinto, Paint.

Using jump ropes as reigns, we rode wild and free - 

one girl a horse and one girl a rider, across the grass we ran.

For this week's Drawing Challenge, Stefanie presented us with Philip - or fillip.  I found myself remembering girlhood days on the outskirts of Denver, a very horsey place at the time.  I chose to make a little practice 'X' book on the man's name version of our theme: Phillip, meaning 'lover of horses'.  I am so looking forward to getting over to Stefanie's place to see how other Challengers have addressed this intriguing double-topic.  

I am riding over there now, won't you join me?

Details: Fiberactions

Fiberactions Challenge, Color Challenge 9:  Use at least three colors of food in your kitchen
Proposed by Kathy Sperino
Reveal Date ~ May 15, 2013 

A couple years ago I was invited to join an on-line fiber artists group and have enjoyed participating in our bi-monthly challenges.  This time the exercise involved using colors of food as our palette.

I wrote a list and dragged out the scrap bag looking for celery, avocado, pimento, green pepper, red pepper, and lemon.

Then I came across a 'failed' monoprint done on a piece of hand-dyed cotton back in February or March.  The pale overlay of zinc white acrylic reminded me of skim milk.  The image seemed to hold possibilities I hadn't seen when I first pulled the print.

 

 

  Soon I had my scraps assembled using curved piecing techniques, and got ready to machine quilt layered up on two pieces of felt. 

 

'Foggy' 16.75"x11"

The edges are bound with zigzag stitches over rat tail cording. As I finished the piece, I realized that the palette ended up reminding me far more of moldy food colors than the fresh vegetables originally intended!

Over at the Fiberactions Blog today you can see how the other members dealt with this challenge.

Drawing Challenge: Smell

I have heard that of the five senses, our sense of smell is the most evocative of memory.   Who has not experienced being swept back in time on a memory aroma?  Here are some of my most favorite scents in no particular order, and illustrations of two.  

 

 

Burning leaves

Oil paint and turpentine

Morning coffee

Cottonwood trees

A certain dirt road near Helena Montana, July 1985

Inside of an old trunk

Our woods in spring

Wood smoke

Baking bread

Thunderstorm

My Sailor’s skin

  

Our hostess for this olfactory Drawing Challenge is Barbara.  Hope you will be lured by the excellent artistic aroma interpretations emanating from her always amazing blog.

Daily Drawing

A little share of pages from my daily drawing sketchbook, which is an 8"x6" Stillman and Birn 'Gamma'.  

Enjoy!

'Unravel' - pigma pen

'Flowering Tree' - pigma pen and prismacolor pencils

'Angry Angels' - pigma brush pen and inktense pencils

 (I remain grateful to Lynne for introducing me to this excellent type of sketchbook). 

Burlesque - DC Dances On

The morning walk is a non-negotiable part of my day for many reasons, not the least of which is the quality thinking time it provides.  My mind rambles freely between conversation with my Higher Power and thoughts about the day ahead.  Sometimes I am even blessed with the inner-silence that comes when I am fully present in the beauty of the moment.  And sometimes inspiration for an art project pops into consciousness, as happened yesterday in response to this week's Drawing Challenge, Burlesque.  I couldn't wait to get to the studio!

Black Arches Cover

The 'right' type of blade for cutting paper

'Yes' Paste - the best stuff for gluing paper to paper

silver gel pen created the fish-net stockings

 I am sure by now you have figured out where this was leading:

 

'Hootchie Kootchie': A Burlesque flag book - 4" x 4.25"

Lots more Burlesque is going on over at Tania's extraordinary contrarian blog.  Have a look and perhaps a laugh with us!