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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Summer Visions

I have been busy as heck putting together my proposals for public art for the new Petersburg Public Library, creating mail art for exchange with Connie Rose (it's in the mail, Connie), and enjoying summer in Southeast Alaska.  Since I can't show you either of the first two efforts yet, I will share photos of our walk from Friday and this afternoon. 

Friday was ridiculously stressful but mid-afternoon I called a halt to the craziness, asked myself what would give me joy the rest of the day, went back to the studio from which I had been called away on a fools errand, gathered my things and retreated to the quiet of my home on the beach.
I sat in my rocking chair by the sunny window with a glass of ice tea and finished the novel I was reading.  Then Flossy and I...
went out the road for the afternoon walk.
The clouds were amazing, flying across the blue...

...throwing shadows dramatically across the landscape.

The Slough was a mill pond - the variety of blues struck me.

 This afternoon we went on a picnic with dear friends to Sandy Beach.  (Every town in Southeast Alaska has a place called 'Sandy Beach').
 After the fabulous food, we went for a walk along the nice trail through the beach fringe. 
 We met a big old Tree fellow.  He was very friendly - see all the hearts around him?
This exposed root has developed a beautiful verdigris palette.
Shy Maiden is the name of this tiny flower, I was told.  Thanks for visiting - hope your new week is starting out splendid!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Scene, Recently #34

It has been a game of catch-up since Daughter flew back to her home last week but I do not regret a moment of the days spent on 'stay-cation' with her.  One project I got busy on immediately after she got on the jet is the Nose - a carnival game for our local radio station KFSK's Kiddie Carnival at the July 4th celebration.
 
The Nose - paper mache on plywood - work in progress
 My morning walks continue to fill me with serenity, which sometimes flies away later in these busy days.
This morning a layer of fog glided along the Wrangell Narrows.
One thing I love about Blogland is the opportunity to exchange art with some fabulous artists.  The past week my post office box yielded an envelop of mail-art treasure from Connie Rose
Mail Art from Connie Rose

artist trading card from Connie
Thanks, Connie - an ATC in return is on my list, way up near the top.  As soon as I finish this Nose...
Happy mid-week, All!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

High Summer (Solstice DC)

'High Summer' pigma pen and inktense pencil in 8x6 gamma
I hope you are not all tired of looking at scenery photos here in my little back water of Blogland, but I just can't get enough of this weather.  After two years of literally NO warm sunny weather, we are blessed with reason to remember why we live here in Southeast Alaska.








On the morning bridge
calm water murmurs memories
of last June’s floods
while birdsong chorus
lightens the dawning day.
Thank you,
most High and Glorious Creator
for Solstice and
the World 
full of
Summer’s radiance and glory
this longest day.

Thanks to my Bloggish friend Kirsten for this week's Drawing Challenge theme, 'Solstice'.  Beautiful images await you at her inspiring place, A Sunny Spot. Whether it is Summer or Winter Solstice in your part of the World, I wish you a week full of magic.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Ideal Hiking

 The days of Daughter's visit have flowed by: sunny, warm and lovely.  Both inveterate walkers, we have been hiking every day here on the Island, in the Tongass Rainforest.  Yesterday we walked the Three Lakes trail to Ideal Cove.
Flossy was our guide, of course.

Hill Lake, where the trail splits off to the salt water of Frederick Sound

The water lilies are particularly bright in the sunshine.


The trail is in great shape, boardwalk all the way.

Arriving at the beach, we stopped for a minute to rest, and sniff around.
 
Spot the Sheltie!

Horn Cliffs on the right, looking Northwest up Frederick Sound.

LeConte Bay - those white things at the base of the island are icebergs from the glacier up there.
Too soon, time to head back home.

The wildflowers love the sunny summer days as much as we do.

Forget-me-not - the State flower; Yes, days to remember forever!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

morning, noon and night

Not much time this weekend to do anything but play outside in the sunshine...

morning...

noon...
and night!
Thanks to Helen for this week's drawing challenge theme.  Check out more round the clock visual action over at her delightful blog, Objects of Whimsey.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Relishing Summer

So much to be grateful for this week...
...blue skies...

...warmer temperatures...

...LONG days...

...and Summer's Screaming Green palette.

crab apple blossoms

baby pine cones
Best of all, our Daughter is coming for a week's visit tomorrow and our Son is coming up to work for the summer on Sunday.
I will be taking a little break from studio work this week.  Here are some projects in mid-stream, waiting for my return:

detail of  one of a series of procion dye paintings, waiting to be stitched

monoprint, acrylic paint and prismacolor pencil on cotton, 6"x8", waiting to be stitched

containers of low-water emersion over-dyes, all cottons, which I will rinse out tomorrow while I wait for Daughter's plane to land in the morning

Hope your week is going well.  Got gratitude?

Saturday, June 8, 2013

DC: Mood Board


Ariane's challenge to create a mood board for the Drawing Challenge this week lead me on an interesting research project.  Google-ing turned up an article with tricks and tips for creating mood boards.  I learned about 'Mat Board', an alternative to 'Pinterest', and signed up.


Digital Mood Board, created in Picasa
 I decided to make a board to help clarify my vision for an upcoming public art proposal I'm working on. 
I hope you can read my mood!
Whimsical
Colorful
Happy


Mood boards in abundance are viewable through links over at Ariane's, where the mood is always serene and lovely.


Finally, I can't resist showing you a few of the images I've been working on this week:

'Nadia's View' - monoprint on Japanese paper with prismacolor pencil and paper collage, 8"x10"

'Reflection' - monoprint on cotton with prismacolor pencil, 8"x10"

detail, work in progress - procion on cotton
Thanks for visiting, and have a great week ahead!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Dye Process - Step Two

Last week I continued working with thickened Procion dyes.  Step one was done by stamping with black dye using my hand-carved rubber stamps 'vocabulary'.  After the black has cured I am ready to move on to applying color to my design on the soda-soaked cotton.  Here are some close-ups of the work in progress.
Here I have used a mix of thickened and thin dye.  Thickened dye tends to stay where I put it.  Thin dye runs.




These pieces have now been completely dyed, cured, and washed out.  I can take them to the sewing machine tomorrow, very exciting!  Meanwhile, Flossy and I are off to earn our keep at the Mighty Mighty Day Job today.  
Wishing you joy of the morning, Dear Readers.

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