Friday, January 15, 2010

old botherations


While I was in the studio this morning stumbling over stuff and trying to shoot pieces on the design wall, I stumbled over this old troublemaker that I started this time last year.    I'm so ambivalent about this piece that I've decided to make a project out of rescuing it from UFO oblivion.                 I was inspired by Tricia McKellar's "Flowers - Still Life" series and bits and pieces of this one fall right in line, but on the whole, I'm bothered. I'm going to take it to work with me and hang it up in the cube and study it for a couple of shifts and see if there are any revelations.

Winter Solstice finished

I'm finally satisfied with this one after another long sessions of stitching, picking out and more stitching.  Once again, I can't settle on an orientation so I won't be signing this one anywhere on the front - a great way to stay uncommitted.  Now, out of sight, out of mind until I can find the right size canvas to mount it on.
My camera was unhappy being cold in the studio this morning but here are a couple of detail shots.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Winter Solstice almost finished


I may have to retitle this "Under the Influence". The doctor gave me several prescriptions with warnings about what you should NOT do while taking them. Stitching was not on the label but I spent an hour last night picking out a whole series of black borders that I put in around the red rectangles which completely obscured the pink glows around each one. Wretched. You think I would have seen how wrong it was as I did all the initial sewing. This one is closing in on done and will be mounted on canvas.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Market Day



Sunday  continues to be  the day I locate pieces in the studio, photograph them and post them for sale at Hand Music

Because I'm including small works that are current and a few going back a few years and one or to of the larger pieces from my main gallery, I wonder if a lack of cohesion bothers collectors. Then again, there's  a little something for everyone here. Maybe I should dig out some of those summer flings now that it's the dead of winter.

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Stitching on Winter Soltice

I may rename this one "Winter Solace".

I hurt my back trying to adjust my chair at the office the other day and normal doings, like just walking, make me shake with pain.  The plan is to spend the day sitting in my new sewing chair upstairs with the heater pulled up close, and stitch on this one. Yeah, and get up and move and stretch every twenty minutes or so.....

The sun is bright today but the temps are still in the teens. Brutal. The hot colors in this one are little fire spots. I want to be careful to not over stitch this one as the scraps I used have enough color and character going for them I think.



Jimmy made a batch of chili yesterday so I'm off the cooking hook for the weekend. More heat!


Several people have asked about my method of attaching a finished piece to canvas so I'm planning a tutorial that I will post here in the upcoming week.First I have to find the right sized canvas, a pesky square 22"
Here are some closeups    one   two

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Glad Tidings

I'm thrilled to announce that  "Companeros"  and "Supernova" , most recently in Chandler, Arizona at Art Quilts XIV: Significant Stitching ,have both been acquired by a private collector.  Making both of these pieces was all fun.
Companeros is covered with french knots and heavy running stitches  which I did while sitting with my mother she was in the hospital for a stretch. Supernova is newer, one of the first pieces I worked on while at my call center job.


Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Social Networking


Talk about your slow cloth. I've been dragging this one around with me since the middle of December. Colin pointed out my usual value issues and rather than paint or stitch to amend them, I'm going to mount this one on a canvas leaving a two or three inch border and paint it a flat gunmetal gray. Finding the right size canvas will be the trick.

I've joined Slow Cloth on FB and am amazed at the lively conversation taking place around what's normally a solitary and contemplative pursuit. My personal reasons for working in this manner are purely practical, in fact, almost enforced by circumstances. I don't have a whole lot to say about it but it's interesting and fun to see what others are thinking and doing.

         Sweetie and Colin

Sunday, January 03, 2010

"Dirty Pool"

Some time in the night,I got an email letting me know that someone bought "Dirty Pool". 
I did a little research and found that this one goes back to 2005 when I first started blogging. There are links here and here that tell about it.

Update..I spent the afternoon adding eight piece to the store some as old as this one and some that have never seen the light of day!


Concentrated Focus  (the original Handmusic, 2005, unfinished)

Saturday, January 02, 2010

wippin'



There should be music here but I dont' know what to play. A tango perhaps.

Winter afternoon light


As if I needed another path to follow, a new piece has sprung into being. I'm still shuffling the spots around.
The afternoon light over my shoulder in this new chair has rekindled my flagging interest in this piece. Under the fluorescent lights of the office I was getting mighty bored with all that gray kantha stitching. New things have been revealed.  And here are two other pieces in progress, one barely thought through and the other one about to be let go. Catch & Release.

Friday, January 01, 2010

Happy New Chair


Not really but a new location. A nice spot where I can catch some afternoon light over my shoulder. And a new perch where Sweetie can watch Squirrel TV. The bold little buggers actually come up and put their paws on the glass! Just wait until she can go outside.

This chair is actually part of a suite that we bought from This End Up back in 1980. In fact, we still have most of the pieces. When you buy this kind of furniture, you had better really like it cause it's going to outlive you.

No pithy thoughts here for the new year. There was a SALE in the store and I have a lot of new ideas perking. Who could ask for more?