Faces in the Woods!

I designed this piece while thinking about the fragile balance between people and nature. Humans are challenged by the desire to create a living environment that suits us while being mindful of the natural world and the need to coexist. 

The faces represent each of us and our responsibility to watch over
the environment and protect it from misuse. 

The finished piece is long and narrow and I haven't quite figured out the appropriate hanging system. I'm also still mulling over a title. Most of the fabrics were deigned by members of The Printed Fabric Bee. I felted the individual faces and free motion quilted the face details. 

An Endless Supply of Hand Crafted Fabric + Energy = Free Form Fun!

I'm ready to use the fabrics I've been setting aside! When I create fabrics the majority of the inventory is for sale but I do have a little stash of fabrics that have been tucked away for the right moment. I've also been hanging onto a custom fabric collection made especially for me by the members of The Printed Fabric Bee. I figured I better take advantage of the energy as I haven't felt this compulsion in a long while. Nothing is quilted but the pieces have come together. 

This is "Falling Leaves" and only pinned. I plan to stitch along the raw edge and add some detail for the veins and stem... we'll see if I stay true to that or if another idea comes along.

I'm calling this piece, "Connecticut Woodlands". It reminds me of all the things I enjoy about summer in Connecticut. I created most of the fabrics but some are from my buddies at The Printed Fabric Bee. 

95% of the fabrics used in this design were created by fellow artists in The Printed Fabric Bee. It's a combination of collections the members made when it was my turn to be Queen and choose the theme. I screened over the top once it was pieced and I think I'll quilt circles across the surface. The working title is "Secrets in Grandmother's Garden". I just realized it needs a border of sorts to keep your eye from wandering away!  

There is a freedom to jumping in with both feet and not worrying about making a mistake or planning the design in advance! 

How do you work best? Are you a planner or a jump in and figure it out later artist - maybe a combination of both?

Holiday Piece #1 - it has begun!

I took a "personal" day from my full time job today for some much needed downtime. I woke up at 5:00 AM just thinking about the possibilities the day could bring! 

I headed into the studio with the coffee pot and was quickly immersed in creative energy! My goal was to design a piece of wall art that was very simplistic but still recognizable as Christmas. I pulled fabrics from my stash and settled on a red/black fabric that had been ice dyed twice for the background. Next I chose a hand painted/stenciled fabric that was "challenged". By challenged I mean the overall design was a bit too strong in a one yard piece. Sometimes those wild-child fabrics are more manageable in smaller sizes! 

The quilting is also minimal... just enough to create some texture.  

I stretched the piece over an up-cycled stretcher bars and BOOM - on the wall it goes! 

Look What Antonia Torres Created!

Antonia Torres is a founding member of the Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective! She is an inspirational artist who is able to translate what she visualizes into a fabric design.

As Toni was looking through my stash of fabrics she was drawn to this particular piece. Toni said she immediately knew she would create a design that felt as if you were peering through the branches and into the forest.

I'd say she did an awesome job!

 



Autumn Birch
Antonia Torres

 

Look what Diane Cadrain Created!

Diane Cadrain is a fellow Connecticut Fiber Arts Collective member. She is one of the most prolific artists that I know producing new creations weekly. According to Diane, "the voices in her head" keep giving her ideas! As you can see she is also a lot of fun.

I've asked Diane to share some of her work that incorporates my hand crafted fabric. This piece is titled, "Cape Cod Pitch Pine". Diane first printed a photo onto fabric. Next she stuffed the images of the cones and used trapunto to get dimensionality for the needles. Then she surrounded the photo transfer with a border of my ice dyed fabric. Isn't it a great piece?!

Cape Cod Pitch Pine
by
Diane Cadrain

Cape Cod Pitch Pine - detail
Diane free-motion quilted the border for that lovely meandering look. 

Painted Canvas and Applique!

I've been painting on canvas with typical fabric paints just to explore and have fun. The canvas is a little unusual - it's very dense and even after washing there seems to be a bit of finish left on the surface. Not to be discouraged I kept on painting! This particular piece grabbed my attention making me stop painting and start designing. The colors and shapes on the fabric are playful and reminded me to be free!

I instantly wanted to design a very simple vase with flowers that left the appearance of a sketch rather than a well developed subject. It was refreshing to be fluid and free with the design and a pleasure to go into the studio to work on it. To finish the piece I mounted on canvas stretchers.

Flowers at Play
20" X 15"

 

 

Here is the painted canvas before I started

Detail of the flowers with just a hint of color

 

This photo shows the free motion quilting in the background

Awesome Technique!

Most of you know I am curating a traveling exhibit, Color Wheel of Emotions which opens in August. I created a Facebook page dedicated to bringing the readers into the world of the artists by sharing interviews, tips and techniques. Recently I shared Peggy Brown's unique approach and it's just so cool that I wanted to share with you as well! Please feel free to go to the Facebook page to read more and view the artists stunning artwork... it's a treat!



Changing Colors III

 

Peggy Brown Shares Her Techniques for Combining Mediums! 

I want to thank Peggy for sharing her techniques with us. The end results are beautiful and with her fearless approach perhaps other artists will venture into the arena of combining mediums for unexpected results!  

PB: The materials used to create “Changing Colors III” include archival tissue paper, cotton flannel, a few pieces of silver leaf and  interfacing - all painted with transparent watercolor paint. The darker pieces which compose the center of interest are digital transfers which I fused to the painted background and edged with hand embroidered blanket stitch.  The image in the transfers (which in this case is mostly just textured color) was cropped from one of my watercolor paintings (on paper) using Photoshop to crop and print on treated fabric.

The process: I started with the three orangeish paper sections. I tore pieces of archival tissue paper, placed them on a painting support board, and sprayed them with water until wet thru. Next I painted them with watercolor and let everything dry flat on the support board. The paper and paint worked together to make various textures and the pigments ran and blended.  I never know how a piece is going to look until it is dry - watercolor does wonderful things when left to be itself!  (Refer to photo of Peggy in her studio in below photo) 

When dry I fused the painted tissue to larger pieces of cotton flannel and repainted everything including the whitish sections. When dry I gave the paper parts a coating of Acrylic Mat Medium. 

The next step in the process included fusing the strips of interfacing you see on the sides of the paper sections. I cannot remember if I painted them first or after they were applied to the flannel but either would work. Then I fused my center of interest - the darker transferred pieces.  Lastly I quilted thru everything. The paper doesn't tear because the mat medium makes it strong. Please visit my website gallery for more examples of my work.

 

Peggy Brown happily creating in her studio!  

 

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Color Wheel of Emotions opens at the

 World Quilt Show - New England XII

700 Elm Street, Manchester, NH

August 15 - 18!

 

 

Mixed Media: Dragonfly

"Dragonfly" is a 10" X 21" piece I created by combining a few different methods. I started with a white piece of artists canvas which I dyed using the ice dye technique. I started quilting by meandering in-between and over the various colors... basically I wandered wherever the canvas seemed to need some texture. I wasn't quite satisfied so I started stamping with gold ink... still feeling it needed more I added crystals and beads. I put the piece away for a while and when I came back to it I knew it needed purple a dragonfly... or two! The canvas is stretched over a wooden frame. It was fun to create!

Island Blue

When my hubby and I returned home from a trip to the Bahamas I kept thinking about the beautiful shades of blue I'd seen in the water and sky. I dyed about five different fabrics with the idea of strip piecing the top and off setting the blocks to create a feeling of movement. The overall look was a little boring so I scattered some large tropical flowers across the design.  Some beading and embroidery topped off the design.

"Island Blue" evokes many fond memories of time spent with my hubby on a warm
 beach with the sound of waves breaking and not a care in the world!

Afternoon Gossip

I love watching birds especially in the winter. When the snow comes down hard or it's really cold the birds fluff up their feathers as much as possible trapping the heat; it makes them look like little round puff balls! When the birds are all lined up sitting along the telephone wires I wonder what they're thinking about. Sometimes the snow will start to pile up on them but they don't seem to care. I imagine they're busy with their friends sharing the afternoon gossip and don't notice the harsh weather.  

Afternoon Gossip

The center panel was handpainted and each bird was designed and created separately.

For purchasing information please click on the "Fabric Wall Art" tab at the top of the page.